How Do You Move?

Bio

2011-12-19T11:58:00.000-08:00

A former Professional Wrestler, Jason discovered a young“knack” for recognizing the importance of health, fitness, and qualitymovement. Now, with over a decade in the health and fitness industry, Jason haspicked up experience and certifications through AmericanCollege of Sports Medicine (ACSM),Health Fitness Specialist (HFS), Russian Kettlebell Instructor (RKC) Top 10, AmericanRed Cross First Aid and CPR Instructor, Cardiac Rehabilitation Internship at Stamford Hospital, and Z-Health Master Trainer.

Jason uses his high energy and positive attitude to bringresults to his clients. Currently living in Denver, COworking as a assistant to the fitness director of the city, Jason can be foundtraining clients, studying, or working on his own athletic skills.

Holiday Bootcamp Special

2011-12-16T08:21:00.001-08:00

Happy holidays from your favorite Personal Trainer Jwood. I want to thank everyone I have ever put in front of a Kettlebell, taught Z Health to or have helped in any way. Thank you for allowing me to do what I love as a profession; it truly would not be possible without you guys and gals. Remember it’s never too late to make changes in your diet, lifestyle or personal choices.

For your continued support I wanted to give you my “Skinny” on getting lean and offer you a chance to take this invitation only Fitness Kickoff Bootcamp I am doing in the month of January. This one of a kind class is invite only (meaning only the 30 people getting this email will be allowed to take it). There will be very little interference from me, all workouts will be redesigned and the best part is… I will give you the workouts to take home and practice. It will be like I am there with you at home for the hour ( $85 value).

Call 303-231-1300

Tue/Thur 5:30-:6:30 AM Code 313201 10

Mon/Wed 7:00-8:00 PM Code 313201 09

Classes are held at The Anderson Building, 44th and Field: Wheat Ridge, CO

Taken from the Z-Health Website.

2011-12-07T04:19:00.001-08:00

The Logical Conclusion

Everything is a Skill
Pavel and the RKC phenomenon have had innumerable, powerful influences on the modern elite training community. By providing simple, effective answers to many of the complex issues of training Pavel has brought a widespread focus to the neurology of strength and flexibility. In technical language this is called “a really good thing!”

I believe that one of the most important concepts that Pavel has revitalized in the RKC educational process is reminding the training community that “everything is a skill”. This single concept (known as the SAID Principle in physiology) is a critical foundational piece of the Z-Health approach to training.

The Early Years
Early on in my academic studies, I became fascinated with the concept of “everything is a skill.” From my first introduction to Grey’s Anatomy when I was still in elementary school (the actual text, not the TV show) the whole idea of the body’s adaptive abilities fascinated me. I remember being both awed and intrigued by the concept and convinced that there had to be a way to maximize our potential by understanding the underlying principles of how we as humans “work”.

Over the course of time, through education and real-world experience, I became ever more fascinated with this concept as well as convinced that it is the key to maximizing our strength, skill and health simultaneously. Interestingly enough, this same education and experience taught me that “everything is a skill” is RARELY taken to its logical conclusion.

The Concept
Let’s take a look at one way that “everything is a skill” can be translated into physiology. The foundational, underlying concept in human physiology is the SAID Principle. This is an acronym for Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands. In other words, the SAID Principle states that the body/mind system will become better at doing whatever it does regularly. However, as the modern science of training has evolved, it has become clear that this definition does not go quite far enough. In fact, it leaves out two critical words:

1.Always, and
2.Exactly
In Z-Health® we have altered the classic SAID Principle definition to this:

“The body ALWAYS adapts to EXACTLY what it does.” That should sound a lot like, “everything is a skill!” But what does that really mean and how should it and could it impact on your training? The truth is that an intimate understanding of this concept can radically impact every aspect of your training and your life. In fact, this is such a critical concept that this article is solely designed to get you to ask yourself the one simple question that I ask over and over in our certification courses:

“If the SAID Principle is true (If I believe that everything is a skill)… have I taken that fact to its logical conclusion?”

The Logical Conclusion
If “everything is a skill” is a neurologic truth, then EVERYTHING MATTERS in your training. Anything that you leave to “chance” is a probable source of eventual compensation, pain, injury or impaired performance. What the heck does that mean? Here’s a simple experiment to show you what I’m talking about.

