Okay, so you’ve seen the ads about this Bulldog Leash thingy in the emails and in “Minutes of Strength” for the past several weeks.  Maybe you’ve just ignored them or didn’t really understand what the point of this thing is.  Well let me give you my take on it.

 

At first, I wasn’t all that intrigued by this whole Leash business.  Other than to add some resistance to a kettlebell, I didn’t see the point.  And if you want to add resistance, you just use a heavier bell, right?  Well, there’s more to it.

 

Not only is it a cool way to add progressive resistance (I’ll get to what that is below), but it’s also an excellent corrective exercise tool and a rehabilitative one as well.  

 

When Staci first asked me if I had tried the new Bulldog Leash, I told her I wasn’t really interested in it.  She sent me one anyway to try out, and boy, am I glad she did.

Katie, a client, has been experiencing pain in her left shoulder with any overhead movement like the windmill, overhead squat, even the press.  I threw the Bulldog Leash on an 8kg bell.  Guess what?  No more shoulder pain!  Katie was very happy, to say the least.

 

Another client, Kristie, raves about the Bulldog Leash.  She did a workout first doing an exercise using a bell with a Leash attached, immediately followed by one without the Leash, or “naked.”  She was amazed at how much smoother her “naked” movements were after using the Leash first.  As she put it, “It’s like you put WD-40 on it!”  

 

The Bulldog Leash helps put you into the proper position for movements like the windmill and overhead squat.  Sometimes, it’s hard for people to move the weight back, load the lat, and get the weight off of the shoulder.  This is often what causes shoulder pain and shoulder injuries.  Strengthening the stabilizing muscles around the shoulder is how to prevent this from happening, and the Leash does just that.  It also engages the core much, much more than a “naked” movement does.  It keeps the weight above your head nice and steady in the same spot, allowing you to move underneath it.  The weight of the Leash behind you pulls you into the correct position.  And you don’t even have to use a bell for the overhead movements!  Oftentimes, it’s enough to just hold the end of the Leash.  

 

As you press a leashed bell, it gets heavier and heavier, the more chain you pick up off the floor – progressive overload or resistance.  This adds a whole new twist to your workout, changing it up, and the only way to progress is to keep changing what you do.  

 

I love what the Bulldog Leash did for my swing.  I did the 3-2-1 workout last week.  I was thrilled at how smooth and crisp my “naked” swing was after I had first performed a leashed swing.  This tool is great for fine-tuning one’s movements.  Even an old kettlebell hand like me can see improvements!  And what’s even more amazing is that these improvements happen instantly.  

 

I hate when people try to sell me stuff, but I wanted to share with you my own experiences with the Bulldog Leash.  I’m glad I took Staci up on her offer, because otherwise I would have really missed out something very useful.  With the Leash, I’ve been able to help many of my clients to fix their swings, windmills, overhead squats, and even to help take their shoulder pain away.  And I was able to give myself a tune-up, too!  I highly recommend that you take a look at this awesome tool.  

If you have any questions about the Bulldog Leash, shoot me an email at stef@punchgym.com. 

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As you already know, Staci is always on the look-out for the next best thing in fashion, and when it comes to make-up it’s no different.  

Her latest quest found her new favorite, one that’s perfect for the summer because it’s waterproof and has an SPF of 20.  

 

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As many people and cultures have realized over the centuries, vegetable products from the sea can help you to live both better and longer. People  have the potential to grow old in good health. It makes perfectly sense to reconnect with the past, to embed ancient knowledge and tradition in daily routine. Present and past to help shape the future.

We all need a little bit of seaweed or sea kelp. Regular, long-term dietary inclusion is reputed to help regulate metabolism and energy, stimulate the immune system, soothe the digestive tract, cleanse the blood, protect against bacterial and viral infection, maintain healthy cellular function, and support the proper functioning of the endocrine glands, especially the thyroid.

The benefits of including seaweed’s for optimization of nourishment into a daily diet are extensive: increased longevity, enhanced immune functioning, revitalization of the cardiovascular, endocrine, digestive, and nervous systems, and relief from minor aches and pains. It is no wonder seaweed has been part of the traditional diet of all coastal cultures, including the people of Japan, Korea, China, Iceland, Denmark, Wales, Scotland, Hawaii, and the South Pacific Islands. The Japanese are among the greatest consumers of seaweeds and many seaweed or sea vegetable varieties are best known by Japanese  and Chinese names. Kelp is known as kunbu or haidai, Pyrphora as zicai.

Seaweed draws an extraordinary wealth of mineral elements from the sea that surrounds it and can account for up to 36% of its dry mass. The mineral macronutrients include sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, chlorine, sulphur and phosphorus; the micronutrients include iodine, iron, zinc, copper, selenium, molybdenum, fluoride, manganese, boron, nickel and cobalt.