Renegade

Grip strength is a well debated topic within strongman circles. However you do not need to be within this circle to realize the importance of grip strength, just pick up a jar of spaghetti sauce. While simply working with kettlebells will improve your grip strength, there are other exercises that can be implemented to compliment your current kettlebell training.

The first exercise we will steal from “The Mark of R.” It is called simply: The Newspaper Rollup. Please, do not let the simplicity of the title fool you, this exercise takes the utmost concentration and dedication to perform properly.
Find a large piece of paper. It can be a newspaper, poster, junk mail, box-filler, whatever.
With arm outstretched, perpendicular to the chest, hold paper in hand.
Crumble into a ball without the aid of your other hand.
Repeat with other hand.
Okay, I lied about the implied complexity.

The second exercise requires you to drive the local sporting goods store and picking up a racquetball. Less than $4.00 will buy you three. Put one in the car, one at home, and one on your person at all times.
Place ball in palm of your hand.
Now squeeze ten times.
Repeat with other hand.
Too easy? Try a tennis ball.

Both exercises work quite well while doing Indo Board work. You are doing Indo Board work, right? They also fit in nicely with your “in the office” workout. You are doing your “in office” workout right?
Tomato sauce jars beware; Renegade grip strength.

Please contact me, J.Johnston aka “JJ”, Delaware’s Renegade Kettlebell Professional at jjcrewguy@aol.com

With the Wheel of Conditioning addressed, a complete outline is being presented regarding athletic and fitness enhancement. As continually stated, each spoke shall be equally emphasized in order to bring complete balance towards training design.

“As you review the “Renegade Wheel of Conditioning™” one very obvious omission from standard training models is “balance.” With much of the training world enamoured with proprioreceptive training and proceed to sell useless pieces of equipment, usually with (paid) endorsement that has absolutely no basis in science” (John Davies).

Though most attention “balance” training has recently received in mainstream fitness settings, the notion of such methods are undoubtedly distorted. A glaring misconception upon physical attributes, balance, or more aptly entitled proprioreceptive, work is a combination of all other physical attributes emphasized in the “Renegade Wheel of Conditioning™”. With considerable emphasis place upon traits such as strength, range of motion work and core stabilization, the notion of “balance” interweaves in every task presented.

Controlling movement throughout various planes and axis of space exists from the moment one wakes until slumber. Instead of focusing solely upon balancing on intricate boards and imperfect terrain in order to improve “balance”, attack all other attributes in order to gain the necessary body awareness to be successful on the athletic field and every day activities alike.

Jordan Collins
RT professional (Kettlebell specialist)
DMC™ Auburn

Getting fit requires dedication, discipline and hard work. It is not going to happen overnight and will not happen without exercise and the proper caloric consumption of healthy foods. The more active an individual is and the better one eats, intake of little or no sugars, sodium, manufactured foods, etc., the sooner results will occur. What many individuals fail to understand is consumption of unhealthy foods will only thwart exercise efforts as eating is a huge percentage of the equation when attempting to lose body fat and weight. Hidden sugars, fats, sodium and alcoholic drinks can easily add several pounds to one’s figure even when exercising.

I recommend to clients, whose goals are body fat and weight loss, to consume proper foods and exercise regularly in order to witness results. Obtaining results will aid in continued motivation while an overall feeling of increased energy and vitality will do the same.

We are a society used to immediate gratification. If we do not get immediate results we become frustrated and quickly lose sight of long term goals. However, becoming fit and healthy will take time. Health and wellness is a lifelong journey.

Don’t become frustrated if goals are not immediate, instead be proud you’ve began the journey to health. For continued motivation contact Jennifer Calderone at jcfitnessfirst@gmail.com.

Hordon Health

Progressing onwards, med ball work, used as methods to enhance recovery and dynamic range of motion, is also an excellent addition to introduction of explosive training.

Further areas of concern whilst dealing with med ball training are as follows:
1. Explosive training,
2. Advanced explosive complexes

Moreover, focusing upon force production and power output, explosive training implementation is advisable to be with a partner in order to stabilize the forceful throws from the partner. Returning to the concepts of Renegade Training™, basic med ball circuits implemented in early training phases are typically performed in a conducive environment for the athletes. As training progression advances and abilities improve over time, the notion of “stabilizing within destabilized environments” is naturally put into service during training sessions. No longer are conducive environments available, instead, imperfect terrain and backgrounds are the norm. Adapting to the chaos of training demands becomes second nature for advanced levels athletes. For instance, a simple progression of performing circuits of exercise on a stabilized terrain, such as concrete, shall progress to grass and furthermore sand pits. In addition, increasing the weight of the ball shall provide an added component emphasizing explosion and power.

