Progressive Calisthenics

Pink Ribbons and Strong Women

October 18, 2016 By Benji Williford 4 Comments

exercise to help beat cancer

All too often, a person’s mindset toward training can be superficial. Most people who work out are focused on improving their physical appearance, or achieving a personal accomplishment.

So what happens when this mindset is turned on its ear, and you are instead faced with uncertainty due to extreme adversity? Do you become defined by a diagnosis? Do you shut down and give up?

October is breast cancer awareness month, and statistics show that 1 in 8 U.S. women will get diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. I personally can’t think of anything that signifies adversity more than receiving a cancer diagnosis.

Among many clients with many great stories, I’ve had the honor to train with three women that not only endured a breast cancer diagnosis and treatments, but did so with strength and poise. I met and started training with two of them post-treatment, while the third was diagnosed after she had already been training with me.

None of the three were defined by a diagnosis or allowed themselves to become victims. Instead, they each went on their own introspective journey to determine what was really important and find their purpose to persevere. Essentially, it came down to longevity and maintaining independence. Calisthenics training was at the top of the list to achieve these goals.

Why calisthenics? I decided to ask my three clients (Denise, Lori, and Ginny) for their thoughts on why they train.

Denise Mackey-Natz is a salon owner, wife, and mother:

Denise one-arm handstand

“I went through breast cancer and treatment July 3 – December 31, 2009. I had a lumpectomy and 8 rounds of chemo followed by 25 radiation treatments. It’s crazy to say, but that was the “easy” part for me because I always had an end date in mind to keep me focused. In February of 2010 I started tamoxifen for 5 years every day. This was the hardest part of my journey because the end date was so far away. In early spring a dear friend of mine convinced me to train with Benji. I truly believe that this saved me! My body was so weak. Regular visits with Benji have not only helped my body get stronger, but also my mind! And the friendships I have made throughout my workout journey will last forever. My husband and I even go one night a week together. It is our date night and we look forward to it every week!”

Lori Eklund Walsh is a therapist and mother:

Lori Raised pistol squat

“Throughout a variety of stressors and challenges the past few years, I have used my ability to maintain my workout routine as a benchmark for how well I am managing. In my mind, if I can’t get up and go to boot camp, I’m in trouble, need to take a serious look at what is going on, and make lifestyle adjustments accordingly. This was never truer than this past year after having been diagnosed with breast cancer. My goal was to not let the cancer and my treatment interfere with day-to-day life. Being able to continue my regular workout routine was paramount to maintaining my health and sanity. My Tuesday-Thursday workout group provided me with a supportive, encouraging, caring community that helped keep me motivated and grounded. People said I was an inspiration, but really, they were my inspiration. They told me I was beautiful when I showed up bald after losing my hair. They told me I was strong when I felt drained and weak. They laughed with me and cried with me, but most of all they welcomed me, accepted me, and just loved me.

I don’t have any scientific proof of the benefits of maintaining my activities at the level I did. But I firmly believe that the cross-body movements, balance, strength building, focus, and coordination applied from my calisthenics training helped keep me motivated, improved my mood, increased my stamina, minimized the size-effects from the treatments, and aided in memory and concentration. I was fortunate to have been in pretty good overall health at the time of my diagnosis, and even more fortunate to have been able to be with a group of people who were instrumental in helping me stay healthy during the course of my treatment. “

Lastly, Ginny is a widow, mother, grandmother, and all around bad-ass:

Ginny advanced rail push-ups

“I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, resulting in a mastectomy. After just returning from my checkup, I can report once again that I am still cancer free and in good physical shape. This did not happen by not being proactive. When first learning of my cancer, my doctor emphasized how very important it will be to maintain a regular exercise program, along with good nutrition, and weight control. Exercise has made a huge difference in my life. As my doctor said, it plays a big part in producing antioxidants in my body, which is so important. Daily exercise and good nutrition keep me mentally and physically healthy. This regimen is not just for those of us who have been diagnosed with cancer, but very important for everyone as a preventative measure.”

What drives you to train? I encourage you to look deep inside to identify your true purpose, and I hope it’s never due to the need to overcome extreme adversity.

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Benji Williford, PCC, RYT, CF-L1 is a Personal Fitness Trainer located out of Eau Claire, WI. Benji believes that, “A successful fitness program is based on positive dialogue between the mind and body.” He can be reached through his website: http://www.benjiwilliford.com/, or by email: Benji@ChainReaction-Fitness.com.

Ten Tenets of Calisthenics Skill Training

October 11, 2016 By Al Kavadlo 21 Comments

When I got into working out as a teenager, all I cared about was having a muscular looking upper-body. I wasn’t familiar with the concept of “functional fitness” and I don’t think it would have interested me much at the time anyway.

Back then I just wanted to look good with my shirt off. Doing a muscle-up or pistol squat had never even occurred to me. A lot has changed since then.

