Red Star Athletics: Strength by Sara: 05/01/2009

29 May 2009

One Year Down

I can't believe we've been at Pope for a whole year now, the time certainly has flown by. As I was driving down one of the many "highways" earlier today I thought, this place does have its quaint nuances. It is quintessentially the south with its long arbor drives, round-abouts, and cobblestone downtown. We get hellatious rain storms at night followed by sticky sweet summer days. Everything dries and dies in winter only to be renewed and bursting with every color of the rainbow in the spring. There are farmer's markets... old men with even older ball caps mowing their lawn on yet older riding mowers... tractors that slow down traffic on "major" thoroughfares...mom and pop shops still run by mom & pop...small towns that bleed one into the next...I can actually say I have come to appreciate our little slice of life out here on the east coast.

The area and our current base have a hauntingly familiar feel to the places I grew up. In fact our current abode is the exact layout of my 2nd/3rd grade home at Fort Knox, KY (oh so fitting if you know how the gov'ment likes to run things). And according to recent stats, Pope is 55% Army now. I was at a Key Spouses meeting last week where a friend said her new (Army dependent) neighbor described Pope as "the part of Fort Bragg that used to be an Air Force Base." The fun of being Air Force, on an Air Force base, being taken over by the biggest Army base has its humor. So I guess I am unofficially back home on an Army base to boot. It's just like the cheesy wall hanging my mom had up at every duty station: "Home is where the Army sends you." ;) Apparently I can't escape it...of course I never fought too hard to do so anyway. :)

20 May 2009

Virginia Beach Workshop

Announcing 20 June VA Workshop:

Sara Cheatham, M.S., Sr RKC,

Z-Health Master Trainer Intern

collaborates with

Bob Orr, RKC

in:

Kettlebell Strength Secrets Revealed:

Maximize Strength & Mobility
Minimize Pain & Injury™

Unlock your potential by combining the secrets of
Z-Health & RKC

Discover:

How to combine principles of these top-level training systems to get the most from your training
The secrets that separate the elite from the ordinary
What you really need to know about mobility & core training
How old injuries hold you back and how to fix them
How you can “take the breaks off” mentally to break through long-standing performance plateaus
How to increase neuropathways to make you quicker, stronger, and super-resilient
How to recover faster & optimize efficiency
Why working-out for hours on end is counterproductive
How to be powerful & pain-free at any age and fitness level!

Sara Cheatham M.S., Sr. RKC, Z-Health Master Trainer Intern, reveals advanced Russian training secrets behind maximizing strength & injury proofing your body!

For the first time, discover how to unlock your true athletic potential—using the fundamental principles of both Hard Style Russian kettlebell training & Z-Health Performance Solutions.

Using this knowledge, you will easily out-perform past PRs and skyrocket your training progress!

What people are saying about training with Sara:

“I owe much of what I learned to Sara’s patience, knowledge, understanding and expertise. Keep spreading your gift.” –Steve, CO

“Sara has a grasp of concepts & principles of training as well as the bigger picture.” Mark ‘Rif,’ CA

“I have the resilience in my back like I did as a wrestler in high school. Well worth my time and money.” Bryan, NV

“My time with you was more valuable than the combined 10 months of physical therapy. I wish I would have heard about ‘this stuff’ sooner!” Brent, NV

“Sara has a passion for what she does & a passion for her clients as well.” Anj, NV.

What the Workshop Covers:

1. Z-Health Neural warm-up 1: Joint -by-joint mobility to pinpoint personal movement inefficiencies to prevent or eliminate pain during and as a result of training; Pain relief and performance enhancement.

2. Pavel's "3 S's:" This goes hand-in-hand with Z-health

3. The RKC Swing & related Z drills:1 arm swing, 2 arm swing, alternating swing, figure 8 swing, double swing and the Z drills to perfect for of the swing. Perfecting drills include tools to find proper spinal alignment from the tail to the neck, head carriage, proper foot and leg placement, optimal shoulder movement throughout the swing.

