Grease the Groove: My favorite concept

Grease the Groove for Pull-up Success

(or the SAID Principle applied)

It all started at the 2005 Kettlebell Convention. I didn’t know much about kettlebells at the time, but my husband persuaded me to go. Basically it was, "Hey I'm going to the kettlebell convention and it's right down the street, you should come check it out." I begrudgingly went. The rest...is history ;)

There was a contest sign up table at the entrance of the venue. With nothing to lose I signed up for everything, including the weighted pull-up contest.

I hadn’t done a pull-up in a while, nonetheless weighted. I was in for a rude awakening. They strapped the bell around my waist, I grabbed the bar, and then…nothing. The weight and I were not budging. The weight was dropped to 12 kilos and I gave it another go. Still nothing. There's nothing more inspiring than a good public humiliation session. Well, I gues it can be seen one fo two ways: You're either inspired to kick ass at the event so you're never humiliated again, or you crawl into a hole never to be seen or heard from again. I chose to kick ass.

Immediately after being publicy humiliated as though I walked on the school bus naked (you know you've had that dream), a slightly younger, slightly slimmer girl stepped up to the bar. I had already seen her place second in the snatch test and second in the kettlebell throw. I knew she was going to blow me out of the water with her pull-ups too. I think she amazed everyone when she pumped out three virtually effortless weighted pull- ups. That was it for me.

With the image of a tinier version of me flying up to the bar burned into my brain, I started my pull-up program. I read an article by Pavel Tsatouline entitled “Grease the Groove for Strength” (1999). I applied the “specificity + frequency = success” theory presented in the article to my new pull-up routine. I was convinced that “The synaptic facilitation approach [was] very powerful because it greases the specific groove of your pet lift.”

According to “Grease the Groove” (GTG), I had to teach myself to do a perfect pull-up in order to yield significant results. “Strength is a skill!” in that familiar Russian accent of Pavel’s, would ring in my ears. Every day I hung from the bar with a tactical grip, pulled myself up as far as I could, gave myself a bump through the sticking point with my foot on a bench from underneath, and finished the pull with my neck touching the bar. I paused to focus on total body tension at the top position before slowly lowering under control. I did one semi pull-up at a time, at least five times a day every day. My set/rep scheme was one semi-pull-upx5x5. In addition to my “pet lift,” I focused on slow and controlled military pressing. During my presses I paid particular attention to actively pulling the bell down from the overhead lockout position with my lats: pulling the bell back into the rack with my armpit muscles.

Within two weeks of starting GTG I realized I didn’t need a bump through my sticking point. After I was able to do an unassisted pull-up I happened to read an article in Vitalics by Josh Henkin, CSCS, RKC. It was “The ABCs of Reaching Your Fitness Goals” (2005). In the article he addresses a concept known as S.M.A.R.T. “This easy to remember acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Based” (Henkin, 2005).

This is how I applied S.M.A.R.T to my pull-up goals:
· S-Specific: My specific goal was to increase my single pull-up to eight pull-ups.
· M-Measurable: Every week I tested myself to see how many pull-ups I could do without compromising my form.
· A-Achievable: An increase from one to eight pull-ups in three months was my goal and seemed reasonable.
· R-Relevant: After I attended the Kettlebell Convention I was hooked and wanted to get my RKC. I wasn’t sure if I would have to do pull-ups for the RKC, but I knew I didn’t want to humiliate myself again either.
· T-Time Based: The next RKC was in June, three months out from the start of my program. That was my deadline.

I kept my S.M.A.R.T goals in mind when working on my GTG pull-up program. With one quality rep under my belt, I started to GTG with one pull-up five times a day, fives days a week. My set/rep scheme changed to 1x5x5. I paused and held my sticking point position on the lowering phase to better prepare my body for additional reps down the road, or to grease the “synaptic pathways.” The sticking point for me was when my upper arm and lower arm were just over 90º, (or greater than a 90º angle), and my body was further away from the bar. I could really feel my lats working when holding that sticking point position.

I tested myself at the end of the first week of my 1x5x5 pull-up program. After just one week of GTG with one rep five times daily, I was able to perform three pull-ups without compromising my form. So I changed my set/rep scheme to two pull-ups five times a day, five days a week (2x5x5). This method fell in line with the idea that “fragmentation of training volume into smaller units is very effective for promoting strength adaptation, especially in the nervous system” (Pavel 1999). Furthermore, I practiced with sub-maximal pull-up numbers because as Pavel also states in GTG, “Pushing to exhaustion will burn out your neuromuscular system and force you to cut back,” and “It is critical for the program's success that you avoid muscle failure.”

After one week of 2x5x5 I tested myself again. Amazingly, I was able to pump out 5 quality pull-ups. That was when my progress began to slow. I needed three more pull-ups to complete my goal. Reps one through five seemed to come relatively easy, but reps six through eight required more work and I began to get discouraged. I had hit a wall. So I re-evaluated my approach. I assumed the first five reps were due to synaptic facilitation, my body knew how to do a pull-up. For the last three reps I needed to gain more strength.

In order to gain strength, I incorporated heavier pressing into my regular lifting routine and consequently started push pressing as well. My military pressing routine consisted of three sets of three reps twice a week with a 16kg kettlebell (3x3x2). I also started push pressing the 20kg kettlebell twice a week with the same rep scheme as my regular military pressing (3x3x2). I took long breaks in between push press sets, at least five minutes, sometimes longer.

I continued to GTG, but with four pull-ups three times a day four days a week (4x3x4). During my GTG sets, I concentrated on really squeezing the lat muscles as hard as I could on both the pull and decent portions of the lift. I did this program of presses and pull-ups for a month before testing my pull-ups again. After one month of hard pressing and pull-ups, I was in fact able to complete the last three reps of my set goal of eight pull-ups.

Setting S.M.A.R.T goals provided an outline and clear-cut direction to go with my pull-up program. With two hard months of working on pull-ups, I was able to achieve my set goal of eight quality pull-ups. The next step was to add weight. By adding minute amounts of weight over a long period of time your body is more able to adapt to it, than if you were to try to hang a 12 kilo. off of your foot from the start.

I used a weight vest and incorporated weighted pull-ups into my jogs. I started with a two-and-a-half pound plate in the vest. I alternated running one quarter mile lap with one tactical pull-up for five laps two times a week, (1x5x2). Every two weeks I would add another two-and-a-half pound plate if I had been successful in the past week with the previous given weight. I worked up to ten extra pounds in the vest with this program. After I reached a ten pound weighted pull-up I started to burn out. I took two months off of weighted pull-ups and went back to GTG with five pull-ups, five times a day, three days a week (5x5x3). Then I took two weeks off of pull-ups all together.

After two months off of weighted pull-ups and an additional two weeks off of body weight pull-ups, I started over where I left off, (5x5x3 body weight pull-ups). After two weeks of GTG with 5x5x3, I gradually added weight again with my weighted pull-up and jogging program. Progress was slow and steady, but after consistent persistence I worked up to 15 pounds in my weight vest in between quarter mile laps. After I was able to do a pull-up with 15 extra pounds, I started GTG in more concentrated periods of trianing again. I GTG with one 15 pound pull-up three times a day, three days a week (1x3x3). Every two weeks I would add another two-and-a-half pound plate if I had been successful in the past week with the previous given weight. I was able to work up to 20 pounds in the vest before I attended the Level II RKC.

I had never successfully attempted a weighted pull-up with the kettlebell until I attended the Level II RKC in 2006. Because of my dedication and consistent training I was able to successfully perform a 12kg weighted pull-up.

To this day my two pet lifts are still weighted pull-ups and Hardstyle heavy presses. Rarely do I ever press lighter than 16kilos or practice less than five reps and sets. I still like to mix-in even heavier push presses (for a little fun). ;)

The One piece of equipment your gym is lacking...

and Why You Need It

The kettlebell is quickly taking center stage to many strength and body sculpting enthusiast. What makes kettlebell training different than your regular gym routine? Firstly you can train full body strength, flexibility, and cardio in a few simple moves, in a fraction of the time you would spend in the gym. Secondly, you only need one bell to train your whole system, and it takes up the same space as a bowling ball. Thirdly, as much of an ‘on the go’ society as we’ve become, you can throw the bell in the backseat of your car and take it anywhere with you.

Kettlebells offer all the benefits, then some, of gym training in a fraction of the time. Sounds like any other gimmick we have seen come and go. But for those that have used and quickly abandoned late night infomercial gym equipment, the kettlebell has been the answer to your life long fitness needs. Many personal clients have reported that they look forward to working out and have stuck with kettlebell training much longer than any other fitness routine in the past. Some have been committed for four plus years, and are not looking to put the kettlebell down any time soon. That’s huge for meeting, maintaining, and even setting bigger, once unattainable and unbelievable goals for the average Joe and stay at home mom.

