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Brian Copeland's
Core Fitness Newsletter

Issue #32 - 11/24/2008

1. Announcement #1: "Closed on Thanksgiving"
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2. Announcement #2: "Closed December 20th"
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3. Announcement #3: "Annual Clothing & Food Drive"
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4. Cool Video: "Men & Women vs. Steel Bolts"
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5. Late Thanks: "Veteran's Day"
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6. Inspiration: "Transformation Happens"
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7. Hall of Achievements: "Bend-O-Rama!!!"
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8. Training Tip: "Static Stretching"..
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9. Got Grip: "Seriously Strong Hands ebook"
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10. Products To Help You Reach Your Goals
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11. Denver Metro Area: "Kettlebell & Self-Defense Classes in Aurora"
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12. HardStyle Magazine: "Download for Free"
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13. Personalized Program Design: "Tired of Not Reaching Your Goals?"
...
14. Charity in Focus: "Precious Ones Outreach International"

1. Announcement #1:
"Closed on Thanksgiving"

My studio will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday the 27th.

I will be open for all services on Wednesday the 26th and Friday the 28th.

If you are a normal Thursday Kettlebell Class attendee, make plans to come Wednesday or Friday... or both... to burn off the stuffing, mash potatoes, gravy, etc. I know I'll be eating like a pig, and training it off on Wed and Fri!

2. Announcement #2:
"Closed December 20th"

My studio will be closed on Saturday December 20th. I will be at a training seminar all day.

3. Announcement #3:
"Annual Clothing & Food Drive"

I am currently collecting donations of clothes and food for the Denver Rescue Mission and cell phones for the battered women's shelter.

Bring these in to me and receive a 10% discount off of your next service.

Now till January 1st.

4. Cool Video:
"Men & Women vs. Steel Bolts"

Ed, Shari, Dr. John, Andy and myself proving that the hand is indeed mightier than the... uh, bolt.

Yes, these are steel bolts. Everyone on this video is brand new to bending and some of them bent their first bolt on this video. Most of them are now bending much harder bolts now!

We are not grip and bending people per se. We are average men and women who learn the skill of strength and then are able to apply that strength in various ways.

If you want to be a bending or grip strength person then look into my ebook "Seriously Strong Hands" later in this newsletter or the Diesel Crew's "Bending Manual" on my Products page.

5. Late Thanks: "Veteran's Day"

I meant to send this closer to Veteran's Day but 'busy happens'. Better late than never.

The Final Inspection

The soldier stood and faced his God,
Which must always come to pass,
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.

"Step forward now, you soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"

The soldier squared his shoulders,
and said: "No, Lord, I guess I ain't,
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.

I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I wept unmanly tears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord,
(It needn't be real grand,
I've never expected, or had too much),
But if you don't, I'll understand."

There was a silence around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod,
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

"Step forward now, you soldier,
You've borne your burdens well,
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."


~Author Unknown~


Thanks to all those who sacrificed of themselves to make the world a better place.

Brian

6. Inspiration: "Transformation Happens"

The majority of folks get into fitness for aesthetic reasons not health. If they get into the right type of fitness training they reap the rewards of healthy joints, strong heart, stronger bodies, pain-reduction and range of motion increase in addition to changing their appearance.

Well talk about someone who walks the walk.

My friend and fellow RKC kettlebell instructor Andrea U-shi Chang was recently featured on a local TV station in Seattle, WA USA.

Check out her before pictures compared to now! This should be inspiration for anyone wanting to change their bodies.

Watch the video here.

If you are in the Seattle area contact Andrea, you won't regret it!

7. Hall of Achievements: "Bend-O-Rama!!!"

Our newest updates:..

See all achievements on the "Achievements" link at the left navigation bar at the top of the page or click here

Don't forget to check out my self-defense / martial arts site:

8. Training Tip: "Static Stretching"

Stretching is one of the more controversial issues in fitness and is certainly one of the most misunderstood.

"When to stretch" is a frequent question that I get asked but an even better question is "Should we stretch?"

I freely admit that I used to recommend stretching to my clients; although not typically static stretching but rather a sophisticated type of stretching called Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation or PNF for short.

Anyway I thought I'd share a great Question and Answer session from Dr. Eric Cobb, founder of Z Health, in his latest newsletter. So enjoy...