Over time, a broad based med ball program could be implemented, replacing typically “resistance” training. However, as John Davies states, “This is only in advanced levels where intense harmony of hands to feet, shoulders to hips, elbows to knees are displayed with the duality of mind and body unity and thus limited exclusively to highly advanced athletes. Once this occurs, the imperfect or chaotic environment has been adapted to and evolves to a perfectly calm setting”.

Seeing that an athlete evolves, destabilized nature athletic demands constantly change, providing the athlete a variety of stimuli and motor functions to adapt to on a daily basis.

To learn further of various Medicine Ball benefits, order Medicine Ball Training for Recovery for recovery and fat-loss training OR OMEGA SERIES MEDICINE BALL TRAINING DVD in order to gain power and explosion!

Jordan Collins
RT professional (Kettlebell specialist) DMC™ Auburn

Today average levels of fitness have plummeted. Basic body weight exercises are presently “too advanced” for most of the population. The average person cannot even jump rope for more than a few seconds without becoming winded. Many individuals also lack the hand eye coordination and body control necessary to skip rope. The reason for this and the appalling decline in our nation’s overall health is due to a decline of exercise and general activity.

Our nation’s poor physical condition and health is shocking but must not be ignored. We must employ the necessary tactics to get our nation’s health back. One simple and inexpensive way to begin is with a jump rope. Although there are vast arrays of fancy fitness products available, the basic jump rope is a far superior item than others for cardiovascular conditioning and will have remarkable effects on improving overall fitness.

In addition to increasing cardiovascular efficiency, skipping rope also offers gains in foot and hand speed, increased work capacity, improved motor skills and will aid in the reduction of body fat. It also adds fun and provides a new challenge to a tired workout regime.

Jennifer Calderone
Hordon Health

The subject of wrist strength came up during a recent training session. I was asked by a trainee; what could be implemented to address this weak link to help with kettlebell cleans and snatches. Of course there was a catch. You knew that was coming, right? The catch was how one could strengthen the wrists without a barbell, a machine, or a kettlebell in an office type environment; a cubicle to be exact. I asked trainee if they had a three foot by four foot space on the floor that could be used. The answer was yes, if the chair was moved slightly. I then, much to the trainee’s liking, proceeded to show him “The Crouch Balance.”
The “The Crouch Balance” is a move I learned in an old 70’s style workout routine named “Hercules II” which is perfect for the office environment and requires only bodyweight.
Step 1: Crouch down, place hands flat on floor (about a foot in front of knees), splay fingers out with index fingers pointing straight ahead.
Step 2: Brace your inner thighs against elbows and slowly lean forward putting your full weight on the wrists and hands. Head position should be forward and upward. The maneuver will resemble a tripod, but knees are outside elbows not on top and your head is off the ground not on.
Step 3: Hold working up to a slow count of 15 deep breaths.
Step 4: Repeat as necessary.
Step 5: Very, very, very important. BEFORE your start this move, place a pen and/or paper close to your where your hands will be. Why? Because if your boss or client just happens to drop by unexpectedly, you can easily spring out of the “Crouch Balance” and make like you are just picking up something that fell off your desk and no one will be the wiser.
Step 6: Practice till perfect.

In a land of abysmal training methods and oft unqualified trainers, the implementation of med ball training can spearhead athletic and fitness gains. Within introductory levels of training, work shall emphasize full bodywork emphasizing the core musculature and rotational power.

Once again, the first two areas of concentration for med ball training are as follows:
1. Recovery and regeneration,
2. Mobility specific work, introductory

“Certainly the first two sections are very closely related to one another. My consideration for distinguishing the two relates to the varying planes of motion and the concern of dynamic flexibility within the torso, which is of course a highly important sport-specific function” (John Davies).

Turning to basic anatomy, the body is split into 3 planes of motion; Coronal (front to back), Sagittal (right to left) and Transverse (top to bottom). Reflecting upon basic concepts of movement generation, each of the three major planes of motion must be addressed within training. As with all components per functional training, the core musculature provides a framework for all else to be built upon.