So the kettlebell has gotten the stay at home mom committed to training regularly for years, what does that mean to someone already committed to a routine? It means that you can look forward to training again. You can have those feelings for training that you had when you first started working out; because you enjoyed it and liked the way it made you feel. Kettlebell workouts are a little different than traditional western gym routines. That’s what makes them so enjoyable. With the kettlebell, training compound movements and working the body as a whole, delivers even better results than breaking the body into parts, sculpting it piece by piece, and ‘having to’ do cardio on top of it all. With a sense of re-teaching the body how to work as a unit, you will have fewer injuries, be able to train harder, and for longer cycles.

Cardio, full body strength, and flexibility in ONE move, it is not too good to be true! The most basic kettlebell drill, the swing, delivers them all in one neat, tough, package. Many people spend hours in yoga, then hours sweating away on the treadmill, then hours in the gym to get limber, strong, and lean. But the swing strengthens the entire posterior chain (from the calves to the low back and beyond), skyrockets your heart rate as if you are sprinting, and mobilizes the body through a full range of motion, stretching the ever tight hamstrings and hips. It looks easy, but once you have tried it, you may never step foot on the treadmill again.

I only need ONE kettlebell for an entire workout? Absolutely! My dvd: Strength by Sara, outlines several “simple yet sinister” workouts you only need one bell to complete.

The kettlebell swing and get-up are two basic yet tough kettlebell drills that serve as the foundation for any grueling and results-based training. Linking drills together; from the clean to press to front squat to snatch, and windmill, can be fun, calorie burning, and you never have to set the bell down to make the load feel challenging.

What size bell should I start with?
Women generally start their kettlebell training with an 8kg kettlebell and quickly progress to a 12kg kettlebell. They can optimally utilize that 12kg bell for the rest of their lives. Once a drill becomes “too easy” there are adaptations to make that 12kg bell feel much heavier. The options and fun are limitless when it comes to training with kettlebells.

More than the fun of training with kettlebells is where you can train with them. I had many clients contact me when we lived in Vegas. We would easily do an entire workout right there in their hotel room. I have also led many Air Force Squadrons, Army Units, and Marines through their early morning Physical Training (PT) sessions out in baseball fields or right outside their shops.

Parks, fields, parking lots, living rooms, garages, porches, any open area, big or small, can serve as the perfect spot to whip out a complete, serious workout. You can’t say that about a gym full of dumbbells, barbells, and cardio machines. Instead of being a slave to the gym, you can do your workout anytime and anywhere you want, even if it’s right there in your office in the middle of the work day! You can haul an entire gym anywhere in any car, if you train with kettlebells.

With a kettlebell in your training arsenal, there really is no excuse to miss a workout...and after training with one, you won’t want to miss a workout.

Who is Sara Cheatham and what are her credentials?
With a Master’s degree in Health Sciences: Community Health Promotion, from the University of Arkansas in 2004, Sara Cheatham is the proud wife of CPT Michael Cheatham, USAF. They are currently stationed on Fort Bragg, in North Carolina. After attending a kettlebell convention in 2005, she was convinced that kettlebell training truly was the ultimate no hassle, no bells and whistles, straight forward way to get and stay in shape.

She became a Russian Kettlebell Certified (RKC) instructor in 2005 under elite former Soviet Special Forces instructor Pavel Tsatsouline. She quickly moved up in ranks with the RKC to a Level II instructor, then was selected and invited to return to the kettlebell certifications as an assistant instructor. In 2007, Sara was selected as one of the first ever RKC Team Leaders, and then quickly became the only female Senior RKC amoungst 8 other males.

Also in 2007, Sara began pursuing additional elite forms of training and discovered Z-Health. She is now a Z-Health Master Trainer Intern, under the direction of Doctor of Chiropractic care W. Eric Cobb.

Other credentials Sara holds include:
•Red Star Athletics Small Business Owner, 2005-2008. Nellis AFB, NV
Red Star Athletics Small Business Owner, 2008-2009. Fort Bragg, NC
•Kettlebell Specialty Instructor, Professional Fitness Institute, 2008. Las Vegas, NV•Health and Fitness Instructor, Health and Wellness Center, 2005-2006. Nellis AFB, NV•People With Arthritis can Exercise Instructor, HAWC, 2005-2006. Nellis AFB, NV •Healthy Living Workshop Instructor, HAWC, 2006. Nellis AFB, NV
•Health Promotion Director certification, Cooper Institute, 2004. Dallas, TX
•Master Fitness Trainer certification, Cooper Institute, 2004. Dallas, TX
•"Effectiveness of Diabetes Education: Analyzing Physiological Indicators of Diabetic Health,” Area Health Education Center-Northwest (AHEC-NW), University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Fayetteville, AR 2003-2004 •Outcome Evaluation of Patient Education, AHEC-NW, Fayetteville, AR 2003-2004
•Weight Room Supervisor, Little Rock Racquet Club, 2001-2002. Little Rock, AR •Sports Camp Counselor and Instructor, Walton Fitness Center, 2000. Bentonville, AR

How can I contact Sara Cheatham?
E-mail saracheatham@hotmail.com

Post #301! :) Everyone's favorite: The Clean...

The Hardstyle Kettlebell Clean

The clean is a means of getting the weight from the ground to the racked position. For those unfamiliar with the “racked position,” it is simply bringing the bell to an intermediate position for lifts such as the squat or press. Some claim it is unnecessary to implement high rep cleans into your training. If you can get your clean down, without banging and hurting yourself, cleans are a good addition to your ballistic arsenal. The clean is a finesse drill, meaning the difference between a solid, safe clean and a bruising clean, is in the details.

Step 1: Starting Position
From the starting postural position and alignment addressed in the body weight squat article, hinge at the hips as though you are going to perform a squat. However, only descend a quarter of the way into the squat. (Note: the hips should reach back and not straight down.) Feel your glutes widen and your hamstrings stretch, this a good eccentric loading phase. From the quarter-squat position, reach out and grip the bell with one hand. The bell should be placed about a foot in front and center of you. With one hand on the bell, do not be tempted to place the other hand on your leg or hip. Leave the non-working hand free, out to the side. Look straight down at your bell, keeping the neck in line with the rest of the spine. The starting clean position is the same as the starting swing position and resembles a football center preparing to hike the ball to a quarterback.

Step 2: The Loading Phase
The football center analogy is a convenient one because from this position you are going to ‘hike’ the bell back between your legs as if it were a football. As you hike, pay particular attention to keeping your weight on the heels. You should feel the hamstrings and glutes load. The forearm should be close to the groin, even touching the inner thigh, on the back swing. Keep your neck elongated as the bell moves back. As soon as the bell clears your hips, quickly reverse the movement.

Step 3: The Rack Position
Snap the hips forward after the hike pass, just as you would in a kettlebell swing, only, do not over power the movement for the clean. Do not under power the hip snap either. An over-powered hip snap on a clean will surely give the bell enough energy to bruise your forearm. An under-powered clean will not give the bell enough energy to make it into the rack, and will result in more of a “cheat curl” than an effortless clean. As you progress, you will find just the right amount of power to get the bell from the hiked position to the raked position.

As the bell swings forward from the hiked position, keep the upper arm attached to the upper body. The upper arm should stick to the rib cage in order to keep the bell from arcing too far away from the body and incidentally banging the wrist. A tighter arc results in a much less painful clean.

Another technique to keep from banging the wrist is to aggressively pull the bell toward you then immediately punch through the kettlebell handle as the bell passes the belly button line.

The bell should land comfortably in the ‘V’ made by the upper and lower arm. As the bell lands in the ‘V’ of your arm, brace the abdomen as though someone were to punch you in the gut. Your glutes should also be tight at the top of the racked position to protect your low back. Bracing the abdomen and squeezing the glutes will help absorb the shock of the bell.

In the proper racked position, the bell should rest low and comfortably in the ‘V’ of your arm with the shoulder sunken and relaxed and the wrist straight. The handle of the bell should nest in the ‘O’ of the thumb and index finger and run diagonally to the striking point on the heel of the hand below the pinkie. Walk around with the bell in the racked position to force the arm and shoulder to relax and find the proper handle alignment so that the fingers can wiggle freely.

Conclusion
Finally, DO NOT OVER THINK THE CLEAN. Also do not over work the clean. If you are not getting the movement down, do not continue to practice it. Do not beat yourself up. Set the bell down and walk away or do a different drill. Improperly performing the clean is a painful experience. You may be surprised by the simplicity of clean and how easy it is, once you “get it.”

How Women can Easily and Quickly get into shape

Many women shy away from lifting free weights in fear of gaining too much mass and looking like a man. I have yet to witness a women morph into Ah-nuld Schwarzenegger by simply lifting heavy weights. If her diet is within reason and she is not using alternative measures, women genetically lack the hormonal make-up to gain muscle like men.

