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Progressive Calisthenics - The Official Blog for the PCC Community

Workshop Experiences

The PCC and….Love?

June 25, 2013 By Peter D'Epiro 11 Comments

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It was back into the trenches Monday morning after attending the inaugural PCC over the weekend.  To say this course was phenomenal is an understatement.  The Kavadlo brothers (Al and Danny) set the tone for the weekend with their positivity, humility and accessibility.  Further enhancing the vibe were John du Cane, Al and Danny’s co-instructors Adrienne Harvey and Steven Low, and all of the students who spent the weekend cheering, coaching and supporting one another.  I have rarely experienced a class, conference or certification with such an amazing atmosphere and amazingly accessible group of instructors in my years in this industry (don’t want to age myself, but somewhere in the immediate vicinity of 20 years…).

This praise is independent of the actual course content, which was absolutely spectacular.  An organized and systematic series of well thought out progressions for some of the most challenging bodyweight strength techniques out there.  These movements/exercises/techniques are accessible to fitness professionals and clients of all levels because of the thorough progressions for each.

All of which brings me back to the title…love?  Where does that fit into this picture, or this course? As is often the case in the field of fitness and performance training after a class or conference, I returned home motivated and inspired by the wealth of new information and resources I learned…as well as humbled by my great inability to perform so many of these techniques, despite throwing weights around in the gym for over 25 years.  There is the age-old process a professional in our field goes through after an educational program of any type: does this fit into my philosophy and methodology? If so, where and how?  How will I incorporate this into my personal training program?  How will I incorporate it into my clients’ training programs when I return to work Monday morning and going forward?

Logic and precedent suggest that I set about answering these questions when I returned home Sunday evening.  For perhaps the first time ever I didn’t do that though.  The content of the PCC is so unique and accessible to all populations that something entirely different happened.  Like so many others, I not only took a break from work to attend this course, I also left my family at home, including my 10-year-old son.  It’s safe to assume I wanted to reconnect and spend a little quality time with him when I first got home…and before I needed to shift my focus to returning to work the next morning.

Something unique and special happened right after I settled in at home…before giving it much thought I found myself saying to my son, “Hey buddy, want to see a couple of the cool things I learned this weekend?”  Always gracious, and perhaps a little curious about what dad had been doing all weekend he obliged me.  Next thing you know I had my son’s hands firmly wrapped around my ankles as I spotted him and he pressed his way into his first bridge!  From there I showed him one other move that was a little more balance than strength oriented, the frog stand.  As he spent the remainder of the night on the floor trying to pop up into a bridge or a frog stand every so often father and son had reconnected and our bond was strengthened by our new shared pursuit (and I’m sure he enjoys the fact that his gumby-like 10 year old mobility allows him to perform some of these moves better than me at this point!).

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So…the PCC and love?  I don’t yet know exactly how I will incorporate this phenomenal approach to training into my own programming, or that of my clients.  What I do know is that school is out tomorrow for my son, little league is officially over, and summer is upon us.  My son and I have already scouted out the local schools and parks for the best playground equipment for our needs and have found our “spot” for the summer.  We are both equally excited to go workout together.  He is excited because it feels like playing to him and he gets to play with dad.  I am excited because I get to play with my son while sneakily introducing him to strength training and laying the foundation for a fitness lifestyle for the remainder of his life, while also challenging myself with some of the toughest strength moves I have ever tried to master.  My son is the center of my universe, he is my love, and it is the unconditional love he shares with me that humbles and sustains me.

For all the praise I can easily heap upon the PCC course and its content, none is greater than the way it has and will strengthen the love between this father and his son.  I have a new “gym” at one of the local middle schools…and I officially have a new workout partner, he’s 10 and he’s my best buddy!  I suppose I could put on my business cap and start working on the possibilities and opportunities for bringing the PCC system of training to the TV watching, Xbox playing, inactive youth in my area, but right now I have a date to go outside and “play” on the monkey bars with my son!

***

About Pete D’Epiro: A fitness & performance coach in the San Francisco Bay Area for 20 years, Pete specializes in training the unique population that is the Silicon Valley executive/entrepreneur as well as junior athletes ranging from middle school to Division I scholarship athletes.  Pete also volunteers his time to Stew Smith’s non-profit Heroes of Tomorrow, providing free training to candidates preparing for careers in military special operations, law enforcement, & fire.  Most days of the year Pete can be found at the world-class training facility, Evolution Trainers (www.evolutiontrainers.com), in Mountain View, California.

