Working Out: For The Nine-To-Fivers

AMATEUR
CLINICIANS,
FAITH HEALERS
AND THE TAO OF DIRTY HARRY
With MARK TOONEY P20
WHY MAYBE
IS ENOUGH
DAn john
reveals the
problems
with the
fitness
industry
P32
BY LAURA NEPODAL P24
working
out for
the nineto-fivers
THE STRENGTH MATTERS CONTRIBUTORS

DISCUSS FITNESS FOR EVERYONE ELSE
how to train the

older generation
BY ANDREW READ P6
issue 2 NOVEMber 2014
simple does not mean easy
20
_/poten.ti.a/ 24
issue 1 october 2014
in this issue
shooting the breese
A tribute to Mayyah
Wall of Strength
Events Schedule
athletic adventures
Photo of the month
food matters
26
education matters
28
photocall
30
coachs corner
32
feature workout
34
ask Dr. Michael Hartle 35
26
stop chasing pain
14
Spotlight On colin stewart 8
GIVING BACK
16
IN THE NEWS
10
sTrength matters podcast
17
defining Strength
12
health matters
18
CONTRIBUTORS
JAMES BREESE
Twitter @kettlebellfever
Profession Kettlebell Fever
founder feature Shooting
the Breese Likes Rugby and
coffee Dislikes Football
and tea Perfect Day
Snowboarding on a clear blue
day, after overnight snow.
MAYYAH SHALCHI
Twitter @mayyahshalchi
Profession Kettlebell Fever
vice president of operations
feature Minute with Mayyah
Likes Salted Caramel Ice cream
Dislikes Anyone touching my
feet! Perfect Day A boat trip,
with a BBQ on board!
Perry Nickelston
Twitter @Stopchasingpain
Profession Chiropractor
feature Stop Chasing Pain
Likes Movement and coffee
Dislikes Escalators and
excuses Perfect Day
Waking up.
David Holbrook
Twitter @dholbrookphoto
Profession Photographer
feature Photography
throughout Likes Learning
Dislikes Bad form on all
accounts Perfect Day A
productive one with time to
think, create and play.
STRENGTH MATTERS ISSUE TWO
aleisha turner
Twitter @monty0731
Profession Strength Matters
editor feature Spotlight On...
Likes Cats Dislikes Frogs
Perfect Day Smoked salmon,
poached eggs, mussels, steak,
ice cream. Thats just breakfast.
DAN JOHN
Twitter @fakedanjohn
Profession Strength coach,
author feature Coachs
Corner Likes Throwing stuff
Dislikes Ignorance in all forms
Perfect Day Sleep in, train,
big breakfast, afternoon lawn
party, Practice thanksgiving.
ROGER MCCARTHY
Twitter @RogerMcC4rthy
Profession Director of
education feature Education
Matters Likes Running with
my dog Dislikes Searching for
my dog Perfect Day Coffee,
forest run, 12 course lunch.
laura nepodal
Twitter @lauranepodal
Profession Kettlebell coach
feature _Poten.ti.a Likes
Snuggly things Dislikes Inflated
egos Perfect Day Riding my
motorcycle, creative writing, lifting
heavy stuff, rock climbing, and
cuddling a bulldog - boom!
ANDREW READ
Twitter @AndrewR_ReadPT
Profession Strength coach
feature Athletic Adventures
Likes Training and Red Bull
Dislikes Laziness Perfect
Day Train, eat, sleep, train,
eat, sleep.
CLAIRE BOOTH
Twitter @qbclaire
Profession Performance
coach feature Health
Matters Likes Champagne
Dislikes Insincerity Perfect
Day By the ocean on a
secluded beach!
Tim Harrison
Twitter @girevikchef
Profession Chef and
kettlebell lover. feature Food
Matters Likes Red Pandas
Dislikes Snotty egg whites
Perfect Day Sunday brunch
with family then a run up a hill.
mark toomey
Twitter @lordtoomey
Profession Health and
conditioning coach feature
Simple Does Not Mean Easy
Likes Golf and training
Dislikes Poorly tailored suits
Perfect Day Any day spent
with my family.
shooting the Breese

by JAMES BREESE
November is one of my favourite months

of the year and this year is no exception.
Wales are gearing up for the Autumn International Rugby series
against the might of the southern hemisphere. Christmas is just
around the corner and, more importantly, the winter slopes are
just about to open. This means I get to spend a lot of my free time
looking up all the new snowboards and snow gear and watching
the all the awesome videos that just keeps getting bigger and
better every year!
Our theme for the November issue of Strength Matters is Strength
for Everybody Else. To me, this means strength for the average
person. Its the mum with two kids pushing a stroller (pram) and
carrying a bag of groceries. Its an elderly lady walking from the living
room to the kitchen to make a sandwich or a high flying executive
who is recovering from a heart bi-pass. Its the strength needed just
to survive every day life. In the industry this is very often overlooked
with the focus often on the Elite athletes who only make up 1% of
society. What about the other 99%? Well, our experts have got them
covered this month.
This year November is set to be busier than ever with so much going
on here at Strength Matters HQ. The Summit is kicking the month off
on the 1st November, which I am super excited about. This year, we
have people from all over the world attending and speaking. Then, we
have the StrongFirst level 1 certification headed up by Dave Whitley
and Fabio Zonin and then, of course, the magazine is in full flow
with the January and February editions already in the working stages!
I cant thank everyone enough for the initial response from the first
edition and in particular all the founding members who are helping
us work on subsequent issues. I feel were at the start of something
very special and cant wait to see where this takes us over the next
12 months! The magazine is just one element of what were doing
here at Strength Matters; if you havent got involved with the weekly
webinars yet youre really missing out. In fact, Webinar Wednesday is
now my joint favourite day of the week along with Podcast Friday!
The webinars are proving to be a great hit as were able to convey a
lot of information in a live environment with Q&As in real time and
interaction with people from all over the world! It was absolutely
brilliant to have the webinar with Perry Nickelston last month. People
from Tokyo, Melbourne and San Francisco joined us on the call. I was
absolutely buzzing!
Let us know your thoughts on social media
at #strengthmatters
James
James Breese
Kettlebell Fever Founder
All images David Holbrook Photography.
A tribute
to mayyah
by james breese
Its amazing what can

happen on the back of
a single phone call
MAYYAH SHALCHI
Twitter @mayyahshalchi
Mayyah is the VP of Ops for
Kettlebell Fever, spending much
of her time assisting James
with all the bazillions of projects
that he dreams up. In her spare
time she loves training with
kettlebells, barbells, and has
recently started competing in
Strongwoman competitions;
reaching the finals in her first
ever competition.
In February 2013 I was looking to take on my first full time, nonfamily member employee; work was becoming increasingly hectic.
I just couldnt keep up with myself, let alone all of the bazillions of
projects and ideas that were floating around in my head. I needed
someone to a) Put up with me and b) Help me achieve them. So
enter Rob Blair and his introduction to Mayyah Shalchi.
I remember meeting with Mayyah for the first time in the Hayes
Galleria in London Bridge - she was dressed up all smart, on
total best behaviour. We chatted for a good couple of hours and
really hit it off and I knew instantly that she would be the perfect
fit for Kettlebell Fever. Little did I know it was the start of a great
partnership - a partnership that would take my business to the
next level.
In the 18 months that followed our first meeting, the entire company
has been transformed. Weve gone from hosting a couple of courses
here and there and selling a few kettlebells to becoming UKs
premier provider of Kettlebell Certifications. We have our own Black
Series Kettlebells, a Kettlebell Studio and now, more recently, our
Strength Matters Magazine, Podcast and Summit which have
gone worldwide.
The Bodyweight Cert participants
Mayyahs introduction to the company was the catalyst to

everything that has happened. The magazine you have in your
hands is the pinnacle of her hard work, dedication and achievements
over the past 18 months. If people only knew the true story behind
the scenes to turn the Strength Matters magazine into a reality.
Plus she keeps me in check and thats a full time job in itself.
Aside from her fantastic work ethic and commitment to health
& fitness, its the friendship that we have formed over the past 18
months that is truly unforgettable. Its not very often you can log
into Skype for a Monday morning business meeting to be greeted
by a David Cameron mask that scares the hell out of you,
(right Mayyah!?).
When she finally plucked up the courage to tell me of her desire to
move on to new projects and adventures, it was like being kicked in
the balls. In a good way. I knew that I was going to miss a fantastic
co-worker but, as a friend, knew it was the best thing for her career.
So, as a final, personal note from me, Mayyah, you will be sorely
missed on those Monday morning meetings, the times when I just
had to vent off steam and for just keeping me (and my ideas) in
check. These last 18 months have flown by.
On behalf of myself, Kettlebell Fever and the UK StrongFirst
community I cant thank you enough for your hard work and wish
you all the very best in the future. Anytime you need a helping hand,
you just have to pick up the phone and call!
good luck Mayyah!
Wall of
strength
BY Kieran McDonnell
Warriors on Wheels
For the past 8 weeks I have been lucky enough to be given the a chance
to train a group of the strongest and most motivated people I have
ever met. Two months ago I was approached by the Drogheda branch
of the Irish WheelChair Association to give a kettlebell class. They
came to me because I am their nearest Strong First certified instructor
and they wanted the best instruction available. My wheelchair students
are a group of five: Nicola, Martin, Owen, Colin and Patrick, all of whom
have different levels of ability.
Nicola is the mother of the group, and organiser of this great kettlebell
adventure. When we started, Nicola struggled to press a 5kg kettlebell,
but now she is knocking out reps with a 12kg. Nothing special, you
may think, but if I told you that Nicola is paralysed from just below her
neck, has use of her arms but has no grip in either hand, your opinion
might change. She had big asymmetry in the strength of her left and
right arms, which we have addressed, and now she has equal strength
in both arms. She can also get up hills, a feat she never could do before
and is stronger overall, which is improving her quality of life.
Martin is our athlete. He competes in Basketball, Hand Cycling, and
Archery and recently won two gold medals and one silver medal at the
NRH Spinal Games. He had a lot of shoulder problems before training
with kettlebells but now has none. We focused on both mobility and
stability in his shoulders and he has gone from pressing 12kg to 20kg.
He feels more stable with the core strength he has gained, which has
greatly improved his performance on the basketball court.
Owen is our Martial Artist and recently became the first wheelchair user
in Ireland to grade for a belt for Wado Ryu. Owens competitive nature
drives him to be the best that he can be. He has gained core strength
and has gone from pressing 12kg to 20kg.
Colin came to us to get stronger and improve his balance which he
has always struggled with. Things we take for granted like standing
on one leg are much more of a challenge to him. His determination is
unbelievable and in the 8 weeks his balance has improved immensely
and he has doubled his strength.
Patrick has probably achieved the greatest results to date. Patrick has
Body Check 101. Exclusive New

