Inside the RKC Certification

If you are interested in the RKC certification, here is a video of the recent one in San Diego CA.

Find out why over 100 people showed up for this certification to train with kettlebells! What are you missing out on?   Find out below.

If you think you want to sign up and have questions, drop me a line by going to the “about” tab above and sending me an email.

If you are already signed up and need some help with your kettlebell form (which I would HIGHLY recommend), drop me an email also.  First come, first serve.

Tactical Strength Challenge (TSC) in Minnesota this Sat Oct 3

Who is going to be at the TSC this Sat at Kinetic Edge in Minnesota?   If you are already did the TSC, drop me a comment and let me know how it went!

Time to step up and compete!  I hope to see you this Sat.  I will be competing in the TSC Elite style, but I will have to buzz out very early since Jodie and I are off to a wedding up north of Duluth.  Nothing like a max deadlift, weighted pullups and 32 kg Snatches for 5 minutes all done with almost no rest! ha!  Such is life.

My training has been going well, but cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF aka “cardio”) has just not been responding as well as in the past.   A big reason is that I decided to put more emphasis on strength and put CRF on maintenance for a bit too long.  I was hoping to make up for lost ground over the past 10 days, but my body was just not having any part of it!  In the past I would have said “screw it” and tried to force too much bad quality work on it which is not good.   Keep in mind that everything has a cost and the cost of too many piss poor reps is bad movement and potentially injury.

Too much coffee and too little sleep is the big culprit as I’ve slept 10 hours last night and the night before. I feel almost human again now.

This Sat should be interesting and that is what makes the TSC such a great event to train for as you are training for

• Max strength (deadlift)
• Relative strength (strength to body weight ratio via the pull up)
• Strength endurance (KB Snatch for 5 min straight)

If your main goal is to look good naked, the TSC is a great event since training for strength is a signal for your body to not loose muscle and keep your metabolic rate up a bit higher.  Having less dead weight (read: fat) for the pull up is key and kettlebell snatches are an excellent way to burn a crap ton of calories in a very short period of time.

Drop me a comment if you did the TSC or you will be at the Minnesota one this Sat!

Rock on

Mike T Nelson

Photo by aka-nolimit “Volleyball Defense”

All the Body All the Time

It is Monday and we are back again with the Monday Mobility corner.

The behind the curtain of the Z Health Athletic Performance System rolls on.

If you missed any of the previous concepts, check them out below

• Key Z Health R Phase Review Concept #4: The 3 Rs of R Phase Why is it called R-Phase?

• Key Z Health R Phase Review Concept #3: Why focus on the nervous system?

• Z Health Athletic Performance System Review: Concept #2 The SAID Principle

Key Z Health R Phase Review Concept #5:  “All the body all the time”

This is one of Dr. Cobb’s favorite quotes. The body is all connected via the nervous system, so you MUST take this into account. Less than optimal joint mobility in ANY joint will result in a less than optimal performance. This is the reason for joint mobility work for every joint in the Z-Health R Phase manual.

Think of it as having any one of your car tires go flat.  Your performance will be less than optimal, so you need to get mobility in all of the joints.

See the posts below for more details

Z Health Case Study: Car Accident and Basketball Performance

Z Health Feedback and Jaw Mobility?

Z Health Joint Mobility and Olympic Marathon Running

Rock on

Mike T Nelson

Extreme Human Performance of the Week: Brett Favre to Greg Lewis TD Toss

Due to my crazy schedule I have not made time to watch a full Vikings game for some time, but today Jodie and I were hanging out for a bit and after she left around half time I debated about watching the rest of the Vikings vs 49ers game.  Everyone knows I should spend that time working on my dissertation if I ever want to graduate, but my butt seemed like put crazy glued to the coach.

It was a back and forth game the whole time and it did not look good for the Vikings near the end.  They were all out of time outs and only about 1:30 left on the clock and they needed a TD.    Yikes.

In the past it would be a complete stumblefest as they would attempt to get a score, but would end up pissing away precious seconds on each play and all Vikings fan leave pulling out their purple hair.

This time was different!

