Introducing a new Dragon Door author

am excited to introduce a new DragonDoor author, Master Zhongxian Wuwhose first book in English, Vital Breath

of the Dao, we are releasing this month, alongwith his excellent Shamanic Tiger Qigongprogram on DVD.

I first met Wu at a National Qigong Ass-ociation conference where I was impressed bythe freshness, range, depth and quality of hisknowledge and instruction.

With the tremendous interest in kettlebells andin the work of Pavel Tsatsouline, Dragon Doorhas shifted its focus to concentrate mainly onthat aspect of our business. However, everynow and then I meet an individual whose workI admire enough to want to share it with you.

So, I invite you to have a good look at theinformation about Wu’s new qigong resourcesyou’ll find on pages 3 through 7.

Two RKCs battle back fromcancer—an inspiration to us all

The articles in this issue include some of themost inspirational we have had the pleasure topublish. Two of our standout RKCs, Dr. GlennHyman and Anthony Diluglio both had themisfortune to be diagnosed with cancer.

On pages 24-25, Glenn describes how he useda combination of qigong, joint mobility, Pavel’sstrength methods and kettlebells to rehab fromserious surgery. A salutary, but as I said,inspiring tale!

And I am sure you will be astounded atAnthony’s success story in rebounding from ahorrendous combination of invasive surgeryand radiation treatment. Heck, Anthony evenwent ahead and completed his powerful Art ofStrength kettlebell circuit DVD while stillundergoing therapy. Read about it, startingPage 48. You will be impressed…

Amazing tales of serious weight loss

I have to tell you that as someone who hasstayed at approximately 155lbs at 5' 11'' andaround five percent bodyfat for the last twentyyears, the whole weight loss thing in this

country is hard for me to relate to personally.So I don’t exactly linger when I see one of thoseBefore and After weight loss miracle storyspreads that seem like a permanent fixture ofthe fitness publishing landscape.

And now here I am recommending you—infact urging you—to read Mark Reifkind’s greatstory of how his wife Tracy lost 100 pounds injust under a year, with diet and kettlebells. Well,what I love so much about Mark’s piece is howsensible, practical and obviously achievable thewhole process was. Check out the details onPages 52-54.

And then there’s the equally practical weightloss stories from Sarah Lurie’s recent BiggestLoser style competition at her Iron Core gym.Real people getting real, but above-averageresults.

If you’ve been a regular reader of ourmagazines you’ll notice that kettlebell trainingfrequently results not just in strength gains andfat loss, but a significant spiritual shift, liveschanging and turning around, confidence andpride restored. Read new RKC, Barbara Fritz’sletter on Page 40 as a heartwarming case inpoint.

Speaking of exceptional ladies, it was ourgreat pleasure to have Melanie Simon, a rehabspecialist for the SEALs, attend our October2005 Kettlebell Certification workshop. Checkout the interview with Melanie on Pages 55-56.

Frankly, Dragon Door is a male-dominatedcompany. I remember one of my womanfriends a while ago telling me that when sheopened up one of our publications, she felt likeshe had walked in the men’s Locker Room.Hmmnn…she was basically right. We figuredone of the best ways to correct this imbalancewas let the women do the talking for us. I thinkyou can see this in this issue.

Not entirely convinced of this?

Then check out Lisa Shaffer’s great article(Page 18) on how to use kettlebells to ace yourpregnancy. By the way, Lisa’s just updated herawesome manual, Get Into The Best Shape ofYour Life (Pages 22-23) into a handsome bookformat. Do yourself a big favor and get it!

If you read Mark Reifkind’s article you’ll seea strong testimony to the life-changing, fat-melting power of Ori Hofmekler’s Warrior Dietprogram. Ori offers more of his patentednutritional brilliance in his excellent piece onGlycogen Loading (page 61).

Now if this all above and inside doesn’t getyou fired up about life, health and the pursuitof happiness, I’ll seriously question whetheryou have a pulse…

All the Best,

John Du Cane

Publisher

Dragon Door Publications presents

Vitalics www.vitalics.comwww.dragondoor.com

Publisher & Editor-in-ChiefJohn Du Cane

EditorialTraining Editor

Pavel TsatsoulineEditorial Assistant

Dennis Armstrong

ContributorsOri Hofmekler, Al Sears, Zhongxian Wu,Sarah Lurie, Lisa Shaffer, Glenn Hyman,Anthony Diluglio, Mark Reifkind

Art Direction & DesignDerek Brighamwww.dbrigham.com

Internet ArchitectJames McConnell,webmaster@dragondoor.com

Dragon Door Corporate Customer Service

Dennis Armstrong, Tammy Drury, call 651-487-2180, support@dragondoor.com

Orders & Customer Service onOrders: call 1-800-899-5111

Dragon Door Publications corporate address:

Dragon Door Publications5 East County Rd B, #3Little Canada, MN 55117

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News From The Publisher

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“In this beautiful book, Master Zhongxian Wucommunicates to us his great understanding of, andexperience with Qigong— not as a mere technique butas a perspective on life itself. I recommend this book toall practitioners who have a serious interest in thedeeper traditions of Chinese Medicine.”—LONNY S.JARRETT, author of Nourishing Destiny and TheClinical Practice of Chinese Medicine

“Delivers the authentic teaching of Shamanic Qigongand at the same time provides the cultural context thatgave it birth. This sort of knowledge and understandingis rare nowadays, even among Chinese masters.” —RED PINE (BILL PORTER), author of The Road toHeaven

“Zhongxian Wu has performed a great service indeepening our knowledge of Qigong, offering both theform itself and his understanding of how to lead aharmonious Qigong life.”—PETER DEADMAN,author of A Manual of Acupuncture and founder ofJournal of Chinese Medicine

“Provides a fascinating glimpse into the correlativeand symbolic thinking of a traditionally trained Qigongmaster. The book weaves a fabric rich in traditionalstories, concepts, and terms, applied in a variegatedpattern to the complexities of modern life.”—LIVIAKOHN, Professor of Religion and East Asian Studies,Boston University, author of Daoism and ChineseCulture and Early Chinese Mysticism

“A seminal work in the field of Qigong. ForWesterners interested in this fascinating healing art, itopens a window into the little-known Shamanic rootsof Qigong.”—FRANCESCO GARRI GARRIPOLI,author of Qigong: Essence of the Healing Dance

“Master Wu has done a wonderful job in bridging theancient world of Chinese Shamanism with the ongoingand ever unfolding world of Daoism.”—SOLALATOWLER, editor The Empty Vessel, author TalesFrom the Tao

“This energetic presentation of the worldview thatinforms the theory and practice of Shamanic Qigong ispractical, easy to follow, and astonishinglycomprehensive. Master Wu’s lucid contemporary proseprovides a valid passport to China’s central province ofhealing: the appropriate regulation and deployment ofthe body.”—JOHN BEEBE, Jungian analyst, author ofIntegrity in Depth

“This lovely book explores the symbolism,numerology, and theory of Chinese Shamanic Qigong ina way that will expand the horizons of both qigongbeginners and long-time practitioners alike.”—DENNIS LEWIS, author of The Tao of NaturalBreathing and Free Your Breath, Free Your Life

“This is a remarkably interesting book by aremarkable master of many Chinese arts. Ostensiblyabout Qigong, this book penetrates deep into the rootsof China's ancient shamanism. This alone makes itworthwhile reading, even for those who don't want tolearn his powerful Shamanic Tiger Qigong. It is easilyaccessible even as it explains the complex originalmeanings of symbols and reveals the Qigong way ofthinking, feeling, and moving through life. It exploresthe art of drinking tea, the I Ching, Taoist numerologyand cosmology, and much more. Usually, I tell people toavoid books on Qigong, as you cannot learn the artfrom them. This book is the exception—don't missit.”—MICHAEL WINN, founder, Healing TaoUniversity, past president, National Qigong Association

“Master Zhongxian Wu has given us a deeplyilluminating perspective on the ancient ChineseShamanic roots of Qigong. Masterfully described in thisbook, the wisdom tradition of Chinese shamanism isthe source code of all classical Daoist and Confuciancultures. Wu teaches us that the original purpose ofQigong was to model a harmonious way of life byconnecting with universal energy while simultaneouslypointing to the possibility of spiritual cultivation.Master Wu has ably integrated a biographical,scholarly, and practical understanding of this traditionthrough story and myth, a deep knowledge of Shamanicsymbolism, and his generous sharing of ShamanicQigong techniques.” —GUNTHER M. WEIL, Ph.D.