For this to work well, you will need a digital camera. While standing normally, have someone take a full body picture of you from the front and directly from the side. Now, hit the deck! Do 10-15 pushups just as you would normally do them. Now, stand up and take another set of pictures.

Now it’s time to compare. Look at your before and after shots. What do you notice? Is your posture different? Is it better? Is it worse? About 90% of the time, this little experiment makes posture worse! Why? Because at a base level, we forget the SAID Principle definition, “The body ALWAYS adapts to EXACTLY what it does.” If you do your pushups with poor form or poor posture (or just simply pretty good form and pretty good posture) your body will IMMEDIATELY begin an adaptation process to make you better at maintaining that poor posture.

The logical conclusion is that if you perform ANY exercise in less than perfect posture, you are training yourself to have less than perfect posture. If you perform ANY exercise in less than perfect form, you are training to have less than perfect form (and eventually injury). If you perform ANY exercise with excessive tension you are training yourself to be tight, slow and in pain. In Z-Health® we call this the Perfect Rep Principle and it guides everything that we do in training.

The Perfect Rep in Practice
Here’s the hard part – what to do with this information! There are numerous factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic, that can make implementing the Perfect Rep Principle difficult. If you have poor mobility, a lack of precise body control, old injuries, scar tissue, etc., every one of these can make training under this paradigm more difficult. However, here’s an idea to get you started.

Begin with this experiment. This week, for one of your training sessions, either cut all of your loads between 50 and 80% or work completely unloaded. While this may drive you crazy at first, it is important, so stick it out! During the session train each lift as slowly as possible. As you do this, concentrate intensely on feeling your actual form, technique and posture during each part of the lift. Do your best to make each rep of each exercise as perfect as you possibly can. You will want to videotape the session for review. Often, when you do this, you will learn that your intrinsic “feel” of what is happening in an exercise is NOT what is happening in the real world. In fact, many athletes are shocked when they see their training form and posture on video.

In the aftermath of this training session, it is very likely that you will be far more aware of numerous subtle but important weak links in your lifts. Whether it’s an awkward arc on an overhead press, an elbow that just will not lock out, poor neck posture, asymmetric foot positions, or a rounded low back – you now have a target for your training!

What Do I Do Now?
Let’s say that you just finished the above Perfect Rep exercise and now have a laundry list of weak links that are slowing your progress. The next KEY question you should ask is “What do I do about it?”

Typically, in Z-health, we would direct you to immediately perform an R-PHASE isolated mobility drill for the weak link area and then REPEAT the original exercise. If you did a good job identifying the actual weak link, and mobilizing the joints and tissues of the weak link correctly, you should see an IMMEDIATE improvement in the lift – your speed, strength, form, posture, or other parameters should improve instantly. What you must understand here, however, is that identifying the weak link is the key!

While an actual movement assessment process is the fastest way to identify and fix your weak links, let me share with you one single concept that will help tremendously. To do this, let’s look at a hypothetical RKC who has a right elbow that will simply not fully lock out into full extension.

After testing the elbow under a light load, the immediate, direct approach would be to have him perform a basic series of R-Phase elbow circles emphasizing: a full range of motion, fully locking and unlocking the elbow on each rep, and a slow, controlled speed. Then we would retest the lift. If this did not “fix” the problem, it’s now time for mobilizations of the joints above and below – in this case the shoulder and wrist. Each joint would be actively mobilized in all potential ranges of motion slowly, with control. After each joint was trained, we would retest. In about 70% of the cases, properly performed mobility work as described above will release the elbow. If not, do you give up? No!

Now it’s time for a more in-depth biomechanical approach. To introduce this concept very simply I want you to think of the body as a big X. In other words, when it comes to force transfer, the left lower extremity works in conjunction with the right upper extremity. In this case, we have an RKC who cannot properly lock out his RIGHT elbow. So, if we have tried the direct approach, the next thing we want to focus on is the LEFT leg. Why? In Z-Health we teach a concept that we call opposing joints.

Without going into detail, the simple way to think about this biomechanically is that the hand must be coordinated with the opposite side foot, the elbow with the knee, etc. To take advantage of this biomechanical activity for our RKC, we will move to a very specific series of closed-chain KNEE mobility drills again emphasizing: a full range of motion, fully locking and unlocking the knees on each rep, and a slow, controlled speed. Then, we would retest. Believe it or not, for releasing a non-locking elbow your success rate will have just jumped from 70 to close to 90%!

