Workshop Experiences

New York State of Mind and Body

June 24, 2014 By Danny Kavadlo 18 Comments

Danny Kavadlo One Arm Chin Up at the NYC PCC Workshop

Start Spreadin’ the News

One year ago, when Dragon Door launched the Progressive Calisthenics Certification, we knew we were onto something big. It was an idea whose time had come. As the calisthenics movement exploded worldwide, more and more people wanted to learn about training themselves and others in the art of beautiful strength. A practice we’d been doing for decades started receiving big accolades in the past twelve months.

The Progressive Calisthenics Certification began with a single 3-Day workshop in Dragon Door’s hometown of the St. Paul, and has quickly made its way across the globe. To date, there have been PCCs in places as diverse as Germany, Ireland and Australia, with future certifications scheduled in Sweden, Holland, Italy and more. PCC unites bodyweight enthusiasts from all parts of the world and all walks of life. You could call it a “melting pot.” Reminds me of a place I know well…

Progressive Calisthenics in the New York Times — One year ago. (Click here to read the article)

The Hometown Crowd

My brother (and fellow PCC Instructor) Al Kavadlo and I are native New Yorkers, born and bred in the County of Kings. So was legendary calisthenics forerunner Jasper Benincasa. Many of the earliest, (and most contemporary) practitioners of “Street Workout” are from New York. It’s a magical place. There’s a reason NYC is the quintessential Metropolis: the bright lights of Broadway, the charm of Little Italy, the Coney Island boardwalk.

Like the City itself, the people of New York are known for a great many things, particularly their passion. Just like the people drawn to Progressive Calisthenics.

Whether practicing advanced pull-ups or manipulating mobility, we celebrate every moment.

Al and Danny Kavadlo Archer Pull-ups at the NYC PCC workshop

Fuggetaboutit!

Trainers, fighters, martial artists, athletes and working professionals gathered around and trained side by side. There was no competition. Each individual was focused on being the best version of themselves. We all worked together to bring out the best in each other.

Fellow New York native, forefather of the One-Arm Chin-Up, and training partner of Jasper Benincasa, Jack Arnow was a teacher as much as a student. In his signature style, Jack generously shared his wisdom and knowledge with a new generation of bodyweight aficionados. Jack also demonstrated muscle-ups and front levers. He even did the entire Century test while talking. The man inspires everybody.

Jack Arnow One-Arm Chin-up Comedown at the NYC PCC

Represent

It’s hard to believe that it’s over. After making so many friends and witnessing so many PR’s (levers, flags, pistol squats and more), it seems to have flown by in a New York minute.

Still, the experience we had will last a lifetime. From the bottom of my heart, I am proud of every single one of our newly certified PCC’s. I look forward to having you represent Progressive Calisthenics everywhere. Train hard and be true to you. The posse’s gettin’ bigger.

NYC PCC Workshop June 2014 Group Photo

Keep the dream alive,
-DK

***

Danny Kavadlo is one of the world’s most established and respected personal trainers. He is a Master Instructor of Progressive Calisthenics and the author of Everybody Needs Training: Proven Success Secrets for the Professional Fitness Trainer. A true in-person experience, Danny is known globally as a motivator and leader in the body-weight community. Learn more about Danny at: www.DannyTheTrainer.com.

Progressive Calisthenics: Like Riding A Bike

June 17, 2014 By Wayne Salter 2 Comments

Wayne Salter At Minneapolis PCC With Instructors

This past April, I was fortunate enough to attend the fifth Progressive Calisthenics Certification in Minneapolis, MN. I was a bit nervous about attending: I had recently undergone hand surgery, which kept me from working out for several months. Furthermore, just one month prior to PCC, I was diagnosed with a torn meniscus. At the age of 45, I was wondering if I was biting off more than I could chew. Leading up to PCC, I actually had dreams that would wake me at night of my knee giving out during the PCC’s final physical test, The Century…but luckily the knee held out and so did I!

As a police officer on a SWAT team, my fitness goals include getting in the best physical shape that I can and maintaining it for a lifetime. That means staying lean, strong, flexible and injury free. Unlike many commercial gym-goers, I don’t chase numeric goals or take expensive chemicals. I’m certainly not against mainstream fitness, but there is more to it to me than increased external poundage. Sadly, for a lot of people, it’s all too easy to get caught up in numbers or obsess over one single muscle. Many lose track of the purity of exercise and the unity of the human body, which is made to function as a whole.

Something I love about calisthenics is that just about all the moves require total body tension—elimination of perceived “isolation”. If you are questioning what I’m saying, try knocking out some one-arm pushups. If you can’t do them on the floor yet, then lean against a table, or even the wall, and try some. Seriously, go ahead and give it a shot! You will see that you MUST engage your whole body from your shoulder to your feet, or else you will end up in a twisted heap on the floor!

PCC helped me understand how bodyweight exercises can be adjusted in difficulty from beginner to advanced levels, even to the super-cool bodyweight feats of strength that Al and Danny Kavadlo are becoming famous for. Anyone can jump into the world of bodyweight training at whatever level is appropriate for them.

I’m finding a lot of people think PCC is just about learning some “cool” moves, but it’s much more. It’s learning techniques to use your body weight to do functional-type exercises and to be able to adjust the level of difficulty to fit a person at any fitness level – plus body weight exercises improve your body awareness, balance and flexibility.

