Trying to get this blog back active like it always used to be.

Finding the time these days is tough as WG-Fit is busier at this time then ever before, which is nice.

So here’s a few random thoughts from conversations and events that have happened in the gym this last while:

1 – Indian Clubs and Unikitties.

Maria Moran has been a member of WG-Fit for a very long time, spending more time in the gym than anyone else. Paying greater attention to how I work things, the thought processes behind the exercises and exercise choice.

So much so, she’s often going off and doing her own reading and study and upgrading my methods.

So having her teach the Tuesday All Levels Kettlebell Class is a no brainer, the feedback I’m getting is excellent. If you’ve not been to the class, details are here:

But she’s also now teaching Indian Clubs every Saturday morning at 10.30am. Because of equipment availability and space, numbers are strictly limited, it’s not a drop in session like the Tuesday Kettlebells.

If you have never tried Indian Clubs, you absolutely need to try them. I’m waiting on Maria to write a wee blog about how club swinging has helped her become the Kettlebell Snatch world champion.

She’s posting bits and peices on her facebook page WGClubbers, I’d recommend you pay it a visit and some of the stuff she’s teaching.

2 – Gators on the Streets of Dublin!

I recently bought a shiny new bike for commuting in and out of the gym. Dublin is just too busy to drive in, and a daily cycle keeps the ole cardio topped up. Especially if you vary the route and the speeds regularly.

But with the skinny tires on the bike I was forever fixing bloody punctures.

So on recommendation from facebook friends all round the world, I got these Gatorskins, which are apparently very puncture resistant. I only fitted them yesterday, so lets see how they go.

But facebook is great spot for actual, genuine interaction.

Yes you can post shit about politics and moan about it raining. You can post pictures of your kids or your dinner.

Or you can get in touch with world class experts, leaders in their fields, highly experienced people and you can pick their brains, you can converse or you can simply lurk on their pages and absorb their knowledge as they share it free of charge.

It’s the very reason I first opened a facebook account all those years ago. It’s incredible to think that there are people on my facebook page for the same reason. Are you?

3 – How strong is strong enough?

This is a regular conversation in the gym with my athletes, particularly the men.

The short answer is, there’s no upper limit.

None.

But there  will be a point of diminishing returns, and that varies according to the individual.

If all you do is lift, then keep going. But as the majority in WG-Fit lift to improve other sports / martial arts performance, they will hit a point where struggling to lift heavier will cost them recovery time and affect their sports practice. This is the point of diminishing returns.

So when I tell you to back off or limit the amount of weight or the number of sets & reps, it’s for good reason.

4 – Straight arm strength is king.

There’s a reason the Turkish Get Up took the world by storm when Pavel (via Steve Maxwell) introduced it to the world. These lads didn’t invent it, but they certainly brought it to the fore.

In the Get Up, your arm remains straight as you move around under the weight. Which puts the stress of the lift into the shoulder joint, scapula and torso directly.

This is the first experience most had of straight arm strength. Since the explosion of the “movement” people and the popularisation of gymnastics type upper body work, we now have a much better understanding of straight arm strength and how it translates to ALL other upper body actions.

5 – Self Defence

I’m not sure if it’s been mentioned yet, but I’m involved with a company providing online training courses. They’ve asked me to create a self defence course and it’s almost complete.

I’ll have it uploaded to their site in the next week or so, they’ll tweak and edit it to make it look the part and then the promotion begins. As soon as it’s live, I’ll let you lot know about it, maybe see if I can swing a discount code for my email subscribers.

Keep your eyes peeled.

And that’s Fridays Five Random thoughts.

Last one before I sign off….

As always this blog is fuelled by the questions that come from my clients. If you have anything you want to ask, fire me an email and I’ll do my best to answer it here on the blog.

Regards

Dave Hedges www.WG-Fit.com