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Do you ever come back from a trip, or a visit with a friend or family member, full of inspiration and new ideas for change in your life? And then what happens.....? So much stuff this past weekend very well could inspire me to make some changes...but will I?

Let's start out with the reason Mark and I went to St Paul. The RKC Level 3 Bodyweight Cert taught by Pavel, Mark and Max Shank. Wowie zowie.....a serious success! This was a Cert I was never really interested in attending myself. I knew what was involved from talking with Mark as he was getting his material ready and organized over the past few months. Interesting stuff, but "stuff" I know I'm not good at, or that I was willing to train in order to be a good participant in time. I'd rather hang out with my best bud Fawn, and come and go as I pleased. And let's face it anytime I want to learn I live with the Master!

Sure handstand push ups, front levers, "L-sits" on rings, etc... are skills some may only dream of but bodyweight exercise is so much more dimensional than those advanced skills. Bodyweight exercises like push ups, pull ups, dips, headstand and handstand against a wall are surely attainable, at least to some degree for most people and if trained regularly what kind of physical changes would one see, and feel? I'm not talking about a gold medal performance but what about feeling more control and confidence with how you are able to move your body?

Speaking of handstands....Fawn took me to practice Iyengar yoga with her longtime teacher William. I had a great time and learned lots! William helped me get into my first two handstands (against the wall)...ironic that I was doing handstands as Mark was teaching them? Anyway....although I had been practicing Iyengar for a couple of months hoping to attend a class with Fawn during this months visit, and I was not having a good time of it. Now I see the practice in a different way and have pretty much decided to continue learning it.

Speaking of Fawn....where do I start? I should write a completely separate blogpost about Fawn! I did not have enough time with her, and it's my own fault. There was so much for me to do in such a short amount of time. I always come home with new recipe and food ideas and this trip was no exception. I'm actually glad it was Fall during this visit because the seasonal food options are less and visiting Fawn in the middle of an abundant Spring or Summer would have just left me even more overwhelmed! I did not get to hang out in the kitchen with her but one interesting salad she was making included lavender from her garden.....darn....where am I going to get some lavender? (I'm going to have to go out foraging in neighbors yards!)

I'm so full of thoughts it feels like so much to process. It's Monday morning and I'll be off to start my day, my week, a slightly different person than last week, even more appreciative and full of life's possibilities.

Fawn's Students Rock!

I had a freakin' blast Saturday morning leading Fawn's students through one of my swing workouts, soon to be known as "The Wave" and a new current favorite "Sinister"....which became known as "Sinister in St. Paul"! Swinging with over 20 people in unison was cool stuff! Fawn has been working with them all in preparation of my visit and it was impressive. We ended up swinging 980 reps in less than 50 minutes!

Tons of fun!

Swing Workout "One Minute Sets", Beg / Inter / Adv

Here is the workout I scaled for three of my Sat classes. I'm calling it "One Minute of Swings". Here I use five,, 40 rep swing combinations for 1 minute worksets.

In the first rotation the rest period starts out with the shortest interval, increasing by 15 seconds between each of the 5 one minute worksets, ending with only 15 sec before the 2nd rotation.

The 2nd rotation starts with the longest rest period, and decreases the rest intervals by 15 seconds between each of the 5 one minute worksets, again ending with a 1 minute rest before rotation #3.

The third rotation only give 15 sec, never longer, never shorter, between each of the 5 worksets, with a 1 minute rest before the next work set.