Q: Traditional training methods have emphasized stretching prior to and after exercise, and many people stretch as a form of exercise itself. Most of this stretching involves holding a position for a particular length of time, and then deepening into it as the body will allow. Some say that this type of stretching is absolutely necessary, others say that it is not needed, and still others that it can be damaging. I would like your thoughts on stretching, about warming up in general, and how Z-Health relates or compares to them. Thank you.

A: Ahhhh... One of my favorite topics to discuss: stretching! Stretching has probably been the subject of more controversy and misinformation than any other aspect of health and fitness. Because this can be a very lengthy topic, I am going to confine my discussion to only one type of stretching protocol, called static stretching, as this is the method you referred to in your question.

As a method, static stretching involves placing a muscle or group of muscles into a lengthened position and then holding that stretched position for a period of time. In most cases this ranges from 15 seconds to several minutes, depending upon the method of choice.

The stated goal of static stretching is to passively lengthen the connective tissues that cover the muscle fibers and most people use stretching for two primary reasons:

1. Injury Prevention
2. Enhanced Performance

Unfortunately, the vast majority of research does not support using static stretching for EITHER of these reasons. Here are a few examples:

1. One of the largest studies yet conducted looked at 2,600 Australian soldiers -- half stretched while the others did not prior to physical training. There was no difference in the injury rates.
2. Another recent study demonstrated that static stretching decreases eccentric muscular strength up to 9% for an hour or more after the stretching session. This is very bad news if you are using stretching as a part of your pre-exercise routine.
3. Multiple additional studies have shown that static stretching decreases maximal force output from the involved muscles. You are never going to be able to lift as much or punch/kick as hard if you pre-stretch the related muscles.
4. Other studies indicate that static stretching decreases coordination during explosive movements when tested immediately after the stretch. This means that your roundhouse kick will be much stronger if you don’t stretch first.
5. Finally, several interesting studies have shown that there is virtually no relationship between static and dynamic flexibility. In other words, increasing static flexibility does not automatically mean you will be more flexible in your sport.

As you can see, the evidence is strongly AGAINST using static stretching as a primary component of your training programs. With that said, however, understand that in Z-Health we never completely disregard any tool. We simply try to understand how to best utilize that tool. There are very specific occasions post-injury where we may use static stretching in combination with mobility work and other techniques.

If you have been a dedicated "stretcher" for years, consider changing your pre-training focus to more active mobility drills like those found in our R-Phase program or Neural Warm-Ups. These types of drills have shown a direct carryover to both injury prevention and performance enhancement, making mobility drills the warm-up of choice. Thanks again for the question. Have a great month.

Keep Moving,

Dr. Cobb

Brian's summary:

There are various types of stretching, some of them work and some don't. But the general idea of what people think of when they say "stretch" is the static stretching written about in the above Q&A.

I'll pose this question to you; if static stretching actually worked then why do you have to keep doing it?

You see, muscles are not 'too short' or 'too long'... they do not need to be stretched out like taffy in order for you to have more range of motion. Every muscle in your body is more than long enough to allow the joint to move through it's full range of motion... yes, including the splits.

What makes a muscle tight is a signal from the nervous system to contract (or tighten) the muscle. When you stretch you are just pulling against a contracted muscle; what is the point of that? All you will do is cause micro trauma to the muscle and connective tissues.

Rather than attacking the symptom, a contracted muscle, why don't we attack the cause, the nervous system? Why indeed is the nervous system contracting the muscle?

FEAR!

Yes, fear. If you do not have the strength to control your joint at a particular angle the nervous system will literally put the brakes on in order to keep you from hurting yourself. The nervous system works the same way that the manufacturer installed governor chip on your car works; to keep it from going as fast as the engine will actually allow.

Now when we take a look at people who are chronically tight, what we find are people who typically have a lack of body control and body awareness. If you want a fancy sciency-like term, we call it a lack of proprioception.

Proprioception is the ability of you to be blindfolded and know that your elbow is either locked or bent; in other words, you can feel where your body is in space. It is one of the body's senses just like sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell.

Obviously most people would have no problem with the proprioceptive awareness of their elbow being locked or bent in normal positions. But try this experiment. Raise your arm overhead as if you were raising your hand in school. Lock your elbow and now keep your elbow locked as you raise your shoulder up toward your ear and then lower your shoulder away from your ear.

