You may realize by now that I really enjoy food. The eating of it as well as the making. Particularly I like fire and meat so grilling and smoking and barbecue are things I’m passionate about.

Each year my buddy Bill Case has a big summer bash.  The Tom Larson Blues Band is always ripping it and we have a great time. My annual contribution is some brisket Texas style.  Now this take a long time but if you’ve ever had beef brisket cooked long and slow with some hardwood,  the right rub and some tender loving care then you know what I mean.

So today is the party. I started the beef yesterday at  around 730 PM and just pulled it off my PK grill. I slow cooked it for close to 13 hours and it’s in the final crutch stage, wrapped in foil then again in some old towels and in a cooler to further tenderize it and keep it at temp until this afternoon. Now when I slice it up today I promise that I will get the first taste.

So other than making you jealous, why am I telling you this?

Because like life and like strength, getting this bad boy from refrigerator to barbecue to table is a process. And it can’t be hurried. The foundation is the first thing. I find a decent brisket flat with some nice fat cap on it.  I rub it with my secret rub and let it dry marinade for at least 6 hours.   The fire is the next thing. Got to have the right temperature. Too hot and you end up with dried out meat that is way too tough. It’s got to be just right and that means less than 250 degrees. If you hurry it then it will be unpalatable. It’s got to be just right. And there aren’t any shortcuts.

Now if you try to hurry your strength program you will end up going nowhere and the same thing with life. There are natural rhythms and tides that need to be honored. You just can’t go too fast.  You need to be patient and you need to be consistent. I think Mark Reifkind said that consistency trumps intensity. What he meant is that you have to honor life. You can’t compress getting strong into a few sessions. It is a process and it requires effort and desire but it can’t be done all at once.

Train with purpose,

Sandy Sommer RKC

First of all, I ended up competing at 198 instead of the planned 181. I was in “no man’s land,” stuck between the two weight classes and went into hyper eating mode once I realized that getting down to 181 wasn’t going to happen. The power lifting training really packed on quite a lot of muscle and I ate as much as I could to get to 195 at weigh in.

There were only two competitors older than myself and they were both lighter lifters.  One competed at 132 and the other at 148.

The guy who won the 198 was seriously about 5’7” and I am about 6’3”. I’m not built optimally for power lifting but I must say that competing is fun!

I was able to hit 6 out of nine attempts. I got 260, 275 on the squat and missed 300. Barely. I bench pressed 205, 215 and missed 230. Finally, I deadlifted 355, 370 and missed 385. I loved competing and I really enjoyed myself.

So I’m doing another meet on October 22^nd, 2011. I will train the Olympic lifts, do front squats and kettlebell work for the next 8 weeks or so.

Train with purpose,

Sandy Sommer RKC

Train with purpose,

Sandy Sommer RKC

This was my third Tactical Strength Challenge. Each time I’ve progressed each time I’ve done it and that has been my top priority. To get a bit better each time out.

When I first did it I deadlifted 325, did 7 Tactical Pull ups and 100 snatches. That was a year ago. In April, I was able to deadlift 350, did 9 TPUs and 106 snatches. Today, I deadlifted 335, did 11 Pull ups and 118 snatches in 5 minutes. So it’s progress. I failed my last attempt on the deadlift. I tried 355 and should have just gone to 350. Live and learn. So my total scores have gone up. First time it was 69.62, next it was 76.85 and I hit 83.05 today.

April 2011 I will get better still. I can promise myself that.

Train with purpose,

Sandy Sommer RKC

I’m pitching in by barbecuing some of my famous beef brisket that I put on my PK Grill about 2 hours ago. It’s 5:25 AM as I write this. Should be ready around 3 PM or so.

But I’ve been thinking and I wanted to share it with you. It takes a lot of time to properly prepare good barbecue. You need patience and you need perseverance. It’s not like grilling a hamburger. First,  you may put a wet or dry rub on it. Or maybe you like marinade. There’s 24 hours there. Add some smoke; hickory in this case and a slow fire and we are talking 36 hours or so to get it ready to eat. There are no shortcuts. You aren’t allowed to use gas, and you certainly don’t even entertain the thought of an oven finish.

So what does this have to do with you getting stronger?

Almost everyone would admit to a desire to get stronger. But that aspiration and actual behavior are aligned very rarely.  Just as proper brisket requires time and patience, getting stronger…I mean really stronger….does not happen overnight.

Most people do not have the ability to stick to any behavior that will help them reach their goals for even a short period of time. They get distracted by some other shiny object and get sidetracked.

