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Recent activities

3 weeks ago

James Neidlinger updated a blog entry Training Journal...

Living it like I teach it

check out myfitnesspal.com

friend me there ( I am 5RingsFitness )

My logs are publicly shared

Wed 1/11

5 RA Drill Set 1

9:00

:30 work :15 rest

9 (turn and bounce)

:30 sec run

Friday 1/13

FBTS I-Phase

Head Stands/Dead Hang Tuck- 30sec:30sec work rest 14 rds

7 dead hang tucks

7 head stands

Body Weight 156 10% bodyfat

Neck 15.5

Shoulders 45

Chest 38.5

Waist 31

Bicep 14

Fore Arm 12.5

Hips 37

Thigh 23

Calf 16

1/17

5RA Drill Set 1

9:00

30:15

11 (turn & bounce)

:30 sec run

Benedict Dumb bell set 1:

10:00

2 x 10lbs

9 sets @15 reps

135 density

270lbs volume

Head Stands

10:00

30:30

10 rds

Yesterdays work....

1/18

Olympic Snatches: 1 x 75, 1 x 95, 1 x 105, 1 x 115, 4 sets of 3 x 105

Overhead walks: 105 x 4 sets of 3 25ft

Hip Pump/Cat Stretch: 40 2:00

Hindu Pushup: 10 sets of 5 10:00 1:1 work rest

30lb Z-health Squat/Get-up: 1:1 work rest 5,4,4,5,5,6,8,8,7,7 total 57 20:00

Dead Hang overhand thumbless:4 sets 1:00

L-Sit Dead Hang:4 sets :30

Jan 30

4 weeks ago

James Neidlinger added a new video Bridging fun

just goofing around here, nothing special...

Jan 24

1 month ago

James Neidlinger created a blog entry Training Journal...

Living it like I teach it

check out myfitnesspal.com

friend me there ( I am 5RingsFitness )

My logs are publicly shared

Wed 1/11

5 RA Drill Set 1

9:00

:30 work :15 rest

9 (turn and bounce)

:30 sec run

Friday 1/13

FBTS I-Phase

Head Stands/Dead Hang Tuck- 30sec:30sec work rest 14 rds

7 dead hang tucks

7 head stands

Body Weight 156 10% bodyfat

Neck 15.5

Shoulders 45

Chest 38.5

Waist 31

Bicep 14

Fore Arm 12.5

Hips 37

Thigh 23

Calf 16

1/17

5RA Drill Set 1

9:00

30:15

11 (turn & bounce)

:30 sec run

Benedict Dumb bell set 1:

10:00

2 x 10lbs

9 sets @15 reps

135 density

270lbs volume

Head Stands

10:00

30:30

10 rds

Yesterdays work....

1/18

Olympic Snatches: 1 x 75, 1 x 95, 1 x 105, 1 x 115, 4 sets of 3 x 105

Overhead walks: 105 x 4 sets of 3 25ft

Hip Pump/Cat Stretch: 40 2:00

Hindu Pushup: 10 sets of 5 10:00 1:1 work rest

30lb Z-health Squat/Get-up: 1:1 work rest 5,4,4,5,5,6,8,8,7,7 total 57 20:00

Dead Hang overhand thumbless:4 sets 1:00

L-Sit Dead Hang:4 sets :30

Jan 19

James Neidlinger created a blog entry Jedis, zombies, feet...

Its the first newsletter of the new year....

And I promise you it will be worth the effort to read all the way to the endHow to cure the zombie virus
In my last blog post I mentioned fitness Zombies
Soft skills from the Jedi Master:
Soft skills are the things that do not involve getting physical with someone, they are the mental skills, the stuff that makes the difference frankly between winning and not winning.
Recently I was lucky to have the opportunity to get some coaching from one of the Jedi Masters, Marcus Wynne (I say this euphemistically, but if you knew this gentleman, you would find the description apt and appropriate). Marcus is a best selling author of some of the finest thrillers I have read in a good long while, whenever one of his books hits the shelf, physically or in the kindle shop, I am all over it. Besides being a best selling author of very entertaining books, Mr Wynne is also someone who has contributed to my education, both by osmosis and now by direct contact.
Let me explain,
my instructor, Guro Mike O'Melia was one of the members of theMN Kali Group when Mr Wynne was pioneering a new methodology of training, a way to get people up to speed on new skills with a high level of ability, in a short period of time. Some of the skills were indeed "hard skills", physical tactics to deal with problems people in contact with other people intent on doing them harm would benefit from, like the straight blast, shake and bake, extreme close quarters, and other groovy things....
however, ancillary to those "hard skills" were the "soft skills"
the things that let you have a split second advantage over your opponent, adversary, target or enemy (I make the distinction because there is one, and it can be an important distinction when the time comes)
the little bits and pieces that when assembled, make your options expand, your re-actions seem sometimes super-humanly fast, your actions appropriate to the situation, and most importantly, help you come out on top when the chips are down.
Vision, state access and management, and training in state were all elements that formed the soft skills tool box
Vision:

