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Progressive Calisthenics - The Official Blog for the PCC Community

Archives for December 2014

The Top Ten PCC Blog Posts of 2014

December 30, 2014 By Al Kavadlo 12 Comments

PCC Workshop with Al and Danny Kavaldo

As the year comes to an end, it’s fun to take a look back and reflect. 2014 was a big year for the Progressive Calisthenics Certification!

The PCC community continues to grow and many of you may have only discovered us recently. With a new post running every week, it’s all too common for great content to get lost in the shuffle. I’m proud of each and every post we shared this year, so it was tough to pick my favorites!

With that said, let’s take a look back at my top ten PCC blog posts of 2014 (in no particular order):

–With nearly 300 comments, Coach Wade’s primer on his forthcoming masterpiece, Explosive Calisthenics, was clearly you guys’ favorite post of the year!

–Global Bodyweight Training creator Mike Fitch explained why handstands make you better at everything.

–Senior PCC Adrienne Harvey shared this fantastic tutorial on progressions for the dragon flag.

–The “Fit Rebel” Matt Schifferle told us why so many folks have their arm training backwards.

–A lot if people think the Kavadlo Brothers never wear shirts. This might be why.

Al and Danny Kavadlo Seldom Wear Shirts...
–Grace Menendez showed us how learning to do an elbow lever made her feel like a superhero!

–Dave Mace detailed his ongoing journey toward the one arm pull-up.

–Thanks to your support, I’ve been starting to feel like PCC is taking over the world!

–Corey Howard explains how breaking his arm wound up giving him the chance to make calisthenics leg training his top priority – and get the quads he always wanted!

–In another twist of fate, PCC attendee Marcus Santer failed the Century test but gained an important lesson along the way.

Thanks to all of you who read this blog and support the PCC movement. I can’t wait to see what next year has in store for the PCC and the entire bodyweight strength training community. Let me know what your favorite posts were from this year in the comments below.

We’re Working Out!

Al

***

About Al Kavadlo: Al Kavadlo is the lead instructor for Dragon Door’s Progressive Calisthenics Certification. Recognized worldwide for his amazing bodyweight feats of strength as well as his unique coaching style, Al is the author of four books, including Raising The Bar: The Definitive Guide to Pull-up Bar Calisthenics and Pushing The Limits! Total Body Strength With No Equipment. Read more about Al on his website:www.AlKavadlo.com.

Filed Under: Progressive Calisthenics Tagged With: 2014 recap, Al Kavadlo, bodyweight training, calisthenics tutorials, progressive calisthenics, top ten of 2014

How to Put the “Active” in Active Rest

December 23, 2014 By Adrienne Harvey 14 Comments

Adrienne Harvey Active Rest Slackline

“Active Rest” is a phrase that we hear and say a whole lot without really thinking about it too much. On one hand the concept is extremely simple, a light workout day to speed recovery from a recent, more strenuous effort. But, some of us tend to over-complicate the issue and end up with a dauntingly over-engineered workout on what should be an opportunity for fun, meaningful practice, and optimized recovery.

Why not just be a couch potato?

It can be extremely tempting to just completely take some time off. And sometimes that’s necessary in cases of injury or really overdoing it in a workout. I’ve long held the belief that it’s better to err on the side of caution. Push and challenge yourself of course, but part of the learning process with the progressions in Convict Conditioning and the PCC is the self-knowledge that comes along with it. While coordination and proprioception are obvious mental “gains”, the value of learning your limits, and watching them change/improve should not be underestimated.

In our “gotta have it now” instant gratification culture, it’s sometimes difficult for those of us who are highly motivated to see the value in rest. More is always better, right? Not always! As I mentioned in a previous PCC Blog post about programming other modalities and interests with Convict Conditioning/PCC, Paul Wade’s routines like “Good Behavior” and “Veterano” (both outlined in the original Convict Conditioning book) provide plenty of rest and recovery time—as well as enough time to factor in a serious interest in sports, martial arts, etc.

How do you know that you’re not getting enough recovery time? Most people first notice when they’ve hit a plateau in their progress. While plateaus can result from many things (sometimes even psychological reasons!), it is easy enough to introduce more rest or active rest to your overall plan. Go getters and super motivated people who feel like they’ve stalled in their progress are especially encouraged to consider more rest. Similarly, I find that women who have fallen victim to the “must run/cycle/cardiostep to burn x calories or else” mindset can stall their strength and even weight loss efforts by not allowing time for recovery.

Active recovery is also really important as we get older. While I’m only just beginning to sneak up on 40, there’s definitely some changes I’ve had to make in my diet and rest schedule. I’m fond of saying that when we get older we don’t necessarily get weaker, we’re just no longer able to continue abusing our bodies. Both as we age and/or as our activity levels increase, it becomes even more important to pay attention to our self care and recovery. And at any age, paying attention to rest and recovery can certainly help prevent needless injuries.