Brett Favre and Greg Lewis to the Rescue!

Brett Favre lead them right down the field and had brilliant time management on the clock.   With only seconds left he threw a strike to Great Lewis who made an AMAZING catch in the end zone.  He went up and knew exactly where his entire body was in space, made sure his left foot was inside the line and dragged his right toe.  You have to watch the video below, especially in slow motion.  Stellar throw and dynamic catch.

What Did We Learn Today?

All exceptional athletes have an amazing movement map -  they know exactly where their body is in space at all times.   This is a combination of visual, vestibular (inner ear “balance”) and joint information to the brain (proprioception).   If you want to go from here to Chicago, a detour through the UP of MI is not the best route!

Each one of the these components can be trained also, but rarely do you see them trained; even at an elite level.  Virtually every athlete needs to start with joint mobility (I personally love Z-Health for this) to enhance their proprioception and thus their overall movement map

Better map = better performance

Congrats to the whole Vikings team and Brett Favre and Greg Lewis for the Extreme Human Performance of the week.

Who else watched the game today?  What are your thoughts?

Rock on

Mike T nelson

In my coffee induced haze of late working on writing my dissertation, I totally forgot to tell you that I did an interview with Jack Woodrup at Vertical Jumping.com about how to use the power of the nervous system to increase your vertical!   Having a great vertical jump can increase your abilities as an athlete or maybe you just want to work on dunking a basketball.

Michael Jordan’s First Windmill Dunk in NBA – The funniest movie is here. Find it

I could watch Michael Jordan play basketball all day! WOW!

In the interview, we also discuss

• what exercise to perform
• kettlebells
• joint mobility
• and much more.

Click on the link below

VerticalJumping.com Interview with Mike T Nelson<–click here

Note:  There is a special offer there too where you can get a $40 value of special report I dd on mobilty, Z-Health and some cool neuro “hacks” to unlock your strength.   If you are on my email newsletter list,  watch your inbox for it as you will get it for free.  If you are not on my list, you can still get it at the site there just by entering your email address.

I had a blast doing the interview and I really want to thank Jack at vertical jumping who made it happen.  Jack lives in the land “down under” and was kind enough to start the interview at 11pm due to the time change between Australia and Minnesota.  He did a great job of hosting it on his site and has tons of great information there on how to increase your vertical jump, so check it out!

Crazy Kangaroos and Mad Ups!

We all know Australia is known for kangaroos and that a kangaroo has a crazy vert!  Check out this video of a kangaroo using his leg power!

I need to thank Eric Cressey for putting that one up on his blog recently.  I’ve watched it about 6 times already and I laugh hard each time.

Any questions, feedback, let me know in the comments section here!

Have a great weekend.

Rock on

Mike T Nelson

PS

Be sure to check out the other great free interviews there too, especially the one on plyometrics from plyo expert Shawn Myszka.

VerticalJumping.com Interview with Mike T Nelson

I recently did an interview with Mark Young (see his smily face above) from Mark Young Training Systems  below

Mike T Nelson Interview: The Nervous System, Neuroplasticity, Joint Mobility and More!

In the interview, we chatted about the nervous system, neuroplasticity, working the opposite joint for better strength and mobility & more!

This is not the typical “stretch this” “just lift heavy” etc interview. We go into specifics on how you can dramatically increase your performance in the gym and on the field in seconds!

Go to the link below to Mark’s site here and check it out it out now.

Mike T Nelson Interview: The Nervous System, Neuroplasticity, Joint Mobility and More!

And it is totally FREE too.

Special thanks to Mark for taking the time to interview me.

Five Finger Death Punch Video

They are back!  The boys from Five Finger Death Punch have a brand new CD “War is the Answer“  I picked it up today and it is AMAZING.  If you loved their last CD, you will love this one.

Below is a video for the first single.  If you like your metal hard and heavy with clean vocals and some guitar solos, you have to pick up this CD.   The amount of passion they put into their music is stellar and something that you don’t see in most music today, especially most of the crap you hear on the radio.  Lead singer Ivan Moody can actually sing very well live the times I’ve seen them.

