Monday, December 31, 2012

That's a Rap

So, 2012 is almost over.  As we wrap up the present and look forward to the new, this is just the beginning.  I was watching the Lion King with my son, and he is about to turn two.  Mufasa went real deep and taught my son, Simba, and I all a valuable lesson.

I realized that we are all connected in this circle of life.  It's like as each day or year ends, a new one always begins.  And that is beautiful.  This is not the end.

I connected with a variety of people in the last 10 days.  Some were afraid, some were excited, others were confused.  One was worried about the world ending 10 days ago.  She feared for the safety of her children.  Let's just say this was the worst apocalypse ever.  One girl was asking for money to buy her son's breathing treatments and medicine.  She was scared for her child.  Others were excited about seeing family, greeting old friends, and making new.

I wouldn't have connected with any of them if I didn't say Happy New Year or Merry Christmas.  Some were a little weirded out that a stranger was so cheerful and social.  Oh well, you can't please everybody, right?

I spent 4 hours coaching a fitness trainer and helped him realize that he was about to make this biggest mistake ever.  He was about to give up on his dreams.  Later that afternoon, he was amped and all hyped up that he has the best opportunities in the world!

I talked to another trainer, and we are both hustling.  You know, we do what we love and won't let anybody tell us any different.  It is still hard from time to time.  There are mistakes that were made and better choices were available.  It is the end of 2012, time to reflect.  Learn from History or be Doomed to Repeat it.

The other trainer told me I was the best trainer in Delaware, I was a genius and had an undying passion for what I do.  It felt good and sure was a pick-me-up.

I think everybody struggles with the past.  I think we are all caught up in the numbers game.  Either the money in the bank, the number on the scale, the number of times you screwed up, the number of times you wanted to just breakdown and quit.

I found the greatest person is the one that plays his numbers game wisely.  For you see, he falls 7 times and rises 8.
When life knocks you down, do a burpee.

Don't let others put you down.  They are just HATERS.

Having
Anger
Toward
Everyone
Reaching
Success

I talked to some entrepreneurs about my business.  You know what?  They said, sorry, no thanks.  Maybe they were too busy, too tight for money, or just didn't want to be bother.  I came back to the same people in a different light.

It is better to give than to receive.

Here is what I am doing with my business to help the community and local business.

A family on the outskirts of town lost property in a fire.  Their pole barn burned down.  They lost a lot stuff.  Toys that the younger kids kept in storage after the last move, a camper, a riding and push mower.  The fire spread to the propane tanks and caused several small explosions.

A $5 donation enters you in a raffle for a chance to win an 8 week training program.  Trinity Strength & Conditioning is partnering with Applebees in Milford to promote the event.  There will also be a flapjack breakfast.
--
A mother is worried about how she is going to pay for her child's medicine this winter.  She came to me, hopeless and confused.  The next person to register for the New Revolution will be directly helping this child sleep and breathe better

Register Now
--
Go to facebook and check out Pink Zebra.
Chelsea Heinsch is the local sales representative in Delaware.
Looking to spice up things in your home this New Year?
Pink Zebra Home Fragrances are just what you need.
--
Support Local Hip Hip and R&B
I've know some of these guys hustlin' out there for over 5-10 years.
Check it Out.  I just love the lyrics, music, and fresh beats.

I am not telling you to change your taste in music.  I am just helping you find hidden talent if you were looking in this direction.
Hidden Talent Right Here

New Videos of the Hardkour and Ground Game FBI programs will feature cover music from Free Range Monkey Boys.

2013 is just huge.  Train hard.
You have 365 days, one whole year to become a new you.  Will you be a better person?

That is a matter of attitudes and habits.

I wish you the best and Happy New Year guys.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Clean From the Top Down

The Kettlebell Power Clean can be used to practice deceleration acceleration, (change of direction if paired with other movements) and explosive force generation from a static position.

Quick note, we practice our Kettlebell Cleans with a demi squat at the “top” of the movement which creates less impact on the body for longevity of the joints and greatly reducing the chance of injury. Training with the smooth style adds athleticism and fluidity to our Kettlebell progressions.

That's straight from Mike Libercci who re-taught me everything I thought I knew about kettlebells.  He continues to keep me up to date with the best techniques.

Now, I want to talk about the power clean and why I use it.

Before I even teach an advanced movement like the power clean, I break it down into the basic components.

I have broken it down into 6 basic steps.  I do not combine anything or put the kettlebell in your hand to try this move until you understand every single component.

1.  The Squat.
Can you drop your hips to your knees or lower and keep good posture?  Can you squat repetitively with just your body weight?

2.  The Cork Screw.
Like pulling a lawn mower cord to start the engine, you pull high, going from internal rotation to external rotation of the wrist.  Pull your elbow back and high up.  Bring the hand to a position right in front of your shoulder joint.

3.  The Gi Pull
I teach guys to grab their partner by the gi or military top and pull him close, like you are mad as hell and want to pound his face in.  Really Pull the partner into you.  Feel him bump into you and stand strong.

4.  The Punch
Throw a quick jab or a cross.  Hands and closed fists in front of your face.  Throw the punch and snap the hand back to the starting position.

5.  The One Handed Squat Swing
Of course you can't do a one handed squat swing with out a two handed squat swing first, but we skipped that.  You were pretty competent and athletic. 

One handed squat swings bring the kettlebell up to about shoulder or chin height.  No higher than that.

6.  The Rack and Demi Squat
Bring the kettlebell to the rack position.  The kettlebell is close.  The arm and hand is close and inside your personal bubble.  The weight is actually resting on your anterior deltoid and clavicle.  The elbow is pointing straight forward.  The kettlebell is on the back of the wrist and the thumb is close to your body, while the pinky is away.  In this position.  Dip and bounce like you are a car going over speed bumps and your legs are the shocks.

Now lets put it all together.

Squat
Load
Cork Screw/One Handed Swing
Gi Pull
Rack/Demi Squat
Punch/Plunch
Squat

I use the power clean to develop powerful legs and explosive pulling power for jiu jitsu.  The ability to pull and control the gi is so important.  No other exercise better simulates the functional pulling power of jacket jiu jitsu.

Check out the Jiu Jitsu Blitz program.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

A New Playing Field

I used to have a major problem with trying to be extraordinary.  I tried to be better than others and over achieve in all things of life.  I used to be competitive.  I really used to be stubbornly obnoxious when others just couldn't do their jobs right.  I didn't mind lending a helping hand.  I couldn't stand having to do the job for the other person because they were just epic failures that couldn't help themselves though.

I always tried to be better than others and strived for excellence.  I tried bringing others up to my level.  Then it hit me, I want to be average.  I do not mean boring, dull, or mediocre; just average.

Average is not a bad thing.  An average person has leaders, mentors, friends, equals, and followers.  Average people are down to earth and humble.  Average people make mistakes and learn lessons.  Average people do not know it all, but know what works for them.

I realized that rather than trying to change others around me or change myself, I had to do something different.  Garbage in; Garbage out.  It doesn't matter if it is the food you eat, the friends you hang out with, the shows you watch on tv, or the habits you use to study.  Essentially, I tried a failed science experiment.  I'll call it Insanity.  Not like P90X and DVD workouts.  But a literal madness.

When you try the same experiment over and over again; meanwhile expecting different results.  That is the definition of insanity.  It seemed the harder that I worked, the less the others had to do.  I couldn't slack off, for the job wouldn't get done.  A bad day for me would get worse because others would expect me to pull through and pick up the slack.  I would still do more than others (even on a bad day) and I was the one criticized.

I am not Superman.  I am not perfect.  I do not know it all and never will.  I cannot change the world, nor save it.  When you move up from JV to Varsity or from the Minor League to the Big League, you aren't top dog anymore.  Are you ready to go from your Minor League games to the World Series?  What a change in the caliber and experience of the other players.

You may strike out a few times, but you start to see the same pitches.  Now you start getting on base.  You build your confidence.  Eventually, your batting average is back up to .400 and you are holding your own.

What happened?  Iron sharpens iron.  You were ready for the next level.  The Minor Leagues were holding you back.  You hadn't seen it all yet.  Then you adapted to the new level of play.

Surround yourself with like-minded people.  Surround yourselves with people who are better than you.  Mingle with those that have experienced what you hope to achieve.  Learn from those that walk, talk, and breathe the life that you deserve.

Put yourself in a new and uncomfortable environment.  Keep putting yourself out there.  You will be amazed how easily you can become accustomed to it all.