The forth and last rotation has NO rest between the five 40 rep sets, it's a continuous 200 rep swing set....OR as it turned out this past weekend a continuous 100 rep swing set. (I'll explain at the end)

Here's is my #1 "beginning level" warm up, shown in video, and another, #2 intermediate level warm up. Both of these "warm ups" are perfectly suitable as a workouts in themselves if you are not yet comfortable with swing sets up to 40 reps/one min long. Just repeat it 3 times for a total of 600 reps in about 30 minutes. These are all "equal work/rest" intervals (shown in parenthesis)

"One Minute Sets"

Warm up #1 (video demonstrates this Beginning level, working up to one last 1 min long set)

10 2 hd sw x 4 sets (15/15)

10 trans x 4 sets (15/15)

1 swing, 1 tr x 10 x 2 sets (20 rep sets 30/30)

5/5 x 2 x 2 sets (20 reps sets, 30/30)

10/10 x 2 x 1 set (40 reps, 1 min/1min) (repeat x 3 if this is your workout)

200 swings, 10 min

Warm up #2 (Intermediate/Adv level)

20 2 hd sw x 2 sets (30/30)

20 tr x 2 sets (30/30)

1 swing, 1 trans x 20 x 1 (40 reps, 1 min/30 sec rest)

5/5 x 4 x 1 (40 reps, 1 min work/30 sec rest)

10/10 x 2 x 1 set (40 reps, 1 min work/1 min rest) (repeat x 3 if this is your workout)

200 swings, 9 min

Rotation #1 (video, intermediate and advanced levels)

40 2 hd sw x 1 (1 min work, 15 sec rest)

40 tr x 1 (1 min work, 30 sec rest)

1 sw, 1 tr x 20 x 1 (1 min work, 45 sec rest)

5/5 x 4 x 1 (1 min work, 1 min rest)

10/10 x 2 x 1 (1 min work, 15 sec rest, start next rotation)

200 swings 7 min 45 sec.

Rotation #2 (Intermediate level)

40 2 hd sw x 1 (1 min work, 1 min rest)

40 tr x 1 (1 min work, 45 sec rest)

1 sw, 1 tr x 20 x 1 (1 min work, 30 sec rest)

5/5 x 4 x 1 (1 min work, 15 sec rest)

10/10 x 2 x 1 (1 min work, 1 min rest, start next rotation)

200 swings, 8.5 min

rotation #3 (Advanced level)

40 2 hd sw x 1 (1 min work, 15 sec rest)

40 tr x 1 (1 min work, 15 sec rest)

1 sw, 1 tr x 20 x 1 (1 min work, 15 sec rest)

5/5 x 4 x 1 (1 min work, 15 sec rest)

10/10 x 2 x 1 (1 min work, 1 min rest, start next rotation)

200 swings 7 min.

rotation #4 (Advanced level)

40 2 hd sw x 1

40 tr x 1

1 sw, 1 tr x 20 x 1

5/5 x 4 x 1

10/10 x 2 x 1

200 swings 5 min.

rotation #4, alternate (Intermediate and Advanced levels)

20 2 hd sw x 1

20 tr x 1

1 sw, 1 tr x 10 x 1

5/5 x 2 x 1

10/10 x 1 x 1

100 swings, 2.5 min

In my first class we did warm up #1, rotation #2 and #3, and alternate #4 for a total of 700 swings in just under 29 min.

In my own workout, after 200 16kg snatches and 226 12kg snatches, Meg and I did rotation #1, #2 and alternate #4 with the 16kg for a total of 500 swings in 18 minutes.

My 3rd and last Advanced class we did all of these rotations starting with warm up #2, rotation #1, #2, #3, alternate #4. A total of 900 swings in about 35 min.....and that was after 30 minutes of snatches!

I chose to do #4 alternate with Meg because that's all we had time for....and we ended up going 1 min over into the next classes time. I chose #4 alternate again for my last class because, well...you do the math! To be honest I didn't have a 200 continuous swing rep left in me at that point....although I'm completely confident my class could have done it...

I did however first do the same workout I did with Meg to end my own Thursday morning training two days earlier, except ending with the original 200 rep set, using the 16kg for a total of 600 swings, 20.5 min.

A Bore? A Drag?

