Herman Chauw's Blog

What is a Density Cycle?

2012-01-11T23:38:00.000+08:00

A density cycle is a simple way to increase performance from strength to endurance.

The attributes that you would develop with their corresponding rep range are:

Reps	Attributes
5-7	Strength & power
8-10	Hypertrophy
11-15+	Muscular endurance
13-15+	Circulo respiratory endurance
40+	Mental toughness

A classic example of the application of the density cycle for an endurance event is preparing for the Trial by Fire, which is 100 Double Swipe, followed by 100/100 1H Mill, followed by 50/50 2H Hammer Swing within 30 minutes.

This is one way how you could train to achieve the elusive century, starting from just 4 reps per set.

Start a set every minute.

Cycle #	Moderate	High
Cycle 1	25 sets of 4 in 25 mins	20 sets of 5 in 20 mins
Cycle 2	20 sets of 5 in 20 mins	17 sets of 6 in 17 mins
Cycle 3	17 sets of 6 in 17 mins	15 sets of 7 in 15 mins
Cycle 4	15 sets of 7 in 15 mins	13 sets of 8 in 13 mins
Cycle 5	13 sets of 8 in 13 mins	12 sets of 9 in 12 mins
Cycle 6	12 sets of 9 in 12 mins	10 sets of 10 in 10 mins
Cycle 7	10 sets of 10 in 10 mins	1 set of 100

TACFIT Israeli Challenge Tutorial

2012-01-09T10:54:00.001+08:00

TACFIT Israeli Challenge

2012-01-09T10:06:00.001+08:00

CST & TACFIT Training Montage

2011-12-21T17:27:00.003+08:00

New Release from Rmax: TACFIT Barbarian

2011-12-16T10:50:00.000+08:00

The much awaited TACFIT Clubbell is here, plus a whole lot of other programs. Click on the pic for more info.

What is TACFIT?

2011-12-15T23:00:00.007+08:00

I have been asked what is TACFIT more often recently. The short answer is TACFIT is a fitness system designed specifically for tactical operators (military, police, firefighter etc.) It is about metabolic conditioning and mental conditioning.

This is the long answer to the question. Interview courtesy of John Sifferman, CST Coach.

More info on the TACFIT website.

To get started on the TACFIT system do check out any of the programs in the TACFIT family on my Products page.

TACFIT Featured in FHM Magazine

2011-12-15T20:44:00.000+08:00

Some Stuff to Sell/Give Away

2011-12-07T11:45:00.000+08:00

Some fitness stuff to sell/give away, like this:

Click on the pic to see all products.

Many more available. First come first serve. Contact Herman at 96406544 if interested.

CB Swing

2011-11-11T09:55:00.001+08:00

Flowfit in the Philippines

2011-11-09T16:10:00.001+08:00

Tabata This

2011-10-20T09:33:00.000+08:00

Tribute to Dr Izumi Tabata on his birthday for creating the most wicked metabolic conditioning protocol in modern times.

Tabata this (with 1 kettlebell):

1. Goblet Squat

2. Pull Over

3. 2H Swing

4. Goblet Push Press

Let me know your scores.

Tampines Rovers football club are doing TACFIT at the PIT!

2011-10-13T22:51:00.002+08:00

Leke of Impact Mma prepares for WAR at the PIT!

2011-10-13T22:50:00.002+08:00

Flowfit is at The PIT

2011-09-29T12:03:00.001+08:00

The PIT Promotional Video

2011-09-14T00:52:00.001+08:00

What do you think of kettlebells?

2011-08-05T11:24:00.011+08:00

Since the kettlebell boom in English speaking America in recent times in early 2000s, many other English speaking first world countries have also been partaking in the "kettlebell revolution".

A lot of the marketing materials give the impression that and say things along these lines:

-Kettlebells are better than cardio.

-Kettlebells are better than conventional weight training / lifting.

-Kettlebells are better than conventional weights.

Etc.

Kettlebells

There can be other claims but to keep things simple, let's just use these broad categories of statements as examples.

Now, let me burst your bubble. These statements are not fair comparisons. They are comparing apples and oranges. In some sense they can be true, but as in all things, there is no hard and fast rule, aka "it depends". Allow me to explore in greater detail the claims made by these statements and their implications.

But before i go further, you need to have a background knowledge of: the Time is more important than the Technique, the Technique is more important than the Tool.

Kettlebells are better than cardio

This is an illogical statement. Kettlebell is a Tool, cardio is a Time / Protocol. Can you say "dumbbells are better than cardio" or "barbells are better than cardio"? It doesn't make sense.

Yes i know that it refers to "kettlebell training" rather than the equipment itself. But still "kettlebell training" is a very vague statement. Just like the barbell can be used for Bodybuilding, Powerlifting, Weightlifting and many other purposes, the kettlebell can be used for these same purposes.

"Kettlebell training" makes as much sense as "barbell training" or "dumbbell training". It does not give you the slightest hint of the fitness goal(s) being trained for nor the Time / Protocol of the training. The same Tools can be used for fat loss, muscle gain, strength & conditioning and many other purposes. Any of them can be used for 5x5, 3x10, 3x5, 10x3 etc. If you like, kettlebells can also be used for cardio or other nonsensical training Protocols, like "toning", "shaping", "slimming", etc.

More on cardio

The majority of people's idea of "cardio" is "long slow distance (LSD) cardio", aka "steady state cardio".

While there is nothing wrong with LSD if it fits your fitness goals (e.g. to run a marathon), if you are looking for efficient fat loss, it is not that efficient. There are much better suited training Protocols for fat loss, like High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

The problem is not that LSD is not good. The problem is that people do not know what Protocols to use for their fitness goals. Blame it on improper programming, not the Protocol. The body only knows how to adapt to the demands imposed upon it by you (SAID). You choose the Protocol based on your fitness goals.

Kettlebells are better than conventional weight lifting

Again, same point like the one above, an illogical statement. Kettlebell is a Tool, weight lifting (whether conventional or not is not the matter) is a Technique.

I do agree that the "classic techniques" of kettlebell lifting (eg. swing, clean, snatch) differ from barbell or dumbbell based systems, but beside these, both kettlebells and dumbbells / barbells can be used for the same exercises (eg. turkish get up, any variations of presses and other pushes, rows etc.).

In other words, you can use dumbbells for "kettlebell lifts" or kettlebells for "conventional weight training". You can even use kettlebells for curls if you like.

Granted the Technique varies to a degree when using different Tools. But if you are not a professional athlete who needs to perform with that specific Tool, then it really does not matter so much as doing the Exercises specific to your needs.

More on conventional weight training

What the majority of people know as "conventional weight training" is isolation exercises, possibly an overemphasis of the bench press and using machines, which are "non-functional".

Most people cringe when told about the real lifts: squats hurt your knees, deadlifts hurt your back, overhead lifting hurt your shoulders. But these lifts the real thing about "conventional weight training". Of course there are many more good exercises in "conventional weight training" and they are not to be shunned. It is because of some "rehab gurus" or some misinformed "fitness experts" that these ideas get into the mainstream and giving real weight training a bad rep.

Couple that with improper Protocols and other programming variables and the public will be tricked into believing that "conventional weight training" does not give them the results they want.

Blame it on misinformation, not on "conventional weight training". This is NOT real "conventional weight training", this is a misrepresentation. This is improper weight training. There are many good "conventional weight training" systems and programs out there, only if the public care to find out about them. There is nothing bad nor wrong about "conventional weight training" that needs to be replaced with "kettlebell training".

Kettlebells are better than conventional weights

A weight is a weight. As long as it has mass and therefore exerts weight on the user, it has fulfilled it's purpose. Does it matter so much what shape it is to you? It does matter to a degree, but that is outside the scope of this discussion.

A tool is just a tool. A tool is useful for what it is intended for. It is not useful for what it is not intended for. You wouldn't use a screwdriver to drive a nail, would you?

Which mode of transport is better? Walking, bicycle, motorcycle, car, ship, plane? Neither. Each is better in its own way depending on what it is used for. You wouldn't walk halfway round the globe, would you? Neither would you take a plane to the shop round the corner. Yes you could (i.e. effective), but it is a stupid idea to do that (i.e. inefficient).

So whether the weight is shaped like a kettle, or it is simply a rock, a bag of sand, a bar etc. it does not matter so much. It depends more on the Exercises you are doing. Some Exercises are done better with a kettlebell than dumbbbell. Some the other way around.

Conclusion

The kettlebell is just a tool in the tool box. There is no magic in the kettlebell. As if owning one would instantly turn you into a superman. Same applies to barbells, dumbbells, Clubbells or any other fitness Tool in the market that have marketing materials that say that their Tool is better than this, better than that blah blah blah (think TRX, Purmotion, wobble boards, Bosu Ball, Swiss Ball etc.). As if without owning one, you are training your body less.

The bottom line to a good fitness program is well, programming. I say it again: even if you have nothing with but your bodyweight you can have good training.

No matter which tool you use, the key to fitness (whatever fitness means to you) is the same: hard work.

Nevertheless, if you already have kettlebells and want to learn non-conventional ways to train with them, do check out TACFIT Kettlebell Spetsnaz or Evolution Kettlebell Groundwork:

What Are Clubbells And Why Should I Bother About Them

2011-05-30T12:34:00.002+08:00

Introduction

Clubbells are weighted clubs. They are a weight training equipment. However unlike conventional weight lifting, they are also well suited, and even more so, for swinging and leverage exercises.

UFC Champion Andrei Arlovski with the Clubbell (image courtesy of Rmax)

History

Clubbells have their roots in the ancient strength & conditioning systems of Indian, Persian and Russian club swinging. Heavy clubs have unique features which conventional weights do not have, as such swinging heavy clubs have very different and unique benefits which conventional weight lifting do not offer.

Main Feature: Leverage, and Its Benefits

The first thing you notice when you pick up a Clubbell is that they feel heavier than their weight. This is due to the large displacement of the centre of mass from the grip, which could be up to 3 feet away.

For this reason, in lifting movements eg. torch press, it is much much harder to keep it stable, compared to a kettlebell bottom up press. Even 15lb can pose a tough challenge for a seasoned lifter.

There are also unique leverage lifting movements that can't be done with a balanced weight like a dumbbell, like the front leverage press.

For the same reason, Clubbells can be swung and great torque can be produced by swinging them. As the speed of swinging goes up, the torque experienced by your body goes up by a factor of two (ie squared).

Micro loading adjustable. Just adjust the distance of your grip from the centre of mass and you have adjusted the resistance instantly, without plate changing, shot filling or other hassle.

Other Features and Benefits

Slim profile: can be manipulated around the body safer than other larger diameter equipment like dumbbells or kettlebells, going through the 6 degrees of freedom with less chance of hitting your body.

Slim profile: can be placed in the back position without danger of hitting your back or your head which can happen if you try to do the same with dumbbells or kettlebells.

The back position (image courtesy of Rmax)

Longitudinal grip: in swinging movements, when the Clubbell is in line with the arm, the grip goes through the fingers rather than against the fingers. This stimulates sensitivity in the grip (selective tension) and is harder than a conventional transverse grip.

Conclusion

The Clubbell can be used to replace most movements that are possible with dumbbells and kettlebells, this include swinging, pressing and exercises which go to the back position.

However some movements like the press cannot be done with the Clubbell without too much grip involvement. For safety, one handed high rep torch pressing is definitely not recommended.

Choose the right tool for the right job.

To find out more about Clubbells, check out the Encyclopedia of Clubbell Training or www.clubbell.tv.

What are the Recommended Programs for a Beginner in CST

2011-05-18T15:24:00.002+08:00

So are you a beginner to fitness or a beginner to the world of Circular Strength Training? Don't know where to start? Hopefully this guide would get you going.

I'll classify the options available for you according to the fitness hierarchy:

1) Health
2) Mobility
3) Function
4) Attributes
5) Physique

Health & Mobility

These two points really come together. The method of pain relief we use in CST is movement, aka mobility. The best program in this category is none other than Intu-Flow.

It is the most comprehensive joint mobility program and system i have ever come across. And it doesn't need you to have a background in anatomy to use it. It is an intuitive system, as suggested by the name "Intu".

Mobility & Function

Programs from the second ring of Prasara Bodyflow Yoga would be best for these purposes. Note that mobility is a function and mobility is not restricted to isolated joint movements but also refers to whole body movement.

Dedicated programs available currently are Prasara Primer and Prasara A Flows.

Function

What is functional training? Simple anything that you do to improve you in your chosen activity, whatever that may be.

However here we are refering to normal and common human movements (functional training for life), not specific sporting or athletic activities. Things like squatting, lunging, lifting, swinging, throwing etc. Even before you look at functional training for sports, you need to be able to be functional for life.

Training to be functional for life makes you functional for sport. But the reverse may not be true.

Every program in CST is functional, therefore it is redundant for me to list out all the programs under this point.

Attribute

Attribute training basically refers to strength & conditioning. Strength refers to ability to produce force. Conditioning refers to the ability to sustain repeated effort.

Many people say they want to be strong. Yet a lot of them have no idea what they want to be strong in.

To be strong overall is to be a jack of all trades. You cannot be strong in everything at the same time.

To be really strong, i mean really strong in something needs specific training. Who is stronger, a gymnast or a breakdancer? A boxer or a wrestler? A weightlifter or a powerlifter? You can argue until the cows come home and there is really no one answer to this.

If you are just starting out and have no idea what your weaknesses are and what you want to be strong in, the currently best available program to delve into would be the TACFIT 26. This has the biggest variety of protocols, exercises and tools so far. The biggest back for your buck.

Physique

Every program in CST has some effects on fat loss and muscle gain. Actually any training you do has an effect on your physique, it is just a matter of degrees. Some programs may produce more of a fat burning effect than others and vice versa.

For fat loss, some programs you can start with would be those that use the Tabata Protocol. TACFIT Commando and TACFIT Warrior are excellent for this goal.

For muscle gain, TACFIT Mass Assault is one good program.

Disclaimer

Note that i do not have all the programs from CST. However i have enough programs and have done enough of them to have an informed opinion to recommend you what to do. And i am biased toward TACFIT. I love the simplicity of the protocols in TACFIT. This does not mean that the rest are not as good. They are. All programs from CST are some of the best and most innovative fitness programs out there. Also note that they are fitness programs, not sport specific programs. The only sport TACFIT is designed for is fighting. However that does not mean that it won't help you in other sport.

UC Berkeley SWAT - TACFIT Police Testimonial

2011-04-28T13:50:00.002+08:00

Exclusive Interview with Ahmad Taufiq Muhammad

2011-04-11T22:15:00.000+08:00

We have with us here Taufiq, strongman athlete from SG Titans for an exclusive interview. I first got to know about about the local strongman scene in my final year of Physiotherapy school. And every year i hear Taufiq's name amongst the top ten of the Civil Defence for National Servicemen (CDANS) Strongest Man competitions. Though this year he didn't participate in this competition, he won the Orang Kuat Sabah (Sabah Strongest Man) 2011. We are very honoured to have him here share some things about him and his sport.

Could you tell us about your fitness background (before strongman)?

I did Judo, Rugby, Track & Field in my younger days

I was always been in active in sports since secondary all the way up to Polytechnic. Before Strongman, it was Track and Field, I used to throw the discus and shot put. But I was better in the discus because of it’s technical demands because I’ve always been very technical and believed that good form and technique will go a long way! I’ve always been big... In fact I was a fat kid from primary school, but I was also very active in Track and Field. To be honest, Track and Field and representing my school kept me out of trouble from the gangs and other vices. So technically... I’ve always been big and strong. When I was 18 I totally gave up sports because of the “Singaporean Dream” of grades = progress. But was pretty much very wrong! I ballooned up to 130kg... slobbish, slow and totally demoralized. I was invited to train with Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s Track and Field team because I knew some people there and I’ve always love competing... because I was quite good at it too! Training 3 days a week made sure that my fitness was reasonable. Represented NP for various IVP meets too.

I’ve then swopped over to bodybuilding in the search for that “Muscle Mag” body... but gave that up because the dieting was ridiculous I’ve tried dieting and my lowest dieting weight was 92kg but I hated the way I look, because I was lean but it doesn’t appeal to me only to find out that Bodybuilders are on drugs. I’ve always believed in not using drugs because it’s also known as cheating! At 22 years... I totally lost interest in bodybuilding because of the amount of drugs in the sport.

Broke my wrist during friendly rugby game. But I still have that urge to train but I still kept going to the gym... ballooning up to 130kg of “FATNESS” doesn’t appeal to me. So what can you do? Squats... so I technically squatted for almost 4 days a week. 2 days heavy, 2 days light just to get that adrenaline buzz! I also noticed that I got stronger as the weight on the bar piled on. So I believe that squatting was the key that made me stronger.

How long have you been doing Strongman? And how did you get started?

I’ve started strongman in 2005, after I got my right knee reconstructed in 2004 July... I say again, squatting save my life! Because of the dense muscle tissue around my knees... I recovered in 2 to 3 months and I was walking with no crutches after 2 days after surgery! You can also say that I’m stubborn or strongwilled! All I wanted to do after my surgery was to squat again! I saw the Hometeam NS magazine about the first ever strongman competition in Singapore and I’ve always dream about competing in competitions like this because when I was 10 years old I saw Magnus Magnusson (WSM) competitor doing all these feats of strengths on TV! I’m glad that at 25 I’ve finally got that opportunity in Singapore. So from 2005... there was no looking back and I’ve been in it till today and competing in Singapore, Johor and most recently in Sabah! I’m glad to be feature always in top 5 almost every year. But this year I had to withdraw due to a chest infection but recovered just in time for Sabah, and with only 5 days of training since I fell ill from 2nd week of February.

How many calories do you take a day?

Honestly... I don't count calories, I think it’s a waste of time! I go by how my body feels. But I can tell you that I eat 6 to 8 meals in a day if it’s competition season. I have my very own meat supplier sending 20kg of meat to my place every month! Below is a sample of my meal on a normal day on a training day during competition season.

7am: 300g Steak, 2 Eggs and 1 Slice of Toast (own cooked meal)

10.30am: Salmon & Prawn Pasta (own cooked meal)

1.30pm: Sliced 300g beef with onions Sandwich with some fiber (own cooked meal)

4.30pm: 2 apples, 2 oranges, Ribena, dried fruit like raisins, dates or figs

Workout at 6pm to 8pm (raisins and sultanas in between sets)

Post workout: Protein shake, roasted cashew nuts, almonds, peanuts

8pm: 2 Chicken breast (Grilled) with bread or naan (own cooked meal at home or eat out)

10pm: Fruits... lots of it!

Normally, my kitchen would be a buzz of activity because 3 pans are going at the same time!!! I also have a “cooler box” in my car, to keep my food warm. I also drink down about 4 to 5 litres of water a day! No soft drinks at all or at least I try not too. If I don't have my meals with me... I’ll try to find substitutes like fish soup x 2 bowls, chicken chop no sauce... it’s always about alternatives, you have to be flexible.

I also try not to depend too much on supplements because I prefer food! I only use supplements or shakes when I have no choice! If I’m in off season... I eat normally like 4 to 5 meals a day, with snack of fruits and nuts. I always have a pack of raisins and dried fruits in my bag to snack on. I don't like snacking on processed food, fast food or junk food. My body is already stressed from my training, why should I stress it even more to process the rubbish.

What is your favourite food?

I’m on a SEEFOOD diet... I see food... I eat it! Basically... all dead animals especially beef! But I my fiber intake is also high. I’m a foodie and the thought of eating tasteless food doesn’t appeal to me. If I eat something heavy, my workout on the next day will take care of everything!

What's your training program like?

Training program is pretty simple, 3 or 4 days a week, depending on my schedule. By the way... if I train at the gym for 2 days a week, it’s only 3 exercises... Deadlifts, Pull Ups, Military Presses and Squats!

Monday: Deadlifts, Pull Ups ( 40 mins max)

Tuesday: Rest

Wednesday: Squats (40 mins max)

Thursday: SG Titans (Light & Easy)

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: SG Titans (Use and Abuse, heavy work)

Training with SG Titans would include, yoke walk, farmer’s walk, tyre flips, sled pulls, sledge hammers drills or whatever is on the menu. Normally, we would start with Kettlebells or circuit training before strongman begins. Rolling on my roller is a nightly affair before I sleep. Sometimes on rest days I might do Bulgarian Bags with Coach Yasir as a form of recovery, Bulgarian bags are not heavy and they also help with shoulder mobility.

As for my cardio, I don't indulge or have any interest in running but I do KBs jerks, snatches, or long cycle for time or reps (trust me 8 minutes of KB Snatches is enough to make me cry!!), Bulgarian bags, swim, outrigger canoe paddling (when I have time).

For intense cardio... I would recommend, 20 Flips of 270kg Tyre with a 7 second temp x 3 sets! It’s going to be intense!!! You can always drop by at SG Titans if you are keen to do strongman implements! www.sgtitans.com

How does kettlebell lifting / sport fit in with Strongman?

Kettlebell lifting is actually a good alternative to strongman during the off season, because it is not realistic to train with Strongman implements the whole year! Your body needs rest and get some time off from the weight. Kettlebell work also helps in developing the core, stability and efficiency. I use Kettlebells drills more as a tool for cardio. Because I’m weigh 110kg to 116kg (competition weight) but 120kg to 125kg in off season... running is out of the question, so KBs are an awesome substitute for cardio. I always had reasonable mobility with my shoulders and hips but now... after KBs my mobility has improved.

Little did I know I was hooked to being more mobile and functional in terms of movement. I explored with Bulgarian Bags, Club Bells and other forms of tools. I also adopted them because of injury prevention and I’ve never looked back since. Strength with no mobility is useless! You need to be quick, fast, mobile and agile. No point weighing in 120kg strong as hell but no technical or mobile ability.

I’m so hooked that I’m keen to be ranked in WKC Kettlebell Sport and maybe give a go at WKC Kettlebell Strong Sport.

How did you discover CST/TACFIT and what got you interested in it?

