Year 1: The Improvement Process
In the movie Knockaround Guys, Vin Diesel's character says "500 fights," then goes on to talk about how, as a kid, he thought it would take 500 street fights to become a legitimate tough-guy. Then, as he started fighting, he learned it was a process and not a specific number of fights.
Your journey into Kettlebell - Club - Mace will be a similar process.
Easy or Challenging - you still have to do the work
Some of my exercises are hard, like 28 continuous minutes of Single Arm Club. Others, like Stick Stretch and Ground Work, are shorter and easier - and they make me feel great.
And yet I still have to actually motivate to do the work!
Year 1: Novice Level
Year 1 of a new program is all about the basics: basic exercises, basic technique, basic fundamentals. And volume - lots and lots of volume, which is actually lots and lots of practice.
Programming for Longevity: Why are you working out?
Working out is hard. It takes commitment, diligence, and dedication to a goal (if you're going to be successful.)
Why are you working out?
How I grew my program
How did I go from square one to my current program?
I started building what eventually grew into my current program in Nov-Dec 2021. My starting point at the time was
The Goal sets the program
Why are you working out?
Such a simple question, but there are a dozen ways to digest it. The reasons could be short-term or long-term, driven by health or vanity, or because you want to accomplish something specific.
It’s critical to know the answer to this question, as it will shape your entire program.
Injury Recovery Process
This knee injury has been really frustrating.
I’m lucky it wasn’t worse, it didn’t require surgery, and I should be back to my old self somewhere in the neighborhood of three months.
That said, the progression from injury…
DIY Homemade Heavy Club
I didn’t think I was in the market for a DIY project, but a forced break away from working out plays with your mind in funny ways - What else could I do with the time I’m not working out..?
a look at Indian Clubs
Everyone should be practicing clubs in some way, form, or manner.
We live in a time and place where shoulder health is at an historic low. We spend our days, weeks, and years hunched over computer screens with our backs rolled and our shoulders slumped forward. Then we go out on the weekend and try to play/work/compete like we did when we were younger and our shoulders were healthy.
Fate beats Statistics
I had a significant setback this weekend, giving me the opportunity to think about the big picture and put all of my hard work into perspective.
The long story behind HealthyButter
I have an advantage - I love sports and have always been active.
Of course, since I was “active”, and ate reasonably “healthy”, and my annual doctor check-ups didn’t show any abnormalities - I thought I was in pretty good shape. Most people would have agreed.
Being better than average
The typical American way isn’t working…
Think about an average, stereotypical suburban Grandpa for a minute…
He exhales deeply when sitting down on the couch - then grunts with effort to get back up.