Usually on a Monday I have a nice article or blog post lined up for you, it’s very often something I’d written a few days in advance and set up to be published at a predetermined time.
This week, I haven’t done that.
Simple reason, I’ve barely touched a computer since the middle of last week, and it’s been goooood!
I’m really not a technophile, so if ,as happened last week, my hard drive crashes at work or my wife moves the laptop at home for whatever reason….well I revel in it!
But, I feel guilty for abandoning you so here’s a few things that have been in my head the last few days:
1 – It’s Nearly Christmas!
Earn your Xmas pudding! Click to get your Bodyweight Training workouts
Yup, the fat man is coming! This means I’ll be closing the doors of WG-Fit after my last group session on Wed 19th and not reopening them until Monday 7th January for Bootcamp and full resumption of services.
That’s 2 1/2 weeks off!
I’ve not had a break that long since I started WG-Fit, which was 5 years ago!
What does that mean for you lot?
The last couple of years I’ve been sending out a 12 days of Xmas email of bodyweight training ideas. I’ll be doing the same this year, if you want to receive this, make sure you sign up for it using this link.
Already over on Facebook I’m seeing coaches and trainers harping on about don’t do this and don’t do that over the break.
Here’s my take:
It’s f@cking Xmas!, Enjoy it.
Eat, drink, be merry.
Or F@cking Else!
Any coach that tells you otherwise is in need of an “arsensticktomy” in other words, an operation to remove the stick from their arse.
If, like pretty much all my crew, you’ve trained hard and consistently, you have earned a break. Amongst the regular crew that attend WG-Fit on any given day we have accumulated:
- Kettlebell Sports medals at varying levels, including internationally.
- A few GAA finals
- A couple of marathons
- Several Triathlons
- BJJ wins
- Muay Thai wins
- Judo wins
- 2 Eskrima World titles
- Adventure race finishers
- Girls hitting double digits on chin ups
- and a lot more besides.
So, for two weeks, you have my full permission to sloth out, eat whatever you want and have some R&R.
If you do want to do some exercise, I recommend short bodyweight circuits (once again, click here to receive these)
Defining Physical Culture
I’ve always loved the term Physical Culture, even if it is a bit vague.
The term fitness is kind of task specific, ie “fit of use, fit for purpose” Now this is cool if you need to be fit for a specific event, be it a Martial Arts event, sports tournament or even the nature of your work.
But for most it’s just not applicable.
The fore runner to Physical Fitness was Physical Culture and has roots way back through history. Most usually it is used in reference to the strong men of the 1900′s.
I’ve been looking around for a definition of the term but haven’t found one that matches my own view point, even though I really do like this suggestion I found in the comments section of a website on the topic:
“Physical: of or pertaining to the body
Culture: development of improvement by care, education or training.
Therefore Physical Culture is the improvement of the body by care and training.
Pretty cool.
For me it goes deeper. Physical Culture is a well rounded look at the overall health, well being and efficiency of the human animal.
My view is very much influenced by the (limited) reading I have done about Georges Herbert and his Methode Naturelle which he basis on 10 fundamental skills:
Walking, Running, Jumping, Quadrupedal movement, Climbing, Equilibrium (balancing), Throwing, Lifting, Defending (martial arts) and Swimming.
No where in that list does it state Deadlift or Muscle Up or any other specific. It is a list of skills and qualities.
Notably the skill of Defending or martial arts is featured, and if we take the human as an animal, it must, as all animal must, be able to defend itself.
That means to defend itself against:
Violent attack, Sickness, Weakness, Ageing, Atrophy and anything else that may cause us harm.
This means we must develop or mental, physical and psychological strength & endurance equally.
This is Physical Culture.
(More on Georges Herbert in this post)
I’m almost done getting the workshop schedule for early 2013 finalised, it will include some Self Defence Training and Rapid Response courses as well as the usual Kettlebell & Bodyweight workshops.
I’m also going to sit down and write a WG-Physical Culture workshop, which will be a task and a half!
It’s probably going to be a multiple day event in order to cover:
Joint Mobility
Breath Control
Callisthenics, Agility & Animal Movements
Strength Training with Barbells, Kettlebells & improvised equipment.
Simple meditations for mental focus
Basic Self Defence Principles & Techniques
Developing a Powerful Punch
And that’s just for starters. Keep some weekends free around the summer time for this to be run!
Regards
