how to pass the Century Test

99 Reps

October 27, 2015 By Eric Bergmann 12 Comments

John Du Cane Speaking At PCC

“There’s an epidemic. 99 reps…”

Dragon Door founder John Du Cane uttered this ominous phrase during the PCC workshop I attended.

In order to pass the PCC, you must complete the Century Test, which requires 100 reps. Yet there is a 99 rep curse. One rep shy of the goal. There were multiple such instances when I got my PCC, and I feel they could have been avoided.

If you’re looking to get your PCC or are simply looking for some techniques to help you squeeze out extra reps in your training, this article is for you.

We’ll go through the four movements of the test one-by-one, but first a comment on form: great form will be more efficient and preserve energy throughout the test. Before you worry about increasing reps, be sure your form is approaching perfect.

The Squat

PCC Century Test Squats Position check:

How is your foot position? Do you have contact with the ground through your big toe, little toe, and the center of your heel?

Play with the width and rotation of your feet. Find a position that allows you to feel like you are sitting between your legs while keeping your feet flat on the floor, knees inline with your toes, with a neutral spine.

1) Lower down slowly and with control. On the way up, begin pushing not just down through the floor, but also to the sides, like you’re standing on a towel and are trying to rip it in half using your feet (your feet, including the big toe joint, must remain flat on the ground).

2) As you’re ascending out of the hole, bear down on your abs—think low and deep, like you’re about to get punched below the navel.

3) On the hardest rep(s), try using the Valsalva maneuver: breathe in on your way down, but don’t breathe out on your way up. Hold the air in to keep your intra-abdominal pressure high until you hit the sticking point (the hardest portion of the rep). At that point begin to slowly let the air hiss out as you complete the rep. You should sound like a tire losing air.

4) At the top of each rep get tall and relaxed. Now is a good time to take an extra breath before beginning your next rep. You have 8 minutes. The clock is not your enemy, fatigue is.

The Push-Up

PCC Century Test Push Ups Position Check:

Are your forearms approximately perpendicular to the ground throughout the movement?

Are your upper-arms approximately 45 degrees from your body at the bottom of each rep, so that you look like an arrow when viewed from above?

Have you found a hand position of appropriate width for your upper-arm length and that accommodates your shoulder girdle? Play with hand placement and rotation to find your best position.

Is your body in a straight line from shoulder to heel?

1) Pretend you have a big dial in each hand. When you hit the bottom of the rep, grip the dials hard and turn them as you push into the floor—the left one goes counterclockwise, the right one goes clockwise. Your hand and elbow positions shouldn’t change, but you’re gripping and turning those dials anyway. The harder the rep, the harder you turn those dials and push.

2) Just before the sticking point, bear down on the abs (low and deep, like you are going to get punched in the gut again). Keep that tension until you finish the rep.

3) Lockout at the top of the rep and relax, but don’t linger. Remember: you’re still holding a plank. Don’t sag when you relax—your next rep will be terrible if you start in a weak position.

4) Remember the pressurized breathing from squat tactic #3? Use that again.

The Hanging Knee Raise

PCC Hanging Knee Raises Position Check:

Is the bar deep in your hands, not near the fingertips? Do you have a strong grip on the bar?

Are you shoulders packed down so that you’re not dangling off the structures of your shoulder?

Are your knees and feet together?

Check again. Failure to get into the right position will reduce your body’s willingness to fire the abs and to flex the hips. Don’t believe me? Grab a bar with your fingertips, hang from your shoulder sockets, leave your legs flailing around and let me know how you did versus being in a strong position.

These tactics will be about limiting body-sway, which is typically what wrecks candidates on the hanging knee raise.

1) Lower the legs slowly after each rep. The shorter and lighter your legs, the faster you can go. The more you’re built like me, the more you’ll need to control the eccentric portion of the movement.

2) Do not relax at the end of a rep. You risk losing position and incurring sway.

3) When the reps begin to get hard increase your grip on the bar, your depression/packing of the shoulder-blades, and the pressure you’re applying between your knees and feet—double-down on your starting position.

The Pull-Up

PCC Century Test Pull Ups Position Check:

Do you have a deep grip on the bar—i.e., not near your fingertips?

Are your feet slightly in front of your body?

This is it. The moment when people complete 9 1/2 reps and wonder what just happened. Here’s how to avoid that:

1) Crush the bar. When the reps get hard your grip gets harder. You’re about to go for rep 100? Crush that bar like it’s covered in butter and you’re dangling over the Grand Canyon.

2) Right before the sticking point, bear down on the abs and glutes. Deep and low for the abs, hard for the glutes. This won’t help unless you’re already crushing the bar. You are crushing the bar, right? Good. Crush harder. They should have to pry your hands off the bar after your 100th rep. Want a high-five when you pass? Too bad. Your hands won’t open for the next several minutes.