They will be playing 2 shows here in Minnesota as a show on Oct 1 was just added at the Rock.   They will be with Shadow’s Fall (new CD is amazing) and OTEP.  I already have my tickets.

Let me know what you think of the interview and if any “knuckleheads” are going to be at the 5FDP show and thoughts on the new CD by dropping some comment love below

Rock on
Mike T Nelson

Upcoming Shows ( view all )
Sep 22 2009 8:00P
The Regency Grand San Francisco, California
Sep 23 2009 8:00P
Crest Theater Fresno, California
Sep 24 2009 8:00P
The Glass House Pomona, California
Sep 26 2009 2:00P
KUPD’s Summer Scorcher @ THE FARM Phoenix
Sep 27 2009 8:00P
Sunshine Theater Albuquerque, New Mexico
Sep 28 2009 8:00P
The Black Sheep Colorado Springs, Colorado
Sep 30 2009 7:00P
Sokol Auditorium Omaha, Nebraska
Oct 1 2009 8:00P
The Rock Maplewood, Minnesota
Oct 2 2009 8:00P
The Rock Maplewood, Minnesota
Oct 3 2009 8:00P
Club V Chicago, Illinois
Oct 5 2009 8:00P
Wescott Theatre Syracuse, New York
Oct 6 2009 8:00P
Northern Lights Clifton Park, New York
Oct 8 2009 8:00P
House of Blues Boston, Massachusetts
Oct 9 2009 7:30P
Bourbon Street Ballroom Baltimore, Maryland
Oct 10 2009 8:00P
Webster Theatre Hartford, Connecticut
Oct 11 2009 8:00P
Starland Ballroom Sayreville, New Jersey
Oct 13 2009 7:00P
TLA Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Oct 15 2009 7:00P
The Crofoot Pontiac, Michigan
Oct 16 2009 8:00P
Orpheum Theater Madison, Wisconsin
Oct 17 2009 6:30P
Orbit Room Grand Rapids, Michigan
Oct 18 2009 7:00P
Expo Five Louisville, Kentucky
Oct 20 2009 7:00P
Sunset Station San Antonio, Texas
Oct 21 2009 7:30P
Pavilion Lubbock, Texas
Oct 23 2009 7:00P
The Village Little Rock, Arkansas
Oct 24 2009 8:00P
Mo Freakers Ball Kansas City, Missouri
Oct 25 2009 7:00P
Pop’s Sauget, Illinois
Oct 26 2009 8:00P
Diamond Ballroom Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oct 28 2009 6:00P
KBPI’s INFEST @ The Fillmore Denver, Colorado
Oct 30 2009 7:00P
The Great Salt Air Salt Lake City, Utah
Oct 31 2009 7:00P
Knitting Factory Boise, Idaho
Nov 1 2009 7:30P
Knitting Factory Spokane, Washington
Nov 2 2009 6:30P
Showbox SoDo Seattle, Washington
Nov 11 2009 8:00P
Live Music Hall Koln
Nov 12 2009 8:00P
Columbia Club Berlin
Nov 13 2009 7:00P
Vox Hall Aarhus
Nov 14 2009 8:00P
Klubben Stockholm
Nov 16 2009 8:00P
Nosturi Helsinki
Nov 18 2009 8:00P
John Dee Oslo
Nov 19 2009 8:00P
Brewhouse Gothenburg
Nov 20 2009 8:00P
The Rock Copenhagen
Nov 21 2009 8:00P
Sputnikhalle Munster
Nov 22 2009 8:00P
Grunspan Hamburg
Nov 24 2009 8:00P
Wulfrun Hall Wolverhampton
Nov 25 2009 8:00P
Garage Glasgow
Nov 26 2009 8:00P
Academy Manchester
Nov 27 2009 8:00P
Electric Ballroom London
Nov 29 2009 8:00P
Academy Oxford
Nov 30 2009 8:00P
Waterfront Norwhich

Federer is an amazing tennis player and has amazing movement to match.  Coincidence?  I think not.

Watch this shot.  Watch as he still follows it with his eyes.  For those that are impatient, it happens 26 seconds into the clip.

