REDONDO BEACH BOOT CAMP

This is the meaning of a trainer’s company out of Canada who I have studied under at 3 different courses.

Agatsu- “Self victory.” According to the founder, true victory (MASAKATSU) is the victory one achieves over oneself (AGATSU). Thus one of the founder’s “slogans” was MASAKATSU AGATSU — “The true victory of self-mastery.”

I took The Agatsu Level 2 Kettlebell Certification on the 30 and 31st of January from kettlebell pioneer Shawn Mozen. He got certified in kettlebells back in 2003 under Pavel Tsatsouline when very few people even new what a kettlebell was. After getting certified Shawn popularized kettlebells in throughout Canada, where he is from. I met him through another kettlebell instructor, Alex King of Kettlebells USA. He told my about a course Shawn was instructing through Moni Aizik’s Commando Krav Maga called Elite Combat Fitness. This was back in June of 2008.
I trained with Shawn twice that year, first with the combat fitness course and then he was one of Moni’s instructors at the Commando Krav Maga’s Level 1 and 2 self defense course. What I liked about Shawn is that he is a martial artist and a trainer like myself. We both see martial arts and fitness differently than most people(more on this topic on my Ranger Fit Blog).
On the second day of his Level 2 course, Shawn asked us if we knew the meaning of Agatsu, his company’s name. He also said that he thought it strange that his students don’t ask the meaning of Agatsu. Maybe it is because they are all so mentally and physically exhausted from non-stop kettlebell lifting that they can’t think of anything else but getting through the course. I put allot of thought into this. Shawn spent time talking about things like, what is our intent with our own training and how we train our clients.He also talked about will and how it was his will that enabled him to bring kettlebells to Canada. He also spent time on his agatsu, self mastery.
So back to goals and how this relates to Redondo Beach Boot Camp. We are still in a brand new year. Many people have already quit on their new year’s fitness goal. National statistic is that 50% quit in the first month. So if you are still trying you are a success.
Since 2003 to the present each year the fitness industry tries to reel a new batch of people wanting to get in shape. Each year more people fail than succeed. The industry’s mistake is they market to the masses wants not needs and they try to dumb everything down and not tell people the truth. They believe that people will not buy unless you tell them what they want to hear. But the truth really comes back to agatsu, self mastery. My self mastery is going to be different than a 50 year old office worker or a busy mom. But we all must make a commitment to work the same basics, nutrition, cardio, weights, core, flexibility, mental(stress reduction and focus) and spiritual(attitude and outlook on life). Without these we will limmit our success or worse fail miserably. Many people want to omit some of those basic but all of those are inter-related. Self-mastery does not sound appealing but results and success does.

Read more...

Ok, here is the cleanse protocal that Serkan has used with his clients. I just made my first batch and it doesn’t taste bad. I will let you all know my results.
Kyle Rourke RKC, CST, NASM, CPT, CES, PES

This is based on my own experience with the Master Cleanse and has
proven successful for me, my wife, and others who have tried it. More
info on the Master Cleanse can be found here:
http://www.recipezaar.com/79145 and with a little research on Google.

ONLY USE ORGANIC INGREDIENTS FOR EVERY ASPECT OF THIS CLEANSE!

Days 1-4:
Follow the Master Cleanse protocol. Purified water with lemons, grade
B organic syrup, and cayenne pepper only. No other food. A pinch of celtic sea salt
is also ok.

Day 5:
You can add up to 3 hard boiled eggs to the diet.

Day 6:
You can still do the hard boiled eggs AND add in 1 or 2 cups of RAW nuts.

Day 7:
Hard boiled eggs, salmon, and nuts are now allowed.

Day 8:
Time to switch to the sustainable part of the diet. Your system is
clean now and you should easily realize how little food you really
need to feel great and have tons of energy.

You can now start getting creative with your drink. Eliminate the
Grade B syrup and blend any variety of fruit together each morning and
mix in a gallon container with water. Drink this throughout the day
while eating ONLY PROTEIN. Choose only organic fruits, blend in a few
leaves of Swiss Chard or other heavy green leafy vegetable for the
added nutrition and ALWAYS INCLUDE THE CAYANNE PEPPER (to taste) and
LEMONS (juice from 2-3 is usually enough).

Fruits and vegetables that I have used in various amounts and
combinations include: lemons (of course), peaches, pears, apples,
nectarines, plums, grapes, apricots, watermelon, blue berries
(wild/frozen from Trader Joe’s), strawberries, raspberries, cucumber,
carrots, dates (great for taste), figs, coconut, mint, basil, swiss
chard, kale, celery, mango and pineapple. I’m sure there are others
but this is what comes immediately to mind.

