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Brian Copeland's
Core Fitness Newsletter

Issue #44 - 12/27/2009

1. Announcement: "Trainers Wanted"
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2. Announcement: "New Promo Video!"
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3. Announcement: "New Testimonials Page"
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4. Z-Health for Athletes: "Interview with Olympic Medallist"
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5. Health Tip: "The Flu Shot"
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6. Hall of Achievements:
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7. Training Tip: "Don't Blow Chunks, Build Them!"
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8. Nutrition Tip: "Spinach Chorizo Salad with Guacamole"
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9. Got Grip: "Seriously Strong Hands ebook"
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10. Self-Defense / Martial Arts Tip: "Coming to Grips with Violence"
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11. Recommended Products: "Gymboss, Z-Health, Dragon Door, more" .
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12. Denver Metro Area: "Kettlebell & Self-Defense Classes in Aurora"
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13. Personalized Program Design: "Tired of Not Reaching Your Goals?"
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1. Announcement:
"Trainers Wanted"

Copeland's Core Fitness is looking for qualified fitness, yoga or Martial Arts instructors to rent space at my Aurora, CO studio. Candidates must be professional and business minded.

For inquiries please contact Brian here

2. Announcement: "New Promo Video!"

I am quite happy with the job Heather has done on these. If anyone needs professional video work I can put you in touch with Heather who does work with National Geographic.

3. Announcement:
"New Testimonials Page"

I officially have too many testimonials to fit on a single web page, thus I have broken it out into 4 sections: Testimonials from Medical Professionals, Fitness Professionals, Women and Men.

As of this writing I am now tied for the # 17 ranked kettlebell instructor in the world!

Thanks to all of you for your support in helping me get and stay there.

The ranking is based upon real clients submitting testimonials and reviews, such as the ones that follow.

If you would like to help me rank higher then please write a testimonial and email it directly to me.

Here are some of my latest:


Kettlebell Testimonials:

Very good, lots of personalized attention

Training with Brian improved my strength, confidence and of course my kettlebell skills. His classes are great! The are small enough that you get plenty of individualized instruction.

My body just feels better; I had pain and numbness in my arm/hand that are now gone. I even came in one night with a really bad headache and by the end of class it was gone. A testament to the power of proper exercise!

Denice - Colorado

Building Muscle While Losing Fat

Brian is a great coach, he explains difficult subjects easily and clearly.
The class atmosphere is fun and motivating.
I am building muscle while losing fat and moving better with less pain thanks to a combination of Z-Health and RKC style kettlebell training.

Jeff - Colorado

Brian's beginner kettlebell classes are great!

I fell on the ice at work; I had just began going to Brian for Z-Health and kettlebell instruction. Brian got me back to work faster than Physical Therapy and pain improved very quickly by using Z-Health. This allowed me to continue in his beginner kettlebell class that I had just started attending.
Brian's beginner kettlebell classes are great!

Patti - Colorado

Women's Self-Defense Testimonials:

The beginner-level classes were great, they went fast and were very engaging and interesting. Everyone participated!! The techniques were very easy to learn. Go to Brian if you want to learn to defend yourself in an easy and realistic manner, it is that good!! I am not afraid anymore! I always used to be afraid of knives but not anymore and I know what to do if someone is getting too close. I will be back for the next class.

Sara

Brian is a great instructor and I would recommend him to anyone. The 5 things I really got out of the beginner class were 1. How to know when I'm in danger, 2. How to defend myself, 3. I got the strength to stand up for myself, 4. I feel ready and 5. I feel confident!

The instruction was great. We always got good feedback on very realistic ways to defend ourselves.

MIssy

Brian was great! Not only educational but entertaining. I feel very empowered!

Lisa S.

I acquired the basic knowledge for defending myself; how to be alert, prepared, how to use a weapon and how to look out for my surroundings. Take the beginner-level self-defense class like I did to prepare you fro the advanced classes.

Cynthia

4. Z-Health for Athletes:
"Interview with Olympic Medallist"

On the heels of opening the Z-Health Performance Training Center last month, Gretchen Bleiler was the first professional athlete to fly in and train at the center with Dr. Cobb. While she was here, she sat down for an interview with Z-Health co-owner Kathy Mauck.