WOW!

That is some Extreme Human Performance for sure!  Amazing!

The NY Times had a great article on Federer’s foot work.

Federer’s Footwork: Artful and Efficient

Efficient footwork is HUGE for performance!  This is something that can be practiced though and is also taught in the Z-Health S Phase (Sport Phase) DVD set.

Notice that there is a single movement that is wasted!  He also keeps his eyes fixated on the ball until it has left his racket.    Amazing to watch.

Failure

I like what the announcer said about at 1 minute in

“Out of all the times he has tried that shot and failed…”

Fear of failure impedes almost all progress.  You should fail as fast as possible.   You need practice (reps) to succeed.

You will NOT be great on rep 1!  You need perfect practice.

Keep failing and one time you will succeed.  This is “successful failure”

Most are too afraid to fail and therefore never try.  I know that is not you though.    Fear is the mindkiller.

What are you going to practice this week?  Let me know in the comments

Rock on

Mike T Nelson

Just got back Sunday night from the second weekend of Z-Health R-Phase here in Minneapolis, MN.   Great times and awesome to see everyone there again.

I will have a full update on my powerlifting meet very soon!  If you follow me on twitter, you can find the results

follow Mike T Nelson on twitter by clicking here

It is Mobility Monday and time for Z Health concept and common question:

If you missed the past reviews, please see the links below

Z Health R-Phase Review : Why Focus on the Nervous System

Z Health Athletic Performance System Review: The SAID Principle

Z Health Athletic Performance System: Behind the Curtains Part 1

Key Z Health R Phase Concept #4: The 3 Rs of R Phase Whys is it called R-Phase?

1)Re-education
2)Injury Rehabilitation
3)Movement Restoration

Re-education

It is called RE-education since most HAD good movement, but have LOST it. When I demonstrate a Z Health wrist circle, most look at it and go “Oh, that is easy! but then they try to do it with PRECISION and it is quite hard on the first few reps. Your brain at some level knows that you knew it, but lost it. The purpose of Z-Health is to RE-educate your body via dynamic mobility training.

Injury Rehabilitation

While the goal is not to diagnosis anything, the goal is to get them to perform at a higher level, despite their injuries. I know for myself, that I have managed to do all sorts of “not so good things to my body” such as

• pulled groin on both sides and hip flexors (very poor lifting technique)
• midline scar (open heart surgery in 1978 for a heart defect)
• scoliosis
• formally had no 3D vision (currently some suppression of my right eye, used to be complete)
• multiple sprains to ankles and fingers (basketball)
• sprained/partially torn right ankle (snowboaring crash, wearing a walking cast in the winter sucks!)
• multiple car accidents
• torticollis (aka wry neck)
• ripped out right shoulder completely to about the middle of my chest (broomball game)
• separated left shoulder (mountain biking accident)

the list goes on….

I can honestly say that now I am moving,  feeling and lifting better at 35 years old than at any other point in my life. Now it has taken awhile to get to good movement, but Z Health has been the only thing that I have tried that began to make a difference right away.

Getting through your injuries is huge for performance increases and if you target the nervous system with precise work, this is EXPECTED.

Movement Restoration

Many times by getting athletes to move better results in dramatic decreases in pain. While my goal is not to explicitly treat pain, my goal is to get them to move better and most of the time that result of moving better is dramatic decreasing in pain. Since we are targeting the nervous system, many changes can take place in seconds! I can give you multiple examples of times when this is true. Some examples from Z-Health work that I have done

• Female powerlifter missed 281 pounds on her second attempt at a meet. Some Z Health drills and in a few minutes goes on to pull 281 pounds.
• Athlete twisted his ankle at a fun house and pain is 7/8 on a scale of 1-10 (1=little to no pain, 10= loss of a limb). After some Z-Health drills 40 minutes later his pain was less than a 2.
• Olympic marathon competitor had big toe pain of about 7/8 (out of 10) and left hip pain of about 6/7. After about 45 minutes of Z-Health she was able to roll up on her big toe without pain for the first time in 1.5 years and left hip pain was less than a 2 also.

