Steve's Real Fitness Blog has a new home!!!

I have moved this blog to my newly redesigned website at http://www.fit4real.ca/

This is the last post here, so come on over to http://www.fit4real.ca/!!!

Something to think about...

Take it from a Harvard Professor... barefoot or minimal-shoe running is the way to go!

From a recent post by Chiggers on the Dragondoor Forum...

Us kettlebell-lifters love to train barefoot, and for good reason. As humans, we have been lifting things in bare feet for at least a million years... in shoes, not so long : ) Our feet are adapted to bear weight the most efficiently the closer we are to barefoot. For those who need orthotics to correct misalignments, the most minimal and thin-soled shoe that will still support the insert is recommended (think converse Chuck Taylors). Why would running be any different? Humans have also been running barefoot a lot longer than in the thick-heeled running shoes invented in the 1970s!

And now, the science... complete with groovy computer graphics comparing heel-strike vs forefoot-strike:

YouTube text:
Harvard professor Daniel Lieberman has ditched his trainers and started running barefoot. His research shows that barefoot runners, who tend to land on their fore-foot, generate less impact shock than runners in sports shoes who land heel first. This makes barefoot running comfortable and could minimize running-related injuries. Read more here http://www.nature.com/news/2010/10012... and find the original research here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature08723

Proven by Science...
Kettlebell Snatches burn more calories than almost any other form of sport or exercise!

Those who train with kettlebells know they are one of the top tools for fat-burning. Now, a study by the American Council on Exercise proves the anecdotal evidence to be true.

Click here to read the complete article from the Jan/Feb 2010 issue of ACE FitnessMatters.
Please refrain from studying the exercise examples too closely and instead see an RKC Certified Instructor who will teach you a much safer and more powerful way to perform them.

The ACE study shows that kettlebell snatches done Viking Warrior Conditioning style burn an amazing 404 calories in only 20-minutes (1212cal/hour)! The VWC protocol used in the study was developed by Master RKC Kenneth Jay and in this case involves 15sec of Snatches at a fast pace, followed by 15sec of Rest for up to 40mins straight.

Here are other examples of exercises that come close to this phenominal calorie burn (at least 800cal/hr for a 155lb person) :

Running, 10 mph (6 min mile) - 1126cal/hr
Running, 9 mph (6.5 min mile) - 1056cal/hr
Running, stairs, up - 1056cal/hr
Skating, ice, speed, competitive - 1056cal/hr
Skiing, cross-country, uphill, maximum effort - 1161cal/hr
Squash - 844cal/hr
Bicycling, >20mph, racing - 1126cal/hr
Bicycling, 16-19mph, very fast, racing - 844cal/hr
Bicycling, stationary, very vigorous effort - 880cal/hr
Boxing, in ring, general - 844cal/hr
Handball, general - 844cal/hr
Jai alai - 844cal/hr
Rope jumping, fast - 844cal/hr
Rowing, stationary, very vigorous effort - 844cal/hr

As you can see, all very fast-paced and high-intensity sports or activities! Try doing any of the above for 20minutes straight and tell me how that goes... The VWC protocol allows for equal Work/Rest intervals, making it possible to keep working at a high-intensity for the duration of the workout.

Now, take a look at calories per hour for some of the more common forms of exercise:

Aerobics, high impact - 493cal/hr
Aerobics, general - 422cal/hr
Basketball, game - 563cal/hr
Basketball, nongame, general - 422cal/hr
Bicycling, 12-13.9mph, moderate effort - 563cal/hr
Calisthenics (pushups, sit-ups), vigorous effort - 563cal/hr
Calisthenics, home, light/moderate effort - 317cal/hr
Frisbee, ultimate - 246cal/hr
Hiking, cross country - 422cal/hr
Jogging, general - 493cal/hr
Race walking - 453cal/hr
Rowing, stationary, moderate effort - 598cal/hr
Skiing, downhill, moderate effort - 422cal/hr
Snow shoeing - 563cal/hr
Swimming laps, freestyle, light/moderate effort - 563cal/hr
Tennis, singles - 563cal/hr
Weight lifting or body building, vigorous effort - 422cal/hr

The numbers tell the tale. Kettlebell Snatches rule!

See an RKC Instructor to get your form dialed-in and then get started, as Kenneth says "Like a Viking"!