Being able to see what is going on around you is important right? sure you say, of course, that's obvious...
better is being able to see what is important, and put the rest in a box for later
Increasing your peripheral vision is a fast way to getting more information, being able to maintain that peripheral vision is one of the most important skills you can develop in threat to life stress situations, but it is also a skill you can practice all day, every day, every where.

incidentally, I use peripheral vision as a monitor of my stress levels while I am exercising, so this was a very familiar process for me
when my vision starts to shut down, I take a break, it usually comes before breathing changes, and before posture changes, so I am always training/practicing in a physical state that is most beneficial
this also means that I am adapting to whatever I am doing in the best state possible

State Management was the 2ND soft skill, so lets get there

State Management:

This is the ability to manage your mental, physical, and emotional state, the better you get at this, the better chances you have of acting with clear, deliberate intention, and not lose your head
If you slowly inoculate yourself to higher levels of stress, you become better at performing under stress, period, full stop

How do you manage your state?
Breath and Posture....sound familiar?

Your breathing and posture effects your physiology, your physiology effects your mental and emotional state.

If you slump your shoulders and breath shallow and high into your chest, you will notice a change in your mental state, not for the better

if you pull your shoulders back, get your chin up, and breath deep and slow into your belly, smiling, you will also notice a change in your state, likely for the better

its pretty simple really, and valuable (this is a very short explanation of the work we did, so bear with me, if you want a full tutorial, you have to schedule some private time with me, I will be happy to teach you how all this stuff works, and how you can adapt it to your application of choice)

Monitor your state and you can help ensure that you train/practice in the best possible mental and emotional state, this sounds redundant, I am OK with that
what is the best mental/physical/emotional state?

depends on the task at hand

if you are learning a new skill, or sharpening a skill, the state of mind you are in will be part of that skill, meaning that you can make your learning and practice more efficient
being relaxed, resourceful, motivated, and having a well defined goal, in general, will be key to making this happen in most contexts

if you think it is hard to maintain the above mental and physical state while under stress, you are absolutely correct, however, taking into account the SAID (specific adaptation to imposed demand) principle, we know that we Always adapt, to Exactly what we do (Z-Health definition here, thanks Dr. Cobb), we can agree that it is a skill (everything is a skill, Z-Health again) and practice will make us better

So, calibrate your vision
Get your breathing under control,
Get your posture sorted out

Now access a particular state that is conducive to the task at hand:

State Access:
Sorry kids, this one is something that I have to show you, rather than have you read about it
basically, you remember a time (or create a memory of a time) when you were in the mental state you feel would be desirable in the context of the skill you are practicing, and get yourself back to that mental state
we actually do this a lot throughout our day, just unconsciously and usually not to our benefit
negative self talk and imagining bad outcomes are the easiest examples
this kind of mental gymnastics puts us into a state of mind,
and if you can access a state of mind that can be a deficit to you, the converse is true
for coaching on this, contact me, I can run you through it pretty quickly, but it requires some feedback on both ends, Skype or in person is the best way to do this

once you have accessed the state of mind necessary for the task at hand (being motivated to learn, getting through a bit of work that is less than fun, or dealing with a violent encounter) practicing in that state is the key to mastering the skill IN THAT STATE
this is an important thing here, the closer you can get to the state while practicing, the better chances you will have of success when you draw on that skill in a real life rather than practice situation
this can be as benign as exercise or as crucial as a threat to your safety or life or that of your loved ones

Something else that is very important here,
just accessing the state necessary for the task is one skill
getting out of that state is just as important,
in a threat to life stress context this is more clear,
if you have accessed a state that allows you to deal with a violent encounter, than being able to dial that back, and become calm again is going to be key
people who shoot are used to this as the "scan and breath" part, it breaks the mental state of focus on the target and lets you re-evaluate your environment, search for other threats, and decide what to do next
this can also be important in an exercise context,
if you are in a highly excited mental and physical sate, being able to quickly bring yourself back to calm and relaxed means you recover faster
this sounds a bit jumbled and I can appreciate that, however, as I stated at the beginning of this section, its better learned person to person than reading about it
so
once you have an "on" switch
you should also establish an "off" switch
trust me, its important

This wasn't't't meant to be a tutorial by any means, just a quick overview of what one old Jedi passed on to us in a couple workshops,
the skills he gave us will help me as a coach, and as a person that takes personal safety and security as a very serious and important skill to be sharpened and honed daily
I teach people how to be healthy, strong, safe, and secure in their day to day lives, to be able to defend themselves and those they care for from anyone who may mean them harm.
If you would like to learn the methods and drills I learned, I would be happy to pass on the information to anyone who may need it.
Just contact me and we can set up a coaching session

