PCC

10 Hot Bodyweight Exercises You Should Be Training

September 10, 2013 By Alex Zinchenko 39 Comments

Ok, so you got serious about this “progressive calisthenics” thing. And now your head explodes from endless dilemmas: should you train this or that? What’s better: the planche or the one-arm push-up? Should you be working on one-arm chin-up or front lever pull-ups? Possibilities are limitless while our resources are definitely limited. You can’t think “screw it”, and train with every technique at once. You must choose something if you want to make any meaningful progress. So what should you choose? Let me give you 10 hot calisthenics exercises you should spend time training (in no particular order).

1. Handstand

If you don’t train this exercise you are missing out big time. This would be my number one priority. Why the handstand? Well, if you can stand on your legs, shouldn’t you be able to stand on hands? Not convinced? Ok, then here is what I can tell you from experience. The handstand develops your upper body like nothing else. There’s simply no substitution. It makes your shoulders and arms more stable and robust. You’ll definitely feel the newly gained strength and stability in all other pushing movements. For example, all my training clients benefited from implementing handstand training into their routines and increased their pushing numbers (some of them had a 20% increase, which is great, in my opinion). Anyway, no matter what your goal, you should strive to learn the handstand as soon as possible. And, of course, it looks awesome. If you are struggling to learn the skill here are 10 tips that will help you.

2. Handstand Push-Ups

I differentiate handstand push-ups into two types:

Wall-Assisted Handstand Push-Ups [WA HSPU]
Free-Standing Handstand Push-Ups [FS HSPU]

They are two quite different things. When we are talking about WA HSPUs we are talking about an almost purely strength move. Balance is not an issue here, while FS HSPUs will require decent balance and stability as well as proficiency in the handstand. No matter what you prefer, it is good idea to train both. Once you get good at them you can increase difficulty in one of these ways:

Increase range of motion;
Add a weighted vest;
Move to one arm work.

Ideally, you should end with weighted full ROM one-arm handstand push-up.

3. Chin-Ups/Pull-Ups/One-Arm Chin-Up

Everybody knows these exercises. You can call them whatever you want, but you can’t deny the fact that chin-up is one of the best lat and biceps builders known to man (if not the best). It is an essential pulling movement pattern and it should be practiced a lot. I won’t get deep into details here, but for the regular chin-ups your main technique points are:

Back should be arched
Shoulder blades together
Chin up until chest touches the bar

Also it would be a good idea to practice chin-ups on different apparatus. Do them on bars, monkey bars, rings, towels etc. This will add spice to your training.

Another interesting thought would be to perform them every day (of course, assuming you can do at least 10-12). Try doing 30-50 Chin-Ups total (in as many sets as needed) every day for the next 3-4 weeks and you can be amazed with your new set of guns and barn door back.

When you are able to perform at least 15 chin-ups it will be a good time to slowly introduce one-arm chin-up work. My main tip would be to get into it very slowly. You don’t want to experience intolerable elbow pain, right? Anyway, I believe that the one-arm chin-up is definitely an exercise you need to master someday.

4. Pistol

You can’t ignore your leg training unless you desire that set of toothpicks you can often see in commercial gyms. There is an exercise that can help you not to look that stupid. It is one-legged squat a.k.a. the “pistol”. You know that it works your legs from all angles and pretty well. But there’s a problem with the pistol. Once you can do 10 reps in the exercise it becomes more endurance oriented rather than strength. What to do in such situation? The simplest solution is to add weight. A weighted vest should be ideal. If you don’t have one then you can use a backpack. Here’s the article on how to do it. Also you can use kettlebells, a sandbag, or a barbell. If you have nothing you can grab a stranger (girl, preferably) and put him/her on your shoulders for added resistance.

But what to do if you have nothing at hand, there are no people around and you feel unstoppable urge to train your legs? You can combine pistols with jumps. Try to jump onto a platform from the bottom of the pistol position. Or you can try broad jumps in pistol position. Use your imagination.

5. Planche/Planche Push-Ups

The planche is another awesome gymnastic position/move you can effectively implement in your training routine. Is it essential? Probably not. But it is a very good test of your straight arm scapular strength. It works your delts, upper chest, lats and biceps quite decently. Also it’s a staggering sight to see a human being holding their body parallel to the ground on straight hands.

