Purposeful Primitive Online

I took 3 days off and headed to Naples, FL. Before I left I talked to Marty and he said, eat for 3 days then grip and rip it on Monday.  I don’t know about you guys, but this was very hard for me to do. I mean, the eating wasn’t, I enjoyed that and accomplished my goal of gaining 3-4 pounds. When I went into the gym, I was very disappointed. The set up was horrific. Everything was like 2 feet apart. The power rack, was literally against a lat pull down machine and a smith machine on the other side.

When I started do do my FS, I had to make sure I didn’t hit anyone. This is not the way to start off a training session. Trying to get a spotter, you have to be kidding me. Everyone in the gym was over 65 years old.

I was very happy to come home and get back on track with my training. Sometimes you have to take a step back, that was it. I’m back baby.

I will start off by saying that I am always eating. I’m eating right now as I type this. I can’t eat enough. Luckily I’m heading to Florida to see my mom. I will put on at least 3 pounds this weekend. Veal cutlets, steak, pasta, bread and wine for sure.

My training is going very well. I was lucky to see Marty and the whole Purposeful Primitive team last week. Everyone seems to be kicking ass.  My biggest frustration is the Dead lift, but I understand that baby steps are required in order to perfect my technique and pull 400. Last week I pulled 225 for 4 sets of 3′s, it Felt really good. I am finally on 3′s, which is a hell of a lot better than 5′s. My leg strength is insane!  As I have mentioned before, my SLD are solid and my pistols are awesome.

I posted a video on my website DV8Fitness.com of my Dead lifts. I will also try to upload the same video on this post as well. The session you are viewing, I tried to pull 325 for 1 rep, just to feel the weight. It felt lighter than before, but my ass came up during the movment.

Check it out and give me some feedback brothers.

Outstanding seminar yesterday with Will.   The progressions for assistance exercises for the pullup were worth every penny (actually more).

Phil,  great job coaching yesterday as well…..I’ve already heard some positive feedback on teaching the getup…

Looking forward to the next one…..

Chris

Comrades,

This week has been crazy busy, but I always make time for my workouts. Here is a quick run down on how week 4 went

Front Squats- 165 x 5 x 1. I have not had to take a step back  as far as my FS. I’m still on track and feeling good with my technique.

Bench Press- 175  x 5 x 1. Bench Press has been  really good. It feels great to press again. I have been warming up with DB presses and 135lbs for a set of 8 before each session.

Dead lift-  215 x 3 x 4. I am always starting out with a set of Goblet Squats with a 12k bell. Then into a set of FS with 135lbs, practicing my leg drive.

So far I have taken a smart step back in my BP and Deads. I have found that it is imparative to take it slow and to not focus so much on the numbers every week.  Speaking to Marty at the beginning of every week helps. The conversation sets the tone for my upcoming training sessions.

I’m only on week 4 and have kept up with my weight gain. I’m up 4 pounds so far and feel good. Anyone who says the eating is easy when your trying to put muscle on is not eating enough!  It’s been tough. I drink 1/2 gallon of Raw milk every day. Still eating lots of meat, fish and eggs.

There is no question, that my strength has increased. I am doing pistols with my 32k with no problem. I would like to pistol the bulldog soon. This week i will post a video of myself executing the 3 movements. Looking forward to training with Marty again this week.

Just thought I would share what I had last  night for dinner. I defrosted some veal that I got at Marty Gallagher‘s.  It was ground up,  I added Garlic powder, pepper, salt, 1 egg, parsley and some about a half a cup of bread crumbs. I mixed them all up and made some nice patties.  Little bit of vegetable oil in a pan and cooked for a couple minutes.

Great in the morning as well.

I have to say, ever since Marty told me to force my knees out during the Dead lift, my lifts have become better and feel more solid. I’m with Chris on this, I think I have finally found my Dead lift. I have been fighting this duck stance ever since we started, but now it is finally sinking in. 205 x 5 x 3 felt solid. Pavel would kill me if he found out that I have been dead lifting in front of a mirror for the first couple weeks, shame on me. It just dawned on me this week. So, this past week I did all my lifts away from the mirror, big difference. Here is something to think about, for a lot of us, if we stop and take a look down at our foot position when we are standing, most of us are in the duck stance. I know I stand like this as well as Will.