Gretchen Bleiler, X-Games gold medallist and 2006 Olympic silver medallist, is both a world-renowned athlete and highly successful businesswoman. She was introduced to Z-Health by her long-time family friend and Z-Health Practitioner Kathy Lemieux-Rodman in 2009 after an injury sustained during a nationally televised X-Games competition. During her recent training visit, Gretchen was gracious enough to sit down with me to share her story, her passions, and how Z-Health has made her a better athlete.

At 28, Gretchen enjoys a wonderful life as a wife and athlete, is an advocate for the environment, and an inspiration to young female athletes around the world. She lives in Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado, during the training year, is a three-time X-Games gold medallist, a 2006 Winter Olympic silver medallist, and the 2008 winner of ESPN's ESPY Award for Best Female Action Sports Athlete. Her current goals as an athlete are to make the 2010 US Olympic Half Pipe Team, truly enjoy the entire Olympic experience, and land a perfect run with style, amplitude, and grace.

I asked her how the upcoming Olympic Games will differ from her previous Olympic experience. "In 2006, the Olympics were about pure drive and competitiveness. It got me to Silver with sheer hard work and goal setting, but this time around I am going with SO MANY MORE tools, physically, mentally, and emotionally — and with an even more amazing support group. I feel more prepared then I have ever been before. I have had 15 years on the snowboard, and with each year had more life experiences. With everything I know and all the preparation off the mountain as well as on, I am going to have an amazing experience."

She shared that after the 2006 Olympics she hadn’t taken the time to set new goals, and was going through the motions. After a certain amount of success, her life began to be run for her and she didn't yet have the knowledge or experience to know when to say no, or even to know that saying no — and saving some time for herself — was necessary.

Ultimately, she believes that is what caused her big crash in January. "It was a wake up call to figure out my priorities, re-evaluate my snowboard strategy, and generally reacquire balance in my life. There were things along the way that almost got my attention but it was that trauma and the rest of the season that were necessary for me to make the changes I needed."

This is where Z-Health comes in. "Z-Health helps me visualize, be in the moment in my body, and be aware of what I am doing and where I am in time and space, so that I can bring the best of my hard work and training to every moment."

The crash and what followed caused her to re-evaluate, "why am I doing this and who is it for. When I started snowboarding, I was looking for results to give me self worth and to fill me. Now I know who I am, I know my value and my worth. Win, lose, or draw, who I am is much more then the medals I win. I truly desire to pass on this knowledge and these experiences to other young female athletes. It takes a great deal of courage and risk to not go to college and pursue professional athletics as a career, and I hope that my learning and experience can offer some insight to anyone willing to listen. Now when I compete, I know who I am and why I compete."

Gretchen’s words resonated with me and made me think of John Candy in the movie Cool Runnings when he told the Olympic Captain of the Bobsled team, "If you are not enough without the Gold Medal, you will never be enough with it." It seems as if Gretchen's experiences taught her this vital lesson at a very opportune time in her life.

As an athlete, Gretchen has seen tremendous improvements in her performance due to Z-Health.

"I can't believe I have gone this far without Z-Health in my life, it seems like it should be the foundation of what everyone in the world should be doing before everything else. Why go lift 200lbs at the gym if you can't walk properly before that? Z-Health training is helping get my body back into the right place and feel good and prepared before I throw myself upside down in a half pipe. Things are getting easier, more connected, and more balanced then ever before — and I know it is because of all the exercises I have been doing. Every time I come in I have been blown away by the results I get. I am just getting started, but I am seeing such great results that are giving me the timing, balance, and connectedness on the mountain."

Until next time, train like an athlete not a hamster!

PS. If you are watching late-night infomercials and are thinking of buying the "Ab Gizmo 3000" or "Dance Your Way to a Super Six-Pack" don't bother. Save yourself some hard earned doubloons and instead purchase my Personalized Program Design. I'll get you better results with your own body weight and you won't have to make installments on an expensive piece of crap that sits in the corner collecting dust for the next 10 years for crying out loud!

5. Health Tip:
"The Flu Shot"

If you are afraid of the swine flu, or any flu for that matter, you should be! If your immune system is weak that is.

If you have a healthy immune system then you shouldn't have much to fear. If you are at high risk then you should take extra precautions, but before we get to those precautions, here is a quick and funny video that show what is in a vaccine shot.