“This is not a narrow book about a little known styleof Qigong. Master Wu carefully and thoroughlyexplains the history and context out of which the TigerQigong style emerged. This book is the work of a truescholar, rich in detail yet presented in a very relaxed,easy-to-understand format. I recommend it to anyonewho wants an in-depth look at the history andevolution of Chinese Shamanic Qigong.”—MARKJOHNSON, a founding father of the National QigongAssociation

Vital Breathof the Dao— Chinese Shamanic Tiger Qigongby Master Zhongxian Wu Paperback 246 pages 261 photos and illustrations7” x 10”

#B32 $29.95

“The Secrets of Chinese Shamanic Qigong Revealed:Discover New Worlds, Broaden Your Understanding

and Deepen Your Practice with Master Zhongxian Wu’sSeminal Vital Breath of the Dao”

“A remarkable blend of interestingscholarship, valuable healing practices,and a gateway into the deep authentictradition of Chinese Shamanism and theinternal martial arts. It would take thejourney of a lifetime in China to find suchteachings and sincerity.”—MICHAELMAYER, Ph.D. licensed Psychologist,Qigong teacher and author of Secrets toLiving Younger Longer: The Self-HealingPath of Qigong Standing Meditation andTai Chi

1. INTRODUCTION

hen I was a child in China, I was curiousabout the way that local Wu (Chinese

shaman) treated patients. How could anacupuncture needle release the pain when the Wuput it in a suffering patient’s body? How couldthe Wu’s chanting help patients recover fromsickness? I came to understand more aboutChinese medicine when I grew up, of course, butI did get some answers to my questions inchildhood. Still, I had more questions such as:What are meridians? What is an acupuncturepoint? Where did this knowledge come from?How did it come to us?

Through years and years of Wu (Shamanic)Qigong practice, I got the answers to all of thesequestions. I understood that ancient Wu (ChineseShamanism) is the root of Chinese culture, whichincludes Qigong and classical Chinese medicine. Ifelt that learning Wu could help me betterunderstand the Qigong healing system anddeepen my spiritual cultivation. Therefore, in thispaper I want to share some Wu information withyou first and then I will introduce Wu (Shamanic)Qigong to you.

2. WHAT IS WU?

he Chinese character Wu can be used as anoun or an adjective and can also be

translated as shaman, shamanism, or shamanic.The word shaman comes from the Tungusu-Manchurian language.

The practice of an ancient Wu only distantlyresembles that of current day shamans, whotravel in “alternative realities” as part of theirreligious practices. They are mostly located inSiberia and are very aggressive. In trance, but stillin full possession of their faculties, these shamansmay climb the World Tree to reach the “Heavenof the Ancestors” or descend to an underworld insearch of lost or trapped souls. They undergodifficult and painful initiations, including ritualdeath and rebirth. In contrast, the Wu referred toby the Chinese character is much more of a spirit-medium. Through natural ability, training, andritual preparation, the Wu can summon thebright spirits. These spirits inhabit and speakthrough the Wu’s body.1

The oldest writing style of the Chinesecharacter Wu depicts the four cardinaldirections—North, South, East, and West. This isthe pattern that the ancient Wu applied to thecenter of their bodies as “high-tech” equipmentto communicate with the other four directions,and it was through this practice that theyunderstood the Universal Way.

Shamans specialize in ritual and possess uniquepowers that enable them to act as intermediariesbetween humans and the shadowy world ofspirits and the supernatural. However, theancient Wu were not similar to modern-dayshamans and they were different from themodern concept of Wu. In ancient China, the Wuwere omniscient and they governed the countryin addition to aiding others in transcending thephysical plane. They were also able to function asdoctors and taught disease prevention.

Indeed, the Wu possessed Shenming (literally,spiritual clarity or spiritual brightness): SpiritualEnlightenment and a deep understanding of theUniversal Way. The Wu were enlightened beingswho embodied Tian Ren He. The originalfunction of Wu was to connect with universalenergy (or living in the Dao) and pass thisuniversal knowledge on to others. Through thisritual connection with Heaven, they sustainedboth Yin and Yang—stillness and movement.Stillness and movement2 became the fundamentalQigong model.

3. QI

i originated in ancient Chinese shamanism.Offering sacrifice (Heng) was an important

way for ancient shamans to connect with higher-level spirits or with their ancestors. The mist orvapor rising from a sacrificial offering wasunderstood to be a pattern of mystery,connection, and communication between Heavenand human beings. Thus, Qi is related to spiritand can be translated as spirit. The word Qi hasbeen widely used in Chinese daily life forthousands of years to convey different meanings.

In Qigong theory, Qi is usually translated intoEnglish as breath or vital energy. The existence ofUniversal Qi is like a musical rhythm. Even if wecan’t see it, we can feel it in our bodies and in theenvironment through a deep heart/mindconnection.

Classical Chinese culture is a Qi culture.3

According to classical Chinese philosophy, Qi isthe most basic and important material in theuniverse. Qi is the original energy of the universeand follows the laws of the cosmos as it cyclesbetween tangible and intangible forms. “Thepure Qi is Qi [here meaning something likebreath]; the turbid Qi is matter (Zhi).”4 Itsexpression in the sky is found in the stars and intheir movements. In the Earth, Qi is found in themountains, oceans, air, and in all forms of life.For human beings, Qi manifests as the physicalbody and the processes of the mind. This

animating energy connects us with the cosmos.We can understand Qi at a deep level throughQigong practice.

4. QIGONG

igong is a traditional method of physical,mental, and spiritual cultivation. It can be

translated into English as Qi cultivation, spiritualcultivation, or to work with the Qi. The originalfunction of Qigong was to model a way of life aswell as to reach a state of Enlightenment.

From the perspective of ancient Chinesephilosophy, the Great Dao is composed of theinteraction of one Yin and one Yang and itsexpression throughout the universe. Heavenrepresents the Yang component while Earthrepresents the Yin component. The balance andunion of these Heavenly Yang and Earthly Yinenergies result in a peaceful and harmoniousworld. Likewise, imbalances in these energies canresult in disharmony in the world, which cantake the form of natural disasters such asearthquakes, storms, floods, and volcaniceruptions.

As a part of this dynamic universe, humanbeings are also subject to the effects of theseenergies. By following and living by the balancingprinciples of the universe, it is possible to achieveharmony in the body. Through study andobservation of this Universal Way, the ancientWu created numerous methods to help peoplemaintain/rebuild their body balancing systems inorder to keep their bodies, minds, and spiritshealthy. People have used these methods toimprove their lives for thousands of years inChina. Now, we call these modalities Qigong.

Given the long history of Qigong, we may notfully understand its original function. Moreover,the benefits of Qigong practice have led many ofus to focus only on the desired results rather thanon the deep roots of Qigong. Yes, it is true thatwe can do Eye Qigong to improve eyesight, orStrengthening Qigong to eliminate cancer, orother Qigong forms to treat particular healthconcerns. However, in my personal Wu(Shamanic) Qigong experience, mastering the Wu(Shamanic) root of Qigong practice is a powerfulway to enhance our cultivation.

1. Karcher, Stephen. Ta Chuan. New York: St. Martin’s Press. 2000: 40.2. Li Zehou, Jimao Wu Shuo. Beijing: Zhongguo Dianying Chubanshe, 1999:

68.3. See Wu, Zhongxian. “Seeking the Roots of Classical Qigong: Exploring the

Original Meaning of the Pure Yang Mudra.” Empty Vessel Winter 2003: 26.4. Li Jingde. Zhuzi Yulei, comp. (1270; rpt Beijing: Zhonghua Shuju, 1986)

3:37.

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WU QIGONG(CHINESE SHAMANIC QIGONG)

Master Zhongxian Wu

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LAOHU GONG(CHINESE SHAMANIC TIGER QIGONG)

Master Zhongxian Wu

aohu Gong (Chinese Shamanic TigerQigong) is from the Emei Zhengong

(Mt. Emei Sage Style Qigong) school. Mt. Emei SageStyle Qigong combines the traditions of ancientshamanism, Confucianism, Daoism, classicalChinese medicine, and the martial arts. The elementsof this style are rooted in the ancient world ofChinese shamanism, which is the source of all theclassical Chinese traditions. In ancient China,shamans were respected as sages, and sages wereshamans.

This Tiger form helps practitioners channelshamanic power and universal Qi, especiallyZhengqi (righteous or correct Qi). Qi can betranslated as vital energy or vital breath.

The Symbolic TigerAs a totem that corresponds to the great Dao, the

tiger holds numerous symbolic meanings: Lung,breath, Qi, respiration system, change, control,circulation, rule, rhythm, West, Metal, Venus,transparency, upright, justice, autumn, wind, theQueen Mother of the West, and the seven Chineselunar mansions in the Western sky.

Generally, in Chinese shamanic tradition, the tigeris addressed as Baihu—White Tiger. In Chineseculture, white does not merely mean the color white;rather, it is the symbol for transparency, clarity,purification, justice, or punishment, and is alsosymbolic of the activities of killing and destruction.The symbol for white is equal to the spiritual qualityof the tiger totem. In nature, we can learn about thespiritual White Tiger through the “killing”atmosphere of the fall season. This killing is theprocess that generates new life in the spring seasonand is the natural way to clear out old energy andweakness and to maintain stronger life energy.

As we observe in nature, when autumn comes,strong wind not only sweeps down the leaves fromthe trees but also breaks down the weak and sickbranches of the trees. When the next spring comes,these trees grow into a better shape. We can discoverthis natural-spiritual tiger “killing” function of thefall season in the body by learning the function ofthe Lung. Regular Lung function breaks down oldenergy (including dead cells), clears up stagnation,kills invading evil (virus), and maintains Qicirculation. We would get sick easily without this“killing” function of Lung.