Workshop with Mark Reifkind
21st22nd February 2015, London, UK
Strength Matters Summit USA
(YES!! Were going global!)
20th22nd March 2015, San Diego, USA
Strongfirst sfg level 2 certification
8th10th May 2015, Harlow, UK
The Art Of Coaching. Level 1
Certification with Dan John
3
rd5th July 2015, London, UK
mild Cerebral Palsy which affects both his motor control and strength
on the left side of his body. What is happening to Patrick is remarkable.
On the first night he couldnt even control our lightest kettlebell in his
left arm but with a lot of hard work and determination he can now press
8kg on his left with ease. Patrick has not only gained strength but
motor control over his arm which is something we were not expecting
to happen. And for the first time he got to try his hand at archery, which
is something he always wanted to do.
Each of these individuals is truly extraordinary and their progress
continues to inspire me to learn and be a better coach so that I can
continue to help them achieve their goals.
When Strongfirst say Strength has a Purpose it is proving to be true
because for this group of people getting stronger really is life changing.
It has improved their quality of life which is the purpose of training and
exercise in my opinion.
Working with the IWA has totally changed me as a coach. I am always
learning as I have to constantly think on my feet, throwing aside
techniques that dont work and trying out new methods and ideas.
From the bottom of my heart I want to thank IWA in Drogheda and all
the crew for allowing me the opportunity to work with them. They are
the most motivated people I know and are my Warriors on Wheels
Kieran McDonnell, SFG1

Owner of Destination Fitness
in Drogheda Co Louth Ireland
events, course &

webinar schedule
StrongFirst Level 1
Kettlebell Certification
11th13th September 2015, Harlow, UK
Strength Matters Summit UK
30th October1st November 2015, Heathrow, UK
For more information on events please visit
www.kettlebellfever.com Or call +44 (0)844 800 9948
athletic adventures
by ANDREW READ
andrew read
Twitter @AndrewR_ReadPT
training THE
older client
Having passed the RKC in 2009,

Andrew Read is now a Master
RKC and combines this role with
distributing for Dragon Door in
Australia. His speciality is elite
performance and he has been
involved with training three world
BJJ champions.
Recently, in the Strength Matters Facebook group someone

asked a question about how to structure a class for group
training. While its true that group training is one avenue to
go down, the truth is that every single person has individual
needs based on their own unique exercise and injury history.
And the older they are the more individual those needs will be.
What this means is that the first rule for
training older clients is that they really need
more attention and likely wont thrive in a
group environment. This is especially true
if you try to include them into a mixed age
group training class. Time needed to recover
increases with age, in a mixed group, older
clients might not be able to keep up.
Ive had great success training older clients,
including one who is quite special to me my
mother. Recently, at the age of seventy-two,
she broke the World Record for the deadlift in
her class, so my methods have a successful
track record. Heres how I figure out what she
should be doing each day.
1. Accept that any plan may need to change
instantly when your older clients come in.
Even a few hours spent sitting in a car can
make them so stiff that training is out of
the question. So maybe today isnt a smart
day to push hard, but instead to reset the
body and do lots of mobility work and CNS
re-patterning with correctives or primitive
pattern work.
2. Re-evaluate their training needs more
often than with your other clients. As
the condition of their body can change
overnight from good to bad you need to
always be attentive to changes. As an
example, my mother went from 100% one
session to unable to straighten her leg
out on the night leading up to the National
Championships. The plan was to work
up to a heavy single rep deadlift and then
do 5-6 x 1 at 90% of that, but instead we
spent the session foam rolling and working
on some single leg drills as that was what
she needed right then.
3. Less is more when planning a session
for an older client. Adaptation is part
work and part recovery. As we get older
we recover slower. So, instead of adding
on more workload, we are often better
served by adding recovery instead. That
means slightly shorter sessions, slightly
6
Andrew writes for several websites

and magazines such as Breaking
Muscle, Oxygen, Ultrafit, and Blitz.
longer rest periods, and maybe even fewer

sessions per week.
4. Youre only as old as your spine. For many
of your older clients their backs simply
wont be able to handle a big volume of
intense lifting. This is where you need to
use training volume rather than training
intensity to do the job for you. Slightly less
weight, but slightly more reps is the best
way forward. Rest times between sets need
to be spent on active resets such as cobra
and other back bend stretches, as well as
on primitive pattern/ core coordination work
such as rolling and crawling.
5. Dont forget some fitness work. Ideally this
is done on their own via walking, but if they
wont do it on their own then add in some
kettlebell swings and sled pushes to kill
two birds with one stone strength and
fitness work at the same time.
A basic plan should look something like this:
Joint warm up
Specific activation exercises clams x 10,
band bird dogs x 5, stick SLDL x 5. Repeat.
Warm up haloes x 10, slingshot x 10, goblet
squat x 5, two hand swing x 10. Repeat.
Deadlift 3 sets working up to a heavy 3RM.
Rest by crawling 10m in between sets.
Some older clients may not be able to squat
fully due to arthritis or previous surgery,
however they need to maintain this skill as
long as they can otherwise they will become
sedentary and lose their independence.
Losing independence is often the beginning
of a spiral into perpetual motionlessness
(otherwise known as death). The key is
to keep them strong enough to maintain
mobility and strength as late into their lives
as possible. This plan could just as easily
focus on step ups instead of deadlifts to help
your clients get up and down stairs, although
it would need supplemental upper body work
if not already included.
The bottom line is dont be scared to

remove unnecessary movements and
exercises from their training and dont write
plans to fill up time. Youre paid for results,
not how well you budget an hour of time. Give
them a healthy, strong body and youll never
hear a complaint.
For your chance to see your photo

in Photo of the Month, upload your
pictures to facebook, Instagram and
twitter using the following hashtags:
PHOTO OF
THE MONTH
#madeforlife #kettlebellfever
#strengthmatters
124 LIKES
82 LIKES
Laura Callegari doodling with

her kettlebell...
Tim Harrison Getting Autumnal.
94 LIKES
54 LIKES
Because who doesnt love dogs
The Irish Wheel Chair Association

Catching Up With the Strength
Matters Podcast.
and kettlebells.
Good luck for

next month!
100 LIKES
The only thing missing is the

Budgie Smugglers...
79 LIKES
Go Team Hybrid Fitness NI at the

Tactical Strength Challenge.
www.facebook.com/KBFever
www.instagram.com/kettlebellfever
www.twitter.com/kettlebellfever
spotlight on
Colin Stewart
Aleisha Turner speaks to Colin Stewart
the man with the bionic heart
When Strength Matters

founding member Colin
Stewart completed his SFG
Level 1 certification in July
2013 no one could have
foreseen that a few months
later hed be confronted
with two health conditions
that would prevent him from
training. This experience
forced him to reassess the
role training played in his life
and discover ways to stay
strong while allowing his
body to heal.
Colins commitment to health
and fitness is rooted in his
lifelong martial arts practice.
From the age of 13, through
school and university, Colin
was committed to practicing
martial arts and spending
time developing his body
to ensure the best possible
performance. His passion for
training inspired him to leave
his career as a weapons
engineer and pursue a new
career in the fitness industry
I saw an industry which is
constantly in search of the
next fad with the ultimate aim
of separating people from
their money. In contrast, Im
focused on providing a training
system supported by science
and proven athletic success.
This focus on proven systems
of training lead him to
StrongFirst, an organisation
through which he has
qualified as a Kettlebell,
Bodyweight and Barbell
instructor. A self-confessed
certification junkie, Colin
has achieved a number of
qualifications, including
8
the art of
zen and body
maintenance
Primal Move, Precision

Nutrition, FMS and Kali
Silat, Judo, not to mention a
Masters in Engineering.
Colins introduction to
kettlebells came from a
trainer in Bristol and from the
written works of Dan John
and Pavel Tsatsouline.
Id been reading some of
Dan Johns work on kettlebell
training, and it turned out that
a colleague of my wife was
a kettlebell instructor so we
went and trained with him.
We were hooked.
Colin, his wife and their two
children are now based in
Aberdeen, Scotland, where
he runs a business called
Freeform Fitness and Martial
Arts. He works with one-to-one
PT clients, teaches kettlebell
and strongman classes, as
well as martial arts. His clients
range from ladies who work in
offices to candidates for the
Olympic and Commonwealth
judo squads.
On one end of the spectrum
Ive got office workers and
doctors. Ive also got a couple
of ladies who are training
after childbirth and C-section.
On the other end of the
spectrum, Ive got the elite
martial arts guys working on
the Olympic lifts.
His unwavering commitment
to learning and development
meant that Colin was
determined to pass the
SFG Level 1 certificate
in July 2013. A shoulder
impingement which meant
he would attempt to pass
the snatch test (100 reps in 5

minutes) using only one arm.
He reached 72 reps before his
hand exploded and he had
to stop. Fast forward a few
months, he was fit and ready
to retake the test when the
unimaginable happened.
It was a Sunday. Id been
in the gym doing a boxing
session and Id done my
snatch test video but my
camera man screwed up, so
I figured Id do it again the
next day. I came home and
was clearing the dishes from
lunch when I had this weird
sensation. Fortunately, my
wife, a doctor, was in the
room with me. I was trying
to tell her somethings wrong,
but for a moment I couldnt
breathe and I couldnt talk,
my left arm had gone numb. I
eventually caught my breath
but I still couldnt talk for
what seemed like forever. I
think my wife had a good
idea what was wrong and she
called an ambulance.
Colin had suffered from a
cryptogenic stroke.
Interestingly, they couldnt
find anything wrong with me
in terms of the standard risk
factors for a stroke. In A&E,
because of my physique, they
asked if I was taking steroids.
I guess I didnt fit the bill of
the usual stroke patient, and
steroids can put you at risk
for a stroke.
Eventually, it was discovered
that Colin had a Patent
Foramen Ovale, which is
when the arterial septum
in the heart doesnt close
properly after birth. The

condition also has a strong
correlation with cryptogenic
strokes. To repair Colins
heart, surgeons placed a large
catheter into the artery in his
groin and fed a mesh up into
his heart to close the valve.
These days Colin is up-beat
and optimistic, but after the
stroke he was forbidden
from lifting and fighting for
three months.
A lot of people think I took
it well but internally there
was a struggle coming to
terms with not being able
to lift or fight. Thats what I
do. If I cant do those things,
what does it make me? To
be honest, I was a grumpy
bastard. After the stroke I
signed up for CK-FMS online,
and did a ton of Primal
Move. Basically I had to
find things I could do even
if I couldnt fight/lift. I could
still coach. The Primal Move
was good because it got me
to do something which was
challenging.
I saw an
industry which
is constantly in
search of the
next fad with
the ultimate aim
of separating
people from
their money.
While being strong and fit certainly put Colin in the best
possible state in terms of his ability to physically heal post
stroke and post operation, its been suggested to Colin
that the variety of movement patterns and skills he has
developed as a result of training might have put his brain at
an advantage when it came to recovering from the stroke.
Ever the optimist, Colin sees the discovery of the PFO

and his subsequent treatment as a potential benefit to
his performance. The interesting thing is that prior to my
operation deoxygenated blood had been recirculating in my
heart and lungs, so I had never trained at 100% fitness. Im
excited to see what I can do now that I have a bionic heart!
One of my clients is a neuroscientist and he said that one

