GUNFIGHTER3 - 2016

Every year I have the unique pleasure of working with a group of former Recon Marines that go by the platoon callsign GUNFIGHTER3. This most recent event, held in late April, marks the 4th annual reunion for GF3. The gathering is a chance for these guys to get together, catch up, shoot the shit, and remember those that have passed. And, in that sense, I can't really think of a better day to post this blog, which is why I've been waiting since early April to do so. 

I can honestly say that being a (small) part of this group is a highlight of my year and has been each and every time. Besides that, my involvement is really a small piece of the puzzle - I'm just lucky to be involved.

These are great guys that have given a lot for the other brothers of GF3 and continue to do so. I will say that when these men get together, it's obvious that the bond they have will never fade.  

It's truly an honor to serve those that have served. Thanks, GF3.

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GunFighter 3 - TCS - 2016 from Seeker Creative on Vimeo.

WILL YOUR SKILLS SERVE YOU?

Being strong, fast, and explosive are all beneficial attributes. We know that for sure. We also understand that if faced with a life-threatening situation, those attributes will improve the chance of survival. Your training in the gym helps develop these characteristics and will serve you in your day-to-day life and that's really why we train the way we do - to improve our lives. However, relying solely on these characteristics may not be enough when shit really hits the fan and you are forced to protect yourself, your family, etc. 

So what can we do to better prepare ourselves for those rare but inevitable scenarios? We harness those broad, beneficial characteristics (strength, speed, power,etc) and focus them down by learning appropriate skills and drilling them until they become a reaction.

Let's take the Power Clean as an example. How confusing was that movement when you were first introduced to it? I'm sure many of you had no clue what the hell your coach was saying and you just kept trying to end up with the bar in the front rack - somehow, someway. It's totally understandable. Now, think back to the first time you had Power Cleans in a timed workout with intensity. How sloppy was that shit? Did you just default back into your old ways of "I'm just get this fucker from the ground to the shoulders"?

Just like any exercise or movement that you have limited exposure to, when a bad situation gets worse, what is your default? What are your skills that you can fall back on in an instant to protect yourself and/or others. Will it end up being a sloppy, ineffective power clean? Or will you have developed the skills and patterns enough to be brutally effective?

I ask these questions to you, but I also ask them of myself.

Bad shit happens all the time. I often wonder what I would do in those situations and I can't say with 100% certainty that my skills would stand up. But knowing this is the first step. The second is seeking out guidance and quality instruction so that you can be confident in your abilities.

On June 24th, from 6:30-8:30pm, Daniel Jolly will be guiding the men of TCS and the surrounding Austin area through skills and drills designed to teach us how to FIGHT FROM THE DOMINANT POSITION.

This will be the LUMBERJACKED Men's Night for the month of June and will be capped at 10.

We will have more info on this seminar in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

ATLAS STONE TECHNIQUE: Keep Those Biceps Happy & Healthy

The cool thing about strongman movements is that whatever gets the job done is a viable option and should be considered. Of course there are some considerations that need to be made like safety and efficiency, but there isn't really anything that says you MUST lift a stone a specific way.

To follow this up, the type of workout you are performing also dictates how one would optimally move a stone. For example, some workouts are short and are designed to be completed as fast as possible. In this case, a movement with fewer stops and starts/phases would be ideal. On the flip-side, there are other work sessions that are longer in duration and will require more efficiency for the purpose of longevity. You see, performing a large number of reps using a "one-timer" technique or simply just using your biceps more will typically result in some inefficiency later in the workout and possibly even some minor to serious irritation at the elbow. 

In the video below, I breakdown how to tweak your technique so as to save those biceps and utilize the larger muscles of the posterior chain to more efficiently move that stone. Before we get to that video, it should be noted again that this technique is not the ONLY technique. There are situations where some variations of this movement are more desirable than others. Play with what works best for you. This is simply information for you to digest and use at your discretion.

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DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE - 2

Yet again, an old commencement speech delivers a powerful message. This one was delivered by Admiral William H. McRaven, Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command. In his speech, McRaven shares the lessons he learned while becoming a Navy SEAL.

This video is 20 minutes long. I know, that's soooooo long! Make it happen! Find the time! You need to hear this!

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DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

I often find myself spinning down a rabbit hole on YouTube. Sometimes it is meaningless junk that just jumps out at me for no particular reason. While at other times, something I watch provides a message that seems to be just what I needed to hear in that moment. Funny how that works.

