PCC Blog

How Training with Progressive Calisthenics and Kettlebells Prepared Me for the Unknown at an Intense 2 day Photoshoot

March 26, 2013 By Adrienne Harvey 7 Comments

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You may remember an earlier post on the PCC blog describing an example of how the “Good Behavior” routine from Convict Conditioning could easily accommodate kettlebell training. One of the absolute highlights of this past week was participating in a rigorous two day–two FULL days–photoshoot for the upcoming Dragon Door book, Neuro-Mass by Jon Bruney. While I had had a few days to look over the extensive collection of unique kettlebell, bodyweight, and specialized equipment drills and exercises, what I would be asked to specifically perform was somewhat of a mystery. Fortunately, the strength, flexibility, and coordination from long-term training with Convict Conditioning’s progressive calisthenics, and basic kettlebell work prepared me very well for this highly-varied shoot.

Even though my at-home and outdoor workouts are not especially spectacular on their own, it’s the long-term consistent practice of meticulous movement patterns and reasonable, safe strength challenges which add up solidly over time. This somewhat conservative approach helps me to maintain my strength and physique while avoiding injury. With a heavy schedule of workshops, travel, and instructing, there simply isn’t time for injury, which is all the more reason for strategic training and knowing when to back off. The approach in Convict Conditioning is absolutely perfect for the situation. Not to mention, when traveling, it’s rare that I even have to leave the privacy of my hotel room in order to finish my workout for the day. In all honestly there’s usually more useful floor (and wall) space in the room than a typical “fitness center.”

Many people ask if Convict Conditioning on its own is “enough.” Generally speaking, the short answer is yes, absolutely. The long answer is yes, but what is your specific goal? While my hybrid training with Convict Conditioning and kettlebells was entirely to credit for allowing me to shine at two days of unknown (and highly athletic) drills performed meticulously at relatively low reps for photos, I will need to do the actual Neuro-Mass routines for their full effect. Same with your sports and the specific skills required for them.

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One of my absolutely most favorite new drills from Neuro-Mass is the pull-up bar walk. All the grip work from Convict Conditioning 2 along with the coordination I’ve gained from inching towards the 1-arm chin up with so much isolateral work really prepared me for that drill in particular. So much that I was able to go forwards and backwards with ease. Jon Bruney has now recommended that we all man or woman-up and work towards going forwards and backwards with this interesting drill. I also like it as it brings the fun and coordination challenge of “monkey bars” to the gym with something as simple as a pull up bar.

The strength and coordination gained from Convict Conditioning as a whole also allowed me to successfully perform (on the first try!) an incredibly cool and difficult drill–this drill is so cool that I’ve been specifically asked to not describe it before Neuro-Mass is published! Before trying it, I had no idea if I’d even be able to do it at all! Consistent practice of Progressive Calisthenics and the seemingly simple workouts from Convict Conditioning had absolutely prepared me for the unknown!

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About Adrienne Harvey, RKCII, CK-FMS, Primal Move Nat’l Instructor: I started studying kettlebell training over three years ago and became RKC Certified in October of 2010, and became an RKC Level 2 Instructor in July 10th of 2011. Kettlebell and bodyweight training have been absolutely crucial in my personal quest for fitness, and I love sharing these ultra-effective modalities with small groups and individuals. Similarly, developing recipes to further support performance, body composition, and general enjoyment is another passion.

Go to http://www.giryagirl.com/ for more information about Adrienne.

The Marriage of Bodyweight Training Methods

March 19, 2013 By Steven Low 10 Comments

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Al Kavadlo and Adrienne Harvey ‘Overcoming Gravity’ with Bodyweight Strength

My name is Steven Low, author of Overcoming Gravity: A Systematic Approach to Gymnastics and Bodyweight Strength. I will be one of the senior PCC’s in June.

As I am sure you are all aware, I am just one author on the subject of bodyweight strength training. Paul Wade, Al Kavadlo, and others have written various articles and books on bodyweight strength training and have developed their own systems. Many of those looking to learn about bodyweight strength training have told me that they have a lot of the different book materials from a variety of the listed authors.

Thus, one of the questions that many people ask me is – what is the best program?

To answer this question let me give you some more of my thoughts on the bodyweight strength communities.

I personally do not think that the market of bodyweight strength books, DVDs, and online material is a competition. Everyone has their own take on exercises and programming methods which work. The key point is that the best program is the one that you will stick with to make progress. Any experienced trainer will tell you flat out that this is the truth.

Essentially, the best “program” is whatever helps you progress towards your goals whether it be Overcoming Gravity, Convict Conditioning, Raising the Bar, or other training methods.

One of the main criticisms of my book is that it has almost to much information, especially for newer people looking to get into bodyweight training. I completely agree. Learning how to train and construct routines can be a daunting task for a person new and interested in bodyweight strength training.

One of the terms we like to use in fitness is paralysis by analysis. If there’s too much information, it’s very hard to sift through it. This goes along with the concept that the best program is the one you will stick to.

There is no such thing as a perfect routine. There’s many reasons why this is true.