Did your elbow bend? Did you feel it bend? Watch yourself in the mirror and find out. Unless you are an avid kettlebell lifter I'd bet you couldn't keep your elbow locked when you pulled your shoulder down. Now just imagine that every single joint and motion that your body can make has the potential to have this dysfunctional lack of control.

But, we can fix this dysfunction fairly easily in most cases.

Increase the proprioception in your joints and the body becomes more coordinated and comfortable with the range of motion you are asking of it and it will start to allow you to move into greater ranges of motion without contracting your muscles too early. There are other benefits of increasing proprioception such as increased coordination, greater strength, decreased pain, more mobile joints, the list goes on.

How you do you increase proprioception?

By doing things of course. More specifically by learning how your joints feel at all angles, in every situation, in every way possible.

Don't know how to get started?

Start by getting the R-Phase DVD/manual from Z Health.

Whether you decide to make the transition from stretching to dynamic joint mobility and nervous system reeducation or not; quit stretching before your workouts unless mediocrity and injuries are one of your favorite past times.

Take it from a former stretcher who is now more flexible after making the change!

If you would like to know more about PNF stretching (which really isn't stretching per se) then look into Pavel Tsatsouline's ground breaking book "Relax Into Stretch." Pavel's first words in the book read as follows, "Stretching is NOT the best way to become flexible" speaks Comrade Pavel as he is sitting in a full and relaxed side split!

Until next time, train like an athlete not a hamster!

PS. If you are watching late-night infomercials and are thinking of buying the "Ab Gizmo 3000" or "Dance Your Way to a Super Six-Pack" don't bother. Save yourself some hard earned doubloons and instead purchase my Personalized Program Design. I'll get you better results with your own body weight and you won't have to make installments on an expensive piece of crap that sits in the corner collecting dust for the next 10 years for crying out loud!

9. Got Grip:
"More Endorsements for Seriously Strong Hands ebook"


If you are interested in Grip training you owe it to yourself to get Brian Copeland's Seriously Strong Hands - it will guide you through building a Grip you can be proud of - because remember - the stronger your hands are the stronger your body can be!
This is the grip book I should have written a few years ago.

- Brett Jones CSCS, Master RKC, certified Red Nail bender


"In his ebook Seriously Strong Hands, Brian Copeland has put together a no-nonsense guide for the aspiring gripster. Filled with useful tips and no fluff, it is a valuable resource for the beginning grip enthusiast."

- David Whitley, Sr. RKC (tearer & terror of many phone books!)


I purchased your ebook about a month ago. Your ebook very much summarizes all aspects of strength training for bending/tearing. You also give a great plan for improving strength; following this plan leads to success for sure. I just tore a full deck of cards (wrapped in duct tape) in half, so I know what I am talking about... :-)

- Peter Lakatos, RKC Team Leader
Hungary, Budapest



If you are ready to get grip, here is the tool to get you there.

Learn more about it here

10. Products to Help You Reach Your Goals

Learn How To Tap Into Your Body’s Lightning-Fast Nervous System To Almost Instantly Eliminate Pain, Prevent Injury, and Perform At Your Best… beginning RIGHT NOW!

If you can't find a Z Health certified trainer in your area the next best thing is to get the R-Phase DVD/manual. Visit the Z-Health website by clicking the image below:

11. Denver Metro Area:
"Kettlebell Classes in Aurora"

Kettlebells, the manly (and womanly for that matter)... let's just say the non-sissy, fun, athletic, and effective way to get in kick-butt shape.

Come see what the fuss is about in at one of my classes.

Also, Self Defense/ Martial Arts classes have spread to Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings.



Kettlebell Classes are $19 per session for drop-in rates

Self Defense/ Martial Arts classes are $15 per session for non-kettlebell clients and $10 per session for existing kettlebell clients. This is a low introductory price that will go up in the future, but if you start now while it is low then I will lock your price in when I raise it.

Unlimited Month of Classes Discounts are available for both Kettlebell and Self-Defense!

Military, Police, EMT, Firefighter discount available (inquire please)

Classes are kept fairly small and have good fun people in them who all encourage each other to do their best!