This video is from Canada, if you don't get the references to tax dollars paying for the flu shot, realize that Canada has socialized health care and Canadians pay roughly 64% income tax!!! This is the same as what the US congress is trying to pass for us. Canadians have to pay for the flu shot whether they want it or not. Without getting too political, this is food for thought...

For those of you who do not understand the dangers of putting these chemicals into your body, here is some information:


Reposted from the National Vaccination Information Center www.nvic.org

Mercury:
Thimerosal, which contains the organic compound ethyl mercury, is a known neurotoxin and used to be a major ingredient in childhood vaccines. There are over 15,000 articles in the medical literature describing the adverse health effects on the human body with exposure to varying amounts and forms of mercury.

Aluminum:
In 1996, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a position paper on Aluminum Toxicity in Infants and Children which stated in the first paragraph, “Aluminum is now being implicated as interfering with a variety of cellular and metabolic processes in the nervous system and in other tissues.


Read the full article here

Let's not forget formaldehyde is also in these vaccines!

Formaldehyde:
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies formaldehyde as a human carcinogen. (aka it causes cancer)


Tips from Doctors on how to avoid getting the flu:

• Wash your hands after being in public
Use hot soapy water for at least 20 seconds

• Keep your hands away from your nose and mouth until after you wash them

• Use a neti pot or other nasal/sinus rinse.
You can get a neti pot at most drug stores and health stores. It is like a small tea pot that you fill with luke warm water and a saline (salt) solution. You tilt your head and pour the solution into your nostril and it rinses out your sinuses. The liquid comes out of your other nostril. If you have a head cold this is great for clearing out congestion and mucus and opening up your breathing passages and reducing swelling.

• Drink hot liquids such as green tea.
The flu virus can not live in your stomach due to the acid levels so drinking hot liquids can wash any viruses from your throat into your stomach.

According to Dr. Mercola and other medical professionals, if you do contract the H1N1 swine flu you should just feel sick for a few days and then get better just like the normal flu. If you are however considered a high risk category (weak immune system) then it would probably be a good idea to contact your doctor immediately. People rarely die from the flu but instead from complications related to the flu.

A quick note, you may consider yourself healthy but you may actually have a weak immune system in the following circumstances:

1. You eat a low quality diet with insufficient protein, fat and vegetables
2. You don't get adequate exercise
3. You exercise too much. A high school football star died from the swine flu even though everyone thought he was healthy. What people don't understand is the extreme amount of stress that the body goes through in periods of extreme physical exercise; it lowers the immune system a lot! And high school athletic practice and competition is usually done to the extreme well beyond what is a healthy level of exercise.
4. You have been under a lot of emotional stress (work, relationship, financial, etc.)
5. You get insufficient sleep

This is not an exhaustive list by any means. Frankly if you find yourself fitting any of those bullet points it would behoove you to change your lifestyle to a healthier one for more reasons than being at risk for the flu.

In the last swine flu "outbreak" in the 1970s when very few people actually got the swine flu, more people died from the vaccine or they got Guillain-Barre syndrome which attacks the nervous system and changes your life for the worst, forever! The pharmaceutical companies lobbied congress and a law was passed that prevents you from filing a law suit against any drug manufacturer if you get ill or die from a vaccine. So, go ahead and vaccine away if you feel lucky.

Well, do you? Do you feel lucky, punk?

In summation it is this reporter's opinion that big pharmaceutical makes a killing off of poisoning us with these vaccinations that most of us really don't need; it is a very lucrative business. Sure there are exceptions but frankly your best defense against illness is your own immune system which is strengthened or weakened by your lifestyle choices.

6. Hall of Achievements:

Our newest updates:..

• Bob Madala - Took 1st Place at a NASA Powerlifting meet
  
  
• Brian Copeland - Quartered 57 poker cards (a full deck plus 5 extra) in less than 30 seconds (tore in half and then tore the halves in half)
  
  
• Andy Casazza - Military Press 70 lb kettlebell
  
  
• Jen Halpin - Deadlifted 176 lbs
  
  
• Angela Csargo - Double Snatch 2 x 35 lb kettlebells for reps
  
  
• Teresa Sauer - Deadlifted 132 lbs
  
  
• Heather Hubbard - Military Pressed and Snatched the 35 lb kettlebell
  
  
• Ruth Uhl - 2 1/2 years ago had a massive heart attack. She has been swinging kettlebells now for several months. Today she had a in-depth check up with her doctor, a stress test, EKG, etc. Her doctor said "there is virtually no evidence she ever had a heart attack and that her heart is strong and healthy! Keep up the kettlebells!"