Footwork:the foundation of effective counter offense
In the art and science of Kali, as handed down to me by my instructors, foot work is the foundation of everything,
since Kali is an art derived from cultures that fought largely without armor, being able to evade strikes is paramount
and being able to position your self where you can best launch an offensive and come out on the winning end of a confrontation
having sharp footwork also means you look really cool at the club while you boogie......being able to move

forward
backward
laterally

to your target/opponent/enemy is key to being in the best position

the first piece of footwork that I teach anyone is the triangle foot work

Female Triangle
This bit of footwork is known as the Female triangle, my understanding is that the wife would line up behind her husband, and move from behind him to attack, returning to her position behind him after each flurry,
If you are at the point of the triangle, you can step out to either side, left or right (and leading with one shoulder or the other could present a true or false lead, more on that some other time)
you could then continue to step across the base of the triangle and continue down the opposite edge of the triangle to the point, or, or return to the point after stepping into the lunge position,
switch your feet at the point, stepping forward into a lunge every time you step forward and return,

so,
start at a center point (the tip of the triangle,
step forward on your left foot at a 45 degree angle into an anterior lunge
return your left foot to the starting point
repeat on the right
when you switch your feet, eliminate as much as possible the bounce (do not let yourself move up and down, only move in the direction you are trying to go, this bounce can be timed and will give your opponent an opening to strike when you are in transition and cannot react quickly)
when you switch your feet at the point, make the switch as quick as possible, so that your feet do not occupy the point at the same time (this used to be practiced on halved coconut shells, two feet could not be on one shell at the same time, so you became very quick footed and able to move in any direction without delay)

once you get the hang of moving forward on the triangle, connect the base by moving lateral across the top
Step forward on the left foot into a 45 degree lunge, bring your right foot together with the left foot, then continue to step to the right, bring your left foot together with the right, and continue stepping back on a 45 degree angle with the left foot returning to the point of the triangle.
Do this in both directions
switch directions randomly

now, once you have the idea of the Female or Attacking triangle (that's right folks, the Female triangle is considered the attacking triangle, remember, she is stepping out from behind her mate to attack the attackers, this is aggressive footwork, as you traverse the base of the triangle you are spending the most amount of time engaged with the opponent)
we can move to the Male or Defensive triangle
The Male Triangle
The Male Triangle is the Defensive triangle, the husband would stand with his family behind him, and launch his attacks from a position that best allowed him to protect them, his wife would move from behind him to attack and cover him as he defended the family.
The footwork is the same as the Female Triangle, only reversed
The starting point is the base of the triangle, you step back at a 45 degree into a lunge leaving one foot at the tip, then returning to the tip, step back on the opposite foot, or continuing along the base until a full revolution has been made.
So

From the tip of the triangle,
step back with your left foot into a 45 degree lunge,
return to the tip and step back with your right foot into a 45 degree lunge
follow the same guidelines as the Attacking/Female triangle, don't allow your feet to be in the same space for too long and try not to bounce, make your transition at the tip as efficient as possible
connect the points of the triangle in both left to right and right to left rotation

Now, lets stack the triangles for the Diamond Footwork
Diamond Footwork

Basics here are all the same, except now, the two triangles have been stacked one on top of the other, so instead of traversing the base of the triangle, you will continue to the tip of the next triangle,
you can move left to right, or right to left
Traverse the center of the diamond any time you want to move back to the Male or Female footwork,
work only one side of the diamond (this was done in combat to save strength in one leg, by only moving the right or left leg, a person could keep fighting until that leg got tired, then switch, thus being able to stay in the fight longer without having to sacrifice mobility)

There you have it folks
"Mobility is the Key to Combat"-Guro Mike O'Melia
This is a true thing, and being able to quickly change directions, have a mobile base from which you are powerful in all directions, and the ability to execute a technique from any position lends itself well not only to armed and unarmed conflict, but it is the essence of sport as well

play with the foot work and let me know what you think
when you have a good grasp of these three patterns I will post some more

on to the next piece of this months newsletter....

Commentary Living

In my studies of defensive tactics, I came across the idea of commentary driving, this simply put, is commenting on everything that is happening while you are driving.
It is a running dialog of everything you see hear and think while driving
an example would be

"driving south on Main at 14:00 hrs, passing bank 2 cars on left first car beige late model Taurus 3 up, males, blond brunette brunette, talking, car 2 green Honda accord, 2 up red haired woman, brunette male,
2 adults on bikes helmets stopped in middle of road, hand going into males shoulder bag, coming out with a GUN !!!!"

