I will share a lot here. Much of it you may disagree with but my goal is simply to get you to think about where you are and how you got there. I have to tell a few stories to accomplish that.  I will also reveal things I’ve never shared publicly

If you don’t like what I write or you do. I sure would appreciate your feedback in the comments. I thank you in advance. Let me also write  upfront that I am not an expert in much of what I am about to share with you.  I’m simply giving you my take.

Over the last 10 years I’ve lost 3 jobs that paid me more than 6 figures. I was one of the top producers in each situation and my companies closed their doors, never to reopen. Each time this happened, there was a lot of financial pressure exerted on my household. Frankly, we are still recovering.

I tell you that because each challenge turned out to make my life more interesting and help me get to where I am now.  Before I recovered from the third episode, I read an article in “Baltimore Magazine” that talked about kettlebells.  The article certainly peaked my interest and I immediately signed up for a session with a local trainer.  I was hooked immediately and a year later I went through my first kettlebell certification. 8 months after that I become an RKC.

I discovered that I love helping people get healthier and get more fit. I soon realized that it is almost impossible to out train poor lifestyle choices and became more and more interesting in eating well. I discovered the Primal Blueprint and read a lot about Paleo eating and many of those folks I shared these ideas with saw immediate results.

The next part of my story is this. 3 and 1/2 years ago I was introduced to Send Out Cards. I knew right away that it was a great personal communication tool, leveraging technology. I have used it professionally and personally ever since and even became a distributor.  I’ve changed my own life as well as that of others by being more open to showing appreciation and by being a lot more communicative. Every day I am thankful to Nick Berry for showing it to me and for Jeff Packard for helping me to really examine myself and how to use Send Out Cards to my benefit as well as others.

Another thing to share is this. Almost 3 years ago, I got real interested in Marty Gallagher and what we teaches regarding power lifting. So I emailed him. He got right back to me and we started a correspondence that has developed into a wonderful friendship. I was able to introduce a bunch of my RKC friends to him and some of us still train with Marty. We all definitely still learn from him.

Here’s one more short story before I get to the meat of this piece.  I have always felt a deep connection to the great city of New Orleans. I felt it the first time I was there as an adult way back in 1991. I will spare you the details but I never forgot how I felt when I first went to JazzFest.  Last year, in the early Spring, I felt called to New Orleans. I can’t explain it and I won’t attempt to try but a whole bunch of us there for my birthday early last Fall. While there, Paul Sanchez introduced me to some folks who I imagine will be part of my life and mission until the day I die. Paul introduced me to one, who acquainted me to someone else. That someone else runs Trumpets Not Guns and this foundation has become real important in my life. I can’t recommend enough finding a charity that you are passionate about and that you feel deeply connected to it.

So here we go. Yesterday I met a gentleman from Venezuela at a local gym. Our conversation really impacted me and got me to thinking. Jorge owns a local small business. His enterprise helps local car dealers to be able to quickly and economically take trade ins and get them out on the lot for sale.  His crew and he do paint touch up, fix trim and other cosmetic work. He’s been doing this sort of work for 23 years;ever since he came here. The first 2 years he did it as an employee, cleaning up around the body shop we worked at  and then he went out and started his own small business. When he first started making sales calls his English was still rough enough that he had a friend write out the provided service on poster board and then Jorge went to dealership GM one after the other with his “presentation” until he had a number of customers.  And by the way, Jorge stopped in the say “hello” to his original employer recently and found that 2 of the guys he cleaned shop with are still there and still doing the same thing.

Jorge told me yesterday that he never went through a recession. He told me he always worked hard and made sure his employees did the same.  He also told me that for the last 20 years he was giving raises for consistent work well done. He admitted that his margins got tighter but it was worth it to ensure that his dealer network loved the work his team did and that his employees knew that they would be rewarded for effort and quality.