Here are a couple of tips:

Most people don’t have the necessary flexibility in the wrists so it will be a good idea to turn your hands a bit sideways.
Always perform this skill with your elbows locked. Otherwise, it is not a planche.
Don’t overdo it. If you want to train it more than two times per week don’t go even close to failure. Otherwise, you’ll feel very annoying pain in your forearms.

Once you master the specific planche position it is good idea to try push-ups in it. For example, once you can hold an advanced tuck planche for at least 10 seconds you can try to add push-ups in this position.

6. Front Lever

The front lever is another useful skill in our arsenal. It works arms and back while torching your core. Many people think that it is easy. Obviously, they are fooling themselves. You’ll need lots of time to master the skill especially if you are 80+ kg and tall.

Again, as with the planche you want to keep your elbows locked. And also you don’t want to overdo it for the same reasons.

A good tip for mastering the front lever is to use a “false grip” while performing it. More on this later in the article.

7. Human Flag

Everybody loves the human flag. It’s a core killer as well as test of upper body strength and stability. There are lots of tutorials on the human flag out there. What can I add? Here are couple of thoughts:

Don’t start training the human flag before the handstand is mastered.
Learn the human flag on Swedish bars first (or use some kind of ladder). Then move to pole version.

8. Push-Ups/One-Arm Push-Up

What’s so hot about push-ups? Not much. Purely the fact that they lead to the one-arm push-up. And the one-armer is hot by any stretch of the imagination.

A lot can be said about this move but I’ll concentrate on technique points. For me a one-arm push-up “counts” only if:

feet are not wider shoulder width;
shoulders are parallel to the ground;
body is perfectly straight looking from the side;
twist of the body is MINIMAL looking from the top.

You may ask: “is it even possible?” Yes, it is. But it will require lots of patience and hard work to achieve. Maybe even more than any other complex bodyweight skill. If you need some more inspiration here you can find 10 tips for mastering the Perfect One-Arm Push-Up.

9. Back Lever

The back lever is not a very hard skill but it is essential for learning the planche. Also there are lots of other skills that use this position so it will be smart to spend some time learning it. The most important thing I’d like to share with you is what to do when the back lever is mastered. The most basic thing you can do is to learn Back lever pull outs. You get into the inverted hang position, then lower down into the back lever position, hold it for a second and pull yourself back into inverted hang. Repeat for desired amount of reps.

10. Muscle-Up

I can’t leave this article without mentioning the muscle-up. You can hear or read different things about this skill. Some people say that it is essential and you should master it as soon as possible. Others (usually brainwashed with modern bodybuilding) argue saying that it’s useless because you combine pulling and pushing. They state that you can’t load the pulling and pushing pattern as much as you could if you split them.

Nevertheless, I believe that muscle-up is one of the skills you must learn. And I’m talking about controlled muscle-up here, not the kipping one.

There are two points I’d like you to concentrate on:

Use a “false grip”—with the thumbs over the bar, rather than wrapped around it. Watch some videos on YouTube on this subject. One exercise that will help you here is false grip chin-ups.
The main struggle is the transition part. There are three exercises that will help: Russian dips, chest-over-bar pull-ups (pull yourself very high) and muscle-up negatives.

It’s beyond the scope of this article to explain these exercises in detail, but if you want me to explain them just leave a comment and I’ll try to make it happen.

Another interesting thing about the muscle-up is that ring muscle-ups are actually easier than bar muscle-ups. Why? Due to the fact that you can pull the rings to sides during the transition phase.

Closing Thoughts

Of course, you’ll need much more than this article to create a reasonable program. My goal was to show you what exercises would develop your body and what you should focus on while programming your training. What now? You must absorb the knowledge and use it. Thanks for reading.

If you have a fitness-obsessed friend, you can do a good thing and share this article with him or her.

Play rough!

Alex Zinchenko

P.S. If you have any thoughts regarding the topic, let’s chat in comments.

***

It is a pleasure for the PCC to present Alex Zinchenko—the Ukraine’s hottest personal trainer! Alex is a strength addict, coach and author of the Rough Strength blog, where he shares his crazy ideas regarding training and nutrition. He is honest as toothache, straightforward like a train and dares to believe that heavy calisthenics, kettlebell and sandbag training along with intermittent fasting can deliver you all the results you want.