now, obviously I put that last bit in as a bit of fun
however,
once you have practiced the technique of commentary driving for a while, it can be done silently, you start to notice and catalog everything that is happening in your immediate vicinity
how many cars are there around you, what kind of cars are they, how many occupants in each car, how fast/slow are the traveling, are they aware of their surroundings or fidgeting with their phones...ca

carrying this over into every day life is simple
you can work on this skill one of two ways, one way will leave you looking a bit of a crazy person, wandering around talking to yourself and commenting on the obvious and subtle things going on around you, the other way is to do exactly the same thing, but to only do it in your mind.
Start with whatever you feel comfortable doing, if you are brave enough to just mumble to yourself a little it won't hurt you, and you will likely develop the skill to a higher level faster.
If you follow the steps and key points I laid out in the Soft Skills portion above, this will be even better, as you will be maintaining awareness of your surroundings and keeping your peripheral vision in check while you move through your world.
I get it,its weird, but this is really a very valuable skill
being able to notice what your environment is doing while still being able to participate in the environment is useful
it lets you be aware of details you may have missed, and experience your life at a deeper level, being able to capture more and more of each moment for your memory bank.
Not only is it good to be aware of your surroundings and the goings on in them, but being able to recognize the patterns and mis-matches in those patterns, can be life saving.
If you notice that the traffic ahead of you 1/2 mile up is starting to come to a sudden halt, it gives you time to slow down, ease off to an exit, and not get mired in the 12 car pile up ahead of you
If you notice that there is a pair of men paralleling you on a late night walk, and they split up, one crossing the street to your side while the other continues on....
if you notice that there is a group of men concealing themselves on either side of a rural road, and there is some debris blocking your path....
if you notice a fresh spot of earth in a road you travel every day (think high risk environments, the folks who work in them know exactly what this means).....
Notice the way your spouses smile seems to bubble up at the first mention of strawberry ice cream
Notice the way your kids squeal with delight when they see the posters advertising that the circus is in town
notice the presence of your wife when she has left a room, but you can still smell her perfume
notice the concern in a co-workers question "are you feeling alright?"

Awareness creates time, time creates options
capitalize on those options to make your life better, practice commentary living for 1 week, see how much more you take in, and how much more rich and interesting life becomes

a few quick tips
1:observe without judgment, don't make a judgment about what you see, just observe it first, in context to what else is going on
2:nothing is unimportant, however, most things are not that important, narrow your focus only on things that seem out of place, trust your mis-match intuition and you will find some valuable insights
3:act as soon as you think you need to, if you notice that something looks wrong, possibly dangerous, or just makes your spider sense tingle, do something, move, create distance between your self and the thing that is causing you to feel that way, examine the whole picture later when you have a safe and secure place to do so
4:don't spend too much time staring at people, it makes them feel creepy, if you go around mumbling to your self and staring at people you will surely give off the werewolves among us vibe and set off other peoples alarm bells, this is not a good thing, you may pop up on the wrong radar and wind up in trouble
5:make it a game, play, not work, is the best way to learn, and you will be learning a lot, about yourself, and about human behavior, and your environment

SpecialsThis month, the Ultra Seasonal Protector is on sale, and if you purchase more than 25$ in supplements, I will give you free shipping anywhere in the continental United States

From My Wife's Cookbook

If you follow me on facebook or twitter (if you don't you should, I am entertaining, though, sometimes not safe for work, just be aware) you may have seen pictures of the meals that keep my machine running at optimal levels. By that I mean the amazing food my wife cooks,
here is the first recipe from her kitchen.

Shepherd's Pie:

Ingredients

Ground Lamb (about 1 lb) or your meat of choice, we have tried turkey, beef, bison, chicken, even venison, but I am very fond of lamb, they just look so cute and cuddly...on my plate
Butter (1/2 stick) yes, 1/2 a stick, trust me (you can use coconut oil, but it makes for an odd combo, so its up to your tastes)
Oregano
Pepper (I like whole pepper corns, cracked when ready to use)
Thyme
Rosemary
Sweet Potatoes (about 3 good sized) you can make them with whatever kind of potato you want, I like sweet potatoes
Carrots (2-3)
Parsnips(2-3)
Celery(2-3 sticks)
Onions
pretty much any other vegetable you like, but try to keep the liquid volume down, or it will be shepherd's stew

Step One: peel your potatoes, parsnips and carrots (you don't have to wash them if you are peeling them, just rinse the mud off and peel, we use only organic vegetables so the chances of nasty chemicals is nil) and chop everything up into sizes you can easily fit in your mouth, this is a pretty individual thing, we like pretty good sized chunks, but everyone is different

Step Two:boil the potatoes (these will be mashed later, so get the boiling started first off)Step Three: brown the lamb and herbs/spices in butter, use about 2 tbsp for this

Step Four: when the lamb is browned add the vegetables and let them get a little caramelized, place the lamb/veggies mix in the bottom of a casserole and set aside
Step Five: by now your potatoes should be ready for mashing, so get to mashing, add some heavy cream (about a 1/2 cup) and the rest of the butter for nice, rich, creamy mashed potatoes
Step Six: when the potatoes are well mashed, spread them out in the casserole, covering the lamb/veggie mix until you fill the casserole to the top
Step Seven: cover with tinfoil and place in the oven to bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, then uncover and let bake until you start seeing the potatoes brown a little, add a bit of Parmesan after you uncover for an extra bit of tasty

This recipe feeds about 6 people, or 2 of me, or one of me and my wife with left overs...sometimes...it depends on how hungry I am

enjoy!