The Function of the Tiger Qigong

Usually, the Chinese call the tiger Laohu—literally meaning “old tiger,” regardless of the tiger’sage. The Chinese character Lao for old is a symbolfor wisdom and shamanic power. The tiger is thespiritual animal of the western direction and isrelated to the Queen Mother of the West. The QueenMother of the West is a condensation of the SubtlestVital Breath of the Western Essence from the VitalBreath of the Dao of the Original Chaos.

The universal rhythm of the Dao can be found inthe microcosm of the Lung. From a classical Chinesemedicine perspective, we will never get sick if we canmaintain Zhengqi in the body. Physically, Zhengqi isrepresented most strongly by the Lung, whichprevents Xie (evil) Qi from invading the body. Here,Zheng can be translated as correct or upright. Incontrast to Zheng, Xie can be translated as incorrector tilted. Therefore, Xieqi includes all the factors,such as emotions, food, weather, habits, attitude,posture, or trauma, that may cause illness. One ofthe functions of Lung is to govern and energize allthe meridians of the body. Strong Lung Qi helps usmaintain wellness. We will be more susceptible toillness if the Lung Qi is weak. Thus, in Chinesemedicine, the tiger is the spiritual animal of Lungand stands for the essential Lung Qi and vitalbreath.

The Chinese Shamanic Tiger Qigong form isbased on symbolic power—the essence of ChineseShamanism—and has both medical and martial artsapplications. The tiger form is the story of energycirculation from west to east, the movement of theDao itself, as the symbolic power of the tigercommunicates directly with the Dao. There aretwenty-four movements in the form. Each individualmovement is a seasonal connection to the Universalenergy, to help improve one’s life. Through regularpractice of the tiger form, you will strengthen yourLung function, tonify your Zhengqi and increase theharmonizing Qi of the whole body. In this way, youwill be able to attune the personal Qi to resonatewith the Universal Qi, to discover your truepotential nature and breathe with the Dao.

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ou don’t have to count calories or recordfat grams to achieve your ideal weightand maintain optimal cardiovascular

health. All you have to do is to eat the same ratioand quality of proteins, fats, and carbohydratesthat we have for eons. How are you going to dothat? Get started by remembering these three easyprinciples:

Principle #1: Eat protein at every meal.Principle #2: Limit carbohydrate intake.Principle #3: Eat natural fats.

The more you follow these three basicprinciples, the faster you’ll achieve the health andweight you want.

The First Key Principle For ASuccessful Heart Healthy Diet

Protein is the only one of the threemacronutrients that your body needs each day.High-quality protein is the key to good nutritionand health. Eating more protein than your bodyneeds to meet its daily demands sends the signal“the hunting is good,” which causes the body toburn more carbohydrates for energy.

When your body doesn’t get adequate protein,the body receives the signal the “food is scarce,”prompting the body to stockpile calories as bodyfat to use when times are tough.

Fish, lean meats, eggs, cheese, organic milk,beans, and nuts are all good sources of protein.Eat as much of these foods as you like. You caneat these foods until you are full but you mustchoose these foods in their natural forms.

The Second Key Principle For ASuccessful Heart Healthy Diet

Processed carbohydrates, especially starchyones, make you fat and diseased.

Get your carbs from unprocessed vegetablesthat grow above ground and skip the grains andpotatoes.

What makes one food “better” for you thananother? Different foods contain differentnutrients, of course, but the body handles themdifferently. For example, all carbohydratescontain four calories per gram, but they can havewildly different effects on the body’s blood sugarlevels.

The body converts all digestible carbohydratesinto glucose or blood sugar. Then the pancreaskicks into gear, producing insulin to move theblood sugar into the cells to use for energy. Thebody stores any excess as glycogen in the liverand muscles or as body fat.

Recent studies have found a link betweenprocessed starches and heart attack. All grainsmust be processed before we humans can eatthem. Many studies, including a recent one fromSpain, link processed starches to heart attacks.These processed starches can come from lasagna,bread, cookies, spaghetti, pizza, crackers, chips,and cereals.

These foods cause an unnatural surge in bloodsugar. Your body responds by secreting excessiveinsulin until your blood sugar returns to normal.Because there is so much glucose tightly packedinto these starches, your body secretes moreinsulin for a longer time than if you ate sources ofsimple sugars such as fruit. This prolonged andexcessive release of insulin makes us fat, and itcauses heart disease.

The Third Key Principle For ASuccessful Heart Healthy Diet

Fat does not spike your blood sugar or insulin.Natural fats are a healthy part of a balanced diet.Get your fat from free-range or grass-fed animals,eggs, nuts and unprocessed vegetable oils. Theseare some of the healthiest foods you can eat, nothealth hazards.

The health benefit of natural fats comes fromtheir balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fattyacids. Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of

polyunsaturated fat that have a favorable effecton the heart. Studies show that Omega-3sprevent irregular heartbeat, reduce arterialplaque, decrease blood clotting, lower bloodpressure, and minimize inflammation. Omega-6fatty acids— found in many processed foods—interfere with the functioning of Omega-3s.

As is often true in nature, balance is essential.Our bodies need both Omega-3s and Omega-6s,but we need them in the right ratios. For most ofthe time humans have been on Earth, we atefoods containing Omega-6’s and Omega-3’s in aratio of about 2:1. However, over the last 75years in North America, Omega-6’s in the diethave soared and now the ratio is 20:1. Theaverage American eats ten times as much Omega-6 as is healthy. The main sources are vegetableoils, processed foods, and grain-fed meat.

That is where the health gurus of the 1980smade another big mistake. They mistook theheart disease culprit to be red meat becauseWestern livestock has an unhealthy Omega-6:Omega-3 fatty acid ratio of 20:1. They neverbothered to explain why native people who ateabout 85 percent of their calories as wild redmeat lacked modern heart disease.

If you measure Omega-6’s and Omega-3’s inwild range or grass-fed animals, you get adramatically reversed and heart healthy ratio of0.16 to 1. Stated another way, the culprit isn’tthe fat natural to red meat; it’s the environmentproducing the changed fat in modern farmed redmeat.

It turns out that nature has combined the bestsource of quality protein with the best source ofheart healthy Omega-3 fats—at least when

animals are permitted toeat their natural wilddiet. If you eat organicmeats and avoidprocessed foods you canrestore a more healthfulbalance of fatty acids.

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THREE EASY PRINCIPLES FOR A HEALTHY HEART

AND SUCCESSFUL WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

Al Sears, M.D.

By Al Sears, M.D.

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Great PT for the Mom to Be:KETTLEBELL TRAINING DURING PREGNANCY

ow would you like to stay in greatshape during your pregnancy and setyourself up for a speedy recovery after

pregnancy? What? You don’t think it’s possible?I’m living proof that it is possible and can beachieved easily with consistent kettlebellworkouts and a proper diet. I’d like to share myexperience with you.

I had been working out with kettlebells for eightmonths prior to my third pregnancy, so for me itwas a no-brainer that I continue with mykettlebell workouts. I had no idea at the timethat I would reap so many benefits fromkettlebell training during my pregnancy. Iworked out consistently during my first twopregnancies with good results, so I had goodreason to believe I would have at least the samesuccess from the kettlebell workouts. I canhonestly say that my results from the kettlebellworkouts were not just good but they wereGREAT. In fact, I would say superior.

My results were as follows: my body fatremained lower, and I retained my strength,conditioning and core strength, which resulted inan easy delivery. After the delivery I was able toreturn to my workouts faster, which resulted in arapid postpartum recovery and the ability to getback into my regular clothes in record time. Itcan happen for you too.

So what makes kettlebellworkouts so different andbeneficial for pregnant andpostpartum women?

I believe it’s because all kettlebell drillsincorporate your abs in some way to help buildand maintain great core strength. My absremained tight and my lower back remainedstrong during my third pregnancy. Kettlebellworkouts are also shorter and more efficient.You can get a good cardio and weight trainingworkout at the same time. During pregnancy itis hard to find the energy and motivation toworkout. The pregnancy itself really drains you.It is a lot easier to stay motivated when youknow the workout won’t last long, resulting inmore consistency.

Kettlebell workouts are perfectly safe if youfollow a few guidelines and modifications. Theguidelines are as follows:

• Due to hormonal changes brought on by thepregnancy your joints will start to loosen up sowatch the lockouts. Don’t do grind moves toofast. Even if the weight is light, act as if it is heavyand move slowly. Use your muscles as breaks notyour joints.

• Protect your back and work your core at the sametime with the Pelvic Tilt. You create the pelvic tiltby squeezing your glutes hard and tightening yourabs at the same time. Practicing this move a fewtimes during the day is a good way to get verycomfortable doing it and will also help strengthenthe abs.

• Make sure the leg exercises are slow and incontrol to avoid ligament strain.

• Don’t hold your breath during exercise (nopressurization).

• No twisting exercises such as Windmills.

• It’s a good idea to work out with a lighterkettlebell.

• Clean the kettlebell to the side of your chestinstead of the middle of your chest to make roomfor your growing belly and to protect your breasts.

• Get some personal instruction from an RKC(certified kettlebell instructor) in your area.

• Consult your physician before beginning anyexercise program.