7. Training Tip:
"Don't Blow Chunks, Build Them!"

Could you be making critical mistakes in your training or with your client’s training?

Ok, what the heck am I talking about? Why neural chunking of course!

What the heck is neural chunking Brian? Glad you asked. It is your key to maximizing your athletic potential!

Neural chunking is how our brains organize information. It is literally neural connections in your brain; you can think of it as wires connecting various circuit boards together so they function quicker.

Ok, think of it this way; have you ever heard a song and it “took you back?” That is neural chunking. Neural chunking is cognitive, emotional and sensory.


Imagine you are trying to get better at your kettlebell military press. You are focused on keeping your shoulder packed, cognitively thinking about it. You are feeling your scapula staying down and your armpit tight as you press, this is providing sensory information (mechanoreception) to the brain. You finally succeed and you lock out your elbow with your bicep by your ear and shoulder down, creating emotional information for your brain in the form of happiness and a feeling of success; especially if someone is there to tell you, “great job!”

Thanks to functional MRI we now know that the brain is like plastic, it is constantly remodeling itself. The question becomes, are you remodeling it towards or away from your goals?

Neural chunking has gone by other names; psychologists will often refer to it as attachments or secondary gain. Most of us are familiar with the term associations; neural chunking is just the Neuro-physiological and scientifically more accurate way of expressing this phenomenon in your brain.

Basically you have just tapped into a super powerful mechanism that can make or break your athletic potential. Let’s review: you just made neural connections in your brain to the emotional feeling of success to the sensory feeling of a packed shoulder and the cognitive awareness of a kettlebell military press. This has now become a neural chunk in your brain and thus the next time you go to perform your military press your brain will kick into a more automatic mode (and eventually a completely automatic mode) basically allowing you to focus on perfecting another aspect of your form while maintaining this aspect. Essentially when Pavel Tsatsouline speaks of Greasing the Groove, this is what he is talking about, building correct neural chunks.

You see, the brain creates neural chunks in order to allow us to go into autopilot as we go about our desired tasks. Can you imagine if you had to be consciously aware of every single thing your body did all of the time? Imagine just sitting there and grabbing a coffee mug and trying to think of every single thing you had to do. Shoulder flexion with internal rotation and elbow extension with each finger requiring a different degree of finger extension and flexion as they wrap around the handle and making sure the eyes track the hand as it reaches. Oh by the way you still have to stay sitting up and not fall out of your chair and you still have to breath and oh no you are also holding a book with your other hand and you are at 45 degree shoulder flexion and 25 degree elbow flexion and you hear a dog bark outside and have to determine if that is relevant to you and the next thing you know your brain explodes!!! This all took 2 seconds of your day, so you can imagine that the ability to have several tasks go into autopilot is important so you can turn your attention to actually just understanding the context of what is written in the darn book.

Well as we develop certain movement patterns and those movement patterns get stored into your automatic memory via neural chunking, you can now turn your focus to other aspects of your technique. Have you ever noticed that with a newer technique you can have really good form with a light weight but when you go for a 1-rep max your form changes? That is because you don’t have a good enough neural chunk or in other words, you haven’t greased a good enough groove. Military types have heard the phrase “under stress you revert to training” and this should always be at the forefront of our minds as we train; because a 1-rep max would definitely classify as stress. I see this frequently as I teach Martial Arts. When a seasoned fighter has a punch fly at their face full-speed they instinctively parry, slip, etc. When a beginner has slow punches they can parry, slip, etc. but when a full-speed aggressive attack comes at them they will flinch. The chunk isn’t built strong enough to the level of threat yet. More practice is required to strengthen the chunk.

Now if we can use neural chunking to build automatic responses or movements, doesn’t that mean we can build both good and bad automatic responses? YOU BET!

