Dojo Seminar 09'

I just want to take a moment to thank Sensei Stan Leach, head instructor of Orland Shorin-ryu karate dojo, and all his attentive students, for a successful FIRST seminar by Wicked Iron Underground. We were kindly invited to Sensei Leach's beautiful NEW dojo (school) to teach what we know about strength and how it can apply to karate and every day life, and we thoroughly enjoyed taking the time to relay some of our knowledge about strength and it's related topics to his students, and seemed as though the students had some fun as well...hard-style!
I'm sure some of you out there can attest to functional strength and how it has transformed at least your body, if not a large part of your outlook on fitness as a whole. The learning part of fitness is a battle, because to accomplish a higher level of strength, flexibility, agility, etc., one has to push through a somewhat painful experience to get to a certain point of technicality and knowledge of one's self, therefore being able to tap into one's potential...and ATTAIN IT!
Even though learning these methods is a great experience in itself, TEACHING them is a whole different ballgame (or bellgame for all you iron-lovin' comrades), and opens up a lot of new things for the practitioner when it's flowing OUT of you, instead of learning, when knowledge is flowing into you. Most people with enough life-experience know that teaching is the best way to learn, and it's certainly the best way to "know your stuff."
To make a long story short, we had a great experience letting the knowledge flow out to others, and we learned a lot about the iron, about ourselves, and about others through teaching the things for which we have such a passion.
If you haven't dived already into the world of functional strength, find someone who knows their stuff, give it a try, then us know what you think. There are MANY professionals out there who are more than willing to pass on some of their knowledge about what they do, given you are determined to make something more of yourself, or to just find a NEW way to throw around the weights.

Keep on keepin' on!
Dan C
Wicked Iron Underground

Can you see what i see?

I am near a loss of words for what I've witnessed during the past several weeks, and NOT in a good way. I confess, I've been to the big town gym a lot lately, but it's not what you think, i swear!! I've been going to _____ ___ for my protein shakes lately, and MAN are they good! But, what i see while I'm there seriously disgusts me, no joke. First of all, before i go to _____ ___, i have a KILLER workout...obviously, what else would someone do before a shake?? So i get to the gym, take a seat, and I'm beat from the workout i just pulled through in my DRIVEWAY. I obviously have time to look around and see what's happening at the big Ole' gym. What do i see? I look to my left, and i see several men and women SITTING...yes...SITTING on these little cycle peddler thingies (how should I know??) going about two mph, reading the latest Newsweek or whatever is good these days. I look to my right, and there are a few people on the treadmills, watching t.v. while they think they are doing themselves a favor by being there. GIVE ME A BREAK!! I'm sitting there thinking to myself..."do people actually go to the gym to RELAX??" Well, socializing is one thing most can't avoid in a place like that, but when you're interrupting your workout, you might as well leave and never come back. That's what i did!
I actually sat there listening to some girl saying...and i quote..."I'll workout a little bit, but talking to people is the only real reason why i come here." It's great to be honest, but then mutter on about how "these workouts just aren't doing anything!" I'll say it again...GIVE ME A BREAK!!
Don't get me wrong, people are completely free to waste their time walking around in a gym talking to people in hopes of avoiding doing actual work, but don't ever think you'll workout with me or anyone that I workout with. You're not worth my, or frankly...YOUR time, if you have an attitude like that. Not to mention the fact that you are not getting better at anything if you don't make the effort and push through to make a change. Here's a universal rule for ya... If you have a weight in your hand, you want to make a change in your life, simple as that. YOU have to decide if YOU want to change for the better, or do you want to be your old self a little longer!?
It's all about improvement. Making your life a workout of art. Yes, this includes your body, mind, and spirit. Be independent with your workouts. Don't just sign up at your local gym because you ASSUME "that's what people do to lose weight or get stronger, etc." Please, think for your self for once, and get with someone who knows what they are doing and can help you improve yourself. If you don't know how to make improvements on yourself (that you'll actually notice), you CAN'T do it without knowledge of HOW to change. Take it from someone who'd already tried to go to the gym four times a week, thinking that he'll improve, just 'cause he's at the gym. I was there, and now i'm working out in my driveway with tires, stones, and kettlebells. You don't need the big gym, and it doesn't need you. If you can improve yourself in that gym, by all means, go for it. But honestly, get it together and look at the big picture. What is worth your time?
I won't be an idiot and say "stay away from those gyms!" But i will say "stay smart about what and how you change yourself." And for goodness sake, if i ever find you at the "gym" sitting down on a cycle-sorus-rex, i just don't know you anymore...sorry!

Your friendly neighborhood strength coach,
Dan C

It's Time!

