Partner Flying Yoga this Saturday

August 24th, 2010

We’re happy to announce the addition of Partner Flying Yoga to our class roster and the first “teaser” class will be this Saturday at 8/28/10 at 2pm for the low cost of a suggested donation.

Partner Flying Yoga combines traditional yoga and simple acrobatics to create a fun and challenging practice. The asanas are both therapeutic and playful in nature.  Everybody is capable of partner flying yoga. This is an interactive practice which involves the community. So bring a friend or fly solo. We are all here to play. Come and experience the joy and freedom of Partner Flying Yoga!

Week 4

August 23rd, 2010

As we enter the final week, we come to the peak of our training cycle and introduce Program D, a combination circuit involving increasingly dynamic lifts. This is the final step to moving up the sophistication ladder! See you in the Gym!

Week 4

Monday       Tuesday      Wednesday         Thursday       Friday

Program D / Yoga Flows/ Program C / Yoga Flows / Program D

Round 1: 45 seconds on, 10-15 seconds off for each exercise, 1:15 minute rest

Round 2: 35 seconds on, 10-15 seconds off for each exercise, 1:15 minute rest

Round 3: 25 seconds on, 10-15 seconds off for each exercise, 1:15 minute rest

Program D

1. Spiral snatch

2. Ripsaw row

3. Butterfly swing

4. Side press

5. Two-hand high pull, clean , squat and press

Program C

1. Rocket

2. Two-hand swing

3. Windmill

4. Single-leg deadlift

5. Single-hand high pull

Homework = 3x each flow (slow and smooth)

Prayer to the sun and  side sunset

Week 3

August 13th, 2010

Get ready for more as we approach week three in our program! We’ll continue to turn the screws in our design with the introduction of Program C, and further compress our rest intervals between both exercises and rounds. See you in the gym!

Week 3

Monday       Tuesday      Wednesday         Thursday       Friday

Program C / Yoga Flows/ Diversion Day / Yoga Flows / Program C

Round 1: 45 seconds on, 15 seconds off for each exercise, 1:30 minute rest

Round 2: 35 seconds on, 15 seconds off for each exercise, 1:30 minute rest

Round 3: 25 seconds on, 15 seconds off for each exercise, 1:30 minute rest

Program C

1. Rocket

2. Two-hand swing

3. Windmill

4. Single-leg deadlift

5. Single-hand high pull

Wednesday Diversion Day

1. DL side step

2. Pailing water

3. Rack press (aka natural press) in split stance

4. Two-hand high pull snatch

5. Single-leg reverse lunge

Homework = 3x each flow (slow and smooth)

Prayer to the sun and  side sunset

Fitness Standards Explained

August 9th, 2010

Standard 1: From Work Capacity to Sophistication to Specificity to Flow

In pursuit of piloting our first Kettlebell (KB) boot camp, we deliberately designed the program to fulfill all three fitness standards of Circular Strength Training®. By showing up and performing each exercise, you will be implementing these standards of fitness.

For example, the KB curl clean was introduced last week, which was intentionally given first to expose you to the attributes and features of the full clean. This week, we are encouraging the full single-hand clean. Keep in mind if your perceived technique is not making the grade, then you can modify to the beginning variation shown in class (curl clean). This is a deliberate way of working the first standard of fitness and gaining technical mastery.

Circular Strength Training® is a registered trademark to RMAX. tv productions. CST Standards of Fitness are copyright to The Big Book of Clubbell Training 2nd ed. and RMAX. tv productions.

Lovely KettleBell #2: Intuitive Training

August 7th, 2010

Continuing with our Kettlebell Bootcamp Blog series, here’s some info on Intuitive training and how we’ll be using it during the Kettlebell Bootcamp. 

CST training philosophy uses a set of tools called Intuitive Training to ”keep people in tune with their true training condition.”  Essentially a different set of measuring sticks than just sets, reps, and weights that is based on your own perception of your performance from the standpoints of Technique, Discomfort, and Excertion, that take your own biorythms into account the way that more mechanistic recording techniques do not.  Intuitive training brings the “human” element into play.  We intend it to help evolve the goals of exercise from particular outcomes, to exercise as a constant practice  of personal evolution. 

Here’s how we plan to execute it.  At the end of each Kettlebell Bootcamp Session, we’ll record on a scale of 1-10

Rate of Percieved Exertion: (RPE) How hard you percieve the session to be?  Some days are better than others.  Numbered goals and linear progression looks great on paper, but doesn’t take into account things like training conditions (air pressure, humidity, temprature).  Add emotional climate to the mix and it gets really interesting.  This should be 6 or below for advancement.