The moral of this story is that the body is an integrated system and weak links ANYWHERE along the chain can impact on your overall functioning in ways that will astound you.

Putting It All Together
We’ve taken a look at some hyper-critical concepts in this article but we always try to follow Einstein’s advice: “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” So, let’s summarize.

1.If you believe, as Pavel states, that “everything is a skill” you have embraced the SAID Principle.
2.The SAID Principle definition states that the body ALWAYS adapts to EXACTLY what it does. This means that if you want to maximize your potential and minimize your compensations and injury potential that EVERYTHING matters in training.
3.The LOGICAL CONCLUSION of this is that if you train in less than perfect form, perfect posture, and balanced tension you will eventually pay a price.
4.To properly implement these concepts you want to embrace the PERFECT REP PRINCIPLE, and understand the principles of mobility training, force transfer and integrated body function as you uncover your weak links. We will try to cover each of these concepts in a bit more depth in future articles.
Remember that the logical conclusion of “everything is a skill” is that everything matters. And it matters every time, with every rep. Train smart.

Just Listen book review

2011-09-21T20:43:00.001-07:00

Being a Z- Health Master Trainer part of my job involves helping people make healthy life style changes and improvements in quality of life and without a blue print or tools it makes the job that much harder. Mark Goulston’s Just Listen: Discover the secret to getting thorough to absolutely anyone, provides just those tools. Goulston not only lays out ways to better communicate with people he also brings his personal stories of how the tools worked for him.

Just Listen falls into the read list along with Prochaska’s Changing for Good, Petterson’s Crucial Conversations and Motivational Interviewing in health care for anyone who talks to people and has to problem solve personal and professional problems. Each chapter ends with usable insights and action steps, making it easier for the reader to know the take home parts from each chapter and also acts as a quick reference instead of skimming the whole book. I myself find myself always coming back to the Making people feel felt” chapter in the book time and time again.

Overall the concepts and skills taught in the book are things that just take some practice to get good at and give you immeasurable results in communication and listening

2011-06-04T20:47:00.000-07:00

Great article from the IYCA membership site

Learning Skills & Training Drills for Speed & Agility
by Richie Whall - Training Director, Hex Training

When working with youth athletes, do you recognise and understand the difference between learning skills and training drills? Do you know why each is important, how they link to each other and which is most appropriate for use with youth athletes at different stages of their athletic development?

The need to know the difference between skills and drills is particularly important when developing speed & agility for youth athletes. The ability to move fluently and efficiently at speed, to start and stop or change direction with precision and control are all dependant on how well you can co-ordinate the action of your feet, legs, trunk, and arms, how well you can control and master your body to create optimum angles to apply or absorb force, synchronising the action of muscles and joints to cover optimum distance with every step, come to an abrupt halt or seamlessly switch movement skills or direction with minimal loss of speed. It is about skilful movement combined with awesome strength and power, two separate but inter-dependant qualities, both of which can be developed and improved.

For effective and safe development of speed & agility, the initial focus needs to be on learning skills. Learning skills requires patience, consistent practice and perseverance, gradually developing mastery and movement quality across a range of movements before challenging in different conditions including movement direction, rhythm, range of movement and linked movement sequences or combinations.

Training drills on the other hand are used to develop the physical qualities of speed, strength, power and endurance and are best used to challenge and extend skills once they have been successfully learnt and mastered. Using more physically demanding drills to challenge skills in which you are not yet competent is often counter-productive and can greatly increase risk of injury.

Central to the Hex Training System is our skills framework, a structured and progressive series of movement skills developing from fundamental to specialised speed & agility skills. Through the fundamentals phase, the focus is on learning the skills for:

As your athletes begin to refine and master the fundamental skills, these are then extended and applied to build the specialised speed & agility skills which focus on:

Skill learning is therefore arranged into a structured series of increasingly more complex skills, progression through the skill levels follows a general sequence of:

Movements in-place to on the move (at increasing speeds and range of movement)

Movements in one direction through to multi-directional movements

Movements pre-planned and guided, then pre-planned but unguided, unplanned but limited options and finally unplanned, reactive movements in a game-like environment

Learning skills in isolation (then extended) to building movement sequences and combinations

Practicing skills at own pace then adding pressure through time or competition

Only once high levels of proficiency have been shown in these skills do we start to incorporate training drills such as plyometric or interval training to further enhance their movement skills.