of the reasons I was able to make such a good recovery
was because I can do a lot of different physical skills. These
skills built up a lot of redundancy built up in terms of neural
pathways. He said because I do a lot of varied, complicated
movement patterns if one pathway screws up Ive got more
pathways to take over.
While hes modest about his condition and recovery, Colin

was presented with more than just physical challenges, but
ever the professional, he put his time and effort into learning
new skills and focusing on developing as a coach.
You can find out more about colin at
www.freeformfma.co.uk
in the NEWs
Scientists Find
New Benefits of
Healthy Lifestyle
during Pregnancy
A study at the University
of Adelaide suggests that
giving nutrition and exercise
advice to women who are
obese during pregnancy
produced improved
outcomes at birth. Previous
studies had shown that
lifestyle advice reduced the
number of babies born over
4kg (9lb) in weight. However,
articles published in the
journal BMC Medicine
in October point to
additional benefits
for newborns
including
Approximately
50% of women
are overweight
or obese during
pregnancy
10
reduced chance of
moderate to severe
respiratory syndrome and
reduced length of stay in
the hospital after birth.
Approximately 50% of
women are overweight or
obese during pregnancy.
Until this study was
conducted, there had been
little evidence about the
overall benefits of dietary
and lifestyle interventions
on this group of women,
says study co-author Dr
Rosalie Grivell from the
Universitys Robinson
Research Institute.
She continued, Our hope
is that by following some
simple, practical and
achievable lifestyle advice,
pregnant women can
improve their health and
the outcomes for their
babies. We would,
of course,
recommend
that these
lifestyle changes be
adopted as much as
possible before women
become pregnant.
Source: Jodie M Dodd, Cecelia
OBrien, Rosalie M Grivell.
Preventing pre-eclampsia
are dietary factors the key?
BMC Medicine, 2014; 12 (1).
Prehabilitation
could be the
key to surgery
recovery
Recently, the
American Society of
Anaesthesiologists
found that following a
prehabilitation programme
of physical activity, good
nutrition and relaxation
prior to surgery is more
helpful than doing the same
after surgery.
Patients assigned to a prehab program of exercise,
nutritional counselling with
protein supplementation
and relaxation exercises
prior to their operations
and given the standard
rehabilitation programme
to follow afterwards. In
comparison to patients
who only
participated in rehabilitation,
the pre-hab patients were
able to walk significantly
farther two months after
surgery. Both groups
were prescribed identical
rehabilitation after surgery.
Prehabilitation prepares
patients to withstand the
stress of surgery so they
are able to recover faster
and function better after
the procedure, commented
Francesco Carli, M.D.,
M.Phil., lead author of
the study. Pre-surgery
conditioning helps patients
take an active role in their
own recovery. We believe
instituting prehabilitation
before surgery when
possible could improve
health and recovery and
reduce costs.
Source: Chelsia Gillis, Chao
Li, Lawrence Lee, Rashami
Awasthi, Berson Augustin,
Ann Gamsa, A. Sender
Liberman, Barry Stein,
Patrick Charlebois, Liane
S. Feldman, Francesco
Carli. Prehabilitation
versus Rehabilitation.
Anesthesiology, 2014; 121 (5).
Have you come across some

interesting research lately?
If so, email a link and description
to aleisha@kettlebellfever.com
and well include it in an
upcoming issue.
Activity in Old
Age Can Stimulate
Brain Function;
Weightlifting
Improves Memory
Researchers interested in
the effects of exercise on
patients with dementia
have shown that between
the ages of 60 and 70
physical activity has
a positive effect on
memory. The team from
DZNE German Centre
for Neurodegenerative
Diseases, studied senior
citizens between the ages
of 60 and 77 without
any form of dementia to
understand the effect of
exercise on the brain in
older individuals. They
found that in the 60 to
70 year old age bracket,
brain perfusion and
memory skills were
improved by physical
exercise. Interestingly, this
improvement dropped off in
subjects between 70 and 77
years old.
Ultimately, we aim to
develop measures to
purposefully counteract
(types of) dementia such as
Alzheimers disease. This is
why we want to understand
the effects of physical
exercise on the brain and
the related neurobiological
mechanisms. This is
essential for developing
treatments that are truly
effective, explained
Professor Emrah Dzel,

site speaker of the DZNE in
Magdeburg and director of
the Institute of Cognitive
Neurology and Dementia
Research at the University
of Magdeburg. The human
brain is able to change
and evolve throughout our
lives. New nerve cells can
form even in adult brains,
says Dzel. Our aim is to
stimulate this so-called
neurogenesis. We dont yet
know whether our training
methods promote the
development of new brain
cells. However, fundamental
research shows that the
formation of new brain
cells often goes hand in
hand with improved brain
perfusion.
In the long term, they hope
to conduct similar research
with individuals who
have the early stages of
Alzheimers disease to find
out if physical training can
contribute to delaying the
development of the disease.
Georgia Tech University also
published interesting results
concerning exercise and
brain function which may
also have implications for
older people with dementia.
Scientists at Georgia Tech
found that lifting weights
can improve memory.
Subjects in the study
were shown a series of
90 photographs and then
split into two groups. After
viewing the photos, the

active group was asked to
perform 50 repetitions on a
leg extension machine. The
control group simply sat
on the machine while the
researchers moved their
legs for them. 48 hours
later, both groups were
shown the 90 photos again
as well as an additional 90
photos they had never seen
before. The active group
were able to recall 60% of
the original images and the
control group recalled 50%.
We can now try to
determine its applicability
to other types of memories
and the optimal type and
amount of resistance
exercise in various
populations, said Minoru
Shinohara, an associate
professor in the School of
Applied Physiology. This
includes older adults and
individuals with memory
impairment.
Source: A Maass, S Dzel,
M Goerke, A Becke, U
Sobieray, K Neumann, M
Lvden, U Lindenberger, L
Bckman, R Braun-Dullaeus,
D Ahrens, H-J Heinze, N G
Mller, E Dzel. Vascular
hippocampal plasticity
after aerobic exercise in
older adults. Molecular
Psychiatry, 2014.
Source: Lisa Weinberg, Anita
Hasni, Minoru Shinohara,
Audrey Duarte. A single
bout of resistance exercise
can enhance episodic
memory performance. Acta
Psychologica, 2014; 153: 13.
11
defining strength
by aleisha turner
Loss and Gain
But who shall dare To

measure loss and gain this
wise? Defeat may be victory
in disguise; The lowest ebb
is the turn of the tide
H.W. Longfellow
I just want to be small, and waiflike next to him on our

wedding day, my good friend said to me as we boarded
a train bound for her Hen Do (or bachelorette party if
you hail from across the pond). I pointed out that at 5 2
she was nothing if not small. You know what I mean
I want to get rid of this, she said, poking her hips and
waistline in disgust. She had hired a personal trainer and
described how much she was enjoying HIIT and strength
training vacillating between pride in her burgeoning
muscles and fear that she wouldnt
lose enough weight before her big day.
This was in stark contrast to a conversation I had earlier that month
with a group of girls I met while taking part in a charity squat-a-thon.
In between sets, we discussed a desire to lift weights in order to
grow bigger quad and glute muscles to, in effect, take up more of the
space we occupy next to our significant others.
These conversations represent two contrasting mind-sets women
have to fitness: loss vs gain. My friend, the bride to be, was focused
on losing a part of herself, albeit a part she wasnt happy with.
The squat-a-thon girls, on the other hand, were focused on gaining
something, in their case, bigger, stronger legs. What interests
me about these two conversations is that they represent the
conflicting ways in which women often view the purpose of training.
Its striking because for most women the focus has primarily been
on loss and only recently has gaining muscle started to become
socially acceptable.
12
On the fitness front lines weights for women workshops are

cropping up at gyms around the country and women are becoming
more comfortable taking up space in the weight room. I spoke to
Sally Moss, founder of Strength Ambassadors, to gain some insight
into what its like to be at the forefront of the shift in womens fitness
from the aerobics studio to the weight room.
After finding inspiration during a conversation with a friend, Sally
began conceiving her Ladies Who Lift programme which would
become the first weightlifting course in the UK dedicated to teaching
women how to train in the weight room.
Sallys own path to strength and conditioning was unique. She
graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in English
literature was not at all sporty but far more interested in drama
and the performing arts. After graduating she worked in the civil
service and eventually joined a gym to get fit and lose weight. Little
did she know, this was the beginning of a remarkable journey. Her
experience in the gym inspired her to learn more about training and
she found early inspiration from online resources written by the likes
of Mark Rippetoe and Dan John.
She explained that, a lot of women have bad experiences in the
weight room. The initial purpose of the course was to enable them
to go into the weight room and train on their own. We equip women
to have the confidence to take up space in an area traditionally
occupied by men.
Powerlifting, Olympic lifting and strongwoman training remained
solely hobbies until she realised that a career in the fitness industry
meant that she could shape a different lifestyle around training
and have more freedom. Under the mentorship of Nick Mitchell
of Ultimate Performance in London, she fostered a career as a PT
and in 2011 launched Ladies Who Lift and has since expanded the
programme into beginner and ambassador level courses.
The Beginners Ladies who Lift courses are delivered over four weekly
two hour workshops where students learn the basics of the squat,
deadlift, press and pull up as well as a range of other movements.
The curriculum also includes an instruction manual which provides
useful information such as a breakdown of gym-jargon and nutrition
guidelines. Students also benefit from support in the form of an
online community.
The Ladies Who Lift Ambassador programme developed as a way
for the women with a passion and intermediate level of knowledge
and skill (you need to be able to squat and deadlift with good
technique) to be part of a community of women who love lifting. An
Ambassador level student can either follow a quarterly or annual
training
programme
throughout
which shell
receive online
support and
monthly two
hour coached
training
sessions in a
private gym.
Sallys business
has grown into
the Strength
Ambassadors brand which includes the Ladies Who Lift courses as

