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Progressive Calisthenics - The Official Blog for the PCC Community

Health and Strength Conference

Health & Strength 2016: This Is What We Do!

August 23, 2016 By Danny Kavadlo 17 Comments

Dragon Door Health and Strength Presenters 2016

As I stepped on the stage at Dragon Door’s second annual Health & Strength Conference, my mouth was dry. My hands were moist. My heart beat hard against my rib cage. I took the stage to address the hundred or so freaks and geeks of fitness in attendance. My lips parted and I began to speak….

A little background info: I love a crowd. I was born with the natural gift (or curse) of never getting stage fright. I enjoy making a spectacle of myself. So you may ask yourself, why the nerves this time? Good question.

You see, I presented second out of a panel of fifteen esteemed speakers, including Senior PCC Adrienne Harvey, PCC Team Leader Logan Christopher, PCC Instructor Angelo Grinceri and many other giants in their field. As the second speaker, I had the dubious honor of following one of the finest orators I’d ever witnessed in my life: my good friend and celebrated trainer Rolando Garcia III. To say that Mr. Garcia is a tough act to follow would be to dangerously understate the situation.

When it was my turn, I took to the podium and grabbed the mic. The moment was mine for the taking and I went for it, firing off one of the finest performances of my career: How to Coach & Train Your Way To Pull-Up Greatness. I sermonized about all things pull-up related, from the humble hang to the mighty muscle-up, and everything in between, even an urban history lesson on the ancient “gymnasia” of yesteryear and the modern movement known as Street Workout. The crowd went wild. We even had two attendees achieve their very first muscle-ups at the Health & Strength Conference. Hellyeah! No need for me to worry; this is what I do.

Danny Kavadlo: This is what I do!
This is what I do!

Also on the list of presenters was the legendary Olympian and scholar, Dan John. Dan is someone I’ve wanted to meet for many years. Besides his numerous published titles, Dan also wrote the foreword to my #1 Amazon Bestselling book, Strength Rules. It was a privilege to watch the man in in action doing what he does best. No one breaks it down with more humility, integrity and hilarity than Dan John. Minds were blown.

Dan John drops knowledge on a packed house.
Dan John drops knowledge on a packed house.

Six-time national powerlifting champion, record setting strength coach and notorious recluse Marty Gallagher left his cave in the hills of rural Pennsylvania for the city streets of Minneapolis to share his wisdom at the Health & Strength Conference. In his trademark no-nonsense form, Marty shocked and awed as he manipulated leverage to increase the payload of suspension training.

The man, the myth, the legend… The immortal Marty Gallagher.
The man, the myth, the legend… The immortal Marty Gallagher.

Master RKC’s Phil Ross, Andrea Du Cane, Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner, Mike Krivka and Keira Newton each had their turn to educate. Subject matter ranged from operating a successful practice in the fitness industry, to kettlebell training, to assessing the right tools for the job, to matters of mobility. So much information was packed into these two glorious days. The presenter team was rounded out by Jon Bruney and Mike Gillette, two record holding strongmen with bodies forged of iron and hearts of pure gold. They presented about neuro-power and ring training, respectively. This is how you do it!

Neuro-power!
Neuro-power!

Naturally, the most special component of the conference was the people in attendance. These strong men and women who made the journey are truly the ones who made it such an unforgettable event. Thanks to all of you for being there, representing strength and knowledge in all their forms. I am stronger, wiser and better prepared for life in this world for having been there with you.

Keep the dream alive,

-DK

Health and Strength Conference Group Photo

Filed Under: Uncategorized, Workshop Experiences Tagged With: Danny Kavadlo, Dragon Door, Dragon Door Health and Strength Conference, Health and Strength Conference, HSC2016, pull-ups

A Meeting of Minds and Muscle—The Dragon Door Health and Strength Conference

August 25, 2015 By Al Kavadlo 9 Comments

Al Kavadlo Presenting at Dragon Door Health and Strength Conference 2015

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of presenting at Dragon Door’s first-ever Health and Strength Conference. The event took place over two full days, consisting of lectures, Q&A sessions, and networking opportunities with heavy hitters from various corners of the fitness world.

Nearly 100 coaches, trainers and exercise enthusiasts gathered to listen, discuss and share their varied experiences with one another. Plus there were some pull-up bars, kettlebells and other strength training implements on hand for anyone who had the urge to get some reps in before and after the various presentations.

My brother Danny and I each gave our own separate speeches; Danny spoke about achieving a chiseled set of Diamond Cut Abs, while I lectured on the topic of Zen and how it relates to calisthenics.

Danny Kavadlo Presenting at the 2015 Dragon Door Health and Strength Conference

Including the Kavadlo brothers, there were a total of 13 presenters, each with their own unique stories and experiences. Knowledge was spread, insights were shared and thoughts were provoked. Though the presenters came from various backgrounds and areas of expertise, the similarities and common themes present throughout the weekend were hard to ignore.

Almost everyone spoke about the importance of consistency, while many speakers also stressed spending a good deal of one’s training time developing strong fundamental movement patterns. Whether it was powerlifting legend Marty Gallagher stressing the importance of the squat, deadlift and bench press, or Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner extolling the strength and conditioning benefits of DVRT training exercises like the sandbag clean and press, using your body’s musculature as one cohesive unit was a theme that came up again and again. This concept should also be familiar to anyone who’s practiced progressive calisthenics. Regardless of what modality you prefer or which system you find most effective for your goals, the basic movement patterns (squat, hinge, push, pull, etc.) remain the same.

The business of personal training was also a hot topic at the conference. Equinox’s top manager Rolando Garcia gave a wonderful presentation on the fitness industry, focusing on all the crucial components of success in the personal training industry, other than the actual training itself. Rolando got into some of the least talked about, yet most important topics for fitness professionals.

Other presenters included Dr. Chris Hardy, Max Shank, Zach Even-Esh, Andrea Du Cane, Jon Bruney, Phil Ross, Logan Christopher and Mike Gillette. Though these presenters spoke on a wide variety of topics, including everything from training senior citizens to training for a professional cage fight, similar ideas about cycling intensity, managing stress levels, and staying in tune with the body kept coming up.

As the weekend went on, we came to see that whether our roots are in strongman training, calisthenics, or any other discipline, we all have the same vision to become a better version of ourselves each day.

Surrounding yourself with others who pursue excellence can be a wonderful source of inspiration. The energy (and synergy) of the group was undeniable. We all walked away from the weekend buzzing with new ideas and ready for the challenges ahead.

Dragon Door Health and Strength Conference Group Photo 2015

Hope to see YOU at next year’s conference!

****

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 five books, including Raising The Bar: The Definitive Guide to Pull-up Bar Calisthenics and Pushing The Limits! Total Body Strength With No Equipment. Read more about Al on his website:www.AlKavadlo.com.

Filed Under: Motivation and Goals, Workshop Experiences Tagged With: Al Kavadlo, Dragon Door Authors, Dragon Door Publications, Health and Strength Conference, motivation, strength training

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