With progressive calisthenics continuing to grow in popularity every day, more people are training to learn bodyweight skills first and foremost, with muscular gains being secondary. Though training for mass, strength and skill certainly have some overlap, there are several subtle differences to keep in mind if your top priority in fitness is learning new ways to move your body.

Before getting to my advice on skill development, however, we first must define our terms. Skill training encompasses many things, including moves where precise balance is key, like the handstand or elbow lever, but it also includes exercises like the pistol squat, human flag or muscle-up, which although they require significant strength, require loads of coordination and body awareness as well. You can treat pretty much any calisthenics exercise as a skill if you approach it with a focus on movement quality, though there is undeniably more technique involved with a back lever than a basic push-up.

With that in mind, if skill is what you seek, you would do well to abide by the following ten principles:

1. Build Your Foundation
You’ve gotta crawl before you learn to walk, and you’ve gotta get good at pull-ups before attempting a muscle-up. While it can be tempting to rush ahead and try advanced exercises when you are new to calisthenics, the best way to eventually attain those skills is by building a strong foundation with the basics. Aim for double digits on classics like push-ups, hanging knee raises and squats before you worry about anything too ambitious. Advanced skills are built upon proficiency in the fundamentals.

2. Utilize an Earlier Progression
If there is an exercise that you feel is on the fringes of your skill set, the best way to work toward acquiring it is to find an earlier progression that you can manage for around 3 solid reps (or in the case of isometric holds, something you can hold for a few seconds).

If your goal is to perform a freestanding handstand, you should first get very comfortable holding one against a wall. If a full pistol squat eludes you, there are many regressions you can use, such as a bench pistol. Whatever you are working toward, there are lots of ways to assist yourself or modify the leverage to make anything more accessible. (Check out me and my brother Danny’s new book Street Workout for progressions and variations on all the major calisthenics skills.)

3. Take Long Breaks
Learning new skills is taxing on your neurological system as well as your muscles, that’s why it’s helpful to allow yourself plenty of rest between attempts. There’s no need to time your breaks or abide by any strict protocol when skill improvement/acquisition is your chief concern, however. Simply warm up, and start playing around with whatever it is you are working on, be it a backflip, muscle-up, or elbow lever.

Though it only takes a few seconds to attempt these moves, remember to take a few deep breaths between each effort and give yourself a few minutes off when you feel like you’re beginning to fatigue. Be aware that you may tire quickly when working on new skills, even if you don’t feel the same type of burn in your muscles that you are used to from more conventional set and rep protocols.

4. More Sets/Fewer Reps
Along those same lines, it’s usually best to do only a few reps at a time (or practice fairly short holds in the case of isometrics) when training new skills. For this reason, you may need to do more sets than you typically would in order to get enough total training volume into a given session. Remember, your goal is precision – as soon as you cease to be able to perform at your best, it’s time to take a breather. It’s not unusual to do 5 or more sets of a single exercise during a skill training session.

5. Video Your Workouts
Taking a video of your training session isn’t just for showing off on YouTube. You can learn a lot by watching yourself try new things. You may find that what you think you are doing and what you are actually doing are two very different things. Watching a video of yourself can help you stay objective and find ways to fix your form. Reviewing your video in between efforts can also give you something to do while you’re taking those long rest breaks.

6. Don’t Bite Off Too Much
You can’t learn to do everything at once. Movers who have a large arsenal of skills have gradually acquired new ones little by little over many years. Focus on one or two new things at a time, while keeping your other exercises and skills in maintenance mode. Sometimes when you hit a plateau with one skill, you can shift your focus to something else, and eventually return to the previous skill with renewed focus and greater experience.

7. Avoid Failure
If your primary concern is gaining muscle mass, it may be best to push to the point of absolute fatigue, as this will pump as much blood into the muscles as possible. Conventional wisdom is that “the pump” can help facilitate muscular growth.

When learning new skills is your primary concern, however, it’s best to avoid muscular failure. You want to be as fresh as you can for each effort, so you can get the greatest yields for your time. It’s best to keep a little bit in the tank to avoid burnout when working on new skills.

8. Find Training Partners
We all must walk this path for ourselves, but along the way others can offer guidance and inspiration. If you have the opportunity to work out with friends or attend a workshop – take it. The collective energy that happens when you get a group of calisthenics fanatics together is something that must be felt in order to be understood. Whether it’s through organizing a meet-up with your buddies at a local park, or coming to a Progressive Calisthenics Certification Workshop, there’s no better motivation than the energy and encouragement of your peers.

9. Be Patient
Many people underestimate how long it can take to learn a new move, then get frustrated and give up because it’s not happening quickly enough. Accept that some days will be better than others, and that you may get frustrated at times. This is okay. There is no true “mastery” in fitness, so aim to keep the beginner’s mind: Instead of focusing on the goal, focus on the process; instead of setting deadlines, set intentions. Patience is the key to unlocking advanced calisthenics skills.

