Back at it

Its 600 am in the morning in Tokyo and the sky is still quite dark.Reluctantly, I drag myself out of bed and throw on a track suit, knitted cap, put on my ipod and head outside before my brain gets a chance to really think about what I am doing. Its cold, cold enough that some of the higher altitudes nearby must be getting snowfall. The jump rope comes out and after a few warm up stretches the ipod starts pumping out some tracks to keep my feet moving.

Christmas moves by in a blur in Japan. Here, its just another normal working day, and I can only really catch the festive season spirit by reading my friends updates on Facebook/Twitter etc or through cards and emails. Maybe that’s a good thing, as I can fall back into the discipline of training much easier without another excuse for a party and a chance to overindulge yet again.

December was tough- a cold that refused to leave for nearly three weeks, my co-workers around me getting sick before and after me, being too busy at work… its so easy to lose focus and fall off the exercise wagon.

So I say to both me and you- get back on it. Think of it as much a part of your normal daily life as brushing your teeth, but enjoy it too! Mix in some variety, and regain your sense of focus, fast.

You wont regret it.

Cheers,

M

Seasons Greetings!

Dear all,

Before we all disappear into the bacchanalia of the year end celebrations, I just wanted to with all my readers a very happy and safe holiday. Take it easy- you deserve a break from what has been a hard year for many.

Here’s wishing you all an auspicious New Year in 2010. Let’s begin it with a renewed focus, and revitalized energy!

Best regards,
Mark

Image from Japan Today http://www.japantoday.com/

Choosing the right size kettlebell for you

My good friend Vince Chu in Malaysia explains the  differences between weight and uses when choosing a kettlebell.

Enjoy!

Which region are you viewing GKJ from?

Hi all,

Just a quick survey as I get a lot of traffic from all over the world viewing the site.

It just takes a second to complete.

Cheers!

Santa’s wish list?

This looks very cool…

Highlights from the “Age of Quarrel” Kettlebell Seminar

With the likes of such kettlebell greats such as Steve Cotter, Mike Mahler, Jason Dolby, Andrew Durniat, Ken Blackburn just to name a few, this was an amazing event and one that I wish I had attended myself.
You can see the variety of different styles and techniques being utilized for this seminar. Plyometric exercises ( my students will know those ), stretching and mobility/flexibility work, Indian clubs and the good old kb exercises really made for an exciting event.
Enjoy the video!

Site Housecleaning

Hello all,

You will probably notice a few subtle changes to the site in the near future as I get rid of some features that aren’t very helpful, and add some new ones that are. One such addition with be a clear link to kettlebell sales and some other useful one click links.

Any suggestions from you are always appreciated!

Best regards, and be careful in the cooler weather,
Markeu

Urban training:Quality over Quantity

I am going to make the assumption that most of the people reading here have a daytime 9-5 that pays the bills. Because of that, I know for a fact that most of you struggle with these two issues:enough free time and energy levels.

I have talked before about consistency, and about having a long term view regarding your short term goals and aspirations.

That being said, there is no easy way to say it: most people spend too much time training.

So today, lets think about getting the most from your training time, adding a bit of variety, and achieving your goals long term.

Regardless of your good intentions when designing yourself a workout regimen, or taking a system already designed from some sportsman’s book, think long and hard about your own current fitness level, and plan your activities with the goal of raising the intensity over time.

Start by setting yourself reasonable goals that you can peak to over a 4-6 week period, then cycle off from to allow the body to adjust, before you set your next goal.

Sustainability, achievability.

Here are some easy tips to remember when you design your next workout scheme:

• Plan your workouts to be somewhere in the range of 20 to 45 minutes.
• warm up/stretch well and prime the muscles and joints for action
• Think about the time and intensity ratio, rather than length of time of the workout with too much resting going on between sets
• If a shorter time workout, increase the intensity (ie the work you do)
• Dont do the same thing every day, and favour only your favorite strong muscles
• Hit all your major muscle groups, and include exercises with push/pull, stretching and jumping movements
• Variety- kettlebells today, running/jump rope/tabata/ heavy bag tomorrow
• Always factor in your resting time, according to how hard you intend to train over the session, considering long term achievability of your goals
• Quality over quantity- the form or technique of each rep, coordination with breathing, posture and rhythm
• Enjoy it! This is your personal challenge and journey!

Cheers,

Markeu

Night training

Technorati Tags: night training,long cycle kettlebell exercises,clean and jerk,brief explanation,breathing,pacing yourself over time,preparation

With the shorter days in this part of the world, night training is a reality at least six months a year for me. I like training at night because it helps focus me on the task at hand, and forget about the other sites and sounds that may be around me in this city that never sleeps.

I just started back into my long cycle kettlebell training, since I make my best progress with the cooler weather. This is where the metal meets the meat so to speak, because if my form is not good, my hands will take a punishing for sure.

For the uninitiated, this particular “long cycle” exercise is the kb clean and jerk at each repetition, pacing yourself against a clock for a ten minute period. If you are looking for an exercise that you can do that combines both pushing and pulling movements in one exercise, and one that will develop your whole body, both in terms of muscularity and also develop your heart and lungs, then this is it. 

The keys to this particular lift is firstly having a solid technique,  being steady with your breathing, and the mind discipline to pace yourself as you go through  the exercise.

Started back at it the other day, and since it has been a while, I am pretty rusty. What I am doing to prepare me for the longer sets is to concentrate on my form and breathing first, and cut the length of time into smaller amounts, with only a little rest in between each set so as to maximize my volume over the time spent.

Its fun I walk away feeling tired, but alive. What more could you want?

Cheers,

Mark

The role of thoracic extension in kettlebell lifts

Denic Kanygin talks about the proper body alignment and extension when performing the kettlebell jerk.

If you want to find out more, follow this link and go sign up today!