We started this challenge on September 22nd and as of Wednesday, October 15th we have 76 days to go! How are you doing with the challenge? Are you keeping up? Let us know by commenting below. Thanks and good luck!

The Four Elements of Efficiency:

Perfect Form

This refers to the quality and preciseness of the primary element of the movement. In the case of a Kettlebell swing, the primary element is hip extension. Because the hip joint and the knee joint are connected directly via the femur, they must move at the same time or in “Bone Rhythm”.

Dynamic Postural Alignment

Once perfect form is established, then dynamic postural alignment can be developed. Dynamic postural alignment refers to the posture or positioning and mobility of all the joints in the body in reference to the prime mover. An example would be letting your neck create a sharp angle during the kettlebell swing. This compression in the cervical spine will actually make you weaker as a result of the “Arthrokinetic Reflex”. The spine must remain long and open throughout movement.

Synchronized Respiration

Once Dynamic Postural Alignment is attained through mobility work and proper skill training, the breath no longer must be held to support weight, as the skeletal structure will be doing its part to support the weight to a point. In certain circumstances the Dynamic Postural Alignment might only be sustained by holding the breath. However, the concept to take away here is that the lungs are like sponges. If you compress the chest cavity or lungs, the air should spill out. As that compression is removed, the air should come back in. This runs counter to what most lifters actually do, but this can and should be developed only after mastering Dynamic Postural Alignment.

Balanced Tension/Relaxation

Answer this question: Do Michael Phelps or Tiger Woods, or any other elite athlete look like they are straining or working hard during their event? No. They look smooth and refined. They make the impossible look easy. They do this by cognitively practicing their movements to reduce and eliminate excess muscular tension or drag. They are essentially removing the brakes by creating just enough tension at just the right place at just the right time in order to perform the task. Finding the balance of tension/relaxation is like art, you can never reach mastery, but this one principle truly separates the good from the great!

It all started with the typical jabs being thrown at me from all directions by everyone who was disturbed by the monstrosity of a Kettlebell workout I had laid before them. “10 rounds!” kept being repeated in disbelief! It’s as if the regulars did not know any better! We have always gone out of our way to “take care” of everyone at each and every Kettlebell class.

But this session was special, and not because of the difficulty or the number of rounds or anything of nature. What made it special was the fact that we introduced Z Health Performance’s 4 Elements of Efficiency to everyone for the first time. This marks a turning point in the way we conduct our classes.

An Experiment:

After the warm up, we did a little experiment to see how doing Kettlebell swings while violating the 4 Elements of Efficiency would affect strength and range of motion in the body. If you are wondering how on Earth a Kettlebell swing could cause a direct and rapid change in the body, I have two concepts for you:

1. The nervous system is the governing system of the body, and it runs the entire show.
2. It is ALL the body ALL the time meaning anything, anywhere can and will effect anything else.

So we took Mark, who is by far the guy with the strongest and most developed arms and shoulders in the gym, and we performed a few range of motions tests on his shoulders, forward bend (toe touch), and neck rotation. We all took a good look at where he was able to bend to and questioned him regarding how much tension he felt in the positions and when he began to feel it.

We then did a strength test on his deltoid muscle by having him bend his arm to a 90-degree angle and raise it to shoulder level. I was positioned behind him with my arm straightened, and I had him initiate by pushing up into my hand as I resisted. Our hypothesis that he was strong was more than astute in that not only did his arm continue to rise, but I was pulled off balance onto one leg! That little bit of testing gave us the baseline we needed to move forward with some Kettlebell swings.

First Round with the Kettlebell:

I instructed Mark to perform just three Kettlebell Swings with a 24kg Kettlebell which is light for him. He did his three reps while everyone looked on from the side view so they could better evaluate his form.