I’ve always been keen to try new stuff and I’ll be judge of equipment thus I’ve also always wanted to give Clubbells a try but its never around in SG or someone to teach it, but when I found out that Herman was doing it I grabbed the chance, contacted him and the rest is history!!! I wish I could attend more of his classes but my schedule and me being away from SG does not permit it. Well once I’m back in SG... I think I would be a permanent fixture at CST, hopefully!

How has CST/TACFIT helped you in your sport?

One of the most important components of CST/TACFIT was recovery that I’ve learnt from Herman! Previously after an intense set of 20 flips of 270kg tyre with a 6 second tempo, I would be puking or vomiting at some corner, panting and be in extreme pain. But since adopting the “active recovery” instead of panting and gasping for air, I noticed that my cardio ability has improved and I don't feel like I’m going to collapse and die!

The CST joint mobility drills were also a plus... I’m 116kg and can do a crow pose! That says a lot by itself. When people say that big guys are slow... I challenge them to that notion! I’m 116kg and can flip a 270kg tyre in sub 30 seconds for 20m! Yes I might not be able to run 100m, yes I might only manage to do 50m in the pool for 54secs and yes it’s amazing that I can do pull ups at 116kg...

Big, strong, mobile, agile and technically sound... thats what I hope to be and keep on moving in that direction! I’m also very thankful to all the coaches and instructors who have shared or imparted some of their knowledge to me. Knowledge is meant to be shared.

...The Technique is More Important than the Tool (Part 2/2)

2011-04-04T11:40:00.002+08:00

No Gym No Problem

So some people i have spoken with are interested (whether casually or seriously i don't know) with physical training, and when told that they can get really fit training at home, i always get questions like these:

"But are Dumbbells enough?"

"But is Bodyweight Training enough?"

"How are Kettlebells/Clubbells better compared to Dumbbells?"

"Should i buy Kettlebells/Clubbells?"

"Dumbbell bench press or Barbell bench press?"

As if there is some magic in the Kettlebell or Clubbell® or some other fancy "new" exercise equipment, the latest tools and gadgets, latest technology etc.

What these questions essentially assume that you have to have certain equipment (the Tools) to have a good training program for whatever kind of fitness goals.

And frankly speaking, the marketing materials of some equipment manufacturers / sellers really do give the impression that their Tools are really a necessity rather than a luxury. As if having these Tools would magically transform your crappy program design into award winning workouts. As if having these Tools would magically transform your lousy biomechanics into sound biomechanics.

And then some unqualified "trainers" have capitalized on the fitness equipment boom and marketted themselves as "Kettlebell Experts" or "Celebrity Kettlebell Trainers" when it is obvious that they are not doing "Kettlebell Lifting" at all.

To tell you the truth, i am here to burst your bubble. You already have the Tools. The Exercises (and the movement pattern of the Exercises, but that is another story) are more important than the specific Tools used to perform the Exercises, therefore we say in TACFIT: "the Time is more important than the Technique, the Technique is more important than the Tool".

As i have always explained to my clients "even if you have no other equipment, you can have a good training program with just your Bodyweight".

The Origin of Some Tools

Do you know that many of modern fitness equipment evolved from agricultural equipment and / or weapons? No doubt that having the properly engineered version of the Tool for fitness / performance use is ideal. But what if you don't have access to them? Or if getting access to them is too costly to be worth your while?

A notable example of these is the Sandbag. What could be simpler than a bag of sand? And it does not have to be sand. It can be rocks / scrap pieces of metal or some other heavy object.

Very cheap to make and easy to obtain. Yet packs a lot of punch due to their shifting centre of mass and bulk.

As an aside, to me the ideal "training" is manual labour. If you do manual labour, you don't have to "train" to build up your body. Your manual labour is your training. We "train" to replace the lost physical activity that our ancestors get in their manual labour.

Do you understand now why there are sports and training Exercises that mimic manual labour, notably Strongman?

Tool Substitutions

That said, since the past few years immersing myself in CST and TACFIT, the most versatile weight training Tool i have used is undeniably the Clubbell®. It can be used for exercises for the Dumbbell, Kettlebell, Sandbag, Barbell and give interesting twists to them.

Not to mention it is designed for exercises not meant to be done with these other Tools. We think of exercises in the Trial By Fire for example.

Every Tool has unique features. A Tool is only better than another Tool if you know how to use these features to your advantage. If you can't grip a Kettlebell properly, it does no good to you. It would be better for you to do the same exercises with better Technique with a Dumbbell instead.

Good Tools does not compensate for lousy Technique. Or rather, i would rather you have excellent Technique with normal Tools than lousy Technique with the latest state of the art Tools.

Bodyweight Exercise

A special mention goes to Bodyweight Exercise, which requires no external Tool except the floor and your Bodyweight. Of course it is assumed that you are in a gravitational field for this to work.

You have your Bodyweight with you 24/7, yet how many people say that Bodyweight Training is "boring" or "doesn't get heavy enough". Or even worse, that they can't train because they don't have access to a gym or equipment. With some creativity, it can be done, just like in the disciplines of the Dances and Gymnastics. Don't believe me, go around and as how many people can do a strict One Arm Push Up or One Arm Pull Up.

And how about the simple Push Up? As in Part 1 of these series of articles, you can create a big bang for the buck program using just the Push Up and some other simple Bodyweight Exercises.

When You Cannot Substitute With Other Tools

Of course, it goes without saying that the goals determines the Tools, as much as the Technique and the Time.

If your goal is to compete in Powerlifting or Weightlifting, you cannot substitute the Exercises with other Tools. If your goal is to Squat big, Bench big and Deadlift big, the Barbell is the best Tool of the trade.

The same goes for Bodyweight Exercise and Gymnastics, Kettlebells and Kettlebell Sport etc.

Conclusion

I hope i have given you some ideas on how to have good training programs with minimal Tools. If you need some more ideas, do check out TACFIT Commando, a Bodyweight-only training program that is guaranteed to kick your ass.

TACFIT Commando - minimal tools, maximal results

The Time is More Important than the Technique...(Part 1/2)

2011-04-04T10:06:00.038+08:00

So Many Whats

I often receive these questions many times from friends and/or prospects:

"What exercises can i do to...get a six pack / burn off the fat / flatten my tummy?"

"What exercises can i do to make my arms / chest / lats bigger?"

"What exercises can i do to train the core?"

Well, what these questions essentially assume is that:

-There is some magic with some exercises,

-Perhaps exercises that they do not know or have never seen before,

-And doing them, regardless of how they do them,

Would give them the results that they want.

To tell you the truth, i am here to burst your bubble. You already know the Exercises (Technique). The how is more important that the what, therefore we say in TACFIT: "the Time is more important than the Technique, the Technique is more important than the Tool".

Every Exercise is a Core Exercise

As it has been said "every Exercise is a core Exercise". Somebody asks "what exercise can work the core?" So which Exercises are you going to pick? Done properly a Push Up is a very good core Exercise. Those from the heavy lifting camp would tell you Squats and Deadlifts are the best core Exercise or something to that extend. I can't help you answer the question unless you furnish me with more information. I can choose any arbitrary Exercise but is that what you want?

Two people may be doing the same Exercise but with totally different (and opposite) goals. One person does 10RM barbell Squats for 20 reps without time limit for mass, another may be doing bodyweight Squats with Tabata Protocol for conditioning / fat loss.

Confusing the Time (Protocol) with the Technique (Exercise)

Many times i hear people say "i run / swim / cycle / lift weights three times a week (or even five / six times a week, two hours a day), but i am still flabby, should i switch to High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)?"

Firstly you need to ask yourself, are you using a Protocol that i suited for your fitness goal(s)? Run / swim / cycle / lift weights are Technique, not Protocols. As mentioned above two people can do the same Exercise but have totally opposite goals. A sprinter runs and a marathon runner runs, but their training Protocols are totally different.

If your running / swimming / cycling are done with Long Slow Distance (LSD) Cardio Protocols, then for sure you will not see any impressive fat loss results. Note that i am not saying running / swimming / cycling are not good Exercises, they are.

If you are an adult and lifting weights mean for kids, thinking you can tone your muscles, you are sorely mistaken. No matter whether you are doing the best Exercises or not.

You don't need to change the Exercises, you need to change the Protocols.

Are You Getting It or are You Getting Confused?

In other words, even if i give you an encyclopedia of a million Exercises, if you don't know how to structure them in a proper program design, it is useless. Do i even need to prove this point? Since the advent of the internet, more people know more about more Exercises than ever. There are even online exercise encyclopedias available for free. Yet there are still many people who design crappy programs.

The How is More Important than the What

The Protocol refers to how the program is structured. This is much more important than the Exercises you choose. Well, unless your goal is to be good at specific Exercises, then you have to practice those Exercises. If you want to be good in Weightlifting and Powerlifting, not only you have to do the Protocols specific for the sports' requirements, but also the Exercises for them.

Consider these variables:

-How often? Once a week or less is a joke. Don't even bother to train if you think you can "exercise" once in a while and get "fit".

-How much? This can be further broken down to how many reps, how many sets, resistance, effort / intensity etc.

Implied also are your recovery exercises and schedule. There are other questions to ask but just these will do for now.

Sample Program

Ok, i don't want to go too much into the technical details here. I just want to share with you and show you how some simple and widely known Exercises can be used simply and effectively in a program design. This program is for fat loss / toning / explosive strength / endurance.

The Exercises i pick are: Lunge, Pull Up, Push Up and Spinal Rock.

Granted, Spinal Rock is not so common an exercise for a training program, but Sit Up is. And the Spinal Rock is a Sophistication of the Sit Up.

Granted, designing Levels 2, 3 and 4 may not be easily evident to some people not well versed in program design. But at least you should know what goes into Level 1. And i am giving them to you as a bonus

The Protocol we are using would be the infamous Tabata Protocol. Nothing new also.

In fact, there is nothing new in this program. Novelty is good, but if you don't know how to use it, you don't have to use it. Stick to the tried and true stuff.

Tabata: 20/10 x 8

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
Forward Lunge	Backward Lunge	Lunge Jump Switch	Airborne Lunge
Pull Up (Jump)	Kipping Pull Up (Mixed Grip)	Kipping Pull Up (Underhand Grip)	Kipping Pull Up (Overhand Grip)
Push Up (Knee)	Push Up (Ball of Foot)	Arm Screw Push Up	Plyometric Screw Push Up
Spinal Rock (Tuck)	Spinal Rock (Pike)	Spinal Rock (Straddle)	Spinal Rock (Drop)

That's it, a short and simple, yet innovative program design available to anybody. And since this is a free program, i am not going to give you any video instructions, search Google or youtube for them.

In the next instalment, we'll look at the second half of the statement "the Technique is more important than the Tool".

Surviving Reservist with High Fat Diet

2011-03-25T10:47:00.004+08:00

I just finished reservist yesterday, and we had a three day field camp. After being inspired by the Paleo guys (thanks Damien, Brett etc.) at the CST/TACFIT Certs last month, i decided that i would take ownership of my diet this reservist.

SAF Food in General

Cookhouse food is supplied by Singapore Food Industries. Of course, being in an Asian country, the diet is rice (and carbo) based.

Breakfast

Breakfast would normally consist of fried noodles or buns or some tim sum or something to that extend. There would be hot drinks provided like Milo or Horlicks. A truckload of refined carbo (and sugar), very little protein and fat, not something that i would eat regularly. Not even irregularly.

Main course for breakfast: noodles. Image courtesy of the internet.

Main course for breakfast: pau. Image courtesy of the internet.

I knew this since active times ten years ago, so this time i didn't even bother to go to the Cookhouse every morning to check out the breakfast. It is a waste of my time and energy just to walk there and back.

I stocked up on cans of sardines to be eaten for breakfast everyday. Each can of 425 grams contains about 60 grams of protein and 20 grams of fat. Not the best tasting food, but convenient and not too shabby in the protein and fat department.

I ate this every breakfast in reservist. Image courtesy of the internet.

Lunch and Dinner

Lunch and dinner would be rice with meat and veges (aka mixed vege rice or chap chai peng) plus soup and fruit. Sometimes some additional junk food would be given, like fish balls. Not bad, same as what i normally consume outside. I just asked for more meat everyday and reject the extra junk. Most of the time the cookhouse aunties would be very nice to give you some extra.

There is another item in the lunch and dinner menu which is syrup drinks and sometimes ice-cream which i don't bother to try at all.

Mixed vege rice. Image courtesy of the internet.

Combat Ration version 2011

We had a three day two night field camp. Two 24 hours worth of combat ration was issued. If you think breakfast at the cookhouse is bad, combat ration is worse. A lot worse. Lotsa sugar and carbo, very little fat and protein. Not something that you would want to eat in times of survival or war. Won't say too much here, i'll let the pictures do the talking.

Combat ration menu. The only thing somewhat worth eating are the Entrees from the Main Packs.

Accessories Pack menu. Full of simple carbo and sugar.

Contents of Accessories Pack. I am missing the potato crackers. The powers that be wants you to believe that these are essential food. :P

Good thing our unit gives us the freedom to take what we wanted, so i only took the Entrees. There was an oversupply of rations, so i took more than the standard two per 24 hours just in case. The rest are just a few kilos of dead weight, wasting energy to be carried but doesn't add any value to your wellbeing.

In times of war or survival, you wouldn't want to waste energy carrying these junk. You'd need more calorie dense food made up mainly of fat, for long lasting energy and preservation of muscle mass.

And i added my own extra food.

Extra fat and protein.

Coconut cream. Each 200ml packet supplies 50 grams of fat, 4 grams of sugar and 5 grams of protein. :D

Conclusion

Only lunch and dinner are passable, the rest of the menu needs to be improved, which is very very unlikely. Well, maybe the authorities are not concerned with our health, just like the majority of the population is. Taste (or maybe cost savings) takes precedence over nutrition. Even when given fresh ration back in camp, some people chose not to eat what is given but ordered food from Pizza Hut and MacDonald's. For me, i would gladly take the extra meat and vege from them. :D

Why Does the CST Approach Work for Me?

2011-02-15T13:04:00.001+08:00

If i could just summarize everything that i have to say about this topic is this: applicability.

I have been certified in a few fitness systems including formal tertiary studies in Physiotherapy but none of them matches the ease of application of the system to (myself and) clients.

What i am going to do now is review all the points that i have presented in the featured articles and tell you why they work so well.

The 5 Fitness Hierarchy

It reminds and emphasizes to me that Health and Mobility takes precedence over Strength and Physique. It's not that i don't already know this, neither do other people (whether laymen or coaches), but that it gives you a clearer framework on where to target your training goals at. Functional training is a big word nowadays. But what function? Isn't being pain-free and being able to move all your joints freely in all directions a function that needs to be trained before so called "functional movements" like squats et al?

The 3 Rings of Joint Mobility, Yoga and Weight Lifting and Swinging

This reminds and emphasizes to me that there is no one tradition or discipline that has it all. Though Joint Mobility and Yoga clearly takes precedence over Weight Lifting and Swinging, they are not the end all be all. There are so many (movement) functions of the human body that you can't really (ie absolutely) specialize in any one discipline if you want to have healthy movement.

Some people say that they don't do Weight Lifting after switching to (note that it is switching, not adding) Yoga because Weight Lifting cause them pains and aches but Yoga relieves them. Well, this is improper Weight Lifting. Weight Lifting itself is not the problem. It is how they do it. Maybe improper technique, improper progression, improper exercises or some other reasons.

As an aside, it is interesting to know that a lot of people "self teach" themselves Weight Lifting, but the same people seek the teaching of an instructor when it comes to Yoga by attending classes. Is it any wonder that "Weight Lifting creates so many injuries"?

Well, the verdict after coming to CST is that Mobility and Strength are yin and yang. Neither can exist without the other. Weight Lifting is compensated through Mobility work (Joint Mobility and Yoga).

The 6 Degrees of Freedom

They tell me that i had been missing out on a big component of movement all along - the rotatory movements. As in a lot of things in fitness, we know them at the back of our minds, but without a coach to remind us of some things, they do not get emphasized and more likely be neglected.

Linear strength training is not enough. It must be complemented with Circular Strength Training to fully unlock the movement potential of the human body. In fact all the major joints of our limbs and trunk move rotationally.

The Intuitive Training Protocols (ITPs)

They teach me how to quantify quality. It is just interesting to me that all the three ITPs already exist in different fitness systems, but have never been married together in the manner presented in CST.

There are various pain scales including the Visual Analog Scale (for quantifying pain) which i had learned in Physiotherapy but nobody ever told me that it can also be used in training or healthy clients. Is it any wonder that people can push themselves lifting more weights despite having an injury and pain? It is a any wonder that people can get injured "through" Weight Lifting? If it is painful, STOP. it's common sense. Maybe common sense isn't so common.

In gymnastics and the dances, points are given for technique, but nobody every told me that the same system that can quantify technique in bodyweight exercises can also be used for weight training exercises and other exercises. Is it any wonder that people can lift weights with atrocious form and then wonder why they get injured "through" Weight Lifting?

There are various RPE scales like Borg's Scale to subjectively measure cardiovascular intensity, but nobody ever told me that the same scale can be used to quantify intensity in a general sense, whether it be for strength or endurance training or a combination of the two.

The 7 Key Components of Structure

Gives me a checklist of the important points of technique at my fingertips. As mentioned with the other points above, the Components are not new. Every fitness system have coaching cues like "hips straight, lock your knees, elbows locked etc", but they never define how many of these are and what they are.

With the 7 Components, you don't have to make any guesswork when teaching or correcting technique. What you need to do is compare what the client is performing against the instructions of the exercise.

The 5 Levels of Breath

Teach me that though there are wrong ways to breathe, there is no one right way to breathe but several. Gone are the days of "inhale on the negative, exhale on the positive", which is just one of the levels. As your Technique evolves through practice and getting more efficient, your Structure and Breath evolve along with it. There could be two people doing the exact same exercise but both may be using different breathing pattern and both could be right.

Sophistication

Confirms to me that there must always be a progression to exercises. It makes life simpler for the coach and for the trainee, when there are definite progressions to prescribed exercises, and that everyone can choose a level where they are challenged but not too hard where technique breaks down.

It also tells me that the hardest and most complex skills can be achievable by the poorest athlete, given enough time and practice. It pisses me off every time somebody says that some exercise is "too hard" for them, even though i have already assured them that the programs (or exercises) are suitable (or scalable) for all fitness levels.

Even if the stock programs' Sophistication levels are not enough, there can be infinite steps of progression to suit every skill level. The limit is only your imagination.

CST Stock Programs

There are many programs released by the Rmax Faculty and CST Head Coaches. This i say is one of the genius of the system.

In many other fitness systems, coaches are "educated" to design their own programs for their clients from the get go. What this can lead to is poor program design (which can lead to a lot of bad things including injury). It is a fact that there are a million exercises and variations out there. You can even get them free on the net. But notice how many people design crappy programs, especially those "self taught" recreational gym goers? Even fitness professionals (i won't say from where, but you know who they are), who supposedly should do better are guilty of this.

Not in CST. At the lower tier of CST Professionals, we are not taught to design programs, but to apply ready made programs to ourselves first then to our clients. We must show proficiency in the programs first then are we qualified to teach them to our clients. That's why it is the rule in CST that we can only conduct programs that we have been instructed in.

Now this seems narrow minded and limiting at first. But it is done for our own good. Think of when your first picked up a new sport (say martial art or dance), you would listen intently and do exactly what the coach teaches you. It is the same for fitness. If you are not familiar with the system as is, how could you create programs out of the system (instead of from your previous background)? I learn more from doing the stock programs than designing my own programs.

The 4x7

It teaches me the importance of Recovery compared to Training. Recovery is King, Training is Queen. In no other system i had been certified in is this emphasized. Without a proper Recovery, your High Intensity would suffer. In fact this can be felt immediately after the insufficient recovery.

It teaches me that most people underrecover rather than overtrain. As it has been said many times out there, most people don't train hard enough to warrant a diagnosis of overtraining. They are underrecovering. Anybody can hit a High Intensity anytime (if they want to), but if that High Intensity has a low absolute performance, how good is the value of that training?

It teaches me intelligent waving of intensity for maximal gains in minimal time. This includes the Intensities and the content of the non-training days. In no other systems i had been in has this been prescribed. It had always been "one day on one day off" or something to that extend. Anybody can make gains with some training, but the more advanced you before, the more you need to be precise in your programming to get less and less gains (diminishing returns). This specific waving of Intensity according to the Fibonacci Sequence ensures that advanced athletes can get better gains compared to conventional programming. And if it works for advanced athletes (which gain less than newbies), it works even better for newbies. Is it any wonder that some people train Moderate Intensity all the time (the toners, shapers, pumpers aka the aerobics crowd), and some train High Intensity all the time (the hardcore crowd) and don't make progress or get injured?

It gives me a template that gives me freedom in my programming. No more do i "need" to train on this day that day on a strict schedule. What i need is just to follow the Intensity Waving sequence of No-Low-Mod-High and that's it. And just plug in the training programs on the Mod and High Days. If i need to travel or do some significant extra physical exertions (moving furniture etc.), what i need to do is still follow the sequence and it won't affect my training a single bit. Maybe add an (or a few) extra No and/or Low Days if recovery is not sufficient and resume the sequencing.

Conclusion

CST is easily applicable to any fitness goals. If you are a newbie in CST, you DO NOT have to know the nitty gritty details that i have outlined in the featured articles. What you need to do is simply get started with a stock program designed to the very high quality control by Scott Sonnon and the Rmax Faculty. Just follow the program as prescribed. Everything has been done for you. You just need to put in the sweat and results are guaranteed. As you do the programs, your knowledge of the system would naturally increase and soon, you'd be going deeper into the rabbit hole. :)

Find out more in the Big Book of Clubbell Training:

"Recovery is King" Series

2011-02-14T14:00:00.001+08:00

Preview exercises here:

Neck Sway: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9v8rn2Jxd0

Thoracic Surge: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic5o2C_hNas

Thoracic Sway: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prnb93ctVr4

Pre-School Holiday Special Class 12 Mar 2011

2011-02-08T11:53:00.004+08:00

Preview exercises here:

The Kong: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RNXqIGZyRI

Ape Step: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mJNJKwcgbI

Get the program here: http://greatesthits.kajabi.com/sales_pages/2207

Special Class this Saturday 12 Feb 2011

2011-02-07T14:34:00.003+08:00

Preview exercises here:

The Kong: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RNXqIGZyRI

Ape Step: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mJNJKwcgbI

Making Your Own Suspension Trainer

2011-02-03T14:04:00.000+08:00

Are You Free to Move?