Train hard and don't give up.  Never settle for anything less than you deserve.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

The Cool Down

Winter is here and Christmas has finally come.  First off, merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.  As it gets colder, it is important to continue training.  I love training outdoors.  I love the urban jungle environmental training and obstacle courses.
Most of you, new to exercise are not acclimated to the cold.  I have a variety of tips to help you continue your training, especially in the colder weather.
Breathing Control
Breathing control is a basic of component exercises.  Inhale on the eccentric contraction (the loading or stretch).  Then exhale on the concentric contraction (the push or squeeze).  During aerobic or high intensity exercise, it is important to inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.  Remember to take deep breaths.
Now, it is freezing cold outside and the weather sucks.  You don't even know why you bothered coming out here to workout.  Here is a little secret.  Breathe in through your nose.  Why?  The nostrils intake the air.  The path from the nose to the throat causes the air the spiral through.  It is sort of like a K&N cold air intake.  The spiral whirlwind humidifies and warms the air.
Breathe in through your mouth and your vocal chords will suffer.  You will get a sore throat.  Your training session will just be terrible.
Head Gear
Strap on your helmet, and get ready for this dangerous ride.  Okay, maybe it is not that scary, but head gear is still important.  You lose a lot of heat through the top of your head.  So maintain your body temperature by protecting your head.
Wear a hat, beanie, cap, hoodie, or jacket.  You know your body and how you react to the cold, just be prepared.
Clothing
Dress up like an Eskimo!  Well, dress in layers.  Always have multiple thin layers of clothing for your upper and lower body.  You can always take the extra layers off once you warm up.  You cannot put them on if you didn't bring them though.
Be sure to warm up properly first before taking off the additional layers.  Taking off the layers too soon will cause your muscles to be tight and you will be injury prone.
Do not do static stretches, especially in the cold weather!  You are extremely likely to pull a muscle.  Not good at all.
Hand Care
It is important to keep your hands warm, moist, and dry.  Bring a pair of gloves, have a front pouch on your hoodie, or bring a hot hands pack.
Post-workout use hand moisturizer.  That has always been a hard lesson learned for me.  Don't make the same mistake as I did.
Exercise Variables
Steady paced full body exercise will keep the blood circulating.  Do not stop for excessively long rests.  We often think about getting a workout in for the day.  When you aren't used to the cold, this is a bad idea to do just one workout.
Here is a session outline to follow:
10 minutes proper warm up outdoors.
20 minutes outdoors.
Return inside.  Rest for 30 minutes.
20 minutes exercise outdoors.
10 minutes cool down indoors.
Another scenario:
10 minutes warm up indoors.
30 minutes exercise outdoors.
10 minutes run outdoors.
10 minutes core activation indoors.

Monday, December 24, 2012

Winter Location

Trinity Strength & Conditioning proudly announces the New Facilities Location.  During the winter, all training will be hosted here.

750+ Square Foot of mats

500+ pounds of free weights

The following programs will be offered:
Ground Game FBI
KFIT Ground Zero
S.A.M. Complex

5 East Street
Harrington, DE 19952
Gym Memberships are only $25/month

Hardkour Obstacle Course Training will be offered in March.
There will be an Obstacle Course Challenge this spring.
Winners will receive $250, $100, and $50 cash prizes.

Start your New Revolution Transformation Challenge now!  Get in the best shape of your life.  Prepare for the next challenge.  Train hard and be ready.

It's coming ...

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Trinity Strength & Conditioning Programs

I want the best results for you.  I have developed several programs that you can start now to get in amazing shape and Rock Solid this New Year.

The New Revolution Transformation Challenge will be launched and I will introduce all 5 programs this New Year.

Here they all are in no particular order.

Ground Game FBI
SAM Complex
Jiu Jitsu Blitz
KFIT Ground Zero
Hardkour

Ground Game Full Body Integration uses body weight training to get the whole body moving.  Your strengths and weaknesses are assessed.  Then a program is designed to perfect your strengths and strengthen your weaknesses.  The Breakdown Metabolic Conditioning boosts your metabolism for the next 24-48 hours.

The Ground Game keeps you down to earth, literally.  A lot of positions like the bear crawl cause your upper body and lower body to both be active.  The core connects your whole body and you are constantly engaging your core.  This starts to uncover the abs you always wanted.

This burns calories after the workout.  This recovery period is extremely important.  Make sure to maximize your gains by replenishing your energy stores and getting your post-workout recovery drink or meal.

The Stability Agility Mobility Complex is training program that develops core activation, speed and agility, and flexibility.  Everybody wastes time doing crunches.  Let me share a little known fact.  The fact is, everybody has abs.  The abdominal wall connects from pelvis to the rib cage.  Unfortunately, most of the US population is overweight or obese.  On top of that, when most people exercise, they do "ab exercises" to target the belly fat.  This just does not work.

The toned definition in your mid-section is not a matter of how many crunches or sit ups you do.  Rather, it is a matter of body composition.  Now you need to work on your core, don't get it confused.  Crunches and Sit ups just aren't the trick to it.

This system focuses on speed and agility to burn insane amounts of calories in a quick and easy way.  At the same time, you get strong, faster, leaner, and a Rock Solid body.

Jiu Jitsu Blitz mixes technical grappling with the strength & conditioning from kettlebells.  You start off with a basic warm up.  Then you learn how to pass the guard.  This is a unique form of defense.  Every other martial arts starts and stays standing up.  Really, over 90% of all fights end on the ground.

Also, most fights end because one opponent lacks the technique or conditioning to continue fighting.  Moving on the ground is not commonly trained.  We are so used to sitting behind desks and walking on our feet.

Learn the techniques that really work and find your own style of jiu jitsu.  Learn sweeps, submissions, holds, and escapes.

Mixed Martial Arts adds striking to the grappling.  It becomes ground and pound.  Really, you can't keep training like that.  You will get hurt, bruised, and injured.

Jiu Jitsu Kettlebell training will keep you rolling pain and injury.  That you can really get great results and continue your training.

KFIT Ground Zero is another program developed to boost your metabolism into overdrive.  You learn safe and effective kettlebell use.  You build a strong core and posterior chain.  You learn a fluid system so that you can combo your moves into routines.

This takes your training to a whole another level.  You feel so energetic and alive.  Avoid injury and train smart.  Make sure that you understand the very basics before even trying advanced moves.

Hardkour is obstacle course training with Parkour philosophies.  This style of training is the closest you will come to boot camps.  Don't be intimidated.  The obstacles and challenges ahead will be great.  Remember, that which does not kill you makes you stronger.

You develop your Athleticism to quickly and efficiently move from point A to point B.  You will stop wasting extra energy and get more effective results.

You will learn the skills necessary to move across the obstacles.  Meanwhile your body is transforming with each obstacle you overcome.  You also train to strengthen your body to another level.  I am not talking about bulking up like a muscle head either.  Lean, toned, cut, and Rock Solid.

A game called Manhunt wraps up the session.  You start off with a few rounds through a circuit.  Then you are essentially playing tag.  Use your skills to move through the obstacles to dodge the hunter.  Hunters work together outsmart and catch the Men.

When you are caught, pick your Poison.  The Poison is a challenge that the Man must complete before he becomes the Hunter.  This is a free flow training style that is fast paced.  Don't slow down, or the Hunter will get you!

Friday, December 21, 2012

Merry Christmas

Hey everybody,

Merry Christmas.  2012 is wrapping up, is is 11:11 on 12/21/2012, make a wish!

Anyway, your wish has been granted.  Well, at least if you are looking to get in killer shape this New Year. I am working on a great release for everybody. 

I am including it in my Ground Zero Foundations Manual.  I release some solid skills, killer drills, and the foundational progression.

The manual had you covered from Warm Up to Post-Recovery.  I will let you in on a secret that will help you bounce back from your workouts and hustle onto the rest of your day.

I also want to talk about the S.A.M. complex and how you can peak your training with the Ground Game F.B.I. system.  This is top of the line training.

Have you had terrible results with counting reps, boring cardio, and just doing it slow and getting nowhere?  Want to work on your core?  I found that sit ups are just pointless.

Remember, you get a list of progressions to get toned, chiseled, and rock solid.  You start with the very basics.  Simple stuff that you neglected and now your progressions are suffering, because you didn't start from the ground up.

Remember the saying, "you have to crawl before you can walk, and walk before you can run?"

It is so true.  Don't take it for granted.  I used to give somebody killer workouts to just impress them.  Program design is definitely a favorite of mine.  My goal is to always stimulate neuromuscular motor recruitment for maximal gains.  I want you to be lean, not bulky.

My challenge to you is to learn more skills.  Athleticism is incredibly important when it comes to being in shape.  Without an solid foundation, any Performance gains with be useless without practical applications.

A perfect example.  Let's go in the opposite direction.  Body builders and  biceps, there are so many ways you can do train the biceps brachii.  Why waste time with dumbbell curls?  Seriously, the functionality of dumbbell curls is little to none, unless you want bigger biceps.  I had one trainer tell me how he loved using this bicep workout for the females he trained.

There is really no benefits to isolation of muscle groups.  That style of training is obsolete.  If you want to be a body builder, go to the gym and pump iron.  Ladies, I am sure you want finesse.  Guys, you want to be toned and cut up.

When you want to be in killer shape with and be Rock Solid, then the Ground Game F.B.I. system is for you.  The S.A.M complex is designed to help you adapt your kinetic movements to improve athleticism and performance.

Stay tuned ... the release is coming soon!

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Low Bar

Hey guys,

I was running an outdoor session today and I wound up at a skate park.  Obviously, there were rails and walls.

I want to talk about a handful of skills and drills that you can use with a situation like this.

Agility
Quick Feet and Shuffle back and forth over the rail every 10-20 seconds.
Lateral Hops over the rail.
Mountain Climbers with hands on the rail.
Hop over the rail with your hands on it.

Diagram    
==X
-----------hh---
==X

---- rail
hh hands
XX feet

Feet hop over rail, back and forth.