Furthermore, compare a typical aerobics class patron and a female that consistently works out in the free weight area of the gym. There is a significant difference. The free weight lifter has shapely shoulders and arms, a narrow waist, toned legs, a firm butt, and is strong outside of the gym. The aerobics enthusiast may be slim, but is not strong, has flabby arms, loose legs, and a saggy, flat butt. Many would prefer to have the physique of the female that works out with free weights to the aerobic fan. Yet many women still fear serious weight lifting. They complain about being soft, overweight, and out of shape. When they decide to do something about it they attempt the same old plan that failed them in the past. They do not see results, quickly get discouraged, distracted, and fade back into old habits and routines.

Yet the gym scene is always the same: women aimlessly plodding along on treadmills or elliptical trainers for hours on end. (Setting the treadmill to the highest incline and then holding on to the hand rail is not a “better way” to spend treadmill time either.) A few women are brave enough to move over to the weight room after their cardio session. But even then those few hardly break a sweat. Their purses and children weigh far more than the weight they pull in the gym.

Many women are confused, overwhelmed, and even embarrassed about what to do in the gym. For those confused about how to make solid changes faster than any amount of miles on the treadmill: Mimic what you do in your daily life. When in your life are you able to pick up something, or someone, from the same angle as the bicep curl machine? When do we sit and extend our feet forward, as in the leg extension machine, to use our legs? Never! In real life we use our entire body to lift something from the ground, and we never isolate the bicep to pull something toward us. We use our entire body to move loads and move our bodies. It does not make sense to train differently than how we move in real life.

Three simple exercises deliver whole-body training with real-world carry-over:
1. Deadlifting
2. Pressing
3. Gripping

1. Deadlifting is the one exercise we have naturally done since the beginning of existence. It mimics how we most efficiently lift and move objects. Picking something off the ground and moving it to another location is a very primitive skill. It is perfect for targeting the area where the butt meets the back of the legs. An example of a deadlift you can try in the gym is the Sumo-Deadlift:
-Stand with your feet wider than shoulder width, toes pointing slightly outward
-Hold a heavy dumbbell by the plates at one end with both hands
-Hold the bell directly under your groin, and in between your legs
-Keep your knees open: Do not let the knees bow inward at any point!
-Keep your upper body tall as if there is a wall in front of your nose
-Reach your hips backward as if you are reaching to a seat about a foot behind you
-Continue reaching with your hips until the bell taps the floor below your groin
-Return to the standing position by driving through your heels
-Keep the knees open
-Do not be tempted to lean forward during the return to standing
-Stay tall and upright throughout the movement as well

2. Pressing: The press is also an instinctual move. It is perfect for targeting the core, the shoulders, the back bra-line, and the back of the upper arms. It can be any type of press or push-up. An example of a press you can try in the gym is the
Military Press:
-Assume a neutral stance with your feet hip-width apart
-Hold a medium weight dumbbell in one hand
-Bring the bell to the front of the same-side shoulder with a bent elbow
-In the starting position your upper arm should be flush against your ribcage, your elbow should be very low on your waist, and for females, the forearm should line-up directly in front of the bicep
-Press the bell from the low starting position straight up to the ceiling
-Keep your shoulder down and away from your ear throughout the movement
-At the overhead top position, lock-out the elbow with the biceps next to your ear, but without tilting your head toward your arm
-Keep the wrist straight throughout the movement: Do not let it bend backward!
-Follow the same path down as you did on the way up
-You can also perform this move using two arms at a time, or alternating arms
-Keep your spine long throughout the movement by pushing up through the crown of your head and down through the heels

3. Gripping: Grip strength is highly underestimated, if considered at all in training. However, it should be a top priority if you want to make any kind of physique changes. The hands occupy a very significant portion of the brain. This means if you train with skinny-handled dumbbells or never hold anything heavy, you are selling yourself short not only in training but intellectually.

Children learn the world by “seeing” with their hands. They do not have prior experiences to draw from to know textures or temperatures. Without touching or holding objects, our brain basically sees in 2-D and is very limited. Gripping fat handles and heavy objects lights up the brain like Clark Griswold’s house at Christmas, and the more firing in the brain, the better the mind-body connection. It is easy to conclude that grip training clarifies the brain’s body map and enables significant, detailed bodily enhancement.

An example of grip work you can try is kettlebell training. Kettlebells are thick-handled, heavy balls of iron that everyone from elite Law Enforcement to Homemakers are now taking advantage of.

Additional grip training can be done with various types of carries such as; farmer’s walks, rack walks, overhead-lockout (OH-LO) carries, or a mix of the different carries.

A farmer’s walk is simply picking up a weight like you would a suitcase and carrying it for a certain distance. This is a great grip trainer that is also very simple.

Overhead-lockout carries are simple as well and are perfect for learning the overhead lockout of a press. To perform an overhead-lockout carry, press a weight overhead, lockout the elbow and carry it any given distance. As you tire, you will have a tendency to unlock the elbow, but DO NOT! Keep the weight in the overhead lockout position of: shoulder down and in the socket, biceps next to the same side ear, locked elbow, straight wrist, and weight slightly behind the head. These details are very important to prevent injury as well as get the most out of the drill. Do not get lazy and slack anywhere in the “chain.”

An example of a rack carry is to bring a weight to the starting press position of: bent arm flush against the ribcage, low elbow, and straight wrist, then carry it in that position for any amount of distance.

The final carry example is to mix-up any of the aforementioned types of carries: one arm is in the overhead-lockout and the other performs a farmer’s carry, or one weight in the rack position and the other is overhead, or one arm farmer’s carries and the other holds a weight in the rack position. You can farmer’s walk about 25 feet then turn around and rack carry the weight to the starting point. Carries are great to get the heart rate up and make the core work, in addition to being a simple way to train grip.

Putting it together: In addition to simplifying your workout with these three drills, limit it to no more than five sets of up to ten reps each (e.g. 3x5, 4x8, or 5x10). This type of set/rep scheme keeps your neurological system from frying and decreases the chance of DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness); which is good if you have to function the rest of the day and want to train daily! Your training should prepare and vitalize you for your day, not break you down and render you worthless.

Many believe that if they are not sore, they did not get a good workout. This is a huge misunderstanding and limits steady progress. Muscle soreness is merely the body adapting to something it has not previously done. If you train for soreness, you are training to breakdown and stress-out your body. Soreness is a result of tissues tearing, inflaming, and hypertrophying (repairing bigger). Furthermore if you are sore you cannot optimally train or function on a regular basis. Training with a fresh body daily leads to faster, safer results.

Things to remember about Real-World training:
1. Train movements that are mirrored in your everyday life
2. Train three exercises for no more than five sets and no more than 10 reps per set
3. Keep training sessions to 30 minutes or less


Conclusion: If you are not training hard and lifting heavy, you are kidding yourself and wasting your time. Get the most out of your training by choosing the most effective drills that carry-over to real-life and limiting your time in the gym to concentrated workouts, in addition to setting short and long term goals. You will find that although these are not fast movements, your heart still gets an awesome workout! You will get more cardiovascular benefit from deadlifting, pressing, and carries than you ever have on the treadmill or elliptical trainer.

Do not waste another minute lifting one and five pound dumbbells! Remember, it is hormonally impossible to gain mass like a man. Deadlifting, pressing, and gripping strengthens joints, connective tissues, muscles and even enhances clarity and speed of thought. They will not leave you bulky no matter how much you lift and these drills conveniently focus on women's trouble areas of hips, butt, thighs, core, and upper arms. Scrap the triceps extensions. Forget about the leg curls, the biceps curls, shoulder raises, the abductor and adductor machines. Do not do any “isolation” or machine work. They are a waste of your valuable time and actually encourage injury in your daily living activities. Spend more time with your family instead of wasting it at the gym and spend no more than half an hour per session on these three components. I challenge you not to notice a positive change in your physique when using these three basic exercises as a training base.

Three exercises executed in less than thirty minutes, most days of the week.

It really is that simple. Don’t over-complicate it!

Sara Cheatham, M.S. earned her elite Senior Russian Kettlebell Certified status from “The Evil Russian” himself, Pavel Tsatsouline. As a Senior RKC, she continues to teach her kettlebell skills at the highly sought after and premier kettlebell certification in the nation, the RKC. As an active Z-Health Master Trainer Intern, she passionately pursues strength, mobility, movement, and rehabilitative training. She enthusiastically provides her wealth of knowledge and experience at Pavel’s close-door Tactical Strength workshops and her own Red Star Athletics classes, small groups, military PT, and one-on-one training. Sara believes in the power of high quality individual education and delivers complex systems in an applicable, simplistic, and fun manner.

Perfect Your Squat

Basic lower body movements stem from the mechanics of the squat and it alignment. Most need squatting modifications even though they think their squat is fine. Sore knees, stiff backs, and weak ankles all improve with proper squatting technique. Even in upper body drills, the lower body should be positioned correctly to prevent injury. Begin with the squat for the aforementioned reasons, but also because the squat is “functional” and applicable to “real world” scenarios. Squatting properly will avoid most, to all injuries. Staying healthy and continuing to make gains in training is the number one priority. Begin a lifting program by assessing and perfecting your squat technique.