Proper development of finite stabilizers and rotational work is imperative within not only one plane of motion, but within an assorted array of movement patterns. Med ball work is unique not only because of the exceptional stabilizing patterns developed as partners accept, direct and redirect the force of the ball to the other, but also through free range of motion the training encompasses. Med ball training enables users to provide full range of motion in multiple planes, becoming a further advanced method of resistance progression as movement generation and force is adapted over time.

To learn further of various Medicine Ball benefits, order Medicine Ball Training for Recovery for recovery and fat-loss training OR OMEGA SERIES MEDICINE BALL TRAINING DVD in order to gain power and explosion!

Jordan Collins
RT professional (Kettlebell specialist)
DMC™ Auburn

Protein

I get asked many times over and over the questions, what type of food is a protein and what is better organic vs. non-organic.  Many people make eating too complicated, when it is very easy.

My simple response to the question, what type of food is a protein, would be anything that has eyes provides a high quality protein.  These eyes proteins consist of beef, pork, fish(any kind), chicken, turkey, eggs, and milk.  Another great source of protein can come from plants.  These protein items consist of nuts and beans.  Eating a variety of protein from the eyes and plants is a great way to have balance.

As far as organic vs. non-organic, organic is the best if it is truly organic, but there is nothing wrong with non-organic foods.  People are finding that the restriction on organic foods are not closely monitored and that there are no nutritional differences between the two.  You can not go wrong eating organic or n0n-organic.

Lastly, do not make eating complex.  At every meal have a fist full of protein from the eye or plant source.  Remember KISS (Keep It Stupid Simple).  See my next post on how much protein to eat.

Ronald Lelko

Our nation’s health is deplorable. We are more obese than ever. At the same time, we have more technology available that should help simplify our lives and provide us with more free time. One might think we’d be more fit with additional hours available to exercise as a result of these modern day technological conveniences. Yet this is simply not the case. In fact, advancements in technology have proved counterproductive to our health as we spend endless hours sedentary while utilizing these gadgets. At work, individuals are “strapped” to their desks much of the day as most tasks are completed with the aid of the computer. Even simple communication amongst coworkers occurs with just a few simple key strikes and a click of the mouse.

Sadly, our children are severely paying the price. Today they are moving far less than ever before. As children, I know many of us fondly recall times spent outside playing baseball, basketball, hockey, riding bikes or simply running around. Not only were friendships formed but overall health and wellness remained high. Today this is not the case. Our children are less active and more obese than ever before. This sets the stage for a life time of bad habits and unmanageable obesity rates. Therefore, it is crucial to make health and exercise a priority early on. Turn off the video games, computers, and other technology and get our youth onto the playing fields exercising and having fun.

For more on this topic, don’t miss this month’s issue of DMC.

Jennifer Calderone
Hordon Health

Perhaps the most effective training medium, Medicine ball work is an indispensible component of any training program. A distinct advantage of such a medium occurs in the ability to perform movements alone (against a brick wall for instance) or via a training partner. Each method provides a diverse array of advantages to the athlete. Whilst training unaccompanied, intensity level and fluidity of movement shall be mastered. In past training settings, a brick wall became my best friend in such cases.

Moving onwards, the next point of emphasize regarding med ball training is the versatility of the medium at hand. Depending on specific function, the med ball can emphasize specific athletic traits, whilst also conveying an easy to use system that provide implementation within any location.

Med ball training could be loosely categorized within four major areas:
1. Recovery and regeneration,
2. Mobility specific work, introductory
3. Explosive training,
4. Advanced explosive complexes

As I broach major areas oh emphasis regarding med ball training, it is important to note that work can be tailored to individuals of any ability, whether sports specific work is the primary goal or general fitness alike. Med balls are highly accessible items, with purchasing enabled at many local stores and are inexpensive as well. Furthermore, such training is highly compliance friendly. Complete training programs may revolve around medicine balls, so check back as certain areas of focused are discussed further.

To learn further of various Medicine Ball benefits, order Medicine Ball Training for Recovery for recovery and fat-loss training OR OMEGA SERIES MEDICINE BALL TRAINING DVD in order to gain power and explosion!

Jordan Collins
RT professional (Kettlebell specialist)
DMC™ Auburn