Push Ups
Here are several positions that can increase the intensity by changing your starting position.
Both hands on Rail
One hand below the rail
One hand above the rail

Sit Out
Hands are on the rail.  Feet are wide.  Hips up.

Lift one hand and swing the opposite leg under the hips.
Transition back and forth from side to side.

Routine 3 Rounds
Push Ups
-Left Hand Above x4
-Left Hand Below x4
Sit Out Left Side x4
Lateral Hops x4

Alternate
Push Ups
-Right Hand Above x4
-Right Hand Below x4
Sit Out Right Side x4
Lateral Hops x4

Routine 5 Rounds
Mountain Climbers 20 sec
Push Ups x10
Plank 20 sec
Lateral Shuffle 20 sec

Train Hard!  Rock Solid.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Tis the Season

Tis the Season to be Jolly.

Christmas is only 2 weeks away.  I mean, time is just flying.  You are certainly very busy buying presents, wrapping gifts, attending parties, working overtime, travelling ...

But are we going to be jolly and fat like Santa Claus?

Are you over eating, losing sleep, and lacking exercise?

I hope that is not the case.  Be honest, are you over indulging and not compensating for it?  Have you slacked off on your exercise program?  Worse yet, have you been inactive and out of shape for years?

Times like this can make or break you.
5 Things that You can do today to prevent destroying all of your hard work from the last year.  You have been working hard, right?

Tis the Season to be Jolly.  So, be happy with your normal diet plan.  Enjoy the occasional treat.  Do not over indulge yourself and eat a slice of every pie.

Shake the spoon.  When you are taking in those delicious sweets and wonderful meals, use the utensils to scoop a portion.  Shake the spoon, so that the excess falls off.  This was a lesson I heard over and over about reducing food cost losses.  Now, it can be used to save you calories during this time of year.

Socialize, mingle, and dance.  Stay busy, talk to others, meet new people.  Do not stand around the buffet taking second helpings and then thirds. 

Schedule workouts.   Don't just schedule, do it.  Hold yourself accountable.  Think of the Christmas season as a plateau.  Think of failure and past reasons, like "I let it all go."

Set New Year Resolutions.  Write them down.  Prepare yourself for success.  Don't set yourself starting on the wrong foot, an extra 10 pounds over weight.

Well, that's it.  Nothing was has too hard.  Portion control, eat smart, train hard, and set goals.  I know this will help most of you.

What can better help you?  Taking that New Year's Resolution to the next level.  Turn your life around with the New Revolution Transformation Challenge.

Register Now

You know what?  You can do it all on your own and keep trying the same things over and over that never worked before.  Maybe there will be new rules in 2013 where gravity stops working and pounds fly off.

What if that doesn't happen.  Will your experiments and exercise programs get you different results trying the same thing.  You get to work just as fast everyday going the speed limit and taking the same route, right?

So you lose weight just as fast if you keep following the same program.  Maybe on your drive to work, you were slowed down or got lost.  So it would take longer than normal.  Maybe you just decided to not get in your car, so you didn't even get there one day.

Are you getting in the exercise zone, going at the right speed, doing the right moves?  Are you consistent?

Maybe not, especially if you made it this far into the article.
So, my only solution to you is.

Register Now

All of the Transformation Challenges take place out of Harrington, Delaware.  If you are interested in starting your own challenge in your area, let me know.  We can build a team to take the Fitness Challenge with you.

Friday, December 7, 2012

Now You're Rollin'

Continuous Fluid Motion.  This is key to getting the best results.  When everything is rolling smoothly, you'll feel great during your training session.

It is time to maximize those results.

A proper warm up is essential.  Here is one awesome warm up tip for you.

Rolling

This is a technique used in Parkour and Martial Arts to absorb the impact of a jump or fall.  We don't fly; its falling with style.  The skill is used to safely land and continue your free flow.  The roll connects one move to the next.

Examples:

Jump, land, squat, forward roll, (momentum brings you to a standing position), run. 

Fall, break fall, backward roll, (momentum brings you to a standing position), escape.

It is important to first warm up.  Rolling progressions are perfect to loosen up your lower back.  Important life lesson.  A roll is not a flip!

Do not start standing and jump to land on your back.  This ends ... badly.  I had a client once who tried this ... ouch!

Starting position:  Baby Crawl.
On your Hands and Knees.

Take one hand.  Put it to the opposite hip, like you are grabbing the sword out of your scabbard.

Err ... how about buckling your seatbelt?

For clarity.  Use your left hand.  Tuck it under your body towards your right leg.  Lift your right leg.

Tuck your left shoulder and plant it on the ground.  Roll over diagonally.  That means you will start on the left shoulder and end on the right hip.

Another Variation

Sit down on the ground.  Your knees are bent at 90 degrees.  Your feet are resting on the ground.  Your shoulders are directly above your hips. Rock back and roll from your lower back to your upper back.

Rock back to the seated position.  You will remain in this seated "C-like" position.  Your hands can point down towards your feet to act as a counter weight.

Roll back and forth.  For a more advanced progression, roll on one side of your back, onto your shoulders and down the other side of your back.

Train Hard Guys!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Kick Back and Relax

I bet you've been going hard this week.  Want to kick back & relax?

Well before you do, you have to earn it.  One of my clients went for a shower early one morning.  He realized something was off.  He wasn't even dirty.  Sure he needed a shave, but what rugged man doesn't?

He kicked it into high gear, broke a sweat, then cooled down with a hot shower.  I like making that impact.  He didn't even feel he deserved a shower without first working out.  That's always the first thing on their minds after a workout.

Don't forget to eat your protein in that two hour post-workout window!  Eat real food by the way.  Protein powders are packed with the supplements you need to recuperate.  That's true, but there is no substance.  Nothing real there to fill you up.

Now, remember you gotta earn your R&R.  Your body also absorbs the protein and carbohydrates after a killer workout.

5 Kick-Ass Skills

Leg Swings
Broncos
Sit Out
High Knees
Butt Kicks

What's going on?  Kick Back and Relax all with High Intensity Interval Training.

8 Rounds/exercise.
20:10 work:rest intervals.

20 minute workout.  Let's rock!  Then kick back and relax after this. You earned it!

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Countdown to Christmas

There is a serious problem.  The holidays are coming.
Do you regularly workout?  Has the added stress and holiday hustle and bustle left you short on time?

There are scientific principles that apply to training.  During the holidays, there is one very important principle.  The principle of reversibility.  Pretty much, use it or lose it.

I talked the other day about hitting walls in your training.  Think about plateaus and valleys, both are flat.  Are you at a high or low point in your training?  Don't lose what you have worked so hard for.

One client told me it was so ironic that he was starting to workout during Thanksgiving and Christmas.  He was almost setup for failure.

From Thanksgiving to Christmas -- you are looking at over 4 weeks of de-training.  Not to mention New Years.  When did your setbacks start and when did your training stop?  Imagine how hard it will be to start back up after you have off track for so long.

De-training poses serious problems.  One common occurrence is getting injured when you resume training.  Why?  You want to jump right back into it.  You lift heavy just like you used to.  Run just as fast or just as far.

This leads to over training and DOMS ... pretty much you feel really sore like you ran into a brick wall.  The micro trauma to the muscles cause extra pain and discomfort in the body.  There are numerous reasons for it.

Let's just avoid all of this.

Here are 12 exercises to use at home this Christmas season.
1.  Push Ups.
2.  Squats.
3.  Pull Ups.
4.  Leg Lifts.
5.  Lunges.
6.  Bear Crawls.
7.  Hand Stands.
8.  Mountain Climbers.
9.  Jumping Jacks.
10.  Leg Swings.
11.  High Knees.
12.  Arm Circles.

Six Steps to Getting Rock Solid

Hey Guys.  What's Up?!

You all know that I am a huge fan of body weight training.  There is a huge system of exercises, skills, and drills to take you to the next level.

Think how often I break it down the the bear or crab position.  The Ground Game uses these two positions very often.

Here is one basic foundation that you should learn!
It is six easy steps:

Starting Position:  Bear Crawl.  On your hands and feet.

1.  Sit Out.  Lift your Right hand.  Place Left foot where that hand was.
2.  Cross Over.  Bring your Right foot behind Left knee.  Let the left leg collapse.
3.  Crab Walk. Swing the Left leg counter clockwise and plant the foot in the Crab Walk position.  Keep the Right hand up.
4.  Hook.  The Right hand is planting on the ground.  Simultaneously, the Right leg is swinging counter clockwise and wrapping around the left leg.  The Left hand is now off the ground.
5.  Step Back.  Left leg steps back. 
6.  Bear Crawl.  Left hand plants on ground.  Right leg swings under hips and land in the Bear Crawl position.

This is the 6 step.  There is a series of progressions from the Bear Crawl position that I use.  This is just one of many.

12 Ways to Reach Your Fitness Goals

1.  Take Action.  Take bold action, don't just think about it, be about it.  Do it, live it, and make it a habit.  Better yet, make it an addiction.  Ceaseless efforts abound in many fruits.

2.  Eat Smart.  Make healthy choices.  You are what you eat.  Eat healthy; be healthy.  Be smart about what you eat.

3.  Create a Journal Log.  Write down the things you ate.  Keep track of your exercises.  The odds are, when you stop logging your food intake, it probably wouldn't be very pretty.  You didn't write down your workouts this week, because you had none!