3) Remember the pressurized breathing? Now’s your time to shine. Get air in at the bottom position. Start hissing out air at the sticking point. Keep hissing until you complete the rep.

4) Savagely rip that bar off the supports. Think about driving your shoulders and elbows toward the Earth, rather than pulling your head over the bar. Refuse to fail.

These techniques, properly utilized, should get you about a 20% increase in reps. Practice them and watch your numbers go up.

See you at 100 reps.

Al Kavadlo, Eric and Beth Bergmanns6

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Eric Bergmann is a New York City based strength coach, movement specialist, and proud member of the PCC family. He co-owns Bergmann Fitness—a boutique training and nutrition service—with his wife, Beth. You can find out more about them at bergmannfitness.com

Preparing for the PCC Experience

May 26, 2015 By Doug Fioranelli 6 Comments

Al and Danny Kavadlo Finger Tip Pushups

In our ever-growing, fast-paced world, the need for instantaneous information extends through many areas in our lives – especially fitness. Topics like: The 5 Best Exercises You’re NOT Doing and Three Secret Hacks to Gain Strength Instantly promise quick results with minimal effort. Much of the fitness industry has gone the way of the late night As Seen on TV infomercial where we bounce from different training ideas, exercises and equipment only to have them all collect dust in either the corner of the room or the corner of our minds.

I do not blame the trainer for getting sucked into this slick style of marketing, nor do I blame companies for using these marketing tactics to gain a wider audience and increase their bottom line. In this day and age we are responsible for ourselves and it would probably serve us best if we took a few deep breaths before we dive into the latest trend.

I have been a proud RKC instructor since 2008 and have been happy with Dragon Door’s products and courses; I’ve also admired their marketing strategies. Like it or not, marketing is essential to grow a brand or business and it usually requires something memorable or out of the ordinary to make a person take action. Seeing the Kavadlo brothers performing feats of strength with only their bodyweight is truly inspiring and sends that immediate shockwave of determination through the body: I want to do that.

Al and Danny Kavadlo Elbow Levers

Still, I didn’t want to jump right into the PCC certification for fear that it was Dragon Door’s way of staying relevant in the ever changing landscape of fitness and it would not be as good an experience as advertised. After taking a step back and doing more research I decided to sign up and I am glad that I did. All throughout the years Dragon Door has remained true to their roots and backed up their marketing by providing a learning experience of the highest quality.

First off, they bring out the best instructor team. Al and Danny are the best not only because they can wow any mortal human being with their movement prowess; they can also actually teach the movements they are performing in a safe and progressive manner.

Like every other Dragon Door course I have attended, Al, Danny, Adrienne and the rest of the team were focused on the curriculum and were direct with their approach. Their primary objective was to not only teach the movements in easily digested portions, they also wanted to teach us how to instruct our clients through the progressions.

The other thing Dragon Door has done remarkably well with the PCC is to make the course all-inclusive for every age and fitness level. People might have one of two types of reservations when considering the PCC: Either it is going to be too difficult or it is going to be too easy. I was in the former class, having only trained bodyweight basics like squats, pull-ups and push-ups; I had never challenged myself with advanced progressions and variations.

Balancing the course to make it appropriate for everyone in attendance seemed like an impossible task, but the instructors handled it beautifully. I can say this is truly a certification that includes everyone. The participants at the PCC I attended in Encinitas this January were a great mix of male and female fitness enthusiasts ranging in age from 18 to over 60, each bringing different training backgrounds and skill sets. For every core exercise presented the instructors had several remedial options as well as advanced options. Everyone was able to find variations to practice that were challenging, yet appropriate for their individual fitness level.

L-sits PCC Encinitas

The PCC Century Test

In true Dragon Door fashion, you have to demonstrate proficiency in basic movements and pass the Century Test to earn the PCC credential.

I had a client ask me recently “why does there need to be a physical test to prove you are a good coach?” I thought about it for a moment and told the client that “testing is a way to truly devote yourself to a challenge and bring out a better version of yourself. You have to put some skin in the game!”

After signing up, I had to ensure I was successful at completing the test and passing the course. Here is the blueprint and workouts I used during my PCC century test preparation. I hope it serves you as well as it did me.

Do Your Homework

Before diving right into a program I wanted to first understand exactly what I was getting into. I found a great article on the Dragon Door website by Adrienne Harvey which helped address the exact exercises, repetitions, techniques, order and time allotment I needed for the test. I wrote all of these on top of my workout training page so I always had them in front of me. They are as follows:

Century Test Chart

I officially began my training six weeks out from the certification. After my research I decided to test myself to see where I was from the start. I went in fresh after my normal warm-up and went through The Century trying to be as strict as possible with form.

