The Masters Division

Work, Work, and a little Steve Maxwell

The last couple of weeks have been a blur of 70-hour+ work weeks, some training during the day, and trying to fit in a few hours of reading before I pass out at night.

I've been studying for my ISSA Fitness Trainer Certification in the hopes of becoming generally more knowledgeable about training and nutrition.  I've had a lot of questions about whether or not I'm doing the right things in terms of diet and exercise.  Ideally, working through the various Fitness and Nutrition certifications the ISSA and other associations offer will help answer some of those questions, as well as provide answers to inquiries that people come here with.  In my mind, if it teaches me "to fish" instead of always being reliant on other trainers, it's money well spent.

The little bit of exercise I've been sneaking in outside of BJJ and the occasional Boxing class has been primarily based Steve Maxwell's 300 Kettlebell Challenge (and a few other Kettlebell and bodyweight routines).  A few other KB "300" routines are floating around on YouTube.  They're definitely worth checking out as well.  They include a mix of bodyweight (burpees, mountain climbers, etc) and KB exercises.  In all cases, the end goal in each case is to do 300 total reps by the end of the routine in as little time as possible.  So far, I've found the 300 Kettlebell Challenge to be the most complete KB only routine.

Steve Maxwell's 300 Kettlebell Challenge provides 18 exercises that can be used independent of the routine to create the foundation of a new routine or just spice up your time in the gym (garage).  The routine lasts for about 25-30 minutes and only requires one kettlebell, a surface to lay on, and maybe a towel towards the end.  I only needed to watch the video a few times to get the gist of the routine, but it was worth the money.  I got it directly from Steve's site, since the first two places I tried were out.  It was slightly more expensive there than the list price on Amazon, but it's not like I go to the movies or eat out and... well... Steve seems like a good guy.

As a bonus, here are some videos of Steve helping to train Xande Ribeiro.  Keep in mind that this is not the KB 300 workout, but there are some good exercises and interesting gear (such as the weighted KB backpack and training rings).

There are more videos of Steve's work, but I'll let you go to his YouTube page to check them out.  If you're not familiar with Steve Maxwell, the summary is that he was one of the first BJJ practitioners in the US to receive his blackbelt, he's an amazing strength and conditioning guru, and all around badass. 

Check out this interview with him here at the Fightworks Podcast.

Thanks! 

Handy App: Round Timer

I spent yesterday morning in the garage doing a basic, but much needed workout.  It was just a circuit of bodyweight and Kettlebell exercises after several rounds of jumping rope to warm up.  Since I used my iPhone for music, the the Round Timer app took care of transitions.  The app interrupts the music to announce round changes and then everything continues as normal.

I've been using the Round Timer app on my iPhone for about as long as I've had my Iphone.  The company, Plain and Simple Software has made several improvements to the interface and stability of the app since its initial release.  You can check out more details at the Apptism website

If you're someone that's training for rounds, doing circuit work, etc. this app is worth your 99 cents. With the level of customization you get, the app is competitive with the way more expensive round timer devices that can cost upwards of $10-100.

If your gym is like ours and uses an iPhone as part of its stereo, it may be worth working this into your system.

NOTE: I haven't tried getting it to work with Pandora's app, but it works fine with music played via iTunes.

That is all.

(have a good weekend)

Back Pain? Core Train.

My lower back has been hurting again recently.  Too many hours sitting at work and again at home in the evenings is the likely culprit.  The last time I had any back pain was while mountain biking (mixed with a lot of sitting on my ass playing video games).  I got advice from a couple of doctors and a friend who's a pilates instructor.  They all said the same thing, "work your core more."

After starting Muay Thai a few years ago (and eventually transitioning to BJJ), the back pain went away.  No matter how much crap I lugged around the house, sat at work, or got smashed while rolling... no pain.

So now after a month filled with travel, a new tattoo, and a several other excuses not to train the way I should, my lower back has just given me a little wake up call. 

It was something to the effect of, "Hi up there.  I just talked to your ass.  We're close you know.  The two of us think you need to get back to work."  Yes, lower back, I agree - I need to exercise.  Our poor ass is overworked.

Funny enough, this latest episode coincided with Mitch sending me a link about, sure enough, Core Training for Martial Arts.  It's definitely worth checking out.

A couple of notes on that video:

• Elevated Bridge: One-legged elevated bridges. fun.
• Turkish Get-up: Here's a few kettlebell versions
• Perturbation Stimulus: Here's a different take if you don't want to hold a weight over your head while some rascal punches you in the gullet.
• Full Contact Twist - If you don't have a barbell that works, a kettlebell russian twist should be comparable.

Another sad fact is that I haven't been to Yoga in quite a while.  I can feel it in my flexibility and core strength.  If you haven't tried Yoga, don't feel bad (trust me, it took some prodding to get me there initially). 

It's a different experience, but one that I recommend.  The style varies from instructor to instructor, so if you don't like the experience (maybe it was too "spiritual," not challenging, etc) try again somewhere else.  Grapplearts has a nice article on Yoga.

Summary: There are a ton of links out there for exercises like scorpions, circular leg raises, crazy balance ball routines, and stuff using a stripper pole.  The latter is tempting, but honestly I've found that yoga, a simple kettlebell routine, and some crunches / weighted sit-ups seem to do the trick.

...when I get off my ass and do them.

(P)hysical (T)raining

I don't work out enough, so I'm constantly looking for new routines to help in that area.  When I was in the Army we had PT daily and when I owned the skatepark, I skateboarded for hours each day.  In both of those situations I was less interested in fitness and competition than I am now, but doing more exercise.  Go figure...

BJJ is a good workout and I'm happy with the shape I'm in, but there always room to improve - especially if I'm going to compete.  Here are some of the things I've been checking out lately:

• Most recently, Georgette's blog led me to Elements Fitness.  It's got some wonderful advice and routines.  I especially liked this post, but look around the site for others.  They're there.

• I've added 2-3 sessions of Kettlebell training to my week.  It's been a hell of a lot more entertaining than running and I feel like the weight training aspect is also helping. 

• Here are a few different routines - KB Meltdown - Crossfit style - Pavel's DVD

• Scott Sonnon always has interesting excercises.   And there's this fun german workout.

• Plus, there's always Body Weight exercises and circut training.

The idea isn't to do all or even any one of those routines.  If you're looking for ideas, it's rad if even one piece from one of those routines stands out as something you'd like to try.   I know it's hard to know where to start sometimes, so hopefully that gives you a few ideas.  Mix and match - poke around for more.

Or if you're already hard at it, I'd love to learn what's been working for you.