2011-06-02T20:59:00.000-07:00

Developmental coordination disorder - Better Health Channel

Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is an umbrella term applied to children and adults who have various athletic difficulties such as awkwardness or lack of skill. Treatment includes sporting participation and practice.

2011-03-29T17:30:00.001-07:00

Greetings,

Happy Spring Solstice!

With the strength of the season it’s time to be outside and engaged with the summer’s high energy!

As I walk through the park to get to work. It’s a pleasure to see people walking their dogs, taking a bike ride or strolling with friends. I started thinking about getting the most from being outside in a short period of time while stimulating a good body workout. My mind immediately said “push-ups, squats and of course plank.” So without further delay my top 3 body weight exercises that work everything from your toes to your nose and can be done anywhere or anytime. Try them before, after, during a walk, a bike ride, or partner-up and do them with a friend or in the middle of the day when you’re a little stressed and need a boost.

1) Push-Up: When done properly the pushup promotes strong upper body strength, and good shoulder mechanics.

2) Squat: This king of all exercises reminds us of where our hips, knees and ankles are while we perform this great leg builder.

3) Plank: Not only does this exercise do wonders for the midsection “core” it is also great at letting us concentrate on full body tension which has been shown to decrease injuries.

Below are a few sample work-outs:

5-10 push-ups
Plank for 30-60 seconds
10-15 squats
Repeat 4 times

15 squats
10 push-ups
Plank 45 seconds
Repeat 4 times

10 push-ups
5 slow squats
Plank 1 minute

Don’t be surprised if you’re a little sore or tired after doing these terrific exercises. Typical results will be a firmer backside, shapely shoulders, and a stomach to die for.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Remember Gift Certificates make a Great Healthy Gift!
Contact me for more Details!

203-241-4709 or email me @ jwoodrkc@gmail.com

Fitness Tips

2010-10-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

5 Tips to Get YOU Started on your fitness routine:

CHANGE - If you need to start moving DO IT! If you’re an active person remember to change your routine every 5-7 weeks for the best results.

(Better yet sign-up for one of my classes or a training session to refresh your fitness goals.)

HUNGER – Get in touch with your hunger. Stop eating so much! A simple reduction in portion size can make a huge difference especially if you’re trying to lose weight.

GOALS - The magic of intention works. Goals will help you develop focus, desire and purpose which are the driving force behind your success. Ask yourself - What do you want? When do you want it? Why do you want it?

LET GO - If it hasn’t worked by now, it never will!! Let go of the old! Try something fresh and new. Think about the arm exercises you have been doing for the past (5) months are they working? Probably not! The body needs and wants new motion and movement. Changing your exercises is essential for ultimate results. If you haven’t pick-up a Kettlebell NOW is the time to bring in the new! (Please visit www.howdoyoumove.blogspot.com to make your purchase.)

ORDER OF MOVEMENT - Doing Abs/Arms before Back, Hips and Shoulders is not efficient. First work on compound movements (pull-ups, shoulder press and squats) before isolation movements (curls, crunches, etc.) For best results spend more time on high payoff compound exercises. If you have any questions about order of movement or any of my (5) tips, please email me at jwoodrkc@gmail.com

Do you see what I see ?

2010-02-22T07:20:00.000-08:00

Being a personal trainer allows me to help people in ways they might not be able to help themselves. From the young athlete who needs some extra muscle for his sport to the elderly man who has hip pain, I get to see it all. Most of my clients are in the 55 and above age bracket. They see the value of good health and know what it means to live and age well.
Most of these people need to increase bone density and improve balance. Falls are the leading cause of death and injury in people over the age of 65, two thirds of these people will fall at least once. A fall could yield minor injuries like scrapes or bumps or in more severe situations, a broken hip or leg. Sometimes these injuries cause psychological consequences as well. Often the loss of independence associated with a major injury can be enough to cause depression. Exercise can offset the effects of depression and will improve both bone density and balance if done properly. Most if not all falls could be prevented if people would focus on the right things, their vision.
One of my clients swears to me that she has not only better posture, but has not fallen once in the 6 months we have been working together compared to the three she prior to our working together. She does not do any specific balance work, and could not tell you the last time she did a Crunch. So how can she of made all these great improvements? Hard work, dedication and a lot of eye exercises
By exercising your eyes, you gain a better perception of the world around you. When your eyes are functioning at their best, they teach your body how to properly place itself. Therefore preventing injury and allowing the client to remain in the gym or the trail or the pool doing the physical activities they love and strengthening their bones. Go to any fitness center anywhere anytime and you can see people working their arms, back, chest and abs but never the eyes. Our eyes are the most underworked muscles in the gym, yet the most important.
I suggest you look up vision exercises on the internet and start to implement them right away into your training program. They take only a few minutes and are what I would call “high pay off” meaning you get the most benefit for the amount of work it takes to do right. You, your eye lids and balance will thank you. My clients do.
So next time you go to the health club look around see how many people are doing vision drills. Balance is not something you get from standing on a half ball or small disk, but a dynamic process that works various systems of the body in concert with each other. Balance it something you see and fell. Sanding on a disk is supposed to improve one balance, but when in your life to you stand on a something wobbly. Training on unstable surfaces makes people good at on thing, standing on an unstable surface. That’s it.