2011-01-21T14:24:00.001+08:00

Check out this video from my friends at Wolf Fitness Systems in California USA.

Are you like this guys with lots of injuries, pain, surgeries, plates and screws etc.? We can help you regain your full mobility and move like elastic steel.

Come join our CST classes or personal training now.

Is CST for Me?

2011-01-20T12:53:00.001+08:00

Whether CST is for you is a question you have to ask yourself. What i am going to do now is present to you why CST is for me in terms of its theories and principles (not in any particular order of merit):

1) Integrated

In which other system can you find bodybuilders and yoga coexist together in harmony? There could be other systems which integrate multiple disciplines together, but i don't know another one in the same manner as in CST. In CST unloaded joint mobility, bodyweight movements and manipulating an external object are one and the same. They are variations of one another. One cannot exist without the other. Movement is movement.

Why should there be a distinction between movements of various disciplines? In the end what moves is still the same human body.

2) Explicit

This is the only system i have came across which makes its principles very explicit. So explicit that it can become a route memorization of certain terms, examples are: the 5 Levels of Breath, Intuitive Training Protocols, 7 Key Components etc.

While it is true that these ideas are not unique to CST - other systems also have them in place, whether using different terminologies and/or explanations - it has never been presented to me in such a succinct manner.

Due to their explicitness and succinct explanations, these principles tend to get remembered more easily. Leading to a greater understanding as i go through my personal practice.

3) Simple to understand (but not simplistic)

The theories of CST are presented with easy to understand language. CST materials are not presented like academic textbooks with lots of jargons and complex unpronouncible words. You still do need time to digest the concepts of what is presented, but the language is simple and understandable by anyone who is fluent in English language. There could be some new vocabularies presented but they are usually presented with succinct explanations.

4) Deep

Having said about the simplicity of presentation, the ideas in CST are deep, very deep. Most of the concepts are not widely known or practiced in the fitness industry (including the medical professions, alternative medicine and rehab professions), much less amongst the general public.

This is one of the biggest reasons why i find it great value to study CST. There are layers upon layers of understanding in CST. As you continue your personal practice and learning from other in the CST community, there is always new and deeper revelations of what you "think" you have understood before.

5) Applicability

CST is applicable to any fitness goals. Some would go even further to say that CST principles can be applied to any goals in life. As mentioned in point #1, there could be two people with seemingly opposite fitness goals like strength and mobility, yet they both could be doing the same system. Both are the sides of the same coin.

What fitness goals can CST be applied to? Fat loss, check. Muscle building, check. Strength training, check. Functional training, check. And too many more to list.

Alright, that's it for now. Stay tuned for the next installment in the featured article series on the practical side of applying CST to your fitness program.

Check out the Big Book of Clubbell Training on the theory of CST:

TACFIT Bravo

2011-01-08T11:24:00.002+08:00

Trial by Fire Components 1

2010-12-31T11:54:00.001+08:00

TACFIT Warrior Challenge Lite+

2010-12-25T19:22:00.002+08:00

Buy a Product and Get A Personal Training Session Worth $120

2010-12-23T11:48:00.035+08:00

Dear friends and fans of my blog, the festive season is coming and what better way to prepare for it than to get in shape so that you can eat big in the festivities and not feel guilty.

So i am offering you this very special privilege of a personal training session worth $120 when you buy any of the following products.

TACFIT Commando

TACFIT Mass Assault

These are affiliate links and i get commission on your purchase.

How to claim your personal training session:

1) Click on the links and purchase the product(s). Each copy of a product purchased entitles you to one personal training session.

2) Email me your clickbank receipts to hermanchauw@gmail.com, together with your contact details.

3) After i have verified your purchase, i'll contact you to arrange your personal training sessions. Alternatively, contact me if you don't want to wait for my call:

Name: Herman Chauw

Mobile: +65 96406544

Email: hermanchauw@gmail.com

To your fitness success.

Fitness Equipment has Arrived

2010-12-21T22:42:00.000+08:00

Here are some photos of our gym and fitness equipment.

Full matted area

Kettlebells and barbells

Dumbbells and weight plates

Racks and benches

Clubbells and ropes

Medicine balls

Heavy Clubbells

Parallettes

See you in class soon.

TACFIT Report from Suquamish Police Department Chief

2010-12-18T00:13:00.002+08:00

Reproduced from Coach Scott Sonnon's blog, original article here: http://www.rmaxinternational.com/flowcoach/?p=703

SUQUAMISH POLICE DEPARTMENT
18490 Suquamish Way, Suite #105 / P.O. Box 1021
Suquamish WA 98392 OFFICE (360) 598-4334
SERVICE, DEDICATION, INTEGRITY
Mike Lasnier, Chief of Police

Friday, May 14, 2010

Dear Coach Sonnon,

I wanted to write to thank you for sharing your Tacfit and Tacfit Commando programs with my agency, and for allowing me to attend the Tacfit certification in Bellingham.

As you know, I have a background in military and law enforcement special operations. During my time in the Marine Corps, I spent time in a special reaction force that secured nuclear storage sites, and later was a Platoon Sergeant for a STA Platoon, more commonly called Marine Scout Snipers. My service included deployment overseas with a Special Operation Capable Marine Amphibious Unit (SOC-MAU), and live operations on foreign soil. I was also a primary marksmanship instructor in the Marines, and shot competitively on rifle and pistol teams at the commands I served. In my 23 year law enforcement career, I have been a Master Defensive Tactics Instructor for nearly 20 years. I served 8 years on a regional SWAT team in an urban metropolitan area. I spent 3 years undercover working street level narcotics, and several more years as a detective assigned to a Federal Narcotics Task force. I have founded and commanded Tactical Tracking Teams at 2 different agencies for the past 8 years, and the team I currently command is used state-wide to hunt down fugitives, find missing persons, and engage in operations against foreign drug trafficking organizations which use rural areas in Washington State to manufacture illegal drugs.

As a Chief of Police for over a decade now, I have seen the cost of law enforcement officers not staying in good physical condition. Many agency administrators wince every time they have defensive tactics or other physical training, because they know that there will be multiple injuries, L&I claims, and officers taking sick days in the aftermath of such classes. It’s often mundane, everyday things that cause officers to go out with “work related injuries”; walking, getting out of a car, bending over to pick something up. In my experience and observation, most “work related” injuries aren’t really “work related”. They are “fat related injuries”. They are “sedentary related injuries”. They are “inflexible related injuries”. The job requires them to move their bodies more than they do at home, so it’s likely that when something finally snaps, it will happen on the job, and is then labeled a “work related injury”.

The costs of such injuries are massive, and the damages are spread broadly. The government ends up paying higher rates for health insurance and L&I claims, and those costs are spread to taxpayers. Co-workers are required to work the shifts for the officers who are out injured, losing their own rest time, spending less time with their families and increasing their stress levels. Many employers require the employees to bear a portion of the cost of the L&I insurance, so all employees end up paying a financial cost for the on duty injuries. If the officer held a specialty, such as K9 or Tracker, the department no longer has access to that resource while the officer is out of commission, and those specialties are very expensive to create and maintain. Training programs are blamed for injuries, and are cut back or defunded. The reduction in staffing leaves less officers available to engage in special projects and proactive police work, and the agency ends up having to become more reactive, which benefits only criminals.

Throughout my career, I’ve striven to stay current on the best methods of training my people, to ensure that they had the abilities they needed to accomplish their missions. My search has spanned nearly 3 decades. In the Military, it was fairly easy; we had 3 or 4 hours per day to train fitness, and ample equipment and facilities. As I moved into law enforcement, time became more critical. Agencies do not have an over abundance of training time, and many agencies are suffering staffing and manpower issues in the current economy that are putting a further strain on available training time. Early in my Police Career, I attended F.B.I. fitness instructor courses, and was certified as a fitness instructor by the State. As a Master Defensive Tactics Instructor, I attended courses on advanced concepts in motor learning and development, and fitness program design, and even became a certified personal trainer for a period of time. Within my own agencies, and in my own life, I’ve experimented with a vast myriad of programs and systems. In my early years, I lifted free weights, ran, and used machines such as universal and nautilus. In recent years, I’ve stayed on what was perceived as “the cutting edge”, and experimented with P90x, Crossfit, TRX programs, various military programs, Kettlebells, and other devices and programs. In addition, I still train in the Martial Arts, and even engage in amateur boxing occasionally for charity events, no small feat in my mid 40’s. I have nothing bad to say about any of those programs. They are all good sources of exercise. Most of their practices are sound for attaining their goals. However, something was missing.

I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was missing. Intuitively, I knew that I hadn’t yet found what I was seeking. When I encountered a new program that seemed to have some of the things I was looking for, I’d give it a test drive. Several of my key instructors would help me, and also test out each program. Many of them were great programs for what they were designed for. The problem was, none of them were designed for us. None of them were put together specifically for the needs and challenges that face law enforcement officers, and especially the special needs of the law enforcement tactical community.

Some of the programs had pieces of what we were looking for, but were put together with other elements that were not desirable. Many of them were designed as crash courses to lose weight, but were not sustainable over the long haul. Some used “body building” techniques to pump up muscles for show, but developed little in the way of usable, functional strength. Some caused large amounts of wear and tear on the joints and connective tissues. Many resulted in over training, which subsequently lead to injuries. Some used movements that were valid, but simply do not resemble anything we do, or are likely to need to do.

What we were seeking was the “holy grail” of law enforcement and tactical training; something that met our challenges and needs, didn’t waste our training time, prepared us properly for the risks we face, but didn’t destroy or injure the officers as they tried to attain that goal.

I first saw a link to the Tacfit Commando program on a facebook page. I clicked on the link, and initially wasn’t sure what to think. The marketing program appeared to be geared towards “wanna be’s”, with references to Navy Seals, secret agents, and commandos. That alone would normally be enough for me to immediately dismiss the program and move on; previous programs using similar advertising tactics have been strong on hype, and weak on substance. The thing that kept me reading was that a few of the testimonials were from real world operators and combatives experts from the U.S. and Israeli Military Special Ops, and Law Enforcement Community. It was when I read past the hype to the content and fine print that my eyebrows went up.

The first sentence that caught my eye as I scanned down was “The ideal tactical training program must also target the energy system of crisis response: that means high intensity, three-dimensional movements done for repeated bursts of short duration, with fast recovery”. This was the first sign to me that there just might be something solid under the hype. That statement alone went up like a flare; clearly, someone knew what they were talking about, and more importantly, someone understood the realities of what we are required to do when things get really “hot”.

The next was “The extreme psychological stress experienced by active tactical responders requires a method that safely reabsorbs the adrenal dump of “fight or flight.” You’re of no help to your teammates if you’re sick or burnt out.” My jaw dropped on this one; the depth of understanding required to make this statement is astounding. This demonstrated that this program wasn’t just going to be about pushups, or busting a sweat. It demonstrated an understanding of our profession and the toll it takes on the human body, at a chemical and cellular level.

I read the rest of the fine print in depth, and I liked what I saw, so I took the plunge and purchased the program. I used my personal funds, since I still considered the program a risk, having been disappointed so many times before. After downloading the program and reviewing the material, I was impressed. I really liked that the program was instantly available, was downloadable, and came in formats that work on any computer, and also in a format specific to IPOD’s, which makes it incredibly portable. The fact that this program uses no equipment means it can be done anywhere. The fact that it’s on my Ipod means I don’t need a timer; I just hit “play” on my Ipod playlist, and follow along. The videos have a robust audio element, so not only is the timer included in the audio, but you also have coaching and specific reminders on proper form and effort throughout the program. The program is scorable, so you can easily keep track of your effort and progress, and the workout can be used as a test.

The real proof needed to be in the “test drive” of the program. At first, I was a bit skeptical of the 4 day wave protocol. On paper, it looks good, but it seemed a bit “light”. It was only after I experienced a couple cycles of it that it became clear just how effective it was. I felt GOOD. Really good. I had some specific moments that stood out. I got up to go down the hall from my office to get some coffee, and my body felt strange. I wasn’t thinking of working out, just grabbing coffee. What was so odd was that my hips were open from the compensation day. My body was more open and flexible than it had been in years, from a workout I’d done the day before. I could move. My range of motion was increased. My body was unlocked, and I wasn’t used to it, but it felt incredible.

Another thing I recognized right away was that I already knew the movements. I’d done them before. Not in the tacfit commando program; in real life. When I did the plank push knee for the first time, it clicked right away. “This is how I get up and move forward quickly with my rifle after firing from the prone position”. I’d been doing that movement since I was 18 years old in the Marines. The same was true for the other techniques.

I was scheduled to teach a defensive tactics class with another instructor after a few weeks of doing Tacfit commando. I spent most of the time as the demonstration dummy, being aggressively thrown, taken down, and put through counter joint techniques and handcuffing for 8 hours a day, for 3 days straight. What stood out was that, at the end of 3 days of this abuse, I felt fine. No sore muscles. No sore joints. No pulls. No tears. Nothing pinched or tweaked. I actually felt good. Normally, I would have been popping ibuprofen like candy, and sore and tight. Not this time.

I went to my Tactical Tracking team training, which includes a conditioning workout. I blasted through the workout like it wasn’t there. I recovered with lightening speed, had tons of energy and stamina, and could have kept going for a long, long time. I was finishing the work at each stage, and standing there, waiting for the rest of my team to get their reps done.

A friend called, who is coaching a 19 year old boxer who is preparing for an upcoming fight, asking if I’d help him prepare, by sparring with him. I haven’t sparred for over 8 months. Without Tacfit, I doubt I would have lasted 2 rounds. With my Tacfit training, I was able to keep going, round after round, and kept going for nearly an hour.

A friend of mine was training for a marathon, and invited me to go for a run. I hadn’t been running in several years, but wanted to try it again, so I agreed. I expected it to be pretty challenging. It wasn’t; it was easy. The aggressive, condensed conditioning of the Tacfit Commando program had prepared me to easily deal with standard cardio demand of running. I ran like the wind, and felt great both during and after the run.

All of that was in the first few weeks of doing the program. As for weight loss, I made a bet with my fiancé that I could lose more percentage of body weight than her in 30 days, me using Tacfit commando, and her using P90x. She was skeptical of the Tacfit Commando program, because of the active rest and recovery days built into the system. Her program took more time every day, had very little rest and recovery, and she was tired and burned out. She conceded defeat after 3 weeks, when I’d lost 12 pounds by doing Tacfit Commando, and following the diet that comes with the program. I felt strong, energetic, well rested, relaxed and flexible. I didn’t lose any muscle. I lost blubber that I’d collected by sitting at my desk.

After a test drive like that, I have made the decision to implement the Tacfit Commando program for my department. I can’t find anything wrong with it.

• It’s time efficient, saving my agency money and resources compared to other programs. A common saying among your coaches is “More isn’t better. Better is Better”. Your program has proven that to be a true statement.
• The Officers are building skills, not just working out. Tacfit practice isn’t just sweating for sweat’s sake. They are learning to move tactically. They are practicing and developing survival skills, firearms skills, ground fighting skills, as they work out.
• It doesn’t require any special equipment or dedicated space.
• Its health based. It isn’t about getting “big” quick, or doing crazy workouts and being sore. It’s about staying balanced, strong and healthy for life.
• It can be done by a team, side by side, in the same time and place, even if the people are at different levels of development. A beginner can work side by side with an elite athlete, training together, each being challenged to an appropriate level.
• The officers stay operationally ready. There is no “burn out”. There is no need for “down time” due to the officer’s bodies being destroyed or injured by some “crazy” workout. The workouts are challenging and demanding, but they aren’t insane; far from it, they’re intelligent.
• We all cognitively know that if we work on flexibility, we will be healthier, and less prone to injury. Your program is the only one that actually builds that concept into the program in an appropriate ratio. Joint and connective tissue flexibility isn’t a preface, or an afterthought. It’s at the heart of the program. It’s one of the massive pieces missing from other programs. For every exercise in your system, there is a joint mobility exercise that precedes it, and a compensatory stretch that comes after it. Over half of the system is focused on building healthy flexibility, movement, and injury prevention. It should be.
• The moderate and high intensity days are based on the best science and techniques known. No time or effort is wasted.
• The high intensity training is specifically targeted to the energy systems used by the emergency response community.
• Your program is the only one I’ve seen that has actual tactics, effort, and focus on the ability to develop recovery ability. And it works! Many suspects and officers can perform one massive burst of effort, but then they are “gassed”. Your training will give officers the ability to “burst”, recover with lightening speed, and “burst” again, and again. This is what wins fights. This is what resolves tactical and use of force situations with a positive outcome for Law Enforcement.
• Tacfit Commando is a step above other general functional fitness programs. Why should we focus our efforts on “general” fitness? We aren’t in a “general” business. We know what the requirements of our job are. We know what movements we need to perform, and the energy systems that will be called upon. Why waste our time pretending we don’t, or developing capabilities we don’t need, and won’t use? Tacfit programs are built for what we need; Tactical Fitness.
• Tacfit develops circular strength. Instead of becoming strong in a narrow, limited, or artificially defined range of motion, Tacfit works to develop complete, usable strength throughout the full range of motion of each key joint.

This is incredibly valuable in our unpredictable and violent environment. I don’t always get to pick what angle my opponent will be at when I need to use force or energy. Having circular strength means I’ll have the power I’ll need to deal with challenges that come at me from any angle.

Thank you for your work in service to the tactical community. Thank you for your dedication. Thank you for the outreach you’ve made to my department, and our brothers in the military and fire services. Thank you for the health benefits we’re enjoying from your program.

Please feel free to forward this letter to any public safety personnel considering your excellent programs, and feel free to give them my contact information as a reference for your programs.

I look forward to working with you in the future, and am excited to see what’s coming next!

Respectfully,

Chief Mike Lasnier
Suquamish Police

Just for Fun

2010-12-15T23:54:00.001+08:00

Just for fun, copy this and spread the love around.

What is 4x7

2010-12-15T14:29:00.004+08:00

4x7 is the official periodization model in CST.

Another commonly used synonym for "periodization" is "cycling".

Why Cycle

Instead of giving you the reason straightaway, let's take a look at what people usually want.

"I want to gain ten pounds of muscle and lose twenty pounds of fat. Oh i also want to get strong. And i want to run faster. And also to jump higher. etc etc..."

So they do weight training in addition to cardio (or HIIT for the better informed ones), and a lot of other training mixed in.

An example of this kind of "i want it all" programming may look like this:
Monday: weights
Tuesday: cardio
Wednesday: weights
Thursday: cardio
Friday: weights
Saturday: cardio
Sunday: sports (eg soccer)

If you have just started physical training, achieving some of these goals may be easy. Even if you train without any specific goals or proper training program, you will make progress in the first few weeks to months. Then you would hit a plateau.

Along the way some people would think that they are "hargainers". Some people train the same way year after year, lift the same weight year after year, look the same year after year, and get nowhere. At least some are enthusiastic enough to continue this active lifestyle. But a lot of people drop out. How many times have you heard people say "i used to work out", "i used to lift weights" or something to that extend?

So then, to avoid this lack of result, we need to have a plan to achieve our goals. And yes, you cannot achieve all of your fitness goals at the same time. Some complementary goals like strength and mass can be trained at the same time, but opposing goals like mass and fat loss are not so ideal to be trained at the same time.

Rather than waiting for the time plateau comes, why not start right? You would be less frustrated with lack of results. Furthermore, would you want to save time? Save energy? Train less while getting more? Prevent injuries at the same time?

Our Way

There is a wrong way to doing things, like the example shown above. And there are many right ways. There are very convoluted periodization programs that can put you to sleep just looking at them. But we are not interested in them, we are interested in how you, as a layman, can utilize this simple formula in your training to reap the benefits of periodization.

The 4x7 periodization model looks like this:

Day 1: No Intensity*
Objective: joint lubrication and active recovery
Content: joint mobility only
RPE: 1-2**

Day 2: Low Intensity*
Objective: compensation
Content: joint mobility and Prasara Yoga
RPE: 3-4**

Day 3: Moderate Intensity*
Objective: moderate intensity training/strength practice
Content: joint mobility, training and Prasara Yoga
RPE: 5-7**

Day 4: High Intensity*
Objective: high intensity training/conditioning
Content: joint mobility, training and Prasara Yoga
RPE: 8-10**

*Intensity is defined in the Intuitive Training Protocols.

**It is assumed that RPT => 8-10 and RPD =< 0-3.

Repeat this 4 day microcycle 7 times for a total of 28 days. That makes your mesocycle. Then you can either switch to another program, which can be of an opposing goal or similar goal, or repeat the same program with a higher level of difficulty (sophistication).

As an aside, another option if you need to keep some days free from training for whatever reason is the 7x4:

Version 1:
Day 1: No
Day 2: Low
Day 3: Moderate
Day 4: No
Day 5: Low
Day 6: Moderate
Day 7: High

Version 2:
Day 1: No
Day 2: No
Day 3: Low
Day 4: Low
Day 5: Moderate
Day 6: Moderate
Day 7: High

Pictorially, it looks like this:

Important Features and Benefits of 4x7

1) The No and Low Days

We are not saying "two days on two days off". You are indeed training two days and not training the other two days. But the non-training days are not "off" days. They are there specifically for a purpose, collectively defined as recovery. No Day focused on your joint health, Low Day focused on your soft tissue health.

You need to balance training work and recovery work. If you lack recovery, your ability to hit a real High Intensity would suffer. And please do not think that you can hit High Intensity all the time without injury or burn out.

It is a common saying that most people don't train enough to be overtraining, but they are underrecovering.

As mentioned before, you can add more recovery but not more training.

2) The Moderate Day

This day seems superfluous at first as it is only a practice day. If you can do High Intensity, why not High Intensity only right?