4. Clean & related Z drills: The clean is a lot like the swing, but with very different execution to get the bell to the rack. You will learn the 1 arm clean, 2 arm clean, bottoms-up clean, double bottoms-up clean, & flip clean

5. Press & related Z drills: Obviously the press is closely linked to the clean. We build the press from the clean drills and use Pavel's irradiation drill to maximize pressing strength. We also look at head and heck carriage throughout the press and the proper Z correction drill, wrist carriage, & how eye position can effect the press. You will learn the 1 arm military press, 2 arm press, bottoms-up press, push press, in line kneeling lunge press, one-leg press, and long cycle press.

6. Front Squat & deadlift & their Z related drills: 1 arm FS, double FS, goblet squat, loaded deadlift, suitcase DL, Sumo DL, one-legged DL. we will cover proper spinal alignment and the corrective Z drills, proper foot and leg placement, using eye position to effect the squat. Corrective Z drills for the deadlift cover proper spine, head, and knee alignment

7. Get-up & related Z drills: We will cover the lunge style GU, OH squat style GU, double GU, and shin roll GU. you will learn Pavel's heel extension drill to maximize upper and lower body connection on the get-up sit-up. We'll cover how to maintain proper spinal alignment throughout the GU.

8. Snatch: Discover how my "volume swings" make learning and executing the snatch a breeze. It is like "steering your strength" as Pavel says, or turning up the volume swing my swing. This is a "threat inoculation" approach to the snatch.

9. Final workout: A final "smoker" to immediately incorporate the learned drills into your training protocol.

Date:20 June 2009

Time: 12:00-5:00

Place: 217 First Colonial Road, Suite #106, Virginia Beach, Virginia, 23454

Sara Cheatham is a highly sought after top-level kettlebell and movement coach. To register for this event contact Sara immediately to reserve your seat. Spaces are limited! SaraCheatham@hotmail.com

19 May 2009

Back from the Bahamas & Denmark

I've been off the grid for a couple of weeks and it has been a roller coaster of a ride the whole time. I've said it before, but I'll continue to say it, I must have done great things in my past lives, because this one totally ROCKS!!! I'm truly blessed with the most supportive, passionate, and caring family and friends. If the best is yet to come, then the rest of my life is beyond my wildest expectations.

A quick re-cap:
Just prior to my Bahamas "Girls Weekend Reunion" (started by my mom, her sister, sister-in-law, and cousin many moons ago and has now come to include their daughters), my grandfather passed. Although it was somewhat unexpected and a mere three days before our ship left port in Miami, it didn't raise a black cloud of gloom over our cruise. In fact, I think it was just what the doctor would have ordered and my grandfather, being the sprightly and jovial man that he was, would have been sorely disappointed if we had cancelled on his account. We sailed and had the best of times in his name. And now each year when we come together, it will not only be a reunion for us, but a celebration of his life and will be in his memory. Knowing him, getting together and having a great time in his name, he would not be more pleased.

Six of us meet in Miami and ventured to South Beach Sunday night. Monday morning met us bright and early and we were off to meet the boat. After settling in and my mom and aunt managing to flash a passing Miami cop chopper, we hit the seas. Three port of calls gave us a flavor of local culture, shopping, feeding sting rays, riding horses, kayaking, lots of walking along sugary-sand beaches and plenty of natural vitamin D. We made plenty of fond memories back on the ship as well...dancing, singing, eating, and pure quality time. It was just what we all needed.

Before I could digest my Bahamian adventure, I was off to Denmark for the RKC. Mike was able to squeeze in leave and go with me, thankfully. We had three good days of soaking in Copenhagen before putting the hurt on the RKC victims Friday. We took in as much as possible on our 14 plus hours of walking, shopping, and sight-seeing. I was not disappointed in the least by all the city had to offer. Every single person we met was overly courteous, the food was off the charts delicious, and the city, hotel, and public transportation were unbelievably clean. As Pavel says, everything in Denmark is perfect.

At the RKC I was granted a group of nine feisty Italians (is there really another type?) and two superb assistants. Of course my group was the best and we had the most fun ;) ...plus I learned a little Italiano to boot.

Now after a painfully long return flight (why do I always get stuck in the middle seat next to the big person???) I'm back in action, refreshed and ready to "put the hurt on" Fort Bragg once again. :)