Freedom vs freedom

Do you value being free? I certainly do. Actually, it's one of my highest values. Do you know that feeling when you might know something intellectually for years and then bam! And you understand it viscerally, because life taught you. This is one of those types of knowledge. What is freedom? Is it doing whatever

How to Love Yourself Skillfully

NOTE: this is a loooong post, and a little meandering, so proceed at your own peril. 'What is love? Baby don't hurt me Don't hurt me No more' <La Bouche> If you grew up in the 1990s, you might remember this chewing gum with a cartoon inside, called Love Is. I used to collect those

The Philosophy of Fitness Minimalism

My whole life I have been obsessed with growing up. There was a freedom, discernment, drive and ability in it that I felt was inaccessible to my scattered and emotionally immature child's mind. This is, I believe, a natural instinct most children possess. However, it can be suppressed or derailed, by family, culture or circumstance.

Encouraging Thoughts on Nutrition

    Persevere. In my personal and professional experience, I have noticed that both the effects of higher quality diet on a neglected body and of low quality diet on a healthy body, are relatively slow to show. Why? In many ways it's down to cellular life span. Your body is building new cells all

Mindfulness Doesn’t Rock – it SWINGS.

One of our new members said the other day: 'it is interesting that when I'm using a kettlebell, my mind has to be completely and utterly on it. There is no space for anything else, it is total focus'. I agree. In fact, kettlebells and mindfulness seem to go together like Red Caviar, Lewis Road

Are Kettlebells Safe?

Short answer: YES Long Answer: In my nearly 1.5 decades of mastering and coaching just about every major fitness discipline, I haven't encountered a safer overall strength and conditioning tool. After years of coaching Powerlifting, Boxing, Bootcamp, Crossfit, Sprinting and Gymnastics, I chose to make kettlebells my ultimate specialty, because I see the results they

Sore Hands?

SORE HANDS? If you are a serious lifter then chances are you have experienced sore 'burning' hands, cracked or ripped calluses at some point in your training. This condition makes a kettlebell handle, a pullup bar or a barbell feel like a source of pain and suffering, rather than of infinite joy and delight. We

If Something is Important…

If something is important, do it every day. If it's not important, don't do it at all. Dan John   This is my favorite quote by the philosopher coach, but it seems to be also a frequently misunderstood one. You could say: 'But there are some things that are important to me, yet I cannot

Body Image vs Body Confidence

Imagine how much energy can be freed up in the service of worthy pursuits if you swapped worrying over your body-image for cultivating body-confidence. In our culture, we focus on creating a positive body-image, as if an image has any power. No one’s body-image has ever accomplished anything. Body image is a passive object, it

Progression and Variety

It's easy to just get sick of exercise if you keep doing the same thing over and over and over. That's why the number 1 advice from fitness pros is to change up your routine. However, it's also easy to lose motivation if you keep jumping from one thing to another. After all, there is