I asked everyone if they approved of his form. Lots of heads were nodding affirmatively, and I conceded that yes, it did in fact look pretty good. But, there were several things that Mark was doing that were violating the 4 Elements of Efficiency. (I will explain that soon)

We reevaluated Mark’s range of motion and strength again by performing the same series of tests. Notably his range of motion was reduced in the forward bend by about an inch or two, and his hamstrings felt tighter sooner. Additionally, his neck rotation was reduced in one direction only. By far, the biggest indicator that his nervous system didn’t like the reps he had just completed with the Kettlebell was the fact that his ability to contract his deltoid effectively was reduced nearly to zero! Everyone witnessed that with one hand I easily over-powered his contraction, and he was struggling to perform. The room had fallen silent, and there were more than one set of eyes looking back with blank stares.

Second Round after Learning the 4 Elements of Efficiency:

We spent a few minutes coaching Mark on how he can do his swings better within the context of the 4 Elements of Efficiency, and he then completed 3 swings. The first one was perfect in my opinion, but the form on the following two began to degrade. Mark lamented that it felt much easier, and we noticed that the Kettlebell seemed to float up a bit higher although the effort expended looked markedly less.

We wrapped it up with another set of range of motion and strength tests, and this time Mark’s forward bend went further than the baseline test while his strength and range of motion tests were back to normal.

The 4 Elements Apply to Everyone:

The silent, unspoken drive to blast into unsustainable intensities right out of the gates had faded. It was replaced by a curiosity to experience movement within the 4 Elements of Efficiency. Comments like, “Hey Troy, is this right; am I getting this?” and “Wow, this stuff is surprisingly difficult when you really focus on doing it right!” were being made during and after the workout.

It was the usual Kettlebell class. We had all the usual stuff you would expect to see in a Kettlebell class. Kettlebells, chalk, loud, almost blaring Metallica banging out of the speakers, a monstrosity of a 30-minute plus workout written up on the board and a room full of guys and gals working hard and giving their all.

Except this one was different, and I am extremely proud of the effort everyone put in to it, and very grateful to all for being so coachable that day.

On September 21, 2008 Shayne, Kathy and Chris completed their Z Health R Phase Certification. This is an excellent compliment to their CrossFit certifications. The “R” in R Phase stands for “Rehab, Re-Educate, and Restore” in reference to rehabilitating injuries, re-educating the nervous system to coordinate the body more efficiently, and restoration of mobility in the joints and tissues throughout the body.

The R-Phase certification is a demanding experience that requires one to have a working knowledge of Anatomy and Physiology and basic Neuroscience in order to learn to discern what good movement is and help people relearn good movement patterns. The course consists of 3 days of instruction and hands on practice followed by two months of practice with helping clients during which one must accumulate over 50 hours of personal practice before attending the second 3 day weekend. During the second weekend each participant has to perform well during a full day of academic essay style testing and hands on testing.

Many of our clients have had one of our trainers – Chris, Kathy or Shayne work with them and here is what a couple of them have to say about their experiences:

For Chris, Kathy and Shayne to undertake the challenge of R Phase certification and do so well at it speaks highly of them. It is apparent that they highly value the quality of instruction they give our community and their commitment to serving others should not go unnoticed. Please join me this week in congratulating these three on their efforts!

From Timothy Forkner:

“Chris has helped me integrate Z Health In number different ways. A minor knee problem set me back for about 5 weeks. In that time I was very limited in what I could do… Pull ups, dips etc. I could only do those exercises for so long without getting totally bored. Chris helped me focus on better movement of all my joints, different speeds, warm ups etc. In doing so I’m much more in tune with what good movement should feel like and try to listen to what my body is telling me. It’s also nice to know that he practices what he preaches. On a daily basis he practices the movements and for someone that is new to Z Health it reinforces proper execution and concentration. Great job Chris and keep up the good work.”

Timothy Forkner

Congratulations Chris! We are proud to have you on the team!

Thank you, Gene for your kind and generous words. We are appreciative of you, as well as your service to our Country.

