IN THIS ISSUE
1 - Self Defence, the Professionals Perspective 2
2 - Eat More Food, Loose More Fat
3 - Recommended Products (genuinely recommended, cos we think they’re great)

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1 – SELF DEFENCE - THE PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVE 2

Last month I started talking about the self defence professional and how their training must be specific to their job.

In the Security and Law Enforcement professions violence is an ever present threat, you never know who, where or when you may end up toe to toe with one or more adversaries. Having several weeks notice of an upcoming, one on one match with a weight matched fighter and a referee is a luxury we don't have, instead we must be prepared and ready to go at the drop of a hat.

I'm not against sport martial arts in any way, full contact fighters are some of the most dedicated and well rounded athletes on the planet, especially since the explosion of the UFC. I dare somebody to walk a mile in the shoes of somebody like Randy Couture. But it is a sport. Time is given to prepare, and prepare they do. A carefully thought out regime should bring the fighter to peak condition on the day of the fight, so they may walk into the arena feeling fast, strong, skilled and confident.

But we know you cannot maintain a peak all the time. Instead the Self Defence pro must maintain a base level of skills and conditioning. They must train in a manner that all bases are covered regularly. That means strength, stamina and skills must be kept at high level on a consistent basis.

How do we do this? Strength and skill must be trained constantly, with enough volume and intensity of the two, it should take care of the stamina, although a little supplementary work wouldn't go amiss.

Can all three be trained in a single workout? I believe so. In fact in our busy lives, it is almost vital. We, unlike pro athletes don't have the time and resources to spend hours training, we must get as much quality work done in the least amount of time.
How? By applying the KISS principle.

Keep It Simple Stupid
Stick firmly to the basics, they're the things that you learnt first and the things you will revert to under pressure. In terms of physical training combine heavy Deadlifts, Cleans, Clean and Press, Pull ups with repetition work on the bags, with kettlebells/bodyweight. Put it into a circuit, maybe like the following (now for the squeamish avert your eyes now):
Deadlift - 1rep
Single dumbbell Clean and press - 1 rep each side
1 min heavy bag (stick to basic striking combos, full power)
1 min kettlebell snatches L/R
Repeat 5 times, adding weight to the Deadlift and Dumbbell each time round. Take minimal rest. Or, if your feeling brave, you can leave the weights the same throughout the workout and go for 20 minutes continuous work, just have a bucket handy.

What about the combat training?
Same as, keep it simple. Free flow against random attacks, weapon attacks, grappling style attacks. Never be afraid to make a mistake, use them as learning opportunities. Gradually increase the pressure and resistance from the attacker. Occasionally pad up and go full on, sometimes slow down and work on techniques. But never forget, if you want to stop a guy, learn to hit hard and repeatedly. There's no need to stand around for hours discussing concepts, keep everything natural. You learn loads from your mistakes so make them on the mat, that way on the street you should breeze through whomever dares to stand in front of you.

Before you start a workout or practice session think about what you want from it. Plan you strength and conditioning sessions so you can be efficient and focused. On the mat revolve the session around a single principle, whether that's power, accuracy, technique, striking, anti grappling, decide in advance and stick to the plan.

Training should make you better in the real world, not leave you too wiped out to deal with what the world throws at you.
George Herbert said it best:
"Etre fort pour être utile" - "To be strong, to be useful."

 

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2 – EAT MORE FOOD - LOOSE MORE FAT

Guest Blog from the Fat Loss Troubleshooter- Leigh Peele.

I was in the grocery store the other day, and in the checkout line front of me, I noticed a guy reading an issue of Men's Health while chewing on a Double Stuffed Oreo he took from the box he hadn't paid for yet.
I found the irony here quite excellent.

I have a habit of browsing other shopping carts out of curiosity, and the Cookie Monster in front of me had all the goods. Chips, cookies, doughnuts it was a trainer's worst nightmare! Now, I'm not exactly judging his food choices. What I was struck by was the recurring thought in my head, Well, at least he is eating.He can try to change his ways. But we all know his true instincts.