In simple terms, it acts as a psychological and physical preparation for the High Intensity session to follow. Having gone through a Moderate Intensity session, you would be more prepared mentally and physically hitting the High Intensity session.

3) The High Day

This day can seem superfluous to people who are not competing or don't want to achieve a high level of performance.

However it is a very important piece in the puzzle which makes your progress fast and furious. After the three days of No, Low and Moderate preceeding it, you have a surge of energy waiting to be released. If this is not utilized, it is wasted. This is the day when peak performance comes.

If you have done your High Day properly, when you come to the next Moderate Day, the load that was High becomes Moderate, ie it is a sign of progress*.

*Ache/pain/soreness is not an indication of progress. Progress is when one or more of the following occurs:
-A resistance that felt heavy now feels lighter
-A load that was High Intensity now feels easier
-More reps with the same weight while RPE (and RPD) decreases

Precise Yet Flexible

The 4x7 can be used for any training goal. Here are some examples:

For pure strength gains:
Strength (moderate), strength (high)

For strength and conditioning*:
Strength (moderate), conditioning* (high)

For pure conditioning*:
Conditioning* (moderate), conditioning* (high)

For pure mass gains:
Mass (moderate), mass (high)

For strength and mass:
Strength (moderate), mass (high)

*For simplicity sake, conditioning here is interchangeable with fat loss.

These are other possible combinations too like conditioning-strength or conditioning-mass but not that ideal.

Check out TACFIT Mass Assault to see how a program progresses through the 4x7 mesocycle:

What Does a CST Workout Look Like

2010-12-01T12:56:00.005+08:00

A workout in CST in structured in such a manner to:
1) Improve performance
2) Prevent injuries

Warm Up (5-10 minutes) is joint mobility. It can be a multi purpose warm up using movements from 1) the original Intu-Flow, 2) Bodyflow or 3) TACFIT Warm Up; or as prescribed in some programs, a specific warm up using unique movements to prepare you for the training exercises.

Training proper can be ANY proper program. Bodyweight training, Clubbell swinging, kettlebell lifting, sandbag lifting etc. for all kinds of fitness goals can be done exclusively or in combinations. Though we are not fond of barbell and dumbbell based training, you can do them if you like. Even single planar exercises like powerlifts or Olympic lifts can be done if they fit your fitness goals. The good thing is that CST does not restrict its practitioners to a specific style of training. Rather it empowers you with the tools necessary to negotiate your training better.

Common program design principles (acute training variables) apply.

Just make sure that you are not doing isolations like ten variations of curls or a thousand crunches everyday and think that you are training properly.

More on this would be discussed under a future article Is CST for Me.

Cool Down (5-10 minutes) is Prasara Bodyflow Yoga. It can be a multi purpose cool down using poses and/or flows from 1) Prasara A Flows, 2) Prasara Primer or 3) Bodyflow or 4) TACFIT Cool Down; or as prescribed in some programs, a specific cool down using unique poses and/or flows to unload your soft tissues from the tension created in your training.

The Importance of Warm Up and Cool Down

While a lot of people already know the importance of physical training and so called "know"* how to train, a lot of people do not know the importance of prehab and rehab, which is represented by the Warm Up and Cool Down.

*I say "know" because people could just go for a jog, do a few pull ups etc. and think they know how to train. Whether their program design is good or not is another story.

Prehab here refers to prevention of injury. Rehab here refers to recovery from the training load. There is another definition of rehab which is recovery from injury which is another story.

Note that these are not good or sufficient warm ups:
1) Stretching (especially hamstrings and quads)
2) Jogging (some even do this on the treadmill) or some other steady state cardio

A better warm up would be to do light(er) reps with the training movements. But still this is not sufficient.

And then how many people actually do any cool down?

A lot of people wonder what is wrong when they get aches and pains after training or picking up physical training and want to try less relevant solutions (eg. heat therapy, acupuncture, arch support insoles etc.) when the simplest thing they can do is proper warm up and cool down. Of course it goes without saying that good technique for the training proper is required.

Never skip the warm up and cool down if you want to be injury free. This is opposite to training in that you need to err on the side of doing more. Don't be caught in a situation which is too little too late. You can add more recovery but not more training.

Check out TACFIT Mass Assault on how a CST workout looks like:

What Exactly is Yoga and What is its Place in CST

2010-11-24T13:04:00.008+08:00

Definition

Yoga is a word which means "yoke" or "union". What are we uniting in yoga? In most yoga schools it is defined as union of mind, body and spirit or something to that extend.

However in CST it is defined as the union of breath, structure and movement.

Therefore in the broader sense of the word, it can refer to any physical activity: weight lifting and swinging, running, jumping etc. As long as you need to coordinate breath, structure and movement you are doing yoga.

General Practice

In the narrower sense of the word, it refers to the specific physical practice of improving your quality of motor skills through the balance strength and surrender, usually using only the bodyweight (in poses and transitions) as a tool. Quality must be emphasized here as yoga practice (not yoga training) differs from bodyweight exercise or bodyweight strength & conditioning in that we do yoga not to do more, but to do better in our motor abilities.

We are seeking to improve our health, mobility and function, rather than attributes in yoga practice.

How often have you heard that doing yoga can help to improve strength and help with fat loss? And then how about those that say that yoga is "just stretching"?

Indeed you can use yoga for improving strength as there are poses that require a great deal of strength to perform.

Wheel pose (aka hand bridge)

However to separate strength from surrender is a physical impossibility. In the example of the bridge above, while everything on the back side of the body must exert strength to perform the pose, everything on the front must surrender to allow the strength from the back side to be expressed.

How about fat loss? The common practice of yoga with the emphasis on static poses has a limited use in terms of fat loss. Remember that there must be a middle point between resistance and velocity to produce the maximum amount of power. To elicit a fat burning effect, you also need to focus on the movement (aka transitions).

Specific Practice: Compensatory Movement

In CST, there is a specific practice under the second ring of Prasara Yoga for compensatory movement. The basic idea is that any kind of physical conditioning produces specific adaptations. These adaptations can be classified as the good (training effect) and the bad (residual tension).

Training effect refers to better strength, endurance or a combination of the two.

Residual tension refers to tension that lingers after training. If this tension is not released, it is going to cause a more chronic adaptation called myofascial density. The body recognizes the chronic tension and tells itself rather than and instead of maintaining muscular tension which requires energy, it would save the energy for the contraction by shortening the involved muscles and lay more fascial fibres to maintain the contraction.

Isn't it a very common observation (and warning) that doing "too much" crunches would cause shortening of the rectus abdominis and doing "too much" bench presses would cause tightening of the pecs.

And sooner or later (most likely later, over a long time, but it is a very real thing) you get sensory-motor amnesia, which is just the fancy name of forgetting how to move. Since the shortened tissues have been contracted for so long, the body forgets how to surrender them to lengthen.

This would happen if you do not release the residual tension through specific poses* to restore normal length to the soft tissues involved in your training.

*You can call these exercises "stretches" for all i care but they are not stretching in the traditional sense of lengthening isolated muscles past their normal length. You are also putting a stretch in the fascia (the connective tissues) and many other muscles. Isolation is a myth. The whole body works as a whole.

Sooner or later you are going to develop fear reactivity, which means that the body would tense up when you are called upon to perform unfamiliar movements. This is characterized by reflexively bracing upon perceived effort. This kind of sudden muscular contraction in soft tissue which are already tight from their limited range of motion is what causes a great deal of injuries to sedentary people. Heard of people injuring themselves lifting furnitures or other "heavy" weights?

As a general rule, after training always do poses that are opposite to what you trained for. Even if you don't do physical training, you also need compensatory movement. Do you know people who sit on a chair 8 hours a day, 5-6 days a week? I do. Don't you think it is going to cause a training effect of making you more and more chair-shaped?

If this describes you, do a lot of the upward dog and/or pigeon to open the hips and the front of the body.

Further, in CST there is at least one day in a microcycle, the Low Intensity Day, which is dedicated to compensatory movement.

Transitions Between the Poses

The majority of the yoga world focuses on the poses. But an overlooked aspect of yoga practice is the transitions between the poses.

The transitions are as important as the poses or maybe more important. Each pose has an entry and exit. The ability to entry and exit to and from different poses gives an indication of the overall motor quality a person has. Being good in poses doesn't guarantee you good movement between the poses. Movement is also a balance of strength and surrender.

Take a look at this video of Tumbleweed Flow from Prasara A Flows. The poses are classic yoga poses which any decent yoga athlete should be able to do. Putting them in a flow using different transitions make so much of a richer practice.

Furthermore, practicing challenging (mobility wise or strength wise) poses also prevents fear reactivity by practicing the skill of the movements and making them more easily accessible during activities.

Get started with Prasara Yoga with Prasara Primer:

TRX Versus TACFIT R.O.P.E

2010-11-11T14:15:00.001+08:00

So i just got my hands on a TRX Basic Training DVD. And this post is a comparison review of TRX and TACFIT R.O.P.E. (TFR)

Before i go on, i must tell you that the goal of my comparing TRX and TFR is not to bring down TRX, rather to give it a fair trial from a customer's point of view. And such, share an unbiased view of the value of the products in question.

I mentioned that i was not sold on the TRX some time ago. However i did not have access to their DVD so i can't really comment fully on its value. Hopefully this time they can convince me.

That said, i admit that it is still a bit unfair for TRX as i am not comparing their Force Training DVD with TFR. So until i get my hands on it, i just have to make do with this one.

It would be organized according to the 4Ps of marketing, ie price, packaging, place, product. I'll not review the equipment for product, but only the training program.

Pros are highlighted in blue. Cons are highlighted in red. Arguable points are not highlighted and would be elaborated below.

Summary

Components	TRX	TACFIT R.O.P.E
Price	SGD380.00 Not sure if the DVD is available separately Force DVD USD54.95 + shipping	USD49.95 E-product, no shipping cost
Packaging	Nice presentation in a nice studio Very hip kind of style Charismatic instructor conducts the follow-along Nice looking models demo the exercises Instructions are not detailed Models are wearing athletic trainers	No fluff No charisma No hip No studio Shot outdoors in the woods/park, super low budget production Detailed instructions No pretty models, only Coach Sonnon
Place	Needs a DVD player	Can be more portable since it can be uploaded to an ipod.
Product	40 minutes No warm up program It is not clear if the flexibility program included is the cool down program Flexibility program is not specific to the training movements Flexibility program requires the use of the TRX No recovery protocol/techniques for the recovery periods Not detailed biomechanics taught for all exercises, eg. push ups are taught with the elbows flared and it is not explained why Manual is very brief	30 minutes Warm up program included specific for the training movements Cool down program included specific for the training movements Cool down program does not require any equipment Detailed biomechanics for all exercises A detailed manual outlining all you need to know to complete this program from the easiest to the hardest progressions

Discussion

Price wise, TFR wins.

Packaging wise, depends on how you see it. If you like to see a nicer package and don't mind spending the cash, then go for TRX. On the other hand if you don't mind the austereness and therefore budget savings, then TFR got it.

Place wise, TFR is more portable as if you have an ipod, you can view the video anywhere. TRX needs a DVD player. But this problem is a minor one as you could always write down the program on a piece of paper to make it even more portable. Tie.

Product wise, for me it is a hands down win by TFR for all the reasons stated above. The only contention is the use of the TRX for the flexibility program. You can say that it is a good marketing tool for them to show you that you "need" the TRX for it. There is even a Flexibility DVD sold on their website. On the other hand, if you are like me, i am a minimalist. If i can use nothing except my bodyweight and the floor, i would prefer that, like what is presented in TFR.

Special Mention: Push ups

One glaring thing that caught my attention from TRX is that they teach the push ups with the elbows flared. Why it is taught this way not explained. We know that according to the 7 Components of Structure, the elbows should be tucked in to the ribs to engage the lats to protect the shoulders.

At least if a certain technique they teach deviates from the norm, they should explain why it is done that way.

Somebody please give me a convincing explanation why it is a good idea to flare the elbows for push ups.

More on tools

As an aside, it seems that most popular fitness systems are very attached to their tools. New tools are being produced and marketed and new hypes are being promoted every now and then of a whole array of programs using these tools.

Tools are not wrong by the way, but hey, if you have to spend so much money to get these tools, why? Why oh why? If you are just looking for functional fitness, it can be achieved using commonly available tools, like your bodyweight alone. Your bodyweight is the most readily accessible tool everybody has.

If your sport depends on a specific tool exclusively, like weightlifting/powerlifting or kettlebell sport, then sure, that tool should be the mainstay for your program. But for the rest of the population, isn't it a better idea to use tools that are more readily available? Or if you have a variety of tools, to have decent proficiency in using them instead of just a limited range?

As Coach Sonnon says: the protocol is more important the technique, the technique is more important than the tool.

Verdict

I recommend TFR anytime over TRX. On the other hand, i cannot recommend TRX. Even if i get it for free, i wouldn't want it. Thanks but no thanks.

Get your copy of TACFIT R.O.P.E. here by clicking on the picture:

Bookmark This: Intu-Flow Levels 1 and 2 (FREE Videos)

2010-11-02T22:36:00.001+08:00

To get the full program up to Level 4, click on the pic below.

What is Sophistication

2010-11-01T18:51:00.006+08:00

Sophistication is simply defined as "increasing motor complexity". There are many exercises that can be done for strength & conditioning. Some easier some harder. Some simpler some more complex. In fact there can be an infinite number of variations of an exercise. The limit of the number would depend only on your imagination.

So what is a beginner to do when presented with an encyclopedia of strength training exercises? He gets confused. So many variations of squats: back squat, front squat, dumbbell squat, one legged squat, bulgarian squat ad nauseum. And then there are variations designed by the "functional training" community: squats on a swiss ball and the like.

And then there are people who say that you need to change your routine every now and then. The reason being your body would get stale from doing the same movements over and over. Who wouldn't get bored doing squats after squats after squats year in year out? The common recommendation ranges from 3-4 to 4-8 weeks. But what to change? How to change? How to determine when to change?

Let's look at how sophistication can answer all these questions and stop all those confusion.

Why sophisticate

In CST, our goal is not only to avoid staleness as defined above. But also a plan to increase our neuromuscular efficiency. The idea is that you don't want to be stuck doing the same basic exercises all the time. As you get proficient in the basic exercises, you need to add more stimulus to your nervous system to keep progressing.

A common progression used by most systems obviously is the protocol, ie time, reps, sets, rest periods etc. Another commonly used is the resistance. But these do not change the motor complexity of the exercises.

In the movement disciplines of gymnastics, dances and the martial arts, sophistication is a highly sought after progression. Beginners and veterans are easily recognizable by the grace they have (or lack thereof) in executing simple and complex skills.

In these disciplines, points are rewarded for more complex movements or combinations. The reward doesn't go to "who can do the most push ups" or "who can do the most handstand push ups", but "who can do the most complex skills and make it look easy".

And indeed when you master the more complex skills, the more basic and easier skills would feel...easier. Much more than if you only practice the basic skills.

Not only your motor skills improve, by training more sophisticated exercises, you get a greater training effect compared to training the simpler variations. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. You save time and effort while getting a greater stimulus.

How to sophisticate

I'll give you some examples first then give you the explanation. For simplicity sake, i'll use conventional exercises (and programs) as examples and separate them according to different sophistication needs.

Original exercises (if applicable) are highlighted in blue.

Pavel's Power to the People

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
2H BB Military Press	1H BB Military Press	BB Side Press	BB Bent Press
2H Deadlift	1H Deadlift	Suitcase Deadlift	1L Suitcase Deadlift (opposite arm)

Weightlifting based a big push and a big pull

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
BB Military Press	BB Push Press	BB Jerk	BB Clean & Jerk
BB Deadlift	BB High Pull	BB Clean	BB Snatch

Pavel's Enter the Kettlebell Rite of Passage

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
Goblet Press	Military Press	Side Press	Bent Press
Deadlift	Swing	Clean	Snatch

Pavel's Enter the Kettlebell Program Minimum

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
Floor Press	Get Up Sit Up	Half Get Up	Full Get Up
2H Deadlift	1H Deadlift	2H Swing	1H Swing

KB Sport based a big push and a big pull

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
Goblet Press	Press	Push Press	Jerk
Deadlift	Swing	Clean	Snatch

There are many ways of sophisticating exercises, some of these are:

Adding explosiveness, eg: squat -> squat jump

Adding/changing a different degree of freedom, eg: press -> side press

Adding *instability, eg: front squat -> overhead squat
*By adding instability, i don't mean doing everything on the swiss ball.

Adding range of motion, eg: box squat -> full squat

Increasing leverage, eg: push up on knees -> push up on feet

Combination movements, eg: clean + jerk = clean & jerk

This list is by no means exhaustive. As mentioned above, the limit is your imagination.

When to sophisticate

The general guideline is to increase the sophistication when RPE drops to =< 6 while keeping RPT => 8 and RPD =< 3.

Another guideline is to increase the sophistication every month. Go through a full 4x7 cycle with Level 1. The next time you come back to the same program, start over at a Level 2, and so on.

You need to spend time on the lower sophistication levels before moving up. So even though we are a big advocate on sophistication, the importance on the basic exercises cannot be overlooked. Sophistication is powerful medicine. Used improperly, like progressing too much too soon, can cause residual tension and injury. Used properly, after mastering the lower levels, can be one of the most powerful tools in your toolbox.

Check out TACFIT Mass Assault to see how to sophisticate conventional dumbbell-based exercises:

What Are the 5 Levels of Breath

2010-10-28T12:44:00.006+08:00

There are many ways to breathe. Some better some worse. Some good some bad. Some safe some dangerous. In this article we'll introduce some of the common types and arrange them in order.

We'll also answer once and for all the question of "how to breathe during (weight training) exercises?"

Why is this so important? Breathing properly during your exercises can make or break you. It is one of the components of proper technique (remember the 7 Key Components of Structure). Done properly, your breath can maximize your performance. Done improperly your breath can kill you.

The 5 levels of breath are summarized in the Breath Mastery Scale (adapted from Prasara Yoga by Scott Sonnon):

1) Fear Level Breath: passively (reflexively) inhale and brace on perceived effort

2) Anger or Force Level Breath: actively inhale and brace on perceived effort

3) Discipline Level Breath: actively exhale on perceived effort/discomfort; passively inhale on cessation of effort/discomfort

4) Flow Level Breath: passively exhale on compression; passively inhale on expansion

5) Mastery Level Breath: control pause after exhalation on activity

For all intents and purposes, i'll only cover what is important to you, ie the layman, and not give exhaustive explanation of the hows and whys.

The breathing techniques highlighted in red are not to be used at any exercise. The reason being the breath holding would increase your blood pressure. And if the pressure increases to very high, it can cause stroke or heart attacks. It can be argued that for maximal efforts such as powerlifting you need to hold your breath, but remember that we are a health first fitness system. Performance at the expense of health is not real health.

As an aside, even when you encounter fear or anger, you should not inhale and brace either. As prolonged exposure to this type of breathing would increase your overall muscle tension (read upper thoracic breathing, tight upper traps, forward head posture etc.), which would lead to poorer health and performance. You should instead exhale and do some exercises to release the tension (ala RESET).

Discipline Level Breath is the one that you should employ in most of your strength & conditioning exercises. The exhalation causes activation of the core muscles that serves to stabilize the body and in that manner you tie the body into one unit to create linkage for force transfer from limb to limb or one part of the body to another.

Flow Level Breath is the one you should employ when the effort level is low enough that you do not need the exhale to create sufficient stiffness in your core. An example of this is during joint mobility exercises in Intu-Flow. Another example would be in endurance efforts where energy conservation is a primary concern, like marathon running.

Your breath would evolve from Discipline to Flow as you get better in a particular exercise. The evolution from Discipline to Flow cannot be forced. It happens subconsciously as your nervous system gets more efficient in a particular skill. As you make the exercise more difficult through increased resistance, volume, sophistication etc, you may need to go down to Discipline again, going back and forth as needed.

Sounds complicated? If you can't remember anything, just remember these:

1) Exhale on effort

2) Exhale on compression

3) Exhale on impact/contact (with the floor, punching bag, your opponent etc.)

Why did i not give instructions on when to inhale? Because the body already knows how to inhale. People already have a tendency to inhale forcefully and therefore we shall not promote that kind of breathing technique and decrease their health and performance.

TACFIT Mass Assault Video Compilation

2010-10-25T12:43:00.002+08:00

My blog post TACFIT Mass Assault Review is the top viewed post in my blog. For those of you who have read the review, here are some more goodies for you: excerpts of the program with Clubbells.

Enjoy!

TACFIT Rope Review

2010-10-21T11:54:00.001+08:00

What is suspension training

Simply put, suspension training is using a suspension system to create instability in bodyweight exercises to challenge the body even more than if the body is supported on a solid surface.

What is normally easily done on the floor (eg. push ups) would be harder done if the hands or feet are suspended on a rope.

My background and rings

My first exposure to suspension training was when i was in artistic gymnastics. The high school teams in Singapore did not compete the rings so it was just a novelty training equipment at our gym. Sometimes we would try some movements on the rings and find out how extremely difficult just to swing on them.

Fast forward a few years to National Service. My unit did not have a gym, so i made do with bodyweight exercises.

So after a few years of not having regular access to gyms, i have grown accustomed to training bodyweight only or with minimal equipment.

Then i discovered that there are people selling rings out there. I recalled the good old days in gymnastics team when we would play with the rings. So i bought myself a set and an instructional DVD for the rings.

Great exercises for building extreme strength and stability in the shoulders. However, the rings are somewhat bulky and heavy (mine are the original Power Rings, made of steel). And the training methodology is not that portable. I mean would you train max strength most of the time, with a high degree of instability and narrow margin for error. Not practical to be trained often especially in highly fatigued state. So they stayed in my closet for a few years.

Enter the TRX

Since the TRX was released several years ago, it has become synonymous with suspension training.

My first exposure with TRX was at an SnC gym in Singapore. I didn't give it much attention since i am not a fan of foam padded handles. And if unconditioned people like it, it must not be hardcore enough.

What can be harder than exercises on the rings? Hardcore gyms use rings, not TRX.