Similarly, active recovery can also help us mentally recover from an all out effort or an intense week with workouts and with life.

So, after all this talk, what does an active recovery session look like? At its very simplest, an active rest day might include an extended stroll, especially if you’ve really had a tough week and workout. While I’m always up for a good walk, most of the time active recovery should involve a more than just wandering around the neighborhood.

Here are some of my favorite active recovery ideas, and I hope that you will add yours to the comments section below this blog post. After a long week, sometimes we all need help in the creative ideas department, so please be sure to share.

Stretching Your Boundaries by Al KavadloMobility or flexibility practice. Compared to most women, I’m reasonably inflexible (physically, let’s not talk personality) and consider it to be a challenging area. While I have no aspirations to become a contortionist or a yogi, some specific mobility and flexibility work would help my progress with a few calisthenics moves, and potentially provide additional injury prevention. While flexibility is an easy example of one of my own weak points, working on an appropriate shortcoming of your own can be a great basis for an active recovery day.

A shorter/lighter version of a favorite workout, or a lighter version of a workout within your strength program. This is a great opportunity to fine tune your technique with some of the earlier progressions, since “lighter” in calisthenics doesn’t mean grabbing a lighter kettlebell or barbell. Many times some very important insights can come from a “regression-session” like this. If you’re an instructor you may also find some helpful hints for your clients or students you haven’t previously thought about.

Work on balance or a specific skill. One of my favorite recreational activities is slacklining. It points squarely at another one of my personal challenges, extreme balance! It’s a fun mental challenge and is oddly relaxing. It calls for focus and mental engagement, but without constantly tensing up the muscles (or you will fall down!) Even though I’m still very much a beginner, forcing myself to “go with the flow” during slacklining has actually helped me “accidentally” work through some muscle stiffness from tough workouts the day before!

Your tai chi or yoga practice (or an abbreviated version of it) might be another option as well. I have a favorite old qigong routine that I’ve practiced since 2000 that’s heavy on mindfulness and breathing, but light on the physical exertion. It’s been a big part of my warm up and active recovery for years, and I can definitely tell if I’ve slacked off of doing it! Similarly, less intense or short forms from tai chi as well as some of the more relaxing/meditative varieties of yoga would be good choices to consider.

Whether you are a type-a go-getter who hates the idea of taking a day off, someone who is stuck on a plateau, or simply someone who wants to maintain optimum health, adding gentle activity to your rest days can prove to be productive and fun.

***

About Adrienne Harvey, Senior PCC Instructor, RKC-II, CK-FMS, Primal Move Nat’l Instructor: Originally RKC Certified in 2010, and RKC Level 2 certified in 2011, kettlebell and bodyweight training have been crucial in Adrienne’s personal quest for fitness. A core member of the PCC team, Adrienne loves sharing her knowledge with small groups and individuals. She also loves to develop recipes and workout programs to further support performance, body composition, and of course—FUN. Go to http://www.giryagirl.com for more information about Adrienne!

Filed Under: Flexibility, Motivation and Goals Tagged With: active rest, Adrienne Harvey, Convict Conditioning, flexibility training, getting past plateaus, mobility training, programming, recovery day, rest day, Slacklining, Stretching Your Boundaries, Tai Chi, workout strategy, yoga

PCC Recap: 2014

December 16, 2014 By Al Kavadlo 23 Comments

PCC Holland with Al and Danny Kavadlo

2014 has been a landmark year for the PCC and things are only getting bigger!

In the first full calendar year of PCC, we held 9 certification events and tested over 200 candidates, visiting 6 different countries on 3 separate continents along the way. Personal records were shattered, friendships were formed and lives were forever changed. (Perhaps mine more than anyone else’s!)

John Du Cane, Al Kavaldo, Danny Kavadlo, Adrienne Harvey

It has been an absolute pleasure getting to meet and work out with other like-minded calisthenics enthusiasts from so many different places. I am proud to say there are now certified PCC coaches all over the world!

Al and Cecelia Tom Clutch Flag at the PCC

The calisthenics movement continues to grow and grow. Next year we have confirmed 11 more PCC events through the end of September (we will likely still add one or two more for October-December).

In 2015 we’ll be visiting unchartered land as well as returning to some familiar territory. Here is the line-up for the new year:

January 23-25, 2015 – PCC in Encinitas, CA

February 27 – March 1, 2015 – PCC in Mountain View, CA

March 27-29, 2015 – PCC in Minneapolis, MN

Mini Group Photo MN PCC Workshop

April 17-19, 2015 – PCC in Munich, Germany

April 24-26, 2015 – PCC in Alessandria, Italy

May 1-3, 2015 – PCC in Dundalk, Ireland

May 15-17, 2015 – PCC in Dallas, TX

Mini Group Photo Germany PCC

June 5-7, 2015 – PCC in NYC

July 31- Aug. 2, 2015 – PCC in Alexandria, VA

Sept 11-13, 2015 – PCC in Haarlem, Holland

Sept 18-20, 2015 – PCC in Chicago, IL

Hope to see you there! We’re Working Out!

