Nathan's Training Corner

Roasted Red Pepper Chicken and Avocado Salad

2010-06-23T13:09:00.000-06:00

Looking for a cool salad to fill you up this summer? Here's a delicious recipe from my partners over at Prograde Nutrition for you.

Roasted Red Pepper Chicken and Avocado Salad

1 medium ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 bag (10 oz.) torn romaine lettuce (about 10 cups)

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 medium tomato, cut into wedges

1 small cucumber, sliced

1/4 of a medium Vidalia or Walla Walla onion, chopped

½ cup Red Pepper

1/2 cup Light or Fat-free Italian Dressing

¼ cup Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Toss avocados with lemon juice in large salad bowl.

Add lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions; mix lightly.

Add dressing; toss to coat.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately.

Hey, if you like that one they've got 196 more! Seriously, Prograde has a really cool 197 Healthy and Delicious Fat Burning Recipes ebook for just $4.95!

Check it out here: http://nathan.getprograde.com/prograderecipebook.html

Yours in health,

Nathan

PS - If you've been on the lookout for simple and nutritious meals then look no further than http://nathan.getprograde.com/prograderecipebook.html

Are you eating right for your goals?

2010-06-14T15:02:00.000-06:00

As of this morning, the 6 Week challenge is sold out and filled. During the next 6 weeks challengers will not only get the best training in Colorado Springs, but will also be coached on how to eat properly for their own individual bodytype, goals and lifestyle factors.

Most trainers and even dieticians will just give you a calorie based meal plan and let you loose, every so often giving a few tips in between training sets. Less than 10% of the population is even mentally capable of following a calorie based meal plan, none the less a custom meal plan with the same foods every day.

Here at Fit Body Bootcamp we utilize the Precision Nutrition System. And it's exactly that..A system. Fad diets are woefully inadequate(I totally just used my phone's spell checker for that :p). Ever known a co-worker, family member or even yourself jump on a diet, only to gain the weight back and then some? Why is it that three diets with completely different food choices can have similar short term results?

Here's what the big diet book sellers don't want you to know. In order for a diet to be successful for millions of people, they are designed with extremely low calories. Same with Nutri-System. The average Nutri-System meal is just over 100 calories!! Eating 10 of their 'meals' a day is the equivalent of a concentration camp diet! But here's the catch, your body is way to smart to let you starve yourself. So instead it burns muscle and stores fat! And muscle is what helps you burn fat.

So yes, after a 'diet' you may be smaller, but chances are you've not only not lost a single ounce of fat, but chances are you've gained some. Then when your body is like 'mo more of this crap', you ditch the diet and now your body stores every single thing you eat because it thinks it might have another 'famine'(self induced in our modern world).

So who else wants to eat more, enjoy tasty food, become healthier and burn fat while maintaining muscle tone?

Even though the 6 week challenge is closed, I'm opening up 5 spots to the nutrition coaching for the next 6 weeks, that will get you on the right track of healthy habits.

Still not convinced a system is better than a diet? Check out how the Precision Nutrition coaching client lost 70 pounds and 20% bodyfat! Not only did he lose 50 pounds during the first 6 months, but he's learned the new healthy habits to keep it off.

What if I can't make it to the coaching sessions? Well you're in luck, the same Lean Eating Coaching program the above client went through will be open very soon. My inside contacts are saying they will announce it in about a week or so. Your results are guarunteed and you have a chance to win $10,000. They only take on a select few and almost all the spots go to the early bird list here.

And if you're training at Fit Body Bootcamp, I'll make sure to get you a copy of the Precision Nutrition System and a discount on training IF you make it into the Lean Eating program.

If you're here in Colorado Springs, this may be your last chance to get local nutrition coaching for awhile. Like I said there's 5 spots open for local coaching of the same principles in the Precision Nutrition System and Lean Eating Coaching program. And when the Lean Eating early bird list is notified it will be your last chance for at least 6 more months, maybe longer.

Whether you don't know the difference between a carb and protein or are at a high level of athletics(even GSP uses the PN principles) the Precision Nutrition System, whether locally coached(Fit Body Bootcamp) or remotely(Lean Eating Program/One-on-One) is probably what you've been looking for all these years to get the body of your dreams and play your sport at the highest levels of performance.

Don't miss out on these two opportunities before they are closed out. If you'd like local coaching you can call me at 719-494-3508. For the Lean Eating Coaching program and a chance to win $10,000, get on the waiting list here

Nathan

P.S. I'm only taking on 5 more local nutrition clients till Wed at 7pm MST 719-494-3508 to reserve your spot

P.S.S. Check out this PN member dropping 50 pounds in the first 6 months here

Lies and Myths of the Weight Loss Industry

2010-04-16T09:13:00.000-06:00

I love my partners over at Prograde Nutrition because I truly believe there isn't another supplement company on the planet that tells it like it is.

Seriously, you will NOT believe what they are about to tell you. They literally EXPOSE the biggest weight loss scams out there. They pull back the curtain and reveal the truth about all those BS pills like:
Hoodia
Chitosan
Acai Berry cleanses

If you're ready for a serious wake-up call then you've got to get all over this. You can either listen to the recording OR read the transcript. Whichever you prefer.

And I'm not kidding, you're going to find out exactly how the shady marketers out there prey on your emotions - and your wallet.

Click on the link below RIGHT NOW and become exposed to the truth. Trust me, your body and your bank account will thank you for it!

http://nathan.getprograde.com/lies-and-myths.html

Yours in health,

Nathan

PS - What are you waiting for? This very well may be some of the MOST important information you ever discover.

http://nathan.getprograde.com/lies-and-myths.html

More thoughts on SWAT testing

2010-01-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

I received another message literally days after the first question on operator training. This one was in reference to testing procedures. This is unedited and may be a bit all over the place, but hope you can pick out the good stuff out it.

For an actual testing process, I would use some form of obstacle course that involves what you'll see 90% or more of the time. The old school o-courses aren't actually all that bad. The problem with a realistic test is to be efficient, the varibles won't always end of successful. Say you start with a few exercises to get the adrenaline stimulation up, then have a ballistic micro-fight, the variables of a fight could shift the results of the operators performance.

Maybe have a combination of exercise based testing(40 yard sprint, long jump, metcon workout, power clean, etc) in combination with an o-course and some scenario's. But the last two would take a bit of resources and time to put together.

For just exercise route, concentrate on a few things. Athleticism, power, coordination, mental agility/toughness. The secret service has a kettlebell snatch test that has absolutely nothing to do with your physical ability, it's to see how tough you are mentally, as many snatches as possible in 10 min. Athleticism is huge. A guy can be strong as hell, but if he can't coordinate his movements and have the ability to quickly recover from a mistake, all the strength goes to waste. Power. When it's go time, it's all about being in Grog smash, face ripping, bad guy slinging, Testosterone rage. Adrenaline can get you there, but training power will get your body to do it efficently. Coordination, you gotta be able to do multiple things at once sometimes.

Does that make sense?

The Secret Service Snatch Test actually works almost all of these. I would toss in a long jump, short sprint, maybe an agility ladder/course and some form of weighted pullups(full kit).

So for small area and resources do the SSST(that's the acronym you'll find it under on the kettlebell forums) and pullups in kit(I'd do pullups before the hands get tore up). For a bit more space and resources, a 40 yard dash followed by an agility drill, then the SSST, but this time instead of pullups have a 6' wall and see how many times back and forth you can get over it in a set period of time, say two minutes, again in full kit. Give about 2-5 min rest in between each event. And of course feel free to toss in some tactical skills or scenario's, just remember variables are going to influence it, so it may be best to just be part of the test but not necessarily pass/fail.

