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July 2020

Adaptation

The one and only goal of training should be adaptation. What does that mean? It means that the training that you are doing should create a requirement for your body to adapt in either a neurological, structural, strength, endurance or mobility manner. If it doesn't, or you have too much stimulus and you are nullifying the ability to adapt, you are wasting your time, money and energy.


Perseverance vs Intensity

When someone returns to working out they invariably start out hard and fast and then... they quit because they are sore, tired, and miserable.

Instead, why not start slow and easy? How about getting yourself back into the habit of working out and establishing a good baseline of strength, conditioning and movement?

This is a lot harder than going "balls to the wall" and quitting. Because by pacing yourself and giving yourself time to adapt to the new demands on your body and, this is important, you are going to be able go longer and harder soon enough without getting injured!


Coming in Fall of 2020

Coming soonCrossFit Koncepts regularly presents and hosts workshops with world class instructors. These workshops are for both everyday athletes as well as trainers and coaches. The following list of events will be expanded and more information will be added in the coming weeks:

  • September 27th - Mace and Indian Club Workshop - Level I with Mike Krivka, Master RKC
  • October 4th - Beyond the Swing Workshop with Mike Krivka, Master RKC 
  • October 17th and 18th - RKC (Russian Kettlebell Certification) with Mike Krivka, Master RKC
  • November 15th - HKC (Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification) with Mike Krivka, Master RKC
  • November 22nd - Mace and Indian Club Workshop - Level II with Mike Krivka, Master RKC
  • December 6th - Beyond the Snatch Workshop with Mike Krivka, Master RKC

Please reach out to us if you are interested in any of the above workshops. Thanks! 


Days, Months, Years, Decades

I have had the pleasure of training many people now for over a decade. This is pretty unheard of in the fitness industry. Having clients for months and then scrambling to find new clients is pretty much the norm. But having them for years and years, that is pretty much unheard of.

Why do people stick around? There are lots of reasons. A positive training environment could be one of the main reasons. Knowing that you are going somewhere to train where you like the people and they like you has got to be a positive point.

But I think that people stick around for two other reasons: the programming is reasonable and they stay injury-free.

Reasonable programming means that the workouts are within reach of everyone and are easily scaled either up or down to accommodate skill levels and experience.

Staying injury-free is actually a part of reasonable programming. The workouts do not overtax any one system so heavily that it leads to failure or compromised technique. There is no "slop factor" in the workouts that lead to injury or to technique that will become compromised at high reps.

Hitting a PR (Personal Record) that is followed shortly thereafter with an injury and extensive recovery period is not something you should be pursuing. Having an experience in the gym that allows you to train multiple times a week for decades should be...


Who Are We?

CrossFit Koncepts has been around for over twelve years. Why are we still here while scores of other gyms failed? I like to think it's because we have a great training environment and training protocols that facilitate gains in strength, conditioning, endurance and mobility without resulting in injury. If anything, our training adds quality to people's lives as opposed to taking it away.

One of the factors that distinguish us from other gyms  is that we emphasize technique over times or scores. Many, Many gyms pay lip-service to this concept but ignore it once the timer starts. At CFK technique is the Alpha and the Omega - it's important first, last and always.

This also explains why we are still in business over a decade after opening our doors and continue to train people who walked in our doors the first day we opened.


Range Of Motion (ROM) is Important

The ability to load and unload the "human machine" is what creates strength and mobility. By limiting the ROM of any movement you are going to create changes in the mechanics behind the technique and also in the machine. How does that work?

In a situation where an athlete has no orthopedic issues, they can easily Squat "ass to ankles". Now take that same athlete and start loading them up and not monitoring their movement. What do you invariably get? Heavy loads and minimal movement. Especially in a competitive environment. This is an unfortunate result but it plays itself out daily in gyms around the world.

The opposite of that is paying more attention to how to load, unload and manage position in a full ROM. What this does is make an athlete who has fewer injuries, better strength throughout movement patterns, and have longer athletic lifetimes and fewer injuries.

Think about it this way: if you are interested to moving more weight the fastest way to do that is to decrease the ROM. This approach will work but invariably it will lead to failure or injury. Approaching training as full ROM and partial load will make the movement not only safer but will also protect the athlete but short and long term.