ProgressiveCCInstructorBanner

***

About Al Kavadlo: Al Kavadlo is the lead instructor for Dragon Door’s Progressive Calisthenics Certification. Recognized worldwide for his amazing bodyweight feats of strength as well as his unique coaching style, Al is the author of three books, including Raising The Bar: The Definitive Guide to Pull-up Bar Calisthenics and Pushing The Limits! Total Body Strength With No Equipment. Read more about Al on his website:www.AlKavadlo.com.

Filed Under: Progressive Calisthenics, Workshop Experiences Tagged With: 2014 recap, Al Kavadlo, PCC Workshop, progressive calisthenics, Upcoming Workshops

My Mind-Blowing PCC Experience

December 9, 2014 By Lori Crock 9 Comments

Lori With Al And Danny Kavadlo PCC

At the Chicago RKC-II earlier this year, one of the participants caught my eye when she did a move called “skin-the-cat”. She was showing us a bit of what she learned at the PCC.

She was doing some really athletic moves, and I love to climb and do pull-ups, so I decided I have to attend the PCC to learn how to incorporate more calisthenics into my training and into my classes.

I registered for the Milwaukee PCC Workshop this past November and gave myself a couple months to prepare. I was doing a lot of mobility work so I’d be able to do as much as possible at the certification event.

I practiced the Century Test weekly. And then I did what any woman would do. Reach out to another woman, or two, for advice.

I contacted Senior PCC Instructor Adrienne Harvey to look at my Century Test technique. I sent her some video of me practicing and she coached me on my knee pushup technique (I don’t usually do knee pushups) and she helped me refine my Australian pull-ups, which were also new to me.

PCC Instructor Grace Menendez gave me some mobility drills to do for bridging and elbow levers. Her tip to practice bridging on the stability ball daily really helped improve my spinal mobility.

As I began to experiment with other moves, I realized, and Adrienne confirmed this, that many calisthenics moves can take a long time to achieve!

I admit that I was a little nervous. I could only do handstands and headstands against the wall. I discovered that I had limited internal shoulder rotation when I began trying elbow levers on my own—that usually resulted in face plants! I wasn’t able to do a full bridge even though I was working on it with spinal mobility.

I referred to PCC Lead instructor Al Kavadlo’s books to prepare: Pushing the Limits, Stretching Your Boundaries, and Raising the Bar. I set aside two days a week to train calisthenics. It wasn’t easy to put my kettlebells down.

Interestingly, on my kettlebell training days, I was moving with more ease than I remembered. Could it be the calisthenics? (Two weeks after the PCC, I had a PR on the two-arm swing—56kg for five reps—I credit the addition of calisthenics training.)

As a gym owner, and kettlebell coach, my job is to identify weaknesses in my students and help them get stronger. We are only as strong as our weakest link.

I had to do the same with my own body. Things weren’t happening as fast as I wanted them to. It was humbling, but I continued to move, stretch and practice.

Once I arrived in Milwaukee, it all came together.

Lori Crock Support Press At PCC

Achieving personal bests was something we all experienced, daily, for three days. It was pretty unbelievable. It will sound corny, but the PCC environment was, well, magical. With patient practice, and varied cues from five coaches, amazing things were happening for all of us–yes, even those new to calisthenics.

If we couldn’t achieve a move right then, there was always a regression to set us on a clear path.

Some of us were just beginning our calisthenics journey, while others were doing very advanced moves under the careful guidance of the PCC instructors. Even the instructors were achieving PRs as they demonstrated for us!

It didn’t matter where we were on our calisthenics journey; the PCC environment was both safe and exhilarating. We reveled in the advancements of others almost more than our own. The instructors and PCC candidates were inspiring and patient and I am proud to call them my friends and mentors.

Lori Crock and Desi at the PCC

I learned a new way of thinking about fitness … and it has a lot to do with more freedom in my training–thanks to Al and Danny, John Du Cane, the PCC instructor team and my peers at the PCC.

I am having a blast incorporating calisthenics into my small classes with what seems like a million variations of squats, pushups, pull-ups and inversions… along with consistent mobility work.

I continue to practice calisthenics on my own. Since I’ve been home, I can now skin-the-cat! I am doing handstands and headstands away from the wall. I am doing pushups with the Neuro-Grips, frog stands, one-handed chin-ups, full bridges and more.