Click here to order your very own copy of Viking Warrior Conditioning.

I could not have passed my RKC Certification Snatch Test without it!

A fitting tribute : )

My awesome clients Corwin and Eileen put together a video extolling my kettlebell training virtues!

I would like to direct you to their websites http://www.redwagonmanagement.com/ (strategic event design, marketing, and project management) and http://www.eileenrothe.com/ (singer/songwriter extraordinaire) as they are awesome too!

New Wing Tsun Sifu and a new Wing Tsun Master!

From left: Sifu Brian Yam 2TG, Sifu Gary Kaiser 1TG, Sifu Steve McMinn 1TG, Sifu Ciprian Constantinescu 1TG. Seated: Master Ralph Haenel 5PG

On December 4th 2009, at the Wing Tsun Vancouver 15th Anniversary Dinner, Master Ralph Haenel made me a Sifu of Wing Tsun Kungfu. The term Sifu means "father teacher" and is awarded in recognition of a teacher's contributions to the learning, teaching and promotion of Wing Tsun. A few weeks earlier, Brian, Gary and Ciprian received their Sifu titles at the last Seminar of 2009. I was in sunny Venice Beach at the time and was very happy to hear about the new Sifus when I got back. Imagine my surprise when I became a Sifu too! After 10.5 years training and just over 8 years teaching, it is an honour I will continue working hard to live up to.

Master Ralph recently wrote a great article titled SifuMania – or who or what is a Kung Fu Sifu anyway?

Check it out here.

Now, some people reading this may ask, "Why are you calling him Master Ralph?. I thought he was a Sifu too!?!"

Well, he WAS known as Si-fu Ralph and continues to be to his current students. However, on the same evening as I was awarded my Sifu title, the senior students and trainer team at Wing Tsun Vancouver presented Si-Fu Ralph with his 5th Practician Grade in Wing Tsun, making him a Master of Kungfu. This title is well deserved as we have felt for years that Master Ralph is at a Practician's Skill Level. Many visits from other WT teachers and students from around the Wing Tsun world have served to reinforce Ralph's level of skill and unsurpassed teaching ability.

Congratulations, Master Ralph Haenel, training and teaching WT for 25 years!

Me and Sifu Chris Chinfen present Master Ralph with his 5PG Certificate.

36 Military Presses for my 36th!

Today is my 36th birthday.

Last year, I decided to start marking the day with a shirtless and in shorts kettlebell exercise, done outdoors, reps matching my age : ) For my 35th, I did 35 Snatches with a 24kg kettlebell in Kelowna, temperature -10C.

This year it was only -5C and I decided to do 36x 16kg Military Presses per arm.

Next year, I want to up the ante and do 37x 24kg Snatches per arm!

Here's the video:

Wing Tsun Chi-Sau Marathon!

Me and Master Ralph after the lesson.

On Friday December 18th, I went to my private lesson with Master Ralph Haenel of Wing Tsun Vancouver. I had been informed beforehand that I was to be part of a "warm-up" set of 6 lessons in preparation for Saturday's 14-hour Chi-Sau marathon.

Yes, that's right... a 14-hour Chi-Sau marathon!

Master Ralph wrote a great blog post about the marathon, AND how hard training of the basics is of the absolute importance, if real-world Wing Tsun skills are your goal.

The Tan-Sau of death and other secret techniques of Wing Tsun Kung Fu - part 2 of 2

Enjoy!

There's snow on the roof... and fire in the furnace!

You all know about the amazing 63 year-old, octuple-bypassed powerhouse named Irv, now I would like to introduce two other awesome dudes...

Comrade Brockster from the Dragondoor Forum and Russian Oleg Pronnikov, a tough 72 year-old European Kettlebell Sport Champion.

Brockster aka Brewster Righter is a 163lb, 73 year-old, hard-training Comrade from Long Island, New York. I first became aware of him via a funny online picture where he is posing with his wife and grandaughter in front of his house, kettlebells at his feet. I posted the link on the Dragondoor Forum and was surprised when Brewster turned out to be a member : )

Recently, he set a new AAU National Deadlift record of 358.2lbs in his age group.