Hope that answers your question a bit better. Look around the dragondoor forums. Before crossfit, Pavel and the kettlebell were the dominating force for tactical tests. There might be a few gems hidden in there. Not sure if you met Jeff Martone at DARC, but hit him up, he's got a lot of good stuff as well.

Here is my follow up reply to a few more points

I think the SSST is basically 10 min, as many snatches as you can do. You can set it down, you can use whichever hand you want. Pretty much you can do whatever you want but quit. Here's an article on the SSST http://www.dragondoor.com/articler/mode3/369/

Here's a link to a phone interview with Dan John. I was the guy asking about the military/law enforcement question But overall, he's got a ton of knowledge on this stuff. http://kettlebellinterrogations.com/dan/call.html

One thing to be aware of with standardized testing is it can be gameplayed just like IPSC shooting or football combine. With the SSST and wall climbs, I think there will be enough carry over that even if you do gameplay it, it will still make you a better operator.

Something to look into for your agility drill, is find some Parkour(The crazy dudes jumping and climbing buildings) exercises and use a circuit of those. It'll transfer into the tactical arena very well on top of assessing agility skills.

One thing to watch for is maybe reversing the order to have range first, then scenario's, then physical. With kettlebell snatches your hands get pretty chewed up and wouldn't be very conducive to shooting well Also when you think of training, you generally want to try and train the most neurologically demanding first, then as the skill gets easier it gets pushed down the priority list. I know crossfit has kind of tossed that idea out the window, but their focus is general fitness, not specific skills training.

Glad I could help out. Feel free to paraphrase this and push it out if you think others would benefit from it.

Could the chance to win $10,000 help you get in shape?

2009-12-16T14:30:00.003-07:00

When Dr. John Berardi dropped me an line the other day,
telling me all about his new program, I thought for a second
the guy had lost his mind.

PrecisionNutrition.com/win40k

Now, don't get me wrong. I respect Dr Berardi. He's
recognized as one of the top nutrition coaches in the world.
And his programs get people results. Fast.

However, when I watched this video he sent over, and learned
that he's giving away $40,000 of his own money, he
definitely got my attention.

Check out this blog post for yourself.

PrecisionNutrition.com/win40k

Now, to qualify for this reward, you have to participate in
the Lean Eating program. But that's a no brainer. You
should want to do that ANYWAY if you're interested in body
transformation because there is nothing else like it.

You get 6 months of world class coaching, the type of
coaching you can't find, well, anywhere. And, during these
6 months, if you achieve the best body transformation,
you'll win 10K.

PrecisionNutrition.com/win40k

Worst case scenario, you come out with the best body of your
life. Best case scenario, you come out with the best body
of your life, and 10 GRAND.

So, I highly encourage you to check out this post below. In
it, Dr Berardi shares with you two critical components for
body transformation success.

And then he tells you exactly how one man and one woman are
going to swoop in and claim $10 G's of his own money.

PrecisionNutrition.com/win40k

Now, this message is time sensitive. No, it's not gonna
self-destruct or anything. However, spots are limited in
this program. And LOTS of people want in.

So, if you're interested in finding out exactly how to eat
to get in the best shape of your life, click the link below.
10 grand may be waiting for you on the other side:

PrecisionNutrition.com/win40k

Thanks for all of your support!
Nathan-Precision Nutrition Practitioner

Thoughts on SWAT conditioning

2009-12-08T22:45:00.003-07:00

I recently received a message asking about strength and conditioning for law enforcement, speciffically a SWAT breacher. Below is my reply on my thoughts on it.

Hey (insert silly false name here to protect identity), first off thanks for protecting your local citizens every day. It's a job not many respect until they need you.

Here's my philosophy on Law enforcement training in general. For a patrol officer, the most common thing they will be doing is slinging people not objects. You already do MMA, just make sure you include grappling of your choice that meshes with your dept policies and programs. So that could be considered your strength work. Now for operator duties you'll need a little bit extra juice for breaching, crarrying around extra weight, assaulting objectives, mental clarity for long periods during a stand off, etc. For that you can work in any quality strength program. Joe DeFranco, Jim Smith/Diesel Crew, Dan John, Alwyn Cosgrove, Charles Staley are all excellent choices.

Again for patrol officers, the grappling will be sufficient conditioning and very specific. To expand for you team role add in a crossfit metcon or some kettlebell snatch work twice a week. Also some sledgehammer work laterally against a target about the same height as your average door breach along with some med ball twisting throws should work some nice specificity into your hoolie work, when dynamic breach isn't acceptable.

So putting it all together, couple different ways. cycles of four days of ramping intensity, I've found to work better than any other protocol I've used. It will force you to recover so you can actually go all out on your high intensity days. Each cycle of four days consists of a day each of no intensity, low intensity, moderate intensity and high intensity.

On the no intensity days, do a ton of joint mobility work, you can also think of this as the 'off' day. But it's not off, it's active recovery.

You'll follow this up with a low intensity day. On this day practice your tactical skills, dry fire or live fire if possible, and also use this day to work on your flexibility. PNF, dynamic flexibility, foam rolling or yoga type stretches are all good here. Think of this as your active recovery day, feel free to break a light sweat, but nothing above 60%. Concentrate on opening up your upper back, pecs, shoulders and hip flexors as those are the most tightened by body armor and sitting in a patrol car.

Next on your moderate day is either your strength or conditioning work. Whichever you feel is currently the better of the two, you'll place here and they can be flip flopped every few weeks if needed. Usually most place their strength here, preferably full body work. Deadlifts, squats, weighted pullups, gymnastic skills or any other difficult strength/strongman work you like here. If you do any sparring or want to take your body for a test drive in some form of competition, approximately 4-6 hours after your moderate workout is the opportunity.

Last is your high intensity day and most will place their conditioning here. If you decide on one of the programs from the guys I listed you may have to put your strength here because many of them are just too intense to have anything follow them. But for conditioning a high intenisty metcon of at least 20 min can go here. About once a month or so ensure to get a longer metcon or a weighted hike for some mental challenge. And of course you can put any kettlebell conditioning work here as well. I like the snatch VO2 protocol.

If you prefer 5 day/week cycles, not to fear. Just do your moderate on Mon and Thurs. High on Tue and Fri. Mobility and active recovery/flexibility improvement on Wed.

Just kind of my philosophies on things. Let me know if you need anything else at all or have any questions.

Nathan

Something I forgot to mention is make sure your training does not interfer with your job performance. Some sore muscles may not slow you down too much on the exterior, but it's not worth risking not knowing how it's actually affecting you on the inside.

Top 3 uses of a kettlebell

2009-11-29T00:25:00.003-07:00

Hope every one had a good thanksgiving. Short post here. This is just my philosophy on the use of kettlebells as a tool in a broad spectrum training program.

Work capacity
Portability for travel or deployments
'Feeder' Exercises

Work capacity is pretty self explanitory.

The small size makes it easy to take just about anywhere for a total body gym. Going on deployment? Shove a couple in a conex and take an adjustable one on the plane. At work all day and don't have much time or space to get a workout in? Tote it along and knock out some short work throughout the day. Your co-workers may think you're a little nutty, but that's ok you've got the six-pack and he that sports the six-pack makes the rules.

Jumping straight into olympic lifts is a very techinical sport and takes years of training. Kettlebells allow you to start training the gross motor movements(hip extension, coordination) with more room for not quite perfect form. And just as the kettlebell clean and snatch are slightly more complex, you can start just about anybody on swings and have them slowly progress to those exercises and if they so choose to trasition to the bar versions, they will have many of the mechanics already set.

So those are my top 3 uses of the kettlebell. The reason I break it down to these three is for whatever reason I see people trying to make the kettlebell things it's not. I'm not talking about the guys that actually use kettlebells only, that's their thing cool. I'm talking about the gym idiots that are doing curls with them, when there are freaking dumbbells right next to them. If you're trying to bodybuild with kettlebell front raises.....you're probably not a very successful bodybuilder, might want to find a new hobby.