My Journey to the Back Lever

August 13, 2013 By Angelo Gala 10 Comments

It frequently catches me off guard when budding fitness enthusiasts ask me to teach them flashy drills such as kettlebell juggling, physio-ball air squats and kipping butterfly pull-ups. Sure these exercises may look impressive, however each complex movement pattern requires a level of physical competency and advanced coordination that isn’t just given away. All too often, these requests come from the same people who struggle with executing ten standard push-ups. Very rarely do people care about the benefits provided, they’re simply romanced by the “fun factor.” Demonstrate to the same person a back lever and you may see a pair of glazed eyes appreciating the skill, but not quite aware of the work required to get there.

If you are unfamiliar with the back lever, picture hanging from a pull-up bar, pulling your feet all the way to the bar, then sliding them in between your hands and rotating backwards until your chest is parallel to the floor below. The back lever finishes with a hip and knee extension that suspends your body into a plank formation while hanging from your hands. Sound fun? I thought so! But it can also do wonders for your strength, mobility and proprioception.

Working through the progressions will open up your shoulders, stretch your chest and strengthen the supporting musculature of your scapulae like no other. Once you are mobile enough to rotate your chest to parallel, the real core training begins. The back lever will simultaneously develop unbelievable amounts of strength and stability on both sides of your body. You can say goodbye to those weighted back extensions since this version of the lever will hit both your lower back and upper back musculature all while developing the awareness to align your spine in vertical, inverted and horizontal positions.

I was lucky enough to have some decent shoulder mobility and a very supportive baseline of strength when I began training this calisthenic. Here is the progression that worked for me:

Static Hang:
Starting from absolute scratch, you should develop the hand strength to hang from a pull-up bar for 30-60 seconds. If you can’t hang for that long, trying to support yourself as you flip upside down isn’t a great idea. You can practice hanging from both hands and eventually one hand at a time to develop your grip strength evenly on both sides.

Hanging Leg Raise (HLR):
To execute this requisite core exercise, pull down on the pull-up bar with both hands while simultaneously lifting your legs as straight as possible up toward the bar. Shoot for at least ten reps before you move on from here.

Skin the Cat / German Hang:
After developing strength from the HLR, it’s time to wiggle your feet in-between your hands and rotate backwards until you can look straight ahead. The finish position, known as the German hang, should look similar to your hanging start position with your legs dropping towards the ground, except your arms will be stretched behind your body. Initially you may find that you do not have the shoulder mobility to come around full circle or the fear factor may be just too great – that’s ok! Try performing a few rotations at a time, gradually increasing the amount of rotation on each attempt. Static holds in your deepest expression of the exercise as well as dynamic repetitions of the move will help loosen up tight muscles. Be sure to keep your shoulders active (squeeze the shoulder blades together and down towards your bum) as it will keep your arms attached to your body. Trust me, this is a good thing.

Here we see a German hang and a standard bar hang side by side.

Tuck Back Lever:
Using the skin the cat technique, roll through your arms attempting to align your chest to parallel with the ground. After you pull through, tuck your knees tightly to your chest and lift your upper back to spot the ground ahead of your body. Your target here is to work up to a 20-30 second hold before you move on. Progressing your tuck lever is as simple as pushing your upper thighs away from your chest in an attempt to align your knees under your hips. Understand that this will increase the difficulty of the move exponentially. If aligning your knees under your hips feels sketchy and unmanageable, then slowly pull your knees only a few inches from the tuck position at a time. Be patient and work up to thirty second holds a few inches at a time.

Congratulations! You are well on your way to getting the move under your belt and by now I’m sure that many people have stopped to stare at the insanity of your acrobatics!

Single Leg Tuck Back Lever:
Once you can hold a tuck position with your knees stacked directly under your hips, you can alternate extending one leg at a time. In the beginning, it’s perfectly alright to send one leg back with the knee significantly bent. Soon enough you will be able to lock out your leg in its entirety. Keep in mind that your legs hold a significant chunk of your body weight so move slow or you might find yourself unexpectedly falling into a German hang. Don’t forget to work both sides evenly as preventing imbalance should be a goal in any fitness program. Thirty seconds per leg should be your target range of proficiency here as well.

Full Back Lever:
We made it! It’s time to work on the full expression! Using leverage to your advantage will be the key to your success when practicing the full back lever. To execute, skin your cat until you can align your torso to about 45 degrees with your head angled towards the ground. From here, keep your knees tucked and begin to extend your hips. Once you feel stable, slowly straighten your knees until your body is fully extended into one long line angled roughly forty-five degrees from the ground. Keep your entire body as tight as possible. If you can hang here without too much issue, lift your chest to help drop your hips, moving your body position closer to parallel to the floor. The more parallel you become, the more you will feel gravity’s pull and the harder you will have to work.