10. Stay Consistent
The secret to fitness is not in any specific exercise, or sequence of exercises. It’s not in any particular set and rep scheme, and it’s not in any particular tool or apparatus. It’s not about periodization, core stabilization or muscle confusion. Those things may play a role, but the real secret to fitness is consistency. Because without consistency, none of those other details mean anything. If you want to improve your calisthenics skills, you’ve got to stay the course and keep practicing. You will learn more from your own trials and errors than from anything else. Enjoy the journey and embrace each step in your progression.

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Al Kavadlo is the lead instructor for Dragon Door’s Progressive Calisthenics Certification and the author of several best-selling books, including Street Workout and Pushing The Limits. For more information visit www.AlKavadlo.com.

PCC Holland: A Celebration Of Unity

October 4, 2016 By Danny Kavadlo 8 Comments

Danny Kavadlo one-arm pull-up

No one ever knew it would go this far. We believed, we hoped, we dreamed. But nothing could have prepared us for the outpouring of passion, dedication and intensity from the global calisthenics community. In fact, when we launched the Progressive Calisthenics Certification just over three years ago, we knew we were providing the first and the best bodyweight training workshop of its kind. We just didn’t know how badly the world wanted it!

Thanks for showing us.

Two weeks ago, when the PCC returned to the Netherlands for the third time, I saw once again how incredibly talented and committed you guys are. It was a life-changing weekend that I’ll never forget!

Amazing feats of strength were performed, numerous PR’s were set and profound mental focus and fortitude were on display. But beyond the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of bodyweight strength training, is the extraordinary community. As discussed in the Kavadlo Brothers’ most recent Dragon Door publication, Street Workout: A Worldwide Anthology of Urban Calisthenics, the coming together of so many cultures and backgrounds from all over our great Earth, may be the most amazing part of the calisthenics movement.

Never before has a physical discipline united so many citizens of the world, from so many corners of our planet, in such a harmonious jubilee of strength, balance and love.

In addition to the native Dutch Masters of Holland, this particular event drew calisthenics fanatics from Sweden, Ireland, the United States, Scotland, Columbia, Germany and even as far as Lebanon! There was also an entire team of self-defense instructors from the Czech Republic. (No surprise there, as our host and PCC Instructor, Martijn Bos, is the world’s #1 ranked Krav Maga practitioner outside of Israel.)

That means that there were attendees from nine countries, spanning four continents. Incredible! Like a bridge over troubled water, calisthenics connected international borders.

The men and women of PCC brought the energy, skill and passion. A celebration of push-ups, pull-ups and pistols was on full display. When so many different people are brought together by the love of calisthenics, something truly spectacular happens. Each individual’s energy is magnified tenfold. The whole group is even greater than the sum of its parts. The written word could never do justice to this collaboration of excellence, as it simply cannot be described. PCC must be experienced to be truly understood.

This was a weekend of sharing, growing and learning from each other. So many different styles, disciplines and skill levels came together. We trained, we sweat and we hugged. There were even a few tears.

It was also a huge deal for me, on a purely personal level, to have connected physically with so many names and faces that I knew from the internet and other social media. To share our stories and our journeys face to face and to train side by side with you guys is my favorite part of PCC.

PCC Instructor (and Street Workout World Cup Champion) Emiel Gobel making it look easy.

I’d like to congratulate the newest group of PCC Instructors. Welcome to the family! Spread the word, walk the talk and show the love. The posse’s getting’ bigger.

Keep the dream alive,

-DK

Holland PCC Group Photo

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Danny Kavadlo is one of the world’s foremost authorities on calisthenics, nutrition and personal training. He is the author of the Dragon Door titles Strength Rules, Diamond-Cut Abs and Everybody Needs Training. Most recently, he co-authored Street Workout with his brother, Al Kavadlo. Danny is known for his minimalist philosophy, simple approach and motivational talents.

A true in-person experience, Danny is a Master Instructor for Dragon Door’s Progressive Calisthenics Certification. He has been featured in the NY Times, TRAIN, Men’s Fitness and is a regular contributor to Bodybuilding.com. Learn more about Danny at www.DannyTheTrainer.com

Progressive Calisthenics Returns to Australia

September 27, 2016 By Al Kavadlo 2 Comments

pcc Australia back lever
I just flew home from Australia and boy are my arms tired…from teaching the PCC, of course!

Last weekend the Progressive Calisthenics Certification returned to Australia for our first ever event in Sydney, and it was one for the ages!

Attendees traveled from all parts of the continent in order to be part of this incredible event. We had folks from Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and even Perth come to Sydney to partake in progressive push-ups, pull-ups, muscle-ups and more. As usual, there was an eclectic mix of calisthenics enthusiasts including personal trainers, martial artists, yogis, dancers, and many others. The Aussie crowd had amazing energy and PR’s were happening faster than we could keep up with!

The PCC attracts candidates who love both bodyweight training as well as helping others. Everyone got to do a lot of both throughout the weekend. The egos were left at the door as this group of energetic enthusiasts egged each other on towards unbelievable feats of strength and athleticism. From L-sits, to pistol squats, to muscle-ups, we ran the entire calisthenics compendium, and had a blast doing it.