4.  Be Accountable.  Create a schedule and follow it.  If you're late for work, you would get fired right?  If you cancelled plans with your best friend, that would hurt them right?  How accountable is your word to yourself?

5.  Follow a Program.  Routines are a force of habit; that is doing the same thing over and over.  A program has a series progression.  It is important to progress and change your routines.  This is the program.

6.  Plan for Setbacks.  Life is what happens when you make plans.  You can never know what will happen in the future.  Getting sick, injured, losing loved ones, or taking vacation.  Have a back up plan to get yourself back on track after you handle business.

7.  Build Support.  Get your friends, family, co-workers, and others to keep you accountable.  You are much more likely to be accountable to others than to yourself.  The more people you hold yourself accountable to for your workouts, the more likely you are to maintain your program.

8.  Move.  Sitting down and doing nothing all day does not burn calories.  Get up and do something.

9.  Have Fun.  Enjoy your life.  Life is too short to be constantly busy and stressed out.  Enjoy your life, enjoy your workouts, enjoy your friends and family.  It is much easier to maintain a lifestyle that you enjoy.

10.  Dance.  I am not talking about just Zumba.  I am talking about just enjoy your music.  Don't be intimidated by what others make think of it.  Dancing is a joyous act.  This is fluid and smooth movement with a rhythmic beat.  It gets you loose, you feel great afterwards.  Maybe you're headbanging, or maybe you're bboying, Zumba works too!

11.  Stretch.  Release the tension, stretch out after workouts and throughout your day.  Long day at the desk?  Get up and just stretch for five minutes.  Did you just run five miles?  Stretch your legs out, you earned it!

12.  Rest.  Sleep is your number one friend.  Exhaustion and over training are two sure fire ways to set yourself up for failure.  Some days are longer than others.  Take time to rest, relax, and sleep.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

This Will Never Work

The Ground Game has 3 Point Vision.
Athleticism Performance Drive

It is about developing the Foundation or that athletic ability.

Then you enhance performance.  You make progress.  Progress is key to results.

Lastly that Drive is so important.  You take setbacks as they come.  It is a part of life.  You get sick, you travel, you move, you lose a loved one.  Life is what happens when you make plans.  Committing to exercise is such a challenging thing to so many people.

Fitness is not a status that is achieved and forgotten.
Rather, it is a level that is attained and maintained.

I have been very fortunate to have been active and healthy almost all of my life.  I am more so in the maintenance stage of my training.  What does that mean?  I have reached my goals.  I have the athleticism, performance, and drive that I need to keep hitting new goals and never really backsliding.

A lot of people find the plateaus in the training as discouraging walls that they can't get over.  Plateaus are flat, geographically speaking of course.  However, you take something for granted.  Valleys are flat too.  Valleys are the low points in life, a wall that you can't seem to get over.

You are in a far better place to be stuck at a wall in your plateau than stuck at a wall in your valley.  Are you headed up hill, but feel yourself backsliding?  Are you stuck at a plateau or down in a valley?

Do you find yourself starting from scratch?  It is going to take a long time for you to overcome your obstacles and challenges, no matter where you are.

Build Your Foundations

Get where you want to be in life, and fast.  Use a systematic approach, experience the thrill of success, reaching your goals, like never before!

Learn to use Kettlebells.  Strengthen your Core.  Lose weight and keep your guns.  Get Rock Solid and be in amazing shape.

Register Now

Look for Special Flyers at Leisure Fitness in Rehoboth Beach, DE.

Kettlebells are amazing for totally body fitness and getting Rock Solid for the New Year.

Register for a kettlebell demonstration for just $5.  The demonstrations will be held twice a month at 6 PM.

Register and take part in the fitness demonstration?  Did you just buy kettlebells for your home gym?  Are you stuck using them like dumbbells?!  Oh no!!  Are you undecided about getting kettlebells?   After all, what's the difference, right?

That's totally wrong.  The system for using kettlebells is amazing.  KFIT USA has developed the top system to kettlebells that is safe and effective.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Ground Zero Foundations

It takes 21 days to build a habit.  But you only get one chance at a first impression.  Take that chance today and start making an impact in your own life.

I have seen a lot of people on the fence.  Do I get in shape now, or do I put it off.  All sorts of bad and I mean terrible habits that they hold onto.  Yet they won't take one step to better themselves.

How do you get started and stay on track?  You start out small.  Don't overdo it.  You normally over train, hurt yourself, or just get gassed out during the first few workouts.  You have negative feelings about the experience.  Then you don't want to go back to it.

Remember touching the hot stove?  Sucks don't it?  Didn't want to do that again did you?  Why would you want to jump head first into this fire, we call it exercise.  Start off slow, and build yourself up.  Start from scratch and develop your foundations.

Sometimes your bad habits just get in the way of new and better habits.  How can you ever fit more hours into your jam packed day?  Would you wake up earlier, or stay up later?  That may work, but you aren't making more of lifestyle.  It is a new lifestyle.  Tear it all down, throw it out the window, and start from Ground Zero.

Garbage in; Garbage out.  No matter how hard you try, if you are making bad choices, the bad often far outweighs the good.  Get one little stain on a white shirt, it just ruined the immaculate shirt.  No matter how white the rest is, that stain sticks out like a sore thumb.

Remember, this is not just about adding something extra.  You are totally changing your entire life around.  If you let your weight go, you probably lost strength, flexibility, good eating habits and endurance too, or some mix these.

Dreading the thought of exercise?  Exercise is fun.  I love training and I love helping others train.  It can totally be an enjoyable and rewarding experience without grueling pain and suffering.  The Ground Game system is designed to have some aspects of play involved.

Get a support team.  Success is contagious!  Find a workout partner, family member, or trainer to help hold you accountable.  Now, this may seem a little biased.  It works though.  Like a pack of wolves, we are stronger in numbers.  Team work makes the dream work.  It can also help you avoid the nightmare of failure.

Its all about benefits, right?
Sense of Accountability
Increased Success Rate
Long Term Commitment
Social Interaction
Expert Coaching
Increased Energy
Boosted Self Esteem
Money Saved (usually spent on old bad habits)
Enhanced Body Composition
Improved Strength
Greater Functionality

Not convinced yet?  I'll tell you what.  If you are eager to try it out, you can get started today.  I want you to build that habit.  I am going to help you.  I will put you with group of like minded individuals, all trying to better themselves.  Meanwhile, I will coach and train you with them each week.

You will start off slow, remember, running full speed into a brick wall is bad.  Unless you're the Hulk.  Then you probably wouldn't need me.  I'm not a therapist, just a fantastic trainer that really cares about you getting the best results and committing to you improving your quality of life.

The Ground Zero Foundations is where you break it all down and start from scratch.  You make time to get yourself right.  Not because you want to, but because you deserve to.

--  Register Now --

Only $21 for 21 Days.  What can you do with $21 to better your life?  What can you do in 21 days to better your life?  I am sure this is not the first time that you have thought about bettering yourself.  In fact, this is probably not the last.  Some may say that you have failed.  I think that if you have gotten this far, then you have not.  Getting back up after defeat is not failure.  Quitting and giving up is the only failure in my book.

People are so indecisive when it comes to leaving their comfort zones.  Yes, maybe you want change, but it isn't easy to change.  It may be miserable to stay the same, but it is easy.  Repeating the same experiment over and over, expecting different results is insanity.  The registration link is two paragraphs up, and you scrolled over it.  You were excited, but indecisive!

If you can do something else to totally impact your life.  If you can spend your money on some magic formula or potion, then go for it.  Think though, how old are you?  Haven't you already had your 21 days to build a habit?  Haven't you already had your chance?  Haven't you already spent your money trying to improve your life?  What makes this time different?  Are you living a lifestyle of insanity?

-- Register Now --

Imagine, don't just think, but really visualize how it will feel like, what it will look like, what it will be like to totally make an impact and transform your lifestyle.

Friday, November 23, 2012

I'm Gonna Kick Your Butt

I had the greatest laugh in a long time this week. In the mean time, I was doing some reading and studying on creative mindsets and positive thinking. Good WooSah stuff. A small group found out that I was a trainer. They thought it was the greatest thing in the whole word. I mean, they were hysterical. They started pointing fingers and making jokes.

But they looked like a midget with a Napoleon complex, a redneck with a cowboy hat and a belly bigger than his truck tires, and the girl did the elliptical to feel the burn. "I work oouutt ... ! ... ??"

Really?

 I didn't let it get to me. It got worse though. My blood started to boil, and I was going to snap. I tried really hard. I did just enough to turn the jokes into threats. Didn't really do anything wrong. She didn't like it though. She started cussing up a storm.

 Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?

 Everybody around heard the jokes and insults. It was like high school, and I was embarrassed by this girl. I was totally and utterly rejected. Violence is never the solution, but it can be an answer. That's why I take aggression out when training in jiu jitsu and swinging kettlebells. She wanted to kick my butt. That was her threat.

 *Exit Stage Right*

 I have been doing some extra reading and battling some demons and trials in life. Trying to get over that. So all of this creative mindset and positive thinking really caused me to have a huge revelation.