Alright peoples, the sun is shining, and the pavement is heating up. It's finally ideal weather in Maine for getting outside and using the jungle of nature to better our minds, our bodies, and our spirits. I don't think i stand alone in saying that spring brings a certain pattern of personal growth to our lives, as it does for the trees, the fields, and the beasts. Regardless of where you live, whatever you consider to be "good weather" can make you...no...PULL you outdoors and under the sun. It's time!
Jason and I had a crazy trip down to Zach Even-esh's Underground Strength Gym in Edison, New Jersey (a.k.a. "The Dirty Jerzee"), and found out first hand what the hype was all about. Like Zach often says, he's "killin' it" down in Jersey, and it's obvious to see by just watching his videos and connecting with the underground community, as it was by attending the certification weekend. Both of us are truly inspired by what we experienced at his gym, and recommend it to anyone willing to give their all, for their all.

Now, back to my point...GET OUT THERE!!

I think we underestimate how much we can benefit from being out in the open air with nothing but the will to sow the seed of perseverance and the patience to reap the strength, and maybe a pair of shorts ;-)

I took advantage of yesterday's sunny inspiration and took the kbells for a spin. Here's what i did...

1. 5 reps push-press, left (non-dominant) then right.
2. 7 reps swing-to-clean, left then right.
3. 10 reps kbell push-ups, not too fast, full body tension, parallel grip and close to body.
4. 5 reps, double rack squats, not too fast, smooth full body tension.
5. 2 reps, snatch (1-4) top-down TGU (turkish get-up), left then right, with one press at the bottom.
REPEAT (if you can)
End with farmer walks or rack walks with both bells, then get your protein shake and TAKE A SHOWER you filthy comrade!

Take this workout into consideration as a max-out session. Mix up numbers and/or drop an exercise to better suit your energy needs, but push yourself a little more each workout. As your body advances, so should your discipline.

What are you waiting for? Hop outside and get to work!

Stay strong,
Coach C

How to stop whining...

I'm tellin' ya...Maine has got to be the fricken coldest state in the US, besides maybe Alaska. It's JUST NOW getting in the mid-40s!! Even though the weather isn't quite what i prefer yet for enjoyable workout conditions, i made it happen. It may have been around 40 degrees at my house, and i KILLED IT (sorry Zach, but it's true). I had the 300+lb tire, 50&30lb kbells, and 5 stones (all different weights and sizes), all for me to play with however i seemed fit. If i can give you any advice on what to do when you're outside with this kind of equipment, i'd say "GO CRAZY!!!" I was moving from flippin' the tire to crushing, pressing, and jerking the rocks, to snatching the kbells to jumping the tire, to doing elevated push-ups on the tire (it's a great functional tool, by the way) to doing rows on the tire with the kbells to doing one-handed presses with one of the lighter stones (45lb) to flipping the 50lb kbell, to a few other things i can't remember. It was structured enough to be equally comprehensive, but random enough to trick my body.
Now that it's warming up a little outside, get the frick out there and go nuts!!
Yea, we whine a lot and give ourselves little excuses to skip a workout or two, but when it gets down to what we MUST DO, we MUST stop the whining and train. No excuses, no questions asked.
The warrior instinct in us wasn't meant to be tied down to anything that inhibits it from allowing the self to achieve what it really wants and needs. Be controlled so that you don't hurt yourself and others, but don't hold yourself back from anything that may improve your strength and wellbeing.

Keep it real!
Coach C

Being poor, and training hard....

I know....We are all poor. The economy is just in the can, and there is little we can do about it.
I trained last night with Coach C, and our basement gym was flooded with water. We said F-it and trained anyway.
That is the way it has to be. Period.
Do we currently have people busting down the door to train in our wet basement gym....Nope. Do we think a nice fancy gym would get us more clients...Yup. Do we give up because of people's misguided understanding of what a gym should be....HELL NO!
We train. We promote. We hustle our asses off....Bottom line.
Trust me...I would love to have a nicer place, with high ceilings, and a ton of clients, somewhere in town where people could actually SEE us. But can I have it now....Not without getting a loan, or an investor who would most likely make the decisions for our business rather than let us run things the way we want. Frankly, I don't need another boss....I've got one already, and I hate it.
The thing is....Even though we are poor, and have a basement to train people out of, does not mean that we let ourselves die...That we let ourselves give in to the depressing mood of today's economy. You have got to stand up, and keep moving forward, no matter how tough it gets, no matter how poor you are, failure is something that happens to everyone. It's what you do after you fail that matters.

I think this quote from the movie "Rocky Balboa" says it all....

Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done. Now, if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you. You're better than that!
Rocky Balboa

Do I get discouraged by not having what I want...Right now....Your damn right I do...Some days you just want to pack it in. You think that trying to start up a fitness facility is just a dream that will never happen, that it is taking too long, that you don't have the money....Well, I can cry over it, or I can suck it up and keep moving forward, just like Rocky said. I can't go any lower in the fitness biz, so what do I have to worry about? Nothing..... All I need to do, is just train hard, work hard at getting the word out, and eventually, something will happen, and if it doesn't, I just have to keep working until it does, no matter how long it takes.