Use them to become a workhorse while on the road because when you get back you want to get into olympic lifts. Don't use them in front of a mirror or you will have your man card revoked....for life.

Delicious Protein Pancakes Recipe

2009-11-24T14:55:00.002-07:00

It's been a great year here at Red White and Blue Fitness. And I'm very grateful for you being a part of that success. This week being Thanksgiving I want to make sure I'm showing you how grateful I am.

But before I do...

Let's get serious for a moment. You're going to eat a LOT of food this Thursday. You know it. I know it. And that's ok. I'm sure you've been working out just a little bit harder to prepare for it, right? ;-) And I know you're going to get a good workout in on Thursday before you chow down, right?

Now, besides that, I also want to remind you one thing you do NOT want to do on Thursday is skip meals so you can stuff yourself with one big one. That's a no-no.

You still need to start your day right by boosting your metabolism with a solid breakfast. So to help you out with that I've got a gift for you from me and my buddies over at Prograde Nutrition. It's a delicious Protein Pancakes recipe.

Thanks to the protein in the recipe your blood sugar won't go crazy like it can just by eating a huge stack of pancakes with sugary syrup. Nope, this recipe will fill you up, nourish your body and give your metabolism just the boost it needs.

You can get the Protein Pancakes recipe
Be sure to let me know how you like it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Nathan

PS - Seriously, have a nutritious breakfast this Thursday and your body will thank your for it on Friday. ;-)

Protein Pancakes

Army plate carrier debacle

2009-11-05T13:36:00.005-07:00

Editors note-The following was provided by an Army Sergeant First Class. He has served as an airborne infantry squad leader in the 82nd Airborne Division and as a civil affairs team sergeant in the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), and has deployed twice each to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Soldiers deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom have been asking for lighter equipment. The extreme up and down terrain of Afghanistan takes a toll on Soldiers weighed down by their individual weapons, fighting load, and bulky body armor. Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier has been researching lighter equipment alternatives, such as plate carriers, in order to lighten the Soldier’s load and enable them to perform better.

A plate carrier is a body armor system that is smaller and therefore lighter than full-size body armor such as the general-purpose Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) or Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV). Due to their lower profile, plate carriers provide less coverage than the IBA and IOTV, but enable greater range of movement and mobility, which is extremely valuable to Soldiers conducting foot patrols over rugged vertical terrain. All plate carriers have the same level/area of rifle protection covering the vital core (vital organs--heart, lungs major thoracic blood vessels), provided by hard plates (E-SAPI) in the front and back. The only thing that differs, depending on plate carrier design, is the amount in square-inches of soft armor fragmentation protection, which is insignificant against rifle caliber fire.

Special Operations Forces (SOF) have been using plate carriers in Afghanistan and Iraq for years. General-purpose forces finally caught up, and on 15 October 2009 the Army News Service announced that the Army will introduce a plate carrier vest to Soldiers deploying to Afghanistan. After nearly a year of development and testing, an $18.6 million contract for 57,000 plate carriers was awarded on 8 October to KDH Defense Systems for their plate carrier vest. BG Peter Fuller of PEO Soldier had many positive comments to say regarding the new plate-carrier, such as "We have listened to Soldiers, and we understand that in certain operational environments such as the mountains of Afghanistan, mobility is key to Soldiers' effectiveness against the enemy."

Unfortunately, BG Fuller’s comments do not accurately represent PEO Soldier’s decision to field the KDH plate carrier. Airborne Infantrymen from the 82nd Airborne Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade tested several plate carriers through a variety of tactical exercises during Soldier Protection Demonstration (SPD) VII, conducted at Yuma Proving Ground, AZ. The Soldiers provided over 10,000 pages of comments on each vest that they tested during the SPD, and selected their preference of plate carriers in the following order:

1) Eagle Industries’ Modular Body Armor Vest (MBAV), a proven system that is general issue to SOF units such as the 75th Ranger Regiment and Special Forces

2) Tactical Assault Gear’s Rampage Plate Carrier

3) MSA Paraclete’s Special Operations Hard Plate Carrier

4) KDH Defense Systems’ plate carrier vest

According to BG Fuller, "This is a major step forward in the field of body armor," "a plate-carrier vest designed to meet Soldiers' needs, with Soldiers' input into how it should work." Yet PEO Soldier selected KDH Defense System’s offering, which according to the results of SPD VII was the plate carrier that Soldiers wanted the least. In this case Soldier input was grossly disregarded.

Why did PEO Soldier ignore Soldier input by not selecting their first choice, the MBAV? According to a statement in May 2009 by LTC Robert Myles, product manager for Soldier Survivability, “The Army thinks its Soldiers need a bit more protection than the special operations’ MBAV provides.” However, the KDH system has 2 inch gaps in protection on either side of the cummerbund where it attaches to the front of the carrier, which means it provides less protective coverage than the MBAV. To be specific, the MBAV has a wrap around cummerbund with integrated soft armor that creates over lapping continuous coverage in the lower thoracic areas, increasing protection from fragmentation projectiles. There are no gaps in soft protection to the mid-body with the MBAV or Rampage. The total square-inches of soft armor area protection offered by the KDH are severely less than that of the MBAV – 330sq" (KDH) opposed to 405 sq" (MBAV). Additionally, the KDH plate carrier is approximately 1.5 pounds heavier than the MBAV. PEO Soldier chose a system that is least desired by the Soldiers that will be required to wear it, protects them less, and weighs them down more than the readily available system they wanted.

It is clear that the Source Selection Board (SSB) from PEO Soldier selected the KDH plate carrier based on a cost savings factor over weight and protection, and in total disregard of Soldier input. This decision points to a lack of common sense on the part of PEO Soldier. During a raging conflict in Afghanistan, the SSB chose a new and inferior system – the KDH plate carrier, over a proven superior and currently fielded system – the MBAV. PEO Soldier needs to take another look at the decision to select the KDH plate carrier vest. If cost is the issue, what is more costly – the dollar value of the equipment or the life of the Soldier? Is this how PEO Soldier instills an end user’s trust in their equipment? This issue needs to be brought to greater attention before putting our Soldier’s lives in danger due to poor decisions on the part of those who are trusted to provide the best equipment possible.

Workout in Rainier National Park

2009-09-15T06:00:00.017-06:00

So yesterday after work I said F@#k it, I'm gonna go workout on Mt Rainier!
It was my moderate intensity day, so I needed to find a Tacfit workout that had no pullups or rows. Well sure enough the next one in line was Sierra anyways, which was completed as follows:
Sierra-Full Tabata X 4 exercises with 1 min in between exercises=20 min workout. Score is lowest round.

Forward lunges- 4 each leg

Paralette knee press- 10

Basic spinal rocks- 5

Sprawls, Mountain Climber- 5

Oddly I actually was climbing a mountain ;)

So I couldn't quite make it ON Mt Rainier, I underestimated fall tourist traffic big time. That place was freaking packed. So I found a quiet little place between this big bastard

And these
Elevation was around 4500' or so, didn't affect my workout too much, guess I still have some Colorado Springs blood left in me ;)

Here's my national park gym ;)

I don't go anywhere without my post workout Surge I then decided to go explore some of the trails I never got to with the girlfriend and were closed the first time I went.

Found this one that was new to me.It was a nice hike, but the elevation gain really hit with the prior lunges :p

Next I drove down to reflection lake, true to it's name One last shot of Mt Rainier One good thing about Washington is you can get fresh salmon almost anywhere. The resturant at the national park inn has one of the best dishes of salmon I've ever had. Last night was my third time eating it here, almost as yummy as the Surge :p

This was my first time using my new phones camera. The pics didn't turn out very well, but note for next time to bring my regular camera and my old phone which for some odd reason is really good with sunset

Garden of the gods back in Colorado Springs

So when I first started driving out to Ft Lewis, all the pics above is what I was expecting...Was I dissapointed!!! Haha but at least there is this an hour and a half away.
Long drive for a workout, but hope you guys enjoy the pics.

