AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH MAGAZINE
ISSUE 69 - 7/04/2005
1. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"In business, there are times of wealth and times of destruction. Business is like the waves of the sea. All things rise and all things fall. You must be able to discern the time you are in and the time that is approaching."
- Miyamoto Musashi
There is a lot of timing in life. You have to know when to get in and when to get out. This principle applies to many areas in life. Lets go over some examples.
You are having a great workout and feel invincible. Normally you only do five sets of an exercise, but this time you are on fire and take it up to ten sets even though your technique went south on set six. You use sloppy form to fight your way to set ten and then because you are fatigued and using poor form, you hear a load cracking sound in your left shoulder. Fortunately, it is not anything too serious, but serious enough that you have to take a week off to recover and reduce your training intensity by 50% and work your way back up. Because you did not know when to end your workout, you have to pay the consequences. If you were wise enough to stop before your form deteriorated, you would have been all set.
Next, another example that we hear about all of the time is the stock market. You get in on the ground floor and sell the stock when it reaches its peak and before it plummets. When I was in the dotcom world, I heard about many people that were millionaires on paper. They got into a company on the ground floor and when the company stock hit the roof, they went along for the ride. Unfortunately, many people did not know when to sell the stock and missed out tremendously when the stock hit rock bottom.
There are tons of examples that I could go over regarding the importance of timing. Knowing when to increase intensity in your training regimen and when to cycle down to moderate workouts. Knowing when to start a job and knowing when it is time to move on. Knowing when to purchase a house and when to sell it. Knowing when to work extra hard in your business and when to scale things back. The list goes on an on.
It has been my experience that there are many warning signs that occur when it is time to make a change. Whether we choose to listen to them or ignore them is another story. Often we will bend reality to fit the delusions in our mind so that we can justify not having to take any action. Regardless, reality does not care about the delusions in your mind and will knock you flat on your back if you fail to heed the warning signals. Learn to give an honest appraisal of a situation and get feedback from others if necessary. Often when you are immersed in something it is easy to loose perspective.
Live Life Aggressively!
Mike Mahler
2. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH TRAINING ARTICLE
This week's tip comes from my good friend and stand out kettlebell instructor Lisa Schaffer. What does Lisa know about fat loss? How many women do you know who have had three kids and have the body of a fit college girl? Right, not too many. Make sure to apply this week's tip to your program and pick up Lisa's kettlebell book as well.
Rest Periods For Fat Loss: By Lisa Shaffer
Rest periods are more important than you think. If you aren't seeing the results you want from your workouts there are many variables to consider. One thing that tends to get over looked is the rest periods. Recently I had a kettlebell client contact me and explain that she wasn't seeing the fat loss results that she once had with her KB workouts. She wasn't getting the same cardio effect that she once did either. After asking her some questions regarding her routine I discovered she never changed her rest periods. When she first started lifting kettlebells her conditioning was such that she had to rest 60-90 seconds between sets. As her conditioning improved she never shortened the rest periods. So how do you know when to start shortening the rest periods? My advice is to shorten the rest periods by 15 seconds every week or after every 3rd workout. You should still be a little winded when you start your next set. When you get your rest periods down to 15-30 seconds between sets then start adding reps, exercises or number of circuits to your routine.
Bonus tips for success is: 1. Always have a watch or clock with a second hand in front of you when you workout and 2. Make sure to record your rest periods in your workout journal.
For more information on Lisa Shaffer, make sure to visit her website at KettlebellTrainer.com.
3. GET THE AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH DVD COMBO PACK TODAY
"Kettlebell Solutions for Speed and Explosive Strength is incredible! All of the exercises are explained and displayed perfectly and leave you with no questions. There is absolutely no filler and it gives so many options to add to your arsenal. Watching it gets me so amped up to train! One of the best things is the Free DVD User guide to set you on the right track. I love all of the exercises and together with Tke Kettlebell Solution For Size and Strength, I will never get bored of training!"
- Chris Pontius of MTV's Wildboyz and Jackass
Kettlebell Solution for Size and Strength
If you enjoy lifting light kettlebells and have no desire to be strong with a powerful physique, then this DVD is not for you. However, if you are ready for a new challenge with kettlebells and desire to maximize the benefits of kettlebell training, get this DVD today.
The Kettlebell Solution For Size And Strength will show how to get much stronger with kettlebells and build a muscular physique as well. This detailed DVD is for all levels and covers the basics enough for beginners and offers new challenges for experienced kettlebell lifters.
Kettlebell Solutions for Speed and Explosive Strength
Super comprehensive kettlebell training DVD that goes over how to build speed and explosive power in four different categories: Full body explosive power, Upper body explosive power, Lower body explosive power, and Rotational explosive power. Translation? You will be one explosive hombre after you practice the exercises on this DVD and follow the programs in the Free Kettlebell Training DVD E-book. I did not leave anything out on this DVD. Even if you do not care about getting faster and more explosive, you will love the wide variety of exercises that this kettlebell training DVD contains.
4. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH PERSONALIZED PROGRAM DESIGN SERVICES
"Lost 10 lbs and went down from a size 12 to a size 8 in jeans – that was something I expected not to happen for another 10-15 more lbs! So thanks for your guidelines – they really have helped a lot."
- Michele Milevoi
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5. NEW AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS
I have just added some great new products to my website including: medicine balls, the ultimate portable gym, and some pull-up straps that allow you to do a pull-ups anywhere! Click here.
6. THE AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH SOLUTION FOR THE ROAD WARRIOR
Tired of terrible hotel gyms and getting out of shape on the road? Tired of doing bodyweight only routines in your hotel room because there are no other options? You need Lifeline's resistance cable products. Not only are they light and portable but they provide enough resistance to humble the strongest athletes around. Click here for more info
7. KETTLEBELL TRAINING INFORMATION PAGE (NEW)
http://www.mikemahler.com/kettlebell_info.html
8. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH MAGAZINE ARCHIVES
http://www.mikemahler.com/newsletter
9. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH ARTICLES
http://www.mikemahler.com/articles.html
10. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH TRAINING JOURNAL
http://www.mikemahler.com/journal.html
11. RECOMMENDED READING LIST
http://www.mikemahler.com/reading.html
Until next time.
Live Life Aggressively!
Feel free to email me with your comments and feedback at mahler25@yahoo.com
Mike Mahler