All systems have their positives and negatives with regard to sets, repetitions, volumes, frequency, etc. Not everyone responds the same to the same program.
Everyone is coming from a different athletic background or even none at all. A sedentary person is different from someone who has performed gymnastics – who is different from someone who played basketball.
Programming should vary depending on the level of ability you are at. You don’t train a beginner with the volume of an elite athlete. If you throw 40 hours of gymnastics or any other sport at at a new person they would get injured within the first week.
Previous injury history plays an important role as well as potential dysfunctions that people have that are not injuries. The highest predictor of injury is a previous injury. This tells me that someone who has had previous back or shoulder pain may have different needs than your typical average healthy person. Additionally, a desk job worker with poor posture may not respond well to specific training until their dysfunctional posture has been fixed.

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Different people have different training needs.

Essentially, all good training materials have ways of getting people started. The three key variables that are involved with a good starting program are:

Focused towards your goals, and
Made in a such a way that keeps you injury free, and
Made such that you will stick to the program.

Get rid of all of the analysis. You will essentially learn as you train. In any sport or discipline you need to know how to do things – that is what the books and training materials are for. The other component that is often left out for many is that you actually have to put those things into practice as well. You cannot have one without the other.

Focus a program towards your goals, listen to your body, and train!

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About Steven: Steven Low, author of Overcoming Gravity: A Systematic Approach to Gymnastics and Bodyweight Strength, is a former competitive gymnast who, in recent years, has been heavily involved in the gymnastics performance troupe, Gymkana. With his degree from the University of Maryland College Park in Biochemistry, Steven has spent thousands of hours independently researching the scientific foundations of health, fitness and nutrition. Currently Steven is pursuing a doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Maryland Baltimore which provides him with insights into practical care for common injuries. His training is varied and intense with a focus on gymnastics, parkour, rock climbing, and sprinting. He currently resides in his home state of Maryland. His website is http://eatmoveimprove.com.

The Tao of PCC by Paul Wade

March 12, 2013 By Paul "Coach" Wade 57 Comments

I am the man who wrote the book, Convict Conditioning. I am not a perfect man, and my book is not a perfect book; but I hope that when people judge the book, they will say that it got much more right than it got wrong.

They certainly couldn’t say that about the man.

Without improving, evolving, moving forwards, we are nothing. There is no standing still in life—you are either moving forward, or you are losing ground. That’s why I was so excited to be able to contribute to PCC. There is no doubt in my mind that PCC will do for bodyweight training what the RKC has done for kettlebells. And that would be incredible.

A lot of folks have asked me how PCC will be different from Convict Conditioning. I can sum that up in one word: KAVADLO. Al Kavadlo is, for my money, the greatest progressive bodyweight training coach on earth. PCC, as a total system, is much bigger than Convict Conditioning alone because it has been expanded by Al’s methods, tools and tactics. His “new-school” has met my “old-school”, and PCC is the result. PCC is as much Al’s baby as mine—maybe more so. It is flat out false to assume that the PCC is just a “Convict Conditioning cert”. People who love Convict Conditioning will love PCC, because Convict Conditioning forms just a part of PCC. But PCC is more than just Convict Conditioning.

Much more!

PCC: A Black Belt in Bodyweight

Perhaps the most important difference between PCC and Convict Conditioning is the fact that PCC is about principles, not techniques. Convict Conditioning is very easy for athletes to pick up and understand, because it presents six groups of ten techniques. PCC goes deeper than this. Anyone who has ever studied a martial art knows that they need to learn scores of techniques to achieve a black belt; but the closer you get to true mastery, the more you come to understand that it’s not the techniques that matter—nobody can remember a hundred techniques in a fight. What matters are the principles you absorb.

PCC is like this; you will drill and explore dozens of key techniques at the cert workshop; and the PCC Instructor’s Manual analyzes and illustrates over one-hundred and fifty exercises! But at the heart of PCC are the principles of bodyweight progression. Once you grasp these principles, you can make any calisthenics exercise progressive: from a rehab level, right up to epic Bruce Lee-level bad-assery. This is what it’s all about. Some people have accused Convict Conditioning of being too dogmatic; too rigid. Nobody could say the same about PCC, because it’s based on principles, not set exercises paired with progression standards. There is so much more flexibility built in.

(By Giga Paitchadze – Creative Commons License)

Though they play an important role in the early stage, the techniques should not be too mechanical, complex or restrictive. If we cling blindly to them, we shall eventually become bound by their limitations. —Bruce Lee

The punches and kicks—the 14 chains

A martial artist seeks to absorb principles, but he or she can only absorb the general by accumulating the specific—lots and lots of individual punches, kicks, throws, etc. The road to calisthenics mastery ain’t no different. Bodyweight athletes still need to learn individual techniques. They still need to learn about chains—i.e., technical progression sequences. It’s important to note that the fundamental movement-types in Convict Conditioning are all still present in the PCC system; however they have been expanded and added to. The seven fundamental movement chains in PCC are:

1. Push-ups—building to—one-arm push-ups

2. Pull-ups—building to—one-arm pull-ups

3. Handstand push-ups—building to—full handstand push-ups (between chairs)

4. Horizontal pull-ups—building to—“torquers” (one-arm, one-leg Australian pull-ups)

5. Dips—building up to—strict muscle-ups

6. Leg-raises—building to—strict rollovers

7. Squats—building to—wushu pistols

Anyone who knows Convict Conditioning well will see that all the major movements are here (save bridges, which I’ll address in a sec). Two new movement chains have been added to the system; the first is the horizontal pull-up. The basic form of this exercise will be well (and painfully) known by Convict Conditioning exponents, but here the progressions have been jacked up to an advanced level to add more symmetry to upper-body work (the vertical handstand push-ups and vertical pull-ups are antagonistic opposites; now the horizontal push-up has an antagonistic “buddy” in the horizontal pull-up). Complete dip progressions—missing from CC—have also been included, with these culminating in one of the most popular of Al’s bar moves: the uber-cool muscle-up (known as a sentry pull-up to CCers).

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The muscle-up—part pull-up, part dip—is an advanced technique in the PCC dipping chain.

Where CC progressions can still be found in the PCC system, they are often approached differently, thanks to Al’s input. For example hanging straight leg raises are real popular in jails: but we got the feedback from athletes on the outside that they were just too easy. So we have expanded and advanced the progressions, making the advanced techniques much, much harder. One-leg squats have also been made harder. Everything is at a higher turn of the spiral. More progression options have been included for pull-ups and push-ups. Extra handstand pushups variations have been included.

As I have said, the PCC system is much larger than Convict Conditioning. Convict Conditioning is really about building raw muscle and motive power by utilizing fairly basic, fairly brutal, pulling, pushing and leg movements. But bodyweight strength training is about more than that—static holds, for example. Whereas Convict Conditioning didn’t include full progressions for static holds, PCC does. The system includes 7 static chains:

1. Press holds—building to—the elbow lever

2. Midsection holds—building to—the L-hold

3. Bridge holds—building to—the gecko bridge

4. Handstands—building to—the frog-press handstand

5. The back lever—building to—the full back lever

6. The front lever—building to—the full front lever

7. The side lever—building to—the press flag

That’s a pretty damn impressive roll-call of techniques: and very few men or women outside of professional gymnastics could complete all seven. Fewer still could assimilate or teach chains for all seven. But this knowledge is part of the PCC system thanks to Al’s know-how, and has been integrated into PCC because I’ve been asked so often about these holds; athletes want to learn about old school hand-balancing, flags, elbow levers, and so on. Fans of bridges wanted to know how I would include them as a form of static hold. All this is contained in the PCC system. This doesn’t mean you can’t begin using these “holds” as “moves”—levering up from a bridge into a handstand, for example. Remember, everything is about principles, not dogma. Once you understand how to work with the techniques, you can expand; you can explore. You learn the form, you absorb the form, you discard the form.

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A bodyweight powerhouse, Al Kavadlo is no stranger to static holds. Perfection!

The PCC Instructor’s Manual will cover all 14 chains in-depth (it’s over 600 pages), but it will only be available to athletes who attend the PCC event. The certification workshop itself cannot cover all 14 chains—over 150 exercises—but it has been painstakingly designed to cover the key techniques, training methods, and the principles behind progression.

The eleven training modules and two seminars over the three-day workshop will revolutionize you: no matter what your level of development. Sure, you may not come away able to perform expert hand-balancing, elbow levers, front-levers, one-arm pull-ups and human flags, but I promise you this: you WILL come away knowing exactly how to get there—or get someone else there—in the best way possible.

Ralph Waldo Emerson—the great Patriot, and possibly the greatest essayist of all time—said this:

As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.

Come and join us in the PCC community. The principles you need to maximize your bodyweight potential are waiting here for you.

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Paul Wade is the author of five Convict Conditioning DVD/manual programs. Click here for more information about Paul Wade, and here for more information on Convict Conditioning DVD’s and books available for purchase from the publisher.

A Few Of My Favorite Things

March 5, 2013 By Danny Kavadlo 20 Comments

One of my very favorite things about calisthenics is that you can do it anywhere. That fact in itself is endlessly fascinating to me. Think about it: in a day and age where people sit in traffic while they drive to the gym, or wait an hour in line to take a thirty minute spin class on a fake bike, the simple notion that a gym isn’t necessary is truly liberating!

Now, please understand that I have nothing against the gym. It can be a great place to train hard. I have had many spectacular workouts in gyms. I just believe that the gym is not the only game in town. Due to the simple and sublime nature of body-weight strength training, you can make a gym out of almost any place you want.

These very places themselves are a few of my favorite things too.

In the Backyard

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Some days we want that shortest distance, with no need to travel. Several years ago it dawned on me that the ultimate home gym could be mine, but I’d have to build it. So for a low price, plus some time and sweat, I built my first Backyard Pull-Up Bar. I could now rip through those reps anytime the urge struck me. This was even better than the indoor, mounted bars I’ve owned for most of my life. You see, I have always been a fan of outdoor workouts. I love being outside in general. However, these days, it seems we have a cultural obsession with climate control. We drive in cars with individually heated seats and exercise in air-conditioned buildings. I am pleased to say that the outdoor workout eliminates those unnecessary commodities. Nowhere can you dominate your own body-weight and release your inner beast like you can under the earth’s sky, truly in touch with who you are.