PCC Australia L-sit
This was Dragon Door’s first time partnering with the Australian Fitness Network to produce an event, and I think it’s safe to say it will not be the last. The progressive calisthenics movement continues to grow in Australia and it just took a giant leap forward! If you missed us this time, keep an eye out for more PCC events down under in the years ahead.

Hey hey hey! We’re Working Out!

-Al

PCC Australia 2016 Group

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Al Kavadlo is the lead instructor for Dragon Door’s Progressive Calisthenics Certification and the author of several books, including Street Workout and Pushing The Limits. For more information visit www.AlKavadlo.com.

Announcing the Street Workout Photo Contest Winners

September 20, 2016 By Al Kavadlo and Danny Kavadlo 3 Comments

Danny and I had a tough time selecting our favorite entries to the Street Workout Photo contest, but after some deliberation, we have selected the following winners:

Paolo Street Workout photo contest — 1st Place – Paolo

This image was our favorite due to the fun energy and unique location of the photo. Danny and I are big fans of Coney Island in our native Brooklyn and we loved to see our Paolo from Italy representing for all the freaks in Coney Island. ONE OF US!

The one armed handstand is such a badass looking move and a staple of Progressive Calisthenics. In fact, the book that started the modern calisthenics explosion, Convict Conditioning, features a one arm handstand on the cover. I’d have to think that iconic image is part of the reason that CC has been Dragon Door’s best selling title to do so far. Perhaps in time, STREET WORKOUT will eclipse that groundbreaking title. I suppose that’s up to you guys, though!

How could this photo contest be complete without a human flag? Johno’s excellent execution of this trademark STREET WORKOUT staple is too good to ignore. Nice one, Johno!

Thanks again to all who entered! I hope to see you all at a PCC one day!

Give The Squeaky Wheel Some Grease

September 13, 2016 By Bret Hamilton 17 Comments

Al and Danny Kavadlo PCC demo squats and mobility

Keeping things simple, yet effective is something that I’ve personally struggled with at times. Every so often, I find myself imagining the solution to a problem has to be complex in order to provide the result I desire. I’m also often reminded that said solution to said problem is staring me in the face, I simply don’t realize it right way.

Back in June of this year, I had the privilege to meet and work with Al and Danny Kavadlo at the Progressive Calisthenics Certification. Over the course of the weekend, we did one-to-two hour modules on each movement taught in the course. It was during the squat workshop when I approached Al with a question regarding ankle flexibility as it pertains to the squat–specifically the airborne or hover lunge variation. “Al,” I said. “When you are working with someone who may have an ankle that is stiff or impinging, do you have any specific go-to drills to help develop flexibility in that joint to make the squat feel more symmetrical?”

His response, so simple as it was, annoyed me at the time. To be honest, I expected more than, “Give the squeaky wheel some grease.” With Al’s trademark grin, smiling eyes, and a pat on the back, he walked away as I reflected upon his words.

“Give the squeaky wheel some grease,” I thought, silently grumbling to myself. “That was not the answer I was anticipating, nor looking for!”

brethamiltonalkavaldopcc2

You see, when I asked that question, I was specifically asking it in reference to an old soccer injury of my own that left my right ankle feeling very bound up, and occasionally painful compared to the other side. I’d utilized various joint self-mobilizations in the past, yet nothing had really helped the ankle improve permanently. As a point of reference, by the time I attended the PCC in June, I was capable of performing full depth pistol squats and hover lunges for reps on either side, but they were rather sloppy on the right leg, due to my mobility limitations.

When I returned home from the course, Al’s words stayed with me. Even though I was skeptical, I trusted that maybe there was more to what Al said than I’d initially thought. I decided to put his words to the test. I dedicated myself to working on my hover lunges daily, focusing on “pulling” myself into the movement using my hip flexors and shin muscles. Gradually, I began to notice that I was more easily able to place the knee of my rear leg closer to the heel of my front foot on the descent of the hover lunge. Although the depth of my hover lunge had not increased, the amount of articulation my ankle was forced to go through in order to complete the rep was increasing steadily.

Al’s words were ringing true, all to my surprise, pleasure, and chagrin! The answer was in front of me all along, but it took a guy named Al six short words of wisdom to help me realize what I needed to do: Practice the move more often, and with a sharp focus on improving specific qualities within that movement, no longer worrying about reps and sets.

Bret Hamilton shrimp squat hover lunge

It is now early September. I’ve practiced the hover lunge daily for 6 weeks now. Not only has my ankle improved its flexibility, but it has ceased hurting. I’ve progressed from a regular hover lunge to placing first one hand behind my back, and eventually a second hand behind my back while performing them. This has forced the muscles in my hips, thighs, and shins to contract more forcefully in order to keep stable and complete the rep. I’ve also practiced doing a “dragon” variation of the hover lunge with zero, one, and two hands behind my back, as well as an elevated dragon pistol squat. I was capable of none of these feats prior to attending the PCC.