If you are a paying member of the 5 Rings Army, you will be getting one of these every month for the rest of the year, sometimes you will get more than one to let you know about special deals, events, or just because I have found something so incredibly awesome that I had to share it with you.
This will include:

Video Instructional of kettlebell, Indian club and other physical culture/fitness tools, martial techniques (all ranges and applications)
A recipe from my wife's kitchen
Members only specials on supplements
Plus first dibs on getting into any clinics I teach this year
Other miscellaneous awesomeness

Becoming a paying member of the 5 Rings Army (why not, its really really not that much, $15 a year, that's $1.25 per month...seriously folks, my wife's recipes are worth that alone) ensures that this will not be the only one of these newsletters you will see that has all of the content in it. You will also receive 10% discounts on nutritional supplements, first dibs on clinics that I teach, and access to members only videos demonstrating kettlebell, Indian club, and martial arts techniques.
Otherwise you can still be in on the awesomeness that I generate, by registering at my site as a user.
You can take part in the public forums, see my blog, which will have running commentary from me on life, physical culture, self defense and other interesting topics, like what should and should not be said in a public restroom, and have other generally awesome things. Cause that's what I do, I provide the awesome...
No matter which option you choose I will still respect you

Jan 19

James Neidlinger created a blog entry Zombies will do what...

First things first

Fitness Zombies,

you will soon see them raising from their New Years graves with intentions of actually following through on that resolution they made at 12:01 am Jan 1st, right after kissing whatever it was they may have kissed and right before heaving the entire evenings libations into a pool of sick that they left for someone else to clean up..

They stagger in to the local globo gym, the Life-grind and Planet-Fatness, they are ready..

they want to get in shape now dammit!

not tomorrow, now!

they moan climbing onto the machines

cardio.....

squeezing into 200$ pants from LuLu take your money and spreading out the yoga mat they bought at the pro shop...

trim and tone...

They decide to “crush it” and blow their wad on the WOD

met con....

conditining....

The constant fitness zombie mantra is repeated with less and less conviction

“I will do whatever it takes...”

(more on this gem later)

When I get one on the phone or in the door I smile, I patiently listen for the key phrases I am wanting to hear, and sometimes I do hear them....

I have been thinking of....

I decided to ....

My plan is....

I engage the zombie, trying to keep my brain pan as far from them as possible and still seem personable

What makes you feel like you need to lose weight?

What have you tried in the past?

What can you afford?

What are your overall goals?

How will you know you have met those goals?

How fast do you want to meet your goals?

If these questions are answered and they seem reasonably ready and willing to take action, I present them with options..

option A: private personal training,

option B: group private personal training

option C: group classes

then we begin the fitness zombie shuffle and shift..

I can see the human in there, behind the listless eyes and last years excesses, laziness and bullshit excuses

Private training..., that seems like a lot of money (whatever it takes?)

Group Private training...I don’t think I know anyone who would be up for that

Group classes....what time do they start?

This is inevitably where I smile a little, and die a little inside

6:00 AM I reply, as spry and pleasant as I can possibly be

That is too early they say.... (whatever it takes...)

I want to laugh when I hear this,

My day starts at 04:30am M-F and doesn’t end until 10:00 on a regular basis

I train clients, run classes, work a full time job, study and keep up on my research and what the trends are in my respective fields of interest, from physical fitness, to armed and unarmed combatives and martial arts..

And, I spend as much time with my wife as I can.

She works a full time job, manages to run a thriving business as a potter (she makes some of the finest wheel thrown, utilitarian art I and many others have ever used), helps provide care for a woman with MS, cooks meals that make me want to throw rocks at the local chefs, and still looks like a freeqing goddess with a vacuum.

but 6am is too early to get that goal of not being overweight, out of shape, and on the short list for a host of debilitating and easily remedied issues.....

here’s the deal...

I want to help you

I want you to succeed

I want you to be fit, thin, healthy, fast, strong, and have the body of a supermodel while you consume a diet that would make a trucker blush

I want to help you get rid of that zombie virus

but I need your help to do it

You have to show up

You have to do the work

You have to keep track of your diet and exercise

You have to decide whether your goals or the extra slice of cake and pint with your mates is more important

You have to match your behavior and your goals

All I can do, is point you down the path

I will give you all the help I can to keep you on it, but I will likely only see you for a few hours at most each week

that means there are a lot of hours when you will be on your own

You

have

Walk

That

Path

You can call me, text me, email me...I will try to help you if I can but you have to be willing to act

so...

the help I am going to offer you right now is this

I know it is January, and your resolutions are fresh in your mind, you are ready, you want to change

I want to help,

Come to any of the classes I teach, in Apple Valley (Tue/Thu 6:00-7:00am) or Uptown (Mon/Wed/Fri 6:00-7:00am) and I will give you a 1 week trial free

If you decide you like the way I work, and you like the classes, you can sign up for the 90 Day Challenge which includes:

a 30 day supply of Essential Nutrition Supplements
A pdf manual outlining a simple method of managing your diet and exercise, including full workouts, detailed explanations with you tube links to demonstrations of the exercises, and progressions that can be scaled to any ability or fitness level.
A 90 Day Money Back Guarantee, should you try the program, and not get results

I will do this because I want you to be rid of that Zombie virus, I want you to be human again, I want you to move like a cheetah on greased roller skates in a thong bikini and

feel good about it.