Tacfit certification overview

2009-09-01T06:00:00.001-06:00

I made the drive to Bellingham. It's suppose to be an hour and a half drive, but those of you that have seen I-5 around Seattle know to double your time minimum. It took me four hours. I had just spent 19 hours the day prior sitting in HMMWV's, so needless to say I was quite tight and worn out. I got some dinner and passed out immediately after in my hotel room.

Next morning I headed to the RMAX gym located in the Bellingham Athletic Club. I aked where the Tacfit certification was being hosted. I then cruised to the back room of the gym where there were rings hanging, plyo boxes, paralettes, kettlebells and of course the clubbell. Most the students were already there and chit chatting introducing each other. Turns out some of these cats just gone through 3 days of CST certification, they were going 5 days straight!

Most the attendee's were looking pretty ripped and in pretty good shape. There were some firefighters, military(to include a soldier from Singapore), a physical therapist and the rest were trainers of some form or another. For those of you not familiar with Tacfit, it's a metcon program designed by coach Scott Sonnon specifically designed for first responders. Also in attendance were coaches Ryan Murdoch(Bodyweight Exercise Revolution) and Joe Wilson.

Tacfit has several interesting points that no other program can match. Although the protocols may appear crossfit-ish, they are designed in a much more specific process and the specifically the exercises made for good tactical habits. Each workout is 20 minutes long, which is a great help to those short on time. A joint mobility warm up and prasara warm down will make everything more effective and results quicker, but isn't mandatory but highly reccomended. Combined they add less than 15 min to the overall workout.

Classroom portion started off on the white board. Main points went over the 6 protocol wave format of the Tacfit workouts. The six protocols are organized in a very specific format from one to the next. There are 26 workouts total, each one building off the prior. Also there is four level to each of the 26 workouts and 96 exercise sets, Delta being for those new to metcon work, Gamma for those that have been at it a couple months, Beta for those that are very proficient after a couple months and finally Alpha strictly for bragging rights and may take a year or more to achieve if ever.

The first is the Tabata protocol of 20 sec work 10 sec rest. You'll find as you work through Tacfit, there is a large sports pyschology element to everything. This first protocol is meant to make you work fast and hard and force yourself to recover in 10 sec before bursting again. Did I mention Tabata's are well proven to be some of the best work for body composition changes?

The next protocol consists of 4 min of work with 1 min rest between exercises. Most people when first exposed to metcon(metabolic conditioning) type workouts try to pace themselves.

The first workout protocol interrupted that thought process and forced you to recover in a timespan you didn't think possible. Now with this protocol you have a sustained effort, but we tricked your brain to work faster from the first workout. So now you'll be doing a repeated effort faster than you would have if you hadn't had the first protocol.

The third protocol is each min on the min. The faster you complete your work, the higher quality and longer rest you get. Without the precursor exercises most will try to pace and end up with no recovery period. Again the tabata protocol teaches you to burst. Here you'll get more rest if you finish faster.

Next protocol is the hardest for us coaches to monitor students intensity. It's as many rounds as possible in the 20 min time period. Here you need to take all your body has learned from the previous protocols and apply it to get as many rounds as you can.

The fifth protocol is a compression of the second. It's 90 sec of work 30 sec rest. Again using the previous protocols to get as much work as possible in the timeframe.

The last protocol is for time, as in doing so many reps of certain exercises as fast as possible. The goal here is to recover as best as possible during continuous work without reducing your pace over the duration. In other words sustained speed of work over the 20 min.

After a discussion on these protocols, some random notes I happened to write down before the pain train started. If you train above your max heart rate, your body does not adapt, also high skill level drops off extremely fast. Many of the exercises in Tacfit are very complex. This is meant to teach the operator to be able to perform high skill work even when in a high stress enviroment. Metcom work differs slightly from traditional gym workouts. In the gym you may get DOMS(Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) 24-72 hours after your workout. Metcon will have a similar feeling but it's actually a biochemical "drag" feeling. It will probably take an external set of eyes, especially with a high heart rate, if you are creating "cheats" on exercises, then you need to drop a complexity level. One idea coach Sonnon brought up is that your complexity will be determined that day. Some days you're ready for more, some days less, don't force a level you aren't ready for 'that day'.

So after this short little classroom portion we're told we'd be going through all six protocols. So I'm thinking three today, three tomorrow, this is c=gonna suck! So we jump right into the Alpha workout(they are all named by the UN alpha-numeric alphabet code system). Alpha is the grueling tabata protocol with four total exercises with a full tabata protocol of each. 20 min of suckage. Just prior to starting we were shown some recovery breathing exercises. These were reinforced throughout and did seem to help. Ok so that makes your lungs burn a bit.... And ten min later on to the next workout.

So we jump into Bravo. Some what tame in comparison to Alpha. So one Tacfit workout alone is equivelant to 4 hours of traditional cardio, now we're torching calories. So I'm thinking well we must be doing the third workout after lunch......

Then I hear coach Sonnon tell one of the other students we were doing all six today!! It's time to really start sucking down the Surge Workout Fuel. Charlie was up next. Every minute on the minute is the bane of my existance, I hate it with a passion. I hate it so much, I was the first one done every round at about the 30 sec mark haha. Amazing how your hate fuel will get you better recovery. After being drenched by Charlie, I head to my truck and slam down my serving of Surge post workout with 5g of creatine mixed in. Lunch time at last. We're told to force feed if need be. I had trouble eating and was too wound up to nap even though I was tired.
We all came back from lunch walking a bit slower and awaiting the next three workouts.

Delta, Echo and Foxtrot went by, completing the remaining three protocols. Day one was finally done. I chugged another serving of Surge/creatine, grabbed some dinner and headed to the hotel. I racked out pretty early and woke up around 0230 with my left arm locked at a 90 degree angle. It was so stiff, it took about 15 min using my right hand to straighten it out. I clamped my wrist between my knees to keep it straight and made sure my right arm was straight as possible as well, and went back to sleep. I woke up with my entire upper body stiff.

I arrived at the gym a few minutes early and entered from the back. Once everyone was there, Coach Joe Wilson(who is a long time police officer, now working with secret service on their fitness program) took us through a good long joint mobility session. It helped break up some of the adhesions and get the fluid back in the joints from the day priors trial by fire. Which as it turned out coach Sonnon's fellow coaches had actually used as a joke, and he took them serious...Thanks guys...

After the mobility warm up, there was another brief white board class. The emphasis of the day was to go through ALL 96 exercises, progressions and regressions. But the class portion was focused on the true shining point of Tacfit, coaching cues. The coaching cues brings the program from a metcon that sculpts bodies into greek gods, to a tactically functional program that involves sports pyschology. This sports pyschology starts bringing in points like- above 85% heart rate, the brain will only hear one thing. The coach should make cues that are important over and over again. Some may not pick up on it the first time, or the second or even for several months or years. But eventually those cues will start to penetrate and take effect. Some are absorbed sub-consiously. There is also a heavy emphasis on teaching recovery with just as much power as technique. This will lead into "cognitive recovery". What this means is getting the operators/students thinking during recovery. This translates to high stress situations such as the lull in a gunfight and gets the operator to think about what needs to come next.

On to the exercises. I won't go too in depth on the actual exercises, but describe how they translate to the tactical arena. Every one of the 96 exercises was picked speciffically to either train what I call 'good tactical habits' or assist in balacing out the body for specific things that occur with first responders/tactical athletes. For instance Kettlebell Goblet squats and gorilla crawls are designed to help with the stressors of armor by increasing mobility in area's that get overly tight by heavy gear/airpacks. As far as good tactical habits, several are obvious, some not as much. For instance kettlebell getups are done differently than traditionally seen, but it teaches to plant and come up onto the edge of the foot rather than the ball of the foot which is less stable than the broad surface of the edge of a foot.