Throughout this learning process, Al’s simple words have continued to resonate with me. I’ve since applied this principle of consistent practice to other movements I’ve been stuck with and have found it to be equally as effective. I’ve “greased the groove” before, but only with the intent to improve the strength of a movement, never to improve the perceived quality of it. It has been the most liberating six weeks of strength training I’ve had since, well, ever! Letting the process unfold before me has been such a joy, and I encourage everyone to approach their own training with this same mindful pursuit. This is truly why calisthenics is so unique, beautiful, and playful all at once.

At the end of the day, my goal is to become the best version of myself possible, and to help further others in their own journeys. My hope is that you might take notice of this post and give your own squeaky wheels some grease. Because let’s be honest, we’ve all got them! And don’t forget to keep it simple.

Thanks, Al, you son of a gun!

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Bret Hamilton is the head coach and co-owner of Constant Forward Progress-Bodyweight and Kettlebell Training. He and his wife Megan live and train near Portland, OR. When Bret isn’t working with clients in the gym, he loves to jump on the trampoline, play pickleball, read a great book, and relax to video game now and then. You can learn more about Bret and CFP at www.constantforwardprogress.com.

Grip Strength for Greater Triumphs

September 6, 2016 By Adrienne Harvey 13 Comments

Adrienne Harvey Senior PCC Grip Training

Many times we associate grip strength and grip training with those ubiquitous spring-tension grippers and strongman training. While I really enjoy grip training with heavy odd objects, giant kettlebells, etc. it’s also very possible to train for a monster grip using bodyweight training only. With just a little creativity, bodyweight grip training presents infinite variations and challenges—and you can do most of it just about anywhere.

Having a strong grip is a prerequisite to so many bar-based calisthenics exercises—if you can’t hang on long enough, then you won’t be able to do a meaningful number of reps. Beginners will often need to build up their grip strength, as modern life and desk-based jobs don’t seem to test or build our grip.

As many PCC instructors and instructor candidates already know, grip strength is essential to passing the Century Test—you’ve got to be able to hang out on that bar for a while to do those twenty knee raises. In the excitement of testing, those twenty knee raises can seem to take a very long time, and you’ve got to hang on for every single one of them. Then, after the knee raises, the guys still need to do 10 pull-ups, and the ladies have to do their 10 Aussie pull-ups as well.

Convict Conditioning Vol. 2 remains one of my absolute favorites, and that’s not just because of the flags, it’s also the focus on grip training. The book begins with a comprehensive guide to hand and grip strength, and every time I look at it, it gives me more new ideas for training, some of which are presented below.

All Angles and Surfaces

At the PCC and in the Convict Conditioning book series, you’ll notice that there’s a variety of grips demonstrated—the “tactical” no-thumbs overhand grip most commonly seen on pull-ups, overhand with thumb wrapped, the chin-up grip with palms facing you, neutral grip with palms facing each other, wide grips, narrow grips, just a few fingers on each hand, two-arm, one-arm, finger-tip grips, and more.

Adrienne Harvey Bar Grip Training Collage — A few examples of the nearly infinite number of bodyweight grip training options.

Inspired by old time strongman training—which, properly scaled, is great for absolutely everyone—Paul Wade even includes adding a towel (and later two towels) to timed hangs for an extra challenge. A towel is hard to grip and hang from given its large diameter when bunched up, and because the hand is challenged in a less-familiar and surprisingly challenging vertical orientation.

One day, frustrated by the lack of a plain straight pull-up bar in a commercial gym, I came up with the following variation. I put one hand on one handle, but then looped a small hand towel around another one, then did a short set of 5-6 pull-ups. I made sure to switch sides every other set. It was a great grip challenge and can be done most anywhere.

I’m always looking for new places to do pull-ups. While my city is not constantly covered in scaffolding like NYC, I have been able to find great grip-challenging pull-up spots like I-beams, vertical rafters (very difficult, just doing short hangs there), open stairwell stairs, hand-only rope and pole climbs and more. The next time you visit a playground with young relatives, look around for grip challenge opportunities.

Chamber Press Neutral Grip — This is a favorite place to practice flag regressions like the chamber press. The “easier” neutral grip lets me focus on the rest of the movement.

One of my all-time favorite tips from Zach Even-Esh, author of The Encyclopedia of Underground Strength and Conditioning, is to vary the grip on each set of pull-ups (or push-ups) in a workout. Towards your last sets, you might be forced to get very creative.

Speaking of push-ups, if you haven’t tried, them, Neuro-Grip push-ups are a fantastic challenge of yet another angle of grip strength and training. I’ve found that the focus and strength required from them has helped with other exercises like dips, etc. on rings and even when performed on parallel dip bars.

Neuro-Grip push-ups Your Grip = Your Health?