well as personal training and Olympic lifting courses.
When I talked to Sally, I was still mulling over the contrast between
loss vs gain mindsets as the objectives of training. I explained my
friends desire for the waif look, and asked if shed experienced this
with any of her clients. I think there are plenty of women who want
to look toned but I get the sense that most people have moved away
from the waif model look.
She went on to explain that, the myth that wont die is the fear of
becoming bulky because theres just enough truth in it. Women
sometimes feel conflicted by the joy they associate with lifting but
some women may see body changes they might not have expected.
They come to the gym with an aesthetic goal (to lose weight) and
dont realise that theres anything else. However, what Ive found is
that these ladies uncover a deep desire to improve performance.
Its the potential for improved performance that keeps both men
and women engaged in participating in strength training. There are,
I think, still barriers to break down when it comes to introducing
women to the weight room. This, according to Sally is where a well
informed trainer can make a huge difference.
A good trainer is there to open doors up to new things and should be
able to justify to their client why she should lift weights. Most women
respond well to weight training because its always about how you
feel and not usually about how you look. The right trainer can open
someones mind and give them the confidence to try something new.
A quick scan of health and fitness magazines aimed at women
shows that loss is still a unique selling point in womens fitness.
While a focus on how she looks will often be the reason a woman
begins training, she is likely to find an intrinsic value in training
beyond achieving an aesthetic goal.
Women may feel conflicted about their motivations to strength train
because the notion that women are the weaker sex still pervades
in our society. However, this social construct is being challenged in
weight rooms around the world every day and in online communities,
like Sallys Strength Ambassadors, Girls Gone Strong and StrongFirst.
The more these groups promote lifting weights for women, the more
likely it is this construct will change.
Maybe one day, quality and strength of movement will be as much
an aesthetic goal as long, lean muscles, and a flat tummy. Trainers
like Sally Moss are helping women redefine why they train so they
can become stronger inside and out and gain more than they lose.
For Sally, physical strength is about beautiful movement, ...its about
being able to use your body to apply force to move an object. What
emerges is incredibly beautiful movement. Its poetry in motion.
aleisha turner
Twitter @monty0731
Born in Detroit, Michigan,
Aleisha emigrated to the UK as
a student in 2000. She lifted
a kettlebell for the first time in
2010 and has been passionate
about strength training ever
since. She lives in Kegworth,
UK with husband Michael and
cats Indy and Elsa.
13
stop chasing pain
TM
by perry nickleston
Strength
from Within
What is strength? Is it deadlifting 500lbs
off the floor? Competing in an IronMan competition and

pushing your body to its limits? Running a marathon?
And who is to say strength is just physical? What about
the strength of will, character, integrity and never giving
up? The strength to keep going despite the ill effects of
chronic pain? Thats a lot of questions. I personally think
strength encompasses every aspect of our lives. Physical
and mental strength come from within. The brain and
nervous system are the commanders of that strength.
Going harder, faster, longer and longer, depends on the
teamwork of the brain and nervous system.
We learn to develop the strength of these systems at an early age

without even realizing it. We all learned how to move as babies by
lying on our backs. Curiosity of the world abounded and we looked
everywhere soaking it all in like sponge. Touching, feeling, moving,
tasting, and crying are some of the ways we learn body awareness.
14
If you wanted a toy out of your reach you set a goal to get it. Your brain
and nervous system coordinated the strength of movement to help
you reach that toy. You see the toy. You want the toy. You reach for the
toy. You roll towards the toy. You crawl towards the toy. You get the
toy. Its not an easy journey by any means. It takes a long time to get
there progressing through each phase. You have to earn your strength
to accomplish the task.
How can we use this early developmental, coordinated teamwork
to improve your strength today? You dont have to be a world class
athlete or hardcore fitness junkie to develop strength. You can use
these early movement principles to improve strength of mind and body
no matter your station in life. Going back to the fundamentals is most
often the strategy to overcoming sticking points or plateaus. Regress
back to simplicity instead of progressing forward into difficulty.
So lets get back down to the ground and do some crawling. The act
of crawling ignites the coordination and timing patterns of all the
muscles in the body. Its a movement that everyone at one point has
done in their lives, they just stopped. It may be surprisingly difficult
to do this exercise, however stick with it and watch your technique.
The benefits of this movement will transcend to all other aspects of
your movement when moving on two feet. You will be combining the
perry nickelston
DC, NKT, FMS, SFMA
Twitter @Stopchasingpain
Perry Nickelston is a
Chiropractic Physician with
primary focus on Performance
Enhancement, Corrective
Exercise, and Metabolic Fitness
Nutrition. He is an expert in
myofascial, orthopaedic,
medical and trigger point
soft tissue therapy.
goal and task objectives of the brain by crawling towards an object.

Remember, strength comes from obtaining a goal.
Get down on the ground with hands and knees. Hands should be
below the shoulders, knees below the hips, and the ankles relaxed.
Choose a target in the distance and set your eyes on it. Begin crawling
by using the SAME side arm and leg and then the other. So start with
the right arm and leg and then use left arm and leg. Lift the leg and
arm at the same time and return back to the ground at the same time.
This is unilateral crawling and will help ignite anti-rotational patterns.
Keep looking at your target and crawl to the goal. Once there you will
now crawl backwards towards the starting position the same way.
Change your eye line to look down at the floor, keeping your neck in
a neutral (straight position, no bending). Perform the same unilateral
pattern backwards.
Once you feel strong and efficient with this pattern begin doing a cross
body crawl. Choose your target. Use right arm and left leg and left arm
right leg. Always keep your eye on the goal. Reverse the crawl looking
down at the ground with a neutral neck.
Now transition to a frontal plane (side crawl). Hands and knees on the
ground. Begin with unilateral movements first and choose a target to
concentrate on. Frontal plane crawling left. Turn your head left and
look at the target. Use the left arm and left leg simultaneously then
use the right arm and leg. Continue until goal is reached. Now reverse
the direction. Look to the right and go back. Now transition into
contralateral frontal plane crawls. Use left leg and right arm then right
leg, left arm. This will take some effort for your brain to process initially
and relearn this pattern. Be patient.
To make each form of crawling more challenging keep your knees off
of the ground during each pattern. This means you will now have to
dorsiflex (extend/bend) the ankles so the toes are on the ground. Once
knees are off the ground your core will be on fire.
Remember with all forms of crawling, do not hold your breath. Breathe
normally. Holding your breath is a sign of instability and means the
movement is too difficult for your nervous system to perform without
cheating. Monitor your breathing.
The great thing about crawling is that almost everyone can do it. Its
challenging and fun. In the beginning you may feel awkward and silly,
but stick with it and dont quit. Having fun when training is a part of
long term success. See and feel the strength benefits of going back to
primal patterns and controlling your own bodyweight.
15
giving back
james breese
Twitter @Kettlebellfever
by james breese
Swings
for Limbs
There are moments in life
when you meet people
that have a profound and
lasting effect on how you
view the world. In July
this year, I met one of those
people Ray Edwards,
MBE. For those who live
outside the UK, MBE stands
for Member of the Most
Excellent Order of the
British Empire, an award
given by the Queen for
outstanding contributions.
I met Ray at a Business networking
group following a recommendation
from Roger McCarthy. Roger had told
me briefly about Rays story and that he
had formed a charity called Limbcare a
charity offering hope, advice and peer
support to the limb impaired and those
affected around them. Based on the
name of his charity, I assumed Ray had
lost a limb in the past; little did I know,
he had, in fact, lost FOUR!
16
With a passion for the outdoors,

you will most likely find James
(founder of Kettlebell Fever)
up a mountain and deep in the
back country of the Alps this
winter with a snowboard in
hand, in search of that perfect
bluebird day, conjuring up as
many ideas as possible for
world domination.
#madeforlife
For Ray was a quad amputee and had been

since 1987. Roger introduced me and I went
to shake his hand, or in Rays case his claw. It
was a slightly awkward moment for me, I
didnt quite know what to do as I usually offer
a firm handshake as standard, Ray was aware
of this and immediately said to me Dont
shake too hard, youll pull my bloody arm off!
It was a great ice breaking moment and one
Ill never forget!
We went for a coffee to sit and talk. I poured
him a latte from one of those machines into a
paper cup, whilst Ray politely asked if he could
have 4 cups to ensure he didnt crush it as he
drank and spill it everywhere - a minor detail
that I didnt even consider. We sat and spoke
for about an hour and Ray told me the story of
how he lost his limbs.
In 1981 Ray had cancer which led to his spleen
being removed. Then in 1987 all four limbs were
removed due to blood poisoning. In 1989 he tried
to commit suicide driving head on into a tree
and miraculously survived. Fast forward to 2005
he suffered a heart attack and in 2007, whilst
raising over 80,000 for another charity, he
almost died trying to climb Kilimanjaro and was
made redundant from his job in the process.
This description doesnt do Rays story
justice, and to hear it in Rays own words.
I highly recommend listening to his story
on the Strength Matters Podcast; it is a
harrowing, heroic yet
fascinating story. The
most shocking statistic I
have learned since meeting
Ray is that 80% of all
amputations in the UK
are not through trauma
or accident, but through
Diabetes. Yes, Diabetes.
Ray kindly took Roger and me to Roehampton

hospital, a specialist limb impaired unit in London.
We met the team who are responsible for
supporting people through the rehabilitation
stage and learning to use artificial limbs, and
they confirmed this shocking statistic. I know
we have an epidemic on our hands with the
obesity crisis but for 80% of limb amputations
to be a result of diabetes is just downright
awful and frankly inexcusable.
So when Ray asked us to help raise awareness
for Limbcare I didnt even think twice. It was a
no brainer for me. The work that Ray is doing
is going well beyond just the physical aspects
of dealing with limb loss; he is helping support
people through the whole psychological
aspects of being limbless. And as Roger, Ray
and I talked; Swings for Limbs was born.
The concept is to raise money for Limbcare
and the fantastic work that they are doing, and
to highlight the devastating effects of Diabetes
on the body in the hope of educating people
throughout the world. On the 20th September
our dedicated members at Kettlebell Fever took
part in a dry run event to see if this concept
would work do as many swings as you can in
an hour in a team of 3 or 4. Between the 12 of
us who took part in this test run, we managed
over 6400 swings and raised over 500.
It was a great day out and a fantastic excuse
to swing some kettlebells! We really cant wait
to spread this message around the world. With
your support we can raise even more money to
not just help Limbcare, but actually fight one of
the worlds biggest problems Diabetes and
the Obesity Epidemic.
Are you ready for

Swings for Limbs?
Meet Seb
and Josh
Hit Josh with a stick! The

immortal first words written on
the white board in the Strength
Matters studio.
Since those humble beginnings Seb and I have had the
distinct pleasure and honour of chatting with and meeting
some of the best coaches, practitioners and inspirational
people from around the world. From the encyclopaedic
knowledge of the legend that is Dan John to the inspiring
Ray Edwards, MBE whose story of overcoming unbelievable
adversity is truly amazing and uplifting. If you havent
listened to Rays podcast yet do it DO IT NOW! Alright,
finish reading the magazine first.
So, Ive been hit with a stick, a bat, a shuttle cock, resistance
bands, fly swats, pens, Sebs fists and possibly more.
Honestly, though, Seb and I are good friendsNo really
we are! Our aim in setting up this podcast was not only to
provide top quality education, content and amazing stories
but do it in a fun and entertaining manner. We want to help
you guys out there whether youre a trainer, athlete, coach or
a fitness newbie. Strength Matters is for everyone.
As I sit down and write this weve just recorded our 20th
episode (damn, I should have got Seb a card, might have
kept him quiet for a bit). I honestly cant believe how quickly
its gone but weve only just begun (cue romantic music).
Despite having to share a studio with Seb each week we
love recording the podcasts and, the one thing that has
struck me is the humility of all of the guests we have
featured on the show. Great coaches want to educate.
They want to share their stories and help others reach their
goals. These guys and gals are the real deal! I have to say
Im humbled to speak with them and to be able to share their
knowledge with you all.
pictures, feedback and any ideas for guests youd like to hear
on the show. Suggestions for how I can get Seb back for his
constant abuse are also welcome.
Before I go Id like to share one story from Strength Matters
Founding Member, Christoffer Grn:
I got my first kettlebell and a copy of Simple and Sinister, by
Pavel last Christmas. I was very overweight and my lifestyle
needed a complete overhaul - all the cola, cigarettes, and
sugary treats had really taxed my body and left me severely
depressed. Now - 50 lbs lighter - I confess myself a believer
in the importance of health and strength of mind and
body. I am truly happy to be part of the Strength Matters
community.
Stories like Christoffers inspire us and make us proud of
the work we are doing on the Podcast, members site and
magazine. I think this quote by Mahatma Ghandi pretty
much sums up the ethos of Strength Matters:
Strength does not come from