I was a teenage prowrestler

2010-01-07T15:19:00.000-08:00

Photoshop effect

2009-12-13T13:59:00.000-08:00

5 things that should be on your Xmas list

2009-12-13T07:44:00.000-08:00

With Christmas right around the corner, what better way to say Happy Holidays then with the gift of fitness. I have chosen my top 5 gifts that should be in everyone's home gym.

1. Power Wheel

The power wheel is great to use at home and is guaranteed to help you lose that last few inches around your waist.

2. R-Phase

Z health's R-Phase is just what your body needs to wake up. I use this program everyday with everyone and have yet to find anyone who has not benefited from the program.

3. Kettlebells

This one is a no brainier you need kettlebells at home for when you can't make it to the gym or one of my classes. This all in one fitness tool is great for burning fat and strengthening core muscles.

4.Lifeline bands

For people who travel a lot a good set of bands is a must. Just hook up to a door and start moving. Lifeline fitness is the best band maker out there.

5. New shoes

Look for any kind of shoe that is mobile all over and only offers minimal support.

If you have any questions about these products or want more information on my 5 Week Kettlebell Program. Please email me at jwoodrkc@gmail.com Happy Holidays!

5 free fitness tips for thanksgiving

2009-11-25T13:11:00.000-08:00

So I am sitting here in sunny,warm Arizona thinking about the big day (turkey day) and it got me thinking some of the ways people sabotage their "diet' and mindset. I came up with my top 5 things to do or not to do over the holidays to ensure lasting and positive results. I hope you enjoy these 5 tips

1. Laughter: Yes believe it or not research has shown health benefits of laughter ranging from strengthening the immune system, reducing food cravings to increasing one's threshold to pain. There is even an emerging therapeutic field known as “humor therapy” to help people heal more quickly among other things. Humor as you know also has several important stress relieving benefits. So give it a try while sitting around with family on Thanksgiving Day let laughter boost your immune system while reducing your stress.

2. Is it really that bad?: Stop thinking about how full you’re going to be or how bad you’re going to be on your diet! Do you even have a diet? Thinking this way is stupid and sabotaging NOT only your goals but your normal mind set. Turkey is not bad for you, Cranberries = beneficial nutrients, Sweet potatoes… Really? Thanksgiving Day does NOT have to be thought as killing one’s diet for the day. “Getting the reps in” is what makes dieting and losing weight happens. Stop thinking about eating one “bad meal” and get moving…

3. Some things are best not finished…. your plate is one if them. Sorry mom, but this one rule we can get rid of! If you’re full STOP EATING! People NEVER push themselves but for some reason we seem to push too much food into our mouths. The muffins, the big breakfast, cinnamon buns, hot cider, nuts, crackers with spread, turkey. Its okay to tell yourself “I am full and don’t need to eat anymore.”

4. Make everyday the day after a holiday: Ever notice how “motivated” people get after Thanksgiving, maybe it’s the fact that they ate a huge amount of food and their bodies wants to convert all the carbohydrates, proteins and fats into useable energy instead of getting stored as ugly fat… or maybe they just want to play? Whatever the case is, if you have time and motivation after the holidays then why DON’T you have it all the time? Excellent question to ask yourself?

If you’re planning what you’re eating over the holidays you should plan your workouts too! Or better yet when you’re done reading this article perform this workout:

Touch your toes 10 times
15 jumping jacks
Perform 5 wrist circles
Tighten up every muscle

Do the circuit 2-3 times and enjoy the results!

