ChampionsWay Inc. Lounge

ChampionsWay Inc. Lounge

American Eagle MMA & Kettlebells Athlete Profile:

Macy Schwartz.

We asked our Star Athlete a few questions about her accomplishments, goals and aspirations.

What are your most memorable achievements?

Throughout my four year career as a volleyball player, I have achieved numerous awards which I am extremely proud of and grateful for. Last year as a junior I received first team all league and all county honors. As well as the minds and motion award, which is an academic and athletic award given to varsity athletes who also achieve high honor roll. As a senior I obtained First team all league for the second time, First team all County, as well as Third team all state. As a team, we surpassed Mahwah High School’s previous record for the Girl’s Volleyball Team and came in 2^nd in league and 3^rd in state.

Wow! That’s some litany of achievements. Where do you go from here?

For the next 4 years of my life I plan on continuing my volleyball career at Richard Stockton College in South Jersey. The team has won five of six of their last League titles and it is clear that they all have fun together. One of the first things I noticed about the team was that they are all friends and like to be with each other-which I feel is one of the most important things. On my team in Mahwah this past year, our companionship was a leading force in our success on the court. After my first four years I will leave my volleyball career behind but continue my education to become a Doctor in Physical Therapy at Richard Stockton.

You sound like you have your path well chosen. Did you accomplish your goals this year?

At the end of my season last year, after receiving 1^st all league and all country honors, I looked at my parents and told them next year I would get 1^st in league and 1^st in county, as well as obtaining the position of captain on my volleyball team for senior year. As the club season went on and summer began, I never stopped working and made sure to strengthen my weaknesses so these goals would be possible the next year. By the end of preseason I was named one of three captains by the team votes and achieved my league and county goals as voted by the coaches, also surpassing my goals and being voted third team all state. It is an extremely exciting and accomplished feeling when you realize that all the hard work and hours spent training on and off the court have finally paid off.

It great to hear of a person who sets their goals and does their best to achieve & even surpass them. What do you use for motivation?

As a child, I have always been extremely competitive and never got used to the feeling of losing. Growing up in a family where ordinary isn’t an option; I found the basis for my never ending determination. The support of my family and coaches pushed me forward and I never looked back. But conventional, school sports are not what started my athleticism and love for competition. When I was about nine years old I started to attend Martial Arts Classes and American Eagle MMA. Admittedly, intimidation took over when under the instruction of intense martial artist, Phil Ross. However as the years went on, I learned mental and physical discipline as well as lifelong lessons in the Do Jang. The competitiveness of the Martial Art world and enthusiasm of my parents and trainers created the motivation which I carry with me today.

It sounds like the training ignited your competitive spark.How do you balance sports, training, and school?

As you can imagine, it is difficult to balance all my sports, training, and school in one day-and still get some sleep. A normal day during school season consists of school, volleyball practice or a game; every day after school, then training with Phil Ross in either kettlebells or Martial Arts; three times a week for 1-2 hours at a time, and then homework. In order to keep up with this schedule without wearing the body down, it is important to take care of the body with ice after a training session as a preventative and healthy meals in between. It also helps to set up a schedule for yourself, setting aside time which will be used for studying and family.

Sounds like a great plan for success. What did you do to prepare for this season?

Considering my season is seemingly never ending, with school season from before school starts during preseason and through the fall and then club from winter to spring, it is important to always keep on top of your body and health. I constantly do multiple types of workouts consisting of running, sprinting, plyos, mixed martial arts, and kettlebells. I believe that it is extremely important to train all the parts of your body in order to improve as a whole. For example, instead of just working out while in practice, it is crucial to do workouts on the side as well. Mixed Martial Arts is a great cardio exercise as well as improving reaction skills and overall body awareness. It also obviously teaches important self defense mechanisms, fighting skills, and extreme self discipline. Kettlebells is one of my favorite types of workouts and can be described as an intense cardio and weight training exercise. The number of different kettlebell exercises is incredible and I have never had two workouts that were exactly the same. I believe kettlebells has improved my overall strength the most out of anything and allowed me to advance dramatically in my volleyball career. I began Mixed Martial Arts at around nine years old at American Eagle Mixed Martial Arts Academy, where I still train today. Freshman year I started kettlebells there as well with trainer, Phil Ross. Throughout all my years of training and participating seriously in sports, he has pushed me the most and the hardest out of anyone. Self discipline in one of the biggest aspects when working out and training your body. Wanting to continue a workout when your body is shaking in pain or wanting to come back for a workout after last time your entire body felt like jello isn’t natural. It is a huge advantage to have someone knowledgeable there supporting and encouraging you.

It takes a great deal of determination and discipline to make all of those sacrifices. Nothing worth anything comes easily. Good Luck Macy...or should we say “Dr. Schwartz”.

www.americaneaglemma.com & www.kettlebellking.com

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

New Staff Member

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American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

Iron Core Abs #2 workout video.

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American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

Master Trainer & RKC Team Leader Phil Ross demonstrates an abdominal movement with the Wheel of Death.

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

Weekend thoughts

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge
Great Instructor Training day today. 2 hours of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Bando and some knife Self Defense at the end!

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge
American Eagle MMA photo slide show of school's offerings in the Newark Examiner.