PCC Instructor, Wayne Salter, Demonstrates a Clutch Flag I love analogies. The following is how I see calisthenics:

Calisthenic progressions can be compared to the use of a baby’s walker or even a circus performer’s unicycle, not to mention many things in between, all of which apply the principles of PCC. A baby’s walker is short and close to the ground, with several points of contact to the floor. This is similar to a modified push up on your knees – making the body shorter puts leverage in your favor, hence creating an easier regression. It is also similar to how a wide stance makes for an easier squat when compared to a narrow one.

Next, a toddler can progress to a tricycle – a little higher and with three points of contact. After a while, a child can ride a bicycle with training wheels – still three points of contact, but the points are closer together and the body is positioned higher, just like with the mighty pushup, which can be made easier by placing your feet farther apart and, conversely, tougher by bringing them together or even lifting one foot off the floor. Placing your feet on an elevated surface adds to the challenge as well.

Next is the classic bicycle. Even higher still, and with only two points of contact. A bicycle requires the rider to maintain balance. Many bodyweight exercises incorporate this element… Do you see a pattern? Handstands and Gecko Push-Ups are great examples of how balance affects the challenge. I tried and loved (and bought) a pair of Neuro-Grips at the PCC. If you really want to step up your game, try experimenting with push-ups, planks, or even L-Sits on these bad boys! You’ll see what I mean.

Wayne Salter PCC Neuro-Grips L-sit

I believe anything is possible. If a person has the desire, they can progress to the unicycle, one-arm pull-ups, pistol squats, elbow levers, and more. Like a unicycle, there is only one point of contact in these advanced variations.

A person can approach any particular exercise and pick it up at an appropriate level for them. The exercises and all their variations continue to make me stronger, leaner and more flexible – plus I’m strengthening my joints which goes a long way towards injury prevention.

Although I was partially attracted to PCC because of how physically impressive some of the advanced moves are, I also took home more practical knowledge and experience than I could have previously imagined. With a Progressive Calisthenics Certification, I’m not just looking forward to sharing the information with others, I’m looking forward to having a great time doing it, which is also what it’s all about. Working out shouldn’t be a chore – it can be fun… just like riding a bike!

Danny Kavadlo On Bicycle

***

Wayne Salter served in the Army in the 82nd Airborne for four years and was a full time personal fitness trainer before becoming a police officer. He can be reached at: wayne0218@yahoo.com. He can also be reached through his website: www.exercise-guide-to-lose-weight.com

PCC Germany: Engineered for Excellence

June 11, 2014 By Al Kavadlo 18 Comments

Al and Danny Kavadlo demonstrate hanging L-Sits at a bus stop in Munich, Germany — PCC Lead Instructors Al and Danny Kavadlo hanging out in Munich.

Last weekend my brother Danny and I traveled to Munich, Germany to lead a Progressive Calisthenics Certifcation at PCC instructor Robert Rimoczi’s new gym, KRABA.

We were met with a warm welcome (literally – the weather was beautiful!) and got to spend three fun-filled days teaching Progressive Calisthenics to a great group of energetic, talented bodyweight athletes.

Between the various pull-up bars, flag poles and all the open space for floor training, KRABA was easily one of the best facilities we’ve ever had the pleasure of using for a PCC event!

Al and Danny leading the PCC in Munich Germany at KRABA

As always, a mix of both fitness professionals and enthusiasts showed up to hone their bodyweight skills and take on The Century to attempt to earn the title of PCC instructor.

Calisthenics practitioners from eight different countries including Italy, Scotland and even the USA were in attendance.

Just like every PCC event, we spent three days practicing push-ups, pull-ups, pistol squats, back bridges, headstands, handstands, human flags and more!

The weekend was filled with exciting new achievements and personal bests from all the attendees!

At the end of the weekend, we had a whole bunch of newly certified PCC trainers – and perhaps even more importantly – a lot of new friends! We can’t wait to go back and do it again next year!

Thank you to Robert Rimozci and our wonderful assistants Steven Graves and Moritz Rammensee for their help throughout the weekend. Check out KRABA’s Facebook page for more photos from the event.

If you’d like to attend the Progressive Calisthenics Certification, take a look at the complete schedule of upcoming PCC events, including newly added dates in Wisconsin and California. I hope you will come join our growing PCC family!

We’re Working Out!
Al

Group photo from PCC Germany in Munich at KRABA 2014

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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 Stretching Your Boundaries, 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.

An Irish Blessing

May 13, 2014 By Danny Kavadlo 13 Comments

Five days ago I boarded a plane to Ireland with my brother and fellow PCC Lead Instructor Al Kavadlo and Dragon Door CEO John Du Cane. It was uncharted territory for us and we did not know what to expect. This was Ireland’s first Progressive Calisthenics Certification. Not to mention the fact that we’d never been to the Strong Room or met our host Adrian Harrington. In fact, none of us had even been to Dundalk, Ireland. We were really going out on a limb with this one.

You could say we were “lucking” it.

We got off the plane in the Land of a Thousand Welcomes, and rather fittingly were welcomed by Mr. Harrington himself. Looking into his smiling eyes, it took no more than a handshake and a few minutes to find out we were all kindred spirits. You see, in the world of body-weight training, there is a bond that exists which defies geography, history, even culture. There’s something special about the solidarity between calisthenics aficionados—we are connected, even when oceans apart. It seems that wherever we go, we stand united with our PCC brothers and sisters. The enthusiasm, dedication and purity bring us together from all around the globe, no matter what our roots. We’re all here for the same reason: to better ourselves and learn from each other. I love meeting people from different backgrounds, age groups and walks of life who share my passion. And the posse’s gettin’ bigger!