Be sure to ask your physician for the updatedgeneral exercise guidelines from the AmericanCollege of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AGOG)as well.

This is a list of kettlebell drills I used to stay ingreat shape during pregnancy:

1. Military Press

2. Push Press

3. Swings

4. One Arm Dead Lift

5. Front Squats in the racked position and by thehorns position.

6. Lunges in the racked position and by the hornsposition

7. One Arm Bent Over Rows

8. Good Morning Stretch

9. Cleans (modified version)

Pregnancy is not the time to focus on gainingstrength so use a weight that is comfortable andthat won’t require you to strain when lifting.Using a lighter weight is also important for theswings due to the loss of power you willexperience from your abs as they stretch out withthe pregnancy.

Here is a sample workout to follow:

• Military Press x 5 each arm (push exercise)

• One Arm Bent over rows x 5 each side (pullexercise)

• Front Squats x 5 each side or 10 by the horns (legexercise)

• One Arm Dead Lift x 5 each side (core and legexercise)

• Swings x 10 (pull and cardio exercise)

You can work the exercises one by one withshort rest periods (30-60 seconds) between setsor work them in a circuit. Please notice that thisworkout contains a push exercise, pull exercise,leg exercise and core exercise resulting in abalanced workout. For maximum results do atleast three 20-30 minute kettlebell workouts aweek. For more workouts to follow, guidelineson how to structure a workout and detailedinstructions for the exercises please refer to mybook Get in the Best Shape of Your Life. (Seepages 22—23 of this issue—Ed).

So don’t give up on fitness just because you’repregnant. Three kettlebell workouts a week willyield the results you want.

HBy Lisa Shaffer, RKC

Contact info:Lisa Shaffer, RKC is acertified kettlebellinstructor and personaltrainer based in theDallas/Ft. Worth area.She was an assistantinstructor at the June

2004 and September 2005 RKCcertifications. Her services include:workshops, one on one sessions, groupsession, on-line program design and phoneconsultation. For more details please visither website at www.NoFearFitness.com oremail her at kbellinstructor@aol.com

Iron Core was chosen by NBC San Diego totrain six obese people and transform their bodieswith kettlebells in only six weeks. Contestants inthe “San Diego’s Biggest Loser” program didnot spend any time in a gym using traditionalweight loss tools like the treadmill or ellipticalmachine. Instead, contestants participated inkettlebell circuit training; the cardio and strengthtraining workout program that Iron Corespecializes in. Exercises like the swing, clean,press, snatch, front squat and one–legged deadlift are combined and put together in a fastmoving circuit to engage multiple muscle groupsat once and to maximize results.

A typical kettlebell circuit that the Biggest Losercontestants did looked like this:

Warm Up with Joint Mobility and BOSU work and continue warm up with walking Windmills

To perform walking windmills have an area ofabout 20 feet in length sectioned off. Perform awindmill, then bring the kettlebell down into therack position and perform a walking lunge, pressthe kettlebell overhead and perform anotherwindmill. Repeat for about 5 reps, and then switchsides. Walking windmills are a great way to warmup the entire body in a short amount of time.

The timing for the circuit should be 30 secondsfor each exercise, with no more than 30 seconds

rest in between exercises. Perform 3 full circuits,then cool down and stretch. Use two kettlebellsof the same size for each exercise in this circuit,unless otherwise noted.

Dynamic swings (use only one kettlebell)Dynamic swings are similar to a lateral swing,

but instead of stepping from side to side, hopfrom side to side. You will find that this versionof the swing engages the abdominals even moreso than the traditional swing.

Bear Crawl/Double Clean/Double PressAfter each bear crawl rep, jump up/forward,

clean the kettlebells and then press overhead.

Burpee/Double Clean/DoubleSwing/Double Snatch

Each time you put the kettlebells down afteryou snatch, place them about 15 inches in frontof you. If you do this, you are essentially movingforward after each rep. Remember, as you finishthe burpee, make sure the kettlebells are back byyour heels (or further) before cleaning them.This allows you to really load the hamstringsand glutes and generate a lot of power.

Front Squat/Duck Walk Perform a front squat, then at the bottom of the

squat take 2 to 4 steps, pull yourself out of thehole and repeat. This is a real glute and quadburner!

Walking Lunge to a one legged dead liftStart with both kettlebells at your side, perform

a walking lunge. As you finish the lunge,perform a one legged dead lift. Alternate legswith each repetition.

Combining the foundation kettlebell exercisesand putting them into a heart pounding circuit isgreat for burning fat. I have to hand it to thecontestants for working really hard and pushingtheir limits during some of these circuits. Hereare a few of the dramatic transformations someof them achieved after six weeks of doing theIron Core Kettlebell Circuit program:

20

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BByy SSaarraahh LLuurriiee,, CCPPTT,, RRKKCC

This article showshow three obesepeople lost over

150 pounds of fatand 45 inches offtheir waistlines in

just six weeks.

ettlebells changed my life, transformed mybody and I am so passionate about theeffectiveness of this type of exercise program

that I opened Iron Core, a kettlebell fitness studiodedicated to teaching people how to use kettlebellsproperly and effectively.

Since we opened last year, we have seen all of ourclients who work out consistently get amazing results.Fat and inches have disappeared—an averagekettlebell circuit workout can burn up to 20 calories aminute! If you are still skeptical about whatkettlebells can do for you, keep reading.

This article shows how three obese people lost over150 pounds of fat and 45 inches off their waistlines injust six weeks.

KK

MMiikkee LLuuccaass was struggling with trying tolose over 40 pounds of fat and traditional weighttraining was only making him more frustrated.Within his first week of working out with kettlebellshe lost over 12 pounds of fat and a half -inch in hiswaistline. By the end of the six-week contest, Mikewas lean and mean, shedding over 40 pounds of fatand 7 and 1/4 inches in his waist.

Mike has gained endurance, flexibility, strength andconfidence. Mike worked incredibly hard duringeach and every workout and is one of the mostcommitted people I have ever met. When askedabout the Iron Core Kettlebell Circuit program hesaid:

“In the past five weeks, I have gone from using an8Kg kettlebell to a 20kg kettlebell. I feel strong allover my entire body. My core has leaned out, and Ihave developed a great deal of definition all over mybody. With Kettlebell training, I have found that Icould combine cardio, yoga, Pilates, and weighttraining into one single workout that lasts about 45minutes to an hour.

I would have to spend 2 hours in the gym doingcardio and weights to feel the way I do after aKettlebell workout at Iron Core. As a result ofkettlebell training, I have lost over 42lbs and 7 1/4inches around my waist in just five weeks of training!I am a true believer in kettlebells, and a livingexample of what can be accomplished in such a shortamount of time with proper training and guidance.”

For someone who has been withoutexercise for a long time, that can bea very intimidating option. And forthose that do workout regularly,that routine can get boring.Kettlebell circuit training offers thebest option to lose fat and inches—FAST and will always be achallenge, so it never gets boring.

Furthermore, if you don’t have a lotof time to spend exercising, you canget results with kettlebells. If youadd up all the time the contestantsworked out at Iron Core it comesout to about 24 hours of exercise.

That calculates to merely a day ofexercise! Talk about efficient andeffective—150 pounds of fat andover 45 inches gone in 24 hours! So,if you are looking for a workoutroutine that is going to rev up yourmetabolism, burn fat at tremendousrates and cinch inches off yourwaist, get started using kettlebellstoday. If you are already usingkettlebells use a kettlebell circuitprogram to change things up a bit.

For more information on thecontestants, please visit www.ironcorelajolla.com

Sarah Lurie is a Certified PersonalTrainer, Certified Russian KettlebellInstructor and the owner of IronCore Kettlebell Fitness Studios in LaJolla, California and author of theDVD series Kettlebells The IronCore Way. Reach her at sarah@ironcorelajolla .com

Special thanks to Brett Jones, Sr.RKC for all of his help designing thekettlebell circuits and for sharing hiswealth of knowledge with me.

KKrriisstteenn GGrraavveess was once adancer who worked out constantly inhigh school and college. She never hadstruggled with her weight during thoseyears. But once she began working fulltime things changed. If you add to that amarriage and buying a new house, wellthere was just no time for exercise.Kristen gained over 40 pounds in a yearand just couldn’t get started on any typeof workout plan that excited her.

Then Kristen met kettlebells and sheimmediately was hooked. It wasapparent to me that Kristen had been aformer athlete, because she learned theexercises quickly and within the secondweek of her training was swinging andsnatching the 16 kg—now she uses the24kg for swings! Kristen lost over 30pounds and an astonishing 11 inches offher waistline during the six-weektransformation. When asked how shefeels about her dramatic weight lossKristen said:

“I officially fit into my “old” clothestoday! I’m wearing a blouse that I used tointerview in when I first started to lookfor a job here a year and a half ago. Iteven fits around my lower tummy—it’snot loose, but it fits! I couldn’t be happiertoday, thank you so much.”

MMiikkee MMoorreennccyy was probably one of the toughest contestants,because before beginning the Iron Core Kettlebell Circuit programMorency had sustained a knee and shoulder injury playing recreationalsports. Towering over me, Morency was a bit intimidating to workwith at first. But, that quickly changed as this six-foot plus formerUniversity of Arizona (my alma mater) football player startedswinging.