Here's a video of his record-setting deadlift:




The next inspiring gentleman is 72 year-old European Sport Kettlebell Champion Oleg Pronnikov, who recently performed 249 16kg Snatches in 10 minutes. Oleg did not even start lifting kettlebells til after his 50th birthday!

Oleg on the competition kettlebell weights being made lighter for those over 70:

"They say now that they want those who are older than 70 years old, to lift a 12 kg kettlebell. I think that it is better to lift a pan in the kitchen than a 12 kg kettlebell. A 16kg is the Girevoy Sport weight.”

Here is a link where you can watch some of Oleg's championship performance!

I found out about Oleg at Caestus: The Extreme Girevoy Sport Records Blog. A fun site to visit as long as you don't mind terribly translated Russian : )

We can all only hope to be as awesome as Brockster and Oleg when we're in our 70s!

My 100th Blog Post: Fitness and Fun Combined!

Behold the Ultra Machine Super Pitcher!

"Simple but interesting!"

"We all can have fun while playing it!"

And better still, "Even breaking pitch can be free done!"

I picked this little beauty up in Vancouver's Chinatown for a cool $18. Now, I can set up a batting cage right in the living-room. Why? To work on hand-eye coordination of course! Also just so I can have a batting cage in the living-room : )

The sticker on the machine says "Basketball".


Here's a video of me and Tony in the "cage"

It is not necessarily the Martial Art, but rather how you train it!

Further to discussions I have had with my Wing Tsun Sifu, Ralph Haenel...

There has always been a lot of talk about what martial art is the best. Some people prefer the traditional route of Karate or Judo, and some swear that MMA-hybrid training is the way to go.

The important thing to keep in mind is that a well-trained exponent of almost any martial art will be able to take care of themselves in most real-life (ie non-competition) situations. By "well-trained", I mean the martial artist has put their skills regularly to the test under as much pressure as they can allow. After all, if we are training for the however unlikely physical altercation, does it not make sense to train as close to the real-life possibilities as we can?

A great example of this is a Karate black belt I met many years ago in London, Ontario. This 20 year-old had been competing in tournaments since he was 10, and had won many national championships. A year before I met him, he and his brother were attacked by two average-sized gentlemen while walking home at night. He related to me how he had just frozen, was totally ineffective in defending himself and the altercation ended with him beaten up and his brother stabbed in the arm and leg. All of his training seemed to have failed him. What he understood though, was that throughout his 10-year karate career he had never once faced anything like the aggressive, go-for-broke dudes who beat him up. There was always his Sensei or a referee to jump in after a point was scored and the tournament-fighting was all about one hit and little or no follow-up. He was very interested in meeting my teacher at the time, a Combat Kenpo Instructor who had us kicking all kinds of hell out of each other to lower our fears of getting hit and learn to commit to our attacks. After all, you could get beaten up anyway so why not give it your best shot?

In case anyone thinks I'm knocking Karate, here's a great video of a Karate Instructor who obviously trains for real-life. Martial Art notwithstanding, he is cool under pressure and delivers a well-timed and very-effective blow!



It is clear why MMA-style fighting is seen as very effective on the street. I can assure you that in a streetfight none of these guys would risk their noggin and pull someone into their guard from standing, but the aggression, powerful punches and much-lower fear of getting hit on the way in will win most fights for someone training in this way. MMA competitors actually fight on a regular basis in the closest thing to a streetfight you can legally sell tickets for : ) They are truly meeting an aggressive opponent who means in no uncertain terms to choke or knock them out!

At Wing Tsun Vancouver, Sifu Ralph is a big believer in realistic training and as we advance, he gives us the opportunity to raise the stress-level even higher. This is of course a choice as some take WT more for the body-awareness, joint-mobility and spiritual growth. This "softer path" is just as legitimate but will not prepare the student well for a real-life violent encounter. After all, you would not train for a swim-meet by doing the strokes on dry-land!

Here's a short example of what we get up to in our private lessons. Remember, this is not the way you HAVE to train. Training like this is a choice at WT Vancouver. Only the individual student can decide if they want to truly train for effective self-defence.



I've included a couple more WT videos below to illustrate how higher-stress and more intense training makes for a better WT fighter and, of course, a better fighter in ANY martial art.

So next time, before you are tempted to engage in a pissing-match about what style is the best, ask yourself first if you are training as hard and as "well" as YOU can!!!