Adrian took us out to the lush, green, Irish countryside and served us a homemade breakfast of fresh eggs, “homegrown” ham, coffee (with butter!) and of course, homemade blood pudding, prepared fresh by his Mum. If you truly want to experience a culture, eat the food. We had never been here before, yet we felt right at home.

When the workshop began the next day, it was déjà vu all over again. We could see that each and every one of the attendees, regardless of any differences in past history or present skill level, stood exactly where we stand. (Not to mention the fact that the Strong Room turned out to be one of the finest facilities I’ve ever practiced calisthenics.) We worked on push-ups, pull-ups, human flags and muscle-ups. In addition to the thrill of teaching these skills and the satisfaction of seeing so many PR’s (first muscle-ups, flags, one-arm push-ups and more), we got to make so many new friends. That’s the part you can’t really see on the internet. It can only be experienced firsthand.

Day two was even better. So many folks who were on the fringes of achieving the elusive back lever, one-legged squat and back bridge got to see their dreams become reality and so did we. Have I mentioned that I love my job?

In what felt like an instant, it was already Sunday, the third and final day of PCC. The pleasure of witnessing so many brand new inversions and elbow levers, the emotions running wild during Century testing and the tears of joy at the end of the day made it an experience none of us will ever forget. But it was is bitter-sweet; we shared so much with so many! Just two days ago, the people we met were perfect strangers, but now we see they were just like us all along. It’s so hard to say goodbye.

PCC Dundalk proved to be the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

We are thrilled to have made the trip and are looking forward to coming back. I await with anticipation the prospect of meeting more future members of our PCC family and doing it all over again. As the Irish saying goes, “Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb… that’s where the fruit is.”

***

The First PCC Grandma

May 6, 2014 By Sigrun Bishop 3 Comments

sigrun.photo1 — Photo courtesy of Anthony Read

Looking back over the years, I was always fascinated with bodyweight training. I suppose it started when I was a child and I dabbled in gymnastics. Practicing the movements and principles of gymnastics ignited the fire that would become a lifetime interest in health, wellness and fitness.

It wasn’t all triumph and positivity back then. It was quite the contrary at times. I remember thinking as a young girl that my peers were “better” than me because they could perform more advanced movements than I could. Despite my affection for this form of training, even at that age, a part of me was put off by the competitive nature. I stopped training. That was over forty years ago.

These days I am a proud grandmother and, yes, fitness is still very much a part of my life. In fact, my grandson is one of my biggest motivators! I watch with a sense of wonder how beautifully he moves and I feel that we should all be able to move with the same grace: Natural squats with a full range of motion, the power to push oneself away from the floor, or even the ability to pull up onto something. Any young child can do these things. I see it in my grandson all the time.

Around this time, I also discovered Convict Conditioning and the Kavadlo Brothers’ books. I devoured them. In those books I saw much more than one of the most comprehensive types of training and writing ever assembled, I also saw a chance to reclaim the childhood passion I had lost… and a new way to connect to my grandson. When I saw some of these photos, I had to try bodyweight yet again!

I first heard of the PCC in June 2013 when Andrew Read and the Dragon Door Australia team attended the groundbreaking, first-ever PCC course in the United States. Months later, when I found out the course would be offered in Melbourne, Australia, I was overcome with excitement and I knew I had to attend!

Still, I live in Central Queensland, which is nearly four hours by plane. However, missing out was simply not an option! I was excited not just for myself, but for the opportunity to learn how to teach bodyweight exercises to others.

This life-changing 3-day Certification really put me in touch with something I should never have lost: Strength from movement using only my own body. Empowerment. Plus, body-weight training is fun! There is absolutely no reason why we as we get older shouldn’t still do it. Kids play in trees, on the roof and every other place they aren’t supposed to be. I saw that attending the PCC was a way to reconnect with the kid in me. I was always the “cool mum” that did cool stuff with my own kids, and now, since attending PCC, I can do even cooler stuff with my grandson as he develops.

I’m talking to all you moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas out there. I’m reaching out to anyone who says they’re too old or it’s too late. It’s not! Nothing is unattainable! It’s never too late to join your kids (or grandkids) in this wonderful world of bodyweight training. They play. We train. Progressive Calisthenics helps us grown-ups reclaim what was rightfully ours from the beginning. I know I did! Take it from me, the first PCC Grandma!

***

Sigrun Bishop, RKC ll, PCC, is the first grandma to complete and pass the PCC. She has been working on bodyweight strength after her childhood gymnastics sporadically at first and more consistently for the last 5 years, and has been interested in fitness for most of her life. You can reach her at: www.healthwellnesslifestylestudio.com or here.

PCC is Taking Over The World

April 29, 2014 By Al Kavadlo 52 Comments

Last weekend my brother Danny and I led Dragon Door’s fifth-ever Progressive Calisthenics Certification along with PCC Team Leader Adrienne Harvey. With the rapid growth of the PCC, it’s amazing to think that it’s been less than a year since our first certification course last June in St. Paul, Minnesota.

In that time, we have certified nearly 200 trainers in 3 different continents. Every one of those new PCCs is now sharing their knowledge with others and spreading the word about calisthenics. It blows my mind sometimes to think about the impact that PCC has already had on the fitness world, but we are still just getting started!