If Joe Sixpack lacks the ability to stick to the Primal Blueprint in order to lose just 10 pounds, then how would you expect him to stick to a program to build real strength. Real strength means you can deadlift 2 times bodyweight. That according to Dan John.

But it really doesn’t matter what the goal is. Maybe you want to be able to pass the Secret Service Snatch Test? Then you will need to do a lot of snatches. Seriously.

If you can do 100 snatches in 10 minutes then you are half way home. I suggest that the next goal would be 110. Then 120 and so on. Getting from 100 to 200 sounds tough. Not so much getting from 100 to 110. Short term goals are the stuff that long term ones are made of. Just don’t fall victim to quitting.

I train with kettlebells, bodyweight, and barbells. Everything I do every day is related to the goals I have. The Tactical Strength Challenge is what I use to gauge my progress. Deadlift, tactical pull ups and kettlebell snatch. My training relates to the actual movements. So I do a lot of those 3 things.

My long term goal is to deadlift  565 pounds. That is 3 times bodyweight. I have 9 short to medium term goals between that and where I am now.

The very idea of giving up on my training borders on the absurd. How could I give up? I don’t care if it takes me 10 years. I will GET 3 times bodyweight.

When you feel THAT way about your training, consistency, perseverance and tenacity become second nature … and at that point, your ultimate success is a foregone conclusion.

It just takes time; like smoke to meat. Now I’ve got a fire to check on.

Train with purpose,

Sandy Sommer RKC

10 minutes of Turkish Get Ups, 3 per side, alternating

5 goblet kettlebell squats supersetted with 3 pull ups, EDT style for 20 minutes.

Simple yet amazingly effective.

Train with purpose,

Sandy Sommer RKC

Did you know that the dieting industry is a Multi Billion dollar industry? And dieting doesn’t work. Amazing huh? At least 99% of restrictive diets don’t work. But diet plans and diet books sure do. Why is that? I just got invited to a Face Book event. “The most incredible discovery in diet history!!” is what it’s called. Wow.

I call it the Lottery mentality. Here’s the thing. Everyone wants to be a millionaire. I seriously can show you how to accomplish that goal. It’s simple, but not easy and surely requires tons of patience. Give me $25 a week for a 20 years and invest in reasonably priced stocks of quality companies and you will do it every time. Yet there are few millionaires. Why?

Everyone wants to lose 30 pounds in 30 days. Usually that can’t be done in a healthy way and indubitably if the weight is lost, then it will be found fairly quickly. How come?

I can show you how to lose 30 lbs in a year. But you wouldn’t be interested in that.

Some folks want to dead lift twice their body weight (or more), but I know few people whose behavior is congruent with that goal. They can’t stand the incremental gains in strength and jump into something else. Does that make sense?

Again, we can get your dead lift to happen for you if you have the ability to keep your eyes on the prize. It’s related to this fact.

If you and I started Alchemy Dot Com we could be making money tomorrow. Seriously. For $19.95 we could sell everyone the recipe that would change lead into gold. If we were selling the formula at the right price then the sky would be the limit to our revenue. Oh and if we offered a “money back” guarantee. We’d be guaranteed to make a killing.

But to truly change your wealth or lose weight or get stronger there is no magic bullet. Pavel wrote this in The Naked Warrior, “Strength training and strength demonstration are not the same thing. The notion that you should break personal records every workout is nothing but a fairy tale. The less frequently you try for a PR, the better. Maxing every two weeks is a good guideline for beginner; every two months is more appropriate for experienced strength athletes. The elite should only try for PRs a couple times a year. And you should plan for it.”
Plan for it? Amazing concept.

Having a plan and then executing said plan is the key to success. Obviously plans DO change. I have my dead lift workouts planned for the next few months but I may have to makes changes to the map so I can meet my goals. But the point is I have a PLAN. Or do you get sidetracked by “shiny objects,” false promises or even alchemy?

Train with purpose,

Sandy Sommer RKC

I have thought a lot about this lately and am hoping you can help me out.

I ran into a fellow at the gym the other day and we got to talking. He overheard me talking to another man in the sauna and introduced himself to me and shared some really cool information.

His physician is what is known as an Executive Wellness Doctor. Practice is limited to 55 others and the program includes everything that you need to be healthy and well. I was also really impressed because my new friend was sharing information that clearly illustrated that he is under a fine program. Not the “cookie cutter” USDA poison pyramid sh*& but medicine and wellness based more on science and nit politics.

So here’s my question: Where do we go to find doctors who understand and preach the value of a “Protein Power” sort of lifestyle. Or Primal physicians or one’s who like Robb Wolf?

The closest I found was a list of “low carb doctors.”

Please post other sources in the “comments” area. I want to help folks find the care that will benefit them the most.