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

Bully Proof your Child Today!

http://www.examiner.com/youth-coaching-in-newark/master-phil-ross-teaches-ways-to-prevent-bullying-through-martial-arts

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

Kettlebell training interview on the Examiner.
http://www.examiner.com/youth-coaching-in-newark/kettlebell-training-is-a-versatile-tool

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

Happy Thanksgiving!

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

Mike Massenzio to fight Rousimar Palhares in Brazil at UFC 142.

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

I was recently interviewed by Reggie Malz, a reoprter for www.examiner.com. I urge you to view the site. They have a section dedicated to Combat Sports. That aside, floowing you wil find the interview. Happy Reading!

How old can children be when they start lifting with kettlebells?

I have trained a few children as young as 9, but they were the exceptions. They were National caliber wrestlers. Plus, I used relatively low weights. focused on body tension, form, body weight exercises & repetition. Generally, I would not start training a child until age 11 or 12. Standard weigh training, I would wait until they are 13 to 15, dependent upon their physical development.

You may start training children with kettlebells at an earlier age than you do with standard barbells because the amount of weight that one trains with is generally a great deal less with the kettlebell than you need with a standard barbell. You get more out of kettlebell training pound for pound than you do with a barbell. It's less taxing on the joints.

What type of training and activities do you offer through your program?

With my S.W.A.T. Kettlebell based training system we incorporate the kettlebell movements from the RKC Hard Style of training as taught by Pavel Tsatsouline, plyometrics, VO2Max (Maximum Oxygen Uptake), body weight, mobility and other speed and explosive power enhancing movements. Therefore, strength, endurance, flexibility, durability and athletic ability are all enhanced.

In addition to Kettlebell training, we offer a full Martial Arts Training Program for children, adults and teens. We have martial arts for 3 to 5 year old children, MMA for those 6 to 12. That program includes our Kidjitsu grappling training. We also have a full MMA curriculum and No-Gi Submission fighting taught by me and a Boxing class instructed by Joe Rubino, a former North American Kickboxing and East Coast Boxing Champion and UFC Fighter Mike Massenzio teaching our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gi class.

What kind of sports would be great to use kettlebell training with?

Being Combat Sports orientated, my program attracts a great deal of MMA fighters, Martial Artists and Wrestlers. However, due to the nature of the athletic movements of the the kettlebell exercise and the body weight training, we have a substantial number of clients representing other sports as well, notably Track & Field, Volleyball, Baseball, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Triathletes, Tennis and Basketball - to name a few. A great deal of professional and college teams employ the use of kettlebell training. Some of the first to do so were the Tennessee Titans, Boston Celtics and the New York Yankees. The Titans had 13 wins the year after they started KB training and both the Celtics and the Yankees won World Titles after they had started. Now virtually all of the major sports teams use Kettlebells.

Not only does the training appeal to athletes. I have clients from all walks of life training at the center. Physicians - in particular surgeons, physical therapists and chiropractors all train with KBs. Kettlebells also appeal to Law Enforcement Officers, Fire Fighters and Military Servicemen. Due to the both physically and mentally stressful occupations, the kettlebell training provides a fantastic means of stress release and full body conditioning.

We also service quite a few clients that simply want to lose weight and get stronger and healthier. The kettlebell is an extremely time efficient tool to achieve those goals. You can burn up to 1200 calories per hour with Kettlebell Training. This is extremely appealing to people form all walks of life.

What kind of risks and injuries are associated with the kettlebells?

In my humble opinion, the Kettlebell is the #1 overall training tool. However, as with most ballistic type of training there is a significant amount of skill required to execute the the techniques both safely and effectively. Without proper training, you may expose your shoulders, backs. elbows, wrists and knees to injury. However with proper tension and form, one actually can heal many ailments and misalignments. The forearms can get overworked as well with all the grip work involved. So proper stretching and rotation of exercises is tantamount.

Since there is a great deal of grip work involved in the the Kettlebell Training, Body Weight Training is essential due to the hand positions required for the handstands, crows, wall push-ups, standard push-ups and other associated exercises. These movements counteract the adverse effects on the forearms that one or the other alone would inflict.

How much does the training cost?

OK - you asked - so I'm going to make some shameless plugs! From $0 to $1900. The cost varies and you get what you pay for. If you go to Youtube and base your training solely what you can download for free, be wary. Even though there is some good material on Youtube, there are some very poor examples of training and exercises. Only use Youtube once you have had some solid instruction. This will allow you to sift through the garbage and make an educated decision on what training is valid or not. You could also take and HKC ($599) or and RKC ($1995) Certification Course. The RKC is considered the Gold Standard in Kettlebell Training and I highly recommend the organization for the serious Kettlebell Enthusiast.

Private sessions vary from trainer to trainer and area of the country. I would recommend seeking out your local RKC Certified Instructor and setting up a set of sessions with them. All certified instructors are listed http://www.dragondoor.com/. Go to the Instructor Section and plug in your Zip Code.

At my studio, we offer an Introductory 3 week Special for Only $39. We are that confident in our program. I also offer an online Kettlebell Video Training Course with 12 Workouts, Warm-ups, Body Weight, Instruction on over 22 movements and a 37 page Electronic Manual for only $59. You may download this from www.kettlebellking.com

There are also workshops and seminars. I will be hosting a 5 hour Kettlebell Basics Plus Workshop on December 4th. The cost for that is $149.

As you can see, there is quite a wide range of costs involved. But with the right instructor, it's more than worth it. Your training will be much better and safer.