I was afraid of rejection. I find it hard to tell others about what I do. Or at least I did. I didn't know it consciously. I blame it on being afraid of dragons. Dragons are easy to slay, because they are just fairy tales. Fairy tales end in happily ever afters. Fairy tales also aren't real. So, either way, I win if I would just go out there and slay the dragon. I wanted to slay a few peasants the other day. But that could end badly. Shackles and Chains aren't fun for workouts. I don't want to bend bars to make my escape. And bending over to touch my toes is not an exercise I'll do in the slammer.

 I realized, I am passionate about what I do. As such, I work hard, bend over backwards to get those that trust in me the results they want and deserve. I am not going to let somebody else tell me what I am, what I am good at, or what to do. I love helping others. I don't want to let my fear of rejection stop me from helping you. I can't help everybody, but I can make an impact.

 Visit My Webiste to find out more about my training system and how it can benefit you or somebody you know.

What is this all about? There is a fitness contest coming up in January. There will be several locations hosting this contest. These locations include Delaware Fitness, Milford, DE and Agape Fitness, Harrington, DE.

This is your registration fee. In addition, there will be a membership fee. Approximately $30/month. Once you register and become a gym member, you get unlimited use of the machines and equipment during normal business hours. Next, you get unlimited group training opportunities during the scheduled time slots.

Your contest and membership registrations will be followed up by a confirmation call, a consultation, and body composition assessment.

The Contest Starts Monday, January 7th. Register early to not miss your spot.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Five Star Challenge

GymStarz and Trinity Strength & Conditioning have the fitness challenge for you!! I don't think you can handle it, but that's just me. I don't want to water it down or anything. We will get you started. It is all in your hands once we are done. This could make or break you. If it breaks you in half, won't you weigh less? Isn't that your goal after all? Maybe you want to get ripped? This program will rip you to shreds. This is a 5 week challenge. If you take it, you will get real results. The results are just the start. How does it work? Pair up with a partner. We all know about Athleticism, Performance, and Drive. What are the other points to make this challenge different? Team Work and Competition. You and your partner pair up at the start. Your partner is there to push you. Your partner is there to spot you and support you. This team work is mixed with competition. Each team is working hard to score points and not lose them! Welcome to the Gymnastics Studio. The facilities are top of the line. Work on your under bars, pull ups, and muscle ups. Work on balance and coordination. You literally have to help your partner move sometimes. Wheel barrows, fireman carries, body drags, and takedowns. What: Five Star Challenge When: January 2013 Where: GymStarz Gymnastics Studio Days: Tuesdays & Thursdays Times: 12:00, 3:00, & 7:00 PM Register @ www.TrinityGroundGame.com $99 to take the Five Star Challenge. First 20 registrants save $20! 5 Week Program 2 Trainings/Week Pick your time slot at registration. Purchase a 15 or 30 pound kettlebell to enhance your 5*C results! All Kettlebells will be distributed at the Grand Opening of the 5*C. Take the 5*C and continue your Ground Game program for 5 months for $79/month. Continue training Tuesdays and Thursdays in any time slot! Almost $200 in savings! Winners of the Challenge will win $100 each and 1 month free of Ground Game. Winners will be decided by a variety of most improved components of fitness. Including, strength, weight loss, jump height, pull ups max, and back flips. Register now for only $30 for 10 minute Back Flips. A gymnastics Coach will work with you on your technique, skills, and fears on successfully doing a back flip! Register for all of this and more at www.TrinityGroundGame.com

Train Hard; Eat Smart

Number One Rule:  Eat Healthy.

A guy told me the other day, he was in great shape, he just needed to work on his eating habits.  Mind you he became honest and said I haven't worked out in 3-5 years.


Rule of Thumb: 
If all you do if channel surf,
 you won't get results. 

 He asked for the best things to eat. Back to Rule #1:  Eat Healthy Rather than starting to eat healthy foods, cut the garbage out of your diet.  You can't eat healthy, if you are overstuffed and overstocked with junk food.

Garbage In; Garbage Out 

We are what we eat, and who has the time to eat a healthy meal?  Hmmm.  Obesity is on the rise.  McDonalds' pop up, Gyms shut down.  No, the lettuce and tomato does not counter the artificial meat under the bun. One guy tried to eat healthier, so he tossed out the bun and ate the burger and bacon. Epic Fail!!! You Can't Eat What is Not in Your House If you don't buy it, you can't eat it.  Use your logic skills and make healthy decisions. 

My son will drink water or Coke.  It doesn't matter, he just prefers the bottle over his sippie cup. He only eats what my wife and I provide.  Well, you gotta eat right?  You don't wanna starve?



Google pictures of well balance meals.  I doubt you'll starve or suffer from scurvey. Healthy Food is Expensive Wrong!! Wrong!! Wrong!! You just made an assumption.  You know what they say when you assume.  Healthy food can be wasted and that becomes expensive. Healthy Food is Fresh Real food expires.  Fruits & Vegetables will go rotten.  Bread will mold.  Meat will spoil.  Candy doesn't go bad.  Frozen meals have a shelf life til 2015. You can't buy a month's worth of groceries in one day.  The food will go bad, if you are making smart choices.  So here are some solutions. Buy 2-3 days worth of fresh fruit at a time. Portion and Freeze your own meats. Frozen Vegetables are amazingly simple to microwave for a quick healthy snack.

 Remember ... You Can't Eat What is NOT in Your House.

You cannot eat healthy foods if you do not provide and prepare them.  Maybe you are tired and don't want to cook dinner every night. Prepare your food in bulk.  Prepare 3 days worth of chicken.  Store it in the refrigerator. People eat what is convenient.  Spend an hour one night to prepare meals for 3 nights.  Plan out your meals.  Set time in your schedule to eat that chicken or salad. Save time and money by doing it yourself.  Find a handful of delicious recipes and stick to it.  Get organized with your containers, cabinets, and refrigerator. I have wasted plenty of money by buying in bulk, then forgetting I stored it in the back.  I buy more and find the old food sitting in the back.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Rock Solid

Want to be Rock Solid? Think about that pump you get when you work out. You feel great, right? Get yourself a little sweat on, then cool off, and FLEX. This is called transient hypertrophy. It goes away, it is temporary. Or is it? Hours and hours at the gym might get you great results. Hopefully you accomplish something while you're there. Get that ripped body. Fast, Explosive, Intense, Full Body Workouts. Burn your calories, turn your metabolism on full blast. Don't count calories, destroy them as soon as you take them in. Replenish your energy stores and hit the next workout. Split routines, getting 6+ workouts/week will keep that pump going. Adapt your habits; transform your body. If you're used to a long distance pace, you won't handle sprint intervals very well. 3 hour days in the gym are nothing compared to Explosive Metabolic Training. Get rock solid with your Ground Game foundations.

P90X Makes me Sick

I realized something so sad today.  I thought about an epic failure from one of my fitness camps. Okay, warm up. "Nah man, I do P90X.  I'm good." Alright, box jumps, kettlebell swings.  Next jog and bear crawl. "Blech ... ewww gross." Yeah, he puked his guts out. Now, I don't take pride in doing so. But he asked for it. I felt bad, well a little. I tried not to laugh, tried so hard. He isn't the last one to puke. It happens every now and then. Here is what I learned. Eat right. I am not here to tell you what to eat, when to eat, or how much. These are all important things, but I don't know what is right for you. Dietitians are there for your nutritional needs. I had a client that cracked open a beer after working with me for a month. Then she looked at it, "What the hell am I doing?!" Next the biggest party foul of her life! She poured it all down the drain. It becomes common sense. So many articles and information out there for diet and exercise. The next epic failure. His form was terrible. He could barely hold down food, let alone do any exercise right. Videos, articles, and machines are terrible. All of them try to teach proper form. None of them correct improper form. My professor, Jon Garfield, told me to never waste money on videos. Videos never correct you. The simplest step skipped may make the difference in your results. I see improper squats all the time, poor form on push ups, and I had to start from scratch before. One kid couldn't even do jumping jacks. The Ground Game starts with the simplest basics. No matter how advanced you are or may become, the foundational moves from the disciplines allow you to progress. I make it happen, because you can't progress with out perfecting the finer details. I stress it so much, Athleticism, Performance, Drive. Work smart, train hard, eat right, and rest.