Jorge is retiring after 20 years of running his small business. He is moving back to Venezuela and he unsuccessfully tried to sell his enterprise. The first person he approached about selling it is actually one of his current employees. The guy said it was “Safer” be an employee and besides he is going to quit working for the company as he decided he doesn’t want to work outside anymore.

The 2nd guy actually agreed to purchase the business. And then stopped showing up. Jorge had agreed to assist this buyer transition into a leadership role and then this person STOPPED coming to work. Jorge had to take the business back and the ultimate excuse was that the work was “too hard.”

By the way, both of the prospective buyers were American born.

So why does any of the above matter? Think about what I wrote. There is a common theme and that is that we all need to “do something.” Not think about doing but actually doing. Be a person of action and not a victim. All Americans enjoy access to the same opportunity as Jorge. Yet far too many of us sit around and complain and play the poor victim. We WANT stuff but we don’t want to take the necessary action. We don’t want to break a sweat or hear the word “no.” We want to enjoy the bounty of the harvest but we don’t want to sow any seeds.

You are where you are for no reason other than your own choices and actions. Never “pass the buck.” The buck stops with you. You have no one you can realistically congratulate or bemoan other than yourself.

No longer am I at the mercy of others. No one can decide my fate any longer. I DECIDE.

God did not give us the ability to always make right decisions but he did give us the ability to make those decisions right.

Accept responsibility and you are free!

I want to share some books that will be full of impact if your mind is open.

1. The Flinch
2. Success Is Not An Accident
3. The Four Laws Of Debt Free Prosperity
4. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind
5. The Traveler’s Gift

I did sessions 16, 17 and 18 this past week and I feel really good so far.

Session 16

Dead lift 225 for 5 reps and 2 sets

Military press 95 for 5 reps and 2 sets

Pull ups 10 reps BW

50 snatches with 60 lb KB

5 ab rollers

Session 17

Dead lift 225 for 5 reps and 2 sets

Military press 95 for 5 reps and 2 sets

Pull ups 2 sets of 5 BW reps

30 snatches with 60 lb KB

5 ab rollers

Session 18

Dead lift 225 for 5 reps, 245 x 3 reps and 275 for a double

Military press 95 for 5 reps 120 x 3 reps and 130 x 2 reps

Pull ups BW x 5 reps, 15 lb x 3 reps and 20 x 2 reps

20 snatches with 40 lb KB

5 ab rollers

Train with purpose,

Sandy Sommer RKC

Session 11 

Deadlift was 2 sets of 5 at 205

6 pullups and 4 chinups at bodyweight

Military press was 2 sets of 5 reps at 95

30 snatches with 40 lb kettlebell

5 ab rolls

Session 12

Deadlift was 2 sets of 5 reps at 225

Military press at 115 sets of 5 reps 2 times

Pullups 3, 3 and 4

20 snatches at 40 lbs

5 ab rolls

Session 13

Deadlift 185 with 5 reps two times

Military press was 65 with 5 reps twice

Chin ups for 2 sets of 5 reps

Snatches 35 lbs kb for 30 reps

5 ab roll outs

Session 14

Deadlift singles 135, 185, 225, 245, 275 and 295

Military press single 45,65,85,115, 125 and 135

Kettlebell snatches with 60 lbs for 20 reps

Weighted Pullup singles 35,30,25,20, 15 and 10

5 reps with ab roller

Session 15

Deadlift 135 x 10

Military Press 65 x 10

BW Pull ups for 5 reps

30 snatches with 35 lb kb

5 reps on ab roller

Train with purpose,

Sandy Sommer RKC

The program is designed to go for 40 workout sessions using 5 exercises with very little if any variation. I am doing deadlifts, military press, Pullups/chinups , kettlebell snatches and the ab roller.  Since the volume and intensity are limited, you could do this workout every day if logistically possible.

I did 6 sessions this past week so I have 10 total under my belt now.