Our Martial Arts training is available for anywhere from $79 to $169/month. We have a 1 month introductory special for $99 - that also includes a student uniform.

How often should someone work out with the kettlebells?

That is another benefit to training with Kettlebells. Three times a week is all that you need. This will allow you to focus on training for your sport, instead of concerning yourself with "Leg Day or Chest Day, etc..." For the busy fitness enthusiast, you are able to hit your whole body with resistance, cardio and flexibility training in a relatively short amount of time.

Anything to add:

There are many other methods of training available, many of them are fantastic. Is it possible to get the gains form the other methods as well? Yes, but it will take much more time and a plethora of equipment. I have not seen any single method that address all of the facets that Kettlebell and Body Weight Training do. By employing the use of your own body and kettlebell training, you replace barbells, machines, bands, ropes, hand grips, treadmills, elliptical trainers, sand bags, medicine balls, etc... The kettlebell is the most versatile training tool on the planet.

Youth Sports: Ruining our Youth or Enhancing their Development?

Youth Sports: Ruining our Youth or Enhancing their development?

Youth football, soccer, wrestling, baseball, tennis, cheer leading, dance, swimming, basketball...travel teams...try-outs & cuts...successes and failures. Championship games...Pee Wee Super Bowls, Little League World Series...a trophy for every kid...over inflated Pee Wee Coaches egos...Parents fighting each other and assaulting referees...Have we lost sight of what our Junior Development Leagues are for? 

What price are our children paying? Burned out by the time they get to High School, many athletes never reach their touted potential. Many children who mature later on, who have suffered exclusion or maybe didn’t make it onto the “crucial travel team” and become turned off to sports without even getting started. 

I am going to put forth several extremely bold statements. You may agree, disagree, love me, hate me, continue to read my blogs or “un-friend” me on Facebook (Yes - I’ve been unfriended before!). Your choice. I am calling attention to this issue is of epidemic proportions and it’s ruining our youth and the whole notion of junior development sports.

My grandfather (born in 1902) was a boxing trainer and even played in for one of the first professional football teams, the Paterson (NJ) Bulldogs. He made a whopping 15 cents per game. He was asked on many occasions to coach the burgeoning “Pop Warner” football and Little League Baseball teams, yet he would not do nor would he let my uncle join the teams. He thought that the kids should learn to play without the interference on adults. My uncle went on to play foot ball in high school and was a stand out receiver making the All-Decade Team for Eastside High.  

The incredible amount of Injuries - concussions, torn acl’s, rotator cuff, “Tommy John” elbow surgery, etc...I was in High School in the ’70’s. I played football, wrestled and ran track in High School. In 4 years of HS Wrestling, I don’t remember one concussions - yet two years ago, I coached a team that had 7 (yes seven) in one year. All of those kids had come up through the junior wrestling program. I had no idea what an “ACL” was, now 2 out 5 of female High School soccer players have injured or completely torn their Anterior Cruciate Ligament. These injuries aren’t contained only to soccer, I have just picked this sport to mention at this point. How is this so? 

The answer is simple. The athletes are de-conditioned, overworked and have not had the proper strength and stability training. The focus is on “making the travel team” or being on the “A-team” instead of learning how their bodies function and having fun with sport. They play the same sport all year long, from a very young age. The parents and the children alike are brainwashed into thinking that this is the only way it should be.

Children should be involved in sport for fun and fundamentals only until 12 or 13, at the earliest. If they compete, it should be on their own terms, not with an adult or coach prompting and pushing them. Getting competitive should really be held off until High School, but at 12 or 13, it’s OK to get the competitive juices flowing. 

Children should be involved in sports and activities that are going to develop their bodies and have their muscles and tendons strengthened. They should partake in swimming, martial arts, gymnastics (non-competitive), track & field, calisthenics and other, body awareness development based activities. All quote “organized sports” with teams, championships and their associated coaches should be abolished and replaced with open sports activities at town fields or other indoor facilities. I could go further into this, but I think that I’ve made my point.

Famed actor/bodyguard/martial artist Chuck Zito to appear at Team Palooka booth at New York Comic-Con : Pro MMA Now

Famed actor/bodyguard/martial artist Chuck Zito to appear at Team Palooka booth at New York Comic-Con : Pro MMA Now

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

New Mike Massenzio article. Must read.

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

Facebook stream at 6:00pm. Tune in to watch Mike take the fight to Cantwell! Kick Butt Mike!

Top Kettlebell Video Ratings

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

Catchy Kettlebell Training Phrase Needed

www.americaneaglemma.com

Catchy Kettlebell Phrase Needed.

My new On-line Kettlebell Basics video training will be available within two weeks. I have partnered with Champions Way on this venture and I am looking for a few words or short sentence to put up on my banner at the www.kettlebellking.com to entice people to click on the banner and get redirected to the Champions Way site, www.americaneaglemma.com, carrying the complete package for Getting Started with Kettlebells. The package includes a 37 page electronic manual complete with photos, information of what and how many kettlebells to order, a total of 18 videos containing an introduction, warm-ups & stretching, detailed kettlebell movements and explanations as well as 12 Kettlebell Workouts. This will all be available for ONLY $99! There will be an introductory sale for the 1^st month for ONLY $50! The actual date of release is yet to be determined.

If your phrase is selected, you will receive a DVD of my top rated Advanced Russian Kettlebell Workout and a copy of The Powerful Spirit audio CD.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to the responses!