Mandatory disclaimer for any nutrition related advice: Check with your
doctor before trying anything new with your diet. Listen to your body.
Proceed at your own risk.

–
Jae M. Sabol
Holistic Health Professional
Licensed NLP Master Practitioner
CHEK IV, HLC III, CPT: NASM, ISSA, NCEP
CHT, NMT, MT, Reiki III, Matrix II, NLPT

Read more...

Let’s be honest, throwing money at a problem doesn’t solve the problem. Signing up at a gym, joining a boot camp, or hiring a personal trainer will not get you to your goal. We all know people who have been working out 5 days a week for many years but have the same body they did that January 1st. years ago. I have tried to help many of these people over the years. Not one of them said that they wanted to look the same in 5 year. I have heard, ” I want to lose weight”, “I want to tone up”, ” I want to get in shape”, “I want to eat better”. Most of those people never got specific about there goals and made them measurable. Vague and unmeasurable goals do not get achieved.

Last post we talked about specific goals and this week we will discuss measurable. If my goal is to lose weight, a measurable goal would be to to lose a pound a week. If my goal was to run a marathon, my measurable goal would be make sure I got my daily milage. If I wanted to go to a kettlebell certification, I would need to complete a certain number of exercises a week.

5 Tips for a Measurable Fat Loss Goal.

1. Keep it Simple

2. Try to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week

3. Have a daily calorie goal.

4. Have a certain number of workouts a week.

5. Shop for fat loss friendly super foods once a week

Read more...

Before I go into goals lets talk about money and health care. Lots of people want to get the cheapest deal and spend the least amount on their health. Lets be honest, if you are over weight you can spend the same money that you were spending on sedentary lifestyle and invest that in your health. What good will our material “toys” do for us if we are in pain from being unhealthy or embaressed about our bodies? Once you commit to investing in your health you need to choose the right health and fitness solution. I have seen in the gyms over the years many people who have spent alot of money on training but all they seem to have accomplished was paying for a friendship with their trainer and doing some exercises. They failed to accomplish their initial goal which most claim was too loose weight. I have have interviewed thousands of people over the years and nobody every told me that they only wanted a friend to talk while they exercise. I don’t want anyone to waste their time and money so you need to find the right solution for you. Let’s move into goal setting.

Everyone is different so what works for you may not work for me. I use the Marine way of getting something accomplished which I call taking the hill, which most likely would only work for someone with a military background. Antoher thing, fitness is very different. I see many successful people have a difficult time achieving their fitness goals.
I will start off by expaining SMART Goals:
S- be Specific
M- Measureable
A- Have an Action plan
R- Have Realistic goals
T Have Timed goals

Lets work with specific for the next week. Really put some thought into what you want to accomplish. Lets think about the most common, I want to loose weight. Problem, too general. Those are the people who will sign up at the local gym and 4 years later look the same as they did when they set their general goal 4 years earlier. Do not waste your time and money.
Be Specific!
See you soon with your specific goal.

Read more...

Try to focus on making it through the holidays sticking to this simple program. It will consist of 5 exercise tips and 5 nutrition tips. Since we will all be eating and celebrating with family and friends, we will need to counter that with some simple stratedgies. Many people will just roll-over and surrender taking little to no positive action. One of the national trends is that of many gain 5-10 pounds over the holidays. The may loose 3-8 pounds over the year but many Americans will get 2 pounds heavier each year due to failing to be wise over the holidays.

Holiday Exercise Tips
1. Do cardio(walk, run, or bike) 5 times a week for 30-60 min.

2. Do some form of resistance training( kettlebells, TRX, dumbbell circiut training).

3. Work your core 5 days a week for 5-10 min.

4. Do some form of flexibility training 3 times a week. No mindless stretching(what we may have learned in high school).

5.Practice diaphram breathing while weight lifting and use good form and posture.

Holiday Nutrition Tips
1. No skipping meals. Eat at least 3 balanced meals. Many people find that eating small meals 5-6, keeps you from being too hungry causing them to cheat and over-eat or make poor food choices. Eat at least every 5 hours.

2. Drink lots of water. No less than eight glasses.

3. Eat protein at each meal. Protein will help you loose fat.

4. Have 5 to 7 serving of fruit or vegetables a day.

5. Carry an apple and a bag of nuts(almonds or pistachios) for a perfect balanced snack so you don’t skip a meal if you have to work through lunch.

Read more...

What should you do during your workout? First you need to know what your goal is. I am going to pick 2 of the most common goals, fat loss and general fitness. A good exercise session should be no longer than 1 hour or you may be effecting your body’s hormones and preventing optimal fat loss. I really believe this because I watch many fat people who never seem to change their apperenece and they usually work out slow for 2 hours. Worrying about how many calories the machine says that a person burns is a big mistake. Also if you burn 2000 calories in 2 hours on the treadmill you will put that back on when you eat unless you know how to count calories and space out your meals throughout the day.

