Saturday, April 27, 2013

27 April 2013 - High: EMOTM



Every Minute on the Minute:
Lunge Jump Knee
Sit Thru Press
Chin Up

RPE: 9

Comment: Finally can do the Lunge Jump Knee after 2+ years in TACFIT.

Friday, April 26, 2013

26 April 2013 - Movement Exploration on the Bars



Basic locomotion movements and others on bars. Starting to get the rhythm of the inverted crawl. The Quad Pull (last exercise) is a fun full body tension exercise opposite of the Quad Press.

RPE: 6

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

24 April 2013 - Moderate: Movement Exploration with Wall and Ball



Movement exploration with wall and ball. Not easy. Things to learn/improve: Quad Switch with feet on wall/ball.

RPE: 6

Sunday, April 21, 2013

20 April 2013 - High: 4/1 x 4



4/1 x 4
Ginga Front Lunge, Ginga Cossack Lunge
Swing Plank
Spinal Rock Shin Lunge
Tadpole Sprawl

RPE: 8.5

Wanted to do some Clubbell work but my right forearm was bruised from Kali practice. :P

Friday, April 19, 2013

19 April 2013 - Moderate: Flowfit Variations Movement Exploration


Traversing the monkey bar. Harder than it looks. Followed by squat down, one floor exercise, squat up, one pull, different variations. Followed by some uncommon exercises with kettlebell and Clubbell (not in video).

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Bodyweight Exercise Revolution Review

Introduction
Bodyweight Exercise Revolution (BER) was released in 2008, so this review is late. :P

I bought BER after two years from when it was released, hesitating whether to buy or not. In 2008 i had just spend a few hundred bucks on my first Circular Strength Training (CST) certification and was not interested to spend much more money on CST. Also i was concentrating on Kettlebell Sport so i did not take much interest in BER.

I only wrote this recently as i realized that this program is selling very well even though i do not promote it much.

Contents

BER is essentially a collection of bodyweight training programs for various fitness goals. It contains 7 chapters:

Chapters 1 & 2 contain the theory behind the programming: 4x7 and Intuitive Training Protocols.

Chapter 3 is a program for fat loss.

Chapter 4 is a program for hypertrophy.

Chapter 5 is a program for strength.

Chapter 6 is a program for general athleticism.

Chapter 7 is a program for longevity.

Program Design

As expected from CST programs, the programs are based around the 4x7 formula. Most of the programs have a different workout for Moderate and High days.

This type of programming was first published in the original 4x7 DVD.

Example:

Cycle 1-4 Moderate: Workout A
Cycle 1-4 High: Workout B
Cycle 5-7 Moderate & High: Workout C

The idea is to compress the work as you progress and peak toward the 7th cycle.

Of course, Intu-flow warm ups and Prasara cool downs are included with the package.


Presentation

It was the first of it's kind - a downloadable product with downloadable videos - that i bought. Prior i had bought some ebooks like Andrey Kuzmin's Kettlebell Sport book, but none as big as this.

Unlike the more recent TACFIT programs, the videos are to be downloaded from links in the manual directly.

What i like about BER

I like the fact that it has various programs for different fitness goals. Particularly as it presents different training protocols (eg Drop Sets, Super Slow Eccentrics etc.). In effect this collection can be used as an educational tool to introduce you to effective physical training.

Also, most if not all of these protocols are usually discussed in the context of weight training. Applying them to bodyweight exercise is something different and refreshing.

BER (and CST in general) is not about more reps or more weight, but also better quality. So you are presented with various levels of exercise sophistication. It's not about endless reps of push ups or sit ups. Also the exercises are unconventional and can get you moving much better than if you just do conventional exercises.

It is all plug and play. The 4x7 wave if tied to the exercises seamlessly. The programs tells you exactly what to do every day of the 28 days cycle.

What i don't really like about BER

After taking up CST, the exercises are not new. The exercises and some variations are already present in Flowfit prior to this and other CST programs. And coming from a Capoeira background, these exercises are really not new. But that is just me. If you are conventionally trained, you will find these exercises new and challenging.

The video download links are not easy to find in the manual. I literally wondered for some time if there were videos at all included in the package. The links are not presented in bold font or made obvious.

There is no 7x4 option presented to the user. As most people are working around a 7x4 cycle, i think this should be an important option to use the program.

Click here to get your copy of BER:

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

16 April 2013 - Moderate: Squat Press Pull


My legs were still sore from last workout on 13 April. So today is going to be more upper body emphasis. Simple slow basic exercise variations, especially slowing down the squats to improve alignment and therefore reduce quad dominance. Single reps. Tonight, unexpectedly my legs soreness was completely gone.