At any time of day, any time of year, all my favorite exercises are waiting at my doorstep. From powerful pull-ups, to perfect planks, to mighty muscle-ups, they’re all here. Several different bars and numerous angles provide for unlimited variations of many of the oldest and noblest exercises. It is also of note that these iron bars have a big, fat two inch diameter, which adds extreme grip training to every single workout.

My brother and fellow trainer, calisthenics icon Al Kavadlo, immortalized the Backyard Pull-Up Bar in his ground-breaking book Raising the Bar and its companion DVD.

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In the Park

I am lucky enough to live in New York City, one of the main hubs for body-weight enthusiasts of all walks of life. There are many parks, playgrounds, and jungle gyms in the Big Apple, but none are as well known throughout the world as Alphabet City’s legendary Tompkins Square Park.

I’ve trained a hundred times at TSP at six o’clock on a Monday morning. I can tell you first hand that there is nowhere you will feel as motivated and inspired as you will there, no matter what time of day it is. While the city sleeps, serious-minded individuals can be found lunging, jumping, pushing, and pulling. Even in the rain or snow, you can always find some hard core body-weight aficionados out there doing their thing. In fact, it’s the first place I ever saw a one-arm pull-up.

But just as it is motivational to train amongst those serious athletes, it moves me equally to see how many new jacks train at TSP as well. You see, a certain solidarity exists at Tompkins. It spans across the entire community of the park, from the world-renown bar masters, all the way down to the young kids doing their first chin-up. Hell, where else could you observe an ex-con asking a drag queen for handstand advice? I’ve seen it at Tompkins. Ya’ gotta love Alphabet City!

In The Basement

Sometimes I do train indoors. Remember, by keeping things simple and pure, based on mechanics and movement, we can train anywhere we want to. So do dips in your kitchen. Practice your bridge-work in the living room. Put a pull-up bar in the hallway.

I personally like to train in the basement.

The basement has been used as a metaphor for the subconscious by everybody from Dostoevsky to the hit television series “Wilfred.” And it makes sense. When we are in the basement, we are in the building’s underground, free to explore the deepest, most primordial workings of its structure… and of our own!

Much of calisthenics training is based on unleashing our instinctual primitive movement patterns. In Convict Conditioning, Coach Wade discusses how you tap into your “tree dwelling” DNA when you pull your own body-weight when executing pull-ups. Well, you don’t get more primitive than that! There is no better place to explore the deep, dark movements of the mind, spirit, and body than underground, with just your physical self and your psyche, ready to train hard!

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In the End

The places I listed above are just a few of my favorite things. Hopefully you have discovered some special work-out spots that are near and dear to you, where you can push yourself, free from judgments, and full of positivity. We all need somewhere we can work on self-improvement and awareness. Explore your options and be creative. Have fun with it.

The still photos were taken by my wife, Jennifer, during an improvised workout on the now-famous Backyard Pull-up Bar. The following videos demonstrate some diverse calisthenics training at Tompkins Square Park, and a basement workout based on push-up bar variations. Of course, I had to include a video in the backyard with my bro Al as well. Keep the dream alive!

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About Danny: Danny Kavadlo, Master PCC, is a Personal Trainer in New York City. He’s worked with hundreds of clients, including athletes, models, and celebrities. He is featured in the Convict Conditioning Series & Raising the Bar, and is known globally as a motivator & leader in the calisthenics community. Learn more about Danny at: www.DannyTheTrainer.com.

How I Use the Convict Conditioning Program Along with Kettlebells

February 26, 2013 By Adrienne Harvey 22 Comments

Since many of us who practice Progressive Calisthenics are often involved with other athletic pursuits like kettlebells, martial arts, and/or sports, a question which continually comes up is how to program our sessions in a way that allows for high performance in some areas and at least maintenance in others. People beginning the Convict Conditioning program sometimes ask a similar question, thinking that they need to “add in” cardio, thinking that the program somehow isn’t “enough” on its own for fat loss or other physique-related goals. The good news is, the program can absolutely stand on its own, it’s just very different from the familiar sets-reps-weights-n-cardio paradigm. It’s important to realize that the bodyweight programs as presented in Convict Conditioning are complete, and use a strategy which is entirely different from mainstream “conventional” approaches.

For fat loss, it isn’t really necessary for someone to have to add steady state cardio. An improved nutritional plan and consistent work with Convict Conditioning should produce incredible results. Especially when this beginning calisthenics athlete begins to really feel, on a visceral level, how their performance is enhanced by getting stronger, and by becoming a little lighter. This sort of dual reinforcement is powerful—it can motivate people to permanently adopt a healthier lifestyle. Given the program’s power, athletes participating in competitive sports, martial arts, or other athletic pursuits like kettlebells will want to keep this in mind when programming. Motivated athletes of all kinds seem to short change their rest and recovery.