Only after the release of TACFIT R.O.P.E. did i pay more attention to TRX.

After looking at it in more details, the marketing of TRX says something to this effect:

-You don't want to train for hours at the gym.

-You can have a great workout anytime, anywhere.

-There are hundreds of exercises that you can do with it.
-Of course the usual stuff on attributes like strength, endurance, cardio etc.
-You can lose weight, gain muscle and the usual physique stuff.

Why i am not sold on TRX

Well, i have no doubt on the effectiveness of the program. What is holding me back is everybody seems to be saying the same things on their fitness programs. Everybody says their program and tools can help you save time, do hundreds of exercises, lose fat, build muscle, build strength etc. You could effectively substitute the name of their product or program with another and it won't make a difference.

I have had enough of the marketing of attributes and physique. Even the most simple program (eg, Pavel's PTP, ETK etc.) can achieve these things. Nothing special. Btw, i am not saying that simple is bad. These simple programs are much better than a complicated program made of ten variations of isolation exercises. But what i am looking for is complex skill development.

I don't train for hours at the gym. If you do, that is the problem of your program design. You need to rethink how to design your training program. The solution is not changing the tool to TRX.

I don't need TRX to have a great workout anytime anywhere. I have this through bodyweight exercises. I already had kettlebells and clubbells so i can have a great workout using them anytime, though not fully anywhere (if you don't have a car).

I don't need hundreds of exercises. Yes you can know many exercises, but how many are you going to do in a workout? The magic of program design is in knowing when to do what and how much.

If you don't know, kettlebell sport, International Clubbell Sport, Trial By Fire, has only two to three exercises and practicing them in exclusion to other movements can make you stronger than a lot of people who do more than a dozen ineffective exercises.

And lastly the TRX cost almost 3x as much as a set of rings. Crazy pricing. I have no doubt about their quality, but i am not going to spend my cash on them.

Why TACFIT R.O.P.E.

What got me sold on TACFIT R.O.P.E is this:

"Suspension training gives us the ability to use gravity in new dimensions. The suspension aspect of ROPE builds strength in all 6 Degrees of Freedom."

That simple. The unique thing about CST is the movements. We are taught and encouraged to train more complex movements. To become more neurologically efficient. Because in real life, movements are never only one dimensional.

You can keep your movements simple and basic, increasing the difficulty and intensity through resistance, time, reps etc. But it is boring. To keep progressing you need more complex movement patterns that covers more than one or two dimensions, ie in the 6 Degrees of Freedom.

If you haven't known TACFIT yet, you should get acquainted with it and CST. It's not the tool that does the magic, although good tools definitely make things easier to do, but it is the program design. Everything from the protocol, exercises and tools play a part in creating the perfect program.

Alright, i think i have said enough on how good this program is. Click here to get your own copy now -----> TACFIT R.O.P.E

What Are the 7 Key Components of Structure?

2010-10-19T17:58:00.006+08:00

The 7 Key Components of Structure refers to the configuration of 7 major joints/joint complexes and their surrounding musculature in any exercise.

These are:

1) Grip Confirmation
2) Elbow Lock
3) Shoulder Pack
4) Crown to Coccyx Alignment
5) Core Activation
6) Hip Recruitment
7) Leg Drive

What's so special about these? Nothing really. We know these (or some of these) Components at the back of our minds and are taught them in fitness school, but not in the explicit manner presented in CST.

In CST it is made very explicit what these are and you can describe the technique of any exercise easily using the 7 Components.

These Components are absolutely essential for good Technique (RPT). All of them are important but there are some Components that people tend to lose structure in and we remind them over and over.

Different exercises requires different configurations of the Components but the idea for all of them is to create a stable structure for the body so that it can utilize the most strength to produce a safe and powerful movement.

Take note that all of the Components' structure must be in place otherwise the movement produced would not be efficient, effective or safe. Isolation is a myth. All the body must work together in unison. Every exercise is a core exercise.

Let's take the example of the Push Up to demonstrate what these are.

Good push up (Source)

Correct Components

Component	Top Position	Down Movement	Bottom Position	Up Movement
Grip	About shoulder width, fingers forward, weight on the palm heels
Elbow	Locked, elbow pits turned to face forward	Pull yourself down, pinch your elbows to your ribs	Elbows back, pinched tight to ribs	Press from the armpits, through the elbows, corkscrew the arms outward
Shoulder	Lats tight, pull the shoulders away from the ears, toward the feet
Crown to Coccyx	Straight line from head to heels, look between your hands
Core	Abs tight (brace)	Exhale on effort (high resistance) or inhale on cessation of effort (low resistance)	Abs tight (brace)	Exhale on effort
Hips	Tuck your tail under, butts tight, lock your anal sphincter
Legs	Quads tight, knees locked, on the balls of the feet, pull the toes toward your shins

It seems that the push up is an exercise common and simple enough that everybody should be able to do it properly, but no. Doing a Google Image search, the first picture that comes up in the results is a bad push up.

Bad push up (source)

Another bad push up (source)

Bad Components

Component	Top Position	Down Movement	Bottom Position	Up Movement
Grip	Too wide a grip width, fingers pointing in directions other than forward
Elbow	Not locking the elbows	Flaring the elbows
Shoulder	Sagging the chest, not engaging the lats and letting the shoulders shrugged
Crown to Coccyx	Sagging at the waist, looking up (forward), pushing the head downward
Core	Not bracing	Inhaling on effort (high resistance)	Losing the brace	Holding the breath on effort
Hips	Sagging at the hips, lifting the hips in lordosis, not keeping the glutes tight
Legs	Not locking the knees, relaxing the quads

If you can't maintain structure throughout all the 7 Key Components, it is very likely that the version of exercise that you selected is too difficult for you. Either decrease the resistance or sophistication to ensure that you have correct structure before resuming your exercise.

Also take note that tight does not mean maximal tension. It means selective tension.

If the resistance encountered is high, you need to be tighter. The tighter the lighter. In maximal efforts, maximal tension is likely to be required.

If the resistance is lower, you don't have to use maximal tension. Only use as much tension as necessary (tight-loose-tight) to maintain proper structure. For endurance efforts, controlling the amount of tension is crucial to prevent premature fatigue.

Check out TACFIT Mass Assault to see how to apply the 7 Key Components on dumbbell-based exercises:

Or TACFIT Commando for bodyweight exercises:

Exclusive Interview with Jeffry Larson

2010-10-15T12:19:00.006+08:00

We are very honoured to have with us here Jeffry Larson, Chief Warrant Officer Four of the US Army for an interview. He is also one of a few people who have made it to be a Circular Strength Training Head Coach and TACFIT Team Leader.

Herman Chauw: Hi Jeffry, could you tell us about your fitness background?

Jeffry Larson: “Fit” is not a word that I would use to describe myself growing up. While I was tall for my age and was doing martial arts I was also overweight and a poor performer athletically. This continued to be the case all the way through college and even after I got married. It was not until after I joined the military that I became serious about fitness and my quest to find the best system to reach my goals. Unsatisfied with the limitations of military physical training and the mainstream fitness world I finally discovered CST and never looked back. Since then I have gone one to become a CST Head Coach and one of the first TACFIT Team Leaders.

TACFIT Team Leader "Q" - The Qualification Exam from Scott Sonnon on Vimeo.

HC: How long have you served in the Army? What do you do in the Army?

JL: I have been in the U.S. Army for over 16 years. I am a Chief Warrant Officer in the Army Band field currently serving as the commander of the 113th Army Band “Dragoons” at Fort Knox, KY. My duty as a warrant officer is to train my unit to be both technically and tactically proficient so that they are capable of performing their mission to a high standard in any environment including a combat zone. Along these lines some of my experiences have included engaging with the Afghan National Army Band in a mentoring relationship and performing for the President of the United States in high-visibility ceremonies.

HC: What does a typical week look like in the Army?

JL: While there is a training schedule template we use in reality our schedule is in constant flux and subject to change on a moment’s notice. The “typical” day would include Physical Training (PT) at 0630-0730 then work call at 0900. Retreat sounds at 1700 but we often remain on duty beyond that until the mission is complete. Everyday there is an ongoing, overlapping process of planning training, coordination & execution of missions and a great amount of administrative mission support activities (paperwork) to take care of. For my unit the missions we are assigned often take place in the evenings and weekends, especially on holidays, so we have to shift and juggle all of our other requirements around these missions.

HC: Do you conduct PT for your unit(s)?

JL: My unit is a “Team of Teams” meaning that I have several senior Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs) that each have a small team of troops that they lead. These small teams are close knit units in themselves which train and operate together on a daily basis. In order to foster maximum cohesion in these teams their NCOs run their PT. My role is to have oversight of these teams and provide guidance to them as opposed to dictating training plans to them. However I am also responsible to lead by example. So every morning my soldiers see me out there doing my PT program at the same time they are doing theirs.

HC: Does your unit(s) adopt TACFIT in its PT? For how long have they been using TACFIT?

JL: I have been training not only my unit but elements of higher echelon major commands as well including the US Army Armor Center and the US Army Accessions Command. Gyms on post now have Clubbells available so that even more of the Fort Knox population is being exposed to CST and TACFIT. My focus has been on a “train-the-trainer” concept. For over a year now I have trained the senior NCOs in my unit and in the higher commands in the techniques, tactics and protocols of TACFIT so that they can in turn go out and train their troops.

HC: Are you using 4x7 or 7x4 or some other periodization model for your unit(s)?

JL: I’ve tried various protocols. Our fluid training and mission schedule can make things a little challenging here and I’ve had to learn how to adapt to circumstances. Most recently I incorporated a 4X7 TACFIT program with a group of soldiers and had tremendous results. However they were committed volunteers who accepted the fact that they had to stick to the assigned PT mission even on non-duty days. This model may not work so well for large conventional units where a typical schedule means no training on the weekends.

HC: What kind of obstacles did you face when promoting a health first fitness approach and TACFIT to your unit(s)?

JL: Most soldiers who have some experience and take their fitness training seriously see the benefits of the system right away. However there is a lot of institutional inertia that makes adoption and a larger scale a challenge. Soldiers are very pragmatic and focused on getting immediate results and quantifiable benefit. One of the main problems right now in military fitness is the disconnect between the physical requirements of actual mission readiness and the institutionalized method of physical fitness testing. So much weight is placed on this obsolete test that it can have a significant impact on a soldier’s career. So in most of the Army there is a complete over emphasis on standard push-ups, sit-ups and the 2-mile run. Anything outside of those 3 events is automatically viewed as merely optional or even unnecessary by many soldiers. It’s an unfortunate situation but there are some indications that there will be changes in the near future.

HC: After using TACFIT, what differences have you noticed in your troops' fitness?

JL: After I lead them through a full TACFIT program I noticed soldier’s scores on the standard 3-event test went up significantly. This was even with almost no activity-specific training prior to the test. They also very much enjoyed the variety in their PT program in learning the sophisticated movements of TACFIT. Beyond this the intensity of the TACFIT program brought them together as a team and formed strong bonds of cohesion. Overall it was a win-win-win situation where they felt better, performed better and created a better team.

HC: Thanks again Jeff for taking time to do this interview.

JL: It’s been my pleasure. All the best to you and your readers. As we say at Fort Knox: “Strength Starts Here!”

For more on Jeffry, check out his blog at http://www.lyonhartfitness.com/.

Revisiting Program Design - Part 2 - the Four Ts

2010-10-09T15:46:00.005+08:00

So have you gotten yourself confused by the FITT? I certainly had. Even after three years in physiotherapy school i hadn't had the slighted idea of a working formula for program design. It was still very arbitrary and too many variables.

Let's enter CST again into the picture and how it can fit in the FITT principles.

F and I has been covered over and over again in the 4x7. So there is nothing new to add here.

The two Ts in FITT can be expanded in more detail into four Ts. These are:

Tension

You have to define whether you are going for 1RM strength, 3RM, 5RM, strength endurance (define the rep range, eg 100 reps, 500 reps, 1000 reps etc.), cardiovascular endurance etc.

You also need to define the speed of muscular contraction, eg. ballistic, plyometric, grind, isometric etc.

Training for one tension type eg 1RM may improve other strengths near the rep range but the further they are the less carry over there is so you need to be specific.

Tool

You need to define whether you are going to use bodyweight, kettlebell(s), Clubbell(s), barbell, dumbbell(s), sandbag etc. Some of these can be substituted with another but the effect would be different.

Proficiency in one tool does not guarantee carry over to another tool, eg being able to do a handstand on the floor does not guarantee you being able to do the same on the rings.

Technique

This is a very basic principle in any kind of skill acquisition. The skill practiced must reflect the skill desired.

To press a lot, one must press a lot. And then what kind of press needs to be defined too, eg two handed press, one handed press, standing press, seated press etc.

If you are training for a skill which you are not able to do yet, your training must reflect the component skills that you can do which leads to the skill desired.

Time

This refers to the protocol. In the most simple terms, this refers to the reps and sets.

However to be more specific you also need to define the time under tension, tempo, total duration, rest intervals etc.

Example

Let's take an example common to Singaporean guys: I want to be able to do 20 pull ups. My current max is 5 reps.

Tension: Strength endurance 20 reps, grind
Tool: Bodyweight
Technique: Strict Pull Up
Time: One set, no time limit

Here we can do the Density Cycle:
-Do a fixed number of reps every minute on the minute. Rest the remaining of the minute.
-Start at a very comfortable rep range. Do as many sets as required to total twice (depends on the number) the goal repetitions. Keep the total volume constant.
-Every High Day increase the number of reps per minute by one. Adjust the number of sets to keep the total constant.
-When your time under tension every minute reaches about 45 seconds, it's time to try your max.

In shorthand format, the program looks like this:

Cycle # / Moderate Day / High Day
1 / 20 x 2 / 14 x 3
2 / 14 x 3 / 10 x 4
3 / 10 x 4 / 8 x 5
4 / 8 x 5 / 7 x 6
5 / 7 x 6 / 6 x 7
6 / 6 x 7 / 5 x 8
7 / 5 x 8 / 5 x 9
8 / 5 x 9 / 4 x 10
9 / 4 x 10 / 1 x 20

Conclusion

If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. And you won't get anywhere. But if you mind, you need to be specific.

Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands.

Revisiting Program Design - Part 1 - the FITT

2010-10-08T12:47:00.005+08:00

We have been taught in fitness school that we should design our training program according to the FITT principles:

Frequency
Intensity
Time
Type

Here are some typical guidelines based on this.

FITT Principles, adapted from FIT Society - Winter 2007 - ACSM

Simple eh? Not so. There are still a lot of variables not touched in this guideline, which can be very arbitrary, especially for beginners. Resulting in ineffective program designs. At least for me there were still a lot of questions unanswered.

Let's just take a look at some of these unanswered questions and the ridiculous comments that can arise out of following this guideline.

Frequency

So outside the 3-4 days of training, it means no activity at all? Or is it not defined? So if i put a high intensity soccer game on one of the non-training days, would it be okay? Would it interfere with my training? I could even put 3 high intensity soccer games on my 3 non-training days.

How do i schedule these 3-4 days? Can i put them back to back?

Do i put them mon-wed-fri or tue-thur-sat?

Intensity

So 3 sets of 8-12 reps is the holy grail huh? What about singles, doubles, triples, and all the rep ranges up to hundreds or thousands?

What is the rest period between each set?

I want to tone my arms, so i'll stick to light weights. 12 reps not enough, i'll do twenty reps.

I'll train to failure every set, every exercise, every training session.

Are three sets enough? Is this too much?

So 65% MHR is the guideline. If i want to burn more fat, i should be doing the lower range, ie 65% right? I shouldn't be doing anything higher than this if i want to maximize my fat burn.

Time

I want to train harder, so i'll train up to 120 minutes at a time at the gym. The more the merrier. I would even spend the whole day training if i had the time.

I want to train harder, so i'll do up to 60 minutes of cardio at a time. The more the merrier. I would even spend the whole day training if i had the time.

Type

I don't want big thighs so i'll skip the squats and deadlifts and just do the upper body.

Would stair climbing give me big thighs? Would running give me big calves?

Doesn't squats hurt your knees? Doesn't deadlifts hurt your back? Aren't explosive lifts dangerous?

Isn't overhead lifting dangerous?

So you have to have strong arms to lift kettlebells huh?

I just want to tone my arms so i'll just do bicep curls and triceps extension. Ten variations of each exercise: supinated, pronated, hammer grip, barbell, dumbbell, preacher curl etc.

I just want to tone my tummy so i'll just do sit ups. No, scratch that. People say that sit ups are bad, i'll just do crunches.

Conclusion

So we can see that these definitions are not specific enough to equip a person with the knowledge to design a sound training program. Next article we'll see CST's program design principles and how it can fill in these gaps.

Exclusive Interview with Ryan Murdock

2010-10-08T11:02:00.004+08:00

Ryan Murdock is an Rmax Faculty Coach and a travel writer. As one of the pioneers in Circular Strength Training, he has done more Double Density cycles than you care to count. In this exclusive interview, we'll get him to shed some light on his travelling lifestyle and how CST/TACFIT fits in.

Herman Chauw: Hi Coach Murdock, thank you for agreeing to have this interview. Could you tell us a bit about your background.

Ryan Murdock: http://www.ryanmurdock.com/murdock-bio.htm

HC: How long have you been a travel writer and what interests you in this profession?

RM: I guess I started writing seriously in about 2000, while living in Tokyo. But I’ve always written, even as a kid. I like travel literature because it can be so many things — autobiography, memoir, anthropology, prose poetry, cultural critique, history, etc. And the best combines elements of each. Writing about travel suits me because I’m only really good at writing about myself.

HC: Other than being a travel writer and the Rmax seminars, what is your schedule like? Do you teach physical training to clients?

RM: I do have a few clients that I work with several times a year, but these days I’m mainly focused on ebooks and on building our Inside Access program at BodyweightCoach.com

HC: How many countries have you been to and how often do you travel? How many days a month are you away from home? And out of these how many days are spent actually travelling, ie on flights, transit, trains, buses etc.?

RM: I think 45 countries so far. Work travel tends to come all at once, with long gaps in between. This year has been about a trip a month, but mostly to the US. Last year I was home all summer working on projects, and then did 3 trips on 3 continents in 2 months (UK/Germany, Japan, Syria). I have no idea how much is spent in transit. But as a rule I prefer to travel slow, especially if I’m on my own. Moving around less, hanging around more.

HC: How much of your travels are to uninhabited places or wilderness?

RM: As much as possible, but it’s been a while since I did an expedition style trip to someplace really remote. The past couple years have involved a lot of travel to Europe and the Middle East. I’m plotting a couple cool journeys off the map that I hope to do in 2011 or early 2012 depending on my BodyweightCoach.com production schedule.

HC: How and why do you choose these destinations? Which are your favourite destinations?

RM: I get curious about something, or start researching a country, or come up with an angle, and I call my publisher to see if he’s interested in setting something up. Occasionally they call me if they have a trip coming up that I might be interested in.

Re: favourites, I guess I like somewhat desolate landscapes. Desert places. Empty places like Mongolia. Places I don’t know very much about. (I’m not at all interested in all-inclusive places or “vacation destinations”) Mongolia is one of the coolest places I’ve ever been because to me Mongolia represents freedom, wandering, self-contained sufficiency, and I identified strongly with the rugged and independent people there. I’m also drawn in some strange way to the landscape and culture of the Mediterranean. There’s something about the stony white islands set in a translucent sea, that magical quality of the light, the wine and olives and strong hard cheese, and the slow pace of life there. It felt like going home in a sense.

HC: How often do you have to cross time zones and how do you deal with jet lag?

RM: I’ve found that melatonin helps me adjust to a new time zone a little faster. Other than that, the usual advice about sucking it up and staying awake until it’s time to sleep at the local destination holds true. I’m really good at staying awake for long stretches of time, I guess that helps.

HC: How long do you stay at each destination?

RM: Depends on the nature of the trip. Biz trips can be as short as a weekend. Magazine assignments are anywhere from a couple weeks to a month. When traveling on my own and covering a lot of ground, I found that 3 to 4 months was an ideal length of time - 6 months was a bit too much. By 6 months I seem to fall back into the same sort of patterns I took to the road in order to break. Then it’s time for a sedentary period of reading, writing, that sorta thing. Of course, the answer could just as easily be hopping a plane to a completely different type of country than the one you’re in.

HC: And what do you do at every destination other than writing? I mean are you paid to do other things like taking photographs or something?

RM: I’ve had some of my photos published, but normally just by default (because there was nothing else lol). On mag trips I usually travel with a photographer. I know several writers who do all their own stuff, and I guess you can do an okay job at both - the writing and the photography - but I don’t think you’ll ever get really great at both. It requires two different types of eye. My photographer is seeing the world in terms of frames, breaking up the view, looking at light and colours and things like that. But I can’t see those things because I’m sitting back trying to soak up the feel of a place, the poetic view. Thinking about my own past in the context of this place, and trying to feel out the next move, the next opportunity, the next thread of experience that The Road is always presenting if only you’re patient enough to wait for it. I couldn’t do that if I was always thinking about taking a pile of photos.

HC: In between destinations, do you get to go home or do you do any travelling on your own?

RM: Yeah, I’m home a lot. I’m a bit of a workaholic, I don’t go outta the house for a week or two at a time, and I don’t know very much about the city I live in. But when I do go out of the house it’s usually to someplace like Cairo rather than down the street. Yes, I sometimes extend a trip to do stuff on my own after the job is finished. I’m always able to stay longer on my own dime if I want.

HC: Do you travel alone?

RM: Yes, if I’m not on a magazine trip then I prefer to travel alone. Traveling with other people filters your experience through their eyes. The trip ends up being about them rather than that place, because you’re more concerned with the dynamic that’s happening between you. Being alone gives you space, and silence to look both outside yourself and deep within. It also forces you to be completely self-reliant — that’s important when you’re an introvert like me. Traveling alone forces me to balance my nature, to step outside my normal comfort zones.

HC: I know that you do TACFIT Commando on your travels, but is that all you do? I mean do you bring along with you any training equipment (eg Clubbells) at all?

