T.I. #132 Update: Ramp up to SDS

Posted on November 27, 2018 | Leave a comment

T.I. #132: As “flow conditioning” for our attempt to set personal and/or club records on Thursday, complete a portion of Self-Destruct Sequence (“SDS”) up to 3 times/day until bedtime Wed. 11/28. 

So far I’ve completed 10 iterations (see pic at right) at varying percentages.  In total I’ve completed SDS 2.2 times over the last 6 days — with zero soreness.  See two tables below — one showing the number of reps per exercise at the varying percentages and another showing how I got to that 2.2 number.

Let’s say I’m able to complete 25% of SDS once more today and three more times on Wednesday.  Come Thursday night, I will have completed SDS a total of 3.2 times.  I’m betting that’s going to really change the game, but who knows?

Sure can’t hurt. Literally.  Because I trained without soreness.  If I beat my personal record, I’m taking this as evidence that this method works.

Those who taking the challenge, please comment or email with your results and whether or not you prepped with flow conditioning.

Partial Reps by Percentage
Self-Destruct Sequence
Full reps in parenthesis		 1/4th (25%) 1/5th (20%) 1/6th (17%)
Zombie Squats (50) 12 10 8
Push-ups, diamond (25) 6 5 4
Jump Squats (100) 25 20 17
10-Count Bodybuilders (25) 6 5 4
Pikes/Leg Triangles (25) 6 5 4
Jump Squats, split (50) 12 10 8
Push-ups, Sit-out (25) 6 5 4
Bicycles (50 each side) 12 10 8
Burpees (25) 6 5 4
Twisters (25 each side) 6 5 4
Wall Touches (100) 25 20 17
Push-ups, hopping/clapping (25) 6 5 4

 

My total as of this morning:

11/22/2018 25%
11/22/2018 25%
11/24/2018 20%
11/24/2018 20%
11/24/2018 20%
11/25/2018 20%
11/25/2018 20%
11/25/2018 20%
11/26/2018 25%
11/27/2018 25%
Total: 220%

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Two Seminarians Walk Into a Bar

Posted on November 24, 2018 | Leave a comment

Actually, we don’t walk into a bar.  We talk via zoom.

Ben and I just met recently as we are now cousins by marriage.  We are both seminarians, but our interests, goals and focuses are very different.  Ben’s focus is historical and academic, whereas mine is mystical and experiential.  Ben is in a Methodist seminary, whereas I’m in a liberal Catholic one.  Ben’s work in the seminary will support his research and his writing.  I’m in seminary because I’ve been called to pastoral work — my dream is to run a community chapel.

We’re planning to do these things at least once a month.  Ben’s a smart guy and fun to talk to!

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Happy Thanksgiving: Training Involution #132

Posted on November 22, 2018 | 3 comments

Happy Thanksgiving Cabal Fangers!

I’m posting this week’s T.I. a couple of days early because we’ve got lots to do before Mettlecraft month ends in just eight days and you need time to work!

Training Involution #132

    • Let’s all smash Self-Destruct Sequence on Thursday, Nov. 29th!  Members of the Richmond temple, see you at the park Thursday night!  Distance learners, play along.  Share pics and videos via social media or in the comments below.
    • Put deep ruts in the road.  As many times as you can  before bed Wed. night (but no more than 3 times/day) do 1/4 of the reps in SDS.  If you get the slightest bit sore, drop to 1/5 or 1/6.  The goal: cut up SDS into little bites and eat most of it every day for the 7 days — without getting sore.  For more info on this “flow theory” read this.
    • Prepare mentally.  Perform the Caduceus Ritual once/day between now and Thursday. Visualize being a conduit between the Above (potentiality) and the Below (actuality).  Allow the Caduceus Ritual to train your subconscious mind while you eliminate all thoughts about impediments from your conscious mind.  When Thursday comes, you are going to get out of your own way and allow the incredible to occur. 

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I Suck and You Can Too

Posted on November 20, 2018 | 2 comments

This is me after my 3 mile tire run yesterday morning.

Earlier this month I tried and failed to beat my 2016 personal record at the calisthenics nightmare called Self-Destruct Sequence.

But that’s not the point.  

After that, two friends of mine, Scott and Leo, completed it for the first time with very respectable times.  Several others beat the pants off me, namely James, Robert and Arman (who got it done in a blistering 23:59).  Then, over the weekend, world famous coach Mark Hatmaker smashed all of us with a superhuman 21:05 (read all about it here).

Lots of people out-performed me.  That’s the not the point.

The point is that I inspired and connected with some of the coolest, most determined guys around. 

Yesterday morning I completed a 3 mile tire run in under 40 minutes.  Why?  Because it’s one of the achievements in the Cabal Fang Cord and Rule Program.  And because, although I did it a couple of years ago, I haven’t done it lately and I said I was starting over.

For those who like stats, my time was 36:21 and I used a Hankook 205/65R16 weighing in at almost exactly 20 lbs.  But that’s not the point.

The point is that you can go pick up that tire and go give it a try.  And together we can inspire each other, and everyone around us, to get stronger.