In the months ahead we have workshops booked all over the world including Ireland, Germany, Holland and Egypt. It’s amazing to travel the globe teaching calisthenics, but I’m also very excited about my hometown gig in NYC this summer.

It’s beginning to feel like PCC is taking over the world!

For our most recent certification, we returned to the Twin Cities. This time the event was held in Minneapolis at the city’s downtown convention center. Once again, an extremely impressive group of fitness enthusiasts, fanatics and aficionados showed up to hone their skills, inspire one another and attempt to take on The Century test to earn the title of PCC instructor. I’m proud to say that this group had our highest passing percentage yet since beginning the certification!

The caliber of candidates we’re seeing at each PCC seems to be continually improving. It’s an amazing feeling to be in a room with so many incredible bodyweight athletes who all have the same love for calisthenics. Everyone at PCC comes away with a unique experience, having both shared their own knowledge and received new ideas in return. We can all learn from one another and I am continually learning more myself each and every time we do the PCC.

If you’d like to attend (or host) a PCC event in your city, let us know in the comments section below. In the years ahead, we want to bring the PCC to as many places as possible! There’s nothing quite like the in-person experience of spending 3 intense calisthenics-filled days with other like-minded individuals.

We’re Working Out!

***

PCC Australia – The Experience of The Century

March 25, 2014 By Darren Manser 26 Comments

When I signed up for the first ever PCC Australia, I knew I had my work cut out for me. I didn’t find out about the event until fairly late, so I only had 3 weeks to get ready for The Century.

The first time I attempted the test, I completed the 100 reps in 8 minutes and 50 seconds. Not bad. I’ll be able to shave those 50 seconds off in the next three weeks, I thought. I decided to send Andrew Read from Dragon Door Australia an email to make sure I was doing it right. Andrew responded to my email very quickly.

“100 repetitions need to be completed within 8 minutes. Once you start the exercise you cannot stop until the desired reps are completed. You must complete ALL ten chin ups in a row.”

Crap, Crap, Crap. I thought I was able to stop throughout the set.

Three weeks out my max rep chin ups was a whopping eight reps. And that was fresh, with no hanging knee raises before. How the hell am I going to do 10 chin ups AFTER holding onto the bar to do 20 hanging knee raises–especially at the end of three days of attempting all sorts of new and interesting techniques?

I then stumbled across Coach Wade’s article about kicking ass in the Convict Conditioning certification. Ideally you need to do 50% more for each activity prior to the weekend.

How the hell was I going to do that? I decided I was just going to keep doing the Century. I’d stop all other training and simply practice the test.

In the beginning I did the century morning and night for two days straight. What a stupid idea! As a result of me being 105kg (231lbs), I’m way too heavy to jump into that much volume. I was now way too sore and the PCC was getting way too close.

After a couple of days with no training, it was time to rethink the strategy and start again.

My new strategy was to do as much work as I possibly could whilst staying as fresh as I could so I decided to do ladder super-sets. I combined the squats and the push-ups and then the hanging knee raises and the chin ups. I based the ratios on what was coming up in the PCC. It looked something like this:

Squat: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20

Push up: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15

Squat: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20

Push up: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15

Squat: 4, 8, 12, 16

Push up: 3, 6, 9, 12

Squat: 4, 8, 12

Push up: 3, 6, 9

This adds up to a total of 184 squats and 138 push ups. All done with excellent form (at the time I thought I was doing a brilliant job, that was of course until I did the PCC and realized how you can polish every little technique to get more out of it).

The ladders for the hanging knee raises and the chin ups looked like this.

Knee Raises: 2, 4, 6, 8

Chin ups: 1, 2, 3, 4

Knee Raises: 2, 4, 6, 8

Chin ups: 1, 2, 3, 4

Knee Raises: 2, 4, 6

Chin ups: 1, 2, 3

Knee Raises: 2, 4

Chin ups: 1, 2

Knee Raises: 2

Chin ups: 1

Total hanging knee raises: 60 reps

Total chin ups: 30 reps

Ideally I would rest for a couple of minutes in between ladders, although sometimes the morning permitted this and sometimes it didn’t. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I have 6 children and I also run my own Natural therapies business, as a Naturopath, Acupuncturist and Kinesiologist. So between my sets I would lift up my 3 youngest children (Bodhi 4, Tyson 3 and Ruby 15 months) up onto the chin up bar, so they could hang. Or I would hold their feet and they would do a handstand.

I would do the routine three or four mornings in a row and then have a rest day. I made a deal with myself that I wouldn’t test myself again with the chin ups before the weekend. I simply didn’t have enough time to recover from a training session like that. I was however, hoping and praying that the adrenaline from the event and the other attendees cheering would help raise me over the bar.

Finally, it was off to Melbourne for me.

The Course was AMAZING. On the first morning, the first thing we did was the hollow position. We drilled this again and again. Then we applied that position to almost everything that we did. WOW!! It is totally amazing how much better a push up feels whilst doing this. I even feel my poor little abdominals now whilst push-upping.

Then onto the next exercise, then the next exercise. Every single section we did across the weekend, I had a first. There was not one activity that I didn’t improve on.

The weekend flew. The generosity of both Al and Danny was definitely one of the highlights of both the course and my life. The support from the other attendees was amazing.