Session 5

Dead lift 195 x 5, 195x 5

Military press 115 x 5 x 2

Pullups 10 reps bodyweight

24 kg KB snatches 20 reps

Ab roller for 5

Session 6

Dead lift 135 x5 , 185 x 3, 225 x 1, 245 x 1

Military press 95 x 5 x 2

Pull ups 35 x 1 x 4, Bw x 6

Ab roller 5

Session 7

Dead lift 135 x5 x 2

Military press 65 x 5 x 2

Pull ups 10

Ab roller 5

Unfortunately I lost my sheets for the last workouts but since the whole idea is to work based on ‘feel’ I’m not too concerned about. In fact, on Facebook, Dan John was quoted as saying ” Forget about % of 1 rep max. I beg you.”

Train with purpose,

Sandy Sommer RKC

Just like you, I have a fair amount going on in my life. I don’t ever have any issue getting my workout in since it remains a priority but I wanted to give Dan John’s Easy Strength plan a shot for a number of  reasons.  The main one being that I have a lot going on right now and I wanted to save time and get the best results possible.

Mr. John is a very well regarded strength and conditioning expert and I don’t think I’ve ever read or seen anything that we writes about that isn’t incredibly simple and elegant.  Remember simple is always better than complicated. Never ever forget Occam’s Razor.

What I’m going to be doing for my next 40 sessions is based off Easy Strength and is really worth checking out.

I will chronicle each week as I finish. Everyone I’ve talked to that has done this has gotten almost astounding results. I will be maintaining great eating of real food. I figure I will easily be compliant 80%.

I warm up each session with overhead squats, Turkish Get ups and foam roller work and some Kelly Sterrett drills.

Week 1

Session 1

Dead lift 185 x 5, 225 x 5

Military press 65 x 5, 85 x 5

Pullups 10 reps

KB snatches 20 reps

Ab roller for 5

Session 2

Dead lift 135 x5 x 2

Military press 65 x 5 x 2

Pull ups 10

Ab roller 5

Session 3

Dead lift 135 x5 x 2

Military press 65 x 5 x 2

Pull ups 10

Ab roller 5

Session 4

Dead lift 145 x 5 x 2

Military press 70 x 5 x 2

Chin ups 10

Ab roller 5

Dial in your eating habits, keep your training simple and I can guarantee results!

Train with purpose,

Sandy Sommer RKC

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

But seriously. I get this question on a regular basis and while I believe that there is no such thing as a stupid question this is close.

First let me say that belief in what you are doing will certainly have an impact. If you think you are doing something of benefit, then you will get more than if you aren’t happy with your program.

Find something that you enjoy and will stick with for more than a few sessions. Jumping all over the place will get you nowhere. Strength is a skill and it needs to be practiced. A good place to start with kettlebells is Enter The Kettlebell and an RKC instructor.

If you are more geared towards absolute strength than you may either want to consult with Marty Gallagher or at least read the Purposeful Primitive. My own training is a combination of sprints, rugby, weightlifting httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiftFmN8eC4, powerlifting and kettlebells.

In many ways the best thing to do is what you are doing now. That doesn’t mean that your workout can’t, or shouldn’t be, tweaked from time to time but chasing results by switching up programming all the time is a losing proposition.  Just as investors chase returns by buying and selling the latest and greatest stock, many trainees jump from program to program because they aren’t getting as strong as they’d like. Getting strong isn’t an overnight occurrence.  Stick with it and you will get results.

Train with purpose,

Sandy Sommer RKC

First, let me say that consistency trumps intensity almost always.  How so? Well, just like building wealth, getting in shape is a process and it can’t be done quickly. It’s best done by an unfailing devotion to your plan.

So what should that plan be? Well it depends on your goals. I find that 99.9% of the population want to look better and be healthier.  So for the time being let’s go for that.

My first question for you would be “what are you eating and putting in your body?” Ditch the processed carbs. Ditch the caffeine. Ditch the nicotine. Sugar? Fugetaboutit! Eat real food and don’t eat anything that is enriched with crap.