Bench press this week went very well. I always feel like I need to do more though. I give everything I have during the sets and reps that day, but I feel I need more. Should I warm up with 2-3 sets of DB presses first?  Right now, I only do a set of 8 reps slow. The groove of the press feels better every week. My glutes are sore as shit after I press too.

Front squats are my bread and butter every week. My legs feel like jello after these sets. Usually on the FS day I practice pistols as well. Last week I did a 65lb pistol with no compensations at all, down and up. I would like to pistol the Bulldog this year.

This past weekend they had an MMA expo in Philadelphia which I went too. They had BP, Dead lift competition as well. Very cool to see how many different dead lift styles are out there. I did not notice those who were BP do the groove that we all are working on. It seemed that they were all going straight up with the bar.

Stay tuned for a video on how my 3rd week went.

Have you ever seen the movie “Rudy” which I consider to be the best sports movie ever made. Well, I watched it till 1am the other night and it severely affected my Bench Press performance the next day.  During the movie I think I could have put up my PR.

Anyway, here is what I did on Wednesday-BP day. 170 x 5 x 2.

I warmed up with some overspeed Eccentric swings. 10 with light bell 10 with heavy bell. I followed this with some walk out clapping push ups, just 5 x 5.  “Hit em High hit em Low, ” “Outside Inside,” just a few quotes from Rudy. Before I began my 2 sets of 5, I grabbed a pair of 35lbs DB and did 8 reps of very slow chest presses, pausing at the bottom, feeling a good stretch.

The problem I’m having is getting the bar off the rack, there is nobody in this gym I joined. Hopefully It will still be in business by the time I finish my cycle. Each set felt solid. I made it feel a lot heavier. I focused on really squeezing my glutes, breaking the bar and only using the triceps the last couple inches of the press. Going over and over these 3 things has really made the weight feel light.

Looking forward to my Dead lifts Friday.

Today started with a conversation with Marty Gallagher. So far I’m on track, BUT I need to eat more food!! During our conversation I just happen to be stuffing my face with Eggs, bacon and steakhouse rye bread. I’m eating again as I type this, stuffed Salmon, rice and spinach.  Later tonight a protein shake before bed.

The training session today was quick but very effective. Front squats started off the 3rd week of my plan. I warmed up with Barbell TGU (60lbs), 3 R/L slow, keeping my body linked the entire time. I love the Get up because you can break down each movement and make an entire workout out of it. I started from top down, but only to half kneeling. I focused on breathing into my belly and driving through my heel on the way up.  I then proceeded into Goblet Squats, one of my favorite movements, created by Team Leader Dan John.

Front Squats- 155 x 5 x 2.  This entire workout took about 30min. The only other guy in the gym spent 15min looking at himself in the mirror, I swear.   My 2 sets felt solid. Question?  How important is the hand position in the FS?  It is very uncomfortable. My warm up set was with 135lbs and I tried the crossover position Barbato did when we were at Marty’s. It felt better, but when I start squatting more weight I don’t know.

Overall great session. I have to say, my pistols (1 leg squats) are feeling easier and easier.

Phil is seeking to add size and power and wants to do the ‘straight powerlifting’ regimen of squat/bench press/deadlift – with the front squat being substituted for the back squat. Lean and powerful already, by adding a bit of lean muscle mass, Phil can become a powerhouse; again without sacrificing any RKC capacity. As we stress over and over, this experiment is about enhancing not diminishing Kettlebell capacities.

Phil’s 10 week Periodized Power Plan

My name is Phil Scarito. I am a Certified RKC II Instructor and also hold a Functional Movement Certification (FMS).  In addition I have assisted Master RKC Brett Jones, Senior RKC Brad Nelson and Senior RKC Will Williams at the Russian Kettlebell Challanges.  I practice and teach the Hardstyle method of Kettlebell training and represent my favorite city, Philadelphia.  I hold outdoor Kettlebell classes in the suburbs of Philadelphia (Chesterbrook).   My goal is not only to teach my clients correct form but help them understand why they move the way they move. In order to help them Every client is instructed to go through the FMS screen in order to find their assymetries from which we build a solid program design.

When you train with Kettlebells, you train your body as a unit. In my classes we use basic multi-joint movements that work your entire body. I keep it simple yet challenging. DV8Fitness  welcomes all levels of fitness, Kettlebells are for everyone.  Learn how to become stronger and injury free.  It’s not about how much you press or deadlift, it’s about how well you move without restrictions.  Try a class at DV8 Fitness, you will not want to go anywhere else.