physical capacity. It comes from
an indomitable will.
You can find our podcast here:
http://www.kettlebellfever.com/the-strength-matters-podcast
If youd like to get The Strength Matters Podcast delivered
easily to your device with each new episode, please
subscribe using your preferred method below:
Weve made a great start but we need your support to

the standard of the podcast high. You can help us grow
by sharing on Facebook and Twitter and sending us your
17
by claire booth
TYPE 2
DIABETES
THE
nutrition
debate
18
In part 1 of this series we

reviewed risk factors and
causes of Type 2 Diabetes.
In this second article,
well review the current
conventional nutritional
advice prescribed to Type
2 sufferers and how to
give your clients nutrition
advice without conflicting
with the recommendations
given by the medical
establishment.
In an ideal world we would
all prefer to prevent the
diseases of civilisation, like
Type 2 diabetes, rather than
use medication to manage
the condition. However, if you
have clients with Type 2 its
critical that they visit their GP
or family doctor, to ensure they
are managing the condition
carefully under medical
supervision.
In my experience working with
clients suffering from Type 2,
almost all of them have been
treated with a drug called
metformin in conjunction
with dietary advice that I feel
does little to help control the
condition. Frankly, most of the
diet advice makes me angry, but
I have to manage the conflict
between what I consider good
nutrition for a Type 2 sufferer
and the dietary advice they are
given. While they are told to

avoid sugary sweets and fizzy
drinks, they are also told to
consume 50% of their calories
from complex carbohydrates.
This, to me, is ironic given that
complex carbs elevate blood
glucose, the very thing most
Type 2 diabetics are told to avoid.
For example, the NHS (National
Health Service) online guide for
patients with Type 2 diabetes
recommends that salt and
sugar are reduced, it also
advises that You dont need to
completely exclude sugary and
high fat foods from your diet,
but they should be limited. Its
possible to achieve good blood
glucose control by including
sugary foods in your diet. And
goes on further to recommend
that ...the important thing in
managing diabetes through
your diet is to eat regularly and
include starchy carbohydrates,
such as pasta, as well as plenty
of fruit and vegetables.
Anecdotal evidence suggests
that some Type 2 diabetics
are able to control their blood
glucose levels with a low
carbohydrate diet. The caveat
is that blood sugar can become
too low which is also very
dangerous. I believe this is why
medical professionals are often
hesitant to support a lowstarch carbohydrate approach
to managing Type 2. However
in my experience most clients,

regardless of their ability to
control blood glucose, benefit
from reducing starchy carb
intake.
The official Type 2 diabetic
advice also encourages
patients to choose low fat
products. Im sure that most
of our Strength Matters
readers are aware that fat
is often replaced with sugar
and artificial sweetener in
low fat products. Ive found
that its difficult for my clients
who have been diagnosed
with Type 2 to make the best
choices to manage their
condition even when following
the official advice. They are
told to avoid sugar laden
foods and recommended
low-fat options which often
contain a lot of sugar. Lowsaturated fat alternatives to
butter and oil, which contain
a list of ingredients that reads
like a chemistry experiment.
Butter, however, contains
only one ingredient, milk (and
sometimes salt) are also
recommended.
The point Im making here is
that most people suffering
from Type 2 are already
following what they think is a
lifestyle based on the healthy
eating guidelines that include
eating plenty of whole grains
and choosing low-fat options.
I would suggest that

someone who has developed
Type 2 while following the
government sanctioned dietary
recommendations is unlikely
to manage their condition
without lifelong dependence
on medication unless they
change how they eat. I feel
that the fundamental issue
is the standard of the dietary
guidelines. The difficulty is that
the NHS and the government
are the authorities when it
comes to nutrition these days
and our challenge as personal
trainers and coaches is to
steer our clients away from
processed foods that fit the
dietary guidelines and toward a
better approach that does not
directly conflict with them.
Ive found that when it comes
to giving nutrition advice to
clients who are diagnosed
with Type 2 the best approach
is to find a common ground
between what I feel is
good nutrition and what is
recommended by the NHS.
Most importantly, I recommend

a diet with few or no processed
foods. This means that for my
Type 2 diabetic clients, they
are able to avoid hidden sugars
in processed low-fat products
and cut down on processed
cardboard carbohydrates.
Cutting out processed foods
also means that instead of
eating a diet based on starchy
whole grains, they increase
their intake of fresh vegetables
and the occasional piece of
fruit. Its difficult to argue
with eating a diet of fresh
vegetables, quality protein and
natural fats.
In part three, well

look at the benefits
of exercise on blood
sugar and Type 2
diabetes.
My advice to all of my clients,

regardless of whether they are
Type 2, is to get the bulk of their
food intake from vegetables,
high quality protein and fat
from adding little butter or
coconut oil when cooking or
avocados, seeds, nuts and olive
oil in salads.
claire booth
Twitter @qbclaire
Claires expertise when it comes
to strength development, injury
prevention and nutrition goes
well beyond just theoretical
knowledge, this lady walks
the talk and has enjoyed a
successful bodybuilding career
since 1997. Her main focus is
now on helping others achieve
their fitness goals without
compromising their health.
19
simple does
not mean easy
by Mark Toomey
Amateur Clinicians,
Faith Healers and
the Tao of Dirty Harry
In every Dirty Harry movie, the
cynical Harry Callahan coins a
phrase that he repeats throughout
the entire film at key moments.
In Magnum Force, he responds to a
superior, A good man always knows
his limitations. Harry uses that
line a few more times, including the
movies climax when his superior
gets into a bomb-laden car and is
shortly blown to Mars.
I know some wont take this very well, but the fitness industry may
want to pay more attention to Harry Callahan.
Over the last decade more material, courses and certifications
have been created and sold to individuals in the fitness industry
empowering them to assess and treat dysfunction in their clients.
Theres just one problem; the majority of those fitness individuals,
despite the extensive nature of a two or three-day event just arent
qualified to diagnose or licensed to treat. Most of us are not medical
doctors and therefore dont have the legal standing to diagnose
disease or structural dysfunction. Furthermore, we lack the ability
to structure a course of treatment or an escalation when there is a
failure of conservative therapy.
Most importantly, we dont have the right. If we, as members of the
fitness and exercise industry, are going to grow our businesses,
improve our craft, and end the cartoonish nature that is so
pervasive, my opinion is that the very first step should be in knowing
what we know and knowing what we dont know. The next step is to
appreciate how strategic relationships with those who specialise in
knowing what we dont are key to our growth.
20
Each day, more customers seek the assistance of a good mechanic

or an experienced carpenter than a structural engineer or an architect.
The lesson in this is that simple issues are a bigger market than the
complex; there are more customers seeking the simple answer.
As exercise professionals we should all have a working knowledge
of anatomy and science, but that knowledge should be used as a
basis for understanding more complex matters, not as a license to
prescribe or treat. Im fortunate to have the support of a group of
medical professionals. They trust me and I them. My trust in them
comes from their years of medical school, internship, residency
and fellowships, all backed up with board certifications and ample
amounts of malpractice insurance. Their trust in me comes from
my admission that I know what I dont know and am happy to
acknowledge that fact and ask the real professionals for help.
Whats my point here? There is a way for you to become the point
of expertise, to become a trusted source for your current customers
and a pool of future clients without having to become something
you shouldnt be; an amateur clinician. How can you tell if youve
started down the road of fake clinician/faith healer/charlatan?
Heres a simple test:

If youve ever used any of the following
terms to describe a clients issue:
Slipped disk
Rib Out
Locked Up
Reset
And you are not licensed as a practitioner by a medical board and do
not have access to imaging studies, you probably fall in to one of the
three categories above.
Is this my opinion?
No, its the law. Youre receiving money for your services
and by using one of those innocent terms, you just provided, for a
fee, a non-evidence based diagnosis of the pathological cause of a
presenting symptom.
Someone comes in to your facility complaining about some pain
in his or her ribcage. You ask if they recently engaged in an MMA
bout or were involved in a downhill skiing mishap. They say no,
they havent had any traumatic events involving their ribcage. How
many of use have said/thought, You may have slept wrong on your
side? How many of us have nodded our heads in agreement with
their statement, I may just have a rib out? Lets not get in to the
discussion of how someone can sleep wrong. That statement in
itself is an example of intellectual laziness; no one sleeps wrong,
we all just sleep and if someone actually had a dislocated rib, a rib
out, they probably wouldnt be talking to you with a flat affect; they
would be slightly more animated, especially every time they took a
breath.
Mark toomey CSCS

Twitter @lordtoomey
Mark is a strength and fitness instructor
from Reno, Nevada. He serves as a Subject
Matter Expert (SME) in kettlebell training
and conditioning for the United States
Navy and the United States Marine Corps.
Mark has been the Director of Operations
for Dragon Door Publications and the CEO
of StrongFirst, both producers of material
on strength and conditioning as well as
acting as a Senior RKC and SFG Instructor.
With his physician associates, Mark
lectures nationally on the role of medically
supervised exercise in patient care.
Nope, the seven most common reasons for

ribcage pain or discomfort not associated
with traumatic contact to the ribcage
itself are:
C
ostochondritis or chest pain that is related to inflammation
of cartilage in the rib cage. More specifically, often affects
the cartilage where upper ribs attach to the sternum or the
costosternal joint.
P
leurisy when the tissues that line the lungs and chest wall
become inflamed or infected the texture costochondritis
then becomes gritty, causing extreme pain. Pleurisy is also
sometimes referred to as pleuritis.
O
steoporosis, or a bone disease, the name of which means
porous bones in Latin. The inside of a normal bone has
small spaces, like a honeycomb. Osteoporosis increases
the size of these spaces so that the bones lose strength
and density. At the same time, the outside of the bone also
grows weaker and thinner.
The auto-immune disease systemic lupus erythematosus.
Lung Cancer
Metastatic Lung Cancer
CML or chronic myelogenous leukaemia
(source Healthline Networt, Inc., Dr. George Krucik, MD)
Funny, I didnt see rib out or slept wrong in that list.
So, whats a responsible knuckle-dragger to do? Where are the lines,
how do you avoid crossing them? How can you attract business
from medical professionals when your toolbox is limited?
Over the next few issues, Ill provide you with the steps my medical
associates and I have used to build a simple to follow program that
preserves the best interests of the medical patient or exercise client
while showing you a meaningful way of expanding your business
and learning more.
there are
more customers
seeking the
simple answer
It isnt easy; it takes time, patience