There was a time when I was 80 lbs overweight, when I struggled to keep minimum wage jobs, couldn’t manage my finances, couldn’t keep a marriage together, couldn’t control my own behavior much less raise a child, and couldn’t keep a friend if my life depended on it.  On top of all that, I was spiritually unfulfilled and depressed most of the time.

Martial arts helped me turn things around. 

Everything I learned from doing things wrong, and all the martial arts lessons I’ve picked up over the last 30+ years, are embedded in Cabal Fang.

Nowadays I’m fairly fit, financially stable, mostly reliable, and reasonably well behaved.  I’ve been happily married for 20+ years,  have lots of fantastic friends, and I’m enrolled in seminary.  But my personal improvement isn’t the point.

The point is that you can get stronger, happier and more successful — probably even stronger, happier and more successful than me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Aletheia: Training Involution #131

Posted on November 17, 2018 | Leave a comment

La Vérité by Jules Joseph Lefebvre (courtesy of Wikipedia)

Aletheia is the Greek goddess of truth, and she holds a mirror.  Why do you suppose that is?

Aletheia: Training Involution #131

  • Are you still working on completing Self-Destruct Sequence in under 40 minutes?   If  so, take a shot at the whole thing if you’re ready.  But if you’re still ramping up, that’s fine — just do a few more reps of each exercise this week.  For instructions click here.  Did you even try?  There are no excuses in Cabal Fang.  Work around handicaps and limitations.  Modify or substitute exercises as needed.  If you’re wheelchair-bound, equate 12 exercises as closely as you can to the 12 in Self-Destruct Sequence and go bite off a piece.
  • If you’ve finished Self-Destruct Sequence in under 40 minutes, go hit another fitness goal from the Cord and Rule Program.  See if you can complete 100 Bodybuilders, 100 Get-ups, or complete a 3-mile tire run in under 40 minutes.  Beat a record if you can do it safely!
  • Your spiritual assignment is to speak the truth for the upcoming week.  Make yourself a conduit between the above and below — usher truth into the world with nobility, empathy, strength and grace.   Avoid white lies, but absolutely do not utter any black truths — use no facts to cause deliberate pain.  This month’s focus is the Staff, so stand tall and do your Caduceus Ritual at least twice a week.  Don’t know the Caduceus Ritual?  It’s in the book.

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My (Still) Bestselling Calisthenics Book

Posted on November 13, 2018 | Leave a comment

I have 4.5 stars on Kobo, see?

I still can’t believe my Calisthenics eBook has been a bestseller for over three years.  It’s still #3 in Health and Fitness at Smashwords, although it has fallen from an all-time high of I think #19 all they way down to #37 at B&N.  Reviews average 4 out of 5 stars.

And how much money does a writer make from a bestselling eBook on Calisthenics?  About $30/month, a few hundred bucks a year.

So how about helping a brother out?  Go get yourself some!

 

Only 3.5 stars on Scribd. What can I say — haters gonna hate.

 

 

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For The Veterans

Posted on November 12, 2018 | Leave a comment

“Now, Therefore, I, Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America, do hereby call upon all of our citizens to observe Thursday, November 11, 1954, as Veterans Day.  On that day let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom; and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain.”

~excerpt from Title 3 — The President — Proclamation 3071, 11/11/54

Forrest J. Mitchell Jr.(9/1/1895 – 3/25/1953) — World War I (my grandfather)

F. J. Mitchell III — World War II (my uncle)

Robert E. Mitchell

Robert E. Mitchell (11/21/34 – 7/8/08 ) – Cold War — my father

Richard D. Mitchell (10/13/27 – 3/27/89) — served approx. 1946 – 1949 (my uncle)

 

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Stand Tall: Training Involution #130

Posted on November 10, 2018 | Leave a comment

The Magician — he is acting out the Hermetic axiom “As above, so below”

This month our martial focus is Mettlecraft and our internal, symbolic focus is the Staff.

Mettlecraft month means we’re all digging deeper.  Those of us who haven’t licked Self-Destruct Sequence in under 40 mins quite yet are working our way up to it.  For the Staff, we’re finishing every club meeting with the Caduceus Ritual (see Chapter 19 of Cabal Fang: Complete Martial Arts Study Course).

The Caduceus Ritual aligns your spine — physically, intellectually and spiritually.

  • Physically, you stand straight, breath deeply, and vocalize certain tones.   This slows heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and so on.
  • Intellectually and mythologically you see yourself as a conduit through and between the energies above (sky) and below (earth).
  • Spiritually you allow yourself to fully experience the ritual absorb its significance.

Let’s go put all of this together.