Filed Under: Motivation and Goals, Workshop Experiences Tagged With: bodyweight exercise, bridge, family, father and son, monkey bars, PCC, Peter D'Epiro, play, playground, strength training

Exceeding All Expectations—The Power of the PCC

June 12, 2013 By John Du Cane, CEO and founder, Dragon Door 19 Comments

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Exceeding All Expectations—The Power of the PCC

One day in the late summer of 2008, a massive manuscript thumped down on my desk. Out of nowhere. By a complete unknown. Unheralded, no introductions, no referrals, nothing to go on. Just raw text…And a title that leaped up from the desk, grabbed me by the throat and wouldn’t let go:

Convict Conditioning…

By a certain Paul “Coach” Wade, who had scrabbled to freedom—he claimed—after severe stretches in joy palaces like San Quentin, Angola and Marion.

What made Paul the Unknown so different, however, was the programmatic payload of strength survival secrets he had mastered while doing his time. Or so he said…

I coulda tossed it in the trash right there.  But I didn’t, I was intrigued and I figured it wouldn’t hurt to “taste” a few pages…

Aahhh…I was doomed within a couple of deft paragraphs—and I know a good doom when I see it, trust me…

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I pride myself on being “the facilitator of greatness”—a guy with the magic eye for spotting outrageous talent and promoting it to a hungry world.

Paul held me with his glittering eye and riveted me to the spot. I was hooked as his redemptive message began to pulse through me with a heroin-like rush. I was up half the night, enthralled and deeply excited.

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For Convict Conditioning was that rare thing, a genuinely original, definitively special masterwork that laid out an inspirational program for physical transformation—using bodyweight exercise only. The perfect fit for Dragon Door—and then some: authentic, visceral, gritty, practical, down-to-earth, laden with truth. Built for results.

When Convict Conditioning launched in December, 2009 it quickly established itself as Dragon Door’s all-time most popular title. Thrilled readers have already posted over 400 reviews on the Dragon Door site alone, testifying to CC’s enduring capability to get you formidable results not just short term but over the long haul (which is what separates the men from the boys.)

Fast forward to an email from Paul Wade to me in late 2011, suggesting that I might just want to publish a title called Raising the Bar, by Al Kavadlo, who had appeared with brother Danny in Convict Conditioning 2…

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Another magical and momentous publishing event resulted in Al Kavadlo joining Dragon Door’s dream team of bodyweight exercise authorities. The result: two more works of high art, the second being Pushing the Limits!

And the stage was set to “go global” with the Wade-Kavadlo wisdom. Create a worldwide network of certified progressive calisthenics instructors that could help change the fitness landscape, just as Dragon Door had done with the introduction of kettlebells in 2001.

Dragon Door’s highly anticipated program, the PCC, launched this past weekend in St. Paul, Minnesota.

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Frankly, I was anxious as all hell about how the PCC was going to pan out. Yes, Paul Wade had delivered an astounding 600-page bible of a manual, yes the curriculum was to die for, and yes, the instructors were world-class.

But how were the elite bodyweight athletes and many of Dragon Door’s elite RKC leaders going to actually respond to the training? Dragon Door’s standards are well known to be the most rigorous worldwide. Would the PCC meet expectations?

Well, as Shannon Scullin exclaimed to me about the PCC team’s instruction: “They knocked it out of the park!”

I have read all the evals and the response has been nothing short of ecstatic.

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The atmosphere for almost all the time was electric yet relaxed. Astonishing feats of strength reeled off by both candidates and instructors alike, PRs busting out all over the shop. There was a JOY in the air, a PASSION, a camaraderie that exceed any workshop that Dragon Door has put on over the last 20 years.

The instruction was impeccable, delivered with a gracious confidence and solid expertise. The PCC team of Al Kavadlo, Danny Kavadlo, Adrienne Harvey and Steven Low walked their talk from first frame to last frame.

I just got a Facebook message from Senior RKC and Superwoman, Beth Andrews, which perfectly sums up the event:

“The PCC weekend/cert was EPIC!!! It was refreshing, ‘vibrant’, progressive and FUN! Danny and Al are amazing! I loved their spirit and energy. They have an incredible ability to connect with people and after all, that IS what it’s all about as a community. Can’t wait to be a part of it in August!”

In other words, the PCC exceeded all of our expectations—WAY exceeded them!

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Next week we will be posting several hundred photographs from the event (edited down from the thousands we took), but we grabbed some good ones to give you a flavor, right here.

The Dragon Door TV team of Amanda Salas and Spencer O’Hara—who also filmed the brilliant Convict Conditioning videos on Alcatraz—recorded the whole PCC and are hard at work preparing a series of videos immortalizing this special time… Can’t wait!

And, when you read the participants’ praise next week, there will be no doubt left at all in your mind about the quality of the instruction and the power of the PCC to transform the world of fitness.