I was watching commencement speeches (weird, I know) and stumbled across Jim Carrey's speech that I'm sure some of you have seen/heard. I watched the entire 26 minutes of it and found myself devouring the information that he was sharing with the graduating class of 2014. 

This entire trip down the rabbit hole got me thinking....

If I find value from these messages and lessons, surely others will too.

So, below you will find the tail end of Jim Carrey's speech. I realize that y'all probably don't have 26 minutes to *hopefully* receive a meaningful message from a YouTube video, but if you can open up to the idea and watch the last 5 minutes provided below, I think you'll get something valuable from it. At least that is my intention with this post.

And if this one doesn't do it for you, maybe the next one will, as I think this may become a regular thing for Sunday mornings. We'll see.

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WHAT'S YOUR WHY? - Wendy

In our latest edition of "WHAT'S YOUR WHY?", we sit down with TCS athlete, Wendy Vaughan. Tattoos, stylin' chucks and moving heavy weight are just a snapshot of a much larger picture in regards to Wendy's reason for working hard in the gym and out.  

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1 THING YOU SHOULD BE DOING THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT

Rather than leave you in total suspense, I'm going to just let you know that we are talking about band pull-aparts. There. Now you can rest easy and tune in.

It's very common for people who workout to neglect the posterior muscle groups - the ones that you can't see when admiring your sweet, sweet gainz in the mirror. This is unfortunate because the posterior chain is where we *should* be generating the majority of our power production from. Not just when we lift heavy shit in the gym, but when we take on everyday activities as well. So, let's just say those posterior muscles are important.

To compound the issue, most people greatly overdevelop their anterior muscles - namely the pecs and biceps - which cause some serious dysfunction if not attended to. Band pull-aparts are one of the most simplistic, user-friendly exercises that can be performed often to help turn the tides against anterior overdevelopment and build up that critical posterior.

Below is a quick video on HOW-TO properly perform band pull-aparts. Just like any other exercise out there, doing these with shit form will not produce results and can possibly lead to injury. So let's just agree to check this video out rather than assuming you know your shit based off the name of the exercise.

*NOTE: Let me apologize in advance for neglecting to shoot this video in landscape format. It's been a very long time since I've done a movement lecture/demo video using my phone and I totally spaced how ridiculous it looks when viewed in portrait. I'm sorry, and it won't happen again. Ha!

PROTECT YOURSELF

You can lift weights, sprint, and be as fit as you want...but do you know how to use your strength to protect yourself? Hopefully you never have to find out. But what would happen if someone came from behind you? From the front? What would you do? Would you have the skills - and confidence in those skills - needed to defend yourself? 

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Statistics from the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault:

• 6.3 million Texans have experienced some form of sexual assault in their lifetime

• 2 in 5 women in Texas have been sexually assaulted

• 1 in 5 men in Texas has been sexually assaulted

• 91% of sexual assault victims did not report to law enforcement

• Studies confirm the undetected rapist is a serial hunter and serial offender – not the misunderstood drunk guy

• Over 94% of rapists roam free with only 3% ever spending a day in jail

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On April 10th from 9-11am, Daniel Jolly, a professional UFC fighter and Kuk Sool Won instructor, will be leading a SELF DEFENSE SEMINAR at Travis County Strength. This practical, hands-on seminar is open to any women in the Austin area. All ages are encouraged to come learn these vital real-life skills.

It should be clearly stated that this is not a women's self defense class. This seminar will cover scenarios and practical applications that are effective for anyone to use to defend themselves. You will not be learning silly shit like "grab, twist and pull", or to simply "place a brick in your purse". You will learn real skills from a trained professional in a women's-only environment.

SIGN UP NOW

ASHTON KUTCHER IS MY NEW GURU

MAN! It's weird getting back to the keyboard after such a long hiatus, but it needed to happen! I saw a quick video that got me super fired up about working hard and the possibilities that open up when someone is willing to push harder. So while I was knocking out some of the chores around the gym this afternoon, I was attempting to script this post out in some form or fashion so that it would come across as a worthy topic that brings y'all some value.

The logical place to start would be to share with y'all the video that has inspired this post. Boom!

I know what you're probably thinking.....WTF?!? Ashton Kutcher?!?! It's OK, I thought the same thing. Nothing against him, as I really don't know anything about him, but this tiny glimpse shows some pretty impressive qualities that I respect immensely.