All in all, I learned the progressions to this move and bagged it after almost exactly one month of work. I can’t promise the same rate of success as everyone’s starting strength and mobility will be different. As for programming, I practiced my back lever progressions three or four days a week. At least two workouts were specifically geared towards building volume in the different tuck positions with a target of three to seven attempts per workout. I worked up to owning each position for thirty seconds but started many of the holds with barely the ability to tolerate ten seconds. Other days I would skin the cat as a dynamic warm-up or finish my workouts with several sets in the German hang position so I consistently worked on improving requisite shoulder mobility and got comfortable going upside down. Keep practicing and be patient. Continued exposure to the demands of the back lever will get you there as soon as your body is ready for it

Give this a go, good luck and keep me posted on your progress!

***

About Angelo Gala, RKC / PCC Team Leader: Angelo Gala has been a fitness professional in the Boston area for greater than 11 years. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NCSA, and has studied the Pranavayu system of yoga under David Magone. He is a Dharma friend at the Sakya Center of Buddhist Studies in Cambridge, MA where he completed a 1 year intensive study of Mangalam Yantra Yoga under the guidance of Lama Migmar Tseten. Go to http://www.dragondoor.com/angelo-gala/ for more info.

My Unique Path to Calisthenics

July 16, 2013 By Corey Howard 6 Comments

Corey Howard ‘hangs out’ with his 9 year old son, Dylan Howard

“I’ve had the same training program for the last 6 months.” That’s what I told the gentleman sitting next to me on the shuttle back to the hotel after day 1 at the PCC (Progressive Calisthenics Cert). He seemed a bit confused but very intrigued. “What is it!?”

My road to Calisthenics is a unique one. My training roots are in powerlifting. Six month training cycles that incorporated max efforts and speed work have been normal to me for many years. After tearing my tricep and experiencing a badly herniated disc in my low back, I discovered kettlebells. Kettlebells took me through the RKC (Russian Kettlebell Certification) and gave me an outlet to train heavy and hard while still getting in my explosive work. Recently though, due to a severe case of Scoliosis, my back issues flared up and have forced me to limit my kettlebell practice. Since giving up strength training simply isn’t an option, Paul Wade’s “Convict Conditioning” book provided an outlet for strength.

Anyone that says you can’t build insane levels of strength using old-school calisthenics just simply doesn’t understand bodyweight training. If we all agree that you can build crazy levels of strength by simply increasing the tension or load placed on the body then we should agree calisthenics work. For example – with a deadlift, you can simply add more weight. With push-ups you can begin with standing wall push-ups and end with a one-arm, one-leg push-up, or even progress to a handstand push-up off cement blocks! The basic rule of thumb is knowing how to manipulate the load or tension placed on your body. Once you figure that out, the kingdom can be yours!

So how did I take my powerlifting background and apply it to a ‘simple’ bodyweight training program and still get stronger?

First, I always begin with a simple joint mobility routine to warm-up. Then I follow it with some basic rolling and crawling patterns to get the body firing, centered and stabilized. How you do this is entirely up to you. I always begin with 15-20 minutes of Primal Move.

Second, move on to strength work. After an efficient warm-up and firing up our nervous system with Primal Move, spend some time practicing your high tension drills. For example, this might be a handstand push-up paired with an assisted one-arm pull-up.

It’s also very important to pair movements that complement each other here. For example, I like to pair a horizontal push with a horizontal pull, a vertical push with a vertical pull, or a squat movement with a high total body tension drill, like a plank or hanging toe touch. I always limit my strength work to 3 sets and generally never go any higher than 3 reps. It’s also very important to take your time with your strength work. Rest up and begin each set fresh.

Third, we need to understand conditioning is important. Strength will make the easier tasks crazy easy, but we also need to spend time getting the heart rate up and practicing the basic calisthenics movements. I like to combine a few things for high reps.

As Paul Wade and Al Kavadlo tell us, practicing the basics helps build up tendon strength. Pay your dues on the fundamentals! An example for this portion would be 50 bodyweight squats paired with 30 lying leg raises for 3 consecutive sets of time. Or you could combine 20 kneeling push-ups with 10 horizontal pull-ups for 5 consecutive sets of time. This gives you some metabolic work and lays a foundation of the basics.