Assessing the Body Weight Squat
Step 1: Postural Evaluation and Starting Position
Biomechanical maladies typically stem from poor posture. Deconditioning causes muscular imbalances, resulting in shoulders slumping, lax mid-sections, tight backs, weak joints, weak glutes, tight hamstrings, and tight hip flexors. When proper postural alignment is disrupted or altered it soon becomes natural feeling, although it is not. Correcting posture may initially feel unnatural, but with time it will become innate and therefore create less stress on the body. Less undo stress on the body ultimately results in less injury, greater gains, and uninterrupted training.

Imbalance causes excessive tension in some muscles and excess slack in others, which destroys the integrity of body motion and impedes physical performance. Another point worthy of attention is that exercise done in improper postural alignment can be and often is actually harmful because it can magnify the existing stress of misalignment rather than being beneficial. But on the positive side, even very simple exercises done in true postural balance can be very beneficial, which amounts to large gains for little effort (Shen Wu 2006).

The American Physical Therapy Association explains “good posture…as an imaginary vertical line through the ear, shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle. In addition, the three natural curves in your back can be seen” (2006). Stand with the feet shoulder width apart, stack the ears over the shoulders, the shoulders over the hips, the hips over the knees, and the knees over the ankles. The lower back, upper back, and neck should have a natural neutral curve. The chin should be parallel to the ground. The chest should be open to allow for optimal breathing and positioning of the lungs and internal organs.

Step 2: The Descent and Bottom Position
From the proper starting position, begin the squat by initiating hip movement first. Real power and athletic movement comes from the hips. This is especially true for squatting and getting the most out of your squat session. Place your hands palms up in the crease where the hips and legs meet, then push the hips backward. As you initiate hip movement the knees will naturally follow suit and start bending as well. During the descent, pay particular attention to keeping the weight over the heels as opposed to allowing the weight to shift forward over the toes. Keeping the weight over the heels will allow the knee to properly track.

Many allow their knees to bow inward as they descend as well. Do not fall victim to this occurrence. Allowing the knees to bow in will cause serious knee damage and may result in you ending up in a heap on the floor because you put yourself at a structural disadvantage. Keep your weight over your heels and keep the knees open.

Sit back, and not down, (as many do when squatting). This forces you to keep the shins vertical and the weight over the heels. Have a partner place their forearm across the front of your shins as you descend into your squat. If your knees are not tracking properly you will lose balance and fall backward. You must actively push the hips backward and keep the weight over the heels in order to keep your balance and to keep the shins vertical. Descend only as far as you can with maintaining proper form and balance. (With my reccomendation being: somewhere other than parallel, because at parallel there is maximal force placed on the knee joint.) Combine the restrained box squat with the hands in the crease of your hips, and keep the knees open, to perfect your squat descent. Also, keep the head and neck in line with the upper back and the chest open when descending into the squat. Your upper body positioning should remain unchanged from the standing position throughout the squat and return phase.

Step 3: The Return Phase and Starting Position
To initiate the return, aggressively push through the heels. Done correctly you will feel the glutes and quads fire. Continue to be mindful of the knee positioning as you stand. The knees should track on the return phase, just as they did in the descent phase: keep the knees open, the shins vertical, and the weight over the heels. Do not let the knees bow inward on the ascent; be particularly mindful of this as you change direction from descending to ascending.

Complete the phase by aggressively squeezing the glutes and forcefully contracting the quads. This will set you up to begin another perfect squat.

Conclusion
Although squatting is a natural movement it is too often done improperly. Improper squatting is a learned technique. Watch a young child squat. They haven’t learned how to squat incorrectly. So re-wiring the neuromuscular connection, or “mind-muscle connection,” is necessary for squatting without injury. Focusing on proper squat form with every squat will keep you training long after the muscle head in the next squat rack has blown a knee or injured his back. Re-learning to squat correctly will also keep you healthy in your daily life when you bend over to pick up your child or pick something from the ground. Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes permanent. Practicing perfection will make for a perfect squat every time and prevent injury.

You are what you eat: Pesticide tid-bits

The incidence of asthma in Americans has roughly doubled since 1980
Of the several risk factors they studied, the strongest associations they found were with exposures to herbicides and pesticides in infancy, and attending daycare before the age of 4 months old. Children exposed to herbicides before the age of 1 were 10 times more likely to develop early persistent asthma than controls.

-Salam, MT, Y-F Li, B Langholz and FD Gilliland. 2003. Early Life Environmental Risk Factors for Asthma: Findings from the Children's Health Study. Environmental Health Perspectives. doi:10.1289/ehp.6662 Online 9 December 2003.

Greatest increase of [pesticide] resistance is in the past 40 years.
-Pesticide Resistance: Strategies and Tactics for Management (1986) Board on Agriculture (BOA)

Since over 90 percent of all corn, cotton, and soybean acres are treated with pesticides, these crops account for a large share of all pesticide use. Annual consumption of pesticides on the 10 major field crops is estimated at 450-500 million pounds of active ingredients (a.i.), with variations due to shifts in planted acreage and pest infestations.
-1992 - U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic research Service report
Agricultural Outlook, Jan-Feb, 1992

Overall pesticide use in California rose 14 percent in 2002. About 172 million pounds of pesticides were used statewide in 2002, up from 151 million pounds in 2001.
"It's good that they're tracking the data and analyzing it, but what's really a problem is that they are not taking a more focused action to reduce human and environmental exposure to these really toxic pesticides," said Monica Moore, co-director of the Pesticide Action Network.
Pesticide use was up 3 million pounds in processing tomato crops, 3 million pounds in raisin and table grapes, 2.2 million pounds in carrots and 2.1 million pounds in almonds.
Higher crop acreage results in pesticide use increase
-Oakland Tribune, Nov 14, 2003 by Brian Skoloff, Associated Press

Research on nearly 1000 Parkinson's sufferers in five countries -- one of the largest such studies to date -- showed that high-level exposure upped the risk of contracting the debilitating brain disease by 39 percent.
-Pesticides increase risk of Parkinson's: study
AFP, May, 2007

State-wide changes in cancer incidence are raising deep concerns. Between 1980 and 1999 for instance there was: A 67% increase in the incident rate for non-Hodgkins lymphoma; An 86.4% increase in the incident rate for prostrate cancer; A 273.4% increase in the incident rate for thyroid cancer;
-Brenda J Rosser, Tasmanian Clean Water Network Source: WRM's bulletin Nº 97, August 2005

The US constitutes about 40 percent of the world market for household pesticides, with annual sales exceeding $1 billion.
-Sustainable Business Concepts - Green Consumerism. Some examples of Green Consumerism http://www.gdrc.org/sustbiz/green/doc-cons_examples.html

Insecticides have increased 2.3 times since 1970. Increase in usage is in part due to increased resistance. Degredation of pesticides can last for decades. 18% of fish kills in 60’s and 70’s were attributed to pesticides. Ground water contamination is higher than it was in the 50's and 60’s
-Basic Environmental Toxicology By L. G. Cockerham, Barbara S. Shane

"Pesticides are not 'safe.' They are produced specifically because they are toxic to something."
U.S. EPA, Citizen's Guide to Pesticides, 1987

In the last 30 years, pesticide use has increased 50%.

Keep in mind, the majority of food we consume is generated from or with corn and/or soy... which account for tons of pesticide use.

7 Nov Gainesville, FL Workshop

Register using the drop-down menu at right, or send a check to:
Red Star Athletics
7 Globemaster Ave
Fort bragg, NC
28307

Please send a confirmation e-mail to SaraCheatham@hotmail.com if you register via check.
Thank you!

Join Z-Health Instructor and the only female Senior RKC,

Sara Cheatham for an 8-hour kettlebell workshop

hosted by Jennifer Bryan, RKC

November 7, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.

Join us for a day of learning and camaraderie in beautiful north central Florida on the banks of the Sante Fe River at Ginnie Springs Outdoors.

http://www.ginniespringsoutdoors.com/

We will spend the first half of the day covering the basics: swings, get-ups, cleans, and presses.

After lunch, we will address the squat and snatch and cover the more advanced skills of the windmill, bent press, and pistol.

Throughout the day, Sara will share her Z-Health wisdom, covering the importance of the Z-Health Joint Mobility Neural Warm-up and Pavel's 3S's for Squatting deeper, stretching further, and recover faster.

We will finish off the day with a workout you can easily implement into your current routine followed by spring-side cookout and camp fire.

Whole day (including the cookout)..... $175

To join us only for a Half-day..... $150

FREE copy of Sara's latest dvd: Strength by Sara to the first 5 paid attendees.