Do.

From the Dragon Door Forum: Evidence we're becoming a physically weaker species!
Click here to read an article about the book Manthropology - The Science Of The Inadequate Modern Male.

The author, Australian anthropologist Peter McAllister, claims among other things that Australian aboriginals would have beaten Usain Bolt in the 100-metres, given modern training and equipment.

It is indeed true that most modern men and women are far less physically able than they were in the not too distant past. Of course life expectancy has increased due to advances in hygene and medicine, yet the ability of the average person to run, jump and lift things has seriously declined.

Read the article and then ask yourself what you can do to help reverse this trend. Imagine how advanced we could become as a species if we placed the same importance on physical fitness as we do on the invention of new technology!

Thanks to Randy Hauer, RKC TL for posting this on the Dragon Door Forum.

A tribute to a most valued member of our 9am class. RIP Winks the cat.

Winks in repose.

For the past three-years, Winks the cat had been an important part of our 9am class indoor-training. Her agile movements, acrobatic skills and dog-wrangling abilities impressed us most every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning. Winks was also a prolific bird-catcher, despite only having the one eye! She was also stricken with three or more terminal diseases, and had been since I first met her three years ago. You would never know it looking at her. What a cat!

This summer's heat-wave was just too much for our Winks to endure and in July she succumbed to her many outwardly-unnoticeable ailments.

She will be missed. Especially by Bailey, the dog.

Ken hits a PR in the Deadlift!

On September 15th 2009, Ken pulled a Personal Record 330lbs in the Deadlift!

This was a long time coming for Ken as he had an injury setback that delayed his quest for a 300+ lift for a couple months.

Ken now has his sights on 350!

It may be fun TV, but it ain't real!

I came upon a great blog post by Robert dos Remedios at Observations From A Strength Coach.

Robert is the 2006 NSCA Collegiate Strength Coach of the Year and currently is the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach @ College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, CA and a sought after speaker and presenter on conditioning.

Robert talks about the super-popular television show, The Biggest Loser and how the training methods used are downright dangerous. Wait until you read about how two of the winners engaged in near-starvation to win the money!

From Robert's blog:

According to Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD, director of nutrition for WebMD Health and the WebMD Weight Loss Clinic, writes: “The Biggest Loser competition might indeed result in big losses, but it defies all the professional wisdom about safe and effective weight loss. That’s because the contestants are not addressing lifestyle behaviors and eating habits that they need to change permanently, not just during a nine-week race. This approach is similar to a fad diet, and we all know about them: You can lose weight on just about any diet, but when it’s over you gain the weight right back — unless you’ve changed your behaviors.” (see her article on Medicine Net). "

I'm not telling you not to watch, but please be aware that what happens on The Biggest Loser is not the way to safely lose weight and effect a positive, lasting lifestyle change!

Click here to read Robert's blog post.

From StaleyTraining.com, The Aerobic Conspiracy!

From the latest Charles Staley newsletter comes an article by National (USA) record-holding powerlifter Phil Stevens (www.lift4hope.org). Phil explains how the myth of long-slow-distance (LSD) cardio as the number one way to lose fat and get toned, got started AND why it is absolutely not true! Phil's opinion is based on the scientific facts of the latest research, showing the importance of weight-training in maintaining muscle mass, bone density, metabolism, hormonal function and cardiovascular health.

He does not say that LSD training is worthless, just that it is time to face the facts on what will really keep you strong, toned, energized and healthy!

Click here to read the article.

A Canadian RKC in Scotland...

This June, my Dad and I went to Glasgow Scotland to visit my Gran and attend my cousin's wedding. I was planning on teaching my Dad a new workout and hoping to be able to get him started on kettlebells.

Where to get a couple bells, I thought? My first instinct was to go to the RKC Instructors page. I looked up instructors in Glasgow and found Dr. Vadim Kolganov (www.dynamosambo.co.uk). Vadim is a former Moscow Champion Sambo competitor and has been competing in Sambo since 1980. He was the 2006 British Sambo Champion and continues to compete to this day! Recently, he was the guest of Dr. Mark Cheng at Kettlebells Los Angeles.

Click here to read about Vadim's visit on Mark's KBLA blog.