Fourth, don’t be afraid to sample various progressions. Once you’ve nailed one arm push-ups on a box for 3×3, don’t be afraid to go a little closer to the floor. Or once you’re able to do 200 basic bodyweight squats and 100 hanging knee raise in 5 minutes, fire up more reps or try the next progression and switch to straight leg raises.

So what’s a sample program look like?

Day 1

Warm-up: Primal Move for 20 minutes

Strength: 2 board depth handstand push-ups paired with uneven pull-ups

Conditioning/Basics practice: 50 bodyweight squats paired with 25 hanging knee raise, 3 sets for time.

Cool Down: Joint mobility work in areas specific to my needs followed by a half kneeling stability drill.

Day 2

Warm-up: Primal Move for 20 minutes

Strength: Pistol Squats paired with hanging toe touches

Conditioning/Basics practice: 20 kneeling push-ups paired with 10 Horizontal pull-ups, 5 sets for time.

Cool Down: Joint mobility work in areas specific to my needs followed by a half kneeling stability drill.

Day 3

Warm-up: Primal Move for 20 minutes

Strength: One-arm push-ups on a low box paired with one-arm horizontal pull-ups

Conditioning/Basics practice: Walking lunge paired with sledge hammering a tire for 10 min total.

Cool Down: Joint mobility work in areas specific to my needs followed by a half kneeling stability drill.

So there you have it. Always pair complimentary movements together for strength work and alternate the basics with the strength movements from session to session. With this basic outline I guarantee consistent progress. As you get stronger, your conditioning will get easier. Practicing and drilling your basics makes your strength better. It all fits together like pieces of a puzzle… Fire it up!

***

About Corey Howard, RKC, CK-FMS: Corey Howard strives to constantly become stronger, and to help others to achieve their fitness goals. He is the owner of Results Personal Training, and can be reached at www.resultsptonline.com or www.coreyhoward.com.

The PCC and….Love?

June 25, 2013 By Peter D'Epiro 11 Comments

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!).

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.

Exceeding All Expectations—The Power of the PCC

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

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…

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.

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…

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.

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.

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!

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.

Al Kavadlo’s PCC FAQ

June 4, 2013 By Al Kavadlo 10 Comments

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.

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.

Photos by Audra May Photography

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

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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.

[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.

Our Life’s Blood

May 21, 2013 By Danny Kavadlo 29 Comments

Blood is life. Throughout the history of our world, gurus, shamans, medicine men, and hunters have drank blood straight from the carcass for celebration or ritual. The blood carries oxygen, nutrients, and protein–true life force–to the physical body. The blood transfers strength, soul, and virility to the spiritual body. Both literally and figuratively, it represents our very essence.

When we say that something is “in our blood,” we mean that we are deeply linked to it. We wouldn’t use those words unless we were talking about something that is a part of us, something that truly makes us who we are.

Body weight strength training is in my blood.

“When I was younger, I drank a quart of blood a day for about six weeks. I’d get it from the slaughterhouse.
I’d heard about the Masais… they’d drink cattle blood for strength.”

– Jack LaLanne

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I am profoundly passionate about the pursuit of strength and well being. The path to a new skill, and the beauty and synchronicity of full-body harmony (all the components of Progressive Calisthenics) excite me. If they didn’t, I wouldn’t do it. I also love talking about training and exchanging ideas with others. It’s always a thrill to get together with like-minded individuals and share stories, as well as techniques and concepts.

I live for the thrill of the chase. Whether that means employing newly-learned tips for improving my L-sit or beginning to train weighted human flag, I love the challenge. But like everything in life, some of these challenges come easier than others.

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The full one-arm pull-up is one skill that eludes me. I’ve come damn close. Many times, I’ve pulled and twisted from a dead hang ‘til my chin touched my wrist. I could taste the sweat. I could smell the bar. But my chin never cleared it… at least not with one arm. In 2006, getting a one-arm pull-up was my obsession.

Not surprisingly, I had my first serious bout with tendonitis in 2007. Don’t shed a tear for Danny; I’ll be the first to admit that I am not special at all for getting hurt. Just about everyone who trains hard in any capacity gets injured now and again. What we do is not for the meek. Whether it’s sprains, strains, breaks, or aches, every fitness aficionado I’ve ever known in my life has had to lay off it once in a while. It sucks.

But tendonitis always seems to linger a little longer than expected. It haunts you.

