In the spirit of this time of year where the college football bowl season has just wrapped up with the University of Alabama being crowned as National Champions, the NFL playoff race is just getting heated up and virtually every American is beginning the journey to accomplish their latest Resolution, I have decided to write this first installment on “The Process.”  

 

A process is nothing more than a plan that is put into action in order to help you obtain a result.  I have learned recently that there are really just 3 major reasons why people fail……First, they can’t develop a plan of action…..or second, they don’t have anyone that can provide a plan for them to follow…..and third, they don’t have anything or anyone holding them accountable for following the plan. That is where the mention of the University of Alabama comes into play. Their coach, Nick Saban, is famous for his “process.”  He is often quoted as saying “focus on being process-oriented and remember what got you there. As you move up through the levels it is important to have the discipline to those values that made you what you are.”  His process has been implemented both at LSU and Alabama and has resulted in Coach Saban being the only college coach to win a National Championship at two different universities.  

 

How does this pertain to our training in 2010?  For all of 2009 you wanted to do a TGU with a 32kg bell on the left and right side…..you got it done in late December just in the nick of time…..NOW WHAT?  Goal reached, right?  Do you shut it down for a couple weeks and then come back to maintain the 32kg TGU…….or……. do you apply that same process to Snatches and take your training to the next level by snatching that same 32kg bell by December 2010?  You’ve got the process, you know how to get there….….. you’ve done it before, the only thing that has changed is the exercise.   Enter Art of Strength…… I have witnessed with my own eyes what the “process” that Anthony has created is capable of.  From professional athletes to clients from Punch Gym in Nashville the results have been incredible due in large part to simply having a plan to follow.  

 

In both cases, we began with Corrective Strategies and progressed appropriately through the AOS system with workouts such as Summit Challenge, Providence and Elevation/Pinnacle.  Constantly mindful of “building our base,” we have spent the majority of our time improving the Turkish Get Up and Swing.  Our process has become teaching athletes and clients to understand the movements of the exercises they are being asked to perform.  In this way, the end result is not just performing a snatch or windmill or clean + press properly, but becoming more efficient and getting the most out of the exercise by understanding the movement required and applying it.  As a matter of fact, by teaching movements and not exercises, it does not matter whether you have a KB, BB or dumbbell in your hand because the focus is on performing a movement, not an exercise.   Understanding this concept is essential for continued progress in your training with workouts like Strength in Motion, Newport and all of the Vintage Progressions. By staying true to the process of reaching your goals and not the goals themselves, you protect against the let down of complacency once they are attained.  Goals are finite, but the process that gets you to them is a cycle that can be repeated time after time.  Goals for 2010 are great…. we all have them.  A process for reaching them is even better.……mine is the Art of Strength. Food

 

 

I’m sure by now most of you have heard the benefits of Buffalo (Bison) meat over other cuts of red meat.  But did you know it actually has less fat content than chicken, turkey and even shrimp.  Due to their nature, buffalo are actually left alone to eat and live on grass, just as nature intended, so their meet is not full of drugs, antibiotics, nitrates or chemicals.  They’re so resilient against disease that researches are studying their blood to find the secret to their immunity, one of which is to cancer.So next time you have a craving for red meat why don’t you check out beefs healthy alternative.  Here’s a new recipe Anthony has been working on.  Give it a shot and let us know what you think. Bison Burger

 

2lbs Bison Meat1 Red onion (diced)2tbls Dijon Mustard2 cloves garlic1tbls Worcestershire sauce1tbls Tabasco saucemozzarella cheese Preparation

 

Mix everything except the mozzarella cheese together in a large bowl.  Divide into 8 patties and grill to your liking.  Add cheese when cooked.

 

 

We’re going to elaborate a bit on yesterday’s Minute of Strength #147 and give you a bonus round to add to the Laying the Bedrock workout.  We’re adding 1 minute of Ropes Gone Wild, alternating the style for each round.  Laying the bedrock will give you the base of strength that you’re looking for but adding Ropes Gone Wild in there will help keep your overall conditioning up and improving.  Check out the breakdown below and remember, train hard but train safe.  If you can’t last a minute use that as your barometer, trying to improve each time.

 

the drill

 

Alternating WavesDouble WavesGrappler’s ThrowSquatting Alternating Backward Lunge (explosive)

 

The Training

 

Round 1KB clean and press (Alternative: Vintage Dumbbell C&P)x1 right sidex1 left sidex2 right sidex2 left sidex3 right sidex3 left sideRound 2Pull-ups (Alternative: Bandit’s Loop Row or Renegade Row)x5x4x3x2x1Round 3Ropes Gone Wildx60sec

 

 

Work Hard Play Hard.  That’s always been the motto at the art of strength office.  We all work countless hours creating new workout and concepts so we make sure one day out of the week is devoted to some much needed downtime.  As a matter of fact some of our greatest concepts have come out of our office outings.  Most recently we’ve taken to the shooting range, first along Matt Light of the New England Patriots and later with one of the SWAT Teams we train here in Rhode Island.Downtime for most of us is just as important as work time. Being able to step outside your work environment and allow your brain to focus on completely unrelated subject matter will not only give your brain the break it needs from doing what it’s called upon to do on a daily basis but the rest will actually keep it sharp and focused during those moments at work.So get out there and have some fun.