Dragon Door Kettlebells

Order Authentic Russian Kettlebells

Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas from Pavel

Here is a Christmas wish from Chief Kettlebell Instructor Pavel.

Amen Pavel!!

Power by Pavel Newsletter
Issue 194, 12/24/09
Merry Christmas!

If you are not a Christian and you took offense I respectfully ask you to reconsider. I grew up in the Soviet Union where you could get expelled from school, dishonorably discharged from the army officer's corps, or put an end to your career for wishing someone a merry Christmas. Christmas celebrations were supplanted with "New Year" celebrations to keep God out of our lives.

Today, every time I hear lame and toothless "Happy holidays!" or I wish someone a merry Christmas and get a look, I feel like I am back in the USSR. The Big Brother is watching.

If you do not believe in the Christian God, at least have the cheer to celebrate the freedom of religion—or lack of thereof—and the freedom of speech we still enjoy in America.

Merry Christmas and God bless America!

Friday, December 18, 2009

10 things I wish I knew 5 years ago

Here are 10 things I have experienced in the last 5 years. These are in no specific order.

1. If a client cannot do a proper scapular wall slide you should probably hold off on overhead movements. Clear up the restriction then progress

2. Teach your clients the difference between a pelvic tilt and scapular retraction and protraction. If they can do each one without moving the other they will have better body awareness.

3. Spend more time prepping the hips and shoulders.

4. Ankle mobility is the key to all lower body movements- clearing up any ankle restrictions will pretty much increase the quality of any lower body lift.

5. Do not teach something you cannot do PERFECTLY

6. Take the time to mentor a younger client. I can assure you that you will learn just as much from them as they learned from you.

7. Strength is a skill, you MUST practice every time you train. Do not just work out. PRACTICE

8. Take the time to learn and network with other strength coaches, you do not know it all.

9. Quality before quantity- anybody can do a drill wrong, not everybody can do it correctly.

10. Spend more time with your friends. This doesn't always have to be something significant. Sometimes you need to just "show up"