3. Nutrition Tip: "Bullet Points To Live By"

Rest and Recover

• Divide life into 4 equal parts: Work, Play, Rest, Pray (source Dan John)
• School and learning are work unless you love it and then it is play and partially work. Learning is not rest. Playing a video game is not rest it is play.
• Fact; people who pray live longer (source Dr. Harold Koenig)
• Sleep 7 – 9 hours per day; take an extra nap on the weekends
• You can’t store up sleep for the week but an extra nap will do you well
• Chronic fatigue will hurt your health, take it easy and rest!
• Sleep is when your immune system recovers, your body AND mind repair themselves and psychologically you recover
• 1 – 2 hours before bed, turn all of the lights low in the house and keep things quiet; meditate, pray, read, watch comedy on TV not news or action

Eat

• Lots of vegetables
• A little fruit, berries are great, lots of antioxidants!
• Plenty of healthy meat, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, free-range (red meat) or cage-free (fowl)
• Lots of water
• Multi-vitamin/mineral/phytonutrient. One that dissolves in a glass of water in about 30 minutes or less (do you get just enough nutrition to live?)

Avoid

• Sugary foods
• Processed grains; bread, pasta, rice, flour, cookies, etc.
• Too much soy in your diet; it is like taking birth control pills and has way too much estrogen
• Soda, fruit juice (only drink these if you want to be fat and have diabetes!)

Did You Know?

• Stress and lack of adequate nutrition are the top 2 causes of disease!
• Elevated levels of the hormones estrogen and cortisol cause the following:
• The higher your levels the harder it is to lose body fat!
• Your general mood and outlook on life will suck and you will be depressed
• Poor sleep and nutrition make estrogen and cortisol rise
• Normal levels of testosterone (yes in women also; I said “normal” not abnormally high from steroids)
• Losing body fat will be much easier
• Your general mood and outlook on life will be great. Life will be a series of successes and you will have a boost of confidence and happiness.
• Your sex drive will improve and married folks will appreciate an improved sex life.
• Good sleep and nutrition supports normal testosterone levels in the body
• Testosterone is raised whenever you have a success in life, estrogen goes up whenever you have a failure that you take to personally or you let things stress you out too much

Summary

• Divide life into 4 equal parts: Work, Play, Rest, Pray
• 7 – 9 hours of quality sleep per night
• Reduce stress, don’t let stuff get to you
• Eat clean; veggies, fruit, nuts, meat
• Avoid processed foods especially sugary foods and grains/breads/pasta/soy
• Drink plenty of water, it cleans you out and helps you function properly
• Once or twice per week eat some naughty foods if you crave them. After all you can still enjoy life!

Finally, this isn’t a comprehensive list but a good guideline. If you want to know more, ask or do the research yourself.


Eat and live like an athlete!

4. Hall of Achievements:

Our newest updates:

• Shari Wagner - Deadlifted "The Beast" a 106 lb kettlebell
• Stacy Hoffman - Deadlifted "The Beast" a 106 lb kettlebell
• Marcia Van Egmond - Deadlifted "The Beast" a 106 lb kettlebell
• Angela Seaburg - Deadlifted "The Beast" a 106 lb kettlebell
• Everett Harcourt - Pistol with a 44 lb kettlebell
• Ed Stump - 1 Arm Row with the "The Beast" a 106 lb kettlebell
  
• Me - Pistol with a 70 lb kettlebell

See all achievements on the "Achievements" link at the left navigation bar at the top of the page or click here

5. Group Class & Personal Training News: "Oct 18th - 22nd"

ATTENTION Denver Clients!

I will be in St. Paul, MN from October 18th - 22nd.

I have been invited to be an Assistant Instructor at the October RKC Kettlebell Instructor Certification Course. I will be helping to teach new recruits to become RKC Certified just like I am. This is quite an honor and I look forward to it.

Group Classes and Private Sessions are cancelled on Thursday the 18th, Friday the 19th and Saturday the 20th.

Monday the 22nd the 12:30 PM Group Class will be cancelled but my evening Private Sessions are still good.

Tuesday the 23rd will be back to normal.

The name change is still coming, I'm just waiting to make the full change until the signs on the building and street can be updated. I expect that to happen this month.

For those who don't know, my Aurora, Colorado Kettlebell training studio, ABC Fitness & Yoga will change it's name to Copeland's Core Fitness.

6. Personalized Program Design: "Tired of Not Reaching Your Goals?"

One of my recent female clients went down 2 belt sizes in a month! She did it in just 15 minutes 3 - 5 nights per week and from the privacy of her own home using just her own bodyweight!

What are you waiting for?

Let's face it, we are our own worst strength and conditioning coaches. We are great at telling other people what to do with their exercise programs but we can't seem to figure our's out to meet our goals.

Whether you are an athlete who needs to perform better at their sport, a guy or gal who wants to look better at the beach, maybe you just want a healthy heart and joints or you want a combination of all three; I can help you get there.

What is Personalized Program Design?

A custom "personalized" training program for created just for you. I take into consideration your goals, time, lifestyle, equipment you have access to, etc. You follow this on your own at home, the gym or where ever. Have kettlebells? Barbells? Dumbbells? Just your bodyweight? No problem!

Who needs Personalized Program Design?

• New to Exercise:
  • You know you want to get 'in-shape' but you have no idea of how to do it. Let me show you exactly what to do and how to progress.
• Wants to Work Out at Home:
  • Custom made training program based on your lifestyle, time, equipment or lack there of.
• Hates Gyms:
  • Join the club, or rather don't, I can't stand them either. Train at home with whatever equipment you have access to. You would be amazed what you can do with just your body weight if that's all you have.
• Short on Time:
• You CAN exercise for 15-20 minutes per day 3-6 days per week easy! If not you are making excuses. I'll show you how, and yes this is effective. But don't kid yourself, you will be working your butt off!
• Been Training for Years But Haven't Reached YOUR Goals:
  • You need a fresh outside perspective on your training. You also need an experienced professional coach to show you the way. I am both of those. All you need to provide is the elbow grease and sweat!

