So you want to be a circus strongman? You and everybody else kid. 3/17/11 training

I am now only training in the methods of circus strongman/woman arts. The fitness world has plunged into insanity. As far as I can tell the only sane thing to do is to retreat back to a time where only one thing mattered; performance-execution of a feat. For all the "old-time" training for all its promises, dismal results with a speck of brilliance to show for it. My mentor tells me that strength is action applied. You get better at something by doing it, not only doing it, but doing it better, longer, and heavier each time you do it, even if progress is by a second longer, one rep or half a pound better then you did before. That is true progressive training because you are better then you where the last time and those "betters" add up.

It’s NOT rocket science so don't make it into anything more than it is.

You want to one hand press a 200lb dumbbell over your head? Then you get to pressing weight over your head. If your dream is to play high level tennis why would you spend the majority of your time playing golf? But this is exactly what people do.

My mentor will say, “How will most people stack up against a man or woman who can one hand clean a 180lb kettlebell?” The answer is most people would get steam rolled. The clean is a full body exercise, to clean a bell that heavy takes tremendous muscular power and control. One person who has truly MASTERED a feat has retroactively gained skill over a number of other physical and mental expressions. So while most people will do 20 things at piss poor to average level of accomplishment someone training in the mind set of a circus strongman or woman will focus on 4-5 things and bring them to a level of MASTERY and thereby exceeding that other.

I train in the mindset of feats, which is to say, I take something mundane and bring it to superhuman levels. Not be doing anything other than looking at the object, being honest with myself and doing it harder, heavier and more consistently then 99.9% of the world’s population.

Goal orientated and razor sharp focus is the way of the circus strongman/woman. The willingness to persist in the thick and endure what is truly hard and each time you train you must be ready to take one step further into the resistance, even if it is a shuffle step. The point is PROGRESSION and those shuffle steps add up and add up fast.

You must also rest. Exercise is Queen but rest is King. You body will breakdown and never rebuild with this kind of demands placed on it. You bring yourself to your limit and small step forward. Your done, you’re your injure free, you have energy for the rest of the day and you can attend to the matters of your house.

I would like to thank my mentor for taking a chance on me.

-Kevin Wikse

Today’s training

*Kettlebell 40kg onehand clean and press 14 in a row each hand, goal of 20.

*Met my strand pulling goal of 20 reps in a row with triple orange will progress on to triple red.

*Iron Limb hold with 35lb extended kettlebell 8second each arm goal of 1 minute

*Ring weight position hold 20lb kettlebell 15 sec each arm goal of 1 minute

*35lb steel club onehanded full lever 1 per arm goal of 5

*Iron Limb elvated body support 38seconds goal of 1 min

*Invanko super gripper 11/9 setting 4 reps each hand goal of 10