and a servants heart.
21
breathing space
22
Know what you want to do, hold the

thought firmly, and do every day what
should be done, and every sunset will
see you that much nearer the goal.
Elbert Hubbard
American writer, publisher, artist,
and philosopher. 1856 1915
23
_ /poten.ti.a/
by laura nepodal
MAYBE, MAYBE
IS ENOUGH
It was an uncharacteristically warm, autumnal morning. There was
a diverse group of participants that stood by an old, weatherworn
monkey-bar set. Some were seasoned veterans of movement, who
had already dedicated years of practice to honing their bodies and
refining their skills, others had just recently found their footing, and
were taking their first, stalwart steps towards newly- formed goals.
And then there were those other few who had only just begun, and
had yet to find their own space within the sprawling realm that is
the pursuit of strength.
It was into this latter category that one

particular young woman fell.
Jordanas we will call heris dear to me. She has trained
intermittently with kettlebells for the past couple of years, and has
only recently begun to attend the kettlebell classes that my husband
and I teach regularly. Though she is a woman who has overcome
extensive challenges in her own life and has come through these
trials with an unparalleled level of compassion and bravery, she is
also one of those individuals who does not recognise the extent of
her own strength, however seemingly apparent it is to others. This
blindness towards her own fortitude frequently manifests itself in
her trainingand beyondoften resulting in her feeling incapable of
performing an action before she has ever attempted it.
It is an insidious mind-set and it is, tragically, pandemic in various
populations, particularly amongst women. It is possessed of a quiet
voice that silences burgeoning bravery before its been allowed to
spur the individual into action. It is a feeder into stagnation, paralysing
the individual into believing that they are truly unable to succeed, and
so she or he settles into an uneasy quietude that is wrought with
disappointment and discontent, because though it is a familiar space,
it is not a happy one. It is that voice that says I am incapable, and
keeps us from even trying, resulting in a ruthless cycle.
As we stood in the vacant schoolyard beside the bar-set, we watched
the instructor demonstrate the particular skill of the day. It involved
grasping the long, horizontal bar with both hands, then bringing a
leg up to hook the same bar with the back of the knee, allowing the
individual to hang somewhat lazily from the bar. If one could not
bring the leg up to the bar unassisted, there was the option to walk
up the vertical, supportive bar until ones feet were high enough to
allow the individual to ultimately hook the leg over the horizontal bar.
The instructor performed the movement seamlessly. He made it look
effortlessly easy.
24
I stole a glance in Jordans direction then, and on her face was

painted an expression that spoke volumes: I am incapable of doing
that. I am not strong enough. I cant. The little voice was at work.
That little voice did not care that Jordan had been training more
consistently than she had in some time; did not care that there were
fewer and fewer excuses manifesting themselves to interfere with
her workouts; did not care that she sought to find her footing in her
own realm of strength; did not care that she had showed up to yet
another strength session. The little voice, truthfully, holds no regard
for reality.
When it came time, Jordan stepped up to the bar and, with some
reserve, grasped it with both hands, experimentally feeling the weight
of her own body hanging from palms made sweaty by the heat. She
then placed one foot, and the other, on the vertical bar, not far off the
ground, anticipating that she would need to lower them quickly...
It was in this moment every limb off of the ground, her body
supported by her own physical strength and the use of leverage
made possible by a developing body awareness that something
flashed across Jordans features:
She had surprised herself.
Strength, hard-won through months of choosing to train and to move,
became a tangible thing in that unsuspecting moment. Despite what
misgivings the insidious, little voice instilled within her, strength
existed. It trumpeted through her limbs, more capable than she had
known, demanding to be recognized. Though it is a strength that she
has not yet embraced, has yet to even fully comprehend, it was well
formed enough to know what she herself had so long denied. As she
placed one foot above the other, step-by-step, it manifested into a
single, determined thought:
Maybe.
In that single word, the act became a delightful challenge, a tangible
possibility. It could be that she couldnt achieve this yet but in fact,
maybe she could.
And that day, she did.
Perhaps there is no guarantee that you will succeed when you
attempt a new feat and yet, maybe, you will.
Because of genetic predispositions, its more difficult for a woman to
achieve a pull-up and yet, maybe, you will.
laura nepodal
Twitter @lauranepodal
Laura is a student finishing up

her degree in Kinesiology, a
massage therapist and has been
a certified kettlebell instructor
since 2008, first through the RKC
and then StrongFirst. A goober
at heart, she is also an avid
writer and a lover of picking up
heavy stuff of any variety.
She resides in California with
her husband and family.
Because youve never been an athlete, you are not strong, you are not
capable and yet, maybe, you are.
The pursuit of physical strength is a brilliant weapon against
stagnation, and an enabler of capableness. It is equal parts physical
capability and mental fortitude. Strength is not attained in a single
encounter; it is won in the many small battles with that barbell, with
the pull-up bar, that next- tiered kettlebell, the early-morning visits
to the gym, or that little, insidious voice that doesnt have a damn
clue about what youre really made of. Maybe you will struggle with
strength, in attaining it and in embracing it...
But maybe,
maybe is enough.
25
Food matters
by tim harrison
Totes Pimped Porridge

Its definitely at the point of Oats that Paleo and I part company, because of their relatively low GI
(Glycemic Index) and high energy density they will fuel you for a long time and are thus a great
way to start an active day but if I was trying to lose weight then I would ditch them for a bit, as
usual this is eating for a purpose but enjoying it too ;-) ohh and flap jacks dont count as they are
usually full of crap.
INGREDIENTS
1 Earl Grey tea bag (weird start I know)

30g Mixed dried fruit or berries
1/2 Cup Organic Oats

1/4 tsp Vanilla extract

Pinch Salt

20g Almonds (For texture and the

myriad benefits to cardiac health)

SERVES

Splash
of milk

26
Prep
COOK
15
mins
mins
Ive gone all out on flavour here to stave off any need for sweetener of any kind but you can and
I hope will make it your own however there are a few important points to retain, cooking the oats
in water instead of milk allows you to cook them more thoroughly then add your milk after and a
pinch of salt is necessary for flavour but dont add to early as it will prevent them for breaking down.
METHOD
1. T
he night before put the tea bag and the dried fruit into a saucepan and pour on 1 cup of
boiling water then leave it to brew for 3 minutes stirring occasionally then remove and discard
the tea bag then leave until morning.
2. In the morning tip in the Oats and put over a high heat and stir continuously, when the first
bubble breaks the surface add the salt and Vanilla extract then stir for another minute then
remove from the heat.
3. E
mpty into a bowl entirely of your own choosing then quickly toast the Almonds in a dry pan unti
golden then top you Porridge with them a splash of cold milk and if you have some, fresh berries.
4. S
it down enjoy and plan a long run somewhere amazing safe in the knowledge that you have
a full tank.
Green Tea and

Honey-ade
On my non Porridge mornings I have eggs, I love
eggs and am pretty convinced that they are the
origins of the divine ambrosia myth.
When it comes to eating eggs Im firmly in the
whole egg camp. Some people preach from the
book of no yolks, and that true egg whites alone
are a source of high quality protein containing
zero fat. Leaving out the yolks means you also
leave out the aforementioned fats, which are
mostly good fats, including the mighty Omega-3
and vitamins B12, B6, A, K, E and importantly D.
Eggs are one of the few natural sources which our
bodies need for bone health, especially we fitness
freaks, as we have a tendency to give our bodies a
fair hammering. I believe that term is supposed to
be derisive but I hold it as a badge of honour.
Anyway Ive spared you my more whacky fillings
DEVILLED KIDNEYS
WITH APPLE CRISPS
Notice I said quality protein in the egg recipe
because when it comes to quantity of protein offal
reigns supreme with 50% more than the mighty
egg, and after all, offal is the food of choice for
Polar Bears and dey ave got the ardest punch in
the world.
In this incarnation, as well as taming the offal
flavour with the devilling spices, I have also added
some fruit in the form of the great British Bramley
apple. It is autumn as I write this so it would be
stupid not to. Apple crisps also add the satisfying
crunch that toast would have given you.
METHOD
1. Heat the oven up to 160oC. Slice the kidneys
in half and remove any outer membrane. Cut
out the white sinews in the middle. Put them
all into a bowl with enough milk to cover and
half a teaspoon each of mustard powder
and cayenne pepper and leave to purge and
marinade for about 20 minutes.
2. M
eanwhile for the apple crisps, slice the
dessert apple as thin as you can horizontally
so some of the slices have the little star left
where the pips would be. Then place on a rack
like Kimchi and Marmite (oh sorry, or Marmite Im

not that crazy) and gone for one of my favourite
flavour combinations which includes my birthright
Worcester sauce, Im from Malvern originally
but dont tell anyone because Im proud of my
Welshness.
INGREDIENTS
3 eggs
knob of butter (about 15g)
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
Method
30g Cheddar (or similar) cheese
1. P
ut a suitable pan onto a medium high
heat. Crack the eggs into a bowl add a pinch
of salt and the mustard and whisk with a fork.
Grate the cheese onto a plate. You have to
do this in advance as the cooking time is
pretty fast.
Worcester Sauce
pinch of salt
2. P
ut the butter into the pan and swirl it around
a bit. Then, when it foams, turn the heat to full
and tip in the egg mixture.
3. L
eave to begin to set for about 30 seconds
then push the outside edges towards the
middle allowing the runny egg to flow out, do
this all the way around.
SERVES
Prep
COOK
30
mins
10
mins
4. S
prinkle on the cheese and a few splashes
of Worcester sauce. Fold it over and tip
onto a plate.
over a baking tray and brush one side with

honey. Put in the oven for 15 minutes.
3. F
or the apple sauce peel and chop the Bramley
apple and put into a small saucepan with a
knob of butter and a tablespoon of water.
Cook over a medium heat to break down into a
sauce.
4. T
urn your apple slices over at the 15 minute
mark and brush other side with honey and put
back in the oven for another 15 minutes.
INGREDIENTS
4 fresh lambs kidneys
cup of milk
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tbsp flour (optional *)
1 tbsp cider vinegar
5. P
ut a frying pan onto a high heat. Remove the
kidneys from the milk and pat dry with kitchen
roll. Put the mustard powder, cayenne pepper
and, if using, flour into a small bag. Put the
kidneys into the bag and shake vigorously to
coat.
few splashes of Worcester Sauce
6. S
hake off the excess mixture from the kidneys.
Pop a knob of butter into the pan and fry the
kidneys for 1 minute each side then remove
from the heat. Add the vinegar and Worcester
sauce, cover the pan and set aside.
*2 when preparing this dish for