Getting Real Results

I wanted to take the time to talk about results. I am not talking about getting muscle. I am not talking about maxing out on a squat. Let's be real, your max squat is barely a quarter squat. Nobody was looking, you didn't drop a load to get badk up, so it must count! The most effective workouts are the most consistent. Fluid and smooth workouts make your calories burn faster, your muscles grow stronger, and your recovery time cut in half. That is where the Ground Game comes in. Trinity Strength & Conditioning is top of the line when it comes to maximized results. Muscle density, lean and cut. Low body fat and blazing fast metabolism. You can be strong or you can be skilled. You can run long distances to burn your calories, or you can be mobile and agile like a wild cat. We stand on our feet all day, or worse yet! Some would win the Olympics gold medal if Couch Potatoes became the main event. Want a strong core, back, and chest? Load the body. Even muscle heads have very little weight in their arms, relative the the rest of the body. Bear crawls, wheel barrows, hand stands, and crab walks all load the shoulder complex. How do we work on sprint work? We do explosive work outs. We increase our stride length, stretch out, and increase or leg strength. Bang, same thing, when it comes to the upper body. We are on our feet all day. Share the love with your workouts. Load the shoulder complex. We don't isolate. Do you know how many muscles are in the human body? Prime movers, antagonist, synergist. Basic stuff to a trainer. But why do we take time for bicep curls? Really. I had a had a huge laugh when a trainer told me his secret trademark move that worked for all the ladies. Two 10 pound dumbbells and do a set that had a bicep curl and hammer curl, do 15 reps each, alternate back and forth. "Left, Left, Left, Right, Left." Really? We aren't in the military. The entire training staff loved it! Well, except me. So, I gave my rebuttal about sprint intervals and strength training. I said, I would never want to show anybody that dumbbell curl progression. Just another reason for them to fire me. Biceps are build with pull ups. Can't do pull ups? Learn to kip. Can't kip? Get yourself a spotter or an elastic band to help spring you up. Functional training has so many more practical applications than stupid exercises like that. I would rather teach you how to get up off your butt than teach you how to do bicep curls. You won't get any stronger curling the remote or an empty bag of potato chips. You won't get in any better shape if you won't get up and do something about it either!

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Christmas Spirit in Milford

Winter is coming. It is exceedingly hard to stay on top of your fitness goals when it gets cold out. In addition, travelling increases, Christmas gifts have to be wrapped, some seasonal jobs slow down, or your workload increases greatly during the holidays. Everybody has goals to strive for. It certainly is a challenge to maintain during these next few months. Ask for help from a fitness professional to assist your in your efforts. Delaware Fitness, in Milford, Delaware has excellent facilities available. In addition, Trinity Strength & Conditioning will be offering the Ground Game system to the members of the gym. There will be several demonstrations during the month of November, it is the goal to get a weekend fitness program up and running for the month of December. If you are looking for a great and affordable gym membership, look no further. Follow up with a free consultation or fitness demonstration from Trinity Strength & Conditioning. Brazilian jiu jitsu, personal training, and Ground Game sessions will be offered the the members. Find out what you are missing out on, don't waste another second. Do not put your workouts off until after the New Year, it may already be too late. First, figure out how to get active now. Trinity Strength & Conditioning is here to help! www.TrinityGroundGame.com

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

The Hierarchy

This is rather important to establish as the foundation to growth and expansion. Trinity Strength & Conditioning is a mobile personal training business. It is owned and operated by educated and certified fitness professionals. In addition, there is a network of support with other health and wellness professionsals, including gymnastics coaches, chiropractors, massage therapists, fitness equipment stores, and sports coaches. The vision of Trinity Strength & Conditioning focuses on Athleticism, Performance, and Drive. There is another article written in regards to the vision of Trinity Strength & Conditioning. Essentially develop your athletic abilities, follow a strength and conditioning program to increase performance, and have a fervent and passionate drive about what you do. The system used by Trinity Strength & Conditioning is called the Ground Game. This system is backed by exercise physiology and biomechanics to optimize the training stimulus. The system has a thorough web of overlapping disciplines. The disciplines are specializations to training. There are references and databases for the individual disciplines. The Ground Game integrates these disciplines into one fluid systematic approach to reaching your fitness goals. The disciplines include, but are not limited to Brazilian jiu jitsu, Bboying, Gymnastics, KFIT, and Parkour. All of these systems are safe and effective. There is little risk involved with a systematic progression of skills and abilities. It is the goal of Trinity Strength & Conditioning to provide the instruction and program design to develop an effective and well rounded progression in the disciplines. A training session has several components. This includes skills, drills, exercises, and free-flow. A skill is a technique used. There are very rigorous details used to coach and train that skill into muscle memory. Drills are slightly less complex in nature. They are slightly longer in duration and almost choreographed to optimize motor unit recruitment and maintain body movement. Exercises are more repetitive in nature. Examples include squats, box jumps, push ups, pull ups. One thing to note, this system does not use the cadence or repetition count commonly found in a gym! The goal is to stimulate metabolic conditioning rather than a cardiovascular stimulus or sacroplasmic hypertrophy. Free-flow is a beautiful expression of the accumulation of your skills and abilities. The movements are fluid, not rigid. Examples include vaulting over a wall and climbing a second wall without missing a beat. Jacket jiu jitsu is another beautiful example of fluid movement and brilliant execution of skill. Click to Find Out More!

Friday, October 26, 2012

November Schedule

November is going to be extra busy.  Things kick off November 1st, and it just keeps on rolling.  Here is a little preview of what is to come.

What:  Kettlebell Presentation
When:  November 1st @ 6 PM
Where:  Harrington Public Library

What:  Ground Game Demonstration
When:  November 6th @ 4 & 5 PM.
Where:  Middletown, DE

What:  KFIT Level 1 Seminar
When:  November 11th @ 9 AM - 4 PM
Where:  Team Viper Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
25 Maggies Way
Dover, DE, 19901

What:  37th Annual Turkey Trot
When:  November 17th @ 10 AM
Where:  Newark, DE

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Harrington Public Library KFIT Demo

Greetings readers:

Trinity Strength & Conditioning is providing a free demonstration of the safest and most effective kettlebell system around.

Look forward to learning about the anchor squat, squat swing, rack squat, and figure 8.  Learn about the full body work out.  Kettlebells are incredibly efficient and unlimited in versatility.

These are very simple moves, however, don't underestimate the effectiveness.  The system was developed to promote fluid and smooth movement.  If this isn't enough, special combinations from the Ground Game system will be introduced too.

What:  Kettlebell and Fitness Demonstration
Where:  Harrington Public Library
When:  Thursday, November 1st, 2012 @ 6:00-7:00 PM
Cost:  Free!

For questions or concerns, contact Daniel Beyer at 302-943-3793.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

KFIT Success

I met with Mike Libercci of KFIT USA.  The seminar was powerful and informative.  It gave me a whole new look at the use of a kettle bell.
I am used to hard style.  This method used flow.  I am used to feeling beat up.  This method feels smooth.  I would never put a kettle bell in an older person's hand or use for a special population.  Now, I can't wait to let them get their hands on it.
Sit down, and grasp these concepts.  The grasp your kettle bell and roll with it.

The squat swing -- RKC focused on the hip hinge technique.  Supposedly, the arc of the swing is more effective.  However, the squat swing has a curvilinear path.  The hips have vertical displacement.  The momentum will carry the weight up.  A squat swing keeps a natural curve of the back.  You can observe for rounded shoulders and poor posture.  Imagine a herniated disc, there is no risk to the spine if you maintain that neutral posture.  This technique is safe and effective.  For special populations and athletes.

Russian Twist -- First sit down, legs in front and close together.  Slight knee bend.  This is your counter weight.  Pick up the kettle bell from your side.  Grab the bell by the horns.  Center the bell in front of your chest, lean back, engage your abs, then twist side to side.

The first exercise is meant for your abdominals and obliques.  So use them.  The bell stays in front of your chest and arms close to your body.

A variation involves shoulder movement.  There is greater range of motion.  The arms move side to side, almost lowering the bell to the hips on either side.

This might not seem like much, but take these two exercises and put it into a continuous workout.  See how your legs, arms, and core feel.  Try this for 20 minutes.

30 seconds of Russian twists
60 seconds of kettle bell swings
30 seconds of rest

10 rounds.

Go get 'Em Killer.
Sincerely,
Daniel Beyer
Trinity Strength & Conditioning
NSCA Certified Personal Training
USAW Sports Performance Coach
KFIT Level 1 Kettle bell Instructor

Don't have a kettle bell?
Need help getting started?
Contact me at 302-943-3793.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

QR Codes. Save $60/month on fitness camps.

Look for Trinity Strength & Conditioning QR Codes. Find out about great deals for fitness camps, special sales on kettle bells, and discounts on personal training.

The QR codes make information private at first glance. Decode the QR Code with your smart phone and get access to the specials.

Decode this code to save $60/month for 3 months of fitness camps. Imagine where you will be in 90 days. This isn't P90X, but my warm ups have made P90Xers throw up.

Do you want to get into the best shape of your life? Why wait another day. Decode now and save! 

Don't let technology hold you back or slow you down.  Don't have a smart phone?  Text or Call 302-943-3793.  Ask about how you can save on your fitness camp program.

Download the QR Droid Application or QR Zapper Application for your Android or IPhone.  There will be more great ways to save.


Monday, October 8, 2012

Kettle Bell Seminar at Team Viper Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

KFIT USA is hosting a seminar next month at Team Viper's gym.  Kettbell Functional Inspired Training (KFIT) is the leading program developer for strength and performance gains with kettlebell training.

KFIT focuses on a smooth flowing routine.  Jiu jitsu is about smooth flowing technique.  The stamina and explosiveness come in one package with this training style.

Perfect for Fitness professionals, competitors, coaches and fitness enthusiasts.  What have you done lately to stay on the cutting edge of technical training and cutting edge program design?

Are you worried about your client's fitness level or age?  Everybody has to start somewhere.  Have solid progressions and a specific system to progress your clients through.  Do not waste time thinking "what's next?" 

It is never too late to start something new.  Recent studies show that intense cardiovascular exercise is appropriate forces advanced age clients.   The continuous aerobic stimulus and low impact training makes this a safe alternative for elderly individuals.  KFIT even has special programming scenarios for special needs, such as injuries, diseases, and circumstances.