Sunday afternoon we arrived at the Century test. There were a lot of fine looking specimens in the room. My heart rate was jacked. My palms were sweaty. How on earth was I going to hang onto the bar–let alone do the test? I had a massive feeling of letting down Al and Danny if I couldn’t do it. I also thought I was letting down my kids, particularly my boys. (I want to be a good role model for them).

As I watched the other people do the Century I was inspired. Some people were amazing. Some people were only just getting through. A couple of others were not making it. Then for some reason I thought, “The best thing I can do is the best that I can do.” If I hadn’t prepared enough then that’s my fault.

Finally it was my turn to test. I decided to take it nice and easy. I started with getting to 30 squats and decided to have a rest in the top position. (Once you start the set you can’t move your feet with the squats, shift your hand and lift your bum in the push ups or let go of the bar with the hanging knee raises and the chin ups. Although you are allowed to let go of the bar in between the hanging leg raises and the chin ups). Then I did another 10 squats until Andrew, my counter, says, “You’re done with the squats.” This caught me off guard – for some reason I thought I had to do 50. No complaints here!

On to the push ups! I waited maybe 30 seconds to allow my heart rate to fall slightly and then started my set. I moved to 15 reps. I stopped in the top of the push up position, took a few breaths, then did 5 more repetitions to make 20. Then 10 singles from 20 to 30. YES!!!! The push ups were now done.

From the push ups I moved straight across to the hanging knee raises. I wanted to get them done as quickly as possible so that I could have a long recovery before the pull-ups. I’d been practicing hanging knee raises a lot in the last three weeks and I actually got through them easier than I expected. All that was left was the pull-ups!

I had a lot of time left on the clock, so I took full advantage of it. I shook out the tension in the arms as much as I possibly could. I caught my breath and let my heart rate slow down. Before I knew it I was down to one minute and it was time to start the pull-ups.

I positioned my hands on the bar and started my first few repetitions. When I made it to 6 repetitions, I remember thinking, “I can’t believe it, only four to go!” I pulled really hard again – now only three repetitions left. Pulled hard again for number eight. Two to go!!! By this time the other two people who were testing at the same time I was had already finished. All the people were now cheering for me. Pulled hard once more, and I only had one repetition to go.

An image of my 4 year old son pops in my head. I decide that I’m going to do the last rep for him. I yell out a massive “Come on” to psych myself up. The crowd is cheering so loudly, Danny and Al both walk over and are standing in front of me, willing me to complete the last repetition. Andrew, my counter, was cheering too. I pulled as hard as I possibly could whilst only thinking about my son. I must do it for him. Somehow, some way I get over the bar. Everyone cheers. Al and Danny are both jumping up and down. They come over to me and high-five me and give me a big hug. I have tears in my eyes. What the hell just happened? How the hell did that happen? What an amazing feeling. I was then presented with my official instructor shirt and my certificates. Then went outside and cried. I did it!

So what did I learn from this process?

Ideally I should have been 15kg (30lbs) lighter. This would have made all of the movements and the test a great deal easier. More practice before the event would have been good, too. Now that the course is over I am so motivated to incorporate this into my lifestyle, not just as a work out. I am really looking forward to what is possible.

The whole PCC course was amazing. The presenters, Al Kavadlo and Danny Kavadlo were AMAZING with their knowledge and their time. All in all this was THE best course I have ever done. I would thoroughly recommend anyone to do this course.

I would like to say a massive thank you to John Du Cane, Paul Wade, Al Kavadlo, Danny Kavadlo and Andrew Read. You have all changed my life in one way or another. I love you all.

I Failed the Century… and What I Learned as a Result

February 11, 2014 By Marcus Santer 41 Comments

Al and Danny Kavadlo in NYC

“Nothing happens without hard work, time and discipline.”
Al Kavadlo

I know, it’s a real cliche. But like most cliches, it contains an element of truth—I hit 40, looked at myself and my life and thought, “Is this it? Is this all I’ve done?” And because I couldn’t afford to buy a Porsche, I decided to do the other cliched thing men frequently do when they hit 40, I decided to get into the best shape of my life. Not that I was in bad shape to start with, but I definitely had that ‘Skinny Fat’ thing going on.

I’d spent the last 10 years focusing solely on Qigong (think Chinese Yoga if you’ve never heard of Qigong) to take care of all my physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs. But looking in the mirror at my 6 month pregnant belly, I had to accept that as good as Qigong had been for helping me say goodbye to depression and thrive in spite of the stresses and strains of modern 21st century living, when it came to keeping me physically strong and looking good, it simply wasn’t delivering the goods.

Something had to change.

Now there’s something you should know about me before we go any further. When it comes to research I’m a bit OCD, because when I commit to something I go all in. But I won’t commit to anything until I’ve really done my homework. Know what I mean?

This formula has helped me to succeed in most things I do:

1) Work out what I want to achieve.
2) Find a Method that has a proven track record for delivering what I want to achieve.
3) Find a good teacher that teaches that Method
4) Work my arse off: Persistence, discipline, tracking progress.

Using this formula I discovered:

1) I wanted to get into the best shape of my life.
2) When it came to physical exercise, calisthenics was my preferred method because it could help me grow strong and I didn’t have to waste $1,000s on equipment, memberships and so on.
3) The best source I could access was something with the odd title: Convict Conditioning.
4) I was ready to invest the required hard work, time and discipline.