Recent studies have found that grip strength is often an indicator of health. While it seems to be generally accepted that our grip strength declines as we get older, this is yet another opportunity to rebel against the mainstream. We can build up, increase, and maintain our grip strength into our later years if we keep training intelligently. Good health, grip strength and general strength will help us remain safe and independent in our senior years. That sounds good to me even now.

It Goes Both Ways: Train Your Extensors!

Adrienne Harvey Fingertip Pushups

Keeping our hands healthy means that it’s also important to “go the other way” too. In workouts which really emphasize grip training, I like to pair a grip intensive exercise with another exercise that either stretches or challenges the extensors—basically a superset. The extensor exercise can be something as simple as a well executed straight arm plank for time, push-ups, frog or crow stand, handstands if appropriate—or if you’re ready for it, you may want to experiment with fingertip straight arm planks or push-ups at this time too. There’s really no limit to the level of difficulty. It’s important to be patient and gentle though, as fingers seem to take a while to strengthen, and just a second to injure.

Here’s a sample combination from the last part of a favorite at-home workout:

45 second pull-up bar straight arm hang
30 second or longer crow stand
rest
60 second pull-up bar straight arm hang
45 second or longer crow stand
rest
90 second (or keep going for a max PR) pull-up bar straight arm hang
45-60 second straight arm plank

Grip Confidence and Breaking Through Mental Barriers

This last section might not apply to everyone, but I’ve observed both with myself and others that once we really begin to work on—and TRUST—our grip strength, then we’re often suddenly able to make a lot more progress on the skills which were otherwise right at the edge of our abilities. Getting the vertical chamber press and the next few human flag steps after it (human flag with one leg straight, one leg bent) were absolutely dependent on my confidence in my grip. I knew I had the strength, especially through the core, but in the past, kicking all the way up to vertical was fairly iffy. Turns out, my brain was putting the breaks on. Training my grip while still working on the rest of those progressions (but with a stall-bar-based neutral grip) was key. After finally putting the pieces back together, I’ve been able to reliably do the move on the first try and I’ve still been (slowly) progressing forward.

Adrienne Harvey PCC One Leg Flag

Is there a bar or vertical pole move that’s proved extra challenging for you? Could it be improved with a stronger grip and/or greater grip confidence?

Please share your experiences and questions in the comments below.

Train STRONG!
Adrienne

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Adrienne Harvey, Senior PCC Instructor, RKC-II, CK-FMS, has been RKC Certified since 2010, and RKC Level 2 certified since 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. Visit her website, GiryaGirl.com for workouts, recipes, and more.

The Official Street Workout Photo Contest

August 30, 2016 By Al Kavadlo 23 Comments

Street Workout Paperback Is Here

The wait is over! Street Workout is now available in paperback format.

To celebrate this monumental occasion, Danny and I are inviting YOU to show us your best Street Workout moves, based on one of the photos from our new book.

To enter, post your original photo on Facebook, along with a photo of the page from Street Workout (or screen capture for ebook), and a link to the book on Dragon Door’s website. Once you’ve done that, leave us the link to your Facebook post in the comment section below.

Feel free to include any additional info, such as why you chose that particular move, as well as any background info, humorous comments, inspiration and/or lessons learned along the way.

Danny and I have decided to get the ball rolling by taking a new photo based on the cover of the book.

The original photo was snapped in the back alleys of London. This time, we decided to recreate that iconic image in our hometown of New York City.

Street Workout Photo Example Al Danny Kavadlo

Now it’s your turn. We want to see your Street Workout inspired photos!

Danny and I will personally select our three favorite entries. Photos would be judged on location, style, creativity and skill exhibited.

The winners will be awarded as follows:
First prize = $300 Dragon Dollars
Second prize = $200 Dragon Dollars
Third prize = $100 Dragon Dollars

Dragon Dollars can be used toward the purchase of any Dragon Door products, including books, DVDs, fitness equipment or workshop tuition.

The winners will be announced right here on the PCC blog on September 20th.

We’re Working Out!
Al

A Twist to the Push-up: Introducing the Intrinsic Strength Push-up

August 16, 2016 By Angelo Grinceri 11 Comments

Angelo Grinceri IST Push-Up

Men and women of all fitness levels are familiar with the push-up and its ability to challenge and build full body strength and muscle. There are many ways to regress and progress the push-up to fit the needs of any everyday athlete. Regressing the push-up’s difficulty can be as simple as changing the angle of the body or adding the use of your knees for a closer point of contact to redirect weight away from the upper body and arms. Progressing the push-up to a more advanced variation can consist of changing or removing an extremity position, adding an external resistance, and changing the angle of the body to redirect more weight into the upper body and arms. Each push-up progression delivers a unique challenge (as with most functional exercises) that can be felt throughout the arms, shoulders, chest, back, and especially the core.

As progression remains a staple focus to any athlete’s training program, the need to challenge the body further than performing more repetitions or adding more resistance to the same exercise over and over again becomes a necessity.

So we start to add variations. As your strength and ability within the push-up progresses, you will be challenged with different positions and fewer points of contact. Each variation will bring a different challenge to the body.