Gene, in addition to being a member of The Pound, is currently the Chief Entrepreneurial Officer® of Small Business Wall Street®, a firm which provides capital and helps small business owners define, create and measure wealth. The Small Business Wall Street® Warfighting Doctrine creates wealth by coordinating the three major dynamic interactions of a company’s operations, sales & marketing and financing to maximize wealth under the umbrella of Semper Fidelis Leadership™. Gene is the former host of the Entrepreneurial Spirit Radio Program and a much sought after speaker. Gene delights audiences world-wide with his message of principle-based entrepreneurship and ethical leadership.

In September/October 2005 and then again in May/June 2007, Gene traveled to western Al Anbar Province in Iraq, where he was embedded with the magnificent Marines of the 2nd Marine Division. He had the privilege to accompany today’s heroes as they patrolled, convoyed and even bled fighting terrorism. His book, Semper Fidelis Leadership™: From The Corps to the Corporation, documents how Marine Corps leadership applied to the business world can produce extraordinary bottom-line results.

Letter from Gene

21 Sep 08

Mr. Troy Dodson
Owner, CrossFit Plano
1400 Summit Ave. Suite C-1
Plano, TX 75074

Dear Troy:

I just wanted to take a moment to thank you and your team for the impact you have had on my life.

I walked into CrossFit a few short months ago as an old, tired, fat man who believed that my best days of health and fitness were in the history books.

Years of working at a desk had produced poor posture resulting in the inability to even lay flat on a firm surface without pain.

The unique combination of CrossFit and Z Health has not only resulted in a weight loss of over twenty pounds, but has also resulted in incredible improvements in every measurable area of fitness. To be able to go through the day with energy and without pain and stiffness is a new lease on life.

Most importantly, I can now envision a future of health and fitness with the ability to keep up with my grandchildren – and someday, their children.

I want to particularly thank you, Kathy Graves and Shayne Autry. All of you have exhibited expertise and patience. Your encouragement has been priceless.

Derek Bok, former President of Harvard University once said, “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.” Anyone balking at the investment into their health that CrossFit and Z Health provide should consider Bok’s words.

Semper Fidelis,

Gene E. Blanton

ACTUAL LETTER

From Troy Dodson:

Thank you very much for your kind words and thanks for the difference you make being a part of our team.

]]> http://poundfitness.com/articles/a-letter-of-thanks-from-a-hero-gene-blanton/feed/ http://poundfitness.com/articles/100-day-pushup-challenge/ http://poundfitness.com/articles/100-day-pushup-challenge/#comments Thu, 25 Sep 2008 07:01:17 +0000 Troy Dodson http://poundfitness.com/articles/?p=195

This past Monday, September 22, 2008 was the day of the Equinox in which the day and night was balanced and it also marks the first day of Fall!  Join me in an open invitation and challenge to do 1 push up on day 1, 2 on day 2, and so on until we conclude day 100 by doing 100 push ups.  The only rules are that you have to do perfect form on the push ups, and in the event that you do not complete your push ups during any day, you will have to have to make it up with the same number of burpees.  You must post your lack of commitment as well as your successes to the forum.

Indicate your acceptance of this challenge by replying here as well as putting your name below in the comments section.   Because today is Wednesday you will need to do six perfect push ups to “buy in”! Thursday will need 10, Friday will be 15!

Share your opinion. Tell us what slogan you think is best.

Congratulations to Gaby Martinez. She competed in a 13 week “Biggest Loser” contest at her work. The object was to see who could drop the largest percentage of body fat. Gaby narrowly missed a first place win and finished in a close second.

Gaby started CrossFitting with us several weeks into the competition and her favorite workout quickly became “Fight Gone Bad”! She surely is a glutton for punishment!

We got Gaby started on the Zone diet and she picked it up in no time and was very consistent with it - which attributed greatly to her progress! When she began the competition she weighed in at 184.4 pounds and 26.4% body fat. At the end she was down to 158.8 pounds and 12% body fat.

Great job Gaby!!!

Just so you can see her before picture:

Please share your congratulatory comments below.