There is nothing more rewarding for a trainer than to see your studentsperform well and to go at it as heavy and hard as Mike did. I meanhere is a guy who stands over 6 feet tall and weighed in excess of 315pounds—I knew this guy could be good. And, lo’ and behold he begandouble snatching the 24 kgs immediately—like they were a sack ofpotatoes. That moment literally brought chills to my spine, because atthat moment he took control of his health and fitness future.

Mike lost over 30 pounds of fat and 5 and 1/2 inches in his waist aftersix weeks. Here is what Mike Morency said about his experience withkettlebells:

“Kettlebells have simply changed my life. Before I wouldunconsciously wander around the gym from one station to the nextnever feeling satisfied by my workouts, thus getting bored andeventually quitting my program. Kettlebells are flat out addicting. I'mbetter at everything because of it, a happier person above all—myweight gain had me at my lowest point ever.

I can't believe looking in the mirror and being happy at what I see andreceiving attention for something other than being the fattest person inthe room. Kettlebells have now made it easy for me to decide that Inever, ever want to set foot in a ‘traditional’ gym again. Everything Ihave been taught at Iron Core has undone all my past programming atwhat exercise and discipline should be about.”

21

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Mike Lucas Before and After Kristen Graves Before and After Mike Morency Before and After

My name is Glenn Hyman. I’m a licensedchiropractor in Denver, and an RKC. In November,2004 I was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in mylow back. After 2 painful surgeries, I rehabbed myselfusing only Dragon Door products.

The day before Thanksgiving, 2004, I had a simpleoutpatient procedure to remove a lump that had beenon my sacrum (tailbone) for nine years. The doctor hadassumed (based on what I told him) that it was aharmless lipoma, which is just a lump of fat. However,when he got in there, he said he wasn’t sure what itwas.

Over the next few days, my wife and I joked that thelump was my un-developed twin. We thought nothingof it. A week later, back in the doctor’s office to get mystitches out, we got the shocking news. He just walkedright in and blurted it out.

“The hospital’s pathology lab couldn’t identify thatthing, so they sent a sample to an expert at EmoryUniversity in Atlanta. It looks like it is a sarcoma – acancer. You have to go see an oncologist.”

If you’ve never heard thosewords, take a moment to begrateful.

I went to see the oncologist who told me that thecancer may have spread to my lungs. If it did, I was infor some serious medical treatment. If it didn’t, I wouldjust need a second, more aggressive surgery.

As you might imagine. I spent a few sleepless nights.My wife was three months pregnant with our sonwhen all this was going on. After an MRI, a CT, a bonescan, and lots of blood tests, the doctors determinedthat there was no evidence of spreading.

So, on December 29, 2004, I had an aggressivecancer surgery at Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital inDenver. An orthopedic oncologist performed a wideexcision around my tailbone, removing some of bothGluteus Maximus muscles, almost all of the sacralfascia, and the fat pad that protects the bone. All ofthese things were biopsied.

I woke up with over 100 stitches inside and out.Despite the doctor’s instructions, I refused to stay overnight in the hospital. There was just no way that I wasgoing to let my pregnant wife go home alone andworry about me. In fact, I also refused to be wheeledout of the hospital in a wheelchair. Four hours aftersurgery, I walked to the back seat of my own car andtried not to throw up from the anesthesia.

New Year’s Eve was subdued to say the least. A fewdays later I got word from the oncologist that thebiopsies were clean. That also meant no chemotherapyand no radiation. So after two surgeries, variousMRI’s, CT’s, bone scans, biopsies, and six weeks ofworry, I was fine. Except for the giant crater in mylower back.

I went on to have the external stitches removed. Thedoctor said if I didn’t regain all my ranges of motion(she meant going into a full squat) in 6 months, she’dsend me to PT.

By this time, it was early January, and I was kind ofa mess. I had gone through seven weeks of extremestress, two painful surgeries, and a whole bunch oftests. On top of that, I lost a chunk of each of my glutesand the top layer of sacral fascia.

Everything hurt—getting into bed,sitting in a car, even watching TV.I also had gained about 8 poundsof fat, since my diet had gone tohell.

I’d call it a low point. I set a goal to get back to mypre-cancer level of strength by the time my son wasborn.

I decided to start with very simple and gentlebodyweight stuff, so I got John Du Cane’sQigong course. Slow movements stimulate theparasympathetic nervous system, which regulateshealing and recovery. If you don’t know anythingabout that, you’re missing a critical part of yourtraining.

Here’s a brief overview:

The nervous system is divided into two mainbranches, the voluntary part that you use to move yourbody, and the automatic part that controls your heartrate, digestion, etc. The autonomic part has twohalves—the sympathetic (the cranked up half), and theparasympathetic (the geared down half).

Stress, training hard, having surgeries, and pain allfire up the sympathetic nervous system. This is whatcauses over-training. It also makes it hard to recoverfrom injuries.

The slow movements in John’sQigong course got me movingaround again, and they alsohelped activate theparasympathetic nervous systemto help my body heal itself.

24

By Dr. Glenn Hyman, RKC

An open thank you to the kettlebell nation, Mike Mahler, and Pavel.

Bouncing back from cancer...

For a couple of weeks, I was starting torecover. But I was still afraid to start back with the

kettlebells. When you’ve had over 100 stitches in yourlow back, the bells look pretty heavy sitting there onthe floor.

So I broke out Pavel’s Martial Power DVDs. Now, Imust confess something. I bought the set a few monthsago, but they were still wrapped in plastic. I figured thiswould be good transition into more aggressive rehab.

I met Pavel years ago, when he used to teachworkshops in Colorado, and before he became famous.This was even before kettlebells. I guess I’d forgottenhow much I’ve learned from this guy.

If John’s Qigong got my recovery started, MartialPower gave it serious momentum.

As I started using my arms and legs with more force,and started remembering how to maximize forceproduction., I started to feel like myself again.

After watching the first DVD in the set, I startedfeeling my strength again. This gave me the courage Ineeded to pick up a kettlebell. I swung a 44-pounderand survived.

After finishing up the Martial Power DVDs, Ireviewed my kettlebell videos, and started working onsome swings, cleans, snatches, and presses. Still, witheach rep, I had some fear in the back of my mind, likeI was going to tear something. But I didn’t.

It was right around this time that Dragon Doorstarted promoting Mike Mahler’s new DVD, TheKettlebell Solution for Size and Strength. Iremembered Mahler well from the RKC course. Therewere two things you could say about him: he wasstrong, and he knew how to teach kettlebell technique.

I got the DVD and watched it all the way though.Somewhere in there, he mentions his online trainingprogram. I decided to see if he could help me comeback.

Now if you know Mahler at all,you know he has a bit of an edge.He certainly comes off as a toughdude.

I emailed him and told him the whole story.

Mike asked me what equipment I had. In myunfinished basement, I have a power rack, twoOlympic sets, dumbbells 65 through 95, and paired 44,53, 62, and 72 lb kettlebells. He agreed to design athree-month program, but it would be only withbodyweight exercises and kettlebells.

Now, I definitely wanted to rehab my back, but threewhole months with just kettlebells? Even though I’m anRKC, I didn’t think it would be enough. I figured I’d tryit Mike’s way for a month, and if it wasn’t going well,I’d just change his program.

Mike started me with the following exercises:

• Double Kettlebell Military Presses

• Double Kettlebell Rows

• Double Kettlebell Front Squats

• Double Kettlebell Swings

We alternated strength days with Mike’s unique styleof kettlebell interval training, which he calls HighOctane Cardio. He included a ton of Hindu Squats inthe program. Looking back, I understand why.

Mahler understood that for me totruly recover, I’d have to put mylegs through a full range ofmotion and really stress thatarea. Moving areas that arehealing helps the scar tissueremodel itself along the lines ofstress.

Mike made sure I watched his DVD to review thedetails of good technique, and told me to start with the44s. He said it was critical that I gain confidence in thelifts, so I wouldn’t get hurt.

The first time I racked the 44s for the military press(from a dead clean, of course) I knew Mahler knewwhat he was talking about. Within two weeks, I wasready to move up the 53s. Another two weeks, and Iwas on to the 62s.

I stuck with Mike’s program for about two and a halfmonths, until my son was born. After a couple weeksof new-dad stress (if you have a kid, you know what Imean) Mike had me ramp back up and finish theprogram.

My son was born almost five months after my secondsurgery. I was working with heavy bells. I was strongerthan ever and the extra 8 pounds of flab was gone.After watching Martial Power, I started studyingKenpo Karate.

For my first Father’s Day, my wife & son bought mean 88lb kettlebell. Next year, I guess they’ll have to getme a 106!

Seriously, I owe a sincere debt a gratitutude toDragon Door, John Du Cane, Mike Mahler, and ofcourse, Pavel.

A few lessons I learned…First of all, get a physical every year with a doctor that

you trust. I actually walked around with a tumor onmy body for nine years because I didn’t get physicals. Ifit’s been over a year since your last physical, call yourdoctor and get one. Many problems can be picked upat the early stage.