The 3 things I loved about Convict Conditioning which made it stand head and shoulders above any other information I could find back in 2011 were:

Paul ‘Coach’ Wade is direct with a no bullshit approach to getting strong.
The progressive, step by step nature of his system.
A focus on ‘The Big 6′.

I dived in and here are the results: I’m stronger now at age 42 than I was when I was 22. I look and feel better too. And it’s all thanks to ‘Coach’ Wade and the brilliant Convict Conditioning.

Why I Took the PCC in Sweden

“Welcome to the most advanced, evolved, engineered piece of fitness equipment in existence… Your own body!”
Danny Kavadlo

I’m always keen to offer the best to my own students, it’s important I’m doing everything I can to help them live a happier, healthier and longer life. And based on my own experience with Convict Conditioning I soon began encouraging them to pick up a copy and get practicing too.

But the majority of my students are as far away from the ‘ideal’ customer the Convict Conditioning sales page is targeted at as you can get. And unfortunately most were unable to get the benefits simply because they couldn’t get past the marketing. So I began looking for a way to teach my Qigong students calisthenics but in a way they would find accessible.

Marcus Santer with the awesomely talented Kavadlo Brothers--two of the instructors from the epic Sweden PCC — Marcus Santer with the awesomely talented Kavadlo brothers at the epic Sweden PCC

Something else you should know about me—it’s important to me that I’m suitably qualified to safely teach somebody something before I start. But trying to find a suitable calisthenics based instructor training course was proving to be a bit of a non-starter.

I saw that Dragon Door started teaching PCC courses in the USA, but I couldn’t quite stretch to traveling to the USA from the UK for a 3 day course. So you can imagine my delight when I saw there was going to be a PCC workshop put on in Sweden. I didn’t hesitate for a second. I signed up straight away and began working on:

‘The Century’.

The Century really bothered me because it’s the gateway between you and the right to call yourself a PCC instructor.

I knew I could do 40 body weight squats
I knew I could do 30 push ups
I knew I could do 20 hanging knee raises

But the 10 pull ups, hmm. Now I was worried.

On a really good day with a following breeze I could just about crank out 11. So how the hell was I going to crank out 10 after doing the 3 other exercises in The Century and under 8 minutes? But before heading off to Sweden, I’d managed to do The Century twice and I was optimistic I’d be able to pull it off on the day.

Boy, how wrong was I!

After two and half days of awesome, mind blowing calisthenics tuition from Al, Danny and Adrienne I was exhausted. So when it came time for The Century test, here’s what happened:

Squats – Pass
Push ups – Pass
Hanging knee raises – Pass
Pull ups – I got to 6 and I knew I was in trouble.

Hanging from the bar trying to get my 7th pull up was an experience I won’t forget in a hurry. Agonizing inch by agonizing inch I finally strained my chin over the pull up bar. “7!″ my examiner, Adrienne shouted.

I could hear the other PCC students urging me on. In spite of wanting to let go of the bar, the iron determination I’d forgotten I had simply refused to let go. I took a deep breath and pulled the bar… Slowly I ascended, millimeter by millimeter as the support of the group gave me strength I didn’t have. Ah, but this was no Rocky movie—I got 1/2 way and my arms simply stopped pulling.

It felt as if someone was setting fire to my muscles, and I had zero left in the bank—but still I wouldn’t let go!

I heard someone behind me shout, “Change your grip!” At the time, I had an overhand grip on the bar, the ‘pull up’ position. The underhand, ‘chin up’ grip can, for some people, make life a little easier. And somehow I managed to change my grip and gave it another go.

Nothing.

I hung there for what felt like an age and then it was ‘game over’ as my feet landed back on the floor with a heavy thud.

I’d failed The Century.

What Happened Next?

“There’s a lot of failure on the road to success and that’s good.”
Danny Kavadlo

After 3 days of full on calisthenics awesomeness (I did my first non-handed head stand and some other cool stuff) I simply didn’t have enough juice left in the tank. And hey, what use is a test if everyone passes? It’d be a pretty poor test right? Because then the only requirement for success would be being able to afford the cost of the workshop. You’d literally be buying your qualification not earning it. And that doesn’t work for me.

Luckily the generous people at Dragon Door give you 90 days to submit video evidence of you completing The Century. So the first thing I did was grab myself an accountability partner. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned about getting something done it’s this—having someone to hold me accountable increases the likelihood of me getting the job done. It’s amazing what I can do if I know I’ve made a promise to someone else I’m going to do it.

The second thing I did was grab Danny and ask him how I should practice to nail The Century. His advice was to practice The Century.

So twice a week for the following 4 weeks I did that. And twice a week for the following 4 weeks I failed. Again and again and again. And then on 8th December, much to my amazement I finally did it. The video’s here if you want to watch it.

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned on the road to passing The Century is that failure really is just a stepping stone to success, that you can only really fail something when you give up.

Summing Up

Group photo from the legendary PCC Sweden Workshop

I was a little nervous about traveling from the UK to Sweden on my own to attend a 3 day calisthenics workshop. Would I make a fool of myself? Would I be too old? That kinda crap. But I was delighted to discover all my concerns were unfounded. A friendlier group of dedicated and friendly students you couldn’t wish to find. And as for the instructors, well, awesome isn’t a big enough word to do them justice.

So, if you’re on the fence about attending a PCC workshop. Based on my experience I’d tell you to book your spot ASAP and take advantage of the generous early bird discounts Dragon Door offers.