I was mostly happy with the results, however there was work to be done and this baseline test showed me exactly where I needed to center my attention. I could feel that my form became sloppy as each exercise wore on. In my previous training programs I had not been performing push-ups and pull-ups in the higher repetition ranges I needed to pass the PCC test, so this would be my primary focus.

Getting your Reps Up

I dedicated three of my five training days to the specific bodyweight exercises of the PCC. After practicing various combinations of calisthenics, I would rest and perform the PCC test at the end of my workout to see if I improved. I liked adding the test at the end of the workout because the PCC certification test is performed at the end of the three-day training course so fatigue will be a factor and being able to pass when you are tired is essential.

One workout I did I called The Century and a Half. Like the name implies, you do the entire Century at the end of your workout and after your pull ups, you start right back with the squats and perform all of the exercises for half the number of repetitions. I allotted myself a maximum of 12 minutes to complete the century and a half routine.

If you find your general conditioning lacking, it may cause a problem during the PCC test. For this, I added some sprints into the training mix. Trust me; you want to be in good cardiovascular shape for the Century. Your adrenaline will be pumping–and after your 40 squats so will your heart rate. If you cannot catch your breath the rest of the test could be a struggle and you don’t want to let your cardiovascular system be your undoing.

I have a local track that has pull-up and dip bars so it was a perfect place to combine calisthenics with cardiovascular training. For my favorite workout I would run 400m at a pace that was comfortable and then I would do as many pull-ups, hanging knee raises and push-ups as I could with good form. When I was done I would repeat three more times.

Not only was I training my cardiovascular system I was performing the calisthenics movements during a state of elevated heart rate and, especially after a few runs around the track, a state of fatigue.

If you live in an area affected by real winter weather or don’t have a track with pull-up bars, simply bring a jump rope to a location that does. Skip for 1-2 minutes and then perform your bodyweight exercises for however many rounds you see fit.

With meticulous thought towards every detail, Dragon Door has truly done it again with their PCC certification course. It is a testament to how they understand fitness and the people who seek knowledge to make themselves and their clients better. If you are willing to practice the basics, you should have no problem passing the PCC exam and enjoying the weekend. I know I sure did!

Danny Doug and Al

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Doug Fioranelli, PCC, RKC-II, holds a Master’s degree in Kinesiology and is the owner of Rise Above Performance Training™ in Belmont, CA. Check out his blog for more training articles and videos at DougFioranelli.com

Conquering the Century Test

November 18, 2014 By Adrienne Harvey 51 Comments

Adrienne Testing Pushups At Sweden PCC — Adrienne closely observes push ups during the Century Test at a PCC Workshop

The Century Test is the climax of every Progressive Calisthenics Certification event. After three days of intense training, the Century is the only opportunity for prospective candidates to prove their mettle and earn the title of PCC Instructor.

While helping Al and Danny teach at several PCC workshops, I’ve noticed the same common issues continually come up during the Century Test. Before you think these don’t apply to you, remember I’ve actually seen many accomplished and highly athletic people make these very mistakes! Of course we make sure to point out the complete rules and standards at each workshop, but why not work to avoid these hidden perils from the beginning?

First, let’s talk about speed—you will have a total of EIGHT minutes to complete your Century Test. Somewhere along the line, a terrible rumor started about doing the test “as fast as you can.” Unfortunately, this is the opposite of how the test should be approached; the Century is not a race!

While we don’t want you to fall asleep mid-test or run out of time, we do require you to use a moderate pace that allows you to complete each rep with your best form, crisply and cleanly. We also need to be able to evaluate and count your reps in real time. If someone gets into speed demon mode, it’s very difficult to evaluate AND count each rep while making sure they are up to our standards. We shouldn’t be seeing “motion blur” around you!

Once you begin a set, you can’t stop until you have completed the required amount of reps (which will be counted by whoever is testing you—Al, Danny, or an assisting PCC instructor). For example, the first set is 40 bodyweight squats. Once that set begins, there’s no stopping until you complete all 40 reps. After a set is completed, you can take as much time (within that total of eight minutes) as you need to rest between sets—more on that later!

For many PCC attendees, an odd issue happens with the squats, but it is easily corrected. Sometimes people focus SO much on the “down” portion of the squat that they don’t always fully complete the “up” portion! Make sure you stand ALL the way UP at the end of each squat rep. Again, if this can happen to some of the most athletic and accomplished people then it can happen to anyone. If you have a training partner, ask them to keep a close eye on your full squat movement (or record a short video of yourself).