So for fat loss, I will make one general tip for how long to workout, 1 hour no more! Your workout should be effecient moving from exercise to exercise always keeping the heart rate up but don’t to hardand be unsafe. Here is your time:
10 min warm up
20 min core and weights
20 min cardio(I will expain the difference between cardio and aerobics in the future)
10 min cool down
This is a very balanced and effective method. Don’t go around the gym and talk you will not lose body fat that way. Nobody wants to lose weight we want to look better so forget about diet and weight loss which never worked.
Focus on quality not quantity. This method works best 5 days a week.

So for general fitness some things are the same but you may need more weight training and less cardio than someone who needs to lose weight.
10 min warm up
20-30 min weights and core
10-20 min cardio
10 min
I firmly believe cardio as we know it is way over rated. If I were wrong everyone who walks or goes to the gym would be in great shape. Everyone can strengthen the heart and lose body fat through weight training. With general fitness the most important things are being strong enough to live a long injury free life.

Joint health is very important because it will produce strong lower backs, stable knees, mobile hips(most people have tight hips and use their lower backs instead of their hips), shoulders that do not click and pop, and necks that are pain free.

Many of the killer extreme workouts that are popular produce short term gains with long term pains and tightness. So your hour should be enjoyable. Learn routines that develope a strong, firm, body, that will not get injured playing with the kids or cleaning up around the house.

Read more...

Many people are not sure how many days they should workout a week. It is different for every person and each person requires his own program.

I will address a few basics:

1. Workout 5 days a week for optimal fat loss.

2. Many sedentary people (couch potatoes) will need to begin with only 2 days. For many sedentary
people two days a week is recommended.) Consistency and commitment are the most important
for many. Add a day each month.

3. Start with weight lifting and walking.

4. Exercise needs to have these components: weight training, core training, flexibility training,
and cardiovascular training.

5. Have a doctor clear you before you start.

6. Get away from training muscle groups. Train movement patterns–pushing, pulling, lifting, squatting, lunging and planking for the back.

For many people nothing will happen no matter how hard or how often they exercise unless they make a constant effort to change their eating habits. Also, when you work out, you tear your body down so you need at least some good food to recover or “heal” from your workouts.

Here are some questions to ask yourself.

1. Do you eat breakfast?

2. Do you have a serving of good quality protein in the morning?

3. Do you eat too much starchy carbs–white rice, white breads, muffins (which are nutrient deficient),
potatoes, corn and corn products, crackers, and pasta? (Remember fat-free is not calorie-free!)

4.Do you eat food high in trans fats? For example, chips, crackers, baked goods, cakes, cookies, French
fries and all the other fried foods.

5. Do you drink more than one glass of alcohol a day?

6. Do you have 5 to 7 serving of fruits and vegetables a day?

7. Do you drink your calories–soft drinks, diet soda, fruit juices (even the “healthy” ones),
and milk. Drink more water instead or even green tea with little or no sweetener. Many people claim
it to be a “fat burner.”

8. Do you have 3 balanced meals a day? Eat protein at each meal, more vegetables than fruit, and little to
no starchy carbs.

9. Do you read labels?

10. Do you think about whether your meals are healthy or do you just eat what tastes good or eat
because you are bored, lonely, depressed or hungry?

Very few people can change everything at once. Make a commitment and keep applying the right tools for both exercise and nutrition. If you find it hard to make progress, take one step at a time. Just don’t fool yourself by half-stepping everything.

Read more...

I was working out with a friend on the beach doing Pavel’s RKC presses and pulls workout with a 16kg and 20kg kettlebell. I was really impressed with my friend’s form while reflecting on where we both were 9 months ago in our training. Our method of training is so different from workout routines that range from the extreme where you do what you like and have fun to the extreme of the no-pain-no-gain workout where you feed off the intensity of the workout and try to get a runner’s high while placing little focus on form. In the first case the body may not change, i.e. reach your goal, or in the other case, you’re always sore and prone to injuries. A bunch of exercises just bundled together toin loose weight is really ineffective. Bad form produces micro trauma, hurting the joints, creating muscle imbalances leading to tight areas of immobility and loose areas of joint instability. Looking great but living in pain is unnecessary. How we work out today determines the long-term results.

Exercise is like a drug, finding the right dose produces long-term results. In the Russian Kettlebell Challenge system form is everything. Our first exercise is to pick up a kettlebell which will tell us a lot about our client or student. If the client tries to bend over flexing his spine instead of his back he just told me “I have tight hips and a weak lower back.” A kettlebell swing would not be a good idea at this point, low cobra stretches, planks, bridges, wall squats, and sumo dead lifts would work. We never have someone swing a kettlebell until he is properly prepared.

