Making progress- ROP on the 32 kg. and a nice shoe bend

I'm very fortunate to have fallen in with the crowd I did. I owe a lot to the RKC, Rif, Pavel, Adam Glass, Jedd Johnson, and everyone else who has selflessly given of their time and advice as I make my little journey.
Last week I decided to attempt another horseshoe bend. The first time I tried this I thought my head was going to explode. This time the initial opening of the shoe was actually fairly easy. I then forgot how to finish it, and Zach Coulter brought it to my attention that it might be easier to stand up. I realized I had in fact been standing last time I did this. Not sure why I started kneeling. So now I now.
V bar work is okay, and Jedd gave me a tip on how to improve this.
I've been working the hell out of my reverse and double under style bending and it's paying off. Lots of axillary work as well. My double over dropped off a bit, but no surprise there. It will ultimately be better.
I've started into Rite of Passage with the 32 kg. this week. I already feel I could blow through four rungs on the 32 kg., but I'll be patient.
My pull ups are razor sharp after HSV. I am easily doing things that were hard before. I used to tell people if your lats aren't sore down to your lower back a day after doing pull ups you're not engaging properly. Now I have one to add: Ribs. My ribs are so freaking sore the day after a lot of pull ups.
Pain is good.

Palo Alto Kettlebells Promotional Video

As virtually no one knows I am transitioning myself over to a new local identity called 'Palo Alto Kettlebells'. Average to Elite isn't going anywhere, but it will become more of the international identity, while PAKB will be the place to go for local kettlebell training and group classes. I've made a short promotional video breaking down what we do. Thanks to Adam Glass for the use of his slogan from Unbreakable Fitness. I just thought it fit.

Current training progress

Things are going well with training. There has been a lot of taking a step back. I stepped back on my bending and have been working my reverse and double over bending hard, and am getting better at it as my wrists and grip get stronger. I've also switched to the style of tearing Dave Whitley recommended and am back to square one with that.
Otherwise I'm currently doing Rite of Passage with the 28 kg. Ladders of 4 rungs aren't too tough right now, and I should be up to five ladders of five rungs next week. The 40 kg. isn't too far off, I just have to keep working and keep my shoulder down.
Mobility of massively improved, and that has been my priority lately, particularly since HSV.

Hardstyle Ventura Group Photo

Thanks to Jennifer Bryan for taking this photo.

What is the purpose?

I dislike crossfit kids. I give Crossfit some leeway because I've seen some people get good results when the technique and programming are correct. When they start doing this stuff to kids who trust them I run into problems.
There was a video a while back of another kid doing the exact same thing the kid in this video does, but facing a wall. He dumps the weight and misses ramming his head into the wall by about an inch.



The point of this isn't to pick on Crossfit, but to pose a question. Why are we doing the things we are doing? Even in so called 'randomized training' the exercise selection should make sense. Unless you're training to be a powerlifter what exactly is the purpose of doing max load barbell back squats? Now, I've attended Louie's seminar and heard him talk about using powerlifts for athletes. The key there is 'athletes', and high level ones at that. Louie also doesn't only do powerlifts with them.
The question is WHY does the general population need to do heavy barbell back squats? Or even barbell deadlifts? This isn't to say the movement is bad. All of my clients squat and deadlift, but they do it with kettlebells, or sandbags, or sticks. What is going on with a barbell back squat that isn't occurring during a front squat, or a kettlebell goblet squat? Some things to be sure, but are they necessary for the man or woman on the street. I regularly see trainers loading up female clients with heavy barbells on their backs. Why?
Aside from the question of 'why' do the exercise at all, what about dysfunction? A barbell back squat requires flexibility, mobility, and stability to a degree most people do not have. So why load them up to do an exercise that even if they want to do it, they flat out can't?

Hardstyle Ventura

Saturday I was in Ventura, CA for Pavel's Hardstyle workshop. Talk about information overload. I am continually amazed by the depth of technique there is to everything we do, and the amount of collective knowledge possessed by all of the upper level RKC instructors. Met Paul Daniels RKC Team Leader again and he gave me some essential pieces I have been missing from my military press. Adding to that everything Pavel taught us, and the 40 kg. is going down soon after a long battle. Dave Whitley took the time to look at my card tearing technique. He handed me one of his decks and asked me to tear it. I looked at it. I had seen the type of deck before because I have a stack of them on my shelf. I have barely been able to put a dent in them. The decks I usually tear have no plastic coating. Well I wasn't about to turn into a whining little sissy, so I said a silent prayer and went at it. I flaked a lot of cards off the deck in the attempt, but eventually tore it in half. I mean it was UGLY, but it happened. Dave gave me some good advice I had already been considering, but his additional insights just solidified it. I'll be working on the style of tearing Adam Glass uses. It's more versatile and is more of a testament of true grip strength. I have a long road ahead of me. Fortunately I have big feet and a long stride.

Recognizing and Respecting your Dysfunction Pt. 1

Gray Cook said something that really hit home for me: "You haven't earned that lift yet."
We live in an instant gratification society where we have to have everything RIGHT NOW, and for most people the concept of patience and the requirement to earn things is a foreign idea. So why wouldn't this cross over into exercise?
When new people come to train with me I give my spiel about mastering the basics and most of them get it. Every so often though someone just cannot grasp it and is perpetually interrogating me about how long it will take before they can learn how to snatch, or clean and press.
Well... you can barely do a get up. You can't even get a decent number of swings yet. If you cannot do an appreciable number of swings with an appropriate sized kettlebell or stabilize yourself at the top of a get up there is no earthly reason for you to be snatching a kettlebell other than your need to be entertained.
Looking at this from another anlge, there is also no need for you to be snatching a kettlebell if your shoulders and thoracic spine are completely locked up. If you try to touch your hands together (one on top one on the bottom) and there is a foot of space between them, or there is a different amount of space form one side to the other, probably any overhead work is not going to be an awesome idea for you until you remedy that. Unless you have giant hands. It's an FMS joke. :)
You're not stable. You have poor flexibility/mobility.
You haven't earned that lift yet.