Kind of related and unrelated.... In my blogpost about Lyfe Kitchen I wrote about "healthy" eating out and Maribel brought up a good point. She commented about how since she eats healthy on her own when she does go out "health" is not the priority. I thought that was a good point. I mean, are we trying to stay healthy or "perfectly healthy". Unless you hold and live by extreme standards of "organic", 'local", "sustainable", etc, oh and let's add constantly counting calories, 100% of the time (and if that's the case you better grow most of your own foods and for sure cook and prepare them) then laboring over what to order when eating out, trying to make the perfect healthy choice is well, boring and a drag.

I've written my concerns about becoming a drag many times in past blogposts. The kind of "drag" that complains when eating out about calorie count, about unhealthy foods, about what other people are choosing at other tables, etc. Or maybe I'm the one to order customized food unsatisfied with the menu choices or maybe not trusting the kitchen/resturant with my health. I've also not wanted to become someone that pretends to have the highest of standards and then go on a 1/2 price fun sized Snicker's binge the day after Halloween!

I was reminded of what it sounds like to be with this kind of person/people this past Saturday.

Mark and I live 1 blk away from a Foster's Freeze and we've been known to take a walk down the street, every once in a while, late on a Saturday night, for a soft serve ice cream....or a cheeseburger. Well, this past weekend that's exactly what we did. There we sat on the tiny little stools in front of Foster's Freeze enjoying our first PBJ Twister....omg it was seriously yummy! Anyway, along came a group of about 5 or 6 friends, I'm guessing they were around my age, or slightly younger, 4 men and 2 women. As they stood in front of the menu board laboring over which meal to order or skip in favor of a Twister or Sundae, the women especially started talking about the calories in the food choices. They talked about how much fat was in this, how much sugar was in that, which bad choice was worse than the other! Are you kidding me? You are at Foster's Freeze! What do you expect?

To top it off, and I don't want to come across too snobby but, they were already overweight, some more than some others, and I'm pretty sure non of them exercised on a regular basis... As I sat there "sleaze-dropping" I couldn't help but roll my eyes and be bored by the whole thing...geez... But this reminded me of my own same boring behavior. I never want to be a bore or a drag. I've got to relax or don't eat out and freakin' complain about it for God's sake.

I'm guilty of the same behavior and I don't like it! We all eat out at different times for different reasons. Most people eat out because they don't cook or prepare foods themselves and it's the only option they give themselves. Me? I eat out when I have to, and on the rare occasion when I chose to. When I'm at a resturant I'm going to stop complaining, I'm going to stop over analyzing menus, and I'm going to stop talking about calories.....promise.

Pre Meditated Swing Routine

For once I know, basically, what swing routine I'm using in my three Saturday classes this morning. It's based on my progressive rest ladder using 5 sets of 1 minute long, 40 rep swing combinations.

40 2 hd swings

40 transfers

1 swing/1 tr x 20 (40 reps)

5/5

10/10

In my first class I never start out with 40 rep sets so I'll break the warm up period into smaller swing rep sets but using these same combinations. Since it's an Intermediate level we will increase the difficulty, progressively, by decreasing the rest periods...no heavier bells.

My second class is my own advanced level workout. After we snatch (probably heavy today) we will do the same workout with a heavier bell (w/16kg) and short to NO rest periods!

My third class will start out with 40 rep swing sets. I'll return to my "swing weight bell", the 12kg but the routine will progress faster into short rest periods and end with one 200 rep swing set (no rest).

Before the weekend is over I'll post video and interval instruction for all three. I don't have a name for it yet but I'm thinking I'll call it "Progressive 40". I did the advanced version on my own Thursday morning and it was tough...not sure I could do it again with the 16kg...of course I can!

A Tough Crowd

Mark and I went to eat at a new "fast food" restaurant that opened up right across the street from Girya in Palo Alto called "Lyfe" Here's what Lyfe Kitchen's facebook page says about their concept:

LYFE Kitchen is a transformational, socially-responsible “lyfestyle” brand whose acronym stands for for Love Your Food Everyday. Follow us at @LYFEKitchen!