Some of my favorite push-progressions are explained in depth within the PCC; such as the archer push-up, the pike press, and the 1-arm push-up.

Each of these push-variations changes the body’s position, changing the way the extremities and core integrate when challenged throughout each repetition—stimulating the body’s soft tissue (muscle, ligaments, tendons, fascia, and skin) in a different way through various ranges of motion.

Anti-Rotation Variations

Standard strength training and muscle building exercises focus on performing repetitions in the sagittal plane. One way to progress an exercise in the sagittal plane is by adding a unilateral component, increasing the difficulty that is felt throughout the entire body. Some examples of unilateral variations are a 1-arm plank compared to a standard plank and a 1-arm push-up compared to a standard push-up.

Both of these unilateral variations require extreme muscular tension that originates in the deep core and radiates out through the extremities to integrate the body as one unit; this is known as bracing. Bracing improves muscular integration, muscular strength, joint stability, and joint alignment — allowing the body to fight off the external forces that want to pull your unsupported side down to the ground. When a point of contact is removed in the push-up position, bracing the entire body tight is what allows the body to remain horizontal. Fighting against the forces of gravity and resistance wanting to pull the body a certain way is known as Anti-Rotation.

Without bracing the body for anti-rotation it would be nearly impossible to remain horizontal while performing a 1-arm plank and 1-arm Push-up.

Posi-Rotation Variations

What about training the body through rotation? I would like to introduce a Posi-Rotation variation to our classic strength training exercises. Pose-Rotation variations such as the Intrinsic Strength Push-up challenge the body to maintain core tension and joint stability as the body rotates in the transverse plane while on the ground.

Angelo Grinceri IST Diagram Page Our multifaceted, dynamic body moves in three dimensions with every step we take. The standard function of walking requires a synergistic rotation of the shoulders, spine, and hips. Whenever watching the body move, the transverse plane will always be in “plane” sight.

Since our spine rotates with every step that we take, All humans should be incorporating transverse plane training into their daily workouts.

Training the spine to rotate safely with control is an excellent way to stimulate the body’s ligaments, tendons, muscles, and fascia differently than a regular strict push-up.

Adding a rotational variation to this classic strength exercise will facilitate a different stimulation of soft tissue, leading to a more able body that is stronger in more positions while on the ground and standing.

As the body rotates through each repetition, the arms and shoulders have to adjust to the rotating torso – adding lots of variability throughout the entire body with different leverage points, ranges of motion, and body weight displacement.

Angelo Grinceri IST Push-Up Collage — Start incorporating the *Intrinsic Strength* Push-up as a simple transverse plane (global rotation) variant to your push-up arsenal.

The Intrinsic Strength Push-Up:

IST push-up variations deliver a unique challenge to any athlete from beginner to advanced. This push-up progression stimulates and strengthens the horizontal press with global rotation.

Intrinsic Strength Push-ups offer three variations to the horizontal pushing motion during the same set without having to change the position of the hands. This simple eye gaze over the right and left shoulder allows the muscles to stay engaged, providing the body with great T.U.T. ( Time Under Tension) while still delivering a variation. Improving strength and muscle throughout the chest, shoulders, back, arms and core is only possible through physical adaptation from Time Under Tension. The more time spent working the position, the more the body adapts to that position.

This horizontal rotation is performed by lowering down to the bottom of the push-up while simultaneously taking the eye’s gaze over one of the shoulders. This transverse plane variation causes the shoulders, torso, and hips to rotate to that same side, changing the weight distribution through the arms.

IST Push-ups Over Shoulder

How To Perform the Intrinsic Strength Push-Up

Start with your feet in a bilateral stance, shoulder width apart.
Walk both hands out on the floor until you are in a plank position.
While lowering down to the bottom of the first push-up, simultaneously take your gaze over your right shoulder and return to the high plank position.
Do a regular push-up, after returning back to the high plank position
While lowering down to the bottom of the third push-up, simultaneously take your gaze over your left shoulder and return to the high plank position.

Angelo’s Advice

Allow every joint to help with the full body rotation.
Your eyes will direct your head, shoulders, spine, and hips to rotate towards the same focal point (above the shoulder).
Actively apply pressure into the ground through your legs and feet to create lower body tension.
Actively apply pressure into the ground through your shoulders and fingers to create upper body tension.
This extremity tension will radiate through the core – ensuring core tension and more muscular activation.

When turning the head over the right shoulder, you will notice that:

More weight and tension will shift into the left shoulder.
A stretch will be felt throughout the left chest

Perform a series of three push ups to complete one repetition of an IST push up.
First push-up: look over the right shoulder.
Second push-up: look in-between your hands.
Third push-up: look over left shoulder.

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Angelo Grinceri, PCC, FAFS, is the author of Intrinsic Strength: A Breakthrough Program for Real-World Functional Strength and True Athletic Power Angelo’s fitness journey started with a focus on aesthetics and bodybuilding. As he grew as an athlete and coach he started to focus on strength training, corrective exercise, and athletic function. He realized a connection was needed between these different modalities and Intrinsic Strength Training® was born. Based in NYC, he can be contacted through his website, IntrinsicStrengthTraining.com. Follow him on Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for Angelo’s Advice and follow-along workouts.