Second, get any lumps thoroughly evaluated byqualified providers. A chiropractor at my chiropracticschool’s clinic was the one who dismissed my cancer asa “harmless Lipoma.” He clearly was not qualified tomake that diagnosis, and it could very easily have killedme.

Third, a lot of people get cancer. While the expertsstill don’t agree why that is, there is much they do agreeon. The prevailing theory these days is that all of us areconstantly fighting malignant changes to cells in ourbodies. Usually, your immune system can keep up andkill off cells that are turning bad.

You should minimize exposure to carcinogens, eatquality foods, work to reduce stress, and get sleep.Once you get a cancer, you have to be checked for therest of your life to see if it’s coming back. I plan to makesure it does not.

25

ck from cancer...

Surviving with Kettlebells

48

By Anthony Diluglio, RKC

Continued on page 50

People often ask me what makes kettlebell training morebeneficial than other forms of exercise. I believe KB trainingcreates a discipline that allows us to reach deep withinourselves and tap our true potential.

How badly do you want to reach your goals? Whether it’s justlosing that last five pounds or being the fastest player on theteam, dedicated KB training will set you on the path to success.I always tell my clients, “If you want to be extraordinary, youmust do extraordinary things“. Well, in the training game itdoesn’t get more extraordinary than kettlebells.

I am Anthony DiLuglio, RKC, the creator of Punch Kettlebell Gymin Providence, RI. I have worked with hundreds of clients,logging thousands of training sessions. During this time I havemet some exceptional individuals. The most rewarding part ofbeing a fitness coach is seeing wildly diverse peopleincrementally transform their lives from session to session. I have worked with athletes, housewives, corporate titans, and obese children.

My first kettlebell studio was adjacent to a physical therapyoffice, and I eventually took on all of its post-rehab fitness. Iwas able to help stroke victims walk again and cerebral palsypatients gain strength and confidence.

The most challenging and rewarding example was Phillip Barr.Phil suffered severe inhalation injuries in the horrific 2004Station Night Club fire here in Rhode Island. The doctors allagreed his athletic career was over. Phil came to me with a35% lung capacity and a will of iron.

50

Surviving Our first sessions were short—andliterally ended with chunks of Phil’s dead lung tissue on my studio floor.

Phil clawed through 12 grueling months with mykettlebells and fought back to health. Against all odds hewent on to win the 2005 NCAA “Sportsman of the Year”award. Phil defines extraordinary!

In December 2004 I was voted one of the “100 BestTrainers in America” by Mens’ Journal. The magazine alsofeatured the Punch Kettlebell Gym Circuit as one of the “Top10” workouts nationwide. I was ready to ride that wave andshoot my first DVD. Punch was growing faster than I couldhave imagined and I was feeling great. My hard work waspaying off.

Then in early 2005 the lump inside myright thigh that I had taken for a pulledmuscle was diagnosed as cancer.

Dr. Richard Terik, an Orthopedic Oncologist, said I had a“nerve sheath tumor” and it would have to be removed. Thetumor was wrapped around a bundle of nerves extendingfrom my inner right thigh to my knee. Surgery wasscheduled for May 5, 2005. The procedure was to consist ofa biopsy, and, if all was clear, a retraction of the tumor.

“Biopsy… What do you mean? Is this cancer?” I asked.

“I don’t think so”, the doc said. “We biopsy all tumors...The odds are only 1 in 2 million.”

“I could be that guy,” ”I said, “That 1 in 2 million guy.”

The surgery went well and two days later I was back atwork. I had an appointment on May 11 to have my dressingremoved and popped quickly into Dr. Terik’s office during abreak between clients. I was excited to have this over with.The weather was beautiful. I was ready to shoot the DVD.I shook Dr Terik’s hand and started to ask when I could runagain.

He interrupted me, “Remember when you said you wouldbe that 1 in 2 million guy? Well you were right. Your biopsycame back. You have cancer.”

“What do you mean? I thought you already removed thetumor.”

He said the tumor had been malignant and I would needto go back under the knife as soon as possible to “cut cleanmargins”. I had no idea what that meant. I was still backon “You have cancer”. He explained we needed to removeall the tissue (muscle) that the tumor had touched, a hugearea, 12'' x 6'' x 1''. He also had to cut the bundle of nervesthat the tumor had been pressing against.

This would leave me with permanentnerve damage. I would lose all feelingfrom my inner right thigh to my mid-calf.This included my entire knee.

What about training? Running? Cycling? What aboutmy livelihood?

As I visited specialists to discuss treatment options Iwitnessed a common reaction to my case. They were amazedat the way my body had healed. Here I was, only two weekspost surgery and they thought it had been two months. Theywere also amazed at what little deformity I had in my leg. Iwas told (and saw for myself) that most people with this typeof cancer lose a substantial portion of the affected limb.

The doctors wanted to know what I did to create such dense muscle.

I explained kettlebell training and my approach tobuilding strength. They were very impressed. Boston’s DanaFarber Institute is using me as a case study for furtherresearch.

I was wiped out and racking my brain in search of a planthat would get my life back to normal. Then Phil Barr cameto see me and gave me a copy of Lance Armstrong’s book,It’s Not about the Bike: My Journey Back to Life.

On the front cover Phil wrote, “Anthony, I hope that thiswill inspire, motivate and captivate you in all the ways ithelped me. Use the vigor you bring to your work everyday tobeat this! I offer you all of the support I received in myrecovery.” He told me I needed to do for myself what I haddone for so many of my clients. He said, “You have taughtus to dig deep within ourselves and find out what we arereally made of. Be extraordinary!”

I received hundreds of cards and letters with a similarmessage. I surely had all the support I needed. I was trulyblessed with an outpouring of love and support from somany people. I knew what I needed to do. As my friend Orisays, “Its time to walk the walk!”

Less than two weeks after surgery I was back to work. Itwas time to prepare for radiation therapy. I wanted to be in the best shape possible prior to treatment. Radiationwould create irreversible damage to my lymphatic system. Iwould be left with severe edema and loss of flexibility in myright leg.

I trained as if I were getting ready for atitle fight. I immediately pulled out thebig guns.

I started back on the Warrior Diet. I needed to detoxifymy body from all the drugs and pain meds. I eased intotraining with Pavel’s Resilient and Super Joints DVD‘s. Ithought of myself as one of my own clients. After rehabbinghundreds of patients back to health, it was time for me to dothe same for myself. I did exactly what I would do for themto achieve extraordinary results!

Radiation treatments started on July 22, 2005. I went intoit with a vengeance. Bring it on! All eight weeks of radiation,six days a week. I decided it was time to shoot the DVD. Iwas about half way through radiation and feeling the effects.I was getting fatigued and my skin started to break down. Itwas now or never.

I had been testing the routine on my clients for the pastfour weeks, making small changes each day. It was finallyready. So now it was up to me. We finally filmed The Art ofStrength: Providence on August 13th, 2005. It was releasedon Dragon Door on September 17th.

On October 15th one of my clients, Beth Rabin, had aparty for me. It was my 40th birthday. She called it acelebration of life party. She said that she wanted to give backto me the energy I gave to everyone during this trying time inmy life. She reminded me that I continued to motivate andinspire my clients. Never closing the gym, taking very fewdays off. She said I was always there for them... now it wastheir turn to give back to me.

On October 28th 2005 we shot The Art of Strength:Newport, another dynamic work-along kettlebell DVD.One dollar from each sale will be donated to the LanceArmstrong Foundation.

Don’t wait until its toolate, start now.

Life is unpredictable.

Kettlebell training and thephilosophy of building strengthfrom within saved me from beinghandicapped. It also allowed meto continue to grow and developmyself. It’s not easy to overcomelife’s obstacles.

Start to live like a survivor now.Don’t wait until tomorrow toachieve what needs to be donetoday. Be extraordinary!

Anthony DiLuglio, Survivorwww.punchgym.com

It all started with a bet. LastDecember my wife, Tracy, hadrealized that it was time to getserious about losing the weight shehad gained over the past eightyears.

Like many people, Tracy hasstruggled with her weight all herlife. Long periods of serious trainingand dieting were too oftenpunctuated with breaks of fast foodand no workouts. She had becomea gourmet cook in the interim andthat didn’t help. Typically she wouldbecome re-motivated after a breakbut this wasn’t happening.

Naturally strong and athletic, evenat her heaviest she could still movewell. But now, at 41, and weighing245 she realized her health was inserious jeopardy if she didn’t getinto gear. Cursed withperfectionism, if she can’t dosomething 100 % or have a shot atbeing the best, it tends not to getdone at all.

When a co-worker suggested sheand six friends put up $100 each tosee who could lose the greatestpercentage of bodyweight over thenext 12 weeks the fuse was lit. $700was a great motivator to get backinto action.

Tracy’s weight loss regimens in thepast revolved around the basictriumvirate of fitness: diet, cardioand bodybuilding weight training.Numerous long walks, low calories,low fat diets and isolation traininghad got the job done before butwere time-intensive and boring.