There really is alot more information about how Lyfe started, but I'm not a reporter so I invite you to gather up more info by google-ing them if you are interested in more details. Basically I became interested because Chef Art Smith is one of the co-creators.

Being a "foodie" myself, I am familiar with who Art Smith is and what has happened to him in the past couple of years. First of all Art was Oprah Winfrey's Chef, enough said. But what's more amazing than working for Oprah, much more amazing, is that Art has lost over 100lbs himself!

I've seen Art on numerous Cooking Shows most recently on "Top Chef Masters" a couple of years ago before he lost weight. Last year he returned to the Top Chef show as a judge for one of the challenges, most notable half the size as the year before. Of course I knew how he did it....he started eating right! No mystery. Good God if a professional Chef can't figure out how to eat right then who can?

The big trend everybody is starting to focus on about good health and eating is a "plant based" diet. I figured this out years ago and 100% credit it with the success of my own weightloss and lifestyle change. I consider my own diet to be plant based, but that doesn't mean plants only! I've written for years how I compose a meal based on vegetable first, protein second, fat, and then carbs. Sure I eat meat, alot of meat but I also eat more veggies than most vegetarians. And not to say that I don't have a "carb" meal without any veg like oats, or yogurt, but that's only one meal out of four daily meals.

Back to Lyfe Kitchen.....

I stopped by Lyfe Kitchen earlier in the morning to pick up a menu so I could decide ahead of time knowing Mark and I would come back after our training that afternoon. As usual, nothing on the menu excited me or impressed me enough to ever think about changing it out for any of my own homemade meals or foods....I'm a tough crowd! There wasn't anything on the menu I couldn't make better, bigger, less calories, more nutritous and cheaper myself....but I'm lucky that way. If Lyfe's philosophy is to "Love Your Food Everyday", well I already do!

I ordered barramundi with edamame, mushrooms and spinach in some kind of broth. Basically fish soup....it was OK. (I should of ordered the fish tacos that Mark had) When I was leaving the restaurant one of the Servers asked me

about my experience. I hesitated, but prefaced my comments with the fact that I had high standards.

I'm not a fan of edamame, in fact I don't care for it at all. It's a "non" flavor, they're soybeans and I consider it a carb....there are many other carbs I would chose over edamame. But I always try and choose something I would never cook at home. I never cook fish, and I've explained why in many past blogposts, so that's what I based my decision on.

Here's what I shared with the Server.....

The fish was just OK, the broth was actually good but not enough of it...its just broth for God's sake give me a little more! I think there was a couple of leaves of spinach, a decent amount of mushrooms and way to much edamame, but still only about 1/3 c I would guess.....is still didn't eat it all. She told me I could ask for the adjustments next time and the kitchen would accommodate my requests. Normally I would "custom" order had known what to expect, but I won't be back again...no need.

What I didn't tell her was how I thought the restaurant was way overstaffed, but I do recognize it was opening day and they wanted to make sure the customers were taken care of...but "too many cooks in the kitchen" (no pun intended) made the service confusing. They had one counter for credit and debit card payment and one counter for cash...really? Did this make it faster? Not in my opinion.

And I didn't find it to be "fast food" at all. In fact the

only reason why I didn't order something else or have my food adjusted is because I didn't want to wait anymore, I was HUNGRY!

Although there is no need for me to ever go back I can see the value for other people not in my situation. I guess some of the foods are better choices, especially the vegetarian and vegan choices, but in my opinion you could walk two blocks to Whole Foods and get just as many choices, faster food and cheaper! Yep, Whole Foods would be less expensive!

Mark and I spent $28 bucks! $12 per main dish and $2 per drink (I had tea, Mark had a cooler), and we were still hungry when we left.... We both grabbed one of the cookies I keep in the fridge at Girya for the ride home!