I actually confused myself, so I took a second and wondered why, when I looked at his bountiful cart of trans-fat and sugar, I didn't think, Holy crow, this guy is a heart attack waiting to happen. I hope he's got a will prepared.

Could it be because I spend much of my day trying to convince people to eat? Could it be that I'm hoping for a client who, before they come to me, has actually been stuffing herself with three big meals, daytime snacks, and a nightly dessert?

In a time where obesity is the (not-so) secret killer around the world, why do I find myself eager for a gut-busting, jean-popping client to train?

Stop Dieting. Start Living.

When people come to a trainer to lose fat, it's usually as a last resort. We usually get a client who'd already hit rock bottom with frustration, despair, and an almost-complete loss of hope to lose the fat.

By the time they get to me, they've tested Weight Watchers, bought Turbo Jam, tried Atkins (twice... once to learn it, and then once "for real") and they usually have enough Ab Lounges, mini-steppers, and Gazelle walkers to start a small gym.

By the time most people finally hire a trainer, they're cynical, untrusting, and about to scream at the world. And why shouldn't they be mad? They're hungry, they're tired, and they've been lied to by TV commercials and magazine ads.

Why is it that, when I tell my clients, "Guess what? You get to eat more and workout less!" They get mad and argue with me?

I get so perplexed, I sit there completely dumbfound that they don't turn to me and say, "Thank you, Leigh, you're a lifesaver. I'm so hungry and tired, I just don't think I could have lasted any longer." Nope, this isn't the response I get. Instead, I usually hear one of three things:

Excuse #1:
"Well, I've already lost weight doing things my way and it seems to work for me, so I don't think I need to eat more."

My immediate response is, "Okay then, no problem. Thank you for your time." They look very confused, until I follow up with "If it's working, and you're happy with it, then you don't need my help."

Of course, that's a bit of reverse psychology, but when they hear me say it, they realize that it either isn't actually working or it won't continue working for long. They can't starve themselves or they'll be stuck at their current weight.

They know, deep down, that something isn't right about what they're doing. It's why they came to me in the first place; they just needed me to point it out.

Excuse #2:
"Honestly, I just couldn't eat any more than I do. I'm not even losing weight right now."

The act of dieting triggers a lot of different hormones in the body. Some of these hormones becoming slowed or, when triggered, they can blunt appetite stimulation. For some, this is a good thing and it's what you want because makes the dieting easier.

The problem comes when you've suppressed hormone function to the point of slowing its overall process, which leads to slower fat loss. Next thing you know, 1200 calories a day is all you need, and anything more than that will now be seen by the body as a surplus. It is your body's natural defence mechanism to a lower caloric input.

You will see some weight loss on such low calories, but it isn't healthy, and at some point, a change will have to happen. That change can either be you totally giving up and going back to "normal" (non-training, non-dieting) habits, or you can approach your nutrition in a smart and healthy manner. It's up to you.

Excuse #3:
"I know I should be eating more, but I've also heard that when you increase your calories, you just regain the weight quickly. I can't stand to put any weight back on."

I get it, really, I do. It's hard enough going through all this, and then to be told that the only way you're going to continue losing fat carries a chance of gaining some weight back. However, you don't have to gain fat while upping your calories.

There really isn't any kind of argument you can give me for starving yourself and overtraining that I won't shoot down. The science and experience speaks for itself here. This goes beyond opinion.

It isn't just fat loss ability or metabolism we are talking about here. It's nutrient needs, immune system requirements, and bacteria growth, just to name a few. A lot of things come into play with extreme cuts in calories.

Why, then, are people still arguing with me about not wanting to eat?

The Smart Decision....E-A-T

Picture this.... in front of you, there are two tables. One table has a big plate of herb-spiced chicken, a side of seasoned brown rice, and a bowl of fresh, mixed green veggies. The other table has a container of store-bought, "healthy," low-fat (which means high sugar) yogurt, and few carrot sticks.

Now, if I tell you that the chicken, rice, and veggie meal will be better for your fat loss and overall health, are you really going to turn to me and say, "No thanks, I'd rather have my cup of sugar-filled yogurt and some carrot sticks?" I know that some of you actually will, and I also know the most common reasons why.