Why do you think the RKC motto has always been that program design is secondary to technique perfection? Why do you think all of Pavel’s writings have focused on perfecting technique and greasing a good grove rather than trying as hard as you can and pushing till you puke?!

If you have bad automatic movements (neural chunks) then you will never reach your strength or athletic potential.

Now this can go much deeper, remember that part of neural chunking is emotional along with sensory and cognitive? What might be the significance of this? Well allow me to recite a story. I can recall reading on the Dragon Door fitness forum about an individual who successfully completed the SSST (200 kettlebell snatches in 10 minutes with a 53 lb kettlebell) and this individual commented on how this was the hardest thing he ever did. He thought he was going to puke. He had in effect created a very real neurological chunk of discomfort and pain to the performance of his chosen sport. This will likely have a strong negative impact on his performance of snatches in the future. In fact, he may not want to do snatches because of a subconscious feeling of dread every time he goes to perform them. The brain has stored a memory of discomfort and pain and attached it to the motor sensory and cognitive awareness of performing a kettlebell snatch. Don’t believe me? Remember the song that took you back to a feeling of nostalgia? That was real, so is this.

Now if you are a fitness professional like me, this has a HUGE potential impact on your business. Imagine that every time your client comes to train with you, you make them feel like crud. How long do you think this client will stick around? Unless they have some serious mental issues I doubt very long. I have to admit something; I can’t stand marketing! Thank God I have super high retention rate with my clients! I make it my priority to make sure they enjoy their training. Oh to be sure they work hard but never to the point of pain, discomfort or dread of doing an exercise. As a fitness professional here is probably the single biggest secret to client retention… ready? Make sure your clients create a neural chunk of feeling good to the performance of your exercise program!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had people come in to train in bad moods because of their lame day at their lame job (another neural chunk), or with headaches or whatever and once they start exercising they instantly feel better and are happy and giving each other high fives or knuckles. When I first got started as a business man/fitness coach I was frustrated at how I could have one of the best training systems around (the RKC) and people wouldn’t stick around long. Once I understood that it was about making them feel good, not kicking their butts, retention went through the roof and so did referrals! Maybe I am good at marketing after all?

Here is one more way to improve client retention and your own personal performance using neural chunking. Most exercise seekers have appearance-based motives for beginning an exercise program. But changes in appearance can often be subjective and are much slower to change than performance-based goals. So if you set small, frequently attainable performance-based goals your clients will get to experience the emotion of success often. If you do a good job of demonstrating to your clients the direct relationship between increases in performance and calorie burning, muscle building, etc. then they will love it every time they make an improvement in performance. Learn to do this with nutrition and you can raise your prices!

Do you think it might be a good idea to create good neural chunks to your own training? Want to learn how?

Keys to Positive Neural Chunking:

1. Listen to Comrade Pavel

There is a reason his programs are designed around lots of perfect repetitions with an emphasis on perfect form. GTG, high sets and low perfect reps, fewer exercises better, get the idea yet?

2. Avoid Pain and Discomfort While Training

This may sound controversial or even sissy but frankly I don’t care. I tear decks of cards in half and teach hand-to-hand combatives to law enforcement. Nothing sissy here, only science comrade!

If you want to perform at your best then you do not want your subconscious or pre-cognitive brain working against you. What do I mean? Ever flinched before? That is what I mean. There are lots of little flinches that your brain will make you do that will sap your strength quick if your brain feels threatened at the movement you are about to do. Decrease that threat by never building a neural chunk to pain with your athletic movements. Ignore this at your own risk.

3. Use Smart Cycling of Threat

Yeah, we need to lift heavy to get strong. But if you are always lifting heavy you never build good neural chunks. Spend most of your time lifting medium heavy weights and treating them like they are heavy (can you say Power to the People, Enter the Kettlebell, Naked Warrior or Return of the Kettlebell?) Then you can test your training by lifting heavy to see if your training worked. In other words, did you grease the right groove and does it stick as the threat level goes up?

4. Do NOT Use Poor Form, EVER!

Practice makes perfect right? So good practice makes good, bad practice makes bad and great practice makes great. Mediocre practice makes mediocre. I’m not sure about you but I have no intentions of being mediocre. Tiger Woods doesn’t either and I promise you he does not go to the golf course and just whack away at golf balls to get as good as he is. He nit-picks his technique apart to the most miniscule detail, so should you. (NOTE: This was written before all of the bad press about Tiger... Let's just say he is great with his golf technique but could use a little practice in being a good husband and father.)