Pull-Ups Everywhere!

August 2, 2016 By Danny Kavadlo 17 Comments

Danny Kavadlo Rock Pull-Ups

In the world of bodyweight strength training, the mighty pull-up is the indisputable king of upper back exercise. The classic movement is performed when hanging off a straight bar and pulling your body up until your chin surpasses the bar. The practitioner is encouraged to keep his or her entire body tense in order to attain maximum yields, as well as overall control. In fact, this notion of complete tension is present in all Progressive Calisthenics training, as we encourage the body to work hard as a single, cohesive unit, whichever the emphasized muscles may be. In the case of the pull-up, the primary emphasis is on the lats and the biceps.

While there are numerous pull-up variations you can perform on a traditional bar (wide grip, narrow grip and mixed grip, to name only a few), there are also many that don’t employ a bar at all. That’s right, you can use almost anything around you to get a great upper body workout. As I’m fond of saying, you just need something to hang from!

You will find that changing the surface from which you pull causes you to utilize certain parts of your anatomy that you may never have given much thought to training before. These include your hands, forearms, skin, sinews and tendons. Furthermore, without a bar, you are compelled to dial into your creative forces. It’s a workout for the mind as well as the body. This fusion of the physical and mental components is one of the greatest things about the Street Workout phenomenon!

While all of the following alternative grip pull-ups are rather demanding, they’re also a lot of fun. Just make sure you have a solid foundation in classic pull-ups before embarking on this journey. Work hard and enjoy the ride!

1. Ledge Pull-Up

Using a flat ledge instead of a bar eliminates the typical grip (or any conventional “gripping” at all). It forces you to use the strength of your fingers and forearms, as well as the durability of your skin. Because there is no bar, you cannot wrap your fingers around any round surface, making ledge pull-ups one of the best hand workouts you can do. They’re also great for getting over your fear of heights!

Danny Kavadlo Ledge Pull Ups

2. Tree Pull-Up

Using a tree instead of a bar is a sure-fire way to toughen up the skin on your hands. Rough tree bark feels very different than smooth metal and the branch will generally be thicker than a bar. Because the tree is sure to be shaped differently than a perfectly straight bar, you may have to “hug” it rather than grasp it. Be prepared for your abs, forearms and even your chest to play a substantial role.

Danny Kavadlo Tree Pull Ups

3. Fence Pull-Up

While this variant is super-brutal (and potentially unpleasant) on your fingers, it’s also guaranteed to build real strength where it counts. But beyond the extra lat and finger work, some find the true challenge of the fence pull-up to be the body positioning. This exercise places you directly against the fence, therefore you can only move your body straight up and down, without any backward lean, hip bend or swaying whatsoever. The fence pull-up must be strictly vertical, which places the practitioner in a mechanically difficult angle, thus building tremendous power.

Danny Kavadlo Fence Pull-Up

4. Two-Pole Pull-Up

The unique grip of the two-pole pull-up is like nothing you’ve encountered in a standard gym workout. Because you are holding onto the bars with your hands facing outward, the challenge is extreme on your extremities. Additionally, this uncommon hand placement demands extra recruitment of the medial muscles in the upper back, such as the rhomboids.

Al Kavadlo Two Pole L-Sit Pull-Up

5. Two-Pole Vampire Pull-Up

In this monstrous version of the two-pole pull-up, we do not clasp the poles from the sides. Instead we descend from above. The result is an incredibly intense workout for the hands, forearms, biceps and biceps tendons. Be very afraid.

Danny Kavadlo Two Pole Vampire Pull-Up

6. Pull-Up On A Random Object

Improvisation is key when you perform a pull-up on a random object. You can find a bus stop, street sign or even a statue or monument and turn it into your own gym. When you do so, you are subject to unexpected grips, questionable leverage and unknown balance. Make sure to survey your site soundly so that you can adapt properly to your environment. Take the bull by the horns!

Al Kavadlo Random Object Pull-Ups

7. Pull-Up On A Partner

This partner calisthenics exercise is a workout for both the puller and the one being pulled upon. Doing a pull-up off of another human is challenging because you must contend with the texture of their skin, which is softer and less sturdy than a metal bar. This leads to instability, forcing the practitioner to recruit more of their core, including the abs and glutes in order to stabilize. It is of note that your partner will have to hold onto something stable, as well as tense their whole body, in order to support your weight. Take this one slow.

Al Danny Kavadlo Partner Pull Ups

This list is neither the beginning nor the end of the many creative ways you can employ your surroundings to get strong. In the world of Street Workout, the only limits are the ones we impose upon ourselves. So get out there, flex your physical and mental muscles and get creative. You will find that the world is your gym.

Keep the dream alive,

-DK

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