I want you to be awesome.

go call me

email me

text me

or stop by either the Uptown or Apple Valley locations and say

“hello, my name is _____, and I want to be awesome”

Whatever It Takes

This one is a little less light hearted, it has more to do with the self defense and martial aspects of my role as an instructor and coach.

While taking part in a course given by Rory Miller and Marc Macyoung last summer titled “Dynamics of Violence”

A conversation was had regarding what people were willing to do to help themselves, to defend themselves, to defend others...

It was a very thought provoking conversation

In a room full of men that daily daily don weapons and the authority given them by the state and federal government to place themselves between the people they protect (us out here in joe citizen land) and the baddie bad guys that would do the things the do do to earn, score, or get their kicks. I saw men and women go a little pale when we hit a certain point in the conversation, I felt that chill myself as I thought it through

People commonly say “I would do whatever it takes” to accomplish a task, meet a goal, get something, make something happen....

would you not eat for a day or more?

would you stop drinking beer/vodka insert your drink of choice?

would you put a dollar in a jar every day and never take a dollar out?

would you beg?

would you borrow?

would you steal?

would you commit a minor crime?

would you commit a major crime?

would you hurt someone to help someone else?

would you use a weapon to hurt someone to help someone, or just to meet a need?

would you put someone in the hospital?

would you put someone in the morgue?

would you stab someone with a knife?

would you hit someone with a bat or a brick, or a tire iron?

would you wait in the bushes until you could surprise someone and beat them unconscious?

would you duct tape another human to a chair and use a cordless drill to make them give you what you wanted?

would you murder someone, not kill but murder?

would you hit a woman?

would you hit a child?

would you shoot a man?

would you shoot a woman?

would you shoot a child?

would you prostitute yourself?

would you prostitute your wife or husband?

would you prostitute your child?

would you prostitute some one else’s child?

that’s where it got really quiet and kinda chilly in the room

right there, on the child thing....

and the sick and sad truth is, that here, in a first world nation, in one of the most technologically advanced and prosperous nations in the history of mankind, people do all of those things, every single one of them, every item on that list, for less than the cost of a dinner and an movie, every day.

A 10$ rock of crack will buy you a lot in some places

What do you think a sandwich is worth to a man that has not eaten for 4 days and hears you complaining about your smart phone not updating your facebook status fast enough as you walk out of the bank?

Truth is

you and I

will do whatever we can, whatever we are capable of, to meet the need of the time, depending on how bad that need is, and the time...

chilly?

But when people tell me they will do whatever it takes to lose a pound of fat, or put another 10lbs on their deadlift, or shrink their waist size by that wedding they need to be in shape for, or.....

I have listened to people tell me that they have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, but they refuse to change the way they eat or consider removing the stress from their lives.

I have listened to people tell me that they have prostate cancer and are going to have surgery that will leave them impotent and wearing a diaper for the remainder of their days, but they won’t give up the lifestyle that got them there.

I have listened to people tell me how much they want to quit smoking, while they light another one.

Whatever it takes

Thinking about my history

about having been homeless, eating out of garbage cans, sleeping in the open and worrying about base survival, and also having been so scared from the violence going on around me that I shit my self, for real. Having seen the depths to which other humans are willing to go to satisfy their needs and desires, and knowing what I am capable of, and what I am willing to do, when someone says whatever it takes, I always chuckle a little

just like I did when we were in that conference room surrounded by hard men and women that face “whatever it takes” every day.

Don’t say whatever it takes to me,

It immediately puts you on my “you may or may not be completely full of shit” list, and closer to the “may be” end, than the “may not” end.

Say whatever I am capable of

this is more true,

I am always amazed at what people find themselves capable of,

how a woman can overcome the fear of the pain involved in squatting past parallel, or in just bending at the waist, and get back to maintaining her body with the 18lb piece of iron with a handle on it that she likes to move with.

how people can come from having an almost life ending accident that takes a limb, to their trying to be of service to the community they used to be at odds with.

how men and women are willing to put their bodies in the fire, between bullets and other people, and between death and the preservation of an idea, every day without a thought

so when people tell me they will do whatever it takes,

except that....

I kinda want to ask them very gently to go away from me

but I know

I know that right there and then

they have not really considered all of these things

and that they are simply willing to do what they are capable of at the moment

and that what I am asking may be out of that range

It is ok

I get it

and in the context of health and fitness, I can actually accept and work within those parameters without too much issue

I just wanted to muse a little on that subject, and put that out there for folks to think on

contemplate that on the tree of woe

now bring me another bourbon, I have more writing to do before the evening ends

"What's Your Fat Ass Doing Here?-its my only means of conveyance......"