Another Day at the PIT


When Adrian started training with me, he could not do a single Pull Up. After working on the Pull Ups assisted with legs, he now can do a full unassisted Pull Up. Well done bro.

Another Day at the PIT


At first Joel felt that the 25lb was heavy and Arm Cast was heavy. After working on it for some time, Shield Cast with 25lb is easy. Well done bro.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Review of TACFIT 26 v2.0

Alright guys, this review is meant for those who are on the fence regarding purchasing the new generation of TACFIT 26.
History

A bit of background of TACFIT 26. It was released in late 2008, just after i completed my first CST cert. The records show that Scott had been working on it since 2003 with the Bellingham Fire Department (who designed the TACFIT Firefighter First Alarm some time ago).

After the release of Bodyweight Exercise Revolution by Ryan Murdock and Adam Steer, many CST products have been released through electronic medium, ie downloadable and no hard copy. This includes the ever popular TACFIT Commando (released in 2010).

My background with TACFIT

As i have said before, i started to get interested with TACFIT after i realised that my performance in Kettlebell Sport does not help me in Krav Maga (I used to be able to do 50+ Jerks with 2x24kg and 40+ Long Cycle Jerks with 2x24kg). However just doing a session of Krav Maga made my arms very sore for days.

Since then i have purchased and done most of TACFIT programs released (not all most of the time though). I started with TACFIT Commando because it is (was) cheaper than TACFIT 26. Then i went on to TACFIT 26, which i did most of the time.

An introduction to TACFIT 26 for those who are new to it

TACFIT 26 contains 26 programs meant to be done one after another. The programs are named A to Z (program 1 = Alpha, program 2 = Bravo and so on).

Each program has 3 to 5 exercises. Each exercise has 4 Levels of difficulty.

There are 6 program structures, called "protocols".

Protocol 1: 20/10 x 8
4 exercises, 20 seconds on: 10 seconds off, x 8 rounds per exercise
1 min recovery between exercises

Protocol 2: 4/1 x 4
4 exercises, 4 mins per exercise
1 min recovery between exercises

Protocol 3: EMOTM
Complete a round of 3 exercises every minute on the minute for 20 mins

Protocol 4: AMRAP
Complete as many rounds as possible of 3 to 4 exercises for 20 mins

Protocol 5: 90/30 x 5
5 exercises, 90 sec on per exercise
30 sec recovery between exercises
Repeat for a second round

Protocol 6: AFAP
Complete as fast as possible all repetitions of the exercises

In summary, most of the programs last 20 minutes. Only Protocol 6 is variable. But the goal is to finish within 20 minutes.

If you match the letters to the protocols, you get this:
Alpha = 1 Golf = 1 Mike = 1 Sierra = 1 Yankee = 1
Bravo = 2 Hotel = 2 November = 2 Tango = 2 Zulu = 2
Charlie = 3 India = 3 Oscar = 3 Uniform = 3
Delta = 4 Juliet = 4 Papa = 4 Victor = 4
Echo = 5 Kilo = 5 Quebec = 5 Whiskey = 5
Foxtrot = 6 Lima = 6 Romeo = 6 Xray = 6

So you can see that there are 4 series of Protocols 1 to 6 plus two more Protocol 1 and 2.

Why do i like TACFIT 26 so much (or why should non-tactical operators do TACFIT 26)

1. It has a wide variety of movement patterns. Most of the programs in TACFIT 26 are designed with the 4 movement patterns of:

Lower body pull
Lower body push
Upper body pull
Upper body push

Many good systems are based around these movement patterns. This gives real functionality. Tactical operators don't have time to train for non-functional exercises.

Due to the wide variety of movement patterns, you also do not have to guess what you are weak at. You will be exposed to movement patterns that you are weak at and the variety is a good tool to diagnose your problem areas.

2. It has a wide variety of timing protocols (6 to be exact). This means you are training different energy systems, from the very short bursts to the very long duration efforts. This gives you a wide variety of performance capacities.

3. It is done with light and portable tools (kettlebell, Clubbell, medicine ball, sandbag, rings, pull up bar, parallettes, floor). You don't need a gym with barbell and rack to perform these movements. For all intents and purposes you can do this workout at home, at the beach, anywhere.

4. Every program is different. This gives variety. Most people want variety. But variety for variety sake could make you end up nowhere. This is an intelligent build-in of variety and no tinkering is needed to make it balanced.