photography I will use the flour to
make a thicker sauce and although
it wont break the carb. bank I still
wouldnt use it at home. I just like
to be honest.
7. A
dd a teaspoon of honey to the apple sauce
then taste (blow it first as it will be very hot).
It should be left a little sharp but balance it to
your taste. Then assemble your plate as you
wish with a dollop of apple sauce, some apple
crisps, a couple of kidneys and a dash of the
gravy from the pan.
bramley apple
raw honey
1 dessert apple
SERVES
Prep
COOK
30
mins
10
mins
tim harrison
Twitter @girevikchef
Tim is a former obese, dyslexic,
fit food writer who loves a
challenge clearly! At age 30, fat
and unfit, Tim decided to address
his shortcomings by cleaning
up his cooking by making
delicious yet healthy food, and
took up kettlebell training when
he discovered Pavels Enter the
Kettlebell. Having lost 6 stone in
weightwho better to tell you why
food matters?
27
EDUCATION MATTERS
by Roger McCarthy
How old
would you be
if you didnt
know how old
you are?
Satchel Paige
28
On my first personal
training course the
advice on special
populations was
pretty much to
enclose anyone over
50 in a bubble wrap &
let them do nothing
more than a gentle
treadmill walk
followed by a few
high rep/low weight,
seated machine
exercises lest their
feeble bones snap as
they keel over with
a heart attack.
Out of the classroom and into
the gym, I soon met incredible
strength athletes in their
sixties, fifty-something ultramarathoners & clients in every
decade of life from 40s to 70s
who could out-perform the vast
majority of people half their age
in numerous events, feats &
sports. Conversely, weve all seen
teens & young adults who can
barely hold themselves upright,
wheeze halfway up a flight of
stairs & struggle to lift anything
heavier than a Happy Meal.
Chronological age, I surmised,
was not the overriding risk
factor it was taught to be.
However, no matter how
carefully we might look after
ourselves, the human body is
undeniably different at 45, let
alone 75, than 25. Where does
age fit amongst considerations
when were assessing what
training is beneficial for
anybody, whether a client or
ourselves? My conclusion
after thousands of clients
is that birthdate is only one
contributing factor to our
effective physical age & not
always the most telling. Our true
state of physical repair is much
harder to ascertain, but much
more important. I label this our
training age.
To use a crude analogy, think
of a cars registration plate,
mileage and usage. A well
maintained and cherished
vintage model can be in better
condition than something more
recent thats been thrashed,

scraped and bashed around by
a lead-footed sales rep.
In part two of this article well
look at verbal and physical tests
you can use to help ascertain
anybodys training age. For now,
presuming you arent ready
simply to prescribe a bubble
wrap track suit & a lie down
for anyone who remembers
life before mobile phones, lets
explore what does actually
happen to the body as we age.
Ch-ch-changes
If we have to describe the
overarching consequence of
ageing to all systems throughout
the body, it is a reduction in
regeneration and efficiency at a
cellular level. As we age, it seems
accumulation of waste products
inhibit these processes, causing
new cells to reproduce more
slowly and/or be malformed.
This build up of metabolites
and fatty pigments also seems
to reduce nutrient uptake and
hormonal signaling in cells,
generally slowing down their
function, while fibrous tissues,
including our muscles, heart
and blood vessels, tendons and
ligaments become stiffer.
This slower, less efficient
functioning across all systems
becomes noticeable to us
through weaker muscles, slower
reflexes, stiffer joints, reduced
cardiovascular capacity and
longer recovery times.
Starting with the cardio
system, heart rates are very
idiosyncratic, but whether you
agree with using formulae to
calculate training zones or
not, the bottom line is that
maximum heart rate does
reduce with age. Increased
stiffness in the heart muscle
and blood vessels, plus other
changes in blood pressure and
composition, reduce oxygen
delivery & waste removal
throughout the body. Heart rate
is faster to rise, slower to fall
and recovery takes longer, both
during and between workouts.
Sleep, a hugely important part
of our recovery process also
lessens in quality and amount.
Roger Mccarthy
Twitter @RogerMcC4rthy
Roger began specialising in
sports injury prevention in
1996 after suffering numerous
back and shoulder injuries
through poor quality training
as a rugby-playing teen.
Since then he has studied
at numerous schools of
biomechanics and corrective
exercise to help others of any
age avoid the same fate.
With body composition, the

dogma is that muscle mass
reduces inexorably by at least
1% per year from age 30, largely
due to a decline in testosterone,
unsurprisingly, more prominently
in men. An inverse increase
in body fat is also expected,
with our waistlines inevitably
expanding each year, until
rapidly dropping after 70. Similar
changes in the composition
of our connective tissues and
nervous system mean our
mobility, coordination and
reactions also shrink each year.
And now, the

good news
All in all, if you accept these
standards (largely based on
medical statistics for western
populations since WW2), the
future doesnt look good. The
general prediction is for a 50%
reduction in our peak strength,
endurance, mobility and muscle
by 60. Add in a few injuries and
the decline is even steeper.
But heres the rub: as the
masters category in sporting
pastimes, such as athletics,
bodybuilding, triathlon and
general gym attendance have
become more popular, recent
research has been able to
compare greater numbers of
participants of all ages against
their sedentary counterparts.
The upshot is that while we
cant completely arrest physical
change, we can attenuate it
greatly. Pretty consistently
across the board, the expected
50% drop in our peak strength,
cardio endurance, mobility
and muscle mass by 60
can be reduced to 25% with

realistic levels of effort. Yes,
unfortunately, even if we use it,
we will still lose some if it, but
you wont be surprised to learn
that diet, exercise and lifestyle
are at the heart of the fight.
While this has been a marketing
thrust from gyms and dietpedlars for decades, as usual,
the details are important.
The key for slowing down
cellular change appears to
be moderating inflammation
in all forms. As a byword
for inflammation, think
stress of any kind: digestive,
chemical, emotional, physical,
environmental or traumatic.
Well discuss these in more
depth next time.
The interesting news on
exercise is it seems the gradient
of your performance curve - not
how high it peaks - indicates
how much youre likely to retain.
In short, whether it comes to
strength, cardio or mobility,
being consistent over time will
lead to longer lasting benefits
than dramatic peaks and
troughs.
Now we know what

were all up against,
in part two well
look at how to
gauge where youre
starting from and
what to do about
it. In the meantime,
dont feel bad about
getting older;
remember its a
luxury many
are denied.
29
PHOTOCALL
#AUTUMNMATTERS
Upload your photos to Instagram, Facebook OR TWITTER
using next months hashtag (#STRENGTHmatters) to be
in the running TO get your photo featured in next
months PHOTOCALL.
Please refer to kettlebellfever.com/photocall for terms and conditions.
30
31
coachs corner
by dan john
A VERY SIMPLE WAY TO LOOK AT THE BASIC

PROBLEMS WITH THE FITNESS INDUSTRY
Ive had the opportunity to travel a lot in my lifetime. Often when
I visit a city, theres usually one attraction I really want to see. In
London I wanted to visit 22B Baker Street, but the taxi driver told
me hed never heard of Sherlock Holmes. In Washington DC it was
the Vietnam War Memorial. And in Galway, Ireland: stones.
Its that third one that might throw you. Throughout Ireland, there are
burial tombs and ring forts and, frankly, stones littered throughout
the land that were placed by people just like us long before the
Pharaohs demanded those pyramids to be built. And, I wanted to rub
my hands on these stones and connect back to the poets, saints and
sinners who had walked past them before me.
Adrian Cradock, my old intern and now one of the most sought out
trainers in Ireland, took us up to County Sligo on a recent trip. His
brothers wifes brother, Christopher Taylor, offered to take us among
the stones. The entire western coast of Ireland is one large historical
site and archeological dig. It was amazing, of course, but, as the
norm, the conversation was just as good. He asked if I had read J.
Stantons book, The Gnolls Credo.
The what?
The Gnolls are half-human and half-hyena and, yes, I just wrote that
phrase. There are dozens of great takeaways from the book, but the
best thing is the following rule:
PLAN THE HUNT

HUNT
DISCUSS THE HUNT
Oh, and it case you missed it: do all of this in the order presented
above. If you ask me what is the number one problem in the fitness
industry it reflects this list: our collective inability to focus and finish
any diet plan or training program makes us constantly planning and
discussing and missing the key point:
HUNT
In other words, any stupid thing you want to do is fine. Just do it. (I
just invented that phrase.) Twelve weeks of this or that: fine. Just
finish it and then we can talk about it. As I have noted countless
times in workshops: every diet works, every training program works,
but you have to finish it. Then, we can discuss it.
But, we dont. The joke in the industry is that the very best diet
or training plan you will ever do is the next one. If I could, I would
sentence everyone to a term in training and diet jail until you finish
every great new idea. Then, please, move on to something fresh, new
and exciting, but finish the plan.
People are where they are because that is exactly where they really
want to be - whether they will admit that or not. ~ Earl Nightingale
32
The other big issue in the industry is also the lowest level of thinking
(in my opinion), the curse of either/or. Not long ago, I was at a
workshop and the speaker said: If you are not in the best shape of
your life, you shouldnt be teaching people training!
I thought: bullshit. For the Highland Games, I would purposely put
on weight to handle the big implements. When I wrestled, I ran and
sweated myself to illness to make weight. Do you mean best shape
to get through a healthy pregnancy or best shape to swim the
English Channel? Shape is as vague a concept as I know when
it relates to sports performance. Is the best lifter in shape to run
a 10,000 metre race? No. And, that is wise for both the lifter and
runner.
FIT OR FAT
Covert Baileys classic book that became a PBS series is called Fit
or Fat. Well, there you go: two options. Fit OR Fat. Can you run a six
minute mile (I have in football cleats!)? Yes or no? Can you do this
task? Answer me!
There have been many times in my life where I have been Fit AND
Fat. Again, I look at pictures of myself at various Highland Games
and track meets and see a guy with a belly. So? To counter the big
HG implements, it is nice to have a keg rather than a six-pack.
I have been Fit and Not Fat many times, too. I dropped a lot of
weight one year to break the records in the weight class beneath my
traditional level. I sported a six-pack (actually an eight-pack) and beat
the records in the lighter class in Olympic lifting.
Oddly, like many of us, I have been Not Fit and Not Fat in my life. I
picked up a very dangerous parasite in the Middle East and I lost
forty pounds in two weeks. Oh, I looked pretty good in some pictures,
but I was also on deaths driveway, although far from the front door.
And, we all know that many of us have had those fun years of Not Fit
and Fat. I have pics throughout various times of my life where I was
out of shape in both meanings of the term shape.
Yet, as we walk around the two first problems of hunting versus
always talking about it and the either/or issue, I think we have a
bigger problem.
If I have an issue with the fitness industry, it is simply this: we have
turned a problem into a mystery. Im sure these two terms, problems
and mysteries may seem alike, but they are far different concepts.
Given time, problems can be solved. Sherlock Holmes of 221B Baker
Street, I have a vast collection of Holmes material by the way, was a
master problem solver. Given a few clues, he could march backwards
and piece together something simple or something complex. Normal
people like me see, but we do not observe.
If I lose my car keys, lets say I throw them in the garbage, given
enough time, energy and money, we as a society could find them. If
the president allots a trillion dollars to the effort and we have
millions of volunteers picking through the landfill, we will find
those keys. Losing my keys is simply a problem. There is a solution.
dan john
Twitter @fakedanjohn
Thats a problem.
Mysteries are something else all together. I think Gabriel Marcel says
it best: The difference between a problem and a mystery is that we
are part of a mystery. Truly, some of the great questions of life are
mysteries:
Dan spends much of his time

travelling the world both coaching
coaches and educating athletes.
Former Strength Coach and Head
Track and Field Coach at Juan Diego
Catholic High School in Draper, Utah.
He remains a full-time online religious
studies instructor for Colombia
College of Missouri and contributing
writer to Mans Health magazine.
Dan has written a number of books
about training such as Never Let Go
and Intervention.
Why do I love this person and not that person?
told me this after I gave a lecture one day:
Maybe a better question, why do people love me?
Fat loss. Oh, thats easy. We just tie you to a tree and come back in
three days and you lose 17 pounds.
What happens after death?