Thanks for reading and I hope you’ve found something of value in this article.

Kindest regards,
Marcus

Marcus Santer helps people to live happier, healthier and longer lives through the practice of Qigong. He is the founder and chief instructor over at Qigong15. The author of 4 books covering all aspects of Qigong his mission is to make Qigong as popular as Yoga, Tai Chi and meditation, because he believes Qigong is quicker to learn, less physically demanding and gives greater benefits than Yoga, Tai Chi and meditation all put together. You can find over 500 posts showing you how to live a happier, healthier and longer life through Qigong on his blog, Qigong15.com

The PCC’s International Debut in Gothenburg, Sweden: Nothing Lost in Translation

November 26, 2013 By Adrienne Harvey 22 Comments

The fact of Going To Sweden hadn’t fully hit me until the plane landed in France for a connection, and I stopped hearing English. As soon as I stepped off the plane in Gothenburg, it was immediately evident that Sweden was different. I’d never been to Scandinavia and despite the jet lag and lack of sleep was incredibly impressed by the gorgeous and efficient little airport—it was obviously the product of many smart people thinking about how to make it gorgeous and efficient. Even baggage claim was impressive, with three organically shaped baggage claim belts next to full sized tree statues featuring carved “leaves” and a pair of electric plugs at the base for charging phones. The plugs were labeled to indicate the power was even from a green source. After exiting with no hassle or passport stamping—which was a little disappointing since I wanted a Sweden stamp—our host, Fredrik Högström with Al and Danny Kavadlo were waiting and ready to go!

Not even 10 feet outside the airport, we’re already back in our habit of scouting out found items for flags, l-sits, and adventurous pistols. Before we reached the parking lot, Danny did a great human flag on a cool sculpture/planter topped with ornamental cabbages. As Fredrik drove us to town, Al, Danny and I wondered at the landscape as it slipped by on our way to downtown Gothenburg. The trees were different, cars were different, the roads were different, and of course we asked Fredrik about all of it.

After checking in and dropping off our bags at the hotel, Fredrik took us to lunch. Our first meal in Sweden would be Thai and it was delicious. We asked how to say “please and thank you” in Swedish (tack), as well as the words for beef (biff) and chicken (kyckling—which is fun to say for some reason). Espresso is espresso in Swedish, and chocolate “choklad.” After learning please, thank you, beef, chicken, espresso, and chocolate I felt fairly confident.

The lunch had energized us all, and even though Al, Danny and myself had been traveling for hours (my journey involved 3 airplanes), we decided to walk around Gothenburg to adjust to the time change. Almost immediately, the Kavadlo brothers snapped into action and began scouting places for awesome feats of bodyweight strength. The sun was out and so were our cameras. We started in with human flags, L-sits, and dragon flags, taking advantage of the good lighting.

It was amazing to see Al and Danny’s endurance was still strong after nearly no sleep and all the traveling. At the time it seemed a little crazy to do these things after so little rest, but it ended up being well timed since the sun wouldn’t be out for the rest of the trip and darkness descended very early. Thankfully the three of us had arrived a couple days early to adjust to the time change. We wanted to really be “on” to lead the physically and mentally demanding PCC Workshop, especially since this was the PCC’s international debut.

After coffee and some organizational planning, Fredrik took us on a tour of his gym, Kettlebell Center. We loved the giant pegboard, stall bars, pull up bars, kettlebells, giant battling rope—and of course we had to play with everything. A trainer named Hillevi was finishing up with her group class which involved a very serious circuit. I was excited to meet her as she was one of the women attending the workshop. So far, it’s been mostly men at the workshops, and I want to encourage more women to attend. The range of exercises covered at the PCC are fantastic for any and everybody as are the progressions. The women who do attend are often surprised at how well they can perform some of the progressions and master steps.

On Friday morning we could hardly wait to get started. The thing I first noticed about the participants was how excited they were and the variety of body types. Everyone looked very athletic, but it was obvious that there were a number of different specialists and athletes in attendance. This is something which can really bring a lot of value to workshops—a variety of athletic backgrounds and different skill and strength attributes. It’s a great opportunity to test out new cues, coaching and teaching approaches, and of course to learn from their experiences. Something I find fascinating are very mental cues. I wasn’t sure how many of these cues would be language dependent, so this would be very interesting.

We began the PCC in the classic Dragon Door way by gathering into a huge circle in the middle of the gym. After a greeting from John Du Cane, everyone in the circle introduced themselves. As expected, some of the best trainers in Sweden were in attendance along with accomplished trainers both in the RKC and new to Dragon Door who traveled from all over Europe. Amazingly, we also had someone attend from as far away as Kuwait!

Even though nearly everyone spoke perfect English, I still wondered how the nuances of our instruction would translate. But yet again, the universality of the strength and movement ideas we were teaching overcame any small language differences with ease. Since many of the attendees were accomplished fitness professionals from various fields (kettlebells, martial arts, calisthenics, yoga), this universal language of movement and strength was even more evident.

