It’s that time of year. It seems as though the cold days and winter friction are leaving us, so sessions on boulders such as the one above might be in danger of getting pushed back to next season, at least here in the south. It’s all good though! It’s time to put on a rope, realize my endurance sucks, and work on improving it. It’s also time to dig back into Jiu-Jitsu and continue that journey of improvement as well.
Let’s get into the bullet points.
The Bullet Points
Earlier this week, I published a piece that hopefully will the start of a series. Scientific journals are incredible informative, but synthesizing that usable information can be a pain. I try to do some of the work and break articles down into actual english in this new series. The inaugural article examines a study exploring cardiovascular fitness and blood flow characteristics in the forearm, and relates these two factors to sport climbing performance. Check it out.
Eric pops these out on a regular basis, and they’re always gold. This edition contains thoughts on video analysis, assessment, and ways to progress anterior core stability drills.
Mark Seigrist shared this article in a few groups I’m a part of (thanks Mark!) and it’s incredible! This interview opens a window into the mind of an individual who was one of the first to train specifically for climbing, put up an insane amount of hard climbs, and undoubtedly responsible for some of the directions the evolution of climbing has taken. A must read if you rock climb.
“Maybe lifting all the weight possible like a weightlifter is not the end-all-be-all to being a top athlete”
I’m all about lifting weights and getting stronger. However, I don’t have any illusions that that’s the most important aspect of performance training, especially in skill-based sports. Strength training has its place, but training like a powerlifter or olympic weightlifter doesn’t necessarily mean that performance in a given sport will increase. It’s up to the coach to figure out a way to make training “measurable” and continue to improve that metric. Some good thoughts from some smart people.
….I’m still gonna keep picking up heavy shit, though. You can do both.
The Brew
Blueberry Weisse Weisse Baby, Westbrook Brewing Co.
Westbrook’s Weisse Weisse Baby is a Berlinerweisse style beer. These beers are light, slightly tart and super refreshing. The folks at Westbrook took the base beer and aged it in wine barrels with blueberries. It pours a crazy purplish color with a thin white head. The tartness is definitely present, with a wine-grape like character. The blueberry flavor slides in during the back half of the taste, and is nice and mellow. While fruity, there’s still a dryness to the overall taste and the fizziness makes it really refreshing. I probably should have waited to crack it open during one of the 100 degree days of summer, but oh well. It’s a great beer.
What’s Happening
Strongfirst Kettlebell User Course
I’m excited to announce that the Strongfirst Kettlebell User course is coming back to Chattanooga! On May 27, Senior SFG Delaine Ross will be at Scenic City Strength and Fitness for an 8 hour workshop breaking down fundamental kettlebell skills. These skills lay the foundation for a lifetime of effective kettlebell training, so this course is not to be missed. You can find more information here.
Coaching
Nobody wants to waste time in the gym when they could be outside or developing the specific skills for their passion. I deliver efficient and effective programming that gets the job done without demanding too much of your valuable time. I have two open spots for distance coaching, so if you are interested, please reach out ASAP. These spots will fill up. You can find more information here.
Mailing List
I’m playing around with a newsletter. It will contain article alerts, special content promotions, and offers exclusive to subscribers. You can sign up here if you’d like. It’s completely free.
I’m teaching two kettlebell classes at Scenic City Strength and Fitness.
An entry-level class that emphasizes the foundations of safe and effective kettlebell training is held Tuesdays at 6:15 pm. It’s only 10 bucks and spots will be limited to ensure a great experience. If you are in the Chattanooga area and have always been curious about trying out kettlebells, it’ll be tough to find a better opportunity.
I also teach a class for folks who are more familiar with kettlebells on Thursdays at the same time. We will dive into some more advanced kettlebell movements and concepts, and push the intensity up a bit more than Tuesday.
You can check out the calendar and register online for any of these classes here. Each class is 10$. Hurry, because the spots fill up fast.
Social Medias
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