Jan 02

4 months ago

James Neidlinger and Jake Weiskoff are now friends

Oct 23

5 months ago

James Neidlinger updated a blog entry Unicorns and fitness...

unicorns don't exist

they are not now, and likely never have been real

best theory I have heard yet is that some prehistoric dude

likely saw rhinoceri

and freaked right out

it looked like a big freeqin horse with a horn, and there it is

know what else doesn't exist?

a grand unified theory of fitness

no one has "the" way

want some simple tips?

here

try this out for thirty days and get back to me

eat food, food you like to eat, try to eat more fat and protein than you do carbohydrates (I like Metabolic Flexibility ala Mike T Nelson)

use some method to test what exercises or movements give you the best result (personally I use Z-Health and Gym Movement Protocols)

exercise, pick up heavy stuff and put it down, move your body as much as you can without pain and with as little tension as possible

perform one 14-24 hr fast per week

get adequate rest, sleep that is

I don't care what exercise you do,

tai chi

yogalates

, wii

, crack race

whatever

as long as it is not on its face stupid or dangerous to yourself or others (crack race may be out)

Want to swing a kettlebell from a chain while you run naked through a mall?

what time do you plan on doing this?

if it is when the mall is populated, this is perhaps not a good plan

however, if you have access to a mall at a time when there are no people there, and you can indeed swing a kettlebell by a chain while naked, without damaging yourself or others,

go nuts

if someone says you are doing it wrong

ask them how do they know?

if the answer is because you are not doing it the way they were taught

you have just run into a fitness fundamentalist, ask them if they believe in unicorns

my thoughts when this happens are usually something along the lines of

"that's great sunshine, now f**k off so I can go back to being better"

what if the people that taught you were more interested in cashing your check and lining their pockets than in giving you an education?

Even if that education was top notch, if the educators tell you at any point that another system of thought (usually a competitor in the marketplace) is inferior for any reason other than

it is dangerous and stupid on its face

you may have just found out that your education was worth every penny you paid for it, to the person you paid

I have following philosophy regarding fitness and body composition management (otherwise known as weight loss or muscle growth, ie looking good naked)

if something is

Safe
Reliable
Simple
Sustainable

I am willing to entertain it as an option, and will learn as much as I can about it if there is a use for it, whatever it is

As you may or may not know

I am a martial art/sport/science coach

I also teach people the use of kettelbells, indian clubs, ropes, and all kinds of other implements to help them reach their fitness and body composition goals

I make people stronger, faster, leaner, and smarter (really, no bs, I do)

I do it with a giant tool chest full of stuff that very rarely gets used, but I have those tools because I am a good fitness mechanic, and being familiar with subjects is part and parcel of my delivering a quality experience and product to my clients and students.

I have actively sought out education with people that are respected as being the best in their fields.

I may or may not actually agree with every aspect of their methodology or systems, but I will learn from those educators, internalize that knowledge, and seek to apply it in a context that is appropriate.

lots of big words there right?

I learn stuff,

then I use the stuff to get stuff done when that stuff needs to be done.

This also means that since I seek knowledge from many sources, I get exposed to a lot of different ideas and methodologies.

and

as a businessman

I am running a business here after all, I do like to get paid to do the voodoo that I do do

I also get the idea of branding, and marketing, and trying to turn a buck

all can be good

or bad

and when the marketing, and branding, and trying to turn a buck gets to be more than I can stomach

I lose interest

Want six pack abs?

eat better,

it has more to do with body fat % than any type of exercise

anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something (like a gym membership or a training package, which I will happily provide, however, I will also provide results, I guarantee it)

So there I went and kicked the fitness hornets nest,

no machine, doohickey, or workout program will deliver the results the way a better food plan will.

Kettlebells wont "melt fat" or "give you" anything, you work with them and you will however see changes in your physique and endurance

Indian Clubs won't act like magic wands that turn you into a super fit robot

No fitness implement will give you the body composition changes that most people really desire like a change in nutrient balance will.

that means

fat
protein
carbs

dont believe me?

try it

I ate crappy skyway fast food for 3 weeks and lost fat

recently I dropped 3 pounds in a week and hit my all time lowest body fat percentage of 7.2% (I have a picture of the monitor for proof) by fasting 1-2 times per week and upping my fat intake to 70% of my caloric intake, cutting carbs to almost nothing. (there are no such thing as essential carbs, prove me wrong and I'll give you something, maybe the finger)

Since June 16 I have added at least .5 inches to every limb, my hips, neck, chest and shoulders, and lost .5 inches from my waist on a diet that includes beer, bourbon, chocolate, ice cream, reese's, monster energy drinks, double bacon cheese burgers, fries and chocolate shakes (and I have pictures to prove it)

I actually dedicate less than 20 minutes a day to exercise, if that (this is no joke, I honestly "work out"-more like goof around with weights and gymnastics tricks about 3 times per week for less than 30 minutes a session)

that was a long way for me to go to get to this

Nutrition, food management

not exercise

food management

is the key to six pack abs

so stop doing crunches and using some steel tubing thing you paid 100$ for on the internet and eat some bacon

Being strong and capable of using everyone of your limbs through full range of motion without pain, that is a whole other story.