I’ll be giving an example week of how I have made a Convict Conditioning program work within my own lifestyle of instructing, maintaining, and further refining RKC kettlebell skills while still creeping towards some fairly big long-term bodyweight goals (1 arm chin up, human flag, etc). A few of the routines in CC are specifically designed with enough rest days to allow for the inclusion of sports. Good Behavior and to a lesser degree Hard Time are great examples. Hard Time is especially upper body focused, so if your “extracurricular activities” are particularly upper body inclusive you may wish to choose a different routine to work with.

An important thing to remember with both Convict Conditioning and kettlebell training is that less is often more. Convict Conditioning requires absolutely strict form and coordinated full body tension with each exercise—while not training to failure (and theoretically still leaving you enough energy to defend yourself). In my opinion, practicing Progressive Calisthenics, like kettlebell training, is as much about building skill as it is about building raw strength. Often on Facebook and other online communities we see some very ambitious sounding workouts with just amazing rep ranges, but it’s important to remember that these longer duration workouts will have performance and form trade offs. Think of a marathon vs. a sprint—to run a marathon, the athlete will need to pace themselves. In a sprint, the athlete will basically go “all out” for a short period of time. Personally, I like shorter duration workouts aimed towards skill building, optimal movement patterns, and the control of maximum tension where needed in each rep. Most days my “workouts” tend to be small, near maximal sets of very challenging exercises spread throughout the day. The CC logbook is especially great for keeping track of these activities.

Since maintaining and refining kettlebell moves is essentially my current “sport” or “martial art” right now, a program like Good Behavior can be easily adapted for several weeks of progressive training. The weeks following the example below would have variations in kettlebell exercises and weights, and if appropriate (the progression standard met) a graduation to the next step in a given Convict Conditioning progression. The names of the calisthenics exercises refer to wherever I am in the progression. This is a fairly typical example of my training on a non-traveling week, adapting the Good Behavior routine:

Monday: Push Ups – 2 Work Sets*; Leg Raises – 2 Work Sets

Optional kettlebell swings and a few get ups as a warm-up, or to break up a typical Monday heavy on business, writing, or internet work.

Tuesday: Moderate kettlebell work (RKC snatch test or slightly heavier bell) technique workout for get ups, swings, high pulls, and snatches. RKC Planks and hollow position holds. Rep range is significant but nothing spectacular.

Wednesday: Pull Ups – 2 Work Sets; Squats – 2 work sets Optional swings and/or get ups. After the work sets of pull ups and significant rest, I might play-practice with pull up variations and or a muscle up or two along with dragon flags and working towards the “human flag” here and there in the day.

Thursday: Rest/Mobility/Extra tai chi skills practice and/or Extra Primal Move mobility/skills work

Friday: Handstand Push Ups – 2 work sets; Bridges – 2 work sets

Saturday: A kettlebell challenge circuit workout – usually includes pressing and/or clean&jerks, along with an extra implement or challenge like Battling Ropes or flipping tires. Play with advanced variations of a CC exercise, or a PR attempt of some kind.

Sunday: Rest/Recovery/Mobility

*Work sets in Convict Conditioning are preceded by a few warm up sets of earlier parts of the progression, the book has all the details and several workout routines like Good Behavior for you to start working with immediately.

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About Adrienne Harvey, RKCII, CK-FMS, Primal Move Nat’l Instructor

I started studying kettlebell training over three years ago and became RKC Certified in October of 2010, and became an RKC Level 2 Instructor in July 10th of 2011. Kettlebell and bodyweight training have been absolutely crucial in my personal quest for fitness, and I love sharing these ultra-effective modalities with small groups and individuals. Similarly, developing recipes to further support performance, body composition, and general enjoyment is another passion. Go to http://www.giryagirl.com/ for more information about Adrienne!

Advanced Bridging Variations

February 19, 2013 By Logan Christopher 24 Comments

As a kid I was always skinny. I mean very skinny. Entering high school I weighed less than 100 lbs. I played football there and lifted weights though I wasn’t really good at either.

The truth is I only really started seeing results in my strength and body when I got into bodyweight exercises about the end of school. After a year or two of consistent work in bodyweight training I ran across an old friend. His first statement to me:

“Wow! Your neck filled out.”

Guess what I had been doing? Various forms of bridging. Looking back I’ve been doing these exercises for about ten years now; and in this article I want to share with you some variations. If you’ve been doing Convict Conditioning for awhile you may be able to get started with these, because the truth is all these are more advanced than the basic holds.

Weighted Bridging

I started adding weight to my bridges because I was getting bored with long static holds. My best ever hold was ten minutes in a hands free wrestler’s bridge. I know I could have gone further but I didn’t want to. What can I say? I get bored easily and 10 minutes is about my maximum attention span.

I first did this with people, but I started using weight simply because I didn’t always have a person to sit or stand on me. In the beginning I’d pull over a light kettlebell and hold it. Then two kettlebells. Eventually I had to move inside a power rack as getting the weight into place proved harder than the hold.

I don’t recommend going this far for most people I just wanted to see how far I could take it and follow in line with guys like George Hackenschmidt who supported big weights in this position. If you work up to even a light weight you’ll probably have more than enough neck strength for your daily life, unless you’re involved in sports or martial arts.