The Bet 100

52

By Mark Reifkind, RKCThe First Thirty Pounds

Once she was into it, the first thirty pounds fell offquickly. She started walking four times a week for 2.5miles and went back to her basic diet plan she hadused before. Just cutting out the fast food and sweetsmade a big difference by itself.

Her diet plan revolved around three basic meals andlarge amounts of vegetables and medium amounts ofprotein. Coffee with real cream started the day with abowl of oatmeal mid morning after her walk. A largesalad with egg whites and an oil-based dressing waslunch. She ate whatever dinner she made my sonGabriel and I and just added large amounts of greensto the dish.

Calories were controlled and she was taking in1,500 per day. Ideally she stopped eating after 6 pm.This added up to a 5-pound loss per week and aftera mere eight weeks she had lost 40 pounds. Of courseshe was feeling better with each pound lost and thefact that she was kicking everyone’s butt in the Betmade her motivated to push even harder.

One trick she did borrow from my bodybuilder’sbag of tricks was to have a cheat meal once a week,on Saturdays, our date night. She ate whatever shecraved, including sweets. This allowed her to staysane and disciplined during the week. TypicallySunday was a very low calorie day or a modified fruitfast if she ate too heavy Saturday night.

Enter the Kettlebell At this point my training business, Girya the Art of

Strength, became Girya Kettlebell Training as weadded kettlebell classes. I had become an RKC andrealized the huge potential KB training had foreverybody. Little did I know how true this would befor Tracy as well.

With some momentum under her belt and theimpetus to push the pace Tracy decided it was time toadd some KB training into her regime. Normally shewould have added DB bodybuilding type work butshe realized it was important for her to understand

the KB for our business. She started with just two 15-20 minute KB sessions per week. Starting with justswings for sets of ten she couldn’t believe how highher heart rate would get so quickly! Just a fewminutes of training made her realized the potency thislittle bell had.

Still, she would ONLY do 20 minutes at the maxand watched the clock like a hawk. She would not letme train her at all as “you make me work too hard”.After a few weeks of just swings she did let me teachher transfers, cleans and presses. She still kept theworkouts to only 20 minutes. She would keep thereps to ten each movement but started combiningmovements into combinations of her own design,trying to get as much done in a short a time aspossible. Each circuit lasted 2-2.5 minutes with thesame amount of rest. It took that long for her heartrate to come down! Typically she would do four five-minute circuits in the twenty minutes.

After twelve weeks she beat allher friends with a 45-pound lossin 12 weeks—18% of her startingbodyweight.

The others barely made a dent in their goals. $700was a great reward. Smelling blood and totallymotivated now she put the money back on the tableand tried to get them to go again for double ornothing for another three months but there was onlyone taker. They each had to lose 25 pounds in thenext three months. Tracy knew the weight loss wouldslow down after the initial burst and this seemed likea reasonable goal.

Warrior Dieting She also revamped her diet strategy. She knew that

to get to the next level she had to clean up the dietmore and drop some calories. Since she wasn’t eatinguntil mid morning anyway and had been listening tome extol the virtues of the Warrior Diet and nothaving carbs during the day, she decided to cut outthe oatmeal and eat her first meal a bit later.

How To Lose 100 Pounds With No Drugs Or Surgery In Less Than A Year

Tracey Before...

...And AfterDropping 100 lbs.

53

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Breakfast was coffee with heavy cream. No carbsand the fats last a long time. Her next meal wasbetween noon and 1 pm and consisted of a proteinshake with one cup low fat vanilla yoghurt, one cupfrozen blueberries, psyllium fiber and ice. Her next“meal” was an apple at 2:30 or 3 pm. And dinnerstopped being gourmet presentations of pasta andgrains with meat and became very precisely measuredentrées of lots of green veggies, egg whites or any typeof meat (2-3 oz) and seasoned rice. Again she tried tonot eat after 6 pm and says she was successful 50 %of the time.

She really wants to emphasize the importancevegetables played in the diet strategy for her: “Eatinga large amount of a variety of veggies really made adifference for me. It really fills you up and you canreally feel its nutritional value.”

Also, true to the Warrior Diet philosophy Tracymade all her own food for the last year. “I think it’sabsolutely critical that I didn’t eat out at all for the lastyear.”

She would give herself a treat after dinner. 100-200calories of chips, ice cream or some chocolate to saysane. But she was eating very clean.

She was now losing about 2 pounds per week, amore healthy weight loss number and one she couldsustain.

The Kettlebell Efficiency Revelation

Things were in full swing, she had lost about 60pounds now in 18 weeks and it’s the summer.

She no longer has to drive my son to school, whichis close to the walking trails she loves. She now has tomake an extra trip and has the realization that thetravel time to go for a low intensity walk is just notworth the time compared to how much she gets out ofher kettlebell workouts.

She has let me teach her to snatch the KB and herfitness and recovery is much, much better. More workis getting done in the sessions, which now havebecome 35 minutes, but still just twice a week. The 15minutes extra per session is much more efficient thana 30 minute drive for a 45 minute walk! Not tomention tons more work.

“Since I am so busy, taking an hour out of my day towalk didn’t make sense when I could swing the KB forhalf an hour and get way more out of it. I noticed thatevery time I hit a bump in my dieting if I just pushed

my KBs a little harder I went right through it. It reallyseems to up my metabolism in a way walking justdoesn’t.

Walking turned into a meditation, very soothing.Kettlebells were the REAL workout; it’s what madethe difference. A HUGE difference.” She was stillwalking two to three times per week but more asactive recovery than the main workout.

Tone and Definition: The KB ‘Whatthe Heck Effect’

Of course, now she had no clothes that would fit herso she had plenty of shopping to do. A tough job ofcourse but she was up for it!

One day two months ago she was trying on clothesand realized she had LOTS more tone than shethought, especially in her arms and shoulders. Shedidn’t understand where this came from, as she wasdoing NO conventional weight training.

Even when she was doing herheaviest power bodybuilding shehad not realized this level ofmuscle tone and definition.

She also ONLY used the 26-pound KB for her entireworkout now. Not that heavy, by anyone’s standards.

But that is the magic of the KB and here is my beliefon why it works so well. Although only 26 poundswas used for the workouts, the speed of themovements is such that the forces are much higherthan 26 pounds. Perhaps two and a half to three timesthe actual weight of the bell. Since force equals masstime acceleration; the ‘virtual’ force she was throwingthrough her upper body was much, much greater thanshe realized.

Your body doesn’t distinguishbetween force that comes fromheavier weights (more mass) ormore speed (acceleration). Forceis force. Producing, reducing andre-directing that force totallytransformed her body, especiallyher arms, shoulders and back.

One must use the right tool for the job and if oneuses too heavy a bell the forces are actually lower thanif the right size bell is used. Swings, snatches and cleansmust be done crisply and with power or the bell is too

heavy. Kettlebells are truly a force magnifier ifthere ever was one.

Now she was really motivated. “I thought, if Ican get this type of definition and tone from twoworkouts a week what will an extra workoutday bring me”? So she added a third workout infor the last two months and the day beforeThanksgiving she hit her goal: 100 pounds ofweight loss in only eleven months.

She now weighed 145 poundswith a totally revamped body.

Tracy continued to push hard as the 100-pound loss was just one step on route to her realgoal: to weigh 140 pounds. This had been herreal goal weight and the number she wanted asmaintenance. What she hadn’t counted on washow different her body would look and feel atthis weight.

54

Tracy’s 100-Pound weightloss Warrior Diet

She overshot a bit and on December 7th she weighed inat 137 pounds, the lightest she has been in ten years plus.Maintenance will mean she can add 4-500 calories backinto the diet and Gabriel and I will be eating some gourmetmeals again, as will Tracy. Portion control will be her guidefor the evening meal and the rest of the eating will stay thesame. She will still include an evening off from the diet fora cheat meal of goodies.

“Now that I am, ahem, more mature, I realize it’s not justabout looks and clothes size but my health. So manyserious and chronic health problems occur in older peoplebecause of obesity. I don’t want that for me and being ableto grow old and be with my family for a long time, in goodhealth and fitness, is enough of a motivator for me to stickwith this system. Plus, it’s not that hard!”

Tracy has developed some very interesting movementcombinations of her own design than I am very impressedwith. In her desire to get her workout over with as fast aspossible and deal with the boredom of very high reps shehas created combinations that have the end result of muchmore work than she had planned.

Just as the perceived exertion of KB swings is not evidentwhile one is doing them, the routines she has put togetherare much harder than she thought, although this is not asnoticeable while they are being done.

Her next goals include maintaining this weight andtraining for the RKC! I really want her to teach classes atGirya as I know she will be an incredible inspiration to somany women and men who face the same weight andbody issues she has lived with. A trainer’s job is to guidestudents through the rough terrain of training and dietingto their goal. This is only possible, in my opinion, if thetrainer has been there themselves and found the paththrough the jungle. The best trainers know all the routes,including the shortest ones. Will she make it? I wouldn’tbet against her!

PSOne thing I have to add is

how incredibly proud I amof my beautiful andincredible wife. What shehas accomplished in soshort a time is trulyinspirational to me andreconfirms my belief inwhat can be accomplished physically when one is fullycommitted to the goal mentally, spiritually andemotionally. The KB has truly brought out the athlete inher, something I saw in her the first day we met but is onlybeing fully realized now, twenty years later. It is never toolate. She is shining now and it’s beautiful to see. AND, it’sjust the beginning. Well done, Honey.