Why do bad things happen to good people?
Why do people watch some of those comedies
on television?
The last question will vex philosophers for the next few centuries.
The great mysteries truly dont have an answer, in this life anyway, if
you are a believer.
Again, dont try this at home, folks. I used to think fat loss was a
mystery with the search for the right ratio of macronutrients or
amino acids or timing of eating. Then, I learned about the Lap Band.
The Lap Band is an invasive surgery where the surgeon places
something akin to a rubber band around the stomach. It shrinks the
stomach and clients lose up to 100 pounds in a year. Why? Literally,
the device makes you eat less. Eat less, move more, the great MAD
TV episode, is true.
Personally, I hate the simplified bathtub model of Calories in/Calories
out. Your body is the bathtub and the faucet pouring water into you
is the calories you consume. The water going down the drain is your
expenditure of calories. You see, thats too simple, so I refused to
believe it. It HAS to be simple carbs or lack of a vitamin or something.
Please, help us Obi-Wan Kenobi!
The Lap Band information, and for total clarity I do NOT recommend
it, convinced me that it is true. There is no question that fat satiates
better than say kids cereals and eating two pounds of salmon is a
test worthy of a bar bet, but it is still CI/CO.
Fat loss is a problem, not a mystery. Josh Hillis, a great fat loss
expert with an emphasis on female clients, focuses on simple
things like:
K
eep a food journal
E
at protein at every meal
Dont try to challenge this too much. Dont grab a piece of paper and
list why you love somebody. It will be bad for you if the person you
love finds the list. Prepare yourself for the very loud question: Why
only 57 items?! Really, it is not a question you can answer well.
G
et stronger in the fundamental human movements
There is nothing mysterious here. In fact, one could easily just march
through these three points like a dance, 1-2-3 and 1-2-3 and 1-2-3,
and find great success in the fat loss game.
Heres the problem: we, in the fitness industry and throughout

the Western world, have turned fat loss, fitness and health into a
mystery. I have done my best in the area of strength training to turn
this around and frankly the answer to how do I get stronger? starts
with this:
The powerful reason for keeping fat loss (and health and fitness) a
mystery, is financial. Trust me, if I can tap into those empty hurtful
parts of your life and give you an answer for only $49.99, (wait make
that $39.99!) you might reach for the phone (operators waiting) and
give me your credit card information.
Lift weights
Im not sure of an area of your person that

is concomitantly more public and personal
than your body. The fitness industry often
preys on this weakness.
But fat loss? I have read dozens of books on the topic, watched
documentaries, and sat through dozens of workshops and lectures
on the topic. The more I learned the less I knew. Was it eating carbs
at ten at night or after lifting? I couldnt keep it all straight in my little
head. There was a moment of total clarity: a professor of nutrition
33
feature workout
by Phil McDougall
L /R
x20
1. Snatches Snatch test KB x 20 per side

Why? Because a day without snatches is like a day without sunshine. Explosive,
adrenaline pumping awesomeness. Rock on.
2. Push ups
Snatch
Every perfect rep should be controlled and slow. How many? Just keep banging them out
until you BEGIN to tire, whether thats at 2 reps or 30 reps.
3. Windmills 60-70% 1RM x 10 per side

Breathe behind the shield. Tail lights high.
4. Military press
Nice and slow. Focus on your checkpoints:
claw the floor
pelvic floor, glute & quad activation
tuck tail bone under & squeeze abs whilst inhaling with your diaphragm
fire lats from packed shoulder and lift off!
turbo boost after launching by clenching both fists, crushing the KB handle and hissing.
Dont forget trajectory!
Repeat 4 times. Try to minimize rest between exercises but take as much rest as you
need between rounds, to allow your CNS to recover from the focused military pressing.
Windmill A
This is a quick variety day session, to throw into your programme now and again if you
want to improve, or just enjoy pressing and snatching.
The snatching offers ballistic, hip hinging, posterior chain, back functional line elements.
Push-ups are, in my opinion, one of the greatest strength exercises and a wonderful
compliment to snatches or swings offering a tension building, horizontal pushing
movement. If push-ups arent quite in your arsenal yet, try a couple of 10 second holds
of the StrongFirst plank instead. Windmills offer trunk rotation, trunk stability, shoulder
stability and hip flexibility. The military press is there because.well, why wouldnt it be? If
youre doing it right its the ultimate grind just on its own that requires more mental focus
than anything else on the list. Well, maybe the ultimate grind is the Get-Up, but anyway.
Military pressing is as relaxing to me as shooting a rifle accurately. Some might say its like
golf or painting if thats easier to relate to. It takes so much focus and concentration to do
it right that it frees your mind of absolutely everything else. Besides, we gentlemen need to
press half our body weight for the SFG2, so you might as well start building your skill level.
Strength and honour!

So, next time youre in the airport and there is some strange guy doing push-ups in the
corner, come over and say Hi!; I promise I dont bite.
L /R
x10
Windmill B
Phil McDougall SFG SFB

Twitter @CommandoTrainin
Formerly a Royal Marines
Commando, national level
ski racer, triathlete, VO2 and
endurance addict. Following
a serious shoulder injury Phil
discovered kettlebells, and the
importance of strength and
mobility training and never looked
back. Now owns outdoor strength
& mobility business,
www.commando-training.com.
L /R
x1
Repeat
x4
Military press
34
ASK
Dr. Michael Hartle
Dr Hartle, in your opinion
what are the barbells
biggest limitations?
Pete Luffman
very intense. Most of your

training should be without one.
If you are not competing, use
what Mother Nature gave you.
The biggest limitations of the

barbell are size, portability and
cost. It is hard to transport
the barbell around to various
locations for training. A
good quality barbell can be
costly but is well worth the
investment. Also, depending on
your goals with the barbell, you
may need to purchase a power
rack and bench, incurring
additional costs.
If you were designing a

strength program for a pro
football player (American)
and you only could choose
one movement on the
barbell and one movement
using a KB what would
those movements be
and why? I appreciate it
also depends on position
but even the kickers and
punters need to be strong.
Jason Elliott
What are the best

correctives and mobility
drills for getting into
a strong bench press
position? And when and
why should I wear a
powerlifting belt?
Douglas Shearer
At the StrongFirst SFL Barbell
Certification, we refer to the
position of the lifter during the
Bench Press as the Bench
Press Stance. To help achieve
a strong BP stance, one must
posses good hip and thoracic
spine mobility. Drills that we
do to enhance the BP stance
are thoracic spine mobilisation
on a foam roller, yoga block
T/S mobilisation, Brettzel, and
SF Arm Bar and Pullover to
help with the thoracic mobility.
To help with hip mobility for
the BP stance, the hip flexor
stretch and the 90-90 drill are
good. Ankle drills like the Foot
Drills are also beneficial to aid
in proper foot placement for
the BP stance.
My typical response about
using a powerlifting belt is
to only use one if you will be
competing in the sport of
powerlifting. If that is the case,
only when your training gets
I would cycle the following:

Barbell: Squat or Deadlift:
Kettlebell: Swing or Get-Up.
Meaning for a hypothetical
6 week training program,
perform Deadlifts and Swings,
then 6 weeks of Squats and
Get-Ups. Then flip the Swing
and Get-Up with the other
Barbell lift: Squat and Swings:
Deadlifts and Get-Ups. Very
simple yet effective!
For a balanced athlete,

what are the healthy
comparative weights of
their Press, Bench, Back
Squat, Front Squat and
Deadlift? For example,
wed expect their Deadlift
to be the heaviest (100%)
and everything else to be a
percentage of that.
Colin Stewart
First of all, I wouldnt consider
the Deadlift to necessarily be
the heaviest as there are some
people for whom squatting
will be the heaviest lifted, in
regards to actual weight lifted.
That being said, the following
are GENERALLY the ratios that
I like to see with my athletes:
Dr. Michael Hartle

Twitter @DrMichaelHartle
Dr. Michael Hartle is a chiropractic
physician, a board-certified Clinical
Nutritionist (DACBN), a certified
Chiropractic Sports Physician
(CCSP), a certified Strength and
Conditioning Specialist (CSCS),
a Master StrongFirst Girya (SFG)
Instructor with StrongFirst
(StrongFirst.com), an Active
Release Technique (ART) provider
since 1995 AND a former nationallyranked powerlifter.
Men (1RM)
Back Squat: 2.0xBodyweight
(BW)
Front Squat: 1.5-2.0xBW
Bench Press: 1.5xBW
Military Press: 1.0xBW
Deadlift: 2.0xBW
Women (1RM)
Back Squat: 1.75xBW
Front Squat: 1.5xBW
Bench Press: 1.0xBW
Military Press: 0.67xBW
Deadlift: 2.0xBW
Obviously, there could be small
adjustments to these ratios for
the lighter and heavier athletes,
i.e. the lighter athletes may
increase the ratio slightly and the
heavier athletes decreasing it.
For the Deadlift, what do

you think of rounding of
the shoulders (while still
keeping lats engaged) to
allow for more weight to be
moved? Trevor Naughton
Trevor, I am a purist in the
sense that I want to see
good spinal alignment with
all strength moves. Some,
like lifting Atlas Stones for
Strongman competition, force
the body to move away from
this but this is a speciality
move. The same applies with
rounding the shoulders while
deadlifting. Some of the top
deadlifters in the world do
it this way to decrease the
bar path distance and to put
the hips in a higher starting
position. For those that do

not compete in powerlifting,
I say No way!. And, unless
you know what you are doing
and are a high level lifter, keep
the spine in a good position,
always!! Even if you are a high
level athlete, I still recommend
to not round the shoulders
while deadlifting!!
If you had to choose just

one bar to Deadlift with,
what make would it be and
why? James Breese
There are 2 of them. Buddy
Capps Texas Power Bar and
the Ivanko OBX-20kg Bar. I own
several of each and they both
are great bars. I have never
had an issue with either one.
One advantage of the Ivanko
Barbell over the Texas Power
Bar is that the diameter is
28mm versus 28.5mm. Not a
big difference but it can be for
someone with small hands. In
addition, the Ivanko bar has 3
rings per side, making it easier
to use with the Powerlifts and
the Olympic lifts. Both are great
bars!! Get one of each!
Thank you to James Breese

for asking me to answer
these great questions!!
35
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BY LAURA NEPODAL P24

THE STRENGTH MATTERS CONTRIBUTORS

how to train the

issue 2 NOVEMber 2014

simple does not mean easy

issue 1 october 2014

Photo of the month

ask Dr. Michael Hartle 35

Spotlight On colin stewart 8

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