E-mail your submissions to philrossmma1@gmail.com

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

If you weren't there, this is what you missed.

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

The Re-Evolution of the Martial Arts

The Re-Evolution of the Martial Arts:  We are not speaking of a “Revolution, but a “Re-Evolution”. It is quite evident that the Martial Arts have, on a whole, become fragmented. I say “have become” because at the inception of the arts, all warring (martial) arts included the employment of a full arsenal of weapons. The military practiced weaponry kicking, punching, blocking, striking, throws and submission holds. As different instructors taught the arts, they had a tendency to focus on what they personally did best or what techniques and methodology suited their particular area. That’s a quick summation of Martial Arts evolution. 

For decades there were always countless arguments on who would win a fight: boxers, wrestlers, kickboxers, Judo players, Taekwondo or Karate practitioners. There were several attempts in the 70’s to uncover the best art. The infamous fight between Mohammed Ali and Japanese Wrestler Antonio Inoki and Aaron Banks hosted a tournament in Madison Square Garden that pitted boxing vs. Karate, Taekwondo vs. Judo, etc… None of it ever caught on, until the emergence of the UFC. 

MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) had its rocky beginnings and then almost fell by the wayside a few years back. Now it is on the upswing and considered a main stream sport. As testimony to the popularity of the UFC now on Fox, along with the multitude of weekly smaller shows al over the country, MMA has become mainstream and has replaced boxing and eclipsed the WWE.

20 years ago, anyone who taught a “Mixed Martial Art” was chastised for not being a purist. Now, if you do not include some type of reality or ground fighting in your system people will overlook your school. Beware of simply adding a few chokes or locks into your system; it is not enough. You must adopt a full curriculum in order to apply the techniques in a useful manner. The Four Ranges of Combat and the transitions must be practiced. The three most important arts for MMA are Muay Thai, Wrestling and Brazilian Jui Jitsu. I am not short changing other systems and there are many great fighters with a variety of backgrounds, but in order to succeed - you need to practice the Big 3. 

I have had the pleasure of working with Frank Shamrock. His system, SSF (Shamrock Submission Fighting), is a complete system that has abided by the Tao of Bruce Lee: “Absorb what is Useful”. The validity of his material as presented eliminates unnecessary movement, training methods and philosophies. The manner in which he presents the transitory fighting application is very succinct and direct. Moving from kicking to striking to takedown to submission, demonstrate why he is such a successful fighter.  

 You will soon discover that in order to finish an opponent, positioning is the key. If you have ever seen a couple of dogs fight, the one who wins the scramble, wins the advantage. Your movement must be perpetual and purposeful. SSF teaches you the submission positions and the transition from one range to another, as well as one position to another. These skills are developed through a series of drills and games. The drills and games are not only fun, but they develop the skills necessary for positioning during combat. As we all know, position yields control; not only ultimately of your opponent but more importantly of yourself.  

  

Embracing the modern method of fighting and training is essential to your (and your students') growth as a martial artists. Open your mind to integrating elements of MMA into your curriculum. Your students won't be disappointed.

About the Author: Philip G. Ross has over 35 years of experience in the combative arts, has been instructing the arts for 25 years, is in 3 Halls of Fame, an 8th Degree Black Belt, RKC Team Leader, CK-FMS Certified and a High School wrestling coach. He is also the creator of the S.A.V.E. Self Defense Fitness Workout and the Advanced Russian Kettlebell Workout . 

American Eagle MMA

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American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

American Eagle Martial Arts Lounge

Neck Stretching and Strengthening for MMA Fighters & Surgeons

Neck Stretching and Strengthening for MMA Fighters & Surgeons

MMA Training Circuit

Workout: MMA Training Circuit

At our studio, I run the strength and conditioning for UFC Fighter Mike Massenzio and the rest of the Iron Horse MMA Fight Team. We need to include elements of explosive power, flexibility, cardiovascular conditioning and of course strength development. 

One of the workouts that we do in preparation for the rigors of the cage and mat is as follows: 

Warm-up: Run around the room for 5 minutes, jogging, high knees, side shuffles, power skips, etc...

Light stretch

The Warm-up exercises: 2 Rounds

Planks for 60 seconds. 10 seconds out & 10 seconds back. 

10 Deck Squats- they are a lot like back break falls, except you don’t slap the mat and you come up with your legs close together and stand all the way up.

3 on each side of Raised Side Planks- post one foot & one hand (same side) on the floor and raise your arm and leg high toward the ceiling. Your body should be perpendicular with the floor.

20 Deep or Hindu Squats - Squat all the way down, as far as you can go. You should get way below parallel. Keep the compression in your diaphragm as drop down. 

10 Cross over Plank Walk Push-ups- Keep your body in a tight plank and “walk sideways doing push-ups between each “step”. 

10 Ab Crawls- Move across the floor by alternating your upper body and lower body as you walk across the floor. Do not let your elbows or feet touch the mat.

The Workout:

There are 9 stations. We work for 30 seconds and rest for 15 between each station. We do 4 rotations. We work for 27 minutes straight. As we get more used to the routine, we up the weights and squeeze out more reps each at each station.

1) Alternating Cable Chest Press

2) Incline Medicine ball crunches. Throw the medicine ball up between each rep.

3) Close grip incline dumbbell chest press. Keep the dumbbells pressed together.

