UK PCC

Danny Kavadlo demonstrates the clutch flag at the PCC London 2016

After over thirty events in dozens of cities, spanning multiple countries and four continents, the Progressive Calisthenics Certification keeps getting better and better. More personal records, more lifelong friendships and more experiences that we’ll never forget.

Every time we do another PCC workshop, I go in with big dreams, and still I find my fitness forecast is exceeded. That’s right, friends: my sky-high expectations are smashed every time. How, you ask?

Because of you.

PCC London Elbow Lever. What makes an event great? YOU! — What makes an event great? YOU!

When you guys and gals make the commitment to attend PCC, it’s your energy, positivity and strength that make it incredible. So when the team and I found ourselves in the historic city of London, England and met the PCC candidates this past weekend, we knew that together we’d make history.

PCC "London Bridge" — Historic London Bridge.

Calisthenics practitioners from over five countries showed up to train and learn from us, as well as each other. It was a fantastic group of trainers, martial artists, acrobats and fitness aficionados from all walks of life. Beyond the sheer physical prowess, the love, passion and commitment of this group were simply brilliant. Nothing stood in the way of progress. In fact, one attendee came all the way from Singapore and did the entire PCC workshop with a broken foot! (For the record, he broke his foot running a triathlon… and still won!) No excuses!

Our venue, the Commando Temple, was hands down one of the greatest facilities I’ve ever seen in the world. Beyond being a playground for calisthenics commanders, it was also a museum of strongman education, and a tribute to all forms of strength in pop culture. The members of the staff were not only amazing hosts, but also dedicated bodyweight beasts in their own right.

Double front lever performed by PCC instructors Fitsz Dubova and Coung Hua from the Commando Temple.

As always, it was a privilege to witness astonishing teamwork all weekend long. Hand in hand, this new crop of PCC’s guided each other through the exercises and lifted each other up, never putting one another down.

The one-on-one instruction and the power of the group is something that must be experienced to be believed. We entered the room as strangers, but left as family. There is no substitute for an in-person experience.

Congratulations to all the newly certified PCC instructors. It was truly a weekend I’ll never forget. We are all grateful for the experience.

Keep The Dream Alive,
-DK

PCC London 2016 Group Photo

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Danny Kavadlo is one of the world’s foremost authorities on calisthenics, nutrition and personal training. He is the author of the Dragon Door titles Strength Rules, Diamond-Cut Abs and Everybody Needs Training. Danny is known for his minimalist philosophy, simple approach and motivational talents.

A true in-person experience, Danny is a Master Instructor for Dragon Door’s Progressive Calisthenics Certification. He has been featured in the NY Times, TRAIN, Men’s Fitness and is a regular contributor to Bodybuilding.com. Learn more about Danny at www.DannyTheTrainer.com

Al and Danny Kavadlo with Senior PCC Adrienne Harvey

After the first ever Progressive Calisthenics Certification Workshop in the UK (Newcastle England), Al, Danny, and I agreed that while every PCC workshop has been fantastic—including the very first one in St. Paul, MN just a little over 2 years ago—it seems like each and every one continues to improve. By now, the news about the PCC and Convict Conditioning has spread around the world, allowing Dragon Door to bring this information to even more locations. While the Newcastle PCC was the very first held in the United Kingdom, it’s already very apparent that will be the first of many.

It is always an extreme honor to have the opportunity to teach, coach, and contribute a little of my own experience to the PCC. And when the participants are so eager, prepared, and able to instantly understand and apply the cues and information, then it is that much more rewarding! This group brought so much strength, skill, and bravery that every participant had at least one major PR. More importantly, they also had insights and realizations which will exponentially increase their value and effectiveness as instructors.

The overall strength of everyone in the group was demonstrated with the unprecedented lists of groundbreaking personal achievements. A full 1/3 of the group performed their very first human flags at the workshop! Among the other standout first time accomplishments were six first one arm push-ups, fifteen first clutch flags and even a first one arm pull-up!

While almost everyone attending the Newcastle PCC was a fitness instructor, trainer, or fitness business owner, there were a few highly dedicated enthusiasts in attendance as well. I am always impressed by the dedication and enthusiasm of these participants, many of who may be stepping far outside the usual territory of their day job. It seems successful professionals in all fields recognize the value, efficiency, and convenience of bodyweight exercise as taught at the PCC.

The large group of well-prepared participants included an impressive number of women. Far from being intimidated, these women were strong, did pull-ups, and performed advanced variations of nearly every exercise.

GymNRG was already an ideal location for the PCC (including a custom indoor pull up apparatus that I would LOVE to duplicate), but host Steven Hope went the extra mile and had a scaffolding structure erected just behind the studio. For the first time ever (even the weather cooperated) we were able to hold the flag and muscle-up portion of the workshop outdoors on this optimal setup.

This authentically reproduced “street workout” setup was further put to the test when Barstarrz athlete, Stephen Hughes-Landers (Lambarstarzz), Adrian Harrington, and Fitz Dubova performed some impromptu freestyle demos for us after the workshop.

Renos Panagidis and I with Barstarrz World Champion, Stephen Hughes-Landers

I am proud of each and every one of the newly certified PCC Instructors (as well as those who need to complete their video tests), especially since they will now be representing our PCC program and hopefully encouraging others to train in this fun and effective way.

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Adrienne Harvey, Senior PCC Instructor, RKC-II, CK-FMS, has been RKC Certified since 2010, and RKC Level 2 certified since 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.

London Calling

PCC in the UK