5. Give thanks: This one is the MOST important and should never be over looked! Call, write, email, text someone who you’re thankful for and share a laugh, it will mean a lot to them and help you both feel good.

People always bring up the bad stuff, be a rebel and bring up the good.

She does it...do you ?

2009-11-15T15:12:00.000-08:00

The latest Z-health newsletter featured a interview with X-Games gold medalist Gretchen Bleiler. Z health seems to really be gaining momentum and I feel blessed to be a part of powerful and inspirational solutions to peoples "nervous confusion". Gretchen is a perfect example of what can be done if the mind allows. I hope you enjoy the interview.

Interview by Z-Health co-owner Kathy Mauck. For more information on Z health and their cutting edge products click here What Is Z-Health

Gretchen Bleiler, X-Games gold medalist and 2006 Olympic silver medalist, is both a world-renowned athlete and highly successful businesswoman. She was introduced to Z-Health by her long-time family friend and Z-Health Practitioner Kathy Lemieux-Rodman in 2009 after an injury sustained during a nationally televised X-Games competition. During her recent training visit, Gretchen was gracious enough to sit down with me to share her story, her passions, and how Z-Health has made her a better athlete.

At 28, Gretchen enjoys a wonderful life as a wife and athlete, is an advocate for the environment, and an inspiration to young female athletes around the world. She lives in Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado, during the training year, is a three-time X-Games gold medalist, a 2006 Winter Olympic silver medalist, and the 2008 winner of ESPN's ESPY Award for Best Female Action Sports Athlete. Her current goals as an athlete are to make the 2010 US Olympic Half Pipe Team, truly enjoy the entire Olympic experience, and land a perfect run with style, amplitude, and grace.

I asked her how the upcoming Olympic Games will differ from her previous Olympic experience.

"In 2006, the Olympics were about pure drive and competitiveness. It got me to Silver with sheer hard work and goal setting, but this time around I am going with SO MANY MORE tools, physically, mentally, and emotionally — and with an even more amazing support group. I feel more prepared then I have ever been before. I have had 15 years on the snowboard, and with each year had more life experiences. With everything I know and all the preparation off the mountain as well as on, I am going to have an amazing experience."

She shared that after the 2006 Olympics she hadn’t taken the time to set new goals, and was going through the motions. After a certain amount of success, her life began to be run for her and she didn't yet have the knowledge or experience to know when to say no, or even to know that saying no — and saving some time for herself — was necessary.

Ultimately, she believes that is what caused her big crash in January.

"It was a wake up call to figure out my priorities, re-evaluate my snowboard strategy, and generally reacquire balance in my life. There were things along the way that almost got my attention but it was that trauma and the rest of the season that were necessary for me to make the changes I needed."

This is where Z-Health comes in. "Z-Health helps me visualize, be in the moment in my body, and be aware of what I am doing and where I am in time and space, so that I can bring the best of my hard work and training to every moment."

The crash and what followed caused her to re-evaluate, "why am I doing this and who is it for. When I started snowboarding, I was looking for results to give me self worth and to fill me. Now I know who I am, I know my value and my worth. Win, lose, or draw, who I am is much more then the medals I win. I truly desire to pass on this knowledge and these experiences to other young female athletes. It takes a great deal of courage and risk to not go to college and pursue professional athletics as a career, and I hope that my learning and experience can offer some insight to anyone willing to listen. Now when I compete, I know who I am and why I compete."

Gretchen’s words resonated with me and made me think of John Candy in the movie Cool Runnings when he told the Olympic Captain of the Bobsled team, "If you are not enough without the Gold Medal, you will never be enough with it." It seems as if Gretchen's experiences taught her this vital lesson at a very opportune time in her life.

As an athlete, Gretchen has seen tremendous improvements in her performance due to Z-Health.

"I can't believe I have gone this far without Z-Health in my life, it seems like it should be the foundation of what everyone in the world should be doing before everything else. Why go lift 200lbs at the gym if you can't walk properly before that? Z-Health training is helping get my body back into the right place and feel good and prepared before I throw myself upside down in a half pipe. Things are getting easier, more connected, and more balanced then ever before — and I know it is because of all the exercises I have been doing. Every time I come in I have been blown away by the results I get. I am just getting started, but I am seeing such great results that are giving me the timing, balance, and connectedness on the mountain."