Do not delay.  Check for more information at kfitusa.com
Look for the seminar at the Delaware location.

Team Viper Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
25 Maggies Way
Dover, DE, 19901

November 11, 2012
9AM-4PM

I will see you on the mats!

Friday, October 5, 2012

The Power of Hands

The body mechanics of a hand are simply amazing.  The dexterity and mobility of the hand is a beautiful craftsmanship.  You can tell a lot about a person by their hands.  Soft and delicate, or hard an gnarled.  Look at the message sent by a firm handshake.

Hands can open doors, erect houses, knit a blanket, draw a picture, or paint a masterpiece.  These and many other skills are all spectacular feats.  Hands also have the power to heal.

A little bit of maintenance now, prevents major consequences later.  This is also the case with your own body.  Take care of yourself and relax.  Let somebody else help you.  Who better than a certified professional?

A massage has numerous health benefits.
A brief there of: 

Reduced stress.
Increased blood flow; reduced blood pressure.
Relief of muscle tension.
Promotes recovery.

You will just feel relaxed and refreshed.  It is time to give back to your own body and take care of yourself.

Inquire about a massage therapist at Trinity Strength & Conditioning.

I am positive that you will be pleased with the services and premiums.  Why is such a quality service offered with out the eyesore of 3-digit figures with the pricing?

Trinity Strength & Conditioning takes pride in the training experience provided by the trainers.  Likewise, Trinity Strength & Conditioning understands the importance of rest and recovery.

Ambitious goals will be met at the front line with rest and recovery intervals.  This is a fantastic way to get back to 100% for another challenging week of training.

Daniel Beyer
Trinity Strength & Conditioning
NSCA Certified Personal Trainer
USAW Sports Performance Coach
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Instructor
302-943-3793

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Kettle Bells and Ground Game

I just wanted to take a few minutes to talk about an age old training system, founded in Russia.  However, you can be very fluid with this system too.  Then I wanted to also introduce my system as well.

Kettle bells are like cannon balls with handle bars.  This may seem intimidating, challenging, and risky to even begin such a training regimen.  However, this is not the case.

KFIT USA introduced a smooth and fluid style to train with kettle bells.  KFIT stands for Kettle bell Functional Inspired Training.  This means that any trainer, client, athlete, or individual may use this system to reach their fitness goals.

I want to take a moment to identify why kettle bells are for athletes.  I consider all of my clients and trainees as athletes.  It is my goal to improve athletic abilities and build a solid foundation for further training!

Kettle bells improve performance.  This includes strength, cardiovascular endurance, stamina, and power.  Does working with kettle bells improve your core?  It sure does!  Your core muscles are meant for two things.  First, to transfer force from the ground up.  A weak core will cause energy to be lost when exploding.  This could include an Olympic clean and jerk, a kettle bell swing, sprinting, or swinging a baseball bat.  Second, your core is meant to protect your spine from injury.

Kettle bell training uses momentum.  Hip extension transfers the momentum along the kinetic chain to the arms, then to the attached kettle bell(s).  It does not take a rocket scientist to realize, "if I don't do this right, I am going to hurt myself."

Core strength is a great added benefit of kettle bell training.  I have been working for UPS for years now.  The package handling process is very similar.  Between these two exercise routines, I could not tell you the last time I did an ab exercises like crunches.

Take the momentum component out of the equation.  The kettle bell is still an object with mass.  It has weight, you can use it for a variety of resistance exercises for strength training.

There is a KFIT Seminar in Delaware in November.
Contact kfitusa.com to register for the seminar.

For additional information about using kettle bells to improve the quality of your life, contact Daniel Beyer of Trinity Strength & Conditioning.

This could be perfect component to improve your baseball swing, a weight loss program, or a strength training program.  Kettle bells are extremely durable and applicable in almost any situation.  Find out how you can purchase your own kettle bells!

Daniel Beyer
NSCA Certified Personal Trainer
USAW Sports Performance Coach
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Instructor
dbeyer816@gmail.com
302-943-3793

It doesn't stop there.  Another important component to training is the ground game.  This is a very solid part of my training style.  This involves quadruped movements, using your hands as feet. 

Body weight training is so much more than push ups and sit ups.  The ground game emphasizes this as a re-education on movement.  While Parkour teaches you how to move across obstacles, this teaches you how to move on open land.

Some examples include the bear crawl.  The bear crawl is a quadruped position with the hips up in the air.  The hands and feet are on the ground with a wide base of support.  You move forward by crawling on your hands and feet.

Another position is the crab walk.  The goal is to keep your hips up, arms extended, and knees bent at 90 degrees.  This creates almost a table top from your hips to your chest.  The combination of hip and glenohumeral extension can actually be a challenge.

The transition from one to the other is called the sit out.  The one hand lifts, and the opposite leg moves to take place of that hand.  The leg always swings under the hips.  You can plant both the hand and foot back down to transition from one position to another.  Stopping mid way is the actual sit up.  The leg and hand are in a balance.  Your hips almost feel like a pendulum.  This is fantastic for core engagement.

The roll is another very important movement.  This is not a challenging exercise.  Rather is it a skill component used in a lot of situations.  Learn to roll.  It will save a lot of pain later on.

One major note!  A forward roll on the ground is not a flip.  Do not attempt to flip in the air and land on your back!  As such, guided instruction on these skills and many others are available at Trinity Strength & Conditioning.

Daniel Beyer
Trinity Strength & Conditioning
NSCA Certified Personal Trainer
USAW Sports Performance Coach
302-943-3793

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Consistency or Trying the Same Thing

I have seen a lot of people try the same things, over and over.  They expect to get better results.  Probably stuck wondering, "why am I not getting anywhere?"

I have asked a lot of people about their work out routines.

I have heard that some do the elliptical for an hour, three times each week.  Maybe a split training routine for weight lifting.  All in all, it is the same thing, over and over.

How can you switch it up?  Don't stop at the plateau.  Train to the peak of performance.  Three key components that I found to be effective are the ground game, kettle bell training, and Parkour.

You learn to use momentum and power to move your body.  Crawling, sprinting, hopping, jumping, climbing, swinging, throwing, flipping, rolling.  The list goes on and on.  Are you ready for the challenge?

Monday, September 3, 2012

Fight to Lose Weight or Tap Out Trying

What have you done to lose weight?  Hit a wall?  Can't seem to lose any more?

How hard have you fought to lose weight?  I am talking about literally.  Take your training style to the next level.  Brazilian jiu jitsu is the option.

Think of the feeling of a hard workout after slacking off for a week?  I bet you were sore.  Think of other striking-based martial arts.  A hard day of training and break falls will leave you sore for days or weeks even.

In Brazilian jiu jitsu, you train hard, but not to hurt your training partner.  That means you and your training partner can recover quickly from a training session.  Imagine getting hit in the head, seeing stars, and having a strange bruise on your right thigh.  You wouldn't feel so hot the next day.

The ability to get quality training and easy recovery allows you to stay on the mats each week.

What is Brazilian jiu jitsu?  This is a grappling martial art founded by the Gracie family.  Joint locks, choke holds, sweeps, and self defense are used defend against an attacker.

Starting out training, you wear a white belt.  As training progresses, you earn a blue, purple, brown, and lastly a black belt.  The process of earning a black belt can often take 10 years.  That is like earning a doctorate degree from a prestigious university.

What happens at first?  You are constantly being submitted and tapping out.  You feel like anybody can beat you up.  Over time, you build a tolerance to the uncomfortable positions.  You increase your ability to defend yourself.  Meanwhile, you are becoming stronger, building endurance, learning new skills, and improving your self defense.

Memorable moments will include getting your blue belt, your first submission locked in on a skilled opponent, or when you start tapping out the new white belts.

In the mean time, you become more confident and start to lose weight.  The benefits are endless.  To see how Brazilian jiu jitsu can benefit you, contact me.  Ask about improving your "ground game."

Daniel Beyer
Trinity Strength & Conditioning
NSCA Certified Personal Trainer
USAW Sports Performance Coach
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Instructor

Monday, August 27, 2012

Trinity S&C Vision

Trinity Strength & Conditioning is extremely centered on some core values.  There are some other important components to fitness.  However, that comes with the outreach.

Athleticism -- There is something to be said about an athlete.  You think about the physique of an athletic individual.  You think lean and toned.  There are also several psychological characteristics of athletes.  Perhaps, confidence, leadership, poise, determination.  In addition, an athlete is mobile, agile, powerful, technical, fast, reactive and skilled.

Trinity Strength & Conditioning focuses on developing skills and techniques to increase efficiency and power output.  Examples include jumping, running, throwing, and kicking.

Performance -- The goal is to reach peak physical performance.  This requires physical training.  The physiological adaptations to exercise are used to maximize the results.  Specific adaptations occur due to the demands imposed on the athlete.  There are a number of philosophies used.  However, the most prominent goal is motor unit recruitment.  That means to use the muscles already there to the maximum capacity.  Under NSCA definition, Trinity Strength & Conditioning focuses on Core exercises, Structural exercises, and Power exercises.  Assistance exercises and machine-based exercises actually limit the potential of the adaptations with the time and effort put into the exercises.