Testing Squats at the PCC

As for the lowering phase, the top of your thighs must come below parallel with the ground without any bouncing at the bottom. Some people have had issues here as well, so make sure you go all the down before you come all the way up!

Next up are push-ups, 30 reps. Men will do these from the feet, and the ladies will be doing them from the knees. (Feet must be together for men; knees together for women.) Again, be sure to come all the way up to a full lockout at the top – much like the squats, it’s easy to become preoccupied with the bottom portion of the exercise, the required depth, etc. while shortchanging the completion of the rep. Use a comfortable, moderate pace so we can see that all your reps are up to our standards.

Al Kavadlo Testing Pushups at a PCC Workshop

Many of the women who come to the PCC are super fit and have not done push-ups from the knees in a while—these same women often tend to have some very fashionable workout wear. This can be perilous when these high performance fabrics make our knees slide during the push-up. Suddenly our hands and knees are very far apart, and it’s against the rules to re-adjust them during the set. Make sure you have a non-slip mat below you, and/or hike up those shiny capris past your knees so they do not move on that mat!

Another issue that even very fit women will have with the knee push-up (especially if we’re used to doing push-ups from the feet) is the idea of keeping the body in a perfectly straight line from the knees to the shoulders, without bending at the hips. Have a training partner observe you, or shoot a video to watch and make sure for yourself. One cue I have used successfully with clients is to have them practice by starting in a “straight arm plank” position, then while keeping the trunk straight, drop down to the knees to find the proper alignment to begin a knee push-up.

Danny Testing Hanging Knee Raises

Hanging knee raises are a real equalizer! Like squats, they’re tested the same for men and women. You must not swing or use momentum to make these reps, and you must hang onto the bar for the entire duration of the set. Make sure to grip the bar tightly while squeezing your shoulders down and back (basically, don’t hang like a limp noodle!) Imagine trying to bend the bar in half to intensify this feeling. Make sure to practice this at home!

Don’t underestimate a set of 20 knee raises. Bringing your knees above your waist takes a surprising amount of abdominal strength when you don’t use any momentum. When your feet come back down (also under control), I’ve found that aiming to put them just below (or even slightly in front of) your body is a great way to prevent momentum. People have found themselves in big momentum-trouble when they’ve extended their feet behind them on the “down” portion of the knee raises, because they start swinging back and picking up momentum. It almost becomes a mini-kip. Control is the name of the game with knee raises!

Finally we have the pull-ups, which are often the most challenging (and potentially heartbreaking) part of Century Test. Sometimes someone with plenty of time to spare just wants to get the test done and he or she does not give themselves adequate rest between the hanging knee raises and the pull-ups. I’ve seen very strong (but reasonably fatigued from 3 days of fun and intensive PCC work) people fail the test at the workshop because they couldn’t finish those last 1-3 pull-ups. An extra 30 seconds to 1 minute rest time between sets could have meant the difference between passing at the PCC or having to go home, regroup, train and submit a test video. It’s moments like these that we all wish for an “undo” or “rewind” button on life! Don’t underestimate the adrenaline rush of “test time”! Remember, it is not a race; you have 8 full minutes, so use it!

For the pull-ups, men will be doing 10 dead hang pull ups from a pull up bar with their choice of underhand or overhand grip. (If the bar is too high, and/or your hands are somehow shredded because you were inspired to overdo it a bit on the previous days, do not hesitate to ask us for a step stool!) Women will be performing 10 “Aussie” pull-ups (down under the bar—also known as bodyweight rows) from a waist-height bar. Again, I can’t encourage the ladies enough to experiment with these bodyweight rows. When practicing for the PCC, find a bar that’s the right height for you, and make sure that your body is positioned in such a way that you’re able to pull yourself up to the bar without having your feet slide—experiment with a mat, or a good shoe choice, etc. Pull yourself up close to the bar at the top of each rep, stay engaged (think plank) without having your body bow up or slump down.

Adrienne Demonstrates Aussie Pull-Up

Men, make sure that you are doing full pull-up reps, as half reps won’t count and can be costly in terms of fatigue! A SLIGHT kink in the elbows at the bottom of the rep is technically allowed, but make sure to have someone check you and video yourself to make sure that you aren’t slipping into doing half-reps. And, no kipping or momentum allowed!

I hope that these details have been helpful, and please feel free to ask questions here and always at the workshop. We really do want everyone to pass if they are truly ready and able to represent the PCC as a certified instructor, while helping their students/clients improve their fitness and quality of life.

Hope to see you at a future PCC Workshop!
Adrienne

Adrienne at the PCC Workshop with Adam

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About Adrienne Harvey, Senior PCC Instructor, RKC-II, 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!