Bent over Dual Kettlebell Rows

Single Bottoms up Kettlebell split squat with quick step switch every 5 seconds.

Alternating Kettlebell See-Saw presses

Heavy Single Kettlebell Sumo Squats

Alternating Dumbbell Curls

Single dumbbell overhead triceps press

Try out the workout and feel free to comment or ask questions.

Victory Favors the Prepared!

Train Hard and Train Often!

www.philross.com

The Easiest and Hardest Woekout

The Easiest and Hardest Workout

No bars, plates or cables. No bands. No ropes.  No special skills. No platforms. No equipment needed. Just a floor and desire.

The easiest and hardest workout is right underfoot. Your floor is the scene for the Push-up. You’ve been doing them ever since grade school. Why did you stop? Too easy? Too boring? Not sophisticated enough? 

Not only do you work your upper body, but push-ups are an incredible source for developing strength in the core. If you do between 100 and 200 push-ups a day - your muscular conditioning and core will be dramatically improved. If you do your push-ups in the morning, it will jump start your metabolism.

Every class my students do one of three types of general push-up workouts as part of their warm-up. 

We perform five types of footwork interspersed with sets of various push-ups and abdominals. We do four sets of 25 push-ups at a time and 30 to 50 abs. The students go at their own pace.

 Other classes we’ll do between 50 and 100 at a clip, generally done by my count. We will follow that up with two sets of 50 repetitions of abdominals. 

Then there are classes that we do only 20 push-ups. However, this is done by my count and may take almost two minutes to complete. We stop at various points in the push-up and hold. These are all done on the first two (large) knuckles. 

There are other workouts where we do a rotation of jumping rope, push-ups and abs as well. It’s one of the five workouts on one of my workout DVDs. The point is doing push-ups is relatively easy, but at the same time hard, because you have to remain consistent. Doing a substantial amount of push-ups on a regular basis takes concentration and commitment because it can get boring. I’ve found that mixing it up with different types of push-ups and performing them in a variety of manners will help ease the boredom and will also work your muscles in a different way.   

Below you will find a youtube link various types of push-ups. They are as follows:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-Pi5RkOJJs

Knuckle, Wide, Triangle, Palm Heel, Dive Bombers, Clap, Back Bridge, Extended, Tiger, Wall, Reverse, Knife Edge, Finger Tip, Inverted, Straight Arm, Incline, Decline, Intight Knuckle & Plyometric In & Out Knuckle.

Good luck with your training and remember that Victory Favors the Prepared!

Phil Ross' Main Site

Excellent, Necessary & Highly Recommended - Kettlebell Swing

Excellent, Necessary and Highly Recommended: 

One of the benefits of being a Fitness and Martial Arts Guru, from time to time you receive DVD’s, books, T-shirts, supplements and other material to either review, try out or endorse. The most recent one I received was from Dragon Door Products, the company that represents the Gold Standard of Kettlebell training - The Russian Kettlebell Challenge (RKC). 

This DVD is an excellent training tool and following is my endorsement of the product:

“Mark and Tracy Reifkind have brought a Swing Seminar to your home or gym. All aspects of preparation, adaptations and variations of the Kettlebell Swing are addressed in detail. Verbal and visual cues, how to correctly perform the various swing types and avoid mistakes are all covered in this excellent presentation. You feel as if the Reifkinds are in the room with you.

This video is not only for the beginner. The detail and complete explanation of proper swing execution is even more beneficial to the seasoned girevik.

Congratulations on this well thought out, explicitly presented video tutorial on the cornerstone movement of Kettlebells - The Swing. I will recommend this video to my clients and colleagues alike."

The Kettlebell Swing is one of the most important and beneficial movements you can do. Over 20 calories per minute are burned with the kettlebell swing. That’s 1200 per hour. Unfortunately many people do not use the proper Hard Style Kettlebell Swing form and not only do not reap the benefits, but expose themselves to injury. This DVD have over 2 hours of instructional information on the swing and several of the variations. 

If you’d like to order this DVD, click on the link below - you will not be disappointed. It’s the best training available on the swing - short of a private session or workshop with a seasoned RKC Kettlebell Instructor.  

http://www.dragondoor.com/?apid=4640,

Phil Ross, RKC Team Leader, Master Trainer.

Victory Favors the Prepared!

   

My Best Friend

My Best Friend: Are you a fitness enthusiast that takes their running shoes on trips, only to feel uncomfortable road running in unfamiliar areas? Are you tired of endlessly waiting for cardio equipment to free up at your gym, only to feel like a hamster running on a wheel? Do you love to run outdoors, yet shy away from putting on five layers of under-armor and sweats on in order to brave the sub arctic temperatures? 

Well, let me introduce you to my “Best Friend”, the jump rope. You can take it anywhere, you do not need much space, it does not matter what the weather is like outside, you do not need expensive equipment ($2.00 to $20.00 for a rope, my favorite costs $8.00) and you can vary the routines and movements to keep it interesting. My Grandfather was a boxing trainer in Paterson, NJ back in the 30’s, 40’s and into the 50’s. He instructed me on how to jump rope as a teenager as a means to improve my foot speed and endurance for wrestling and football. I then began to realize the incredible benefits of jumping rope. 