Here are the two basic reasons to support the training philosophies.  Assistance exercises only produce motion across one skeletal joint.  The same muscles can be used in conjunction with other prime movers to simulate the same motion of the isolated joint.  Distribution of the load across multiple joints on both sides of the body reduces the stress on an individual joint.  In addition, more motor units can be recruited to accomplish the task.  That means that heavier loads can be lifted.  In addition, maximal loads (1 repetition maximum) can be lifted with core exercises and structural exercises.  This is not safe with assistance exercises.

Exercise machines also limit the range of motion exercises.  The range of motion is controlled by the machine.  Since the machine is stabilizing the load, this means that the athlete is not in complete control.  The human body is an amazing machine capable of amazing feats of strength and athletic ability.  Let yourself bear the load of the work you have cut out for you.  For example, you can accomplish fewer repetitions doing a bench press with free weights than you can doing a chest press on a machine with the same load.  In addition, fewer repetitions can be accomplished with a back squat than you can doing a leg press.

Structural exercises load the spine.  Examples include the dead lift, back squat, and front squat.  There is also the overhead press.  There are a variety of structural and power exercises used.  These include the 3 Olympic lifts -- the clean, snatch, and jerk -- and the progressions of these exercises.

Trinity Strength & Conditioning proudly supports the USA Weightlifters Association. 

Kettle bells are another excellent example for using basic tools (not machines) to train with.  Kettle bells are not a new fitness trend.  They have been around for quite some time.  The use of Kettle bells originated in Russian military training.  Kettle bell swings, lifts, clean & press, and Turkish getups will certain take your conditioning to the next level.

Trinity Strength & Conditioning also proudly supports Achieve Fitness USA and their KFIT program.

Drive -- Think about the athlete.  Remember those psychological characteristics.  Here is that inner dedication to the goals.  Goals have two distinct approached.  There are process goals and outcome goals.  The process goal is the foundation.  A lot of athletes and non-athletes have very wishful and ambitious outcome goals.  An athlete may want to win the state regionals tournament.  Another may want to hit the most home runs in the league.  An ordinary individual may just want to lose 20 pounds and tone up.  These are all great goals.  These are all outcome goals.  You want to do something (vague) and hope that a specific outcome is reached.

Driven people have specific goals.  The goals are process goals.  That means that you are in total control of reaching your goals.  Even if you hit 100 home runs, somebody else may hit 101 home runs.  You tried your best, and did quite well.  However, something beyond your control overcame your valiant efforts.  The outcome goal of hitting the most home runs was not reached.

The process goal is a SMART approach to training.
Specific, Measureable, Action oriented, Realistic, and Time bound.

Think more about the efforts that you put into your workouts.  Do the specific exercises that matter most.  Measure your progress, look for strength and performance gains.  Do the work that you set out to do.  Be realistic about what you are trying to accomplish.  Stick to your training schedule.  You need to train frequently to progress or maintain.

Driven people do little things often and do these little things well.  This is the foundation for success.  Driven people have dedication, purpose, and a passion for what they do!  With this drive, you can reach for your peak in fitness.

Fitness is not something that is achieved and forgotten.
Rather, strive to attain fitness goals and maintain fitness levels.

--
There is a critical learning period in youth and early adulthood that must be capitalized on.  First off, incorporating fitness into your lifestyle at this early age makes it much easier to maintain fitness goals as you age.

Obesity is a rising epidemic.  However, the sedentary lifestyle one of the greatest contributing factory.  It is rather hard to change at age 40, when you are 50+ pounds overweight and you have no fitness base!  Prevention and maintenance is key.  Trinity Strength & Conditioning outreaches to the youth and young adults.

Likewise, the intensity of training requires lots of rest.  Younger athletes recover quickly from bumps, bruises, and minor injuries.  An older individual cannot over reach for peak fitness levels like a young adult might.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Full Body Cardio

Have you ever ran a marathon?  I sure haven't.  Although, I probably have moved more boxes than the average person.  I met a guy about a year ago.  "What do you do for working out?" I asked. 

He replied with, "I am training for a marathon."  I was quite surprised!  He has a pretty amazing story to tell.  He turned his life around.  He became passionate about running.  This was him impact, and it all started with a simple treadmill.

Now, I have the pleasure of working with him.  Trust me, I am not out there helping him go the distance, running along the side of him.  Rather, we are working on adding a bit of diversity to his training routines.

He told me that he knows how to pace himself for those five mile runs.  He also talked about losing his excellent stride that he had when he was a few pounds lighter.

I told him about cardiovascular training.  He said his cardio was good.  He meant for jogging.  His aerobic endurance is quite impressive actually.  I suggested we step it up a notch.

There are several variables that you can alter to increase the intensity of a work out.  Speed, intensity, amount of muscle used, and rest intervals.

In his current training program, he uses a slow speed, that is at a moderate intensity (he is maintaining a decent pace), he uses his legs in short strides, and doesn't stop.

However, you need to change the whole training philosophy. We leave his house and head to the park with a slow jog. I warm him up with climbing a rock wall. Then the park is the obstacle course. It is my goal to get the intensity of the training up. Use more muscles, circuit the training. Let certain muscles recover. However, you can increase your cardio training by having active recovery. Use explosive movements, slow paced cardio (such as a jog), and the whole body to get the job done.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Proud Sponsors and Affiliates

I would like to thank Abbott's Bar and Grill, Milford, Delaware.  Tuesday night is Trivia night.  Great music, live bands, and an excellent dining experience can be found at this local restaurant!

Also, Trinity Strength and Conditioning Owner, Daniel Beyer will be meeting with manager Kevin Reading.  He will be awarding Kevin with several gift certificates for Personal Training and Boot camps.  Top Prize is as much as a $100 value!  That evening, Daniel will also be making a guest appearance.

How can you win?  Simply come play Trivia night and win.  There are tons of great prizes already offered.  In addition, two prizes for first and second place at Trivia night will be awarded.  A third prize will be awarded in a free raffle.

<p>Keep coming for more chances to win and even greater prizes.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Merrell Footwear</p>
<p>The quality of the barefoot and sonic foot shoe is second to none.&#160; Light weight shoes with a high performance rating.</p>
<p>Trinity Strength &amp; Conditioning strongly recommends this business partner.&#160; To prove it, members of Trinity Strength &amp; Conditioning will be entered into a drawing to win a pair of shoes (up to a $150 value).</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Agape Fitness</p>
<p>Harrington, Delaware.</p>
<p>This fitness center focuses on Tae Kwon Do to teach discipline to the youth in the community.  The school offers free weights, machines, and mat space for training.

Trinity Strength & Conditioning is available for training at the facility.  A gym membership is as low as $25/month!  Better yet, the fitness center is a non-profit organization.  Your financial contribution is donated for the purpose of training children nominated for the martial arts program.

Agape Fitness also helps promote educational opportunity to the youth in the community.  Won't you be a part of your community?

Making an Impact

I want to take a moment to talk about making an impact.  This is the instantaneous change that drastically changes the lives of individuals.  You could be let go at your job.  This has happened several times for me.  You could be in a head on collision.  Yes, I remember a few of those.

I want to focus on making a positive impact.  This impact is meant to generate momentum.  Force positive change in habits by being a positive influence for your peers.

I would like to focus on a few lives that I have impacted.  My impact on the lives of others produced a change in direction.  These individuals changed their lives and got the results that they were looking for.

Here is a older man that I impacted. The individual had a gym membership for nearly two years that he never used!  He came in to cancel the membership, and instead I gave him an inside look at the gym.  I quickly developed rapport.  He didn't see the value in his membership, even at a modest price, he just didn't use it!  I made an impact, I promised to coach him as he came to the gym.  Within a few short hours, I had a new client.

He did not have ambitious goals.  He just wanted to learn to use the equipment and work on his golf game.  After 25 years of office work, he didn't have much need for much else.  Besides that, I discovered that his legs were taut and tight.  Flexibility a major focus of the program.

In an 8 week program, he lost about 3.5 inches around his waist.  I was proud to let him know that our training was concluded.  We had a serious conversation about becoming independent.  He should follow up with me on a monthly basis.  Otherwise, the new goal was for him to consistently come to the gym on his own and work out.  For having a membership for 2 years and never stepping foot in the gym once, I would say I made an impact!  It only takes 21 days to build a habit.  The eight week program solidified his habit.

None the less, there are more success stories.  A former co-worker approached me about working out.  He was always so full of energy at work.  On top of that, he told me about how he used to run and lift weights all the time.  I knew I had to make an impact.  We went to the park.  I had him do pull ups on the money bars, climb the ropes, do dips at the ladder and do push ups at various angles.
He was drenched in sweat in a matter of 15 minutes.  I made sure to show him a few PNF stretches as well.  He was a firm believer in my abilities.  He was bragging, "he had me do this, he had me do stuff I never even thought would have worked.  In less than an hour, I turned his life around.

It is not about the results.  It is about the process and the effort.  It is about doing little things well and doing little things often.  Success is an choice.  A choice, followed up by intentional efforts to guarantee that success.  Results do not come from the impact, the results come from the drive.

Trinity Strength & Conditioning focuses on developing that drive towards success.  A continual effort will only enhance your success.  Remember to keep that momentum.  Do not give up.  Change bad habits into a fantastic lifestyle.