“It will cost you sweat and tears, and perhaps… a little blood.”
-from “Nosferatu”

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Both Coach Wade in the Convict Conditioning series and my brother Al Kavadlo in Pushing The Limits specifically address the difference in recovery time between connective tissue (tendons in particular) and muscle. They both observe (spot on, as always) that tendons take much longer to repair themselves. I’m no stranger to danger. I know this stuff well from years of hard-won experience, but I never really thought to ponder why. I always had the philosophy that a few nicks and dings along the way were no big deal, so I didn’t examine injury much. Perhaps I should have.

Things changed this past year when I suffered from tendonitis… again. This time I thought “Gee, I really should know better.” What is it about those damned tendons anyway, and why do they adapt so much slower than muscle?

I was desperate. I saw a doctor for the first time in fifteen years, but as I expected, he couldn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. After I filled out a lot of paperwork, he referred me to an orthopedist who turned out to be his buddy from medical school. I passed on that visit. I didn’t want to see another doctor.

I was about to make an appointment with an Eastern acupuncturist, when fate intervened and I had a chance phone call with a rabbi/chiropractor from Borough Park, Brooklyn. He broke it down for me:

“Lousy circulation.”
“What?”
“Lousy circulation,” he repeated.

He went on to explain that connective tissue has poor circulation compared to muscles. This lack of blood flow means fewer nutrients get to the tendons, hence a slower recovery time. Even though I knew how to treat my injury (mostly just leave it alone and let it heal,) the acquisition of this minute piece of trivia fascinated me. “It really is in my blood,” I thought. “Of course!”

Products like Tiger Balm and Icy Hot promote healing because they heat up the area to which they are directly applied. Blood flow increases to regulate the temperature. As a side effect, the blood administers the extra vitality needed to heal. Natural anti-inflammatories like turmeric and nutmeg also work by promoting circulation. As usual, it took something really simple to completely blow my mind.

These days the tendonitis is gone and both my elbows feel amazing. I’m pleased to say I am back, seeking new challenges with an unprecedented enthusiasm, and training harder than ever! How could I not?… it’s in my blood.

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About Danny Kavadlo: 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.

My Path to the PCC

April 2, 2013 By Al Kavadlo 38 Comments

My first real job as a personal trainer was working for the Lakeshore Athletic Club in Downtown Chicago. Though I already had a couple independent clients, I was hired at the former Wabash St. location in the heart of Chicago’s business district (“The Loop” as it’s known to Chicagoans) as a “fitness floor manager” before working my way up to being part of the training staff.

Being a floor manager is a much less important job than it’s made to sound. My main duties were picking up towels, re-racking dumbbells and making sure people didn’t exceed the 30 minute cardio machine time limit during peak hours. After a few months of that (I’d already had my personal trainer certification for a while by this point), I was finally deemed ready to train clients – I’d hit the big time! I was excited but also very nervous. Being someone’s trainer is a big responsibility and I wanted to do a good job.

Chicago is pretty cold and I started working at Lakeshore during the winter, so when they hired me they only gave me long sleeve shirts. Nobody saw my tattoos, which I quickly decided was a good thing. I wanted to attract as many clients as possible and I thought my ink might freak people out. I didn’t have any tattoos on my hands and neck yet, so it was fairly easy to keep them all covered.

During my teens, a lot of people tried to make me feel foolish for getting my arms tattooed while I was so young. At the time, I didn’t give a damn what anyone thought, but by my twenties, I started to buy into the mindset that being tattooed might be a hinderance in my professional life.

In general, I was pretty insecure during my early adulthood. In fact, I was so unsure of myself when I began my career as a trainer that I remember being genuinely surprised the first couple of times I closed deals. I wondered if my time was really worth the money. Almost every new trainer questions themselves at some point and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. I think it shows that you really care.

Though it took some time to get the ball rolling, after a few months, I started to feel more comfortable and confident in my role as a personal trainer. Things were going great; I was spending lots of time in the gym getting to know everyone and I was beginning to learn the business. I started to pick up more clients and earn the respect of my fellow trainers. I was also learning a ton about working out!

Since it was so cold, it was no big deal to wear long sleeves every day. I probably would have wanted to anyway. Even in the summer, they always had the air conditioners pumping, so nobody thought much of it. The only time I ever had my tats exposed was for a quick second in the locker room, though I generally made it a point to try to avoid others while I was changing.