Train with purpose,

Sandy Sommer RKC

My goals for the TSC were stated back a few months ago at 425 lb dead lift, 14 pull ups and 125 snatches. I’ve made amazing progress since September and I will be very close to or hit 2 of my goals and fall a bit short on another. You will have to wait for me to post my results next weekend as I don’t want to jinx myself:)

I will weigh in at 182 I think. Not bad, as I was weighing 207 or so in August. Losing weight has seemed to only impact my kettlebell clean and press. Back then I could do doubles at 40 kg and that is not happening now. Doubles are limited to the 36 kg kb at this point.

I have really worked hard on my dead lift with Marty Gallagher. My progress has been steady but with quite a few “Fits and starts.” My form still is a work in progress but will only get better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zr-JluLPCYA

Pull Ups are still a huge challenge for me. Especially the Tactical Pull Up. I have gone from essentially 1 rep a year ago to the teens now though. On a percentage basis it’s been huge.

The kettlebell snatches have been much improved as well. I tested them two days ago and got 100 in 4 minutes so I’m on track there too.

Here’s the main thing to ask yourself. Is what you are working on today going to help you reach your goals tomorrow? Don’t just look at your workouts though. Is the way you eat consistent with where you want to be? Are you sleeping enough?

Also try your best to worry about your own results and not those of others. Look I’m 48. I’m not going to win the TSC but I will do better than I did the first time. Then in September I’ll do better still.

Train with purpose,

Sandy Sommer RKC

Each time we meet we will focus on safety, performance, instruction and a workout.

Why Kettlebells?

KETTLEBELLS!

It can not only make you powerful, strong, and resilient, but also lean, flexible and graceful. It gets your heart pumping, boosts your energy levels, and melts fat faster than a deep fryer. And it’s been around for only a few hundred years. It’s a kettlebell, and it’s the latest North American strength-training obsession.

Kettlebells are an ancient Russian weight-training tool shaped like a cannonball with a thick handle. They range in weight from 4kg (9lbs) to 48kg (105lbs), and are quickly becoming the strength tool of choice for athletes, coaches, and trainers. But kettlebells are for more than just the pros and ‘hardcore’ fitness buffs – everyone and anyone can lift kettlebells and reap muscular strength, endurance, flexibility and cardiovascular benefits with every workout.

Whether you are a fitness neophyte or an experienced trainer, kettlebells have a place in every program. Stay-at-home parents, busy executives, the time-pressed and budget-conscious all find kettlebells are the answer to their fitness needs. There’s no need to buy an expensive gym membership or have a lot of space to stack all the dust-collecting, late-night-TV gizmos – kettlebells are a complete hand-held gym that you can take anywhere.

Kettlebells focus on movement not muscle. Clients quickly discover just how functional training with kettlebells can be as the core strength-building benefits transfer to realistic, daily-life situations. Instead of isolating single muscles like with barbells or dumbbells, kettlebell movements work the entire body as a unit. Bodybuilders and figure competitors strive towards muscle size, definition, and symmetry, but often have a weak core. Kettlebell gireviks (KB lifter), however, become stronger from the inside out.

Kettlebells combine many training protocols simultaneously:

Core strength –

kettlebell movements teach the body to stabilize the core, as almost all movements are done free-standing.

Strength –

kettlebell training develops strength in ALL planes of movement. We live and play in a three-dimensional world, and we should train accordingly.

Flexibility/Mobility –

kettlebell training promotes the body to ‘open’ up due the nature of multi-planer movement, and promotes increased range-of-motion in the joints.

Balance and stability –

kettlebell training is off-centred and focused. This calls for tremendous attention to balance as the weight travels through the air.

Coordination –

kettlebell training teaches ‘connection’ of your upper and lower body. This element provides athletes a superior edge in their training protocol due to greater body rhythm and awareness.

Acceleration/Deceleration –

most training protocols address acceleration but not deceleration, which is why most athletes get injured in a ‘deceleration’ mode. Kettlebell training addresses both acceleration and deceleration, therefore enhancing athletic performance. dd>

Load/Explode –

kettlebell training offers a different type of loading that allows the athlete to combine all of the above elements and teach the body to be strong and resilient in ‘compromised’ positions

Resilience to Injury –

kettlebell training offers complete development in all planes of movement, therefore preventing more injuries.

Cardio –

kettlebell training, especially ballistic exercises, will enhance cardiovascular training. The conditioning aspect will also help to develop better weight management.

Kettlebell Classes, Workshops and Seminars with MAC Timonium!

We provide kettlebells and safe instruction for fun and fitness! For more information, call 410-967-1882.