FREE copies of Sara's latest e-book: Strength by Sara to paid attendees 6-10.

Limited to 15 participants

Five Steps to Training Success

An excerpt from the book: Strength by Sara
1. Keep it Simple
Do not complicate your life by over-doing a training program and wasting time in the gym.
To keep things simple and get more time with family or work:
Set goals and timelines to achieve them
Remember- Recovery is more important than training
It is not rocket science, it is training: Basics are best
When in doubt, do something fun

Life can be stressful: training should be your outlet. Setting and reaching your training goals can offer a personal sense of accomplishment. It is something you do for yourself and provides a necessary break in the workday. Do not over-do your gym time by spending your entire lunch hour training. Keep it simple. Have a plan, get in, get out, and take time to relax after your workout during your lunchtime.

2. Have a plan
"If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there." Setting goals and timelines to achieve them carries over from the “Keep it Simple” module.
When setting goals:
Set short-term goals to reach long-term goals.
Stick with a specific plan to meet specific goals. If you want to get better at something, you must practice it. Supplementary drills may help, but practicing specifically what you want to get better at will help you reach your goals much faster. For example, if you want to max your PT test, replicate the training conditions as much as possible:
Practice the run, sit-ups, and push-ups in the order of the test
Have someone stand over you with a timer and count your reps
Practice at the same time of day you will be tested
Wear the same shoes, socks, clothes, watch, sunglasses, or anything else you will have on when being tested
Mimic the testing conditions as closely as possible
If you don’t know where to start, start with the end in mind.
Be as succinct and detailed as possible.
Losing 5 pounds is a lame goal. Losing 5 pounds in two weeks using Enter the Kettlebell Program Minimum is a more direct approach to your goal. If after two weeks of commitment to the Program Minimum you haven’t dropped five pounds, manipulate another facet:
perfect your form
increase the bell size
review your eating habits

My dad, a military man, has said, "Make a decision, even if it’s the wrong one." Too often we are paralyzed by so much information that we don't know where to begin. Making a decision and taking the first step at least gets you moving. Many great leaders and successful athletes simply planned to start-somewhere. “Every great journey starts with a single step.”

3. Train Intuitively
Although you should set “goals and deadlines,” follow your gut: Avoid over training to avoid injury and burnout. Make full use of your skills and tools, but be able to recognize when you need to broaden your horizons. There is more to human development and survival than a single paradigm.

If you learn to shift gears and apply a little something from everywhere you have been, everything you have learned, and everyone you have met, you will make for a well-rounded, mentally and physically agile, and intelligent individual. Not everything fits into a nice neat category or box. Learning to mingle and incorporate your experiences and thoughts keeps the fires burning. Our brains thrive on novelty anyway. So practicing “same but different” techniques keeps you mentally engaged and continually physically adapting.

Too often the “one more rep” mentality is seen in training. People pound away in the gym, breaking themselves down while their buddy yells at them to "push harder! One more rep!" You will find these gym-goers injured, already injured, hitting wall after wall, and not effectively or efficiently advancing toward their goals. They get stuck in a rut of what they read in the latest glossy muscle magazine and follow it through at any and all cost. This is counter-productive to their goal of getting stronger, leaner, and living a life without pain. No one can achieve optimal strength and performance if they are injured and cycle from intense training to no training because of injury.

Every individual is just that. If you disregard and disrespect the power of your central nervous system, you will no doubt injure yourself and thwart your ultimate goal of strong, healthy living. If a program inspires you, leave it at that. Don’t expect the plan to work exactly the same across the board for every individual. Gene expression, environment, psychology, geographical location, home and work stressors, diet...you name it, it affects everyone differently. Find your niche, stick with it, review often, and make changes as necessary.

4. Journal
A training journal is invaluable. It enables you to look back and see if you are on the right path to meet your target. If you are not on track, check for where and when changes can be made. If you think you are on track, still review your progress: Keep track of and review your progress. Training journals come in handy even years down the line and can be inspiring themselves.

5. Be Consistent and Persistent
We all know someone that has “tried everything and nothing worked.” Nothing worked because they never made a true commitment. No program will work in two weeks. It takes much longer than that to break old habits and replace them with the desired behaviors.

“Nothing works” because the individual established this neural pattern. They start one program only to give up and start a new one. They try the new program for a short period then move to another. Unknowing to the individual, they are re-enforcing their own failure pattern. Although the brain likes novelty, it is hard-pressed to give up old habits established via neural wiring. Once a pattern or pathway establishes itself in the brain, it takes many more repetitions to undo that wiring than it was to initially establish it. Our brains are designed this way to promote ultimate efficiency: Why use energy making new brain pathways when the old ones work with less energy?

Therefore, to permanently change habits of failure, we must break them and replace them with habits of success (this itself is incremental). Replacing and creating new habits takes time and many repetitions. The time and number of reps is as individual as each of us. Each small success, however, is a step toward the greater good of the larger goal. For more information on individual neuroplasticity, I highly recommend Doidge’s The Brain that Changes Itself.

Kettlebells for Combat

Military Physical Fitness & Combat Readiness Disconnect
The lack of military Physical Fitness Training (PFT) evolution since the 1950’s has lead to high rates of musculoskeletal injuries among troops (Unintentional and Musculoskeletal injuries 2000). The Military Training Task Force Joint Services Physical Training Injury Prevention Group found that “about 25 percent of men and about 50 percent of women incur one or more physical training-related injuries” (Recommended Interventions, 2008). The high incidence of injury negatively impacts combat readiness and the mission (Bullock, 2003). With “PT-related injuries such as stress fractures, overuse knee pain, and tendonitis” “limiting mobility and wearing down the military’s most valuable asset,” it is apparent an alternative means of training is in order (Knapik, Bullock, Canana, Toney, Wells, Hoedebecke & Jones, 2004).

Due to the nature of combat, a troop must be ready to perform at a moment’s notice. They must be explosive and reactive, relying on past training and informed intuition (Skorodumov, 2004). Their proficiency, performance, and survival are reliant on the efficiency of individual ingrained thought and movement patterns, established through repetition (Memory and Related, 2000). Additionally, the troop will not operate in the luxury of PT gear in the Area of Responsibility (AOR). Running shoes, shorts, and t-shirts are not proper survival gear for combat. Instead, the troop maneuvers in full combat dress to include long pants, long sleeves, rigid combat boots, head and eye gear, flack vest, weapons, rucksack, and any supplementary gear that can add up to 88+ additional pounds (Ehrlich, 2008). Current PFT protocol is not only incongruent with combat readiness it is injury inducing (McIntosh, 2005).

“PT is training time for war” and should produce “disciplined, combat ready, battle-focused units” (Leslie, 2007). The best tool for combat training, aside from the troop’s own body weight, is the kettlebell. Kettlebells are easily transported to and used in the AOR because of their compactness. Their unique swing and get-up drills cater to troop tactical needs (Tsatsouline, 2006).

Kettlebells for PFT
The kettlebell swing conditions the heart like explosive sprinting, but without the musculoskeletal wear and tear of running (Cheng, Macera, Davis, Ainsworth, Troped & Blair, 2000). In fact, the locking out of knees and hips during kettlebell swings strengthens the joints, connective tissues, and muscles of the entire posterior chain, forcing the body to work in coordination and become more durable. The kettlebell swing also emphasizes hip flexor extension, muscles that are constantly in flexion and shortened by running, sit-ups, sitting, and common weight-room exercises (per traditional military PFT). Strengthening the posterior chain establishes a balance in a body that is in a constant state of forward flexion. Low back pain (a result of biomechanical imbalance) is eliminated by proper kettlebell swinging; obviously a powerful benefit for the troop.

Another tactical kettlebell drill is the get-up. This highly beneficial drill trains the troop to efficiently move from a lying position to standing under load: a valuable survival skill in combat. Aside from being the superior total-body exercise, the kettlebell get-up is an excellent shoulder strengthening and stability drill, far exceeding traditional rehabilitation band work. Furthermore, the get-up is such a complex drill, that it can be broken into smaller pieces, emphasizing 1) abdominal strength and endurance, 2) hip and low back strength and mobility, or 3) leg strength and endurance. Executed as one full consecutive movement from lying to standing then reversed from standing to lying, the get-up conditions head to toe and forces the entire body to work in connected coordination.