Stand Tall: Training Involution #130

  • Did you finish Self-Destruct Sequence in under 40 minutes last week?  For instructions click here.   If so, do half of the reps as a recovery this week, and think about beating your record next week.
  • Did you get through at least half of the reps?  If so, do 2/3 of the reps this week.
  • Did you get less than half of the reps?  No problem, just try to do more reps this week than last.
  • Did you fail to even try?  There are no excuses in Cabal Fang.  Work around handicaps and limitations.  Modify or substitute exercises as needed.  If you’re wheelchair-bound, equate 12 exercises as closely as you can to the 12 in Self-Destruct Sequence and go.
  • Embody the Caduceus Ritual for the rest of the coming week.  Practice standing tall.  Hold your spine upright, keep your shoulders back, and look people in the eye when you talk to them.  Log your performance in your training journal.

Don’t  tell me what you can’t do.  I only want to hear about what you can do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Cord and Rule Month 1 and Training Involution #129

Posted on November 3, 2018 | 7 comments

Me and my son Robert just after finishing Self-Destruct Sequence in 30:58.

Thursday night was the first new month under the new Cord and Rule program.  We reviewed our journals to demonstrate we’d done our homework and stamped up our rules accordingly.  The thud of the hammer and the visible mark on the brass to signify your work feels fantastic.

November is Mettlecraft Month.  Time to dig deeper.

There were lots of people out sick and otherwise tied up, so it was just my son and I at the meeting.  After we stamped up our rules, we decided to step up on account of it being Mettlecraft Month and earn a big fat “Z” by completing Self-Destruct Sequence in under 40 minutes.  We did, in a blistering 30:58 (my son was done about 30 seconds faster than that — Daddy was bringing up the rear).  We almost beat my personal record from two years ago.

Members of the Richmond group — Leo, Scott, Sydney — and those of you playing the home game — Arman, James — your assignment is to get this thing done before the month is out.  I know you can do it. 

If you think you can safely finish the whole thing in under 40 minutes with no practice, by all means, give it a go.  But I know at least one person — a fitness freak and former competitive bodybuilder — who had to struggle for over a month, finally getting it done after many failed attempts.  My advice is work your way up to it for a few weeks and then take your shot.  Self-Destruct Sequence is no joke!

Week 1 Run-up to Self-Destruct Sequence: Training Involution #129

  • Warm up for at least 8 minutes.  Hop from foot to foot, trot, skip and jog, and rotate all joints, and do the Fools Journey form for about 5 mins.  Then spend 3 mins doing a few reps of each exercise (see below for exercise list and instructional video).
  • Complete SSM-1 of each exercise in Self-Destruct Sequence.  SSM stands for “single set max.” So “SSM-1” means you do as many of each exercise as you can but you stop on the rep just before you think you’ll probably fail.
  • Shadowbox 10 mins for form.  Don’t go all out, just relax, let if flow, and work on your form.
  • Cool down for 3 min. 
  • Complete the Caduceus Ritual.  See Chapter 19 of the Cabal Fang Study Guide for instructions.
  • Record what you did in your training journal.  If it ain’t in the journal, it didn’t happen.  “That which is measured improves,” as the saying goes.

 Self-Destruct Sequence

Zombie Squats (50)
Push-ups, diamond (25)
Jump Squats (100)
10-Count Bodybuilders (25)
Pikes/Leg Triangles (25)
Jump Squats, split (50)
Push-ups, Sit-out (25)
Bicycles (50 each side)
Burpees (25)
Twisters (25 each side)
Wall Touches (100)
Push-ups, hopping/clapping (25)

??? DID YOU KNOW ???  that Self-Destruct Sequence comes from my book The Calisthenics Codex and that, if you finish any workout from the book you can get into the Calisthenics Codex Hall of Fame?

This workout appears in my Top 10 calisthenics ebook — click here to download!

 

 

 

 

 

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Flashback: Training Involution #128

Posted on October 27, 2018 | Leave a comment

Karen and me on vaction a couple of years ago. Ain’t she pretty?

My beautiful wife Karen had ankle surgery yesterday, so today’s involution is a little late, and frankly, I didn’t have time to do something amazing and lay it all out for you.

So I’m doing what I usually do on occasions like this — I’m flashing us back 12 months.

Flashback: Training Involution #128

Open your training journal to exactly one year ago.  If you didn’t train that day, turn back to the next one.  Do that.  Only better.  If you ran 2 miles in 20 minutes, run 2 miles in less than 20 minutes.  If you boxed 3 rounds, box 4.  Find a metric and do better.

If you haven’t been keeping a journal for a year, do my training session for 10/27/17 as follows:

  • Warm up for a full 8 minutes.
  • Squats, Bench Press, and Weighted Back Bridges.  Complete a 2 x 10 with 50% of your 1 RM, and then 3 x 5 with your working weight.  If you’re not experienced at lifting weights, or if lifting’s not your thing, substitute body-weight Squats, Push-ups, and unweighted Back Bridges.  Do two warm-up sets, each about half as many your single-set max, and a final set to failure.  One minute rest between each set.  Rest a couple of minutes.  Then…
  • Run 2 miles as fast as you can.  When you’re done, walk that off for at least three minutes to cool down. Then…
  • Complete the Cabal Fang temple rites.  Don’t know what they are?  They’re in the book, so go read up.  No time for that?  Assume your posture of choice, regulate your breathing, and practice contemplation or meditation for at least 10 minutes.

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