In addition to her tremendous athletic achievements, I also learned that Gretchen is a successful businesswoman off the mountain as well. She has a Signature Collection with Oakley, a Signature Snowboard with K2, co-founded Mission Skincare and has a Signature Lip Balm, and has helped create an event The Aspen/Snowmass CoverGirl Snow Angels Invitational. The Invitational has a very progressive format, hosting all the best half pipe female riders in the world, and is designed to bring attention and awareness to the environment, women's snowboarding events, and the difference we can all make. It is a weekend with a holistic component of health, education, yoga workshops, facials, fun, and much more — all for the purpose of making a difference.

Despite all of Gretchen's personal success, it was very interesting to see that the environment is the cause that she talks about the most. She works with her sponsors directly so that within her signature collections there is a jacket and pants made from recycled and recyclable materials that can be broken down and made into something else, a growing number of sustainably manufactured cotton shirts, and an eco-pop board by K2.

Having learned the hard way to say no and take time for herself, Gretchen now starts each day with books and yoga, and then email and the gym. She invests each day in her spiritual and emotional energy first, and then everything else. She loves Z-Health and she loves studying the psychology behind sports because she wants to live it and inspire others to do the same. She loves it and the fun of it all.

Gretchen is a beautiful example of a Z-Health athlete, and is a true representation of the principles we encourage everyone to embrace. Her success and hard work have given her amazing opportunities to improve both her sport and the world around her — tasks that she approaches with great intensity and class. She also is committed to a lifetime of healthy athleticism and ongoing improvement, which is what makes her such an excellent example of a Z-Health athlete. As a top contender for the gold in 2010, Gretchen is definitely one athlete to watch, and as a young woman who is living the "dream" with style and grace she serves as a tremendous role model for others.

If you want to know more about Gretchen and her adventures you can follow her online at:
GretchenBleiler.com
twitter.com/GretchenBleiler
MakeItPro.com
Playmakermobile.com

Double bottoms up clean and press from ym level 2 class

2009-09-01T21:23:00.001-07:00

2009-09-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

to order kettlebells click here First Place Elite Kettlebells THESE ARE GREAT BELLS

2009-08-30T16:51:00.001-07:00

Whats up ya'll

I hope you all had a great week so far. My friend Megan Carey from http://careyonfitness.blogspot.com/ is in the the process of "21 Consecutive Days of Fitness".

I thought you all might be interested in some of the workouts. Most of them have been in her living room and have been done in under 30 min!

Thinking of her doing this made me think of Motivation.
I know just after talking with Megan, it helped her motivation when she understood what level of change she was in.

There are 6 basic levels of change:

Precontemplation is the stage in which people are not intending to take action in the foreseeable future.

Contemplation is the stage in which people are intending to change in the next six months.

Preparation is the stage in which people are intending to take action in the immediate future.

Action is the stage in which people have made specific overt modifications in their life-styles within the past six months.

Maintenance is the stage in which people are working to prevent relapse but they do not apply change processes as frequently as do people in action.

Termination is the stage where zero temptation and 100% self- efficacy, they are sure they will not return to old habits.

When reaching your goals it's important to make sure you know what stage you are in and what kind of stimulus you need.

Understand this and results will come quicker then you think...but it's up to you to see them.

to learn more about the 21 Consecutive Days of Fitness" and to see what the workouts are check out

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and get a head start for Labor Day!

Jwood

End of a session and the start of a new

2009-08-20T20:18:00.001-07:00

Kettlebell 1 is done tonight.. I always get sad when it's time to say good bye. I am looking forward to the next batch of students though and seeing some people return for Kettlebell Boot camp and Level 2. My blood is pumping for my AZ trip... MCAZ knows how to throw down.. I am sure some crazy training will come of it. Sweat will be pored

When you know you know

2009-08-19T19:44:00.001-07:00

T minus 48 hours till I fly out.. I am starting to feel like this is gonna be the best B day ever. I am so lucky to have great people in my life. I just hope the parents like me. Oh by the way I pulled 385 for a triple on the deadlift day, and talked for a while with RKC Team Leader Randy Hauer...wicked smart guy with incredible insight and a great way of thinking.. the beers and conversation I will have with this man are going to change the way I train. When you know you know