Let me give an example of two group workouts I observed on the beach: One group in particular had a student, whose back was obviously locked up, doing exercises that were not appropriate for his level. Both groups were doing walking lunges in the sand. which I don’t recommend–stationary lunges or step back/step forward lunges maybe. If an exercise does not look good, it does not magically do good things. The kettlebell system is not going to give out generic exercises. Sounds picky? Absolutely not. Everyone who has done a lunge knows that the knee is supposed to track over the toe with back straight and core tight. I just don’t think wobbly knees, a bent back, and a loose core are going to produce anything but stressed knees and strained backs.

It is hard to teach just a few exercises correctly because people start thinking that they are not burning enough calories. We need to stop thinking about working harder until we can work out correctly. Eat less and learn proper technique. How we work out now determines how we move in the future. If I am in pain and it is more than after-workout soreness, I am doing too much or my technique is off.

1. Find someone to check out your exercise technique.
2. Don’t mindlessly exercise; have a program.
3. Have a hard day, a medium day, and an easy day.
4. Try fast walking with a good arm swing and a tight core. It is good for low-back health.

Read more...

Understanding and practicing the basics are the keys to success in achieving any fitness goal. The most common fitness goal is to loose weight. Losing weight without some form of exercise will not achieve health, nor will exercise without a nutritional plan work. Focusing on one of the two necessary components to a good fitness plan won’t bring the desired results . If you are having trouble committing to both nutrition and exercise, you will need to take a step back and reassess how important your goal is to you.

Many people need to exercise and to eat better, but they don’t want to. They make the mistake of waiting to want to exercise, which is a big mistake. You must take action regardless of how you feel.

The two challenges with nutrition are that people are creatures of habit and they are uninformed. Here are some examples: eating with family and friends, having a Strarbuck’s breakfast, eating out at lunch, not knowing what is healthy food, starting a weight-loss program instead of shopping healthy, buying unhealthy foods that are marketed as healthy, not knowing the components of a healthy meal and eating healthy portions.

One more point about being uninformed, many people still use the word diet. Diet means “I am going to cut calories for a while, loose weight, learn nothing about eating healthy and then regain my weight.” Fat loss is about combining healthier eating habits and exercising, a life style change with permanent fat loss.

Here are 5 exercise tips:

1. Don’t run to get in shape. You must be in shape. When you are out of shape, your muscles are not strong enough to stabilize your joints. Six times your body weight of force is going through your body with each stride. Get strong first.
2. Meet with a professional to get an assessment and then get a personalized fitness program so you know what specific exercises your body needs.
3. You should workout 2 to 3 times a week For many people 2 times is enough in the beginning. Think long term.
4. Have a complete exercise program, cardiovascular training, flexibility training, strength training (weight training), and core training.
5.Consider training with kettlebells because you can get your cardio, flexibility, core, and strength training done in less than 25 minutes. Most gym and machine-based programs isolate specific muscles. That is not how you move daily in life. When you walk or run, your body works in systems or movement chains not chest, back, butt, legs, biceps, and triceps.

Here are 5 tips on nutrition:

1.Eat more protein at each meal. Most important is breakfast. Many people skip breakfast or have coffee, sugar and starchy carbs; instead, try 2 eggs or cottage cheese and some fruit (an apple).
2. Drink at least 8 glasses of water or 3 bottles of water daily.
3. Eat 3 meals at least. Many a people who maintain low body-fat percentages advocate 5-6 small meals.
4 Every meal must include a good serving of protein, a variety of vegetables, fruit–limit your bread, pasta, rice and potatoes consumption, especially if you are trying to loose weight.
5. Include more healthy fat which will help you loose weight. Eat fat to lose fat may sound crazy, but examples of good fats are salmon oil, omega 3 fish oils, flaxseed oil, avacados, and olive oil.

Read more...

If you are looking for a great fat-loss program, how about starting out with kettlebells training.

People like kettlebell training because they

* find it easy to stay motivated. There’s no tendency to quit.
* are able to focus on form, and improvement can be seen in every workout.
* find it is simple and efficient. Workouts consist of 2 to 3 exercises and can be completed within
25 minutes.
* find it works for groups, which provide an exciting social environment.
* are able to combine cardio, weight, and flexibility training in one workout.
* find most kettlebell exercises are compound exercises in which you work your upper body and lower
body at the same time.

Since kettlebell training requires proper technique, it is important to learn from an experienced, certified instructor.

For more information, sign up for my email newsletter and learn more about kettlebells for fatloss in my upcoming article where I will go into more detail.

Read more...