5. Make Your Training Positive

Your mood should be determined, happy at what you are doing, successful and willing to make progress.

You should leave all of your baggage at the door, don’t bring that crap to your training and chunk it to the performance of your sport or fitness. For that matter, learn to get rid of the neural chunks that have you carry any emotional baggage around with you period. Who needs that crap?

Keep a calm, cool face. If you have a face like you are passing a kidney stone then what exactly are you practicing? You are telling your brain that what you are doing right now is terrible, horrible and it hurts. Now you don’t have to have a fitness model smile, although that isn’t bad, just not very manly comrade; but do stay neutral. Frankly I like to joke around and have fun during rest breaks and then when it comes time for the next set I get focused and keep all tension below the face.

6. Every Training Session Should Have a Focus

I don ’t care if you have been military pressing for a decade; there is something you can be working on to improve your technique. If you can’t think of anything then seek out someone smarter than you to help you.

I always pick 1 or 2 things max to work on technique-wise each session. As a result my lifts have improved exponentially. Don’t try to improve more than 1 or 2 things, as this is too much for your brain to cognitively focus on. Multitasking is a joke; our brains are not wired to multitask except with autonomous activities that are neurally chunked to the nth degree. That is why it is important to create great neural chunks by practicing perfect technique so that we can move forward on autopilot and focus on another aspect of our technique. So each session, or each week or month or whatever, pick a different part of your technique and make that your focus.

Neural chunking has deeper roots in our lives than just our athletic training, it has to do with our happiness set point in life, whether we yell at the dog when he barks or whether we pet him. Whether we face adversity with boldness and defiance or whether we allow stress to overcome us and drag us down. However our physical training is a perfect place to practice facing adversity and overcoming it with bold resolve. I recall how my Martial Arts coach, the legendary Master Paul Vunak, told me once about how practicing violence could make you more spiritual. We are basically warriors who are battling our own weakness. Ever rep, every increase in weight is a success that makes us stronger, physically, mentally and spiritually. Keep your failures few and your successes frequent and you will build lots of good neural chunking to becoming a successful person in life!

After nearly a 2-year layoff from tearing cards, due to elbow and hand pain, I decided it was time to start again. I of course had lost a great deal of strength in my hands but was determined to surpass my previous best (a vertical tear with 56 cards.) Now for those of you who don’t know, I used to do all of the things wrong. I would tear those cards with emotion rather than with calm demeanor. Technique was short and effort was high. As a result I built neural chunks that resulted in pain in my hands and elbows when I tore. Yeah, no joke! I had zero injury but had pain! So I decided to quit tearing. 2 years later I became aware of neural chunking and decided I could use it to my advantage to break the bad neural chunk I had in regards to tearing and the pain I formerly had in my hands and elbows. So I started with a max test. 46 cards was pretty darn hard and I had just a hint of that elbow pain pop back up. Clearly 2 years later I had zero injury but my brain sure remembered the sensory movement of the card tear and still had the neural connections with pain connected. I scaled back and would tear 42 cards with a calm demeanor twice per week. I made darn sure to avoid any perceived level of discomfort in my tearing. Within 10 tearing sessions I now am tearing 58 cards, a new PR all pain-free! By the time you read this I should be at 62+ cards and my ultimate goal is 72, close to a deck and a half.

I could tell story after story about my athletic performance and the performance of my clients, but in the interest of limiting the length of this article I will summarize with a thought. 

The next time you train ask yourself, “exactly what is it that I’m practicing right now? Is it great practice or crappy practice? What part of my technique will I try to improve today?”

What neural chunks are you building? Are those chunks leading to your ultimate success or are they holding you back?

Now stop working out and start training!

8. Nutrition Tip:
"Spinach Chorizo Salad with Guacamole"

I seriously can't believe how good this tastes AND it is completely healthy, low carb, high in protein and healthy fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals. It also has healthy enzymes as we are using some raw (uncooked food), namely the vegetables.

To start I buy a package of grass-fed beef chorizo from a health market like Sprouts, cook it and set aside.