We proceded through all levels including Alpha exercises demonstrating proficiency in each of the 96 exercises. Some of which I thought would be a big problem turned out being ok once I was properly coached on how to perform it, even with the day prior. One leg squats were still a problem for me, but clapping pullups, high level gymnastic exercises and clubbell exercises I had never been properly coached on came through without many problems. I noticed during day 2, some of those that had done better on the workouts the day prior were starting to drag. Those of us military or fire service, didn't seem to have as much of a problem. I strongly believe going through the combatives courses and weeks in the field helped my body to pace itself.

The day ended with some more quick notes by all the coaches. The certification course had ended. My arms were stiff and hurt to lock out. I chatted with Joe Wilson a bit about how he programmed when he was in charge of his departments fitness program for the academy. He said he used Tacfit on Mon Wed Fri and had the cadets perform the events for the departments physical test on Tue and Thurs. Ideally Tacfit should be done on the high intensity day of a 4 day wave. The day prior to your Tacfit workout, you would perform strength work, all your deadlifts, squats, hypertrophy, kettlebells that sort of thing. Or you can do a Tacfit workout at a lower complexity level. The day after your high intensity day will be no intensity, but that doesn't mean do nothing, you need to do full joint mobility. The next day completing the 4 day cycle is low intensity. This can consist of compensation like prasara/stretching or light bodyweight type stuff or some skills work.

I would reccomend if you are training for to keep yourself and those around you alive, to have a good strength training program in conjunction with Tacfit. I've found through my practice that Tacfit, that it fills alot of gaps that may have never noticed, but lifting heavy things isn't one of them. It wasn't designed for that since you are suppose to do that the day prior. Lift heavy things, do Tacfit, ensure you're actually doing the compensation and mobility stuff and you'll be set. Right now I'm trying a mix of AMD and Tacfit. The cool thing is, if you want to emphasize another skill you can switch your Tacfit into the moderate/strength day and have your emphasis placed in the high intensity. That's what I'm trying with Tacfit at a lower complexity and AMD the day after. I feel rock solid already after only a week. I foresee huge success with this.

So this was the first field instructor certification for Tacfit. It's my pleasure to be apart of it. I would have liked a third day that went over programming more and got into some of the business aspects for those that would like some side income, but also these tactics still apply when training your own organization. But with the time given, there was about as much crammed in as possible. I mean 6 high intensity workouts, 96 different exercises and some classroom is tough to squeeze into two days. Also I think there is alot of this material for the Team Leader certification which isn't formated just yet.

All in all, if you're an MMA fighter, first responder or military, I highly reccomend you checking out Tacfit for your metcon program. It's not just asskicking, it's structured for what we do. The exercises, the coaching cues and sports pyschology all bring us up the pyramid from GPP(General Physical Preparation) to SPP(Specialized Physical Preparation) and even the top with emotional/mental/pyschological. It takes everything you need to have a program for your organization and takes all the guess work out of how to apply work skills by stimulation not simulation. You'll still need a good strength program like Joe DeFranco, Zach Even-Esh or Diesel Crew to complete your program.

The firefighters at the certification had been doing Tacfit for a couple years since they were the original test subjects and have been guinea pigs since. Carson is a freaking beast, he was doing alot of stuff at Alpha and Beta levels even after six workouts. They said most of the guys doing it had increased their air time and were much better at work. For law enforcement types, I would add in some form of grappling as your strength work, you'll be slinging people more than lifting heavy things. For the military guys, skip a tacfit workout every other week and exchange it for a road march, still maintain a good strength program that emphasizes postural symetry and allow for strengthening the load bearing structures while allowing enough time for spinal decompression. Hanging upside down often may be the answer. Also injury prevention should be priority over anything competitory, compete during your Tacfit sessions, practice during strength sessions. As always feel free to exchange a Tacfit session(or even a month) every so often with something new or change of pace, just make sure to keep consistant or progress will come to a screeching hault.

There is so much beneath the surface of this program and I've tried to peel back some of the onion layers. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me and I'll try to answer as best I know. There is definately alot I've yet to learn.

Nathan

Top Secet AMD Interview with Jim Smith

2009-06-15T08:00:00.004-06:00

Top Secret Interview with James Smith about his new project

By Nathan Cragg from RedWhiteandBluefitness.com

Prior to the release of his new AMD muscle building product, I was able to talk with my friend and strength coach Jim Smith.

Nathan- Smitty, what’s this latest product you’ve been working on?

Jim- First off, let me say thank you for allowing me to talk to you and your readers.My new product is called Accelerated Muscular Development (AMD) and as the name implies it is as muscle building program. But it is unlike any program on the net right now. It shows people not only why muscle is built but how muscle is built. Everyone will be in for a big surprise if they think it is a program with tons of volume. I actually shouldn’t say program, because it is much more than that. It is a complete system.

Nathan- Complete system? Tell me more about that.

Jim- When I was formulating the AMD system, I didn’t want it to be like everyone else’s program and be just a bunch of workouts. When you go through a product like that and finish the workouts, you’re stuck. You don’t know what to do next. You don’t know what exercises, what sets or what reps you should be doing according to your specific goals or individual needs. Also, you don’t gain the knowledge of how to design your own programs.

Nathan- So how is AMD different?

Jim- First of all, everything in AMD is backed by science. Scientific studies that support why I set up the system the way I did. So, it is not my opinion, it is proven. And the results of the people in the AMD testimonials are proof positive as well.

Now, I call AMD a complete system because it not only teaches why you’re doing what you’re doing, but it also provides a step-by-step protocol of what you should do from the time you step into the gym or your garage or where ever you train, until you leave.

Most programs, like I said, give you your workouts with the sets and reps and that is it. What about the dynamic warm-up, what about the soft-tissue work, what about the activation exercises and what about the rehab component; they’re all missing. AMD covers all of these and shows you how to put it together in a simple, easy-to-modify template.

Nathan- One of the biggest problems I see is that when some people buy a muscle building product they get real excited and go to the gym to get started. But they end up doing the exercises with horrible form.

Jim- Let me cut you off there. Not only did I provide you with the step-by-step sequential pictures that show you have to do the exercises in the AMD exercise index, I created a whole Youtube channel dedicated to the system. I am currently loading it up with all of the exercises in AMD and I will show you the right way to do each one. There is no more need to go and search Youtube to find how to do an exercise correctly (plus you have to be very careful what you find). Now you have a video library showing you the right way each exercise should be performed.

If you want to see more of Smitty’s new program, go to AcceleratedMuscularDevelopment.com, the AMD site and check out this killer exclusive look at the site.

See what Bill Long (busy Dad) has to say about AMD in the video below

Nathan
Just go here....
AcceleratedMuscularDevelopment.com

PS: For an exclusive first look at AMD and the exercises in the program, check out this video below
PPS: Get ready for this innovative new product - AMD.com

Find Out What Most Programs are Missing!

2009-06-07T08:00:00.002-06:00

Nathan here from RedWhiteandBlueFitness.com. If you remember, I told you that most muscle building products show you a bunch of exercises and give you a 12 week program AND THAT'S IT! They don't show you how to CREATE YOUR OWN STRENGTH ROUTINES, so you can learn and educate yourself on what it takes to add muscle and get stronger.

Accelerated Muscular Development (AMD), from Jim Smith, gives you the knowledge and structure about strength training, so that you can make informed decisions according to your own needs.

And he has had some amazing results. A busy Dad on the program added 9 lbs of muscle in only 8 weeks, while working, being active in the Army and taking care of a new infant at home.
Gone are the days where you have to spend endless hours of unproductive training just to see mediocre results.