And likely my next topic for discussion

Please feel free to pass this on to anyone you think may enjoy it, or hate it,

comments can be left here on the blog

cheers mates

Get Strong, Stay Strong

Aug 31

James Neidlinger created a blog entry Unicorns and fitness...

unicorns don't exist

they are not now, and likely never have been real

best theory I have heard yet is that some prehistoric dude likely saw rhinoceri and freaked right out

it looked like a big freeqin horse with a horn, and there it is

know what else doesn't exist?

a grand unified theory of fitness

no one has "the" way

want some simple tips?

here

try this out for thirty days and get back to me

eat food, food you like to eat, but try to eat more fat and protein than you do carbohydrates
use some method to test what exercises or movements give you the best result
exercise, pick up heavy stuff and put it down, move your body as much as you can without pain and with as little tension as possible
perform one 14-24 hr fast per week
get adequate rest, sleep that is

I don't care what exercise you do, tai chi, yogalates, wii, crack race, whatever

as long as it is not on its face stupid or dangerous to yourself or others (crack race may be out)

Want to swing a kettlebell from a chain while you run naked through a mall?

what time do you plan on doing this?

if it is when the mall is populated, this is perhaps not a good plan

however, if you have access to a mall at a time when there are no people there, and you can indeed swing a kettlebell by a chain while naked, without damaging yourself or others,

go nuts

if someone says you are doing it wrong

ask them how do they know?

if the answer is because you are not doing it the way they were taught

you have just run into a fitness fundamentalist, ask them if they believe in unicorns

my thoughts when this happens are usually something along the lines of

"that's great sunshine, now fuck off so I can go back to being better"

what if the people that taught you were more interested in cashing your check and lining their pockets than in giving you an education?

Even if that education was top notch, if the educators tell you at any point that another system of thought (usually a competitor in the marketplace) is inferior for any reason other than

it is dangerous and stupid on its face

you may have just found out that your education was worth every penny you paid for it, to the person you paid

I have following philosophy regarding fitness and body composition management (otherwise known as weight loss or muscle growth, ie looking good naked)

if something is

Safe
Reliable
Simple
Sustainable

I am willing to entertain it as an option, and will learn as much as I can about it if there is a use for it, whatever it is

As you may or may not know

I am a martial art/sport/science coach

I also teach people the use of kettelbells, indian clubs, ropes, and all kinds of other implements to help them reach their fitness and body composition goals

I make people stronger, faster, leaner, and smarter (really, no bs, I do)

I have actively sought out education with people that are respected as being the best in their fields.

I may or may not actually agree with every aspect of their methodology or systems, but I will learn it, internalize that knowledge, and seek to apply it in a context that is appropriate.

lots of big words there right?

I learn stuff, then I use the stuff to get stuff done when that stuff needs to be done.

This also means that since I seek knowledge from many sources, I get exposed to a lot of different ideas and methodologies.

and

as a businessman

I am running a business here after all, I do like to get paid to do the voodoo that I do do wop a do wop a lop bam boom

I also get the idea of branding, and marketing, and trying to turn a buck

all can be good

or bad

and when the marketing, and branding, and trying to turn a buck gets to be more than I can stomach

I lose interest

Want six pack abs?

eat better,

it has more to do with body fat % than any type of exercise

anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something

So there I went and kicked the fitness hornets nest,

no machine, doohickey, or workout program will deliver the results the way a better food plan will.

dont believe me?

try it

I ate crappy skyway fast food for 3 weeks and lost fat

recently I dropped 3 pounds in a week and hit my all time lowest body fat percentage of 7.2% (I have a picture of the monitor for proof) by fasting 1 time per week and upping my fat intake to 70% of my caloric intake, cutting carbs to almost nothing.

I actually dedicate less than 20 minutes a day to exercise, if that (honestly I "work out"-more like goof around with weights and gymnastics tricks about 3 times per week for less than 30 minutes a session)

that was a long way for me to go to get to this

Nutrition, food management

not exercise

food management

is the key to six pack abs

so stop doing crunches and using some steel tubing thing you paid 100$ for on the internet and eat some bacon

Aug 27

6 months ago

James Neidlinger added a new video pinch lift dead improv

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Aug 11

7 months ago

James Neidlinger added a new video Some Club work

Description not available...

Jul 21

James Neidlinger added a new video headache?

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Jul 21

James Neidlinger added a new video Ball Of Foot Circles

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Jul 21

James Neidlinger added a new video Squat Progression

a quick run through of the squat progression outlined in the back of the R-Phase manual from Z-health also how to test quickly to see what effect any...

Jul 21

James Neidlinger added a new video Tung's testimonial

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Jul 21

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Its the first newsletter of the new year....

unicorns don't exist

no one has "the" way

Your Cart

5 Rings Store

Latest Discussion

Latest group walls

Latest Members

Online Users

5 Rings Calendar

Activity Stream