ADAPTED RECREATION AWARENESS DAY

2009-08-05T17:27:00.000-07:00

I will be teaching Kettlebells and Z health at The Adapted Recreation Awareness day

Date: Saturday, September 12, 2009
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Place: Wheat Ridge Recreation Center
4005 Kipling St. Wheat Ridge,CO

Hands-On Clinics Include:
Hand cycling with Adaptive Adventures
Aqua therapy (bring swim suit)
Weight Room Orientation
Kettlebell + Z-Health

RSVP preferred by
September 10
Information and RSVP:
303-231-1342
or email me at jwoodrkc@gmail.com

Kettlebell and Z-Health are two of the
fastest growing fitness programs in the
country and have proven popular with
people with physical disabilities.

I fell this is a great way I can help people of all ages with physical disabilities learn how they can access and use Wheat Ridge Parks and Recreation facilities and
services during this interactive, one day
session.

Top level Gymnastic coach travels 800+ miles to train with JWood RKC

2009-07-06T14:09:00.001-07:00

What does Megan Carey CPT .USAG Arizona Junior Olympic coach of the year, ……..have to say about, Kettlebells, and Z health, and why she would travel over 800 miles to learn them from one of the top 10 Russian Kettlebell Challenge instructor (RKC) and Z-Health® Movement Integration Specialist

Jason Wood RKC,ZRI, ACSM/HFI

“Ok, so it is 9:05pm in Denver, CO and I'm chilling in the airport waiting to go home. Five days ago, I made my way to this beautiful city to train with the one and only, JWood (a.k.a. Jason Wood from Howdoyou move.com. What a learning experience!

We started Thursday off with Jason's private clients at 5:45am and continued on until we finished around 9:00pm that night. What a day! And what a trainer!
I watched as Jason interacted with his clients, teaching them Z-Health and Kettlebells. I was amazed at how well he was able to teach them movement drills and how important follow-up homework for the client really is.

And you know what the best part is? Not a single client of Jason's has any pain! He has been able to help an individual sleep through the night who hasn't had a full nights sleep in over a year. And he helped her to do this in only two weeks! Amazing right?!

Jason not only helped me clear up some of my own questions about Z-Health and the RKC, but gave me a better understanding on how these two systems work and just how amazing they really are! I have so many new ideas and ways to incorporate the program into my clients' routines that I can't wait to get started.

He was also able to teach me some key points to look for with my own clients, and how to be a better individual personally and professionally. I leave my experience with Jason to be uplifting and insightful, and I would highly recommend anyone take the time to work with him!”

Megan saw first had just how powerful the combination of Kettlebells and Z health can be. When she says none of the 15+ clients I train every week have any pain she means it.

How do I do it?

Easy!!

Z health’s R phase training series. This DVD and Manual is what I use to help my clients get out of pain and into performance.

Click below and look for R phase!!

2009-03-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

3 easy things you can do to get into Kettlebell 1 class with Colorado's # 1 Kettlebells Instructor

Sign Up!!
Pay up!!
Show up!!

Jwood
RKC, Zhealth R

Introduction to Kettebells

"Learn whats needed to get the results you want".

Learn to: Swing, Clean, Turkish Get Up, Press, Snatch and Snatch
Held T/TH at the Wheat Ridge Recreation Center (Anderson Building)
4355 Field St
Wheat Ridge, C0 80033
303-231-1300
203-241-4709

Only 8 spots left...hurry and call today!!!

--
Jwood

Introducing the SNATCH cam

2009-02-02T05:29:00.000-08:00

Need Convincing Kettlebells work? Meet Ward

2008-09-07T07:18:00.000-07:00

"The first photo was July 2006 @ 360lbs. I started running and eating in a more disciplined manner in October 2006 and ran every day until March 2008 when I tore my hamstring running. At that point I had lost 100lbs, but was flabby and weak from muscle loss as well as fat. As a form of active recovery for the leg injury I tried kettlebells. By the end of March I was doing the program minimum and moved to ROP in late April. Since then I lost 50 more pounds and have gained a lot of muscle. Kettlebells have made a massive difference in my body comp. In the 3rd photo I am working with the 32 KG bell. I am ready to move on to the 40kg bell, but I am waiting for the funds to buy it. In the meantime I am doing VO2 with my 16kg. I didn't start a workout log until May, but this summary is what went on. This whole thing just blows me away"