Jim has setup the program where you can get in and out of the gym in 30 minutes or less.

You have to see the transformations he has in this video below

Nathan

Just go here.... AcceleratedMuscularDevelopment.com

PS: If you want to see what most programs are missing, check out this video below
PPS: Get ready for this innovative new product - AMD.com

Bad Trainers Will Hurt You!

2009-06-01T08:00:00.007-06:00

Have you ever bought a muscle building product and gotten injured because you didn't know how to do the exercises in the program?

Have you ever felt confused when trying to follow a program you've found online and gotten discouraged that you weren't making any progress?

Everybody’s reason for working out is different. You might want confidence, you might want to lead a healthier, stronger life, you might want to get noticed and not always be the skinny kid in the room. Whatever the reason, you seek advice online from a “qualified” trainer.

Be Warned!

Most internet gurus and trainers will injure you. They demonstrate and teach bad form in their videos and probably have never really lifted heavy weights.

If you don't practice good form and you’ve never really been under the bar, how can teach it to others!

Jim Smith, a strength coach in the industry and a good friend of mine, just developed a new muscle building program called Accelerated Muscular Development (AMD). AMD provides a step-by-step guide for a complete muscle building system.
The system shows you how to:
- incorporate a dynamic warm-up prior to your workout
- activate muscles and improve mobility
- rehab injuries
- improve your movement
- BUILD SOLID MUSCLE AND GET STRONGER

ALL WITH PROPER FORM AND IN 3 SHORT WORKOUTS A WEEK!

When Jim sent me his new Accelerated Muscular Development muscle building system, I realized it was very unique. He is passionate about teaching people the right way to train that he not only does he provide step-by-step visual exercise pics in the program but he also created a Youtube site dedicated to correct form for all of the exercises in the program.

Most muscle building products show you a bunch of exercises and give you a 12 week program – AND THAT'S IT! They don't show you how to CREATE YOUR OWN STRENGTH ROUTINES, so you can learn and educate yourself on how to add muscle and get stronger according to your needs.

Check out this video Jim put together on why online trainers will injure you! You don’t want to miss this it!

Nathan

Just go here....
AcceleratedMuscularDevelopment.com

PS: Get ready for this innovative new product - AMD.com

2009 Strongest Athlete competition

2009-05-29T15:34:00.002-06:00

I just got off the phone a couple hours ago with Joe DeFranco. This year his Strongest Athlete competition will have a bonus division for Fire/Police/Military! Check out the video below and make sure you sign up early, he said the spots are pretty limited and will probably be gone in two weeks or less.

The secret to accidental fitness

2009-05-22T08:00:00.002-06:00

This week I've shared with you two blog posts in which Dr JohnBerardi talks about losing body weight (and body fat).

The first one talks about how important incentives are forchanging your body. And it goes on to incentivize you with awhopping $10,000.

Could The Chance To Win $10,000 Help You Get In Shape?

The second one shows you how to coerce yourself into stickingto the plan, even when the motivation wanes.

Enter "the best kept secret in weight loss."

Finally, today, I have one last post to share.In this one, Dr Berardi talks about something called"accidental success."

For most people fitness is a struggle. Others, however, seemto sail through life; they're lean, fit, and strong, and theyseem to do it effortlessly. Almost...by accident.

No, it's not genetics. It's something else. Something you too can use to get into the best shape of your life.

Learn the secret to accidental fitness

The best kept secret in weight (and fat) loss

2009-05-20T08:00:00.001-06:00

The other day I sent out an email link to a video of Dr JohnBerardi talking about his two latest programs - Lean EatingFor Men and Lean Eating For Women.Far and away, the most frequent questions had to do with his$20,000 prize - $10,000 to the top female winner and $10,000to the top male winner.
Click here to check out the blog post announcing this amazing prize: Lean Eating

Now, today, I want to share with you a post covering the flipside of the 10K prize. In other words, if the prize is the carrot, today's video talks about the stick.

You see, Dr. Berardi's a coaching expert. In fact, he'sprobably the most successful nutrition coach in the health andfitness business.

And after speaking with him, I realized that there's somethingpowerful to this idea.You see, the biggest transformations - body transformations orotherwise - are accomplished when people have big incentives.

And I'd say 10 thousand bucks qualifies as a big incentive allright.But big inspiring goals also need some potential punishment.

Or, some risk.And in today's video, Dr Berardi shows you how to coerceyourself into sticking to the plan, even when the motivationwanes.

Enter "the best kept secret in weight loss."

So, if you're REALLY interested in changing your body andyou'd like a little extra incentive for doing so, this isdefinitely a program you need to check out.

Again, this message is time sensitive. From what I hear thereare A LOT of people clamoring to get in on the program.

So check out these posts below. I know you won't bedisappointed.

Could The Chance To Win $10,000 Help You Get In Shape?

The Best Kept Secret In Weight Loss

Could the chance to win $10,000 help you get in shape?

2009-05-18T08:00:00.003-06:00

When Dr. John Berardi dropped me a line the other day,telling me all about his new program, I thought for a secondthe guy had lost his mind.

Now, don't get me wrong. I respect Dr Berardi. He'srecognized as one of the top nutrition coaches in the world.

And his programs get people results. Fast.

However, when I watched this video he sent over, and learned that he's giving away $20,000 of his own money, he definitely got my attention.

Check out this blog post for yourself.

Now, to qualify for this reward, you have to participate in the Lean Eating program. But that's a no brainer. You shouldwant to do that ANYWAY if you're interested in body transformation because there is nothing else like it.

You get 6 months of world class coaching, the type of coachingyou can't find, well, anywhere. And, during these 6 months, if you achieve the best body transformation, you'll win 10K.

Worst case scenario, you come out with the best body of your life. Best case scenario, you come out with the best body ofyour life, and 10 GRAND.

So, I highly encourage you to check out this post below. In it, Dr Berardi shares with you two critical components for body transformation success.

And then he tells you exactly how one man and one woman are going to swoop in and claim $10 G's of his own money.

Now, this message is time sensitive. No, it's not gonna self-destruct or anything. However, spots are limited in thisprogram. And LOTS of people want in.

So, if you're interested in finding out exactly how to eat toget in the best shape of your life, click the link below.

10grand may be waiting for you on the other side: Lean Eating and $10k

2009-05-10T16:26:00.001-06:00

Testing this out, guess we'll see if it works ;) www.redwhiteandbluefitness.com

Is your workout making you a liability on mission?!

2009-05-09T22:47:00.001-06:00

Some of you have asked about the overall load of stress on the body and why it's imortant

Really when you dig into it, it's more than just the CNS. There's a whole flurry of hormones that are affected by stress as well. Head on over to RMAX International and click on 'Magazine' on the top menu, select Volume 7 Issue 3, then jump to page 27. There is an excellent article by Kathryn Woodall of the effects of stress related to exercise, health and diet. I've outlined some key points below.

"If there is Physical Stress that is high enough for you to be wondering if you need to compensate for it, you probably do.

If your diet is of poor quality greater than 15-20% of the time, your exercise and hormones are likely to suffer as a result.

If you're exercising at high intensity every single day, you are not giving your body a chance to rebuild and repair even if you're eating well and keeping the rest of the stress your life to a minimum. Do it for long enough and your hormones will no longer be able to compensate so that you will get injured and be sick more frequently. Add in extra stress and that is a recipe for trouble.

The glands[adrenal] go through three phases of functions beyound their typical day to day activities.

1. Alarm Phase
Cortisol and DHEA are high
Function is heightened
This has no negative side effects as long as it's short lived
Symtoms are considered good by most people because of the "high" associated with this phase
Exercise typically doesn't need to be adjusted for this phase as long as the stress is short lived."