All of the points that he hits on are GOLDEN. I don't think there's anyone out there that can deny that the message he's sending has some serious value - especially when you consider who he speaking to in this case. Everyone needs to hear this shit, but young people need it more now than ever, as widespread entitlement has seemingly swept over our population, which, in my opinion, is incredibly dangerous.

What really hit me was his first point of OPPORTUNITY. He states that, "opportunity looks a lot like hard work." 

WHOA! Take that in for a second.

It is way too easy to forget this. No one owes you shit. You are NOT entitled to all the shiny things in this world. You must WORK for everything. That hard work then opens new doors and new opportunities for success and fulfillment. 

Another Kutcher-ism that I really, really like is when he proudly states, "I'VE NEVER HAD A JOB THAT I WAS BETTER THAN." 

That shit is awesome. Period. 

If you think you are "too good" for this or that, you will most likely find yourself waiting for hand-outs wondering why you're in the situation your in. Respect is earned and dues must be paid. These are simple laws of life. Choose to ignore these and life will chew your ass up and leave you wondering WTF happened.

WHY TCS DOESN'T SEE A MEMBERSHIP SPIKE

I've been asked several times since the new year whether we (TCS) have seen a big spike in new members. Each time I explain that we don't see any extraordinary membership growth. I go on to explain that TCS is different in a couple ways:

1. We want our athletes to show up. Gyms that do in fact see spikes around this time of year don't give a shit about you or whether you actually show up. In fact, they've done the research to find that magic number that their "members" will pay and not feel bad about wasting each month when the membership is not used. They bank on you not coming in! Seems backwards, right?

Not here.

2. Our memberships are set at a higher price point and act as a filter for this kind of activity. Only people that see the value of the training they receive at TCS, as well as the sweat equity they put in to their time here are willing to invest in their monthly dues. To put this simply, you get what you pay for AND some!

We don't do half-assed, wishy-washy here. Our athletes see the value and understand there is a real-world benefit to their time at TCS. If prospective athletes are more concerned with paying the lowest price they can find, that's just fine with us. Rest assured, will never dilute our community just to get bodies in the door.

RESOLUTIONS: AN OBLIGATORY MESSAGE

It's that time of year.

(sigh)

You're probably being bombarded with $19.99 gym membership offers, articles on how to drop 15lbs quick and easy, and, of course, the "magic pill" that melts fat and builds rock-hard muscle all while you sit on your ass and eat whatever you want.

As a coach and gym owner, it's an incredibly frustrating time. So let's just clear some things up and then we can move in to the good stuff.

The pushers of these promos don't really give a damn whether you actually use their product or service. They just want you to purchase it. As far as they're concerned, they would actually prefer that you purchase the product or service, take your hand, pat yourself of the back for a job well done, and then continue to do nothing. 

They are in the biz of providing the carrot that dangles in front of you as you "try really, really hard" to reach your goals. They know that you will get temporary fulfillment from taking that first step towards achieving your goals. On the flipside, they also know that the vast majority of you will fall off the wagon for one reason/excuse or another.

"I just don't have the time."
"Working out is hard."
"Eating healthy is expensive."
"I don't have anyone to push me."
"I don't know what I'm doing."

I could go on and on but I'll spare you.

Look, we all know that this time of year is littered with shiny promises of a better body and all with little to no work involved. We know this is bullshit. There is no easy way to achieve a goal. It takes work. Period.

But even that's not enough. You see, the reason so many people fail is because they have not found a important enough reason to make the achievement of this goal a MUST. 

Let's just dig in to that a bit. How many times have you heard someone say that they really should workout more? Or that they should eat healthier? Does that strike you as being a powerful proclamation? Nope.

"Should's" are weak and provide an out when things get shitty. On the other hand, stating that you MUST workout more, or that you MUST improve your nutrition is a different animal. Stating and truly believing that you MUST accomplish something let's your brain know that it's time to get serious. Mentally, you have just burned the boats and the only way you come out of this endeavor is victorious or dead.

The reason I'm sharing this with you is so that you can go into 2016 with some ammo. Look, I would rather people just not make resolutions if it's going to be a "should" rather than a MUST. I know how bad it sucks to set sights high and then fall short. It's a shitty feeling and one that can often lead to a wicked downward spiral of let-downs.