To give you an idea of what can be achieved this video shows my current best hold. It’s a very brief support of over 600 lbs. split over the barbell and Bud Jeffries sitting on me. I plan to take this support to over half a ton in the future.

Neck Plank

As the wrestler’s bridge became too easy and I had to do something to make it harder, so the same was true of the front bridge. I experimented with adding weights but my favorite came from extending the leverage. For this you start in the front bridge position and walk your legs back while keeping your forehead on the ground. It’s like a plank position where only your forehead and toes are on the ground, with the stress being on your neck (and your abs as well to some degree) hence the name.

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Dynamic Bridging

The static holds are great and make up a large part of bridging. But they’re not the only things you can do.

The next couple exercises are dynamic in nature and thus train the body in a slightly different way. Both involve going from the front to back bridge position albeit in different ways. Check out this video to see both in action.

Bridge Kickovers

This move takes a good degree of strength, flexibility and acrobatic ability all at the same time. You must start in a wrestler’s bridge with the hands on the ground.

To get started I like to rock three times from my toes to chest, kicking with one leg hard, on the third go. The leg kicks up and over, then the other comes to follow it. You’ll land in a front bridge position although it’ll be far from perfect. From here you can kick one or both legs back to end in the wrestler’s bridge once again. When you’re first starting out one rep at a time is fine. When you get good you can go back and forth very quickly.

Only progress to the hands free version if you have lots of practice and are sure your neck can take it. It is significantly tougher to do. If you don’t quite make it over you may end up spinning and coming down in an awkward manner which you want to avoid.

Either of these variations can be made progressive by kicking off of a raised stable surface.

Bridge Twists

This final bridging exercise involves twisting from a back to a front bridge. This works every single muscle in your neck as you go to the sides, as well as some interesting spine action taking place.

This is great for improving your flexibility and is commonly done by wrestlers. As before, be sure to start with your hands and become great at that before moving to the hands-free position.

You’ll also find it easier if you stay more towards the back of your head.

That should give you some new variations to play with. Don’t try to do these all at once. In fact, I’ve found that a little bridging goes a long way. If you have any questions be sure to ask below. Also if you’d like to see me write more on gymnastic bridge variations (on top of these wrestler’s bridging exercises) for you to play with, then let me know.

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Logan Christopher has been called a physical culture renaissance man as he is accomplished in a wide range of strength skills from kettlebell juggling, performing strongman stunts, and bodyweight exercises. He is the author of numerous books including Secrets of the Handstand and The Master Keys to Strength & Fitness. In addition, he’s spent the last several years going deep into mental training to find out what it takes to really excel and tactics that can help people instantly improve their exercises. You can find out more about all this at http://www.LegendaryStrength.com.

Danny Kavadlo On Body-Weight Training

February 11, 2013 By Danny Kavadlo 26 Comments

I have been practicing calisthenics and strength training for over twenty-five years. When I was a kid, minimalism wasn’t a style of working out: it was the only way. We were a family of five living in a part of Brooklyn that many current Brooklyn residents still don’t even know about. There were no gyms and we were too young for them anyway. My memories of Phys Ed at school are limited to either sitting at my assigned floor spot, or getting yelled at by the psychotic gym teacher. So how did I fall in love with working out at such a young age? Push-ups.

I remember having push-up contests with my brothers on the old linoleum kitchen floor of that house in deep Brooklyn. If one of us would get fifty, someone else would have to get sixty. Then seventy-five. Ninety. I can’t remember what I did this morning, but I sure do remember the way I felt the first time I completed a hundred consecutive push-ups.

To this day, the pushup is still the exercise I’ve performed more reps of than any other. Only now, I can do more variations. These new skills, of course, leads to new challenges. And that’s exactly what’s so great about progressive calisthenics.

DK.Lsit

Next were pull-ups. There were no shiny packages of bars-that-fit-everywhere back then. No all purpose gyms as seen on TV. My schoolyard looked like a parking lot, not a playground. But we had to get our reps in somewhere, so we put a rusty metal bar in a doorframe. We were old school without even knowing it. After screwing two dark red grommets into the frame, we popped the bar in. It’s still there.

The pull-up contests we had back then were the stuff of legend. Rep after rep after rep. Set after grueling set. My brothers and I would spend hours in that room working that bar. We did it because it was fun. That’s the splendor of training with your body-weight only. Here we were, motivated by nothing other than our innate desire and necessity to move our bodies. This was Mother Nature at her finest: Pulling yourself over a bar. We were alive!

My father, a practitioner of yoga since the 1970’s (way before there were “Yoga” sections at shopping mall book stores everywhere) introduced us to various headstands. One of my favorite teenage memories is returning home late at night to find my Pops doing headstands at 2am! My friends got a kick out of it too. But in all seriousness, there was always a great joy in watching him fully invert himself into a perfect tripod. At over 200 lbs, he was as graceful as a swan. He encouraged us to mess around with balance and flexibility at an early age, which is something I continue to do to this day.