On the first day, when I was coaching someone with their clutch flag, I was reminded of a favorite “translation” between exercises. While helping someone at a previous PCC, I noticed exactly how much the clutch flag and the one arm elbow lever have in common. During a break in St. Paul, I played with the clutch flag and elbow lever together. Setting the angle of the bottom arm grasping the pole for a clutch flag, then keeping that same position, I came away from the pole and immediately tried the 1 arm elbow lever on the ground. For my particular build, the positioning was exactly the same, and have found it to be this way for some other people as well. Why mention this previous PCC realization/cue? Because it’s very easy to explain with just a few gestures and words. The way it translates itself will also depend on someone’s athletic background. Yoga practitioners tend to immediately grasp the idea because of how it relates to similar movements—even though the clutch flag might have previously given them some difficulty since being sideways while clinging onto a pole is incredibly strange at first. Pointing out the similarities between the two moves has been useful for coaching the clutch flag or the 1 arm elbow lever, whichever of the two they perform or understand best is the place to start.

Even though it’s incredibly rewarding to help people with the pull-up, I must admit to really enjoying coaching the flag. The attendees of the PCC in Sweden were very advanced with their own training, and while we love discussing how to help their clients progress with specific coaching methods, it’s incredibly fun to figure out just the right cue, combination of words, or exaggerated gesture to trigger their own success with a new move like the flag or clutch flag. While every attendee had a very solid grasp of the pull up, few people seemed to have given the clutch or press (human) flag much attention. Although it can be difficult to find an optimal place to practice flags, and because they’re sometimes dismissed as flashy “tricks”, I think the clutch flag and human flag have a lot to teach us. While it’s true that the human flag and clutch flag will always get attention when performed in public, the real value of the clutch and human flags are the proprioception, extreme tension, and control that they teach. The tension needed for the entire flag series translates into any full body drill, while really emphasizing lessons of body positioning and the extreme need for awareness of where all our “parts” are in space—while in a very unfamiliar plane!

The human flag is such a maximal move that every muscle is involved, and at least for some of us, total concentration is required. It’s easy to forget this when Al or Danny demonstrates the flag. Their polished performances hide the fact that they worked, struggled, and practiced the flag for many years. Over a coffee break, I asked Danny to tell me how long he’s been working on his amazing human flags—and the answer (thankfully) was for a lot longer than I would have guessed. Another reason that it is so fun to coach the clutch and human flags at the PCC is the potential for troubleshooting. With the participant on his or her side and in the air, this is often a completely new experience even for seasoned instructors/coaches/athletes/enthusiasts. The flag series can’t be accomplished with brute strength alone, and while you must be strong to do the clutch flag, it’s not the whole story. The clutch flag is also very interesting since it is so body dependent—different builds need to adjust for their own situations.

It was great to see that everyone not only easily understood all of the instructors, but really seemed to excel with their movements and coaching while at the first European PCC Workshop. Paul Wade’s ideas were NOT lost in translation.

***

About Adrienne Harvey, PCC Team Leader, RKCII, 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!

Vibrancy, Athletic Skill and Diversity: The Hallmarks of Dragon Door’s PCC Candidate

September 3, 2013 By John Du Cane, CEO and founder, Dragon Door 25 Comments

Al Kavaldo, Danny Kavadlo, Adrienne Harvey and I were remarking appreciatively to each other about the extraordinary athleticism and the great diversity of the candidates at our second PCC workshop (and the first PCC, for that matter).

The athletic skill level was often off the charts. And yet even the most skillful of the candidates found themselves busting out PRs and discovering new challenges to inspire them forward in their ongoing quest for physical development.

In what other workshop of 21 participants would you encounter this number of Personal Records?:

First Clutch Flag—13

First Full Human Flag—5

First Muscle Up—4

First Full Back Bridge—5

First Back Lever—8

First Elbow Lever—7

First 1-Arm Elbow Lever—1

First 1-Arm Push Up—3

First 1-Arm, 1-Leg Push Up—3

First Freestanding Handstand—2

First Stand-to-Stand Bridge—1

First Wall-Assisted 1-Arm Handstand—3

First Wall-Assisted, No-Arm Headstand—9

How can this be?

Well, to my mind, this is how:

The candidates came VERY prepared.
The candidates often had extensive backgrounds in related disciplines like Martial Arts, Yoga, and RKC.
The PCC system of careful progressions and cueing allowed surprising breakthroughs in physical achievement, almost as a matter of course.
The candidates themselves were encouraged to share their own strength-skill secrets with the group—and often advance each other’s progress exponentially.
The teachers taught from an immense experiential knowledge base—allowing them to convey the absolute nitty-gritty of what works to get results.
The fun, easy, supportive team-feeling of the event enhanced the learning experience immeasurably.
The 600-page-plus manual contained a goldmine of extra tips to leapfrog your athletic progress—It’s the best work of its kind ever put in print, no question.

So, you might be asking yourself—“Do I belong in the PCC?”

You belong, in my opinion, if you possess any of the following:

A burning passion to excel athletically.
A willingness to work hard AND skillfully at your physical practice.
The capacity to enjoy the company of other like-minded bodyweight exercise enthusiasts for three fun-filled days.
The humility and wisdom of a Beginner’s Mind and the willingness to drop your ego at the front door.
The physical preparedness to pass The Century test.

Yes, many of the PCC candidates exhibit eye-popping strength and flexibility skills. Terrific. However the PCC is built to sustain YOUR individual quest for physical development—at whatever level you enter. It’s your body and your life—and the PCC is here to help you make it the BEST body and the BEST life…for YOU.

Interested? We look forward to welcoming you into what we consider the most vibrant new movement of physical culture on the planet. See you soon, we hope… 🙂

Yours in strength,

John Du Cane, CEO

Dragon Door Publications, Inc.