So, as you contemplate what to shoot for in 2016, ask yourself how bad do you really want it? Is it a weak-ass "should", or do you have enough gusto to make it a MUST?

WHAT'S YOUR WHY? - Carrey

Carrey Bull has been a mainstay at TCS since day one. Her positivity and ridiculous work ethic influence everyone that has the privilege of training with her. To put it simply, Carrey makes TCS a far better place. 

What I really love about Carrey's story is that she truly finds value in the work that we do in the gym because it serves her outside of the gym. The last thing I want is for our athletes to be great worker-outters and then flop when it comes to real life shit. We do this stuff so that you can do the things you do better!

Here's Carrey's WHY:

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GREAT EXPECTATIONS

Every (good) coach will encourage you to set your aim high and strive for the things that you're not quite sure are possible. After all, that's one major aspect of our job. We are here to guide and push you to do things that we know you're capable of - even if you don't.

But, it's also important to keep your expectations realistic. Often times, high-drive individuals look to accomplish remarkable tasks in an even more remarkable time frame. Sometimes it works out and good things happen. Other times, you are met with the cold, hard truth that it's just not going to happen like you thought it would. 

This brings to mind one of my favorite quotes:

"Everybody's got a plan 'til they get punched in the mouth." -- Mike Tyson

It's a tricky line to walk. Staying realistic, but yet shooting for the stars. I don't claim to have the cure-all for this. I'm merely suggesting that you monitor this balance when you find yourself having success, as well as when you are met with disappointment. These two occurrences are simply opportunities to check-in with yourself and ask the big questions. 

Like most topics covered on this blog, it really all just boils down to being conscious to what's going on and then making the appropriate adjustments on fly so that you maintain positive momentum OR slowing negative momentum in an effort to turn the tide.

In either case, consciousness is the key. After that, it's all just work.

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME

I would venture to guess that many of us wish we had more time. More time to finish a project. More time to hang out with family and friends. More time to travel and experience life outside of the day-to-day "grind". However, the great equalizer is time. We are all given the time we are given, and that's that.  What we tend to forget is that through effective time management, we free up more of our time to do _______________(Fill in the blank).

The same applies to your time in the gym. 

At TCS, we pack a ton of work into an hour-long class. One of the many responsibilities as a coach is to manage people and time so that the work gets done efficiently. But, this responsibility also falls on each of our athletes while they are on the floor. Everyone involved in this dynamic has to be on the same page and be willing to consciously manage their time in order for the class to run smoothly.

This is yet another valuable lesson learned in the gym that will greatly impact your life outside of the gym - and vice versa. The key is to be conscious to the fact that you are in charge of your time. Heavy, right?

FRIDAY NIGHT SWOD -- Workouts & Details

I'm sure you're all anxiously awaiting the workout reveal, so let's not waste any time. One very important details is that the scoring of each event will be determined by TOTAL WEIGHT MOVED. Give this some thought as you come up with your game plans.

Also, be sure to read the entire post so that you don't miss anything. Attention to detail. 

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TIMELINE:

5:00pm - Athlete & Volunteer check in 

5:40pm- Athlete SWOD briefing 

6:05pm - SWOD 1, Heat 1

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WORKOUT 1A:

•  Females will have 6 minutes to establish a 1RM Power Clean.
• Males will then have 2 minutes to perform as many reps as possible of Ground-to-Overhead (excluding any snatch variation) at the weight established by the female member of the team.

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WORKOUT 1B:

• Males will have 6 minutes to establish a 5RM Strict Press.
• Females will then have 2 minutes to perform as many reps as possible of Deadlift at the weight established by the male member of the team.

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WORKOUT 2:

• 5 minute max-effort Bench Press
  • Team may work in any fashion to complete as many reps as possible at their selected weights.
  • Loading Options: 
    75F/145M
    95F/165M
    105F/185M
• 4 minute max-effort BB Zercher Squat
  • Females will work for the first 2 minutes to get as many reps as possible at their selected weight.
  • Males will then work for the second 2 minutes to get as many reps as possible at their weight.
  • Loading Options: 
    75F/145M
    95F/165M
    105F/185M
• 3 minute max-effort weighted Step-Up
  • Each athlete's weight may not touch the ground at any time during the 3 minutes
    • M:32kg KB
    • F:20kg KB

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WORKOUT 3:

• In 8 minutes, teams will work to get as many reps as possible of:
  • M: 8 Alternating Single-Arm Deadlift @ 215lbs
  • F: 8 Alternating Single-Arm DB Ground-to-Overhead @ 50lbs
    • Males must complete all 8 SADL reps before the female athlete can begin her work.