5. It can get you really strong without extra training. At Levels 3 and 4, you would be working with 24kg kettlebell and 35lb Clubbell. Couple that with a conditioning protocol and you are sure to become a conditioning machine. Even working at Level 2 already put you ahead of the majority of the population in terms of strength and conditioning. If you don't have a specific performance goal, just working toward Level 4 would already put you on the path of awesomeness.

What i don't really like about TACFIT 26 (and how you can get around it)

1. It's a loooooooong process to go through all 26 programs. It can get quite boring after some time. This is due to the design itself. As there are many movements in the sagittal plane (particularly pitching), but there are less rolling and yawing.

You can get around it by "plugging-in" other programs every now and then. How to plug-in has been discussed in Rmax forums so i'll not touch on that.

2. To fully utilise the program, you should have a variety of tools (mentioned above). Every tool excel at different things, eg:

Kettlebell for overhead lifting
Clubbell for swinging movements, especially Shield Casts
Medicine ball for throwing
Rings for upper body pulling and pressing

Some programs require the use of many tools, some less tools. It can be a hassle to own all these tools and bring them out for training every time.

You can get around it by substituting exercises (the Technique is more important than the Tool). For example Kettlebell Deadlift can be substituted with Sandbag Deadlift or Barbell Deadlift.

3. Some of the volume based programs can cause a lot of DOMS, particularly Protocols 3, 4 and 6. I think of TACFIT India and Juliet especially as they involve a lot of squats.

You can get around it by practicing the exercises independently of the Protocols on Moderate Day. Or only do High Day for these programs.

4. There is no equivalent Levels for women. The Levels in TACFIT 26 is designed for men, especially the weighted exercises. If you are very concerned about scoring, this can be hard to score. However if you are not concerned, like me, then what you really need to do is just decrease the weight used of the weighted exercises.

What i like about TACFIT 26 v2.0 (program design)

1. No more Double Swipes. Only 2H Swipes. This requires you to own just one Clubbell for all the Clubbell exercises:

Level 1 - 15lb
Level 2 - 25lb
Level 3 - 35lb
Level 4 - 45lb

From a learning curve point of view, Double Swipe can be very hard for many people. Yes it can be done, but with very light weights for beginners. Which i think detracts you from the high intensity nature of the Protocols. But 2H Swipe is much more easily learned.

2. No more double kettlebell exercises. Only single. And all the kettlebell exercises are 2H except Push Press which is 1H. Like the point above, this only requires you to own just one kettlebell for all the kettlebell exercises. There used to be Plank Row (also called Renegade Row) and Double Rack Squat. These have been replaced with other exercises.

Level 1: 8kg
Level 2: 16kg
Level 3: 24kg
Level 4: 32kg

3. No more Turkish Get Up (TGU). There used to be one program with TGU. Not saying that TGU is a bad exercise. It is a very good exercise, but performing the TGU takes a lot of time. Just one rep can take 10 seconds or more.

4. No more Kettlebell 1H Clean and 1H Jerk. These are some of the hardest (in terms of technique) in the kettlebell section.

5. Overall the exercises seem to be easier in technique (eg Clubbell 2H Swipe vs Double Swipe) than before. I like this because it helps you focus on the Protocol than the Technique. Remember that TACFIT 26 is meant for tactical operators, which could mean poor motor skills in exercises. No way are they going to do some of the former exercises (eg. Double Swipe) well without extra technique work.

6. All Protocol 5s are 5 exercises. No more "short" Protocol 5s (ie 4 exercises). There used to be some programs with only 4 exercises which reduced the total training time.

7. All exercises are represented in multiple programs. There used to be some exercises which only appeared in one program (eg. TGU). The One Leg Squat (aka Pistol) also appears in many more programs than before.

8. Last but most important, every exercise has a warm up and cool down. There used to be one warm up and cool down for all programs. Which is not bad but can be made a lot more specific.

What i like about the TACFIT 26 v2.0 (package)

1. What can i say about the price? USD149 (buy now to get the launch special of USD99) is a steal. The original TACFIT 26 used to sell for USD699, then was reduced to USD399. Still it was a big amount for most people. At USD149, this means each program sells for USD5.73.

2. It contains the full Primal Stress program. Primal stress contains 6 programs (Protocols 1 to 6). The original Primal Stress program sells for USD197. So this means you get TWO packages for the price of one. If this is not cheap, i don't know what is. Even if it is not included, it's still cheap.