Later on, I started putting extra emphasis on training my legs. I’m a big believer that you’re not strong if you don’t have strong legs. And I must say, I hit the ground running! I had only been doing classic leg exercises like squats and lunges for a few years before I tried pistol-squats. I was instantly addicted to the unique way this exercise combined full-body power with control, and even finesse. Again, I found myself attracted to the purity of this movement: The entire body acting together in harmony to get strong. Just you, your foot, and the earth… nothing more. Simple, yet so complex.

I learned (and I’m STILL learning) how to manipulate leverage and body positioning on single-leg squats to change the exercise. Just like with advanced pushups, there’s a certain beauty, an art form, to these workouts, due to the endless variations allowed by such minimalism.

In adulthood, I became deeply immersed in what is often described as “Extreme Calisthenics.” By coincidence (or perhaps cosmic plan), I became a father at the same point in my life. I am inspired now more than ever. These days performing (and studying) advanced moves like muscle-ups, bar levers, and human flags make me feel like a kid again! And of course, seeing my son knock out infinite sets of flawless squats makes me proud as a man.

Now he’s that kid in Brooklyn working on his pushups on the linoleum floor… And I’m that guy practicing headstands at 2am.

Danny Kavadlo, Master PCC, is a Personal Trainer in New York City. He’s worked with hundreds of clients, including athletes, models, and celebrities. He is featured in the Convict Conditioning Series & Raising the Bar, and is known globally as a motivator & leader in the calisthenics community. Learn more at his website: www.DannyTheTrainer.com

Al Kavadlo on The Century

February 5, 2013 By Al Kavadlo 30 Comments

A key part of what makes the PCC different from many other fitness certifications is the inclusion of a physical requirement. It’s not simply enough to pay the fee, show up and get your certificate – you have to earn the PCC title!

In addition to demonstrating competency in teaching basic calisthenics exercises, PCC certified trainers must also pass Coach Wade’s “Century” test, a strength and conditioning challenge that consists of 100 consecutive bodyweight repetitions performed as follows:

Men	Women
40 Squats	40 Squats
30 Push-ups	30 Knee Push-ups
20 Hanging Knee Raises	20 Hanging Knee Raises
10 Pull-ups	10 Australian Pull-ups

The purpose of this test is to establish a baseline of competency in the performance of basic calisthenics. The Century includes a combination of movements that demonstrate strength and conditioning in the entire body.

A lot of people have asked about how the test will be judged. Here are some guidelines to make sure you are doing things the PCC way:

The exercises must be performed in the order listed above. No exceptions.

Squats must be performed with a minimum depth of top of the thighs parallel to the floor and a full lock out at the top of each rep. Arms may be raised in front, crossed, or placed on top of the head. Heels must stay flat the entire time.

Push-up depth must reach a minimum of 90 degrees of flexion as measured along the outside of the elbow and a full lockout must be achieved at the top of every rep. A straight body position must be maintained throughout the entire range of motion. No sticking your butt into the air or leaving your hips down on the ground.

Hanging knee raises must be performed with the knees being raised above waist level and a full extension of the legs at the bottom of every rep. Swinging shall be kept to a minimum. Arms must remain straight the entire set.

Pull-ups may be performed with an overhand or underhand grip. The chin must clear the bar at the top of each rep and a full extension must be reached at the bottom. Kipping will not be allowed. (Australian pull-ups are to be performed with the bar at waist height and a straight body position must be maintained throughout.)

Rest may be taken in between exercises, but each exercise must be completed in a single set. You may pause briefly between reps as long as the position is held (i.e. top of push-up position, bottom of pull-up, etc.)

The entire test must be completed in 8 minutes or less. The reps may be performed as quickly as you like as long as all the above rules are adhered to. Form first!

Watch the Century Test in action below:

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www.AlKavadlo.com

A veteran of the fitness industry, Al Kavadlo has recently been appointed as the lead instructor for the Progressive Calisthenics Certification. Recognized worldwide for his amazing bodyweight feats of strength as well as his unique coaching style, Al is also the author of three books, including Raising The Bar: The Definitive Guide to Pull-up Bar Calisthenics and the soon-to-be-released Pushing The Limits! Total Body Strength With No Equipment.

PCC: An Invitation for Bodybuilders

January 29, 2013 By Paul "Coach" Wade 62 Comments

The new Progressive Calisthenics Certification is open to anybody who wants to learn more about bodyweight strength. I know it will be a fantastic resource for martial artists, personal trainers, footballers and yoga masters. But I also want to draw in a group of athletes real close to my heart—bodybuilders.

You might be surprised to hear me talk of a fondness for bodybuilding. I am known as a guy who pushes realistic, athletic workouts: not pumping and posing in a thong. Hell, I admit it: I have taken my share of potshots at the bodybuilding scene.

But bodybuilding is a bigger world than most folks give it credit for. Yeah, the idiot shooting himself full of thousands of dollars worth of dangerous crap while training like a schlub is a bodybuilder. But so is the guy trying to lose a little tub, while putting an inch on his arms. So is the underweight girl who trains hard to fill out skinny limbs and turn her flat ol’ butt into a nice round booty. So is the disciplined grandpa or grandma who wants to hold aging at bay by restocking their skeleton with some quality meat. In fact, the vast majority of folks who start training want to build some muscle, for whatever reason.