…and there are many more. See the link below here

Z Health/Mike T Nelson testimonials

Now it is not always that easy, but many times it can be with the right applied knowledge. I am currently batting at about 90% of athletes seeing a huge increase in movement quality (and pain reduction) in one session. Again, this is not going to be true for everyone, but for most it truly is. This does not mean that all of their issues are gone and they still need to work on their movement homework drills for about 10 minutes a day for 3-4 weeks to get the changes to hold.  They will also have other things to work on to increase their performance, as the pursuit of excellence is a life long journey, but getting a huge jump start is a great way to start out!

Rock on

Mike T Nelson

PS

If you are in the Minnesota/ St Paul area and are interested in a Z-Health mobility session, drop me an email at michaelTnelson@yahoo.com

I am just getting ready to head out to the second 3 days of the Z-Health R Phase course here in Minnesota.  It will be great to help out and see everyone there again.  I always learn a ton interacting with everyone there.

The Power of the Brain

This is an amazing video on the power of the brain.  The brain and nervous system also hold all the keys to better performance in the gym and on the playing field!  The concept of neuroplasticity tells us that our brain are not fixed and can adapt to many many things at a rapid rate.

Any comments on how he does the tricks, leave them in the comments section.  Very cool stuff!

Rock on

Mike T Nelson

Just wanted to drop everyone a super quick note that I still have a few Z-Health joint mobility sessions for this Thursday evening.   I know there is a bunch of potential RKCs coming to good old Minnesota, so if you want to still get in on a session, drop me an email at michaelTnelson@yahoo.com

I was assisting at the RKC this past June and it was a blast!  I showed up at the meet and greet that Thurs night it took me over an hour to get into the main room as I got ambushed to do some Z “drive bys”   It was cool that most of them moving in the right direction, but this is far from ideal as I was not able to do a full history on each one (but for free I guess you can’t complain right?).

The meet and greet was fun and everyone on Team DuCane did awesome that 3 day weekend too.

Best of luck to all the potential RKCs coming to Minnesota also.

Rock on

Mike T Nelson

PS

Drop me a line ASAP at michaelTnelson@yahoo.com  if you want to get in on a Z-Health session.  Heck, even if you don’t have a car I can probably even stop by the hotel there too for ya to save you a drive.

Make sure to take care of your hands this coming weekend!

Why does Z Health focus on the nervous system?

3 main reasons:

1) governing system of the body

2) fastest system in the body

3) most stable/ most plastic system in the body

Everything in your body is run by you nervous system and it is the governing system in the body. EVERYTHING is under its control, and this includes the muscles and the mobility of your joints! If you can optimize the nervous system, you can optimize performance.

FAST

The nervous system is also incredibly fast. Nerve impulses can travel at speeds up to 300 mph!  (Editors note: based on a comment I have added a list of references for nerve conduction speeds HERE). It has the ability to adapt to change in milliseconds. Dr. Cobb has always said “you should be able to change your body at the speed of the nervous system” and that is fast. No need to wait to see if those planks, stick up and external shoulder rotation work is helping you 4-6 weeks later. You can evaluate any change in seconds!    That change can joint mobility exercises, strength training, any movement!

Stable and plastic

Initially this seems like a contradiction. The nervous system is very stable, yet has the ability to change and adapt. If you go back even 10 to 15 years ago, it was commonly thought the amount of neurons (nerve/brain cells) you had as an adult was fixed. If you lost some, too bad, none were going to regenerate and replace them; sorry, you’re screwed. We now know that this is not true at all and the body has an ability to create new nerve cell (brain neurogenesis) and to also rewire all these nerve cells (brain neuroplasticity).

Stroke patients that had lost function of say their left arm through months of therapy could learn to use the once “damaged” arm to full function again via the concept of neuroplasticity. How? With specific training, they were able to get their brain to rewire so a different part learned to take over the function (motor control) of the arm.

If the brain can do this, I think we can teach it (and you!) how to perform at a higher level, lift more, jump higher, and become a better athlete.

Rock on

Mike T Nelson