Rate of Percieved Technique: (RPT)   How was your technique? How well did fell that you performed the exercises?  This should be an 8 or higher for advancement.

Rate of Percieved Discomfort: (RPD)  Working out should not hurt more than a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10.  Respectively, pain should not be confused with excertion, which can be a different type of discomfort.  More on this later.

For our purposes we’ll be journaling an average of the session, for now, whatever the first number that comes to mind is.

Happy journaling.

Mobility Programs

August 4th, 2010

I had to split the entire program into two portions (upper and lower body).

KB Mobility Upper Body

KB Mobility Lower Body

Prayer to the Sun Flow

August 3rd, 2010

Alright all KB boot campers! Check it out…it’s your Tuesday homework:

  • 3x Prayer to the Sun Flow
  • Keep your pace slow and smooth
  • Pause in each pose for 30-60 seconds or about 4-6 even breaths

Prayer to the Sun Flow

How do you define a fitness lifestyle?

August 2nd, 2010

The truth is, there’s no explicit approach to living a fitness lifestyle, and the best advice I can give is to do what compels you. At Fulcrum Fitness, we strive to teach personal and technical mastery in our classes and programs, which is why we are introducing the three Standards of Fitness, as defined by the Circular Strength Training® philosophy. This is a way to begin a new or redefine the old way of leading a fitness lifestyle.

CST Standards of Fitness©

 

  1. 1.     Work capacity to sophistication to specificity to flow
  • Fitness is the ability to recruit maximal-joint efficiency to move through multiple planes of motion with greater and greater ease compared to previous attempts.

 

  1. 2.     The expedient ability to acquire efficiency in new skills, and more importantly to innovatively create new skills
  • Skill refers to a physical motoric, structural and respiratory tool, which accomplishes a task.
  • In contrast to conventional fitness standards, which state that the mere repetition, volume, load, intensity, frequency, etc. of rote skill determines one’s fitness, CST posits that it is the elusive role of innovation, adaptation and improvisation, which affords victory in any task.

 

  1. 3.     Effective ratio of restorative forces to work forces
  • CST defines fitness as the ability to perform at any time. It approaches training and practice with pre-incorporated restorative methods, so that ‘down time’ is minimized, if not negated. In other words, daily activities themselves become an extension of your training and practice.

 

This month, we will be kicking off the first Kettlebell boot camp designed to fulfill these standards, and introduce more CST philosophy. Stay tuned for more on how our KB program design takes you to new heights of personal and technical mastery.

Circular Strength Training® is a registered trademark to RMAX. TV productions

CST Standards of Fitness are copy right to The Big Book of Clubbell Training 2nd ed. and RMAX TV productions

Lovely Kettlebells? Part 1.

July 26th, 2010

We’re starting our first Kettlebell Bootcamp this August 2nd, so I thought we should share a bit about what and why, so the next few posts will be installments about why Kettlebells are awesome to train with and how we’ll be utilizing them in the Bootcamp.  Here’s an excerpt from Wiki.  It pretty much backs up what we’ve said so far, twice the calories in half the time.  I would just add that they’re about 200 years old, which showcases their awesome staying power.  I doubt in 200 years we’ll be seeing many Cybex Chest Presses or Nautilus Treadclimbers.  Anyways..

The kettlebell or girya (Russian: гиря) is a cast iron weight looking somewhat like a cannonball with a handle. Many companies produce their own brands of kettlebells and kettlebell exercise programs. Some modern kettlebells feature adjustable weights or are rubber coated to improve safety for floors.

While today, there are sizes that range from 5 lbs to 175 lbs, the traditional Russian kettlebell is usually one which weighs 1 Pood (roughly 16kg / 35lbs).

Unlike traditional dumbbells, the kettlebell’s center of mass is extended beyond the hand, similar to a Clubbell. This allows for swing movements not possible with traditional dumbbells. Because more muscle groups are utilized in the swinging and movement of a kettlebell than during the lifting of dumbbells (particularly posterior chain and core muscles), a kettlebell workout is sometimes claimed to be more effective, and yields better results in less time (dependent on training goals).

Because the center of mass on a kettlebell “swings”, micro-muscles are needed to balance a kettlebell, more so than a dumbbell. The existence of a handle allows for “release moves” which are not available to a dumbbell.

Variants of the kettle bell include bags filled with sand or steel shot. They also have a center of mass extended beyond the hand and allow for swing movements and release moves with added safety and added grip, wrist, arm and core strengthening due to the shifting fill material.

Foodie dinner 2 details

July 17th, 2010

When: Saturday July 17th 7pm

Where: 2466 NW Overton Unit A

What: Plant based performance inspired potluck dinner.

Who: The Fulcrum Community.