Reason 1: "They" Told You To Do It.
Who are they? "They" are misinformed doctors, old school dieticians, and lousy personal trainers that want results, but care more about getting a pay check instead of your health and well-being. "They" are your friends who absolutely swear by the results they see from the latest new diet, even though they just finished regaining all the weight they lost from last year's fad.

"They" are the media, with fast-acting fat loss infomercials, shows about the biggest losing celebrity fat camp, and news channels that keep us informed about which celebs are anorexic and which just got gastric bypass surgery. All of them preach overtraining and undereating to get the most out of their time slots.

Reason 2: You're the Exception to the Rule.
We like to think that we're special. That somehow with all of the science and all of the research, we're just more unique than that and the rules just don't apply to us. We all like to overlook the problems that put us in the 1% category because, hey, someone has to be that genetically-gifted 1%, right?

I do want you to believe in your gifts. I want you to be encouraged by the things that make you, you. But that still doesn't mean you defy the laws of science. Sorry, babe.

Reason 3: You're Afraid.
We all have some fear. We're afraid we'll gain the weight right back and we'll have to start all over. Or we're afraid to actually lose the weight, and then we'll have to put our self-esteem issues elsewhere.

Maybe it all won't work, and we'll lose all the hope that keeps us going. Maybe we're afraid that we'll anger those we love by changing ourselves for the better. Or we could be afraid that eating better, and eating more, will just lead to making bad food choices.

We can't let any of these reasons get the way of our goals. Every one of us is special — special in our strength, special in our character.

The Final Word
In the end, eating will lead to your goal. Proper nutrition is the key to getting the look you want, and if you are finding yourself stalled over and over again, it may not be that you're eating too much, it may be that you're eating too little.

About the Author
For more information on Leigh Peele, check out her latest releases Fat Loss Troubleshooter - and Metabolic Repair Manual. Leigh Peele specializes in training and research that involves repairing and reaching peak metabolism performance and fat loss advancement. You can find out more information on her and her work at www.AvidityFitness.net or www.FatLossTroubleshooter.com

 

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3 - RECOMMENDED LINKS & PRODUCTS                                                   

www.liftstrong.com

All Proceeds go to the Leukaemia and Lymphoma Society

This CD contains articles from the leading fitness specialists of our day including:

Adam Campbell; Alan Aragon; Bill Hartman; Bob Youngs; Brian Grasso; Chad Waterbury; Charles Staley; Chris Mohr; Chris Shugart; Craig Ballantyne; Dan John; Dave Tate; Dax Moy; The Doorman; Eric Cressey; Gray Cook; Brett Jones; Harry Selkow; Jack Reape; James Smith; Jason C Brown; Jim "Smitty" Smith; Jason Ferruggia; Jimmy Smith; Joe DeFranco; Joe Dowdell; Joe Stankowski; John Alvino; John Berardi; Julia Ladewski; Keith Scott; Lee Taft; Lori Incledon; Lou Schuler; Lyle McDonald; Mark Philippi; Michael Stare; Mike Boyle; Mike Mahler; Mike Mejia; Mike Robertson; Mike Rousell; Nick Grantham; Pat Beith; Pavel Tsatsouline; Rachel Cosgrove; Robert Dos Remedios; Ryan Lee; Steve Shafley; Susan Hill; TC Luoma; Todd Hamer; Tony Gentilcore; Tony Reynolds and Zach Even-Esh

We originally intended to publish this collection as a book. However - at over 800 pages - costs were prohibitive and we went with the CD option to maximize our contribution.

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A pretentious title but a truly fantastic book. Goes into great detail on how to perform the Deadlift safely and how to progress to massive amounts of strength without bulking up or wasting hours in the gym. I personally put 20kg’s onto my deadlift in only a few months of using the programme.

Check it out for your self Here: http://tinyurl.com/deadlift

All the best

The Wild Geese

Doce Pares Ireland / Kenpo Karate / Self Protection / Security Training

www.wildgeesema.com / wildgeesema.blogspot.com

info@wildgeesema.com

+353 87 672 6090