On a positive note....I had tons of fun training clubbells alongside my favorite trainer and coach...my sweetie!

Go Where the Good Training Is

Sometimes I make things way more complicated than they need be....

I have two main practices....kettlebells and Bikrams yoga....anything else is a bonus. Yes, I walk at least 30-45 min+ twice a week and I also have on my schedule an Iyengar yoga class twice a week, which is a new addition (Mon & Fri), but my main training is spent on the first two practices. In the three days of Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday I total at least 6 hours of kettlebell ballistics. Sun, Mon., Wed. Thurs. and Fri., I practice Bikrams yoga, sometimes double sessions (I only take Bikrams off Sat. and Tues).

Recently I've had a love/hate relationship with Bikrams yoga, but that's another story.... This story is about how I overcame a stupid obsession about saving a buck $.

I live close to at least 5-7 yoga studios that offer Bikrams yoga classes....high quality problem! Which studio should I have my practice at? One offers this, one offers that.....location, price, convenience, consistency, heat, etc.... How could I spend my money in the best way? How could I save the most amount of money? If I'm only thinking about money $ then I must be out of my mind.....

The average monthly UNLIMITED CLASS memberships are around $100 bucks a MONTH (give or take a few $$), and considering I charge $90 for 1 hour PT then what the hell could I complain about? Good God! Sure, I'm not getting one-on-one personal attention, but I am getting 90 minutes of someone else's time, someone else paying for heat and humidity, someone else paying for the water, soap and shampoo I use after class, and someone else paying somebody else to clean it all up! High quality problem! With great relief I decided to own as many unlimited memberships at as many studios that I wanted! Small price to pay for piece of mind.

so now I have a choice of 4 studios....owning some kind of membership to all....

Without a doubt one studio particularly has consistent teaching (leading), consistent heat (freakin' important), and convenient schedule.....but it's location is twice as far. Twice as far means 15 minutes further away and therefore further back home....again, am I crazy?

Many of my regular students drive 20+ minutes to get to Palo Alto where Girya is....do I appreciate it? You bet I do! Bottom line? Go where the good training is, because let me tell you, good training is few and far between! I appreciate the time and effort some of my regulars put into showing up every week, sometimes twice, three times a week to train with me...seriously guys THANK YOU! Once I realized that I could afford not trying to save a buck my life became that much easier. If you think about all the crap you spend....no waste money on...let's get real here.... I often compare it to a large pizza! $20+ bucks for one freakin' pizza that does you no good, but yet you never blink an eye at the cost. Within one months time how much $$ money do most people spend on convenient foods?

I decided my main Bikrams yoga membership will be at Bikram Yoga Mountain View. Newly opened by owner Cynthia Wehr. I chose this location and studio for my main practice even though its further away, 30 minutes total time there and back, because of the studios consistent teaching and consistent heated environment. The new showers, locker rooms, and Brita water filters are a bonus. I do own 3 additional supplemental Studio memberships but it's a small price to pay in reality to what I value most.

What do you value? What price would afford you piece of mind and consistent health?

picture above: Bikram's "floor bow" alongside Mountain View Bikram Yoga Studio owner Cynthia Wehr. I chose to ask Cynthia to demonstrate alongside of me for this pose because it was Cynthia's example of "floor bow" that I recognized what I was lacking.....

One day in class as I was kicking up in this pose I couldn't figure out why it seemed as if my feet were so far out of my vision. I could see in the mirror that I was kicking as high as some of the more advanced practitioners but I still couldn't see my toes. It was at this time in class, by chance, I looked over and and noticed Cynthia's floor bow.....her neck extention was so much greater than mine.....ah-ha! The neck extension! Not the leg extention! I started to focus more on stretching through my chest (ribcage) extending all the way to my neck (chin). Within a couple of months I saw my toes, and that was over one year ago...next? My entire two feet!

Learn from what the best do naturally! Oh, and go where the good training is...small price to pay.