"I Can't"

“You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” Margaret Thatcher

“Most people give up just when they’re about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game, one foot from a winning touchdown.” H. Ross Perot

The inspiration behind this post comes from hearing people that I've worked with utter the phrase "I can't" over and over. Most often, when I encounter people saying this, it's simply because something I am having the attempt is hard for them due to flexibility issues. Flexibility is something that can be fixed with a little effort and time. I understand that in life, there are things you can't do. Wiping this phrase out of your vocabulary completely may not be feasible, it just needs to be left out of your vocabulary when dealing with physical exercise. The only exception is when you have a limitation due to medical causes.

The caveat to having medical issues is that you should not use them as a crutch. Many people will "stretch the truth" about their ailments or injuries in order to "get over". I am not suggesting at any time you should do something painful, but realize your limitations and do the best you can. If you're ever training with me, I am not a physical therapist, so I will not attempt to fix you. I may simply work around whatever issue it is you have.

When working with a trainer and trying a new movement, or one you've failed at before, simply keep an open mind. For instance, if I ask you to do a squat and you cannot perform the movement correctly, that's where you should NOT be thinking "I can't". Any knowledgeable trainer can scale back the movement and start you with progressions that will eventually work you up to being able to properly execute that movement. Most new things you shouldn't start with weight, but if you're doing something involving weights and it's too much, then simply state that. There's no need to enter the mindset of "I can't".

In my career, I have improved many people fitness wise. You can achieve whatever you can get into your head is possible. Negative thinking will not get you anywhere. If you're a person who often says "I can't" or thinks negatively when the going gets tough, simply realize that. The first step is to realize that's how you are, and then go from there. Train yourself to think positively and to have the I CAN attitude. Teach yourself that you cannot fail. Below is probably my favorite poem. Read it. I interpret it as meaning we are all built the same and can accomplish whatever we want. In the end, if physical fitness were easy and without challenges, wouldn't everyone be fit? Look around, not everyone is. Enjoy!

EQUIPMENT Figure it out for yourself, my lad, You've all that the greatest of men have had, Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes And a brain to use if you would be wise. With this equipment they all began, So start for the top and say, "I can." Look them over, the wise and great They take their food from a common plate, And similar knives and forks they use, With similar laces they tie their shoes. The world considers them brave and smart, But you've all they had when they made their start. You can triumph and come to skill, You can be great if you only will. You're well equipped for what fight you choose, You have legs and arms and a brain to use, And the man who has risen great deeds to do Began his life with no more than you. You are the handicap you must face, You are the one who must choose your place, You must say where you want to go, How much you will study the truth to know. God has equipped you for life, but He Lets you decide what you want to be. Courage must come from the soul within, The man must furnish the will to win. So figure it out for yourself, my lad. You were born with all that the great have had, With your equipment they all began, Get hold of yourself and say: "I can." --Edgar A. Guest

The Kettlebell Snatch

Many of you have asked me about the kettlebell snatch, so here's a quick 101 on the snatch. The kettlebell snatch is considered the "tsar" of kettlebell lifts in the RKC realm. It is the exercise that is used to test physical fitness for Russian military and several elite operators in the U.S.. Specifically, the US Secret Service CAT team uses it. The feat you must accomplish to become an RKC instructor is 100 snatches in 5 minutes with a 24kg bell for males. More can be read about this at www.dragondoor.com.

The snatch is a true test of endurance, strength, and guts. It will work most of your body and is an intense cardio-respiratory workout. A good workout with high reps of snatches can get your heart rate going better than sprints, depending on the number of reps and sets as well as weight of the bell. It also forges a mind of steel. You must possess heart in order to do lots of snatches. If you lack the mental fortitude, you will not succeed at intense snatch workouts at first. If that's the case, you should use the snatch to help build that mental pain tolerance.

The snatch should not be attempted until you have mastered two-arm and one-arm swings. I also suggest becoming proficient at get-ups and practice at holding a heavy kettlebell locked out overhead. Safety first always. If the kettlebell wants to go somewhere, let it. Let go and drop it moving your body out of it's way. This means working out outside as I'm sure you don't want a kettlebell ruining your floor. I've included a video here of me doing some snatch training. This is video from my train up for the snatch test. This is by no means an example of perfect technique, at this point I had already done about 50 snatches non-stop. This is also not a tutorial on how to do a kettlebell snatch. If you want to learn, email me at chadraysfitness@gmail.com. Enjoy!

Discipline of Another Kind

For starters, here is a great quote for you. "The successful warrior is the average man with laser-like focus." -Bruce Lee

Now, what I mean by discipline of another kind is that I learned a new form of discipline. That discipline is being able to not workout, even when I want to. I learned this through my train up regimen getting ready for the Russian Kettlebell Challenge. I have never been much of a power lifter or trained really heavy, but the snatches with the 24kg (53pd) kettlebell was a heavy task for me. I wanted to snatch more and more to work towards my goal, but had to relegate myself to snatching only 3 times a week. I did it 4 times only once. It was hard for me to not workout on certain days, even though I wanted to, but I wanted to give my muscles the maximum amount of time to repair and grow.

This meant not working out AT ALL on my off days. The only thing I would do is run. The snatch, when done in high volume is a very taxing cardio workout. So in order to increase my cardiovascular endurance, I would do some short 2 or 3 mile runs with hills incorporated in. So remember, even though you may feel like training, it's not always best to. Just know that if you're working out heavy or have done an intense workout, you also need recovery time. And of course, without proper nutrition and rest, your workouts and recovery time won't be as effective.

I am extremely excited that I am only one week out from my RKC. It's going to be great. I am already wearing a t-shirt from OPT when I do my snatch test in honor of the man who got me there, and I'm also wearing one from Rapid Results Fitness in Durham that Miss Betsy Collie is sending me. So that leaves one more day, if anyone else is interested in using me as a billboard. lol