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WORKOUT 4:

In 3 minutes, teams will work in an alternating fashion to complete as many rounds of:

• 1 Stone Shoulder R (M:100lbs/F:80lbs)
• 1 Stone Shoulder L
• Sprint

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FRIDAY NIGHT SWOD -- Coed

We've had a lot of people ask for a coed team FNSwod, so here it is! We are really excited about this one. It's going to present some unique challenges for us as we program the workouts y'all will take on. One thing we can guarantee is that they, like all the previous FNSwods, will be fast'n'nasty!

Before I give y'all the registration link, understand that only ONE member from your team will need to register. After that's done, your job is to prepare as best as possible for whatever we throw at you. Stay tuned for more information about the event as it becomes available.

REGISTER HERE

TCS KIDS & TEENS

We are excited to announce that the Travis County Strength Kids and Teens Classes are back in session starting Wednesday, September 2nd!

Both the Kid's and Teen's programs will be lead by Coach Jaime Shauger who has done an amazing job of developing an environment for kids and teens to build strength, coordination, conditioning and self-confidence. And just like the other programs TCS has to offer, the workouts are based around working hard, having fun and staying safe.

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PROGRAM DETAILS

TCS Kids:
Ages 6-10
M/W 445-530pm
Register Here

TCS Teens:
Ages 11-14
M/W 530-615pm
Register Here

Pricing Options:
$75/month for 4 sessions
$125/month for 8 sessions
$20/Drop-In

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For more information about class content, contact jaimeshauger@gmail.com

For ZenPlanner/Scheduling/Registration questions, please contact jen@traviscountystrength.com

JUST A THOUGHT

In my previous post, I ended with a quote I saw recently that really stuck. So, naturally, I felt like it may be worth writing about.

"Being fit isn't about being better than someone else. It's about being better than you used to be."  -  Gym Jones

Often, competition with others gets all the attention. We are a society driven by competition and being the best. This isn't all bad. This drive to be the best gets people to work hard and strive for more. The problems start when this "King of the Hill" mentality becomes the sole purpose behind your efforts. 

One thing everyone needs to realize is that there is always someone better than you...unless you are THE ONE - in which case we all probably know who you are by now. Seeing as how that's probably not your story, if your only goal is to be the best or the fastest.....you've already lost.

The reason I love this quote is because it's simple yet profound and puts shit into perspective for the vast majority of people. Perspective is a beautiful thing if you can pick your head up and take in the big picture. For some, that's a big if.

I encourage you to take a second and really ask yourself what your goals are and whether or not you're going about it the right way.

If so, great! Keep truckin'. 

If not, gain some perspective and see if this simple little thought might help direct you.

DROP THE HAMMER

At TCS, one thing we consistently preach is that the work we do here makes you better at the stuff your life demands of you. We work very hard to provide training that will serve you outside of the gym. But, as we all know, life outside of the gym (real life) is random and inconsistent, which does not lend itself well to testing and retesting specific fitness attributes.

Our goal with Drop The Hammer is to provide consistent testing opportunities in a way that best resembles the random nature of real-life. To us, being able to execute at the drop of a hat (or,in this case - a hammer) is invaluable. Will your effort in the gym pay off when you need it outside of the gym? Now we have a way to find a clear answer to that question. DTH is our way of preparing our athletes for obstacles and challenges they'll encounter while also providing specific data points that clearly indicate improvement, plateau or decline. And, as always, the DTH workouts will be kept fresh and FUN! Not all tests have to suck.

"Being fit isn't about being better than someone else. It's about being better than you used to be." - Gym Jones

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DETAILS:

• Implementation Date: August 1st 
• 1st DTH Workout: Unknown
• DTH Workout Retest Date: Approx. 3 months
• Some form of logging/tracking is encouraged.

WHAT'S YOUR WHY? - Tyler

Your WHY doesn't have to be bigger muscles, less fat, more weight lifted. In fact, I would say that, although there's nothing wrong with those goals, I hope that people dig a little deeper. 

In this edition of "What's Your Why?", Tyler says with us what he's discovered while training at TCS. 

Ps. This one gave me chills so I won't waste any more time.