If you jump rope at a good pace for 5 minutes, it’s equivalent to running a mile! The coordination of your hands and feet moving in rhythm with each other is essential for a fighter. All of my martial arts classes begin with 3 to 5 minutes of jumping rope. In addition to the coordination development, jumping rope is an incredible means to warm up the body.

Even if you are a beginner and you miss on your jump, keep moving your feet. To learn how to jump, here are a couple of tips:

1) Play some music that you like with a good beat. You should put together a playlist for at least the same amount of time that you want to jump for. Use your favorite, upbeat songs & make a mix. Or, for those with obsessive, manic personalities, repeat the same song as an extended version. This also helps you jump rope longer. You basically fool your self into NOT thinking that you are jumping that long. 

2) To initially get your timing, watch as the rope hits the ground. That’s when you time your jump. It may take a few weeks to get your timing, but keep working, it will eventually happen. 

3) If you are still having issues, try putting the rope in one hand and jump up and down while rotating your wrist. This will help you to find your timing. 

4) Remember the less movement of your arms, the better. Your wrists are the primary focus of the rotation. Try also to keep them in the same spot, approximately at the level between the bottom of your chest and the top of your hips. This does not hold true when you are doing more advanced movements, like crossing the rope or double jumps. 

5) You do not have to jump very high. You only need to jump high enough to allow the thin rope to pass under your feet. Get your rhythm and all else will fall into place. 

If you’d like to workout the rest of your body, try performing push-ups and abdominal exercises in a rotation with jumping rope. You can start with 100 jumps, 20 push - ups and 30 abdominals. Start with 3 rotations and then increase to 5. You may also execute additional push - ups or abdominals. What a great way to start the day! 

Victory Favors the Prepared!

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach me at  HYPERLINK "http://www.philross.com" www.philross.com.  

   

Never Say Die!

Never Say Die

You hear it all of the time "Never Say Die". You see the athlete in competition, whether its MMA, a Grappling Match, a Track Meet or a Football game — the sport does not matter, only the actions that lead to the end result. The participant is losing and it seems as if all is lost and then the tide shifts and the athlete that appeared to done for surges and emerges victorious. 

Everyone wants to win. Wanting to win is not the hard part. Sacrificing everyday in your training, your eating habits and by passing distractions - that is the difficult task. You need to make your training your priority - no room for excuses - make your workouts and push yourself to get better, stronger and faster. Excuses for failure are common, find a way to succeed. 

How does this happen? How does one develop this "Never Say Die" attitude? Can it be developed? Or is it only in certain people? 

There are certain people born with an innate inner toughness, but if it's not cultivated, they burn out and lose it over time. Others seem to develop, grow tougher and more resilient over time. How is this done? 

There is one sure fire way to develop this Never Say Die attitude, Train Hard. Yes, the more that you sacrifice and persevere, the more you become committed to succeed and less you are able to tolerate failure. There are many times when a combatant is in a scramble, they could easily give in and let their opponent win, yet they do not allow this to happen. The time, effort and pain endured in training comes through and they "dig deep" into their soul and put forth another effort. Training with purpose will not only harden your body, but your mind as well. 

When you are training, think to yourself "What is my opponent doing? Is he training like I am? Is he sparring those extra rounds, running that additional mile and performing those few more reps? Is he pushing through the pain?" You will never be able to answer those questions, until after the contest. The best chance of success that you have is to train to your best ability and don't make excuses for not training.  

The more that you put in, the more that you will be prepared to win. Take the Samurai for example. They were in Life and Death Battles. If they lost, they were dead. In order to win, they needed to have supreme confidence. They developed this confidence through their daily training regiment and discipline. The tenants espoused by the Samurai are ones that we can base our training on to develop our Never Say Die attitude. 

As Always - Train Hard & Train Often. 

www.philross.com      www.kettlebellking.com

Silver Anniversary Reflections

Silver Anniversary Reflections 

Primarily my blogs pertain to work outs, my views on training and events and other fitness and martial arts matters. This week, however, my writing will be focused around my 25 years as a Black Belt in the Martial Arts. June 6th, 2011 marks my 25th Anniversary of becoming a Black Belt in the Martial Arts. I remember a number of years ago when there was an article written on Michael DePasquale, Jr, a very high level martial artist and son of one of the founding fathers of American Jiu Jitsu, Soki Michael DePasquale, Sr. I often wondered what the conditions of the Martial Arts would be and where I’d be in my life the day of my 25th Anniversary. Incidentally it was Michael DePasquale, Jr. who inducted me into the Action Martial Arts Hall of Fame. 

Where am I today? I am typing this up as I sit next to UFC Fighter Mike Massenzio. We are on our way to Vancouver as a last minute replacement to fight Krzysztof Soszynski at UFC 131 Carwin vs Dos Santos. We took the fight as a last minute replacement for the injured Igor Pokrajac. Mike is a Middleweight (185), but we took the fight last minute against a larger opponent in a weight class 20 pounds up (Light Heavyweight) in order to get back into the UFC and have the opportunity to beat a credible, tough opponent with a respected name. Twenty Five years ago, I would have never dreamed the Martial Arts would have come so far. The advent of competitive Mixed Martial Arts was only a pipe dream to us back in 1986. We used to fantasize about being able to fight under the rules that there are today. Being a wrestler and then a Karate practitioner, it only made sense to want to put it all together in the ring.  