Get plenty of sleep. If your health is important to you then what you eat and how you recover is huge. Two reasons you don’t lose weight is you eat “Low fat” shit and sleep 6 hours a day. I can almost guarantee you are carrying extra weight if these two hold true.

But I digress.

Here’s a 4 week program for beginners. First off, be sure  to learn how to do a kettlebell swing properly. Properly means that you learn from a certified RKC. Sorry all you crossfitters out there but the american swing ain’t for beginners and isn’t much better for advanced users.  Don’t try to learn it from YouTube or even Tracy Reikind’s excellent swing video. Hands on instruction is the only way I’ve found that it is learned safely. I’ve only had one person come to me for training who was self taught and swinging well.

Learn the swing, the Get up and the goblet squat. Once these are being done well then you are ready to proceed.

Train 3 says a week. Start with 5 minutes of TGU. In almost all cases this should be a bodyweight exercise at first. Next alternate swings and squats. Add training volume each session. Quality beats quantity. Still, try to do more work each session. You should shoot for sets of 5-10 swings and 5-10 squats. Work for 30 minutes and track your improvement.

What should you expect? Well you will start to notice a markedly better body. You will feel better. You will certainly have more energy.

Train with purpose,

Sandy Sommer RKC

I was watching a Kelly Starrett video the other day and he mentioned something about releasing the sacrum. I ended up doing a Google search and found something called the Sacro Wedgy.

Of course I bought the “male” version but they make one especially for women too.

I ordered it Sunday and got it today.

I did my first 20 minute session with it and felt like a new person with new found hip mobility and a body that felt 50 lbs lighter. I am using it right now as I type this. I just got up to check out how I feel and I can’t even describe how great I feel. This is the best I’ve felt in eons.

The company that makes them offers this:

The Sacro Wedgy Male System helps to stabilize the sacrum, allowing the pelvic girdle to relax and return to its normal position of balance. This in turn helps to eliminate symptoms such as pain or numbness radiating down the legs and tightness and pain in the hip area. This version is specially shaped to fit a man’s body. The sacrum is the keystone of your anatomy – the part upon which the spine and most of your weight rests – our center of gravity. When an arch is built, as in construction, the last stone in the arch to go in place is the keystone or wedge-shaped stone. If this wedge is for some reason pulled out of place, the arch will collapse. The sciatic nerve and other nerves extend from the sacrum to all parts of the lower extremities.

For all intents and purposes, this tool acts like mini traction. I can’t wait to see what sort of impact this will have on my training but I can only imagine.

I will report on that in my next blog post but in the meantime I had to share it with you.

Buy this today!

Train with purpose,

Sandy Sommer RKC

If you want to perform your best, then his website should be bookmarked in your browser. What does perform your best mean? Well to me what it means is that you get optimal performance from your mind and body….pain free.

Pain is not the same thing is discomfort associated with effort. If you can’t tell the difference that would be the first thing you need to discover for yourself before going on further.

I’ve titled this post “10 Minute Squat Test” since that is one of the baselines KStar uses to check out our mobility. When I discovered  MobilityWod I was able to do 3:50 in the test. Not awful but not great. In less than 90 days, I can easily do the full 10 minutes.  Please click the link above to find out how to safely do this test.

One thing that Starrett mentions in the episode is that there is very little back or hip disease in countries in the Third World. Moving there won’t ensure that your cranky hip problem will go away but I really can’t urge  you strongly enough to get to MobilityWOD and find out how the information available on the site will help you in the sport of life.

To get the most out of the material shared you will need some tools. 3 lacrosse balls, a Rumble roller, a Grid and some bands.

Please take the squat test. Report your results in the comments. Retest every month or so.

Train with purpose,

Sandy Sommer RKC

PS use the search function on KStar’s site to find info on your balky bits.