Quit making excuses and treat yourself, you deserve it!

Learn more about my Personalized Program Design here

7. Bonus Tip: "Martial Arts Striking Power"

Most of you out there are still guilty of judging a book by its cover. Here are a few misconceptions about real fighting and martial arts:

• Bald guys with tattoos are scary and tougher
• A more skilled guy will win every time
• A scarier looking guy will win every time
• The person with the most attitude who trumps them self up will win
• A woman can not beat up a man
• A woman black belt can beat up a man or another woman
• A gun is more deadly than a knife
and of course:
• Big guys hit harder

Now all of these can be true and they can be false, there are a lot of variables that go into winning an organized martial arts competition or surviving a violent street encounter so don't take things at surface value.

One of the things I have witnessed over and over again in my years in martial arts is that the big guys are not always the hardest hitters, in fact some of the smallest people hit the hardest.

Case in point, Bruce Lee.

Remember Bruce's 1-inch punch?


Bruce was able to maximize his leverage, speed and bodyweight by perfecting his technique. He studied all the angles relentlessly and perfected his craft. How many of you do that? Do you just bang away on the bag and exhaust yourselves? Are you learning to hit harder, faster, without telegraphing your intentions or are you just "getting a workout"?

Bruce was also reported to have gone to Gene Lebell's school and kicked a 300 lb heavy bag to the ceiling, hitting the ceiling and when it fell it broke the chain. Now I've worked an a 300 lb bag and it was all I could do to make the thing budge. Bruce's patented side kick was his best tool for getting all of his 135 lbs behind his kick and with the speed and leverage (all of his joints were packed and there was no leakage) he could generate a tremendous amount of power.


How To Get Bruce's Power:

Seriously maybe you can learn to hit as hard as Bruce or Mike Tyson or whoever and maybe you can't. Just like maybe you can achieve bending an Iron Mind Red Nail, Pressing a 106 lb kettlebell over your head or perform a jumping pistol onto a table; or maybe not. Genetic potential, skeletal structure, and other factors manage your capabilities.

But that doesn't mean that you can't train to optimize your potential.


Dos and Don'ts When Training To Strike:

Do - Train techniques fresh
Don't - Train techniques while fatigued

Do - Reverse engineer your techniques, look for leakage
Don't - Mindlessly pound on the bag

Do - Hit objects to build strength and power
Don't - Alter your clean techniques to hit harder, such as pulling your hand back before you hit thereby telegraphing your intentions to your opponent

Do - Practice your techniques in GTG fashion, as often as possible, as fresh as possible
Don't - Practice until your arms/legs/body is exhausted and allow your fine motor skills to be replaced by gross motor skills

Do - Practice your techniques how you will use them, gloves/no gloves
Don't - Practice punches holding heavy dumbbells, you will alter your form and it will show when you go back to regular punches (1 lb weights will be ok for most folks as long as it does not alter your form)

Do - Explore the subtleties of your technique "If I move this way when I kick it is harder for a counter strike to hit me"
Don't - Think you can't learn something of value from almost anyone even another style of fighting


Finally I'll sum this up with a video I caught on Senior RKC Kenneth Jay's blog, it is a little goofy and long but makes the point of how power/force is generated behind a good punch.



Until next time,

Fight Like An ATHLETE, Not A Hamster!

8. Testimonials for Brian Copeland:

I have to give credit to God for blessing me with knowledge and resources that I have, the great clients He sends my way and the amazing results people get.

By the way, thanks to everyone who took their time to write about their experiences training with me.

Here are just some of the things people have been saying recently:

"Immediately I saw that he had a detailed grasp of relevant weight training topics that included both cutting edge and “old-time” techniques."

"Well, the proof is in the results…and they have been phenomenal! Within weeks I have accomplished the following; moved up 2-3 plates on two exercises, increased my bicep curls by almost 30%, strengthened my legs like never before (along with overcoming some nagging hamstring problems), and developed a more integrated, better functioning musculature. But that’s not even the best part. The biggest benefit is that I enjoy working out again."
– Bob Tench
Tench Therapies
www.tenchtherapies.com

"Brian Copeland is a great teacher. He keeps his focus while training and doesn't waste any time getting down to business. He pushes you just enough and yet he makes sure that your form is perfect to keep everyone safe."
– E Harcourt
Owner Zupplements.com

"I went from a size 9/10 to 4/5 in these few months. If you want results, contact Brian, he'll do what it takes as long as you do too!"
– Alee Vang Webb



Read more at the RKC Instructor pages on Dragon Door.com and also by looking on my Testimonial page.

9. Charity in Focus: "Precious Ones Outreach International"

My friend Janet "Ama" Annan has a special place in her heart for orphaned and abused children all over the world. She is the founder of Precious Ones of God Outreach International a non-profit organization that takes in orphaned and neglected children and gives them clothes, housing, food and schooling. I have volunteered my time and talents with this organization and can tell you that they are legitimate and make a real difference in the lives of hurting children. In fact, Janet and her husband both work full-time jobs just so they can provide more money to help the children. She can use all of the support she can get. No guilt trip but if you are moved in your heart then please visit her at her website here.

Until next time, train and eat like ATHLETES not hamsters and reap the rewards of a healthy, lean, sexy/studly body!

Brian Copeland, RKC