RM: No, space is at a premium so I stick with bodyweight training. I bring a Gymboss timer but that’s about it.

HC: Do you use hotel gyms or any gyms in the local town if you had the chance to?

RM: No. I tried a hotel gym a couple times but it was just too depressing. I can get a better training session in my own hotel room, and in a fraction of the time.

HC: What is in your backpack? Do you bring your own food and/or cooking equipment?

RM: Depends on the type of trip. On expeditions, yeah, I carry food, a Whisperlite stove, water filter, all that stuff. We have to be completely self sufficient because there’s nothing else out there. But on trips to more civilized places, your best bet is to go to the spots where people who live there eat. The food’s much better. And who wants to travel halfway around the world to eat the same stuff you eat at home?

HC: How heavy is your backpack? Do you use it as a sandbag/medicine ball for training?

RM: Depends on the trip. It can get pretty heavy on expedition trips — I think the worst was 60-lbs or so, but on that trip we were being supplied by air and our food drops were 5 or 6 days apart. The first few days after restocking were tough. In other places, I try to travel light. It’s amazing how little you actually need in order to get by. And if you do need something, you can always find it there. No, I never used my pack for training on the road. After trudging around with it for days, that’s the last thing I want to pick up lol.

HC: Do you schedule your training using 4x7 in your travels? How much does your travels affect the perfect 4 formula?

RM: No, I don’t normally stick to a schedule. Training on the road is a bit like sleep - you’ve gotta get some when you can. It also depends on the type of trip. If I’m doing an expedition type thing, then that would be my “on season” so I would only do joint mobility each day, and maybe a bit of yoga/stretching for active recovery if tension is piling up. In that case the demands of the trip are what I was training for, so that’s the actual workout. If it’s a press trip or business trip and I’m staying in a hotel, I use bodyweight training to exercise in my room. At minimum I always do a top to bottom mobility session once a day. Recovery is the most important thing when putting in long work days out there (especially when my work day involves climbing around ruins or crossing deserts on a camel) - I focus on high intensity stuff and making gains when I’m back home.

HC: How often do you get to touch your Clubbells? How do you keep your finesse to handle the Clubbells?

RM: For the past couple years I’ve been using TACFIT extensively, which of course includes a lot of Clubbell stuff, so I’m pretty well always using them for something when I’m home. I also cycle dedicated Clubbell training through a couple times per year.

HC: Have you ever been in a situation whereby you have to rely upon your fitness (fighting, running, obstacles crossing etc.) for survival?

RM: Yes, several times. The martial arts training helps. I have a pretty good sense of how much I can handle, and I know when I might be in over my head. It taught me strategy, craftiness, never to give too much away (i.e. put on the naïve face and bumble through rather than confront; hide certain skills and only reveal them suddenly if needed), and it also gave me the ability to fight my way out when necessary - and it’s been necessary on a few occasions. That sort of training changes the way you carry yourself. Assailants are looking for a victim, an easy mark to take advantage of, and they assume you’ll roll over because you’re alone. But when you flip that switch and “turn it on” they sense your willingness and your ability to fight, and they almost always walk the other way. That’s been my experience at least.

As for the physical discomforts of travel – the aches and pains, the endless monotony of waiting, the illnesses — it helps with that too. My early martial arts training taught me a lot, I guess because it was so brutal. The beatings we took and that we gave each other as a part of the day to day training were worse than anything I would encounter out there. It has a lot to do with mental toughness. And the fitness side plays into this too. You know that you’ve been in tough situations before and have gotten through, so there’s every reason to believe you’ll get through again. And you come to realize that pain is just pain (within reason, of course!) – you gain the ability to distinguish pain (discomfort) from injury.

HC: Other than the physical challenges of travelling, what mental challenges do you face and how do you deal with them?

RM: The physical can be a grind, but for me the greatest challenge has always been the mental. I’m an introvert, but on the road you have to force yourself to be an extrovert – to talk to people, to ask the way, to fight back sometimes against those who would take advantage of you. Travel forces me to balance my nature. Whenever I feel my world closing in too much I know it’s time to go off again. It’s always painful at first; that never seems to change. I get excited to research a trip in theory, but as the final days count down the last thing I want to do is to go, to break out of the comfortable routine I’ve built. Of course when that plane glides in, when I get that first whiff of diesel smoke from third world streets, curiosity and enthusiasm take over and there’s no place I’d rather be.

HC: Have you served in the military or tactical occupation?

RM: No. I have a lot of respect for the jobs those folks do and the skills they develop. But I have a fundamental problem with the military that would disqualify me from such a career. I hate getting up early, and I hate getting yelled at.

HC: Did you face any opposition when promoting TACFIT to the tactical community?

RM: Just the usual resistance or skepticism when offering something new. It helped when actual tactical operators started buying the program, working with it, and then talking about it online. The fact that those guys raved about it lent TACFIT a lot of credibility. It’s the same when we go in to do a seminar or workshop - as soon as these guys try it you see the lights coming on as they realize how applicable it is to the demands of their jobs.

HC: Could you give us some information on future TACFIT releases?

RM: TACFIT Kettlebell Spetsnaz (www.kettlebelltactical.com) is coming out in a couple weeks - it might be out by the time you publish this interview. After that, we’re going to launch TACFIT Mass Assault properly. That program was only offered as part of a promo and later alongside TACFIT Commando during a product launch. We’re releasing it publicly, with new components added (we added a second section that doubles the size). I think that will be out about a month after the kettlebell program.

HC: Thanks again Coach Murdock for taking the time to answer these questions.

For more stories on Ryan's travels, visit Ryan's blog Ryan Murdock's Road Wisdom.

This interview was first published in RMAX Magazine. Click here to download it: RMAX Magazine 8.5.

What are the Intuitive Training Protocols

2010-10-05T15:27:00.006+08:00

What is safe? What is unsafe?

How to determine how much you can push before you throw in the towel?

What is hardcore? What is plain stupid?

How to determine if you have done enough, too little or too much?

How to determine when to progress?

I am sure these are just some of the many questions beginners often ask. And actually, there is one answer than answers them all: "it depends". Depends on what? Depends on the Intuitive Training Protocols.

Let the Protocols come and answer these questions once and for all. These are your "form police", or rather your "guardian angels" that keep you within the safe zone.

1) Rate of Perceived Technique (RPT). This is the subjective evaluation of your technique on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst technique, 10 being the best technique that you can ever do in your current condition. Your technique must be 8 and above at all times to be safe and effective.

More on proper Technique would be expounded under the 7 Key Components of Structure.

2) Rate of Perceived Discomfort (RPD). This is the subjective evaluation of your discomfort or pain on a scale of 0 to 10, 0 being none, 1 being minimal discomfort, 10 being the worst pain you could ever imagine. Your discomfort must be 3 and below at all times to be safe.

3) Rate of Perceived Effort (RPE). This is the subjective evaluation of how hard you work on a scale of 0 to 10, 0 being none, 1 being minimal effort, 10 being the maximal effort that you gauge you can put out at your current condition.

Depending on your training schedule, you vary your effort as dictated by the intensity. More of this to be covered under 4x7.

So answering the questions as posted above:

Q: What is safe? What is unsafe?

A: Safe is RPT => 8 and RPD =< 3. Unsafe is when these two criteria are not satisfied.

Q: How to determine how much you can push before you throw in the towel?

A: As long as RPT => 8 and RPD =< 3, you can max out your RPE.

Q: What is hardcore? What is plain stupid?

A: Hardcore is doing one more rep despite your body telling you to quit. Of course the above conditions of RPT => 8 and RPD =< 3 must be satisfied. Stupidity is not paying attention to the technique and discomfort and keep going on despite poor technique and discomfort/pain. This can result in injury.

Q: How to determine if you have done enough, too little or too much?

A: No Intensity is RPE 1-2, Low Intensity is RPE 3-4, Moderate Intensity is RPE 5-7, High Intensity is RPE 8-10. Intensity can be adjusted by changing the number of sets/reps/rounds, exercise complexity, changing the rest periods, changing the density, changing the resistance etc.

Q: How to determine when to progress?

A: When RPE drops to =< 6 while keeping RPT => 8 and RPD =< 3 for a certain exercise or program, you can progress to the next level, this can mean adding more reps, adding more weight or progressing to a more complex movement.

What are the 6 Degrees of Freedom

2010-10-05T11:06:00.003+08:00

We all have been taught in fitness school that the body moves in three planes of motion: sagittal, frontal and transverse.

Now, there is nothing wrong with this model, but limited. Because:
1) It does not describe the type of movement along these planes.
2) It can become very difficult to define these planes in positions other than the anatomical position.

In CST, and in aeronautics, we use the 6 Degrees of Freedom model to describe human movement.

This is a more complete model as:
1) It describes not only the planes of movements, but also the type of movement - translational or rotational.
2) You do not need to define the planes of motion, just the movement. Therefore it can be very easy to define a movement in other than anatomical position, eg from a very twisted pose in yoga.

Some examples of movements in each degree of freedom include:

Translational
Surge: walking forward/backward
Sway: sidestepping
Heave: jumping up and down

Rotational
Pitch: forward/backward somersault
Roll: cartwheel
Yaw: turning left/right

Try defining the above exercise in the 3 planes of motion. I can't. Maybe i am just stupid or inexperienced. But i can easily define it in 6 Degrees of Freedom: pitch, yaw and sway.

For more info, check out these articles in Wikipedia:
Six Degrees of Freedom
Degrees of Freedom (mechanics)

To start training in 6 degrees of freedom, check out Flowfit:

What is Circular Strength Training

2010-10-04T22:05:00.008+08:00

Circular Strength Training (CST) is a health-first fitness system.

A system can be defined as:
1) An organized set of interrelated ideas or principles.
2) An organized and coordinated method; a procedure.
(source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/system)

Therefore it is not just a program, neither a collection of programs, but a way of looking at things, a different perspective and application of the science of physical performance and human movement as a whole.

CST is a movement art, as contra to sports science or exercise physiology.
Science defines, art applies.
Science is definitive, art is elusive.
Science defines, art challenges.
Science is black or white, art is colourful.
Science says "yes" or "no", art says "maybe".
Science asks "why", art asks "why not".
Science is easily understood, art is often misunderstood.

Our fitness hierarchy is:

1) Health - being pain-free.

2) Mobility - the ability to move freely in all directions and in complex patterns.

3) Function - the ability to do normal human movements efficiently and effectively, ie run, squat, jump, lift, throw etc.

4) Attributes - "fitness" qualities like strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance etc.

5) Physique - how the body looks.

CST consist of three integrated "rings" of:

1) Joint mobility - the ability of the joints to move freely in full range of motion in various patterns and directions.

2) Bodyweight agility and coordination, aka Prasara Bodyflow Yoga - the ability of the body to move freely in full range of motion in various shapes, patterns and directions.

3) Athletic weight lifting and swinging, including Clubbell swinging - the ability to wield an external object in full range of motion in various patterns and directions.

Refer to www.rmaxinternational.com for the full story of CST.

And a concise definition of the system here: http://www.rmaxinternational.com/flowcoach/?page_id=218

So You Think You Have to Train Three Times A Week

2010-09-23T15:41:00.001+08:00

Alright folks, the original 4x7 template may not be suitable for everyone, especially those who revolve their lives around the 7 day cycle.

So does that mean that you can go back to the conventional 3 times a week microcycle? One day on one day off, two days on one day off etc.? So you have to keep weekends free? And many other concerns?

Do not fret. Here are two official variations from the classic 4x7 model: the 7x4.

Version 1

Day 1: No Intensity

Day 2: Low Intensity

Day 3: Moderate Intensity

Day 4: No Intensity

Day 5: Low Intensity

Day 6: Moderate Intensity

Day 7: High Intensity

Version 2

Day 1: No Intensity

Day 2: No Intensity

Day 3: Low Intensity

Day 4: Low Intensity

Day 5: Moderate Intensity

Day 6: Moderate Intensity

Day 7: High Intensity

The definition of No, Low, Mod and High can be found in my previous post.

Repeat the 7 day cycle 4 times for a total of 28 days.

Using these variations, you can keep the microcycle the same every week. If you need to keep your weekends free, just put Saturday or Sunday as No or Low, depending on which version you are using.

Again, if you are asking why they are scheduled like this, it is to ensure that you have enough recovery before doing any High Intensity training. Each day in the cycle serves a purpose and therefore they are placed in this order.

Have fun with your training.

If you need me to structure a 7x4 cycle for you, please do not hesitate to visit my website or email me at hermanchauw@gmail.com

If You Think You are Hardcore, You Need to Read This

2010-09-23T11:15:00.004+08:00

I encounter these comment/questions frequently (not exact words but the idea is there, emphasis mine):

"Everytime after i go to the gym, i am sore for a few days. Anything wrong? What should i do?"

"My arms are sore from yesterday's session. Can i go to the gym today?"

"Keep doing pullups until you cannot do any more. Do everyday."

So the impression i get from this type of comments are that:

1) They are training High Intensity every time they go to the gym.

2) Training has to be High Intensity, aka "Go Heavy or Go Home".

3) Training means training to failure, otherwise it's not counted.

Are you doing these or any combinations of these?

If you do, you are looking for trouble. If you are young and/or just starting out, probably some of these methods can work, for some time. But it is just that, for some time. You need to balance the work forces and the restorative forces to have real long lasting progress and freedom from injury.

It is just a matter of time that you would hit a wall, get sick or get injured. It is just a natural law. When you are training, you are breaking your body down. If you don't give it the recovery it needs, it won't get stronger. And by recovery i don't mean passive rest. I mean doing joint mobility, yoga and other light activities to enhance the natural recovery rate.

Whether you train 3x per week, 5x per week or 6x per week is not so much a matter as getting full recovery before you hit another High Intensity session. If you are training High Intensity every two days, your High Intensity will get lower and lower as you don't get enough recovery. Even if you are training different bodyparts on every session, the fatigue goes systemic.

Anyway, rather than boring you with options - you can get confused from too many choices - which you don't know how or what to choose, i would just propose to you a better way to periodize your microcycle and mesocycle. If you don't know what these mean, Google them. I am not going to spoonfeed you.

Why do i say that you don't know what to choose? Finding the perfect training split for each individual is a time consuming process. And if you are just an average guy training without an expert coach, you would do better following a proven formula than trying to come up with your own perfect training split. I say formula because it is just a guideline. It is not a must to do this. But this template is good enough that you do not need to tinker with it for good results. And i can vouch that the results can be better than if you try to tweak it.

I myself would rather and do follow this formula to the letter than try to find a perfect training split.

The formula is none other than the 4x7 (pronounced "four by seven").

Day 1: No Intensity (RPE 1-2)
AM: Intu-Flow joint mobility ONLY

Day 2: Low Intensity (RPE 3-4)
AM: Intu-Flow joint mobility
PM: Prasara Yoga

Day 3: Moderate Intensity (RPE 5-7)

AM: Intu-Flow joint mobility

Moderate intensity workout. Of course it is assumed that you do your warm up and cool down.

PM: Prasara Yoga

Day 4: High Intensity (RPE 8-10)

AM: Intu-Flow joint mobility

High intensity workout. Of course it is assumed that you do your warm up and cool down.

PM: Prasara Yoga

And you repeat these four consecutive days seven times for a total of 28 days.

Now i know what is your concern. "Doing only one High Intensity session every four days is not enough." But without going through the technical explanations, in the simplest explanation, these four days are designed in such a way to maximize your performance. It is designed to ride the wave of your body's natural recovery and energy fluctuations. Any more frequent and your High Intensity would suffer.

Of course this formula will not work for 100% of the population. You can tweak it to your own unique rhythm. I am not going to tell you just yet how to tweak it. Because tendency for people who are told "do this" is that they would ask "can i do this instead, or this, or this". Just do this for a start. You will notice a difference not just in your performance but also your health.

If you don't know how to craft your own 4x7, get me for personal training.

Casting My Bread Upon the Waters

2010-09-01T22:07:00.001+08:00

Dear Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

For this post-Youth Olympic Games season i am going to give away 5 free personal training packages (up to SGD$990 value) for 5 Singapore people. That’s right 5 personal training packages absolutely free of charge.

What you need to do to get yours is submit a 200-word story of yourself and why you should get it. This offer is open for five days from 2 September through 6 September 2010. Submit your story by hitting the “comment” button now. Only comments submitted within these five days would be considered for the free training.

These packages comprise of:

-Free fitness consultation(s) to discuss your goals and program options.

-Free coaching on the exercises and everything you need to know to negotiate through your training program.

The five spots available are open to:

1) One chronic pain rehab client (back pain, knee pain, chronic ankle sprain etc.)

2) One post-op rehab client (ACL recon, meniscus repair etc.)

3) One strength & conditioning client (for golf, ball sports, martial arts etc.)

4) One prehab client (sedentary but otherwise pain free and want to have better overall fitness)

5) One fat loss client (looking to lose weight but otherwise pain free)

Terms and conditions:

-Follow the program(s) to the letter. Which means you may need to purchase training programs and/or equipment. You will need to get out of your comfort zone and get uncomfortable doing something different from what you have been doing. You are required to keep a training log and submit it regularly to me through email. You are required to write a testimonial and/or review at certain intervals.

-Training times are flexible, however location would be at my place (Blk 128 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, Singapore 310128) or somewhere at my convenience.

-I reserve the right to terminate any packages if you do not follow instructions.

Click here to submit your story now -> http://www.hermanchauw.com/free-personal-training/

My Journey to TACFIT

2010-08-18T00:31:00.002+08:00

When the original TACFIT program was published in late 2008 i didn't pay much attention to it. I was having the time of my life training kettlebell sport (aka Girevoy Sport) and making a lot of improvement through the 4x7 periodization model.

Actually i wasn't really into kb sport per se. If you know me, i am not a fan of air-conditioned commercial or public gyms which are infested with either bodybuilding types or toning types. Therefore since a long time ago, my mainstay is training outdoor or at home, using bodyweight or portable equipment.

What i was looking for, and am now still looking for (or i would love to say have found, in TACFIT, but that still has to be proven until i finish the whole program), was a sustainable, fast, efficient, effective training program(s) and tool(s) that can be done anytime anywhere. Giving you elite fitness (attributes of strength, strength endurance, cardio respiratory endurance) and skills (complex movement in 6 degrees of freedom (dof)) in minimal time and maximal results.

Classic kb lifting (aka kb sport) was (and still is) marketed as the best (if not one of the best) tools to achieve the said goals. And therefore i jumped into the deep end of the pool to be one of the first kb instructors in Singapore (2006). Indeed it is fast, efficient and effective in giving you the results of the said goals.

I wasn't really into the sport of kb lifting per se, but it was one of the only tool that i knew at that time that fits my requirements. Other systems which included olympic lifts and/or power lifts do not interest me because of the specialized equipment required. I had nothing to lose by picking it up anyway, so i immersed myself in reps after reps under the bells, doing the competition lifts and their variations in the hundreds. It felt great. And i have the Low Intensity Days to practice my bodyweight agility and coordination which keeps my bodyweight movements polished.

I thought i had the perfect training system. Anyway i am training my whole body every workout. And it has been touted to have great carry over to other activities. So i thought.

The programs i learned at CST (Clubbell swinging, Flowfit, Forward Pressure etc) were kept in the closet.

Until i picked up Krav Maga. I haven't punched in years since my Taekwondo days. While i was proficient in kicking and supporting my bodyweight on my hands from capoeira and Prasara, i was not used to explosive movements involving the arms (remember kb sport is about as much legs and as little arms as possible). Doing just a little boxing drills made my arms very sore for days. Taking impact on my upper limbs doing the 360 defense made my arms sore for days.

Wake up call! What the heck is going on? I could jerk and long cycle two 24kg bells for ten minutes, jerk one such bell for 30 minutes or more, and my upper limbs can't even take the abuse of combative classes? I achieved Rank I of World Kettlebell Club rankings in the long cycle unofficially in my training and i can't even take hits to my body?

It's time to rethink my training program. Alright, so locking out the bells reps after reps overhead does little for my functional fitness, functional defined as suited for my activities. Am i in control of my training, or is my training controlling me? What do i really want? A sport? I need a more rounded fitness system, one that not only moves my body in the 6dof, but also to move external objects in these directions, including explosive movements.

Just a few weeks after this realization, Coach Scott Sonnon released TACFIT Commando (TFC). Time to empty my cup and let the Flow Coach fill it. Since i already am a fan of bodyweight exercise, i bought it the moment it was out. It is the best bodyweight training program i ever learned. Though i have a bigger vocabulary from capoeira, but with regards to learning how to put it together into a training program, TFC does a much better job.

Yet i was still reluctant to buy the original TACFIT program, cost being the biggest factor, and the other is the equipment required.

And then my client Chad from Vietnam wanted to have a TACFIT cert held there, and since Sascha my Krav Maga instructor has already wanted me to conduct physical training (PT) for the KM class in the future, i jumped out of the swimming pool of TFC into the ocean of the original TACFIT.

Having been introduced to various protocols used in TACFIT from various sources, Tabata from TFC and TF Rope, "every minute on the minute" and "as many rounds as possible" from Flowfit and "for time" from Trial By Fire, i was already excited about doing it even before i reviewed all the 26 workouts.

I have just finished Bravo and it is too early to say how this program would transform my fitness abilities but i have big expectations. Not only does it include kettlebell movements, which i have drilled into my nervous system for the past few years, but at the highest levels, the kettlebell required is 32kg. Some programs require the use of 1 or 2 Clubbells and the highest levels call for 35lbs or 45lbs.

At time of writing this article, i believe i have in my hands the ultimate fitness (sub)system ever created. Not only does it have bodyweight training (which is my favourite anyway), kb lifting (my love affair for the past couple of years) and Clubbell swinging (pretty much uncharted territory other than the Trial By Fire), but it has all of them or a combination of a few of them at every program. No two consecutive program is the same. To be able to complete the highest levels for every program is a big achievement with a capital "B". It will take a few years to progress to Alpha for every program.

Alright that's all i want to say for now. Meanwhile i am going to enjoy my journey through the 26 programs and post my review regularly on Rmax forums.