Next buy a package of organic pre-washed spinach.

Guacamole recipe:

5-6 avocados
1-2 tomatoes
1-3 jalapeños (remove seeds and white inner lining for less heat)
4 green onions (or use equivalent purple onions for some sweet kick)
Hand full of torn cilantro leaves and stems, to taste (I like a lot!)
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
2 tablespoons of lime juice

Put it all in a bowl and mash together till desired consistency.

Mix the chorizo and spinach in a bowl, add a little shredded organic cheese if desired, top with a dollop of guac and you are ready to rock!

You have healthy meat and vegetables without the grains or starches. Perfect for those who seek fat loss.

9. Got Grip:
"Seriously Strong Hands ebook"


If you are interested in Grip training you owe it to yourself to get Brian Copeland's Seriously Strong Hands - it will guide you through building a Grip you can be proud of - because remember - the stronger your hands are the stronger your body can be!
This is the grip book I should have written a few years ago.

- Brett Jones CSCS, Master RKC, certified Red Nail bender


"In his ebook Seriously Strong Hands, Brian Copeland has put together a no-nonsense guide for the aspiring gripster. Filled with useful tips and no fluff, it is a valuable resource for the beginning grip enthusiast."

- David Whitley, Sr. RKC (tearer & terror of many phone books!)


I purchased your ebook about a month ago. Your ebook very much summarizes all aspects of strength training for bending/tearing. You also give a great plan for improving strength; following this plan leads to success for sure. I just tore a full deck of cards (wrapped in duct tape) in half, so I know what I am talking about... :-)

- Peter Lakatos, RKC Team Leader
Hungary, Budapest



If you are ready to get grip, here is the tool to get you there.

Learn more about it here

10. Self-Defense / Martial Arts Tip:
"Coming to Grips with Violence"

I have long advocated that Martial Arts are not for fitness. For sport? Oh sure. For discipline and tradition, sure I suppose. But ultimately Martial Arts are all about being a master of circumstances. In order to master the circumstances of when you would actually need to use Martial Arts you need to be prepared to deal with violence.

Why? Because that is the only time you will need to utilize Martial Arts unless you compete in sport; heck even then it might be violent.

But we are talking about real violence! Not an agreed upon tournament with rules where there are judges and the ability to tap out.

In 2009 a spree of black on white and latino violent hate crimes ran rampant through downtown Denver, a normally peaceful town. Victims were targeted because they were white or latino. Most of the victims were men but at least one woman was beaten, spit upon and had racial slurs hurled at her.

The attackers worked in packs, they would only attack solo victims, further displaying their cowardice. They would usually run up behind the victim and surprise them by punching them in the back of the head and then swarm the victim.

Some of the victims got away with bruises and cuts and others had broken bones in their face and skull and at least one is still in a coma.

Question: Are you prepared to deal with this situation? Does your belt, your punching bag, your choke hold or whatever you hold dear to you prepare you to survive this type of scenario?

This is somewhat of a rhetorical question as circumstances can vary but the point is clear.

• Are you aware of your surroundings?
• Do you have an action plan if you are surprised or swarmed by a group?
• Do you have the best tactics for combating and winning against a group of violent aggressors?
• Are you prepared to deal with real violence and the possibility that losing means you wind up in coma, severely broken, raped or dead?
• Would you freeze if confronted by this level of violence?
• Do you prepare your mind for this type of attack?

If you aren't a Martial Artists then I would seriously look at attending a Self-Defense class oriented towards realistically dealing with violence; like the ones I teach.

If you are a Martial Artist then do an honest to goodness ego-free soul search and ask yourself if you feel like you could handle a real life violent attack of this nature. If you don't then as a Martial Artist with integrity you own it to yourself to seek out someone who can fill in those missing pieces.

This is the bleaker side of Martial Arts, not the fun side or ego side... but it is the most important side of them. No warrior in history ever had the luxury of our modern day Martial Artist. Today we debate and argue over who's style is best or who would kick who's butt in the ring. This would be non-sense to our forefathers.

Get to your senses and return to what Martial Arts are all about; protecting you, your family, friends and the innocent against evil people who would do you harm!

To learn more, visit my Martial Arts/ Self Defense site here:
www.progressivecombatsystems.com