After I had been there for about a year, my training manager approached me one day and told me one of his clients said something to him about the trainer with all the tattoos. He was confused and told the client he didn’t have any tattooed trainers on staff. Eventually he figured out he’d never seen me in anything but long sleeves. The cat was out of the bag! He asked to see my arms and I sheepishly rolled up my sleeves. Then he told me he thought my tattoos were pretty cool and said I shouldn’t feel the need to keep them covered up.

What a relief it was to find out that nobody actually cared! In fact, a lot of folks at the gym really dug my ink. Like many people, I was afraid of being misunderstood, so I shielded my true self from the world. Funny enough, it was only after I embraced who I am that I started to really enjoy going to work and feeling comfortable in my role as a trainer – and a man.

Not only did I feel at ease wearing short sleeves after that conversation, I also began to feel more comfortable just being myself. I started having more fun with my clients by making jokes, telling stories and generally letting them get to know me more as a person. I came to find that this is a fundamental part of successful personal training.

When I moved back home to New York City and started working for New York Health and Racquet Club, I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were lots of other heavily tattooed trainers working for that company. The guy who hired me at NYHRC had even more ink than I did. My newfound confidence allowed me to become fairly busy within my first several months there. Though New York is a much more competitive market than Chicago, I eventually stepped up my game and within a few years became not only the top trainer in my club, but eventually the top trainer in the company. In December of 2008, I set a NYHRC company record for gross personal training sales by a single trainer in a single month. I celebrated the occasion by getting the tattoo I have on my right hand index finger. Bang! I had truly arrived!

Though things were going great, I soon started to feel like there was no way for me to grow within the confines of a commercial gym. There was so much about the mainstream fitness scene that I wanted to get away from. The unrealistic expectations, the “miracle” breakthroughs, the so-called “quick fixes” – not to mention all the emphasis on machines! Plus there were also the usual frustrations of corporate bureaucracy to contend with.

Where I had once wanted to fit in, I now wanted to stand out. I decided that I needed to do things on my own terms. I had so many ideas that seemed in contrast to what everyone else was doing. I knew there had to be more people who felt like me.

That need to connect with like-minded people was the motivation to start my blog. Soon after that, I quit my job at NYHRC to focus full time on writing. Since I wasn’t making any money writing yet, I started training a few clients at the park and working part-time at a small, independent facility called Nimble Fitness. Everyone thought I was crazy, but I knew there was no way for me to grow without starting over.

I slowly began building a following online and a reputation in the neighborhood. I focused on writing as much as I could and getting my articles and pictures in other websites and magazines. After being rejected by countless book agents and publishers, I self-published my first book, We’re Working Out! – A Zen Approach to Everyday Fitness, in 2010. During the next year, I wrote almost a hundred articles and created nearly as many YouTube videos. I also managed to sell close to 1,000 copies of my book – a pretty big success by self-publishing standards.

One day I got an email from Paul “Coach” Wade telling me he’d read my book and loved it. What a huge compliment! I would have been quite content if he had stopped there, but of course, that was just the beginning.

My writing wasn’t the only thing that Coach Wade liked. He also liked my look – especially the tattoos. Then he told me about a new book he was working on. It was the sequel to a book called Convict Conditioning, which I had of course, heard a lot about. To my amazement, Coach wanted me and my brother Danny to appear in Convict Conditioning 2. Ironically, the tattoos that I was once concerned would limit my career opportunities wound up providing the exact opposite effect.

Appearing in Convict Conditioning 2 was the beginning of a whole new life for me. Over the next several months, I went from being a relatively unknown fitness blogger to one of the most recognizable faces in the calisthenics community. Instead of getting a few hundred views a day, my website soon began receiving thousands of daily visits. My YouTube views quickly climbed into the millions and I started getting a dozen or more Facebook friend requests every day.

In the last year and a half, I’ve published two of my own books with Dragon Door, Pushing The Limits! and Raising The Bar, as well as a DVD version of Raising The Bar. My audience continues to grow daily and I’m connecting with more people than I ever thought possible. But my favorite thing about working with Dragon Door is the freedom they’ve allowed me. I’m living my dream and I don’t have to compromise myself to do so.

When John Du Cane and Paul Wade asked me about leading the PCC program, I jumped at the opportunity. Though being a writer and blogger has opened doors for me, actually training people is still where my deepest passion lies. Books and DVD’s are great, but there is no substitute for an in-person experience. I am thrilled to be able to take the show on the road and train with you guys in the flesh.

We’re Working Out!

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.