Kettlebell for Combat Readiness
The more sensible tactical conditioning program to current Physical Fitness Training utilizes body weight and kettlebell drills. The protocol is as follows:

Warm-up:
Task:
Joint Mobility (JM) Condition:
5-10 minutes
Standard:
-All joints through their full range of motion
-Vary speed and load session to session
-include single joint and multi joint drills
-Reference Tsatsouline’s Super Joints & Cobb’s Z-Health, R-Phase for detail

Task:
Kettlebell Get-Up
Condition:
5-10 minutes
Standard:
-Vary speed and portion of the get-up practiced session to session

Work-out:
Task:
Kettlebell Swing
Condition:
20 seconds- 1 minute
Standard:
-Vary rest intervals session to session
-emphasize hip extension and knee lockout at the top
-do not lean back at the top
-aggressively throw the bell between legs during loading phase

Task:
Kettlebell One-leg Deadlift
Condition:
20 seconds (3-6 reps) each leg
execute 3-5 sets for each leg
Standard:
-Stand on one leg
-hold the bell with the opposite hand
-lower the bell to the opposite foot then return to starting position
-keep the back flat and spine elongated

Task:
Pull-ups
Condition:
-20 seconds
-execute 3-5 sets per session
Standard:
-Vary grip width and placement session to session, or set to set
-vary load session to session or set to set

Task:
Push-ups
Condition:
-20 seconds
-execute 3-5 sets per session
Standard:
-vary hand placement session to session or set to set
-vary load session to session or set to set

Task:
Kettlebell Carries
Condition:
1-3 minutes
-execute 3-5 sets per session
-Farmer’s carry
-Waiter’s (overhead) carry
-Mix of Farmer and Waiter carry
Standard:
- carry one or more bells a given distance
-vary distance, load, and speed of carry session to session or set to set

Cool-down
Task:
Kettlebell Halo
Condition:
20 seconds, each direction
Standard:
-A shoulder mobility drill
-Hold the kettlebell by the horns, on either side, bottom-up, and circle it around the head
-Keep the bell close to the head
-Stretch the chest open when the bell is behind the head

Task:
Joint Mobility (JM)
Condition:
5 minutes
Standard:
-Unloaded/do not add weight to JM
-execute at a slow or coordinated speed


-Begin the PT session with five to 10 minutes of joint mobility immediately followed by five to 10 minutes of get-ups.

-Rotate three to five (3-5) times through swings, deadlifts, pull-ups, and push-ups

-Following three to five (3-5) rotations of swings, deadlifts, pull-up, and push-ups with three to five (3-5) rotations of various carries (farmer’s, waiter’s, mixed)

-Follow carries with one set of halos, each direction, and five minutes unloaded joint mobility

Program Benefits
The above program has been successfully implemented with the 99th Explosive Ordinance Disposal, 99th Security Forces Group, 99th Red Horse Squadron, 587th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, 99th Mission Support Squadron, 43rd Security Forces Squadron, and individuals from various Air Force Squadrons of Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas, NV between 2005 and 2008. It was brought to various units of Fort Bragg between 2008 and 2009. It has aided in pain and injury reduction, reaction improvement, and combat readiness enhancement.

Many units deploy with undetermined or limited preparation time. Time between administered paper orders and actual troop deployment (“boots on the ground”) can range anywhere from one week to six months. Furthermore, combat responsibilities differ greatly from state-side activity. Numerous troops spend time “outside the wire” and actively engaged in the stressors of combat only to return to desk jobs in the states. This program enables individuals to be combat ready year-round, regardless of state-side duties and can be utilized in the AOR for strength, endurance, injury reduction, and tactical skill maintenance.

Case Studies
Case Study 1: An Explosive Ordinance Disposal female presented on profile for shin splints. She was excluded from the running portion of the PFT, to spite otherwise being in top physical condition. After three months of supplementing kettlebell swings (as well as the other drills outlined in the above program) for running, she was able to run the one-and-a half mile portion of the PFT and finish with an excellent scoring (90% or above).

Case Study 2: Security Forces Squadron male with a training history of power lifting switched exclusively to kettlebell training. He has since sold most to all of his powerlifting equipment, lost 30 pounds (from 193 at 5’8” to 163), and took up venture racing (multi-event racing through difficult terrain). Prior to kettlebell training, running was painful and awkward.

Case Study 3: Mission Support female presented with traditional weight training history, decreased coordination, common iliotibial (IT) band tension, and rotator cuff pain. After one month of the above kettlebell program, coordination improved significantly, IT band tension was eliminated, and ability to press 16kg kettlebell for reps was easy. As the first shirt for the Security Forces Squadron (SFS), she contributed to their second place standing in the base Tactical PT Challenge (she was also the only female member of the SFS team).

Case Study 4: An active duty Air Force male presented with Below Standard PFT scoring. His duty status was dependant on passing the PFT test. The Airman’s schedule and office conditions were not conducive to training in a gym or outdoors for large blocks of time. With a kettlebell and the above program, the Airman was able to pass the PFT test and retain his active duty status with the USAF.

Case Study 5: While at Officer’s Training School (OTS) a prior enlisted male was assigned to a lower flight as its commander. This OTS candidate kept long hours and did not have time for normal USAF PFT. He “maintained and even improved” his overall fitness by incorporating kettlebells and elements from the above program.

*This is only a handful of numerous studies that prove the significant benefits of the simple aforementioned program.

A note about kettlebell brands

There are bells popping up all over...I believe Life Line and Dragon Door bells are the best 'bell you can buy on the market RIGHT NOW. The majority of other bells are manufactured by the same company, just branded differently.

Other bells on the market are rough (rough in some very important spots like the underneath of the handle). Bells that are rubber coated around the handle have seams in their underneath as well. Which, if you've trained KBs, you know is not a good spot to put anything.

I've heard of handles coming away from bells on Made-in-China Ader bells (not something to be worried about when you're doing get-ups, or swinging, or other ballistic and overhead bell drills), but I have never heard or experienced this from a LL or Dragon Door bell.

I can't even express the grim possibilities of the latest Weider stackable bell. Please, for my sanity do not buy the stackable bells. They are not safe.

Other bells have squared-off handles, again this is not conducive for the ballistic nature of KB training.

Life Line and Dragon Door bells are made by people that actually train with kettlebells. So they know how best to mold and manufacture a bell. All other bells on the market were made to make the company a profit. Their bells are just another product in the company that have a bottom line of making money...not enhancing your training and quality of life.

Make no mistake, the best bells are Life Line and Dragon Door. They may be more expensive, but you pay for what you get. And in the grand scheme of your training, it's a small price to pay.


Want more Kettlebells with me? Strength by Sara Book ($35), ebook ($25), and dvd ($35) are now available! Fort Bragg Kettlebell shirts on sale for $20, too! Officially join the club- Get a shirt! ;) One-on-ones are also available. Order product through my blog: http://saracheathamsblog.blogspot.com/

My MilSpouseMag article

Do more with less

I recently read an article in Military Spouse’s magazine entitled “How Does She Do it? She Doesn’t.” It got me to thinking about how hectic our lives can be, especially those of us “married to the military,” with husbands in the service. I grew up as one of three Army brats (with two brothers). Now that I am an Air Force wife, I can’t count the number of times I have asked my mom how she did it all when we were growing up...and I don't even have any kids yet!

We know the military family stories all too well: Dad is always gone to some kind training for another training before he goes TDY or overseas for a few weeks… a few months… or even a few years. In the mean time, mom keeps everyone (including the family pets) fed and clean, makes sure homework is finished, and sees that everyone gets to and from their many special activities on time, in addition to endless housework, dishes, and laundry. Special activities range from baseball, softball, gymnastics, cheer, band, Girl and/or Boy Scouts, school plays, football, dance... Then of course mom has her own special activities, (because being the wife of a busy military man and being a mom aren’t quite enough). She has Spouse’s Club meetings and functions, PTA meetings, Thrift Shop volunteering, Team Mom duties, homework toward her own college degree, and of course keeping herself together during it all. She is truly amazing and an extra-ordinary, under-appreciated, over-worked, phenomenal woman.

With everyone else’s activities and needs, mom hardly has the time or means to keep herself together. Her own health and appearance often fall at the bottom of the to-do list. We all know that working out and staying in great shape helps us to keep up with all the family and life demands, but finding time, (and sometimes money), to go to the gym doesn’t take center stage. Other than the time spent at the gym itself, you have to factor in the drive time to and from, and if you have anything scheduled soon after that showing up to sweaty and exhausted would be “unsat.”

So how can you squeeze in a little me time that actually benefits everyone? Get your workout in but skip the gym! You don’t have to sacrifice the gym-like workout either. You can get in a real weight-lifting, mood changing, body morphing workout without all the hassle or other people around with a little “strongman” tool called the kettlebell.

With proper kettlebell training, you get more done with less and even have the body to show for it- in under a month. With a life spread out all over the base and everything else over-complicated, “hard-style” kettlebell training is the solution to simplifying your workouts and getting your body back.

I have been training military wives and active duty members for years using kettlebells. After the first session alone they are hooked and most buy their own ‘bell on the spot so they can workout when I’m not there to lead them. They want to workout and know that this is something that can stay a part of their lives without disrupting the rest of it. It is insanely empowering to squeeze in a heart-pounding, high-powered, strength and endurance workout in fifteen minutes. (Fifteen minutes- and you don’t have to get ready or drive to and from the gym.) You can train in your own home while the baby naps or between running around!