You will get lots of personalized attention, improved kettlebell technique, general fitness and nutrition tips and the best body of your life!

What in the world are you waiting for?!

Email me today for more info Contact Page

 

12. HardStyle Magazine:
"Download the Latest Issue for Free!"

What you’ll get in this issue:

“THINKING SIMPLY AND SEEING CLEARLY”
EXCERPTS FROM PAVEL’S FOREWORD TO
MARTY GALLAGHER’S
THE PURPOSEFUL PRIMITIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGES 4 & 6
BY PAVEL

LAT SCIENCE:
EXPLORING THE PULL-UP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGES 8 & 31
BY CHARLES STALEY, B.SC., MSS

COOKING UP A NEW CHALLENGE
IN FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT
AND KETTLEBELLS! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGES 10-12
INTERVIEW WITH GRAY COOK
BY DR. MARK CHENG, RKC TEAM LEADER

HARDSTYLE TALKS TO VANDERBILT’S
DIRECTOR OF SPEED, STRENGTH AND
CONDITIONING, JOHN SISK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGES 40-43
BY SENIOR RKC, DAVID WHITLEY

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF
YOUR [ONLY] KETTLEBELL:
MODIFICATIONS TO THE ROP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE 48
BY SENIOR RKC, GEOFF NEUPERT

HARDSTYLE TALKS TO
WORLD CHAMPION POWERLIFTER,
DONNIE THOMPSON, RKC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGES 50-52
BY SENIOR RKC, DAVID WHITLEY

THE RUSSIAN KETTLEBELL AND
HARDSTYLE HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE 78
BY ADAM T GLASS



This is a great quarterly magazine that I read religiously, heck I've even appeared in it a few times.

Download it for free by clicking on the picture.

 

13. Personalized Program Design:
"Tired of Not Reaching Your Goals?"

One of my recent female clients went down 2 belt sizes in a month! She did it in just 15 minutes 3 - 5 nights per week and from the privacy of her own home using just her own bodyweight!

What are you waiting for?

Let's face it, we are our own worst trainers! We are great at telling other people what to do with their exercise programs but we can't seem to figure our's out to meet our goals.

Whether you are an athlete who needs to perform better at their sport, a guy or gal who wants to look better at the beach, maybe you just want a healthy heart and joints or you want a combination of all three; I can help you get there.

What is Personalized Program Design?

A custom "personalized" training program for created just for you. I take into consideration your goals, time, lifestyle, equipment you have access to, etc. You follow this on your own at home, the gym or where ever. Have kettlebells? Barbells? Dumbbells? Just your bodyweight? No problem!

Who needs Personalized Program Design?

• New to Exercise:
  • You know you want to get 'in-shape' but you have no idea of how to do it. Let me show you exactly what to do and how to progress.
• Wants to Work Out at Home:
  • Custom made training program based on your lifestyle, time, equipment or lack there of.
• Hates Gyms:
  • Join the club, or rather don't, I can't stand them either. Train at home with whatever equipment you have access to. You would be amazed what you can do with just your body weight if that's all you have.
• Short on Time:
  • You CAN exercise for 15-20 minutes per day 3-6 days per week easy! If not you are making excuses. I'll show you how, and yes this is effective. But don't kid yourself, you will be working your butt off!
• Been Training for Years But Haven't Reached YOUR Goals:
  • You need a fresh outside perspective on your training. You also need an experienced professional coach to show you the way. I am both of those. All you need to provide is the elbow grease and sweat!

Quit making excuses and treat yourself, you deserve it!

Learn more about my Personalized Program Design here

 

14. Charity in Focus:
"Precious Ones Outreach International"

My friend Janet "Ama" Annan has a special place in her heart for orphaned and abused children all over the world. She is the founder of Precious Ones of God Outreach International a non-profit organization that takes in orphaned and neglected children and gives them clothes, housing, food and schooling. I have volunteered my time and talents with this organization and can tell you that they are legitimate and make a real difference in the lives of hurting children. In fact, Janet and her husband both work full-time jobs just so they can provide more money to help the children. She can use all of the support she can get. No guilt trip but if you are moved in your heart then please visit her at her website here.

 

Until next time, train and eat like ATHLETES not hamsters and reap the rewards of a healthy, lean, sexy/studly body!

Brian Copeland, RKC

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