A deep, deep thank you to all who contributed to making this a magnificent first PCC!

But a very special shout out to the “complete unknown” who sent me that addictive manuscript back in the day and got me hooked on the good stuff:

Paul Wade, without you, our world would be the smaller and the poorer. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your courage and indomitable spirit in bringing us the glory of your redemptive message! Thank you…

Yours in Strength,

John Du Cane, CEO
Dragon Door Publications, Inc.

Filed Under: Workshop Experiences Tagged With: Dragon Door Publications, John Du Cane, Paul Wade, PCC, Progressive Calisthenics Certification Workshop

Al Kavadlo’s PCC FAQ

June 4, 2013 By Al Kavadlo 10 Comments

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In less than 48 hours, I’ll be getting on a plane from New York City to St. Paul, MN to lead the first ever Progressive Calisthenics Certification workshop. After almost two years of planning, the PCC is finally happening – this is a very exciting time!

The PCC workshop will contain tons of information distilled down through the experience of PCC mastermind Paul Wade as well as myself and the other instructors. There will be a lot to learn and attendees will come away with something that cannot be gained from a website, book or DVD – real life experience! Nothing in the world can replace firsthand knowledge. That’s why most of the weekend is going to be spent practicing these exercises, not just talking theory.

With the inaugural workshop quickly approaching, I’ve been getting lots of emails and other messages with questions about the PCC. Here are answers to the questions that have come up most frequently.

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I’m not interested in becoming a personal trainer. Can I still take the PCC?

Yes! The PCC is open to anyone who wants to improve their knowledge and performance of bodyweight strength training. Though the coursework is geared toward those who want to pass their knowledge and skills onto others, anyone who is passionate about calisthenics is encouraged to attend.

How is PCC different from Convict Conditioning, Raising The Bar and Pushing The Limits?

The PCC curriculum combines content from the Convict Conditioning books as well as my books, but it will be more in-depth than any of those materials. More importantly, however, is that it’s an interactive experience! Books are great resources, but they can’t actually tell you if your form is correct. At the PCC, Steven Low, Adrienne Harvey, my brother Danny and myself are personally going to give you the cues you need to improve your technique and performance on these exercises as well as instruct you on how to effectively pass this information along to your clients. And of course, there will be a chance for attendees to pick our brains during the Q&A session.

I’d love to take the PCC but I live too far away to travel to St. Paul. Is it possible to get a copy of the PCC manual without attending?

The 600+ page PCC manual is incredibly special and it’s only for PCC attendees – no exceptions. The good news is we will be offering workshops all over the world in the months and years ahead, so everyone will have a chance to attend and get their hands on a copy.

I have an old injury/ailment/weakness that will prevent me from being able to complete the Century. Can an exception be made for me?

The Century test must be performed according to these guidelines.

When will PCC be coming to my hometown?

In addition to the inaugural event, there are two more PCC workshops already scheduled – a second one in St. Paul as well as our first European workshop, which will take place in Gothenburg, Sweden. Over the next few years, we will be visiting lots of other locations in the US and abroad. Watch this page for updates on future workshop dates.

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Photos by Audra May Photography

And for those of you attending the groundbreaking first ever bodyweight certification – I’ll see you this weekend!

***

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

Filed Under: Workshop Experiences Tagged With: Adrienne Harvey, Al Kavadlo, Century Test, Danny Kavadlo, FAQ, frequently asked questions, PCC, Progressive Calisthenics Certification Workshop, Q&A

[AUDIO] Do You Belong at the PCC? Find Out Here

June 1, 2013 By John Du Cane, CEO and founder, Dragon Door 3 Comments

The first Progressive Calisthenics Workshop is right around the corner, and the instructor team of Al and Danny Kavadlo, Steven Low and Adrienne Harvey are ready to explode your skills and knowledge base.

  • Can anyone, barring injuries, learn how to perform bodyweight exercises?
  • Do basic bodyweight movements use every muscle of the body?
  • Should attendees be nervous about the Century Test?
  • What if an attendee has never done a full pull-up before?

Hear the answers to these questions—and a whole lot more—when you listen now to this engaging interview with Danny Kavadlo and Adrienne Harvey.

Filed Under: Workshop Experiences Tagged With: Adrienne Harvey, audio, bodyweight, calisthenics, Danny Kavadlo, MP3, PCC, Progressive Calisthenics Certification Workshop

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Dragon Door Publications / The author(s) and publisher of this material are not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any injury that may occur through following the instructions or opinions contained in this material. The activities, physical and otherwise, described herein for informational purposes only, may be too strenuous or dangerous for some people, and the reader(s) should consult a physician before engaging in them.