Oh before i forget, TACFIT certification course is going to be held in Singapore on 7-8 Dec, 20010. Right after the CST Instructor Cert and Flowfighting. Please book a spot for yourself asap if you want to be part of this revolution.

And i would like to invite you to join me in my trainings as i go through the programs to prepare for the cert.

Drop me an email at hermanchauw@gmail.com.

And i recommend you to pick up the TACFIT program or TACFIT Commando. You won't regret buying them.

Be Conservative

2010-08-13T14:17:00.001+08:00

It has come to my attention that people coming for my classes, or people who start a physical training program, inevitably try to do too much on the first day. This is a sure ticket to burnout.

The reason being you think that the workout is too tough for you, resulting in you not continuing the program.

Defeats the purpose of you starting it in the first place.

A more reasonable approach would be to follow the 4x7 (or 7x4 if your schedule revolves around the weekly cycle) periodization model:

Day 1: No Intensity RPE 1-2
AM: A long session of Intu-Flow joint mobility.

Day 2: Low Intensity RPE 3-4
AM: A long session of Intu-Flow joint mobility (as above)
PM: A long session of Prasara Yoga.

Day 3: Moderate Intensity RPE 5-7
AM: A long session of Intu-Flow joint mobility (as above)
Workout: A short session of Intu-Flow joint mobility, followed by a Moderate Intensity workout, cool down with a short session of Prasara Yoga.
PM: A long session of Prasara Yoga (as above, optional)

Day 4: High Intensity RPE 8-10

AM: A long session of Intu-Flow joint mobility (as above)

Workout: A short session of Intu-Flow joint mobility, followed by a High Intensity workout, cool down with a short session of Prasara Yoga.

PM: A long session of Prasara Yoga (as above, optional)

Repeat the 4-day cycle 7 times for a total of 28 days. Every time you are on a High Day, increase your work load (usually volume) to increase the intensity one notch. Maintain it for the next Moderate Day. And repeat the whole process for each cycle.

In other words, your first workout must be a Moderate Intensity one. This would prime your body (and brain) for the High Intensity session to follow.

Another very important reason is you want to ensure that your technique is sound (RPT 8-10) for all your workouts. The Moderate Day is the time for you to practice your technique. When fatigue is minimal at the beginning of the workout, your technique would be superb. But as fatigue builds up towards the middle and end of the session, your technique would be harder to keep at a high level. If your technique is not stable, if you have not practiced is sufficiently, it would deteriorate, putting you at risk of injury. And we don't want injury.

There is no rush to hit a High Intensity on the first day. You need to restrain yourself and follow the intensity wave of no-low-mod-high. There would be days when your energy is high and you want to hit a High Intensity Day, but you need restrain yourself and follow the prescribed program for that day. If you have followed instructions properly, you would be rewarded with seven High Intensity Days in a month, ie seven performance peaks. Yes, not three, not four, but seven. Does that sound good to you? No other program promises such improvement as this.

Alright that's it for today. Let me know your experiences with the 4x7 by posting a comment.

TACFIT Mass Assault Level 4

2010-08-10T17:52:00.000+08:00

Fially finished Level 4 of Mass Assault.

Check out the video here:

Comments on specific exercises:

RDL Curl (L4) is very demanding on the balance.

Bridge Press Alternating Stabilized (L4) is tough but not that tough. A fun exercise for repping out. After blasting your arms and shoulders with it, the Bent Press (L4) is a welcome treat. Less brute strength from the arms and using more skill to lockout the weight. Even if you wanted to, your arms would be spent from all the pressing.

Bent Over Row Alternating Stabilized (L4) is a beast. I feel that it is the toughest in terms of strength used. Every part of your body is just screaming for mercy from the exercise.

Dragon Stance Lift Up (L4) is crazy hard on the balance.

Clean and Arm Cast (L4) is another fun one which can be done in high reps. A good mix of ballistic and grind in one exercise.

On the other note, the question that i assume is on everybody's mind is "how much muscle have you gained"?

To be frank, my program hasn't been ideal, with travels and lack of proper equipment. However, i did gain a kg, from 57+ to 58+kg. Not bad if you consider the unideal situation. If i had the proper equipment, i believe i could have gained a little bit more.

Clubbell Mass Assault Level 3

2010-08-04T22:45:00.000+08:00

I am back home and resumed my mass assault 4x7. I only displaced my schedule by one cycle, not two as mentioned before as i took a few days of No/Low for the days i was on the road.

So here is Level 3:

Comments on specific exercises:

One Leg Romanian Deadlift (L3) is unexpectedly easy.

Bridge Press Alternating (L3) is slightly harder than Bridge Press Twist (L2). Not as big of a jump as from L1 to L2.

Ditto for Side Press (L3).

Bent Over Row (L3) is much harder than Incline Row (L2). Since it is not possible to use the barbell grip without hitting my face. The reverse leverage grip makes it tough on the grip and overall tension demand.

Split Stance Lift Up (L3) is hard. Looks easy since it is not a stepping lunge, but because you are rotating >180 degrees, the stabilization demand is much more.

Clean (L3) is easy, slight rest for the grip and body.

As an aside, on the days i was away i designed bodyweight analogs to the original program. I'll upload videos of this after i finish my main cycle.

Next up Level 4. Finally, after several disruptions this 4x7 would be completed in 1.5 months.

TACFIT MAss Assault Level 2 Report

2010-07-26T11:15:00.000+08:00

So i have just finished Cycle 5 (Level 2) of Mass Assault.

Check out the video here:

Overall Level 2 difficulty is up a notch from Level 1. Some of the movements were altered significantly from the original to accommodate the different grip of the Clubbells.

Some comments on specific exercises:

Bridge Press Twist (L2) is just a subtle difference in movement compared to Bridge Press Hammer (L1) but it makes an unexpectedly huge difference in the difficulty. After finishing L1 with 13 reps, i expected to be able to crank out at least 11 reps in L2, but the first time i did it, my muscles were spent at 9 reps.

At first i tried the Windmill with torch grip, but realised it was too unstable. Going through it sets after sets with the Clubbell up in torch would be suicide so i changed it to leverage grip which is more stable. Stable but humbling. I could only grip it at the end of the cone. Crazy! To do it at zero choke is a superhuman feat, which is something i can work towards.

As an aside, in the midst of designing the Clubbell variations for this program, i have discovered (or rediscovered, if somebody has done them before) some really cool and tough variations of the Windmill, Side Press and Bent Press. This would be covered in a future video. ;)

Lunge Twist Press (L2) is much more unstable compared to Twisting Press (L1). It is a challenge just to guide the bells in its proper path.

Push Press (L2) is changed to Arm Cast because, as mentioned above, to torch the Clubbell with one hand, it is suicide. It is very tough already anyway at the end of the set after five grinds.

Alright, Level 3 is up next but my schedule is going to be disrupted with an overseas assignment so i would displace it by two full cycles. Meaning i have to repeat Cycle 5 again.

Overall a very humbling experience. The Clubbells are only 15lbs but some of the movements i can only perform them at full choke or even more at the cone. This only shows that you don't really need dumbbells for this program. To go to zero choke for all exercises is a feat in itself.

Till then, stay tuned.

TACFIT Mass Assault Level 1 Report

2010-07-03T16:06:00.000+08:00

Hey guys, just a little bit of introduction why i came up with a Clubbell version of Mass Assault.

1) I have no dumbbells and i am not about to fork out another hundred bucks or so getting a set of dumbbells. I could get a set cheaper from my kettlebell supplier but the next shipment is not so soon, so that option is out.

2) I already have Clubbells, obviously. And might as well use them. And since they are designed for micro increments of load through adjusting the choke depth, they are perfect for this program. Just requires some thinking to figure out the movements with them.

3) I have kettlebells, and could do some variations like what CST Coach Shane Heins does. But i have no interest in switching between Clubbells and kettlebells and having more than 2 pieces of equipment at any one workout.

Take note that the exercises are meant to be done back to back, so the less switching and less changing of equipment is better.

Just like the majority of Singaporeans, i live in a HDB flat which is quite cramped and have low ceiling. So i prefer to train oudoors. And that means i have to lug my equipment with me. I don't have nor live in a gym. And i am not going to lug a few kettlebells and a few Clubbells at any one time.

So here's a short video of what i did.

Ok, enough about why. Just a bit of feedback after my Cycle 1 High Day.

The protocol of 3.5 minutes on, 1 minute off, with all exercises back to back is really a killer. Every round, i must have done at least 50 total reps. The name of the game in this program is time under tension (TUT) and the protocol does an excellent job of making sure you have the required TUT for muscle gain.

And it is all grinds after grinds (i hate grinds!) except for the last exercise whereby you are given a slight break with a ballistic.

If you know me, i have not been doing any hypertrophy program for ages. Switching from Commando to Mass Assault is a 180 degrees turn in the kind of demand to the body. From burst-recover-burst to sustained effort.

The program calls for six rounds of 3.5 minutes. Just one round is tough enough. My whole body already feels the fatigue not even halfway through the first round.

And double the evil is the use of Clubbells. In this program i am using only 15lbs. If you are familiar with them, you'd know that the grip is the limiting factor for practically all exercises. And boy they do fry the grip like no other. Twisting Press is designed for one hand in the original dumbbell version, but to Torch Press the Clubbell one handed, after four grip intensive exercises before it takes inhuman strength.

Anyway, that's it for now. Stay tuned for Level 2. ;)

Tacfit Commando Recruit Mission 2 After Action Report

2010-07-02T15:02:00.000+08:00

So i have just completed Recruit Mission 2.

On the surface, the movements looks innocent enough and don't seem to look tough at all. It looks to be easier than Mission 1. Hey, the dreaded Push Ups are no more there.

However, looks are deceiving.

In Mission 1 i had some excess energy to do some extra GTG pull ups and pistols, but not in Mission 2.

Revolving Table is easy. I maxed out my reps for this exercise from the first couple of cycles.

Bear Squats are harder than they look. I forgot that there was a Lunge Twist in the beginning of the workout to fatigue the legs.

For Scorpion Crucifix, with my vest on, the movement is a lot more restrictive.

With the vest, Bridge Clap is actually easier than without, as there is less height to raise the hips. But transitioning to and from standing is more cumbersome. That itself is an exercise that i did not expect.

Overall experience was refreshing as Mission 1. Vest and no vest, boots and no boots, all made a big difference in the ease of movement.

Next, i am taking a break from Commando and taking on Mass Assault with Clubbells ONLY.

Stay tuned.

But Your Exercise is so Strenuous

2010-06-04T14:52:00.000+08:00

When i show you explosive movements like kettlebell swings and invite you to join me, what would you think?

I bet more than one of you would say "but your exercise is so strenuous", or if you are more blunt "i think it is too strenuous for me therefore no thanks".

But is that just your perception or the reality? Can we quantify what is strenuous? To put it more specifically, can we quantify intensity? What are the some of the factors that affect intensity?

In this article, i hope to address some of these questions and remove the apprehension that some may have regarding proper exercise.

Resistance

Which is more intense, lifting 10kg or 100kg? Obviously the answer is 100kg. Manipulating resistance is one of the easiest way to changing intensity.

Volume

This refers to the total work done. Assuming you are running at a fixed pace, which is more intense, running 1km or 10km? Obviously the answer is 10km.

Even if you run slow enough, at an enough volume, it would feel intense. An example is marathon.

Pace or tempo

This refers to the frequency of the exercise being done. Assuming you are doing a total of 100 push ups. Which is more intense, 1 push up every minute for 100 minutes or 1 push up every 4 seconds for 400 seconds? Obviously 1 push up every 4 seconds.

Rest periods

Related to the point above. Assuming you are doing 10 sets of 10 push ups. Which is more intense, 1 hour rest between sets or 1 minute rest between sets? Obviously the answer is 1 minute rest.

Motor complexity (sophistication)

This refers to how complex are the movements used in the workout. This one has not such a straightforward answer as all the other variables. But we'll still attempt to compare like with like.

Which is more intense:
1) 10 pull ups followed by 10 dips or
2) 10 muscle ups? A muscle up is a pull up and a dip combined.

Though the resistance is the same, and the volume is the same, most people would agree that the muscle ups are more intense. Why is that so? A simple explanation is that because the nervous system has to work harder because of the higher level of motor complexity.

So back to our issue "but your exercise is so strenuous". I have received this comment from people looking solely at the movement, ie before even considering resistance, tempo, rest period etc.

So it is clear that in their mind, the more complex the movement is, the more intense is the exercise.

I am going to tell you that this is not true. All of the variables i listed above play a part in determining intensity, ie they are all inter-related.

Let's take an example. Soccer vs marathon. It is obvious that soccer involves more skill than just running, ie soccer skills are more complex than running. But anybody who has common sense would tell you that playing an hour of soccer is easier than completing a marathon.

Other examples would be speaking, writing, typing, driving, playing musical instruments. These are skills much more complex than kettlebell lifting, yet a big majority of the population engage in them. Are they strenuous activities?

So what to do? In the above example, i purposely choose an apple vs orange comparison because in real life that is how people compare things. Kettlebell lifting is compared with other more common sports and is perceived to be "more strenuous".

What makes you think that kettlebell lifting is more strenuous than marathon? I think marathon is more strenous than kettlebell lifting.

To put a stop to all ambiguity, we'll use a quantifiable measure. Assign a number to the intensity and we can compare like with like. This number is the Rate of Perceived Effort (RPE). This is the subjective measure of the performer of the movement on what is the effort he/she exerts. On a scale of 0 to 10, 0 being no intensity, 1 minimal and 10 maximal.

Taking the soccer vs marathon example again. An hour of recreational soccer maybe would have a variable RPE of 6 maybe 7 (moderate). A marathon would likely be a 10 (high) for most mere mortals.

Is it a perfect measure? By no means, but it makes for a more meaningful comparison between different activities.

So if i am doing my kettlebell practice and my RPE for that session is 5 (moderate), is it strenuous?

Take Home Lessons From Various Disciplines

2010-06-03T10:14:00.001+08:00

If you could summarize in one sentence what is the biggest impact each discipline made on me what would it be?

Here is mine.

Artistic gymnastics. Taught me the importance of perfect technique for all exercises.

Eastern martial arts. Taught me how to use the hips and core for strength.

Bodybuilding. Taught me the classic lifts of weight training and their technique.

Capoeira. Taught me liberation of movement from classical gymnastics and sophistication.

Physiotherapy. Taught me the importance of keeping yourself free from injuries and how.

Strength & Conditioning. Taught me the tools for physical training in a systematic manner.

Kettlebell Lifting. Taught me the value of overhead lifting, endurance and relaxation.

Circular Strength Training. Taught me all of the above combined and more in a systematic manner.

Mass Produced Programs vs Customized Programs

2010-06-02T23:56:00.000+08:00

Have you heard of people designing their own programs based around isolation or machine exercises?

Have you heard of people designing their own programs based on ineffective exercises and wonder why they don't make progress or reach their fitness goals?

I believe the answer to the above questions is yes for a lot of people. I was guilty of these at certain points in my training experience.

I want to bring to your attention the value of good, well designed, mass produced fitness programs.

Are you crazy, Herman? Isn't every body different? And hence different program design tailored to individual needs?

Let's take an analogy here. Would you rather buy a ready made car or custom made your own design (and maybe manufacture it to your specification)?

For most of us, the obvious answer is a ready made car. Unless you have the expertise to custom make your own car, nobody in their right mind would venture out to invest precious time and money on a project not guaranteed to work.

Yet this is what we see in the fitness world. Newbies or weekend warriors "create" their own program (if it can be called a program at all) without guidance from a personal trainer or fitness professional and wonder why they are not losing enough fat or not getting their back pain free.

On the other hand, mass produced fitness programs designed by "master coaches" or somebody of extensive expertise and experience are more likely to work better, a lot better, than these frankenstein programs. Of course there are lousy mass produced fitness programs but that is another story.

See it this way, my friend, these coaches have spent time in the trenches to study human performance much longer and deeper than you do. They have studied the art and science of program design more than you do. Therefore they know how to design effective programs better than you do. Why wouldn't you want to try them out? Why do you think you can do a better job than them? Why reinvent the wheel and take the risk of it not working?

If you have not done a good mass produced fitness program and feel its effect on your own body, what makes you think you can gauge the effect of your own frankenstein program?

Put it another way, if you can't follow a recipe, what makes you think you can create a good recipe?

I have always been fascinated by good program design. I purchase a lot of mass produced fitness programs designed by Scott Sonnon and the guys at CST. And i learn a lot more about program design just studying their programs than trying to design my own programs from guides.

Well designed mass produced programs are well worth the investment into educating yourself in program design. You can study all the guides in the world but if you have never experienced a good program, you can't design a good program as you have nothing to compare with.

How can you be sure that mass produced programs work for everyone?

For the simple reason that everybody is different. Therefore even though everybody may be doing the same exercises, each person is getting a different effect from each exercise. So in this manner there is customization within the program.

Let's just take an arbitrary program composed of just two movements as an example 1) squat and 2) push up.

Two athletes are doing the same program. Athlete A is strong in the upper body, weak in the lower body. Athlete B is strong in the lower body, weak in the upper body.

A may have a hard time with the squats but breezing through the push ups.

B may have a hard time with the push ups but breezing through the squats.

Two totally opposite effects for two different people doing the same program. But the training effects are going to create a better balance between their upper body and lower body.

People are have different mobility, flexibility, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance and many more factors that you cannot expect any two people to get the exact same effect.

Left to themselves A would prefer push ups and B would prefer squats, at the exclusion of the other exercise. We are just lazy bastards who hate what we don't do well in. But with a mass produced program, each is forced to fight through their weaknesses and become a more balanced athlete.

Are you struggling with ineffective programs? Three options for you:
1) Join our FlowfitⓇ class.
2) Take up personal training.
3) Purchase any of the products that i have on the right side bar and do them.

Keep me updated of your progress.

If I Let You Use The Equipment, You'll Realize You Don't Need Me

2010-05-30T00:32:00.003+08:00

I came across this interesting article 10 Things Your Personal Trainer Won't Tell You.

Most of the points talks about the business side and interpersonal relationship of the personal training business. Some of these are indeed true of not-so-ethical trainers.

However, what caught my interest the most was this:

5. "If I let you use the equipment, you'll realize you don't need me."

Does your trainer steer you away from the abs machine, making you do crunches with a medicine ball instead? Trainers are sometimes told not to spend too much time teaching clients how to use the big equipment for fear that once they get comfortable, they'll want to go it alone. That's why trainers might emphasize coordination exercises and rely on smaller props like stability balls, resistance tubing or bands, and balance tools, the three types of gear most frequently used by trainers. This type of "functional training" helps prep clients for popular recreational activities like tennis and skiing, as well as basic movements like bending down during household chores. But larger equipment also has its benefits; it can bring speedy results in strength-building and help keep weight off.

"The best trainers serve clients by helping them become independent exercisers," Cotton says. He suggests asking prospective trainers how they'll help you get there. A spokesperson for the National Exercise Trainers Association says it encourages trainers to prove to clients there's more to working out than using big machines, in part because of the benefits of functional training.

Though i agree with the conclusion to help people "become independent exercisers", but the heading and reasoning given in para 1 is really disturbing.

Overall i find this article is missing the point of the real nature of exercise instruction. A gross misunderstanding on the nature of motor learning.

The article seems to suggest that:

1) You can do machines or functional movements in exclusion of the other.

I won't go through all that debate of machines vs free weights.

The article seems to suggest that functional training is not needed. Of course the use of the specific functional training equipment is not needed. I mean before people invented these equipment, people are already functional. But the idea of functional training needs to be there. Do you mean you don't train to improve your functions? What are you training for then?

The article compares the benefits of functional training against the benefits of machine training as strength-building and weight loss. Well, this is comparing apples to oranges.

Does that mean that functional training cannot give you strength and weight loss? The functional training exercises cited by the article, namely coordination exercises (only), without a strength and/or conditioning component of course can't give you strength and weight loss. You get what you train for.

I believe the author is not informed of CST's concept of motor sophistication, whereby you can and do strength & conditioning with complex movement. If you are the author of the article, i urge you to check out CST.

I won't go further into what sophistication is as i have mentioned it many times.

2) And that a personal trainer is not needed to give instructions on any of their use and assumes that the client CAN and KNOWS what to do if he be "let" to use them on his own.

Whether the equipment in question is machines or functional training equipment is not the point. The point is clients need to be taught the proper way to exercise. Exercising, or general human movement in the larger context, is not something that anybody can do properly, due to the largely sedentary nature of modern urban life. People have just forgotten how to move properly. This is evidenced by the sheer number of sedentary related conditions and injuries.

Every activity is an integration of breathing, structure and movement. Within each, there are more points to cover than what the average personal trainer care to know. Most of these are not even taught in the typical personal trainer school.

Do you really think clients know what to do? I doubt so.

Note that we are not trying to make things seem more complicated that what things already are. But there are really deeper levels to what the average personal trainer education teaches. And these are important for real lasting fitness, health and performance.

Conclusion

A personal trainer is there to guide clients on exercises (and more). He is not a dispensable person. Just like there are professionals in all other disciplines, we are professionals when it comes to exercise and fitness.

Can you repair your own car without a mechanic or engineer, with proper training, tools and experience? Even if you can, can you do a better job than a professional?

TACFIT Mass Assault Review

2010-05-20T15:31:00.012+08:00

The Beginning

I was introduced into physical culture when i was in my teens. Starting with involvement my high school gymnastics team. I was a slow learner, maybe amongst the slowest in the team. The strength & conditioning given by the seniors in the team was too hard for me to keep up and it followed no proper system.

At some point in time i made the decision to take up bodybuilding to improve my sport. Naive you can say, but i had no other access to proper training literature or know of any at that time.

It was 1994-95.

So i made friends with dumbbells and barbells and proper body mechanics for the classic weight training lifts like the deadlift, squat and others.

Fast Forward a Few Years

Gone through many muscle mags and training literature from various sources. The exercises seem to revolve around the same few. The orthodox ones would recommend programs based on the big three of squat, deadlift and bench. Bodybuilders would add isolation movements like curls and extensions etc. The unorthodox (i mean pumpers, sculptors, toners et al.) would recommend mainly isolation movements with light color coded dumbbells and stability training on various unstable surfaces.