The number one reason people don’t workout out is because they claim not to have the time. Hard-style kettlebell training eliminates this issue by getting a lot done in a short period of time. Another top reason for not working out in a gym is ladies don’t like moving their bodies among a room full of sweaty men. If you go to the on-base gym this can be one of the main reasons you don’t like to go. But if you can train in your own home you don’t have to agonize over this barrier either.

The third top reason people claim to not workout is that it is intimidating to go to a gym full of others that seem to know what to do. I start everyone with core kettlebell drills that re-introduce them to their bodies without shock or pain. These core drills mobilize joints and areas that haven’t moved in sometimes years, and are a base for more advanced drills down the road. They are simple and safe enough to be practiced on your own as well. Simplicity of the exercises and the ability to workout in your home eliminates the top reasons not to work out.

So what is a “kettlebell” and what do you do with it? It is a cast iron weight that looks like a bowling ball with a suitcase handle. Exercises derived from Olympic weightlifting and strongmen of old are most effective when using a kettlebell. These include snatches, swings, and get-ups that deliver both the “cardio” and muscular benefits of sprinting, but without the wear and tear or damage of running. Traditional American weightlifting exercises can be done using the kettlebell as well.

Who uses Kettlebells? Kettlebells were once reserved for only hard-living Soviet Special Forces. But have made their way into homes of housewives, American Special Forces, and emergency service members. I have found women love to train with the ‘bell because the kettlebell swing alone targets their problem areas of hips, butt, thighs, and lower & upper belly. They also like that they don’t have to swing for hours on end like they would have to run on a treadmill or elliptical trainer. Three to five sets of 30 seconds of swings will get you far better results than mindlessly plodding away at the gym.

How long do I have to train with Kettlebells to notice their effects? With proper expertise and experience, a coach will have you feeling and seeing the difference after only one session.

Where can I find kettlebells and how many do I need? Kettlebells are starting to crawl out of underground gyms and make their way into mainstream stores like Target and Dick’s Sporting Goods. The kettlebell is a mobile hand-held gym and you only need one for a smoker workout. Most ladies I train work through training with the smaller 8kg bell within a month and end up purchasing a 12kg bell for themselves. One kettlebell is all you will ever need for an entire lifetime. You won’t “grow out” of your bell regardless of how long the train.

I once was a slave to the gym and thought I had to spend at least an hour there to get a decent workout. Since starting to train with kettlebells it is almost painful for me to go into a gym. Why train in a musty crowed room with exercise machines that get you slow results or no other result than going through the motions? I love taking my bell out to the park or just in my backyard for a great, quick workout. I enjoy the fresh air and sunshine AND get a killer workout. I know more about how my body moves and how strong I really am because of kettlebell training. I have never been injured or so sore from kettlebell training that I wasn’t able to enjoy the rest of my life.

Hard-style kettlebell training is the obvious answer for busy military moms that serve as both parents much of the time. Cross-country moves and adjustments are no excuse to get out of shape as long as you throw your bell in the car with you. (It even helps add more weight to your DITY move without taking up hardly any space!) I had a client move from Nellis AFB in Las Vegas up to Alaska. She was so committed to not missing a workout that she made sure she had a special spot in her vehicle for her bell. I myself recently moved from Nellis to Pope AFB/Fort Bragg, NC. Taking the bell out every few hundred miles not only gave me the chance to squeeze in training and shake out cobwebs, but allowed me to take in the beautiful cross-country scenery.

Kettlebells are no-excuse fun training that get you fast and permanent results. Be sure to train with a prestigously certified instructor. There are many trainers that have started implementing kettlebells into their business that have not been certified by the father of modern day kettlebells, Pavel Tsatouline. With the help of Dragon Door he has changed the face of American training by brining his kettlebell from Russia in the late 90’s.

Who is Sara Cheatham? Sara has a Master of Sciences Degree: Health Sciences emphasis in Community Health Promotion from the University of Arkansas. She is the only female Senior Russian Kettlebell Certified instructor (of 980+ RKC instructors and 8 Senior instructors world-wide), and is the highest level Z-Health Movement Coach (Level IV and Master Trainer Intern; one of only 28 world-wide) under Doctor W. Eric Cobb. She has worked with activity duty military and their dependants for over five years.

Let's Talk Smokes

This blog is inspired by my latest blogger buddy, Diane. She wrote that in Wisconsin the price for cigarettes is up to $9.14 for a pack of Winston's. A pack?!? Not a carton? Holy monkey. That's insanity. Please complain more about gas prices and necessities like bread, milk, and ah-hem the renewed sensitive subject of health care if you smoke, please (read with heavy sarcasm, of course).

I remember seeing documentaries about soldiers being given packs of cigarettes as they boarded deployment planes. And remember when pregnant women were told to smoke to help calm their symptoms? We've come a long way, baby. :p

138. One-hundred and thirty eight. This is the number of brands of cigarettes I counted on a web site where you "can get the lowest priced ciggies, guaranteed!" From A to Z and even numbered categories, there's a cigarette brand specially designed just for you. And I don't even know if this counts for brands they have overseas that we don't here stateside.

When we lived in Okinawa (Japan), they had several cigarette stands lined up together on every corner and street. Just like vending machines. Want a coke? a yodel? a pack of gum? it's just as easy to get a smoke. You couldn't enter a restaurant without first being greeted by a cig machine. They made it all too accessible for even the youngsters to get hooked. I was in middle school when we lived there and I remember many a friend picking up the habit to be cool.

Trying to smoke is like trying to die and live at the same time. In high school I was crusin' in good ol' Anderson Missouri with some relatives (who shall remain nameless) :p They were-and are- cooler than I am. Being cool and smoking have gone hand-in-hand since Hollywood's golden movie age and longer. Because my nameless much cooler than I relatives were smoking, of course I had to get in on the coolness action . Um, high school, hello? Being cool is every one's goal. Needless to say I inhaled. A nice deep breath and good God on high I swear I was going to meet him! I thought I'd never take another breath, clean or from a cigarette, again. I was certain death was immanent. Hacking up a lung a revealing that you in fact have never smoked before is so totally NOT cool... Several years later being grateful you didn't fall victim to the addictive clutches of the tobacco gods, very cool. ;)

I understand smoking is an addiction. Overeating...undereating...gambling...drinking...laziness...running...all addictions, too. But smoking is different. Right? Riiiiight. That little nicotine tricks your brain that you need it. You're a victim and it owns you. And every time you light up and inhale, you reinforce its hold over you. Feel free to insert your nasty little, un-shakable habit for smoking anywhere here...

This is how I've seen it most often go down: #1 you eat #2 you smoke. But wait, there's more to it than points 1 & 2. The act of smoking is also reinforcing your addiction. When you smoke, you go outside or sit in your favorite chair (positively reinforcing your smoking), you pick up the lighter (another reinforcing act) you put that long white, smooth, fresh tobacco stick to your lips (reinforcing act #3, 4, and 5 depending on how you look at it) you put the lighter to the end of the cigarette (act #6), you take that first, big, long drag (act #7 & 8 if you please), you put down the lighter (act #9), you calmly and fully exhale (act #10). Ten positive (or negative if you choose) reinforcing acts and you're only one puff in. There's the tapping of the ashes, each inhale, every exhale, and the decision to extinguish, acts as well, each having their own "neural chunking compartments" in your brain.

Every time you do one of these things in your habitual serious of lighting up, you reinforce the path. You make the neural pathways in your brain faster, smoother, and more concrete. The more you do it, the more you want to do it because every time you do it, it's easier. You are successfully teaching yourself that smoking and the act of smoking is good and you should get better at it. And we all know that if you want to get better at something you have to do it more frequently.



To unwire all those puffs takes a helluva lot more than shear will power. You have to understand that it's more than the tobacco that has a grip on you at this point. It's the acts leading up to, following through, and the aftermath of smoking as well.

I know, and love very much, my fair share of addicted smokers. Nearly everyone on all sides of my family (I have a very sprawling family tree) has smoked or still smokes. My mom, my mom's parents, my dad's dad, my aunts, uncles, great aunts, all three brothers...My step-mom quit smoking when she got pregnant with my younger brother, but picked it up again after his birth and then re-quit when we lived in Fort Knox, Ky. That was about 1988 and it's appalled her ever since.