I'm sure you can see where the deployed enviroment can make for some serious problems. Who has a diet that is high quality better than 15-20% of the time in a deployed status? No one. Exercise can also be interchangable with daily mission load, it's all physical. So high intensity exercise combined with daily missions pretty much guaruntee's an injury and feeling like crap. Phase 1 of adrenal fatigue can be stimulated by flight or fight response. Getting spooked once a tour is ok, all the time you will be in Phase One adrenal fatigue. Also the deployed enviroment eventually takes it's toll and even office jockeys can slowly start sliding into phase 1 after a long tour.

This has only explored the hormonal aspects. The CNS operates basically the same way. Too much stress and it starts to short circuit and stimulating the adrenals. Quite a conundrum!
So what's the fix? Adjust your exercise to mesh with mission load, regardless of whether it's a physical or mentally taxing mission, but especially the physical. Eat as best as possible. Even eating all the "healthy" things in the DFAC won't be good enough. Most the meat and imported products just aren't high quality enough, you'll need a good supplementation plan specifically directed towards providing nutrients. Feel your body, you know it best. Don't let competition in the gym destroy your health instead of improve it! Research and practice relaxation methods, something as simple as relaxing stretches before bed concentrating on hip flexors, neck and back.

Olympic weightlifting sophistication

2009-05-01T13:07:00.004-06:00

Technical sophistication. These olympic lifts seem cool, but aren't they dangerous? No. Not when progressed properly and the actual lifts are coached. They are actually one of the safest sports injury wise. Safer than general lifting weights. There are over use injuries, but you are getting them, you are probably working with some world class coaches that will help negate them.

These are just the way I like to progress things. Taking somebody with no experience to technical lift. Some people may be able to skip and progress in a matter of hours. Others may take years. Find yourself an USAW Club Coach to teach you proper mechanics when you get to the dowel rod phase. They are much more common than you would think(I'm one) and your football coach in high school most likely taught you incorrectly.

-Deadlift and it's progressive variations(bodyweight, sandbag, kettlebell/dumbbell, etc)

-High pulls with various implements(bar, med balls, kettlebells, sandbags, etc)

-Kettlebell swings, this teaches the hip drive while using the arms as only attachments and not doing any of the work. Swings and high pulls may be taught at the same time.

-Overhead throws, these teach 75% of what an olympic lift is. Taking something off the ground and getting triple extension(ankles, kness, hips) Use various implements and odd objects.

-Kettlebell and sandbag clean and presses. Find a good kettlebell coach to show you these and you'll be very close to having the technical mastery needed for O-lifts.

-Dowel and PVC O-lift skills practice. I like to use this as a warmup prior to lower body work. Muscle snatches are excellent for warming up the shoulders prior to grappling or upper body work.-At this point you should get a coach to analyze form, at a minimum send a video in to a coach if you don't have one near by. Don't go past this point without professional coaching unless you can promise to never ever blame a single injury on olympic weightlifting. I love the sport and it is extremely safe, but there are millions of douches giving it a bad rap when they have never even bothered to take one hour out of their life to have someone teach them properly.

As a side note the actual bar lifts have only two advantages over other implements. Heavier weights and increased coordination skills. For the majority of people the kettlebell/sandbag and odd object(logs, kegs, etc) lifts will be enough. I view the actual olympic lifts as the very end goal after years of skills sophistication or as a hobby sport.

The sandbags used in the above exercises are the Ultimate Sandbags. A normal sandbag would not really allow this type of exercises efficiently. Ultimate Sandbags have properly placed handles while still maximizing the unknownness of sandbag training.

Fun training

2009-04-15T19:48:00.003-06:00

So today I got a tube shoved down both of my nostrils...that was fun :p It felt like it was tickling my brain :)

Also right after I sent out the newsletter I got an email from the Precision Nutrition guys. They are having 10% off the Precision Nutrition v3.0. Get it now, that's 43% off when you add in the $50 they have already taken off. A serious steal, and much more exciting than paying my taxes or having tubes in my nose ;) Here's the link to today's blog article which has the coupon link

Not sure if it's for you? Check out the readers digest summary
Executive Summary:
Covers everything you need to know about nutrition. Precision Nutrition contains everything you need to get the body you want.
Teaches you how to eat for your goal and your body. We teach you how to develop a custom nutrition plan unique to your physiology.
Written in plain English. We make advanced nutrition research easy to understand – and easy to use, right away.
1 year of 24/7 online support on our private member forum. You’ll need help, and with PN you get it – from our expert coaches and nearly 40,000 fellow members from around the world.
1 year membership to our online library of articles, e-books and software. Access our complete Exercise Video Database and thousands of pages covering every conceivable fitness and nutrition topic in the Member Zone.
Includes more than 25 goal-specific exercise programs by world-class coaches. We had the top coaches in the world develop exercise programs specifically for Precision Nutrition members.
Includes the PN cookbook, Gourmet Nutrition Volume 1. Good, healthy food can be delicious, and in Gourmet Nutrition we show you how.
Results 100% guaranteed. We put our money where our mouth is. If PN doesn’t work for you, we’ll not only give your money back, we’ll buy you another book of your choosing!
$50 off before April 15th! Order today for an unbeatable deal.

Pain and injury free running

2009-04-12T21:23:00.003-06:00

Did you know running has the second highest injury rate out of 25 sports and recreational activities? It also can cause some long term problems and pain if not done correctly. But we all know the benefits right. So here's a quick blog post by coach Sonnon giving you some golden tips on how to run properly. Here's a video demonstrating the difference between running with cushioned shoes and barefoot. It's shocking how much we are damaging ourselves.

Lima

2009-03-22T13:52:00.002-06:00

Did Lima from Tacfit today
100 burpee sprawls(no jump, hips down, head up in bottom)
100 medball wall throws
100 clubbell swipes

I missed the 20 min mark by roughly 1 min. Had 15 swipes I finished after the buzzer. This is my first complete workout at the Gamma level which is the second progressive level of Tacfit

Newsletter is out

2009-03-15T11:18:00.004-06:00

The newest issue of the Train Hard, Fight Easy Newsletter is out. There's a ton of content just waiting to spill out on to the website. I'm also giving my subscribers a special sneak peak at an article I'm working on.

I've also got some very special things coming up in the next couple weeks. Make sure you subscribe to the newsletter so you don't miss out.

I'll be headed to Washington state soon, so any of you in the area, I'll be there for a year.

India

2009-03-11T17:38:00.003-06:00

Did the India workout the other day from Tacfit. Every minute on the minute for 20 minutes. I didn't realise the volume was so high till my legs were all tight this morning. Then I actually did the math- 300 air squats, 200 quad presses and 100 jumping pull-ups!! Scary thing is it was hard, but I finished each set in 25-30 seconds.

Last night I took another 2" out of my duty belt!! I never shoot for fat loss being naturally high metabolism and ectomorphic. My weight has stayed the same, so fortuneately I'm not losing beef. So either it's the Tacfit workouts which are the same metabolic demands as 4 hours of traditional cardio in 20 min. Or it's the new vitamins I've been trying, VGF25+ which I've noticed significant health improvements with. Hard to tell but one of them is shredding me up big time!!

Oh and I'm constantly hungry. I wake up in the middle of the night starving and have to mix up a shake to keep my stomach from punching me in the face! What the hell is this?! I thought I got over the growing stage 10 years ago!

U-Fill It Kettlebells

2009-03-10T10:17:00.003-06:00

So today I'm posting a review of the AOS Bulldog Kettlebell. The reason I'm posting here is they've just come out with a new kettlebell called the U-Fill It kettlebell and it's on sale till the 17th. As of now this is a huge price saver. It's less than a quarter the price of the Bulldog, yet more versatile. I'll be picking up several of these, but right now they have a 4 per customer limit due to heavy demand. Get your hands on these recession busters before they're gone!!