Then there was the functional training boom in the early 2000s with kettlebells, Crossfit etc. Learned of many "functional exercises" from the rehab world. A lot of which are being misused by "core stability" gurus to substitute for real heavy weight training. Still yet there are some coaches who showed me the place of these exercises in a proper SnC program.

But nobody, yes nobody, ever told me that there are other innovative ways to train with the dumbbell, until TACFIT Mass Assault (TFMA).

TACFIT Mass Assault requires only two dumbbells

TFMA contains new twists (literally) to traditional linear movements with the dumbbells plus other new movements you have never seen before.

This is not your typical squat, bench, deadlift program. Not even military press. There are six movements in the program designed to move your body in the 6 degrees of freedom.

Where conventional programs tell you to add weight and keep the movements the same, TFMA tells you to keep the weight the same, and increase the motor complexity of your movements. After reaching a certain level of difficulty, start over with a slightly heavier weight.

Why does this appeal to me? Simple because i am bored with the classic lifts of the hardcore weight training scene. Furthermore i am not the muscle type. I am a skinny ectomorph who thrive on bodyweight exercise and ballistic lifts and suck at grinding heavy weights.

Why You Should Buy This Program

1) You do not have to make investment in new equipment. Just one or two dumbbells will do. If you already train in a globogym, you don't need to migrate to a "hardcore" gym. You do not need very heavy dumbbells for this program, in fact, get ready to downgrade a couple of kilos lighter when you start.

2) You want to train for mass gain? A lot of people do. But a lot do not know the protocol to use i.e. reps, sets, exercises. This is a mass gain program. No more guessing. Just follow the program to the letter.

3) As what you would expect from CST, this is another program that gives you a sneak peak into CST's rabbit hole. Joint mobility warm up and cooldown are also included in the program to ensure your progress. I won't go any further on this point. The quality is top notch, just like all other CST products.

4) You would get show and go muscle. While classic weight training movements are designed for the weight room. TACFIT is designed for the tactical responder. Only movements that enhance a tactical operator's movement skills are included. There is no need to make yourself muscle bound.

5) Lastly it was free. Where can you get such a quality product for free? I would pay the full price of a DVD to get it but it was made available for free. What more can you ask for. It was bundled with another product from another coach but if you don't like that product you don't have to use it. It was cheap anyway.

- Edit -

6) There are two complete programs (with warm ups and cool downs) included as bonuses: Drift and Accelerator. One uses bodyweight only, the other is optimized for medicine ball. These bonuses are BIG. These bonuses extend the lifespan of the full package to 4 months or more of solid muscle building program. Each bonus alone can cost the full price of the original Mass Assault.

Click on this pic to purchase TACFIT Mass Assault:

2nd Review of TACFIT Commando

2010-05-20T10:36:00.002+08:00

So i have just completed Recruit Mission 1.

However i was not content just doing bodyweight only. Hence i added some extra weight onto my bodyweight to make the exercises harder and more realistic. In the military, we all dreaded walking with our combat gear on, even if it is just Skeletal Battle Order (boots + vest + helmet). Just a few kilos of additional weight makes moving that much more difficult than in PT attire. I am determined to make myself feel comfortable moving with combat load.

So this is what i did:
Cycle 1: PT attire
Cycle 2: PT attire
Cycle 3: PT attire
Cycle 4: Boots
Cycle 5: Boots
Cycle 6: Boots + (vest with 4kg of water)
Cycle 7: Boots + (vest with 4kg of water) + hat*

*At first i wanted to use my helmet for Cycle 7 but my chin strap is the old version which is not the most secure, so i'll give it a miss this time. Would get the new chin strap next time and do with the helmet.

Cycle 1-3

Easy and simple. Light as per usual. Nothing to report, really.

Cycle 4-5

Immediate jump in difficulty. Number of reps per exercise immediately reduced by 1-2.

Didn't feel much added resistance when walking in boots, but doing complex movements like the Sit Thru Knee was much harder. Not only did the boots restricts the feet and ankle mobility, but they also add extra mass at the end of the limbs, much like a weighted club.

Cycle 6-7

Another immediate jump in difficulty and reduction in reps by 1-2.

The Vest is the killer. With 4kg of water sloshing around, stability requirement for each exercise is increased. For the first time in my life, Sit Thru Knee and Tripod Overhead gave me significant fatigue in the arms and legs, especially arms.

Push Ups were a different animal with the Vest compared to without. With loaded magazine pockets at the side of the waist, i can't pinch my ribs with my elbows as effectively as before.

If you are planning to wear a vest in your training like me, please wear a long sleeved shirt. I learned it the hard way when i had abrasions on my arms from rubbing the elbows against the Vest.

Conclusion

I now have a better appreciation of the difficulty of moving with combat load. I wonder why they did not train us like this when we were in the military. PT was always in PT attire. No wonder we felt so sluggish in combat load as we have never trained with it.

Looking forward to my next reservist with renewed interest.

Why Do You Need to Lower the Heart Rate?

2010-05-18T23:22:00.001+08:00

I was asked this question in a FlowfitⓇ class i conducted recently at a local organization.

Now, let's just assume that you are just an average trainee who exercise regularly but are not hardcore (which most people are). And you know that the goal in (fat loss) exercise is to increase the heart rate. So it would seem counterintuitive to try to lower the heart rate between rounds through Recovery Breathing and the techniques associated with it.

Why decrease the heart rate between rounds when the goal of each round is to raise the heart rate as much as you can?

Actually the goal of each round is not exactly to raise the heart rate as much as you can, but to do as much work as you can;
i) with as high skill as you can and
ii) with as little distress as possible.

Let's compare two people, doing the same task, say walking at 6km/h for 10 minutes. At the end of the task, person A has a heart rate of 80 bpm, person B has a heart rate of 90 bpm. Which person is "fitter"?

Assuming both start at the same heart rate, the answer is obviously A.

Take note that fine motor skills degrade as heart rate raises. At Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) the degradation of skills can be so severe that you would not be able to access any of your trained skills at all.

Let's say you are involved in a particular sport (or a fight), because of the adrenaline released, your heart rate increases. If the heart rate raises so high that you can't access your skills, then you are dead. I have never been in a real fight before, but those of you who have can attest to this.

The person who can keep his heart rate lower while maintaining the accessibility to his skills is a better athlete.

So now there are two goals you are training for:
1) To keep heart rate as low as possible while maintaining a high rate of work.
2) To maintain the accessibility of your skills while your heart rate is high.

For goal 1), this is done by conditioning, to improve work capacity. Many systems out there excel in this. As your body gets accustomed to increasing work capacity, there is less distress every time you go through the same work output.

Say you did a Moderate Intensity workout today. You do a High Intensity workout tomorrow, you should be able to do more work tomorrow than today.

For goal 2), this is done by increasing the motor complexity (called sophistication in CST), while maintaining a high Effort (RPE) level.

So instead of just increasing work capacity for the same movements over and over, we seek to increase the motor complexity while maintaining the same work capacity.

Anybody maintain a high Effort level, pedalling wildly on a stationary cycle is an example.

But not everybody can maintain high skills in a high Effort level, like pedalling wildly on a racing bike, being chased by a pack of guard dogs, weaving through rush hour traffic, on a road full of pot holes.

Numerically speaking, Technique (RPT) decreases as Effort (RPE) and Discomfort (RPD) increases.

That is why when you are practicing* a certain movement, it feels easy until you start to do reps. At some work output level, your technique would degrade and the movement would feel difficult.

How to improve your ability to perform complex movements in a high stress situation? The general rule is to only increase the sophistication in when you maintain:
i) Technique at 8 or higher,
ii) Discomfort at 3 or below,
iii) Effort drops to 6 and below.
These three criteria must be met before increasing the sophistication in your training**.

How to increase sophistication? That's a topic that i would cover next time. For now, just compare the different levels in FlowfitⓇ to have an idea.

Stay tuned.

*Practice is defined as technique work aimed to increase proficiency of certain skills.
**Training is defined as strength & conditioning work to increase strength, endurance, cardiovascular endurance or any combination of these.

TACFIT Commando Review

2010-04-23T16:34:00.003+08:00

Dear Readers,

Can i assume that by now you already know what is Circular Strength Training (CST)? If not, head over to the website and at least have glimpse of what it is now.

As a trainer who has certifications in various systems/schools, including conventional strength & conditioning and physiotherapy, CST by far is the most advanced and deep of all of them. Please note that i am not saying that these other certs are bad. But CST has surpassed them in breadth and depth.

If by looking at the movements in CST programs, you think that it is unorthodox, think again. It is more than orthodox. CST is the expression of human movement in its finest. It is the personification of kinesiology. Where the academic discipline of kinesiology is the science of human movement, CST is the art of human movement. What is defined in theory in kinesiology is expressed in CST. The best thing is, CST is not a sport. It applies to all movement. It cuts across disciplines. Two people could be doing seemingly opposite activities like weightlifting and yoga, yet both are doing CST. It is more of a philosophy than a school in the traditional sense of the word.

Ok, i think i have done enough introduction of CST. I'll cut it short and go straight to the point.

TACFIT Commando is a bodyweight only program designed for tactical responders: military, paramilitary, law enforcement officers etc. It contains many varied movements form the humble push up to single leg lunges and more. There are in total 54 variations of exercises arranged in three levels of increasing sophistication (movement complexity).

That is just the workout section. There is also the warm up section and cool down section, three of each.

Each program, which is meant to be done in the 4x7 programming, has six movements.

So it is a massive library of 3 programs x (warm up + 3 sophistications + cool down) x 6 movements = 90 exercises.

If you can grow out of the program, you can consider yourself the elite of the elite. No joke. Though the movements look quite easy (I can do all the movements with ease), it is the total programming that is the magic. Coupled with the Tabata protocol, simple movements can feel hard.

Now, the best thing about TACFIT Commando is everything has been laid out for you. What to do on what day, everything has been mapped out and you just have to follow it to the letter to get the most benefit out of it.

One of the most frequently asked questions on the Rmax Forums is how does one start with CST. And i think that TACFIT Commando fits the bill perfectly.

Here are my top five reasons why this program is the perfect program to start with:

1) Everything is already planned out for you. No more guessing. The 4x7 wave, Intu-Flow(R) warm up, Prasara cool down, all have been designed in conjunction with the workouts so that you can reap the most benefit from each of them.

2) Bodyweight only. No need for equipment. Anytime, anywhere.

3) It only takes 41 minutes (6 + 29 + 6) to complete from warm up to cool down. No more slogging for hours at the gym or treadmill.

4) Though this program was designed for the specific movement requirements of tactical operators, other beneficial side effects that you can expect from it from the fitness aspect are extreme fat loss, functional strength and muscle gain.

5) Anyone who has been exposed to CST for a while would know the breath and depth of the scope of it. And it can be quite overwhelming just to decipher all the information available. You could say that each program, each warm up and cool down section is a sneak peek into the rabbit hole of CST. This program is a distillation of all the possible variables and presents only what you need to know to achieve the said goals. When you are ready to go deeper, you can purchase the other programs to enhance your toolbox.

I used to tell people that if you can't train anything else, just do the deadlift. I would like to recant and say do TACFIT Commando. It is CST's program minimum and it won't disappoint you.

Can Pilates Help Me Lose Weight?

2010-04-21T11:34:00.000+08:00

Well, Pilates is dead, he can't help you in any way.

Jokes aside, can Pilates (or insert any other kind of exercise here) help you lose weight?

I have been asked this type of questions many times from prospective students and friends.

So let's analyse the mechanics of fat loss. Allow me to get a bit technical here.

The basic premise that i am taking is that, your training programme must be high intensity to create an environment geared toward fat loss. As mentioned many times elsewhere, this would elevate your metabolic rate for many hours post-workout, giving you a better fat burning effect than conventional long-slow-distance (LSD) cardio.

What does affect intensity? It is the amount of work done in a certain amount of time. In simple physics this is called power.

1) Power = force x velocity = force x displacement / time

2) Power = 0.5 x mass x velocity^2

From these two equations, it is clear without a shadow of doubt that velocity is a component of power, and hence fat loss.

From the second equation, velocity has a factor of two, ie the speed of movement contributes to the power more than the resistance or mass moved.

If you look at a power curve of muscle, you would notice that the biggest area under the curve (ie power), occurs at a moderate level of resistance and velocity.

Image courtesy of http://www.unmc.edu/physiology/Mann/mann14.html

And notice that at maximum resistance and maximum velocity, the area under the curve is ZERO.

Therefore isn't it clear that slow movements or static poses (like in yoga) are not as effective in fat burning? No doubt that muscle contraction by itself requires energy, but mechanically speaking there is no energy consumption if there is no movement, no matter how much the resistance.

The trick is finding the right resistance, this relates to the weight in weight training, leverage or movement difficulty in bodyweight exercise, that allows you to produce the fastest speed of movement (i won't cover this here).

If the speed of movement is fixed, like in a push up, doing more repetitions in the same amount of time would be higher intensity.

Of course there are many other factors involved, but that's it for now.

I hope i have benefitted you from this article. Please post a comment if you have any questions.

What is the Right Way to Breathe In Specific Exercises?

2010-04-21T10:56:00.000+08:00

This is a frequently asked question by people who are into weight training and/or physical training.

Let's analyse how to go about doing it.

Allow me to get a bit technical. Let's take a look at the Breath Mastery Scale™ from Prasara: Flow Beyond Thought ™:

1) Fear Level Breath: Passively inhale and hold on perceived effort.

2) Anger or Force Level Breath: Actively inhale and hold on perceived effort.

3) Discipline Level Breath: Actively exhale on perceived effort; passively inhale on cessation of effort.

4) Flow Level Breath: Passively exhale on compression; passively inhale on expansion.

5) Mastery Level Breath: Control pause after exhalation on activity.

6) The Level of Deepening Mastery: Passively extend pause after exhalation on activity.

So actually there are six levels of mastery of the breath. These are different breathing patterns that occur naturally depending on the perceived level of difficulty of an exercise/activity/movement.

For the uninitiated, you can call this six variations. Though 1) and 2) are definitely not healthy.

So back to our question. How to breathe during specific exercises? Without going into the detailed explanations of the mechanics of breathing, you should always start with Discipline Level. As you get more proficient at the exercise, you go further into the levels going toward Mastery.

Let's take the example of the push up at Discipline Level. For ease of use, we'll divide the movement into four phases:

1) Downward movement: actively exhale as you encounter resistance and exert effort.

2) Bottom position: passively inhale as resistance ceases and effort ceases.

3) Upward movement: actively exhale and you encounter resistance and exert effort.

4) Top position: passively inhale as resistance cease and effort ceases.

This is quite different to the commonly prescribe breathing pattern of exhale on the way up, inhale on the way down. This method can be used provided you do not encounter resistance on the inhale. Inhaling on resistance (and hence effort) serves to increase your intra-thoracic and intra-abdominal pressure and is therefor not healthy.

Exhaling on effort on the other hand, serves to activate the core muscles to stabilize the core and increase force production. The more force required, the more you need to exhale to activate the core muscles.

If you can't remember anything, just remember this: exhale on effort, inhale on cessation of effort. Once you get this right, getting better at your breathing comes subconciously as your proficiency in the exercise gets better.

Modifying Combat Boots for Better Movement

2010-04-07T11:54:00.000+08:00

We know that combat boots make your movements sluggish. They have thick stiff soles that allow less mobility of the feet. Also high cut top that allows less movement from the ankles.

Compared to the old combat boots that i used to wear in my National Service Full Time (NSF) days, the new SAF combat boots (Gore Tex version) are a lot better in terms of performance. The soles have better grip and the fabric sides makes for better ankle mobility.

However, there still can be further improvements in performance with some simple reversible mods. If you are interested to find out more, read on.

Mod #1

The first that i did was to remove the insoles. The soles are already thick and allow less movement and sensation of the feet. Removing the insoles get your feet closer to the ground and allows your feet to feel the terrain better. Less shock absorption forces you to absorb shock with your movement.

Mod #2

The second mod i did was to modify the lacing pattern to allow more dorsiflexion of the ankles. With the conventional lacing pattern with all eyelets looped, in a full squat, the front of the ankles feel very tight, limiting range of motion. Sometimes the compression can feel painful on the ankles.

On the left is conventional lacing, on the right is my modified lacing. Skip the 4th and 5th eyelets (counting from the bottom).

With the modified lacing, the eyelets are able to separate horizontally in a full squat, allowing more ankle dorsiflexion.

Still, i believe there are better boots design out there that allows full ankle mobility, like this. If anybody know what make and model these boots are, do let me know. I am interested to get a pair for myself.

SAR21 Review

2010-04-06T23:24:00.000+08:00

Finally after 8 long years of hiatus since my Operationally Ready Date (ORD) in 2002 my first In Camp Training (ICT) came. A lot of Army stuff has improved, catching up with technology. So here are some reviews of them. In this installment, we'll cover the SAR21, Singapore's assault rifle.

According to the instructors, the SAR21 is the most technologically advanced rifle in South East Asia.

My first impression of this rifle is that it is very cumbersome. It looks as if it has too many technological gadgets on it: the scope, the laser aiming device and the gas regulator.

Pros

Stripping and assembling is much simpler. There is no firing pin retainer that can get lost so easily. The firing pin is held in place by a lever that is attached to the bolt assembly.

The design is ergonomically better, especially the cocking handle is at a good position for pulling. Although it weighs heavier than the M16, the balance is better.

Assuming the scope is zeroed properly (as per the factory), it is very accurate and consistent. I got a poorly tuned rifle at first. But borrowed a well tuned one from my bunk mate. Although i still have to aim off the target, it shot the target everytime my technique is good.

Clear plastic magazine make it easy to count the number of rounds in the magazine.

Cons

As mentioned before, there are a lot of parts to this rifle. Like the cocking handle with could be rotated to the right or left. The bullpup design which puts the firing mechanism behind the trigger.

However the parts and build quality is very good. So as long as the parts don't fail, it is a very good rifle.

Triggering technique

The trigger stroke is softer and longer compared to the M16. Initially i found it irritating because i have to pull longer to shoot. However after a few shots and getting myself familiarized with the feel of the trigger, it actually made me pull more steadily.

There were a few shots which i stupidly missed because i wanted to pull faster. But after some tips from some comrades to pull slower, i hit the target every shot thereafter, even for the night shoot.

As for the breathing pattern, in my old unit during my active days, the Company Sergeant Major gave us a few options on when to pull:

1) After a full inhale

2) After a full exhale

3) After a partial inhale

4) After a partial exhale

But after a few years with Circular Strength Training (CST), now i pull on the control pause (the pause after a full exhale). It is really more consistent than the other breathing patterns.

I am still not sensitive enough to control the pull between heartbeats. And since it is the first time in eight years shooting, i probably am not conditioned enough to get my heart rate low during the shoot.

In summary, although had reservations about the new rifle. After trying it out first hand, i actually liked it better than the M16.

The ABCs of Success

2010-03-18T11:35:00.002+08:00

I am going to share with you some simple tips that i learned from the business world, which also applies to fitness or other pursuits. Acronym ABC.

A - Associations

Who do you hang out with?

It is important to hang out with the right people. Most people have been brought up with negativities all around. They are taught that "you can't do this, you can't do that, that's impossible, you won't succeed" etc.

Don't hang out with these people. They would jeopardize your success. These are what we call dream stealers.

They already "know it all" because they have tried whatever you say and did not succeed. They are probably right. But, there are other people who have done it. Hang out with these people.

Yes, it is hard to find associations with people who are looking for success. That's why it is very important to search for them. Once you find them, learn as much as you can from them.

If you don't know such people in your circle of friends, one suggestion is to go online. There are many good fitness websites with lots of free articles and forums out there that you can learn from. Not any forums however, as there are a lot of nonsense being spread around in forums too.

Guess how i learned a lot of my physical training knowledge? Through forums, specifically the Rmax Forums.

B- Books

If you are like me, people around you probably do not have expertise in a certain subject you are interested in. So what do you do? Learning from them is the same as learning how to fly a plane from someone who have never flied a plane.

Read books. Yes, old fashioned books. Learn the struggles of successful people and how they overcame their obstacles through books. Learn in depth expositions of various subjects beyond what school teaches you. Books are an investment.

Not any books though. The market is saturated with nonsense books. Probably less than 10% of the fitness books in the library are worth reading.

Part of the fun in books is sifting through the nonsense and finding the gem amongst the crap.

Guess how i got into real physical culture? Again through learning from good books in the library.

Again, I recommend you read books from Rmax. These are very well written books comprehensible by the laymen, yet makes you learn beyond what is taught in school and tapping into the knowledge of the world class athletes:

Big Book of Clubbell Training

Free to Move

Prasara Yoga

C - CDs

If a picture speaks a thousand words, a video speaks ten thousand words or more. CDs are a great way to learn proper technique without having a coach teaching you live. After you have read the good books, you may forget how the movements or exercises looks like. And CDs would be a good reference, which may be even better than books.

With the rise of the internet age, it is becoming easier to get CDs imported from respected publishers that are not available in the local market. Websites like Amazon or Ebay makes it easier to search for particular products under one roof.

Guess how i learned a lot of exercises in my vocabulary? From CDs. With the popularity of the bodybuilding culture, conventional strength & conditioning (SnC) exercises are somewhat boring and unchallenging (in terms of skills, not resistance).

Through CDs, i learned unusual exercises that are fun and challenging. My experience in artistic gymnastics and capoeira tells me that complex movements can be used for SnC. CDs show me that these movements can be used for the general population given the right progressions.

With high speed broadband, physical CDs may not even be neccessary anymore. Eproducts can be downloaded instantly and saved in a convenient place. Eliminating the need for time and cost spending in shipping the product.

Here are some of my top picks for CDs (and eproducts):

Intu-Flow

Flowfit

Prasara Yoga Instructional

Clubbell Blackbook

Kettlebell Foundation

TACFIT Commando

Bodyweight Exercise Revolution