Supposedly it takes the average smoker 10.8 times to quit before they actually do. 10.8 seems like a rather ambiguous number. Many more try to quit more than 10.8 (.8, really? how did they figure that one out?) times. Mom did it in two tries. One and one, technically. Mom has a habit of doing something full-throttle when she says she will- see: habit. Her habit to accomplish something beat out her habit of smoking. She added an average of 13.8 years onto her life by quitting. Yeah! that makes me incredibly happy. Plus, she saved well over 20 grand. $23, 407 is currently the average amount a smoker spends on cigarettes in their lifetime. I could handle 20 plus thow in a much better manner. :/

Here are some "cool/un-cool" stats from tobacco-facts.info:
-The annual cost of tobacco use is more than $50 billion in direct medical costs, for a total of 97 billion in health care costs and lost productivity.
-If every smoker would smoke one less cigarette per day it would cost the tobacco industry one to two billion dollars per year.
-In 2007, the US Centers for Disease Control an d Prevention estimated that the heath care costs associated with smoking were $10.28 per pack. (Lexington Herald Leader Nov 25, 2007).
-Smokers pay twice as much for life insurance and will die an average of over 12 years sooner than non-smokers.
-Depending upon where you live in the US a habit of one pack per day can cost up to $1800 per year. Source: USMC National Health Naval Research Center - San Diego, CA.
-If instead of smoking 2 packs per day for 50 years, you could have had an estimated $1,000,000 if you invested it in a major tobacco company (see calculator [on site]).
-The average cost of treating squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck ( a cancer caused almost exclusively by smoking ) is $25,542 more than the cost of treating other comparable solid tumors (Lang 2004).

One of my favorite movies is "Thank You For Smoking." Smoker or not, you must see this 2005 under-publicized gem of a flick. Very tongue-in-cheek and a precariously snarky approach to the smoking "government," if you will. You just might think the smooth talking narrator is convincing YOU to smoke ;)

THE Three Secrets of Fast and Permanent Weight Loss

The gym scene is always the same: aimless plodding along on treadmills and elliptical trainers for hours on end, mindless machine-training, and the guy bicep curling in the squat rack. The most beneficial gym tools and exercises are rarely, if ever seen used. The deadlift and pull-up bars gather dust in the corner, the squat rack continues to be misused, dumbbells are limited to bicep curls and tricep kickbacks, and there is more talk than work being done.

Many are confused, overwhelmed, and even embarrassed about what to do in the gym. For those confused about how to make solid changes faster than any amount of miles on the treadmill: Mimic what you do in your daily life. When in your life are you able to pick up something, or someone, from the same angle as the bicep curl machine? When do we sit and extend our arms backward, as in triceps extensions? Never!

In real life we use our entire body to lift something from the ground, and we never isolate the bicep to pull something toward us. We use our entire body to move loads and move our bodies. It does not make sense to train differently than how we move in real life. To reap the benefits of “functional training,” follow three training secrets: Commitment, Follow-though, and Simplicity.

Secret One: Commitment.
The body you have now is a direct result of your lifestyle: Everything you do reflects how you use your body, and what parts you use, on a consistent basis. If you want a different body you have to commit to a different approach. You cannot expect changes in your body if you do not change your habits. Changing, altering, or eliminating even one habit and replacing it with another can have a big impact.

If you have failed at goals in the past, you have to take a different approach. Re-trying a plan that has failed in the past has a greater likelihood of failure in the future. A program with a fresh, new, and different beginning has greater potential for success because it has no history of failure as a base.

Secret Two: Follow-through.
Commitment and follow-though go hand-in-hand. Setting a large end-goal with smaller goals to accomplish along the way gives you a way to gage progress. Small successes leading up to your larger goal will create momentum and will replace the failure mentality of past attempts. Time-based goal setting establishes clear parameters of what you want to accomplish by a certain time. Additionally, sharing your goals with family and friends makes you accountable to someone other than yourself and makes abandoning your goals more difficult. (People are less likely to disappoint someone else than they are to disappoint themselves.)

Things to remember about training Commitment & Follow-Through:
1. Establish dates to complete specific short-term goals to meet specific long-term goals.
2. Success breads success; take advantage of short-term goal successes to generate
momentum toward long-term goal success.
3. Share your goals with others for accountability.

Secret Three: Simplicity.
It does not make sense to train differently than how we move in real life. Our efficient bodies adapt to what we do. Consequently, training with machines only prepares us to train with machines. Therefore machine training increases the chance of injury in real-world tasks because there is no specific carry-over between the two. Furthermore, machine lifters lack tendon and ligament strength, which are the true definers of strength. With weak tendons and ligaments, there is no amount of muscle size or strength that will protect your joints under real world stress and pressure. Use time in the gym to better prepare you for daily living activities, not break you down or set you up for injury.

In addition to the thinking that machine training adequately strengthens you for other tasks, it is believed that spending more time in the gym is better. Less than an hour in the gym is thought to be not enough. However, length of time spent in the gym does not equate to quality of time spent in the gym. Change your mid-set to quality over quantity. You will reap far better benefits in a concentrated period of time than you ever did going through the motions of multiple reps, sets, and exercises.

There are three types of exercises that deliver real-world carry-over, whole-body training, and connective tissue conditioning:
1. Deadlifting
2. Pressing
3. Gripping

1. Deadlifting is the one exercise man has naturally done since the beginning of his existence. It mimics how we most efficiently lift and move objects. Picking something off the ground and moving it to another location is a very primitive skill. An example of a deadlift you can try in the gym is the Sumo-Deadlift:

-Stand with your feet wider than shoulder width, toes pointing slightly outward (10-20 degrees)
-Hold a heavy dumbbell by the plates at one end with both hands,
-Hold the bell directly under your groin, and in between your legs
-Keep your knees open: Do not let the knees bow inward at any point!
-Keep your upper body tall as if there is a wall in front of your nose
-Reach your hips backward as if you are reaching to a seat about a foot behind you
-Continue reaching with your hips until the bell taps the floor below your groin
-Return to the standing position by driving through your heels
-Keep the knees open
-Do not be tempted to lean forward during the return to standing

-Stay tall and upright throughout the movement

2. Pressing: The press is also an instinctual move. It can be any type of press or push-up. An example of a press you can try in the gym is the Military Press:

-Assume a neutral stance with your feet shoulder width apart
-Hold a medium weight dumbbell in one hand
-Bring the bell to the front of the same-side shoulder with a bent elbow
-In the starting position your upper arm should be flush against your ribcage and your elbow should be very low on your waist
-Press the bell from the low starting position straight up to the ceiling
-Keep your shoulder down and away from your ear throughout the movement
-At the overhead top position, lock-out the elbow with the biceps next to your ear
-Keep the wrist straight throughout the movement: Do not let it bend backward!
-Follow the same path down as you did on the way up
-You can also perform this move using only two arms at a time, or alternating arms. there are many variations, but the priciples are constant.

-Keep your spine long throughout the movement by pushing up through the crown of your head and down through each heel

3. Gripping: Grip strength is highly underestimated, if considered at all in training. However, it should be a top priority if you want to make any kind of strength, mobility, or physique changes. The hands occupy a very significant portion of the brain. This means if you train with skinny-handled dumbbells or never hold anything heavy, you are selling yourself short not only in training but intellectually.

Children learn the world by “seeing” with their hands. They do not have prior experiences to draw from to know textures or temperatures. Without touching or holding objects, our brain is very limited in predictability. Gripping fat handles and heavy objects lights up the brain like Clark Griswold’s house at Christmas, and the more firing in the brain, the better the mind-body connection. It is easy to conclude that grip training clarifies the brain’s body map and enables significant, detailed bodily enhancement.

An example of grip work you can try is kettlebell training. Kettlebells are thick-handled, heavy balls of iron that everyone from elite Law Enforcement to Homemakers are now taking advantage of. Don't be fooled by cheap kettlebell knock-offs that counter the true benfits of kettlebell training done by strongmen of old.

Additional grip training can be done with various types of carries such as; farmer’s walks, rack walks, overhead-lockout (OH-LO) carries, or a mix of the different carries. A farmer’s walk is simply picking up a weight like you would a suitcase and carrying it for a certain distance. This is a great grip trainer that is also very simple. Overhead-lockout carries are simple as well and are perfect for learning the overhead lockout of a press. To perform an overhead-lockout carry, press a weight overhead, lockout the elbow and carry it any given distance. As you tire, you will have a tendency to unlock the elbow, but DO NOT! Keep the weight in the overhead lockout position of: shoulder down and in the socket, biceps next to the same side ear, locked elbow, straight wrist, and weight directly over the head or slightly behind the head. These details are very important to prevent injury as well as get the most out of the drill. Do not get lazy and slack anywhere in the “chain.”

An example of a rack carry is to bring a weight to the starting press position of: bent arm flush against the ribcage, low elbow, and straight wrist, then carry it in that position for any amount of distance. The final carry example is to mix-up any of the aforementioned types of carries: one arm is in the overhead-lockout and the other performs a farmer’s carry, or one weight in the rack position and the other is overhead, or one arm farmer’s carries and the other holds a weight in the rack position. You can farmer’s walk about 25 feet then turn around and rack carry the weight to the starting point. Carries are great to get the heart rate up and make the core work, in addition to being a simple way to train grip.

Make your training fun, simple, and consitstent and it won't be another ball-and-chain in your life. You'll want to train and you're body will adapt to show-off your fun, hard work.