They are bodybuilding, whether they know it or not.

Bodyweight training builds muscle—but you need to make it progressive.

One of the great tragedies of the modern fitness world is that bodybuilding has become—maybe indelibly—connected to training on machines and other forms of equipment. You do not need special equipment to build muscle—what you need, first and foremost, is your body’s own weight.

Hey, everyone knows my opinion on this. You don’t need to listen to me. How about the guy who made all the training machines so famous?

Arthur Jones was—without doubt—the biggest figure in the history of training machines. It is unlikely that anyone will ever eclipse his success. The man is still a famous and controversial figure in strength and conditioning, years after his death. Jones was an inventor, exercise ideologist, genius, and ass-kicker. He single-handedly invented the Nautilus brand of machines back in the sixties. His son developed the popular Hammer Strength brand of training machines, and Nautilus Inc. has branched out and now also owns Schwinn, Universal, Bowflex and Stairmaster. Every exercise machine, in every gym, all over the planet, has been influenced by Jones in some way.

Arthur Jones participating in his brainchild, the infamous “Colorado Experiment”.

This should tell you something. Arthur Jones was the poppa of training machines.

So you would assume that Jones—above all people—would have sung the praises of machines? You’d probably guess that Jones would be doing all he could to spread the idea that building muscle needs to happen on expensive machines, right?

Wrong. Jones was a straight talker. At the height of his fame he caused thousands of jaws to drop when he published this:

“…just about anybody else in this country can produce nearly all of the potential benefits of proper exercise without spending much if anything in excess of about twenty dollars. You can build both a chinning bar and a pair of parallel dip bars for a total cost of only a few dollars, and those two exercises, chins and dips, if properly performed, will stimulate muscular growth in your upper body and arms that will eventually lead to muscular size and strength that is very close to your potential.

Adding full squats, eventually leading up to one-legged full squats, and one-legged calf raises, will do much the same thing for your legs and hips. Using this very simple routine, when you get strong enough to perform about ten repetitions of one-armed chins with each arm, your arms will leave very little to be desired.

Or, instead, you can do what many thousands of others are now doing and piss away thousands of dollars and years of largely wasted effort while producing far less results. The choice is yours.

One of the best pair of arms that I ever saw on a man belonged to a guy that I knew about fifty years ago in New York, and he never performed any sort of exercise apart from chins and dips, and damned few of them.” – Arthur Jones, My First Half-Century in the Iron Game

Interesting words, huh?

I’m not saying nobody should use machines—PCC isn’t about telling athletes what not to do. But when the guy who practically brought about the exercise machine revolution tells you that bodyweight works just as well, it counts for something.

Arthur Jones oversees Mr Universe, the great Boyer Coe, through a set of chin-ups.

The PCC curriculum is an expansion of Convict Conditioning; it includes both progressive pull-ups and progressive dipping chains; not to mention the one-leg squat progressions referred to by Jones.

Take this as an open invitation. PCC is not just for “functional” trainers and cross-training athletes. If you want to build some muscle—or if your job is to help others build muscle—participation at the inaugural PCC event will be a massive opportunity, either to maximize your own ability, or to fulfill your potential to help others.

You never get a second chance at being the first. Please don’t miss this one.

Keep doing those push-ups,

Paul

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Paul Wade is the author of Convict Conditioning, Convict Conditioning 2, the Convict Conditioning DVD series and is the co-creator of the new Progressive Calisthenics Certification (PCC).

Al Kavadlo on Progressive Calisthenics

January 21, 2013 By Al Kavadlo 58 Comments

(includes excerpts from Pushing The Limits)

All types of strength training operate under the same principle of progressive overload. Regardless of modality, the way one grows stronger is to begin learning a movement pattern with a relatively low amount of resistance and gradually add more as the body adapts.

In barbell or kettlebell training, exercises can be learned with a light weight to get a feel for proper technique before progressing to heavier poundages. This allows the lifter to learn the form without having to overcome much resistance. Due to the nature of bodyweight training, however, progress must be approached a bit differently.

A key principle of progressive calisthenics is manipulating leverage to vary the intensity of bodyweight exercises. Since there is no way to do a one arm push-up, pistol squat or one arm pull-up without a significant amount of resistance, we instead must practice variations in which the body is positioned in such a way as to create less resistance. As you grow stronger, harder variations can gradually be introduced.

In the videos below, you’ll see me demonstrating progressive calisthenics chains that can be used to increase one’s strength over time. I’ve done one video for each of what I consider to be the three most essential movement patterns: push-ups, squats and pull-ups. Though these clips go by quickly, a beginner should expect to put in a few solid years of training to advance from the variations at the start of each clip to the master steps shown at the end.

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www.AlKavadlo.com

A veteran of the fitness industry, Al Kavadlo has recently been appointed as the lead instructor for the Progressive Calisthenics Certification. Recognized worldwide for his amazing bodyweight feats of strength as well as his unique coaching style, Al is also the author of three books, including Raising The Bar: The Definitive Guide to Pull-up Bar Calisthenics and the soon-to-be-released Pushing The Limits! Total Body Strength With No Equipment.