AOS Online Store

Tabata intervals

2009-03-10T00:16:00.002-06:00

The following is a new article at Red White and Blue Fitness

Tabata's: What the hell are they?

Tabata's aren't some silly Italian bread or a some dirty street cat. They are a very effective method to improve both aerobic AND anaerobic capacities. Not only that but they blow torch fat off like white phosphorus and challenge your mental capacities to the limit. All in four minutes....

First an overview from my buddy Ross Enamait over at Rosstraining.com
Tabata Intervals by Ross Enamait
Ross has a program there similar to what I have been doing recently. It is pure hell for the entire time.
The most common protocol is doing air squats for the 4 minutes. Watch a video over on Crossfit. Scroll down to Tabata Squat. There are some other tabata video's there as well. Just don't slip too hard in the Kool-Aid while venturing around. I digress, moving on.
Another program by acclaimed coach Dan John
The Tabata Method- Fat Loss in Four Minutes by Dan John(Link to T-Nation)

Tabata intervals should consist of compound movements but without too much complexity. Umm what? Basically if you do small exercises, you'll get virtually nothing. It has to tax as much muscle as possible while not being so complicated that you can't do it with decent speed. You can also do it with typical endurance type activities for sprints. Bike, skates, rollerblades, running, etc. But I'm warning you, Tabata sprints are no joke. You'll be breathing hard. The goal of each Tabata interval regardless of exercise is to go as fast as you can with proper form. Even if Lance Armstrong did this on a bike, he would be sucking too. There is no "getting better" at Tabata's. Sure you'll improve your score, but it sucks every time. If you're going hard and fast enough that is.
So each rount you count your number of reps or distance. The lowest of all 8 rounds is your Tabata score. The next time you of course try to beat that lowest score for all your rounds. DON'T game play this!! In other words don't shoot only for getting minimum, fast as you can every round, no matter what. This is a challenge of your mental fortitude!
A sample workout you can toss at the non-believers is Burpee's. Burpee Tabata's will probably make you burp up lunch.
A simple bodyweight full workout four minutes just isn't enough pain for you. Take 1 min between exercises, 8 rounds each. Complete each exercises 8 rounds before moving to the next. This one will help improve your PT score as well. Remember 20 sec work, followed by 10 seconds rest for all 8 rounds of Mountain Climbers, take a minute off. Then repeat for the other three exercises.
Mountain Climbers
Jumping squats
Sit ups or crunches if you test has crunches
Pushups or pullups if your test has pullups
You can also do pullups instead of the situps or crunches. Make sure on the pullups they are either jumping or kipping. You have to move the entire 20 seconds at a fast pace. I've done regular pullups and ring dips, although they pumped you up, they don't quite stimulate the lungs. So adapt to what your goal is.

There you have it, a simple, easily done anywhere on the planet workout that will not only maintain your conditioning but improve your VO2 max!

Launch of Train Hard, Fight Easy Newsletter 2.0!

2009-03-03T10:00:00.003-07:00

I'm launching the new service of the newsletter tomorrow. Please leave your comments here on how you like the new format and there will be fresh content starting the 15th. But there are some bonuses if you subscribe now!

2009-03-02T10:10:00.010-07:00

So yesterday I completed the 'Golf' workout from Tacfit. Like I said four exercises of Tabata intervals. Just by looking at the list I knew this was gonna be a core workout. Starting off with kettlebell figure 8's, moving to Knee's to Chest on the gym rings, spinal rocks(kind of like a full body english situp with a hip/knee lift on the rock back) and then parelette dips.

The knee's to chest and dips, freaking fried me, which just validates that I need to continue working on bodyweight strength. I'd like to take up some Parkour in the next year to help, but we'll have to see with time constraints.

Those of you from my website, RedWhiteandBlueFitness.com probably already know about my new newsletter. Train Hard, Fight Easy 2.0 will be launching this wednesday! Follow the link to the sign up form if your interested. There will be special offers and articles to subsrciber members only! Train Hard, Fight Easy 2.0

Second mini cycle

2009-02-28T10:55:00.003-07:00

So tomorrow I start my second mini-cycle of Tacfit. Foxtrot was the last of the 6 different formats. I had some serious DOMS(Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) on the lats. I think even the masseuse was surprised at the size of size of the adhesions in my back haha. Anyways it consisted of pull-ups, kettlebell push press, box jump and clubbell clockwork squats, 50 reps each. If you have gaps somewhere in your strength or conditioning, Tacfit will find them and and allow to build them up to par.

Today I start with a new Moderate intensity day too. Using the Hypertrophy workout A from Bodyweight Exercise Revolution.

Tacfit has some serious improvements over previous conditioning programs. Coach Sonnon has been perfecting it for over a decade. I'll keep updating my progress on here. TACFIT - TACTICAL-SPECIFIC PHYSICAL CONDITIONING

Firepower

2009-02-28T10:50:00.003-07:00

The firepower DVD by Art of Strength is directed towards the fire service. If you're looking for a kettlebell workout for the firehouse, this is a good follow along. It has several progressive levels but remains intense throughout all of them.

As a bonus there is a ladder truck and plenty of gear in the backround. Maybe it's just me, but that's just cool :)

Give it a look

Tacfit

2009-02-25T15:53:00.004-07:00

So I've since expanded my 4X7 practice to something called Tacfit. Basically it takes your crossfit type conditioning workouts, and blends them into a 4 day cycle that also includes your strength work. I've had lots of fun with it so far. If you are doing it along with a strength program of your choice, you can stretch out to never doing the same workout twice in just over 3 months time. You have variety, but it'll find where you are weak, exploit and improve while you can still work some technical or strength skills in a format that eliminates CNS fatigue. Nervous system fatigue I think is the biggest problem with constant high intensity workouts like crossfit. I like it so far. Put on a couple pounds of mass, lost some fat(not much I'm normally fairly lean), and found some gaps in my physical development. I would highly suggest giving it a try if your career has you running into burning buildings or firefights, where being sore of CNS fatigue can get you dead.

Useful resources

2009-01-02T20:59:00.006-07:00

Some valuble resources for military and those with tight time demands.

RMAX has a new E-book out called Bodyweight Exercise Revolution, Volume One of the 4X7 Wave E-book series by CST head coaches Steer and Murdock.

I just finished my first cycle and so far, so good. It really does cater to those that truly can't have equipment like out in the field where there may not be a place to do pullups and dips. Also it has some modified versions of Intu-Flow and Prasara for those on a time crunch. I really wish I could of had that in Baghdad! It's also broken down into several different goals, from fat loss to athletic improvement. Definately a good product and I highly reccomend it! http://www.bodyweightexerciserevolution.com/

For you MACP instructors out there, Greg Thompson's H2H book is just what you'll need until the new manual comes out. It outlines every Level I and II technique, plus gets into more advanced stuff to include stick, knife and gun.

And for anybody that is worried about a knife attack of any kind, especially corrections, LEO, military detainee ops, I highly reccomend Die Less Often by Dog Brothers Martial Arts and Gabe Suarez. The Dog Brothers are the base Kali instructors for the MACP program so this will mesh perfectly into a combatives program as it was designed to intergrate well with MACP as well as LEO programs. The DVD starts out with some basic foundation work and culminates with force on force scenario's. Well worth the money. I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of content contained on 2 DVD's. Don't hesitate for a second to begin this series! http://www.dogbrothers.com/

If you've been in search of high quality supplements give Prograde a try. They are to the highest standard and certified along with being developed organically. Worth a look http://nathan.getprograde.com/

Welcome

2009-01-02T20:25:00.003-07:00

I just opened my blog! I hope to fill this with the random resources and ideas that float through my head every so often.

Thanks for stopping by

Nathan

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