Another Day at the PIT

Before I began training with Herman at the PIT my resting heart rate was at 80+. After 2 months of structured, solid and organized training from qualified professionals, I’m now at a much healthier resting heart rate of 62 and I’m feeling greater than I’ve ever felt before!

Sam Lee, Personal Training Client.

29 Sep 2012 - Moderate

Trial by Fire Components.

AMRAP 20 mins
1H Front Swing 20lb 6/6
1H Front Cast 20lb 6/6
1H Side Swing 20lb 6/6

RPE: 6

Another Day at the PIT

Another Day at the PIT

26 Sep 2012 - High

TACFIT Golf.

KB Figure-8 24kg, 26kg, 28kg
Rings Cradle
Spinal Rock Drop
Parallette Dips Wall

RPE: 9

Comment: the dips are crazy hard. But good, more core tension, less reps, less triceps DOMS.

25 Sep 2012 - Moderate

Trial by Fire Components.

AMRAP 20 mins
1H Front Swing 20lb 5/5
1H Front Cast 20lb 5/5
1H Side Swing 20lb 5/5

RPE: 6

Training for 20lb TBF. Swipes are easy, but Mills are hard on the elbows. Need to condition them first using lower sophistication movements.

Another Day at the PIT

Another Day at the PIT

22 Sep 2012 - High

Primal Stress Protocol 6.

Cossack Warrior 50/50
Trinity Squat Tuck Jump 50
Press Side Plank 25/25, Top Side Plank 25/25
Chin Up (single ring) 50

RPE: 9

Another Day at the PIT

21 Sep 2012 - Moderate

Time Under Tension for Strength / Mass

4/1
KB Rack Squat 24kg
Chin Up (single ring)
KB Clean 24kg
CB 2H Gama Cast 25lb

RPE: 6

Another Day at the PIT

18 Sep 2012 - Moderate

Time Under Tension for Strength / Mass.

4/1 x 4

Cossack Warrior

Chin Up (single ring)

Alternating Switch

Swing Plank

RPE: 6

Another Day at the PIT

Another Day at the PIT

Training = Rehab

For those who keep asking me "why don't you do "physiotherapy"?".
For those who keep telling me "you haven't been doing "physiotherapy""
For those who keep telling me ""personal training" is different from "physiotherapy"".

Another Day at the PIT

15 Sep 2012 - High

Primal Stress Protocol 5 (modified).

Leg Thread Press
Parallette Planche Press
Chin Up (single ring)
Quad Clap
Dolphin Locked

RPE: 8.5

14 Sep 2012 - Moderate

TACGYM Tarfu.

Shin Roll
Leg Swing
Quad Worm
Grandby
Backward / Forward Tank

RPE: 6

Another Day at the PIT

TACFIT with Tampines Rovers soccer team.

You Want to get Fit, Don't Play a Sport, Get Your Ass in the Gym

"In contrast to the conventional gymnastics training philosophy prevailing in the US at the time, I started to allocate 1/3 of my athletes' training time to physical preparation, at the expense of our technical training time. Now what is especially interesting here is that, as soon as I began focusing on building the physical foundation first, my athletes' level of technical skills increased exponentially. I was definitely on the right track." - Coach Sommer of Building the Gymnastics Body

Build a bullet-proof body first, that can take the stress of your sport without breaking down. From General Physical Preparedness to Specific Physical Preparedness to Physical Skills* to Mental Emotional Preparedness (Training Hierarchy Pyramid of CST).

Most sports approach (in Singapore) are training Physical Skills without building a body that can take punishment. Athletes who play at a high level who can't move properly, who are tight, who are weak etc. It's like putting the latest software in an outdated computer. It will crash.

This is why i am a big advocate of Strength & Conditioning. Laymen, you want to get fit, don't "play a sport", get your ass in the gym. It pays bigger dividends in the long run.

*Physical Skills is the old term for Activity Specific Preparedness. But i prefer to use it because it is more easily understood by laymen.

Another Day at the PIT

TACFIT with Singapore National Softball Team.

Clubbell Trial By Fire Components: 2H Swipe and Mill

35lb Clubbell at 65kg bodyweight. It's not about how big your muscles are. It's about how much tension you can generate. The tighter the lighter.

This is one of the results of training in the TACFIT system for about 2 years. Of course i have some some cycles of pure Clubbell Trial By Fire components but the bulk is still TACFIT. Also i must mention that there were times when i did not touch Clubbells at all for several weeks to months due to travels and other things. Nevertheless this is one great testimony to the system. Stimulate not simulate.

Other results that i had before after implementing TACFIT includes:

Flowfit Level 3: 22 rounds in 14 minutes (best in class at Chiang Mai CST Cert, Feb 2011)

Trial By Fire with 15lb Clubbells: 14 minutes 48 seconds (2nd best in class at Chiang Mai CST Cert, Feb 2011)

TACFIT Commando Recruit Mission 1: passed score of 40 (can't remember exact score) (best in class at Chiang Mai TACFIT Cert, Feb 2011)

Top 5 Reasons Why the Floor is Better than the Suspension Trainer

For those sold by the marketing of "suspension training", "TRX training", suspension this, suspension that, i recommend you look at the Floor.

In the end it's not the tool that matters. The tool is just a tool. How you use the tool is more important than the tool. Just because it is novel, well marketed and cost a lot does not necessarily mean it is good FOR YOU.

The tool is a good tool, but most of the time sadly the system that comes with the tool is very lacking. You know what i mean (think TRX). It is irresponsible coaching to make people Push Up on the Suspension Trainer with awful form instead of teaching them to do the same with good form on the Floor. Just because you get to sell your product and the client likes it. In all probability the client has no idea what you are selling them. Clients can be fooled but not other fitness professionals.

And by the way, Suspension Trainer is NOT synonymous with TRX. I purposely did not post a photo of the TRX even though wen you do a Google search, TRX comes out tops. There are other Suspension Trainers that are cheaper and just as good or better than TRX. I am not impressed with TRX's design anyway, i prefer Rings.

Top 5 Reasons Why Clubbells are Better Than Kettlebells

For those sold by the marketing of "kettlebell training", "kettlebell lifting", kettlebell this, kettlebell that, i recommend looking at Clubbells.

In the end it's not the tool that matters. The tool is just a tool. How you use the tool is more important than the tool. And for me i have found better utility of the Clubbell than the kettlebell. I like kettlebells too but if i were to choose only 1 tool, the Clubbell is my choice.

11 Sep 2012 - Moderate

TACGYM Fubar.

Alternating Switch
Tadpole
Neck Roll
Screwing Push Up

RPE: 6

08 Sep 2012 - High

Primal Stress Protocol 4.

Quad Sprawl
Scorpion Press
Base Switch
Kick Through Spinal Rock

RPE: 9

08 Sep 2012 - Moderate

TACGYM Snafu.

Angled Cossack

Crouch Roll

Ape

Backward/Forward Tank

RPE:6

04 Sep 2012 - Moderate

TACGYM Tarfu.

Shin Roll
Leg Swing
Quad Worm
Grandby
Backward / Forward Tank

RPE: 6

01 Sep 2012 - High

Primal Stress Protocol 3.

Quad Pop Up
Spinal Rock Drop
1H Springing Tripod (final round 2H Springing Tripod)
Bent Swing Plank (final round Extended Swing Plank)

RPE: 9

31 August 2012 - Moderate

TACGYM Fubar.

Alternating Switch
Tadpole
Neck Roll
Screwing Push Up

RPE: 6