I sent Vadim an email asking if I may rent a couple kettlebells for my week in Glasgow. He responded the next day saying he would lend me some. This made me very happy as now my Dad would get to experience the power of the bells!

I met Vadim at a gas station where we transferred the bells from his car to mine. He very kindly met me halfway, shortening my absence from dinner at my Uncle's and thus cutting my Gran's tight-lipped disapproval in half : ) Phew!


The best part was that I was able to begin teaching my Dad in the Hardstyle system! My Dad was my very first fitness influence, up every morning at 5:30 or earlier, running, cycling, rowing or lifting weights. It is because of him that I have such a belief in the positive benefits of physical training. I saw firsthand how his being strong and in-shape projected a great aura of confidence. Now, in his 60s, my Dad is the perfect candidate for the brilliantly scaleable RKC system. Currently, he's working on a strength-program of Deadlifts and Pushups with Wall-Squats, Planks and Good Mornings as his teaching drills. When he arrives in Vancouver in September, he'll have all the patterns ready to get Swinging and Pressing! I am a very happy son : )

I am also very happy to belong to the RKC community, where we all understand each other's healthy obsession with kettlebells and Hardstyle training.

Thanks again, Vadim!

Irv does it again!

You all know Irv from such past posts as, Another Reason I Love My Job and Irv Sumter-Frietag, future Adonis part 2...

Well, Irv has just set another Personal Best! Now that he's in the orthotics courtesy of Physio extraordinaire Steve Nairn, Irv has been able to get back to some short-distance running. When we first started, Irv could only run for one leg of a four-leg soccer-field before having to walk for recovery. Last week, Irv threw down the gauntlet and told me he wanted to go for three-legs non-stop. He did it, I filmed it with my cellphone, and though you cannot really see him for most of the run, the ending is well worth it!!!

Take that 8-bypasses, says Irv!

Click here to read Irv's story at fit4real.ca.

Enjoy...

New West Hardstyle Kettlebell Workshop!

On Sunday August 16th 2009, I went to New Westminster to conduct a private Hardstyle Kettlebell workshop. The workshop was organized by kettlebell enthusiast Rish Koya of teachmeforex.com, for some co-workers, friends and his Bikram Yoga instructor.

I was impressed with how hard they worked AND how it only took about two sets of 15 punishment-burpees to keep their backs straight when putting the bells down!

We covered basic principles of the Hardstyle System, including breathing, tension and power-production, then moved on to the Swing, Getup, Clean, Press and Squat. As the participants would be doing their further training together, I taught them the appropriate partner corrective drills for each lift. A great feature of the Hardstyle System is the use of what we call a-ha drills; safety/form-correcting exercises that have only two performance choices, right and wrong. This makes it very easy for one to continue to improve, even without regular RKC instruction.

I look forward to my next visit to New West, and would like to again thank Herminder Gossal of Bikram's Yoga College New Westminster (http://www.locktheknee.com/) for allowing us the use of her studio!

To arrange your own Hardstyle Kettlebell Workshop, contact me at 778.898.4649 or or mailto:steve@fit4real.caand find out how kettlebell training can make you ridiculously strong, while at work... Plus an additional 12-20mins at home, 3-times a week : )

So, how's that working for you?

Recently, I started teaching kettlebell classes at the first gym I worked in. I had last been there on a weekly basis over two-years ago. I have now been working out there about once a week and teaching classes 4x a week for the past 4-months.

Many of the same members I knew before still work out there. One of the first things I noticed was how many of them are still doing exactly the same workout. Same exercises, same rep/set schemes, same weights... same results! There were, of course, some exceptions who were still training hard and had advanced in weight, size or shape. What were they doing? The ones I knew and talked to had been paying attention to their body's reaction to training and had found, through trial and error, the most effective way to ensure their body's advancement.

The important part here is that they kept seeking out ways to improve every time they hit a plateau. Whether it was assistance exercises to bring up a Deadlift, cycling through poundages to ensure fatigue management or trying logically created programs for long enough to truly gauge their effectiveness, they were aware of, and had taken action on, their training goals.

It was pretty cool to get such an opportunity to see a "study group" like this over a 6-year period!

It was pretty obvious that being aware of your training program and the results it brings makes a very measurable difference in the end result.

So, I ask you... How's your fitness program working for you?

You know what the answer should be!

Do.