Meal One: 6 amTwo cups coffee with 2tablespoons heavy cream

Meal Two: 12:30-1 pmProtein Shake:One cup low fat vanilla yoghurtOne cup frozen blueberriesTwo teaspoons psyllium fiberCrushed ice, blended.

OrLarge mixed green Salad withtablespoon olive oil and 2 ozprotein

Meal Three: 3:30-4 pmOne large apple

Main Meal: 6 pm6-8 oz of green starchlessvegetables (spinach, broccoli orequivalents)2-3 oz of protein (egg whites,salmon, red meat)1.5-2 cups of seasoned brownrice

Dessert100-150 calories: chips, cookiewhatever she wants.

Tracy’s 100-Poundweight lossworkout routineThe Kettlebell Circuit (all done with 26# kb)

Set one:20 swings left, Transfer 20 swings right 20 transfers (DARCs)

Set two: 10 swings left, Transfer10 swings right

1 swing, one transfer, 40 times

Set three:One swing, one transfer 30 times

Set Four:One swing, Clean, Press: 10 reps perarm then transfer to opposite arm

Set Five:One swing, Clean, Press: one rep perarm then transfer10 timesthen 10 Transfers (DARCs)

Set Six:One swing, one snatch, 10 reps perarm then transfer to opposite armthen 10 Transfers (DARCs)

Set Seven:One swing, one snatch per arm thentransfer ten timesThen 10 transfers (DARCs)

That’s it. Seven total sets and one hellof a lot of work. Tracy rests betweensets until her HR has dropped. Usually2 minutes or so. 30-35 minutes totaltraining time

Mark Reifkind, RKC has been a competitiveathlete, coach and student of physical culture forthe last 34 years. A former national level gymnast,he has trained Olympian gymnasts, was the headcoach for Team USA in Powerlifting and has writtenfor Ironman, Milo and Muscle Mag International. Amasters level rated powerlifter, he now focuses histraining on the kettlebell and the depth of itsapplications.

Rif is the owner operator of Girya Kettlebell Trainingin Palo Alto California, the first training center inCalifornia to use the kettlebell as its primarymethod of conditioning. Girya offers semi privateKB classes, KB boot camps, and personal training inthe art of the kettlebell. All Girya instructors are RKCcertified.

Mark is available for seminars, speakingengagements and online consultations. Contacthim at (650) 273-2637 orwww.GiryaStrength.com.

GLYCOGEN LOADINGTO AVOID GETTING FLAT OR FAT

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One way to effectively ensure glycogen loading in the muscle tissue is by incorporatinga some sequenced recovery meals—every 60 minutes right after exercise. Each meal shouldconsist of 25-30g of carbs and 15-30g of protein. That way, four small recovery meals canprovide 100-120g carbs for glycogen loading to the muscle tissue within 3-4 hours— witha bonus of up to 120g of amino acids. By applying small meals, one can avoid too greatan insulin spike, which will trigger undesirable fat gain.

Bodybuilders and athletes should never overlook the importance of glycogenreplenishment. Recent studies at the RMT University, Bundoora, Australia, proved againthat glycogen stores in the muscle positively affect the muscle’s capacity to generate energyand sustain intense performance. Individuals with high muscle glycogen have a highercapability for energy expenditure than these with low muscle glycogen.

Saying that, there are still some concerns regarding the effects of carb depletion and carbloading on muscle gain or fat gain, respectively. Strength athletes including bodybuilderscannot afford using the same glycogen loading methods as endurance athletes. A few daysof carb depletion may be a few days too many (too restrictive) to the muscle, leading toloss of muscle mass and strength. It makes more sense then to incorporate instead shortercycles of glycogen depletion-loading, on a day in, day out basis. For instance, one canincorporate one day of low carb followed by post-exercise carb loading the following day.Even so,

to avoid muscle waste during a low carb day, it’s highlyrecommended to increase fat consumption for that day,thus compensating for the missing carbs with fat fuel.

Incorporating short glycogen loading cycles with small recovery meals would also helpreduce the risk for fat gain often associated with a prolonged period (few days) of carbloading. Recent studies at Hadassah University, Jerusalem, Israel showed that prolongedand frequent carb feeding may cause over secretion of insulin (hyper-insulinaemia).Leading to insulin resistance and a myriad of metabolic problems, including an undesirablefat gain. To avoid this, one should take advantage of a post-exercise small recovery mealto provide a swift full glycogen loading with no side effects.

In conclusion, for a bodybuilder or a strength athlete, glycogen loading is a tricky skill.If carb loading is done too long or too late, one may get fat or stay flat. Intensely trainedindividuals should take advantage of post-exercise muscle peak capacity to recuperate andrestore glycogen by applying small, sequenced recovery meals right after exercise andthereby prevent insulin resistance and fat again.

Muscle initial glycogen loss can average between 300-500 calories (about 80g-120g)within 30-60 minutes of intense exercise. Therefore, 3-4 recovery meals consisting of 25-30g carbs each could be sufficient enough to provide a substantial glycogen loading, witha full muscle pump and potential for explosive performance.

Ori Hofmekler is the author of The Warrior Diet and Maximum Muscle, Minimum Fat. Formore information on the Warrior Diet Fat Loss Program and Controlled Fatigue Training (CFT)certification seminars and workshops log onto www.warriordiet.com or call 818-992-1994(866) WAR-DIET.

By Ori Hofmekler

The most common glycogen restoring method involves a few days of carbsdepletion (very low carb diet) followed by a few days of carb loading (high carb diet).Known as carb loading, this method is generally used by long distance runners. Thegoal of carb loading is to pump maximum glycogen into the muscle tissues andthereby grant maximum stamina for an increased competitive edge. Enduranceathletes can benefit from carb loading by virtue of a substantial biological increase inmuscle capacity for glycogen loading following a period of glycogen depletion.

Nevertheless, this method of carb loading raises some serious questions, inparticular for bodybuilders. First, how many days of carb depletion are required?Second, how many days of carb loading are required? Third, how much carbs shouldone consume during carb loading? Fourth, how to incorporate carb depletionwithout wasting muscles? Fifth, how to incorporate carb loading without gainingfat?

Let’s briefly address the above questions.

Carb depletion Muscle loses its initial glycogen storage within 10-30 minutes of sustained intense

exercise, (depending on the level of intensity and pre-exercise glycogen stores).Glycogen is the main fuel for fast muscle fibers (strength, speed, and velocity) andcould be rapidly depleted during resistance or sprint intervals. Ten minutes of all-outsprint intervals or sustained resistance training can burn more initial glycogen storesthan an hour of moderate jogging. Thus, a bodybuilder or an athlete who is engagedin 30-60 minutes of vigorous workout can effectively deplete initial muscle glycogenstores within one training session.

Carb loading Bodybuilders and strength athletes can take advantage of post-exercise muscle peak

capacity to replenish glycogen stores. Incorporating proper recovery meals right afterexercise can literally grant full glycogen replenishment within only a few hours.Studies at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, demonstrated that the net rateof glycogen resynthesis is highest in the first 30 minutes of recovery, and then itsignificantly decreases by 62% throughout the remaining 4.5 hours of recovery.

Glycogen replenishment is a key to full musclerecuperation from prolonged or intenseexercise. Any failure to replenish glycogenstores is typically associated with “flat”muscles, plus a loss of strength, speed, velocityand the capacity to resist fatigue.

HOW TO USE

Get in theBest Shapeof Your LifeA Complete Guide toKettlebellExercises and

Kettlebell Training by Lisa Shaffer, RKCPages 22-23

The Art ofStrengthDVD by AnthonyDiluglioPage 49

Dragon Door PublicationsP.O. Box 1097West Chester, OH 45071

New Products:

New Products:

Interview: Articles:

Vital Breath of the DaoNew book by Master Zhongxian WuPage 3

ChineseShamanicTiger QigongNew DVD by Master Zhongxian WuPage 7

Kettlebellsthe IronCore Way

Two newDVDs bySarah Lurie,RKCPage 19

MELANIE SIMON: Kettlebells,Rehab andWorking withthe SEALs

Pages 55-56

ZHONGXIAN WU: Wu Qigong Page 4

ZHONGXIAN WU: Chinese Shamanic Tiger Qigong Page 6

DR. AL SEARS: Three Easy Principles for a HealthyHeart and Successful WeightManagement Page 8

LISA SHAFFER, RKC: Kettlebell Training for Pregnancy Page 18

SARAH LURIE, RKC: Circuit Training Will Make You a Loser! Pages 20-21

GLENN HYMAN, RKC: Bouncing Back from Cancer Pages 24-25

ANTHONY DILUGLIO, RKCSurviving with KettlebellsPages 48, 50

MARK REIFKIND, RKC: How to Lose 100 Pounds WithoutDrugs or Surgery in Less Than OneYear Pages 52-54

ORI HOFMEKLER: How to Use Glycogen Loading toAvoid Getting Flat or Fat Page 61