Are you willing to push load first before you have ROM and technique dialed in? If so, there are lots of gyms and trainers out there who will be happy to work with you. But you won't find a home here...


Deadlift - The Foundation of Your Strength Program

I recently worked with a couple that were "gym shopping". They cam from a gym that was heavily into typical CrossFit Barbell training. Our workout that night included both Kettlebells and Barbells. Because I was unfamiliar with their technique I ran through a quick demo and then had them show me what they could do. Well, they both couldn't Deadlift without overtaxing their lower back or using their head to accelerate the bar. After giving them some pointers, they both were moving in a lot safer and saner manner. The next step was to check out their Kettlebell Swing technique. Once again, their go-to technique was to use their lower back and head to generate force and speed to get the Kettlebell moving. A couple more pointers and a reminder to slow down got them where they were doing the Swing, once again, a safer and saner technique.

Fast forward to the end of the workout: they both had a good training session and were able to get through both the Deadlift and the Kettlebell Swing without any lower back pain - something that they had both experienced in the past. NOTE: unfortunately they decided to not join us because they were looking for a gym that was more "bar oriented". Now, after watching their technique prior to some coaching, I can tell you right now that the last thing they needed was to continue with bar training (especially the Clean, Jerk and Snatch) until they nail down the Deadlift. But what do I know? :)

Anyway, if you are interested in getting stronger and more proficient with the Bar and the Kettlebell, you need to understand how to do the Deadlift properly. I cannot stress the importance of having a solid Deadlift technique long enough. If your Deadlift technique is weak then all of your Bar techniques will be affected. If your Kettlebell Deadlift technique is not mechanically solid then all of your following techniques will be affected.

The concept of "Where you start dictates when you end up" is central to our training program. In this case, we are starting with the Deadlift and it HAS to be addressed first and developed to a high level of competence before other skills can be layered upon it.


How Much?

How Much? I hear that question on a daily basis. Before they ask about hours, location, trainers experience, etc., they ask about how much our tuition is. But is it really a good question to ask first and is it even a good marker to base a decision on (sight unseen)? If you are looking for a training "bargain" then you can always train yourself, at home, with whatever you have on hand or you can join a "globo Gym" and train yourself. Of course, there are also plenty of CrossFit or "boutique" gyms in the area where you can find a better price. But, and this is a really important "BUT", do you know what you are paying for? Probably not. Your decision is based on the price you are going to pay for the training.... because all gyms are the same? Right?

WRONG!!!

Not all gyms are the same and not all trainers are the same. It's not even close! Would you buy a new car without doing some research? Would you buy a new house without having an inspector check it out first? Would you ever go to a doctor without checking out their credentials first? Absolutely not... and you shouldn't make a decision on a trainer based on price, especially a discounted price.

Do yourself a favor and Google the gym and the trainer you are thinking about working with. Look for:

  • How many decades they have been training.
  • Are they recognized as an international expert in their field.
  • How many books, articles and videos they have created.
  • Check out who they have worked with (from civilians (and their demographics) to military, police and law enforcement agencies).
  • Check out the circles they travel in, i.e., who do they work with and train with (high level trainers and experts in their field).

Once you've got that in hand, please Google me (Michael Krivka and CrossFit Koncepts). Spend a few minutes sifting through your search results and compare them with what you found regarding the other trainer and the other gym. Then, and only then, can you make a smart decision as to who you should be training with. 

So, when you are looking for somewhere to workout (and someone to train you), somewhere to learn and develop lifetime strength and mobility skills, and somewhere to create relationships with strong, vibrant people - what it "costs you" needs to be balanced with what it's "really going to cost you" if you make a poor decision.


The Goblet Squat

The Goblet Squat. One of the foundational techniques in the HKC and RKC. One of the best ways to teach and maintain the Squat. The brain-child of world-renowned Strength and Conditioning Coach Dan John. If you think you know how to do it right there's a really good chance that you don't know how to do it. If a picture is worth a thousand words then here is one that will give you a good start to understanding what it looks like.