I am also on the verge of having my oldest daughter test for her Adult Black Belt in 2 weeks. Now 17, she has won several fighting and self defense titles, is on the High School Track Team, the High Honor Roll, has Ivy League level SAT Scores, sings in the school’s select choir and has been training in the Martial Arts ever since she was 2. My 15 year old son is well on his way, being a very successful martial artist, track & field athlete and honor roll student. My 17th month old daughter is already throwing roundhouses!

My wife is filming her latest workout DVDs in Philadelphia today. One of them is a Kettlebell Workout and she’s using some of the Complexes and Chains that we went over the past few days. We meet each other 3 & 1/2 years ago on a set while filming our individual Kettlebell DVDs - both of which were ranked in the Top 10 Kettlebell Training Videos on the market. 

I’ve had my own school for over 23 years. I teach Martial Arts, Kettlebell Classes and conduct personal training sessions. I’ve traveled many places conducting seminars in martial arts and kettlebells, cornering fighters, training with and meeting some of the most interesting and accomplished people in the world. I’ve been a champion fighter, promoter, coach, friend, actor, producer, bodyguard, author and choreographer. I’ve converted my passion into my livelihood and witnessed the Martial Arts rise to societal relevance: all during my 25 years as a Black Belt. Martial Arts are everywhere now. Kinda cool. 

I have had the pleasure and great fortune to train with and be ranked by some of the World’s most respected martial artists, fighters, trainers and athletes. Jon Collins, Tom Patire, Pavel Tsatsouline, Pat Finely, Dan Inosanto, Frank Shamrock, Steve Cirone, Mike Massenzio, Tim and Chris Catalfo, Jay Hayes, to name a few. Some of these relationships resulted in very tight, life long friendships. All of them, plus others, have contributed to my successes on and off of the mat. I have to thank them all for that.  

My father taught me a very valuable lesson. You are truly a success when you can give back. Your life should be measured not by how much you have, but how many people that you’ve touched in a positive way. Give back to the community that gave to you. I know that I give back to community that has given me so much and made me who I am today. Every day I give back to the Martial Arts Community with my teachings and support. The Self Defense that I teach to battered women and children, my S.A.V.E. Self Defense & Fitness program being utilized in schools, my S.A.V.E. our Kids Bully Proofing Program and the fitness work I do helping people become healthier and live longer better lives. Yes, I’m giving back and it feels good. I owe my life to the Martial Arts - that’s why I have dedicated my life to it.

I look at my tattered 25 year old Black Belt and I’ve been asked “How much is it worth to you?” “Would you trade it for a million dollars? Two million?” No. I would not. The belt represents who I am and the friendships I’ve forged, the people I’ve met and helped - those who have helped me. Without it, who would I be? Just like the credit card commercial says, my Black Belt and what it represents: “Priceless”. 

As always: Train Hard and Train Often!

www.philross.com                        www.kettlebellking.com

What's your motivation? (and how to keep it)

What’s your motivation? (and how to keep it)

A seemingly simple question to answer, but whatever your motivation to train is, it must be more compelling than distractions that will dissuade you from your fitness commitment. Maybe you want to be the best fighter in the world, or your grandfather died of a young age due to his weight, you were mugged or picked on as a child. There could also be positive motivations: the quest to be the best that you can be, to stay in or get in great shape, for the enjoyment of training, stress relief, competition with others and yourself. Unless your motivation is harmful to others, there is no right or wrong reason to train, as long as it keeps you working out and improving yourself - it’s good. 

Many of the the reasons that are our original motivation to train do not last forever. Example - let’s say you want to make the Varsity Football Team. You have to get bigger, faster, stronger and learn the skill set for your desired position. OK - you’ve made the team, now the season ends and your are graduating high school. There’s no way that you are going to play in college, yet you really enjoyed the way that you felt and how your body looked and performed when you were working out. Now you have a different motivation. 

Just like rotating your workout schedule, you need to alter your motivational factors from time to time. If you start a new martial art with the goal of becoming a Black Belt and then a few months later decide to enter a triathlon.  They are quite different goals, but the training for one will help the other. Keep fresh motivation, shot range goals and try different motivations. 

I have plenty of clients that come in want to lose weight. They have now lost their 80 lbs (yes, this did happen), what do they do now? Just keeping the weight off as a goal may not be motivating enough. The person knows that they must keep working out - but what is the motivating factor? This person wants to be able to do a pull-up and start the martial arts. They can achieve the new goal because of their former motivation. 

I’ve had other clients that wanted to get off of all of their blood pressure and cholesterol medications. Avoiding death is a reasonably strong motivator. Now that the client is off of the pills, what’s his new motivation? He now wants to be able to snatch a 24kg (53 lb) kettlebell 100 times. That’s a very respectable goal and new motivation. He had to change his motivation since his former goal to train had been met. 

The point of all of this is to get you to think of new goals, new motivations and new methods to keep you inspired to continue your training. There are many excuses for failure - find the reason to succeed! 

As Always: Train Hard and Train Often!  

www.philross.com                www.kettlebellking.com

How Heavy of a Kettlebell Should I use?

How Heavy of a Kettlebell Should I use?

Kettlebells are the new fitness rage. In my opinion, shared by many others, Kettlebell Training is the best overall tool for complete fitness. All major goals may be met with proper training: Strength, Conditioning, Flexibility, Durability and Athletic Ability are all increased with proper implementation of a Kettlebell Program. 