The only exclusion from the Primal Stress package are the Revive and Thrive Flows and the detailed manual.

3. Delivery format has been improved tremendously. The original TACFIT 26 has no exercise instructions, only demos. The new program has a manual of all the exercises, kind of like an encyclopedia. With better technology, more information can be delivered easily through the electronic medium.

Click on the pic to get yours now:



Saturday, April 13, 2013

Short Review of TACFIT 26 v2.0

Just had a quick look at the new TACFIT 26. Well done to the guys at the HQ. Much well designed than the old design.

The best things that i like about the new design are:

1. No more Double Swipes. Only 2H Swipes. -> Need less equipment.

2. All Protocol 5s are 5 exercises. No more "short" Protocol 5s (ie 4 exercises).

3. No more Turkish Get Up. -> Can be finished faster.

4. Last but most important, every exercise has a warm up and cool down.


13 April 2013 - High: 20/10 x 8


20/10 x 8:
Lunge Jump Switch
2H Alternating Shield Cast
Squat Tuck Jump
2H Side Semi Swing


RPE: 9

TACFIT 26 v2.0 Is Here

Note: The new TACFIT 26 series contains the full Primal Stress program.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

I am a PITbull. I train at the PIT Singapore


Promo for my gym. The first video was about the trainers. This time we show you our clients and members. These are every folks just like you and me. If they can do it. You can do it too.

9 April 2013 - Moderate: Freestyle Movement Exploration


Excerpts from today's freestyle movement exploration. Mainly bodyweight exercise on the floor, going through the movements slowly, especially the presses, to shift the emphasis from the prime movers to the stabilizers. Less reps, more quality.

Started with Flowfit variations and i think i like to use it as a base for future variation explorations.

Not in this video (because of length considerations) include: rope and bar pulls, Clubbell grinds.

RPE: 6

Comments: Not many lower body presses but my legs are sore. On another note, i think i need to cut the video shorter next time. It takes forever to upload.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Cool Movement Ideas - 86 Year Old Johanna Quaas on PB

Cool Movement Ideas - Kadochnikov Systema Movement Drills

Cool Movement Ideas - Scott Sonnon Tactical Gymnastics Applications

Cool Movement Ideas - Prasara Hurlies

Cool Movement Ideas - CST Prasara Body-Flow Yoga

Cool Movement Ideas - 3 Fun Locomotion Moves to Explore

Cool Movement Ideas - Primal Play and Movement Exploration

Cool Movement Ideas - Montreal Systema Academy Swiss Ball Drills

Cool Movement Ideas - Rope Plank Walk

Cool Movement Ideas - One Arm Hindu Push Up

Cool Movement Ideas - Walking the Plank Exercise

Cool Movement Ideas - Systema Joint Mobility & Combat Acrobatics

Cool Movement Ideas - Solo Martial Arts Training By John B

Cool Movement Ideas - Strength Without Muscles

New Blog Title

For many years i have used my personal name as my bog title, being lazy to think of a name to give it. After looking back at my continuing physical practice, i have thought of a suitable name for my blog: "i live - i breathe - i move".

Enjoy.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

6 April 2013 - High

24kg kettlebell:

10 mins: (30 sec x 5 exercises x 2 rounds (switch hands after each round) + 1 min recovery) x 2:
1H Swing
1H Clean
1H Squat
1H Jerk
1H Clean & Jerk

15lb Clubbell:

5 mins: (30 sec x 5 exercises x 2 rounds (switch hands after each round):
1H Anchored Side Swing
1H Anchored Side Pendulum
1H Anchored Shield Cast
1H Anchored Technical Mill
1H Anchored Mill

5 mins: (30 sec x 5 exercises x 2 rounds (switch hands after each round):

1H Side Swing
1H Side Pendulum
1H Shield Cast
1H Technical Mill
1H Mill

RPE: 9

Comment: Haven't touched a kettlebell for many months. Feels heavy. Technique okay. I hate the compressed feeling after the session.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

2 April 2013 - Moderate

15lb Clubbells:

AMRAP 10 mins (no putting the weights on the floor):
Double Front Swing 6
Double Front Pendulum 6
Double Arm Cast 6
Double Technical Swipe 6
Double Swipe 6

AMRAP 10 mins (no putting the weights on the floor, 1 hand switch):
1H Side Swing 6
1H Side Pendulum 6
1H Shield Cast 6
1H Technical Mill 6
1H Mill 6

RPE: 6

Comment: Starting to feel the nuances of each exercise. :)