The bottom line is this....
It is easy to give up, to quite.

It is damned hard to keep fighting.

But it is your life that you are fighting for....

So you better damn well give it all you've got, `cause it isn't going to get any better if you just lay down and die, its just gonna end.

Here is what I want to say to all of you out there that are struggling to keep it together. That are living paycheck to paycheck. That want something more from this life than you already have...

Keep the dream alive! Keep fighting no matter what. And if you fall, get back up and go back at it harder than before.

Never back down and never give in.

If you want to get in shape, but can't do it by going to a gym....Give us a call, we can come to you. We can be your support, and you can be ours. We are the Wicked Iron Underground.

Take care all!

Coach B
WIU

Sick

So......I'm sick as a dog. Sicker, actually, cuz my dog is just fine. I caught the flu a few days ago, and it's not fun. I'm a student of a local university, and school just got back in session, so getting the flu now is BAD TIMING! But I know you're not interested in my academic life, so here's why I'm writing to you...cough, cough!!
In my experience, when I get sick, workouts go down the drain...FAST! So, what to do when you're sick?
I don't suggest cardio. BAD IDEA! You want to get better, not worse. For those of you that get sick and think "I'll just flush everything out of my system by working out really hard." No, just no. I tried that once, and I ended up in bed for two weeks because of the pain of straining my already weak muscles. Be smart with your body.
ANYWAY...!!
I don't know about you, but I still want to stay active even when I'm sick, so here's what I do.
Body weight exercises and stretching, that's it. Think of your sickness - Whether it's a cold, flu, or whatever - As an opportunity to work on the things that you ignore when you're too busy being "hard-style." *Guilty as charged*
And by "body weight" I don't mean do a thousand push-ups and even more crunches.
If you do any push-ups, crunches, squats, or anything that you would normally do with a weight in your hand, do them slowly. Be patient when you're sick.
Why do I say slow? Because if you want to maintain muscle density, slow, tight movements are the only way to do so without a weight. WOW!

Here's a quick workout for you sickly folks out there...
Push ups: 2-3 sets of 5 reps, full body tension. 3sec down, 1 sec pause, 3 sec up. Get rid of the part of your ego that thinks that more reps equal "bad-ass!"
Crunches: Untraditional; when performing the crunch, press your lower back into the ground. This will promote more muscle work for less reps. 3-5 sets of 5 reps, same timing as push-ups.
Squats: Hands straight out, full body tension, down 3sec pause 2sec up 3sec.
Tactical lunges: start feet together, then lunge backward. No solid timing, just slower than usual and be careful. Full body tension!

There's just a few exercises for ya! Add or remove any to your own taste, but keep the timing theories and full body tension technique.

Over and out,
Coach C

Use What You Have

I'm always looking for more ways to challenge myself. Always looking for the next step. Always making sure I don't stagnate, thus changing up the routine as much as I can. Sure, for you to get better at something, you need to focus on that thing until efficiency is achieved. But you also need to focus on SHIFTING the focus of your muscles so that you will adapt to the new movement. The only reason you improve in something is probably because it's new to you. That said, for your muscles to improve as a whole, they need to experience something new pretty frequently. This isn't to say that once you're done with a technique that you should never go back to it. But there needs to be, lets say, constant "shifting" of technique.

For example, in the spirit of this subject, I tried to make that challenge for my body to better it's adapting capabilities. What was a normal kettlebell workout (which in itself isn't normal at all) turned into an excruciating challenge for my body to take hold of. I was using my 50lb kettlebell, and was going through some long-cycle cleans, overhead presses, overhead lunges, windmills, bent-presses, and squats. Then came the real workout...
I had some rubber bands hanging up in the corner that I usually use for punching and kicking drills. I quickly hooked the strap to my ankle, wrapped the other end of the band around the handle of the bell, and then went to town! I wanted heavier weight, and BOY did I get it! There's no way of knowing for certain, but it felt like it added another twenty pounds with certain movements. It added a lot more weight, and also was a good stability movement, as the rubber band wanted to fly right back to the floor. I did some overhead presses with the band and some windmills as well, until I couldn't take it anymore,
I HIGHLY recommend you use some durable rubber bands and take your workouts to a whole new level! And for me, being poor and all, it sure beat buying another kettlebell when I could just use a rubber band instead. In other words, its a great thing to temporarily put on some more weight to that bell. I would always recommend a heavier bell over this, of course. But for those of you who only have one bell and want to quickly add some weight to it, this is the way to go!

That's all folks!!

Coach C
Wicked Iron Underground