That’s all well and good, but where do you start? First you need to find a qualified instructor and/or a thorough video. If you are basing your training on the workouts displayed on youtube, you are in trouble. Yes, you can get some great ideas (and a lot of harmful ones) from the free internet service, but you do get what you pay for. 

What weight do I start with? Common sense dictates that you start light. Yes and No. “Yes and No”? You may be asking yourself how can I say that?!? You HAVE start light. In certain exercises, yes you need to build up, but in many kettlebell exercises it is detrimental to your technique execution if the weight it too light. I will expand on this notion with an example.

Let us consider the Kettlebell Clean. The Clean is an essential Kettlebell movement used as a stand alone exercise, in Complexes and Chains as well as a means to get the Kettlebell into position for other exercises: such as presses and squats. If you use too light of a kettlebell, you will complete the exercise improperly.

If you can simply “curl” the Kettlebell into position, it’s too light and you are doing the technique improperly. We have a “Cheat Curl” to help you get the properly weighted Kettlebell into the rack position, provided your cleans are not yet up to snuff. 

With the light bell, you will not be firing your core or stabilizers. You need a properly weighted Kettlebell to recruit these muscles and maximize the benefits of working with Kettlebells. 

If you clean a Kettlebell that it too light, you will tend to smash it against your wrist and arm. This will cause bruising and unnecessary pain, not to mention the practitioner not gaining the benefits from Kettlebells. 

There are many other facets of training that proper choice of Kettlebell weight are necessary. The alignment of the knees, spine, shoulders and other joints. Breathing behind the shield and creating a stable core. 

There are, of course, instances when using too much weight can be detrimental as well. If you haven’t developed the proper shoulder stabilization, using too much weight on an Armbar or a Turkish Get-up could result in injury. You must know how to pack your shoulders, lock your joints and employ proper full body tensioning to successfully hoist heavy weight with quite a few Kettlebell maneuvers. So, one does have to start with using lighter weights before these movements are even to be attempted with heavy one.   

So to answer the question: “How heavy of a Kettlebell should I use?” I will make the following statement with no hesitation at all - “It depends”. It depends on the movement, your ability and your level of fitness. You also need to employ good judgement and start with basic movements until you gain confidence and learn how the Kettlebell moves. 

As always: Train Hard & Train Often!

www.kettlebellking.com     www.philross.com

The "What the Heck" Effect

The “What the Heck” Effect

Russian Kettlebell Update:

Following is an e-mail that I received from one of my kettlebell clients:

Hey Coach, 

 I have been doing Kettlebells now for two or three months and I have seen a drastic improvement in my athletics. Last weekend I had a lacrosse tournament and since I have started doing Kettlebells I have not picked up a lacrosse stick. I went and played in the tournament and I was surprised to see that I had improved in all aspects of the game even though I haven't been playing. From doing the Kettlebells with you my speed, endurance, and strength all improved and this all helped me in improving my lacrosse game. 

Thanks Coach Ross

Jamie Blake

Jamie Blake – MHS Lacrosse

In Russian Kettlebell Training we refer to it as the “What the Heck” Effect. There are a plethora of instances where scientists and physiologists have experimented the effectiveness of Russian Kettlebell training in comparison to other "Sport Specific" training. During one study, they tested the subjects on vertical jumps. Group A trained on performing their jumps and Group B only trained with Kettlebells. After 6 weeks of training, Group A improved their vertical jump anywhere from 1 to 3 cm. However, Group B, the ones that trained only with the Kettlebells, increased from 3 to 9 cms! This is the “What the Heck” effect. There have been many other studies conducted with pull ups, sprinting, high jumping, push ups, dead lifting, etc…

How is this all accomplished? The roots of the incredible effectiveness of Kettlebell Training can be found from several sources. One, the shape of the bell forces the body to recruit more muscles and stabilizers due to the constantly changing center of gravity of the bell. Another is rooted in the actual training methodology employed in the system. This would include the tensioning of the body, versatility of the bell (try swinging a barbell between your legs!) and the use of both concentric (upward) and eccentric (downward) force. These training methods and benefits may be achieved through other methods, but the equipment is large and costly in comparison to a simple, space saving kettlebell.

The gains and explosive power garnished from training with Kettlebells is second to none. The Kettlebell replaces many other gym items, barbells, dumbbells, battling ropes, sandbags, treadmills and other cardiovascular equipment. You may be saying - "OK, I can see how Kettlebell Training can replace the barbells and other typical resistance equipment - but how the heck does this cannonball with a handle on it replace a stairclimber? Simply put, do a few laps of Walking Swings, V02 Max Circuits, or a round of Complexes or Chains, or even a set of 60 swings and then tell me if your heart doesn't feel like it's going to rip out of your chest! Here's how it works, you're using your whole body, tensioning and relaxing it as you perform your movement. Your body must constantly adjust itself to the varying center of gravity that occurs, therefore consuming more energy. Have you ever seen someone who is very proficient with Kata? They are completely out of breath and sweating profusely. How can this be? These people are in great shape and masters at their craft, how can they be so winded? Easily explained, they are applying maximum effort to their every movement. Complete tensioning and relaxing of the body. Now imagine doing this same type of exercise, but with a changing resistive load. This is how you maximize your workout and training potential.  

 The studies are available on line at  HYPERLINK "http://www.philross.com" www.philross.com – click on the Kettlebell Products and review the Dragon Door site.