So if the PCC looks a little advanced for you right now, some preparation doesn’t hurt, but don’t hesitate to sign up. It is a mind-blowing experience that will push your limits, stretch your boundaries and raise the bar.

Milwaukee_PCC_Group_Photo

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Lori Crock is an RKC Team Leader, PCC, FMS-II MCT-II who is a strength and movement coach and owner of MoveStrong Kettlebells in Columbus, Ohio. Lori teaches kettlebell classes at her gym, in the schools, with police officers and city employees. She continues to be inspired by the commitment and progress of her students. Lori can be reached at lori@movestrongkbs.com and on Facebook.

Filed Under: Workshop Experiences Tagged With: Century Test, Lori Crock, PCC Milwaukee, training for PCC, workshop experience

Meditative Movements

December 2, 2014 By Nick Lynch 10 Comments

Al Kavadlo: showcasing the calmest, kip free muscle up I’ve ever seen!
Al Kavadlo: showcasing the calmest, kip free muscle up I’ve ever seen!

“The body is the subconscious mind.” Dr. Joe Dispenza

At the recent Milwaukee PCC workshop, Danny and Al Kavadlo talked a lot about the importance of the mind and body being one for the success of movement. Danny talked about his belief that the mind and body are not separate, but rather one kickass force of energy. After all, how can you pop up into a flagpole when you’re thinking about filing taxes?

After the Milwaukee PCC, I asked Al if he meditates (no need to ask Danny, he’s got a tattoo of Buddha on his belly!). Al replied, “Calisthenics movements are meditative.” He’s right. If you’re going to achieve a complex calisthenics move, you need to be that move. Calisthenics is profound because you become those movements: you become a human flagpole, a pull-up or a pistol squat. There are no weights, belts or rules to hide behind. The movements are so simple yet extremely advanced and the results are invigorating.

Nick Lynch: focused on not falling and cracking my chin. Better stay up!
Nick Lynch: focused on not falling and cracking my chin. Better stay up!

The beauty here is that you have to dedicate all of your focus and intention on each movement. To balance on one hand or perform a single arm pull-up hold, you’ll need to trigger all the smallest, most tedious muscles you never knew you had. The mental requirements of calisthenics are profound. Your brain waves become organized and simple: you quickly slip into Alpha brain waves or ‘The Zone’, as we call it in the world of sports.

Most of us live in sustained, high Beta brain waves; we’re over-trained. This comes from too much caffeine, too much stimulation and too much work while we simultaneously neglect our nourishment and recovery time. Calisthenics will require your brain to slip into Alpha waves. The same waves one rides during deep meditation. When we surf the Alpha waves we tend to function better under stress. We allow the subconscious mind to take over and since the subconscious mind is the body, we allow our body to perform with total freedom!

Katie Petersen: focused while performing one of the most difficult variations of a pistol squat
Katie Petersen: focused while performing one of the most difficult variations of a pistol squat

What?! Total freedom of movement! When was the last time you truly experienced that? If you’ve attended the PCC or practice single limb exercises, you’ve been there even if only for a brief moment. If you’ve played sports you’ve been there, if you’re intently reading this article you’ve been there. Even if you’ve never attended a PCC, practiced single limb movements or played sports…you’ve been there! You’re human and at one point or other you’ve been an infant, toddler and child. Kids live without conscious thinking for the first few months of their lives. They’re fearless and free with movement. Adults teach them safety and other laws of society essential for surviving. Unfortunately, we don’t always pay much attention to the upkeep of our freedom to move as we age.

The good news? You’ve already surfed the Alpha waves so you can surf them again. To begin, I recommend picking up Paul Wade’s Convict Conditioning. Follow the simple progressions and don’t rush. Enjoy the slow but steady progress you’ll make following the simple movements, which will add up! Also, practice some meditative movements. This can be a simple task of washing the dishes slowly and quietly, walking around the house without stomping, and closing a door without letting it slam. These meditative movements will easily transfer to smooth calisthenics and strength training.

Adam Von Rothfelder: you can be a big guy and perform the flagpole with a smile on your face.
Adam Von Rothfelder: you can be a big guy and perform the flagpole with a smile on your face.

***

PCC Instructor and RKC Team Leader Nick Lynch is a Strength and Conditioning Coach at Milwaukee School of Engineering University (MSOE). He owns Superb Health Milwaukee, a kettlebell studio in Milwaukee, WI. He has 13 years of full-time training and coaching experience and a lifetime of wellness education. Nick lives in Milwaukee, WI with his wife Natalie and son Weston.

Filed Under: Motivation and Goals, Workshop Experiences Tagged With: bodyweight training, calisthenics, Meditative movements, mental training, Milwaukee Workshop, Nick Lynch, PCC Workshop

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