Active Expert Joe Decker works out with some tractor tires.

On August 15th and 16th, macebell.com founder, friend, and advisor Jake Shannon is putting on his big Macebell Mauler Gathering. The weekend will be filled with training, contests, and certifications. For more info or to register, click here.

Location:
Altitude Fitness & Combat Sports
27 North 800 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84116

We want to congratulate one of our advisors, Joe Decker, for being voted “Best Trainer” by Reader’s Choice: Best of 2009. He’s a good friend and a hell of a trainer.

Congratulations to Jake Shannon and Brandon Ruiz on their new grappling center in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Check out their new site:

http://lionsshare.ning.com/

Jealousy is an emotion our competitors often feel.  So we have posted this article by Mike Mahler to help them through the rough times…

“If you are discontented but unwilling to give up what is holding you back, you will have to admit that it is you who has chosen to reject success and to abandon the dream of being all of the best you can be. If this is so, you can stop getting jealous whenever you see other people around you succeeding in the life you thought you wanted for yourself.”

– Chin-Ning Chu, from her book Do Less, Achieve More

Over the years, I’ve realized you can’t want success for others more than they want it for themselves. You can give someone the tools they need for success but if they don’t use those tools and follow through, success will always evade them. You can send them opportunity after opportunity and introduce them to all the right people, yet success will always evade them. Why are some people not prepared to lay the groundwork for success? Who knows? As motivational speaker Jim Rohn says, “It’s one of the mysteries of the universe.”

The main reasons people fail to succeed? Lack of self-responsibility and self-awareness. You have to take charge of your life and take responsibility for your success. It’s not anyone else’s job but your own to be successful–as long as you rely on other people and relinquish responsibility, you won’t experience success. No matter what others do for you, if you don’t take responsibility for yourself, it’s all in vain. read more »

Over the coming months, we will be featuring interviews, articles, and videos from each of our advisors. Today, we would like to jump off with Steve Cotter, a giant in the field of fitness. His knowledge and skills are mindblowing. Here’s a taste:

Do you ever find yourself wishing that you were as good as so-and-so in a certain skill? As you continue to train and achieve progress you want to be good at everything, strong in every lift. Perhaps you marvel at the 500 pound bench presser and wish to equal his feat. You see a guy like John “Pull-ups” Allstadt crank out one-arm chins and decide you’re going to add those to your repertoire. And of course, you plan to achieve Master of Sport in Kettlebell lifting within the next few years! Well, I’m here to share with you the “secret” of the great strongmen and super athletes. (read on for more Strongman Secrets)

If you’re ready for a real a** kicking . . . I mean workout, check out Joe’s latest DVD series:

Learn the very exercises that Joe used to win recognition by the Guinness Book of World Records! Joe demonstrates all of the killer GYMLESS techniques that make up his notorious “Millennium” fitness program.

For more info. or to order, go to www.gutcheckfitness.com

(This is a recent article passed on to us by Coach Jamie Hale . . ..)

“Coach Hale why are you so skeptical?” “Why do you have such a negative view of the fitness industry?” “You are so cynical.” I hear these types of questions and statements on a weekly basis.  The people that approach me with these statements are almost always supplement salesman, homeopathy practitioners, equipment salesman etc..  Generally, people that do not like to have their authority questioned.

Skeptic or Cynic

Some people believe that skepticism is the rejection of new ideas. Often people confuse   “skeptic” with “cynic.” The Fitness Skeptic (Skeptic is derived from the Greek skeptikos, which means “inquiring” or “to look around) applies reason to any and all ideas promoted by the fitness industry or ideas promoted by anyone making fitness claims.  The Fitness skeptic (the term Fitness skeptic applies to health, nutrition and supplement claims as well) requires evidence before claims are accepted as fact.  It is important to consider who are making the claims, but no matter who makes the claim evidence is required.  In reality, the person’s reputation, authority or credentials do not make the claim correct.  The evidence determines whether the claim is correct.  Skepticism is a method used to question the validity of a particular claim.  In it’s simplest form skepticism requires evidence for a claim to be accepted as fact (valid evidence = Primary Research Data, valid evidence doesn’t include “they say” “my instructor says” “the gym staff says” “I have always heard”..).

There are many different aspects of fitness so it becomes obvious that science has not investigated every topic.  Many claims are so outlandish and unjustifiable (according to already established scientific facts) they do not warrant scientific investigation.  These are the type of claims that violate basic laws of biochemistry, kinesiology, endocrinology and so on. The people that promote these claims generally make up their own terminology and attempt to impress people with fancy words (in many cases words that do not exist or words they cannot accurately define). read more »

As the creator of the Macebell, and owner of Scientificwrestling.com, Jake Shannon has an unfair advantage when it comes to innovative uses for Torque Athletic’s equipment. Check out his latest creative expression over at macebell.com.

View at your own risk . . ..