Zack Fox began his Martial Arts training here at American Eagle MMA in June of 2012. However, Zack arrived at the AEMMA Academy with quite a solid list of athletic accomplishments. Zack was a High School All American Lacrosse player for Don Bosco Prep and an NCAA Division 1 Recruit for St. John’s University. Zack was also a Jr. National Power Lifting Champion and now at a weight of 195lbs, has a bench press of 520, a squat of 680 and pulls another 680 in the dead lift.

Despite having no wrestling experience or any other prior combat experience, Zack began competing in Jiu Jitsu after only 5 weeks of training at the AEMMA Academy. He placed second in the White Belt Gi Division after training only 9 weeks and after only 3 months of training he secured his first Championship at the NAGA North American Championships on November 17th, 2012. We are anticipating a lot of achievements from this young competitor. Zack is also HKC Kettlebell Certified and is a personal strength & fitness trainer at the AEMMA Academy.

On April 20th, 2013, Zack Fox added a NAGA World Championship to his list of accomplishments. He won the Cruiserweight, Beginner Title in the No-Gi Competition.

Marine Corps Pyramid Workout.

 More Fit & Fifty!
If you have about 27 minutes today, try the Marine Pyramid. Our Boxing Coach Joe Rubino brought it in last night. I hadn’t seen it in quite some time. GREAT STUFF!

   Marine Corps Pyramid Routine
Chin Ups   Dips   Push Ups   Sit Ups   Squats
4                    6         15                25              15
6                   8         20               30              20
8                  10        25               35              25
10                12         30             40             30
12               14          35              45            35
10               12          30            40            30
8                  10         25            35             25
6                8             20          30             20
4                6             15           25             15
Totals:  68            86          215          305           215

No rest between sets

30 seconds rest between exercises

 

November 17^th, 2012, Newark, NJ: NAGA North American Championship: Essex County College was the site of the North American Grappling Association’s annual North American Championships. The Ho-Ho-Kus based American Eagle MMA & Kettlebell School entered two combatants, Zachary Fox of Wyckoff and Joshua Lay of Ridgewood in the nationally ranked tourney. Zach Fox was crowned the No-Gi Champion in the Cruiserweight Division (under 199.9) and in his first contest ever, Josh Lay took home the Bronze in the Light Heavyweight (Under 189.9) competition.

NAGA, along with Grappler’s Quest are two of the top grappling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu leagues in the world. This year alone, Master Phil Ross’ Team Alliance BJJ school member, American Eagle MMA, has had four (4) champions crowned at these prestigious events. The also competes in the regional, but highly competitive tournaments hosted by The Good Fight.

 

 

John DuCane, President of Dragon Door

Over the next few weeks, Dragon Door will be announcing a number of promotions to its future RKC leadership team. Kicking off a dramatic new era for the RKC, we are proud to announce that Phil Ross has accepted the position of Master RKC with Dragon Door, effective January 1, 2013.

Phil is an exceptionally accomplished martial artist, athlete, trainer and kettlebell instructor and we are delighted to welcome him to Dragon Door’s dynamic new RKC leadership team. Below is a description of our new Master RKC’s accomplishments:

Phil Ross: 8th Degree Black Belt, Specialist in Bodyweight Strength and CK-FMS Certified.

Phil Ross’ name is synonymous with Martial Arts and Fitness. He is known as his area’s Kettlebell King and has successfully competed on the National Level in Submission Fighting, Kickboxing, both Full Contact & Point Karate, Taekwondo and Olympic Style Wrestling from 1979 through 2010. He has also held several titles in Bodybuilding and Power Lifting.

More important than his personal accomplishments are the many benefits that his students have gained. A multitude of very accomplished individuals have trained and continue to train with Phil Ross; US Special Forces, UFC Fighters and other Professional Fighters, Martial Arts School Owners, FBI Agents, DEA Agents, US Federal Marshals, High School Athletes, Police Officers, US Marines, Professional Athletes, Doctors, Attorneys, Educators, Students with Special Needs, Computer Programmers, Wall Street moguls, moms, dads, not to mention the thousands of children and teenagers trained over the years.

His training methods have produced champions in the sports of Karate, Kickboxing, both Collegiate and Olympic style wrestling, Track and Field, Lacrosse, Football, Volleyball, Golf, Baseball, Hockey, Tennis and Soccer, to name a few.

Due to the influence of his Grandfather and Father, Mr. Ross embarked on his combat arts and strength and fitness journey in the 1970’s. He has been on a continuous quest to improve himself and bring the best training available to his students. The owner/operator of his New Jersey based American Eagle MMA & Kettlebell studio ever since 1988, he provides over 35 classes per week in addition to his small group and private sessions.

Combat Arts Experience and Honors: Victorious in well over 300 combat competitions inclusive of matches in Karate, Kickboxing, Taekwondo, Wrestling and Submission Fighting. He competed successfully on the National Level from 1979 through 2010. Some of his honors include: Silver Medal at the 1979 AAU Eastern National Greco-Roman Wrestling Championships, Bronze Medal in the 1992 AAU Taekwondo Nationals, 1995 Free Fighting National Champion, 2010 NAGA No-Gi Submission Fighting Expert Level Champion, 8 Time Gold Medalist at the NJ Garden State Games Karate Championships, MVP at the 1996 NJ vs. NY Karate Challenge, Team Captain of the 1994 World Karate Union’s Team NJ second place World Championship team. Black Belt Hall of Fame Martial Artist, Brooklyn New York’s Big Apple Challenge 1989 Black Belt Kumite Champion.

Black Belts: East/West Martial Alliance, Combat Jiujitsu, Bando, Taekwondo

Instructorships: CDT, Arnis, Shamrock Submission Fighting

Fitness & Strength Honors: Mr. Wilkes Bodybuilding Champion in 1981, 3rd Place 1983 Mr. DC Bodybuilding, 1982 University of Maryland Olympic Lifting Champion, 1987 Reebok Challenge Power Lifting Champion, totaling 1400 lbs at a weight of 179.9 (370 Bench, 525 Squat & 505 Deadlift)

Fitness: RKC Certified Kettlebell Instructor, Master Personal Trainer, Functional Movement Specialist, Specialist in Bodyweight Strength Certified

Other Experience: High School Wrestling Coach, Professional Bodyguard
His S.A.V.E. Self Defense Fitness video series was Rated #1 by two separate nationally recognized video reviewers and his Advanced Russian Kettlebell video is ranked in the Top 10 of Kettlebell workout videos. His Kettlebell Basics Workshop and Manual was the approved Kettlebell Training Course by the National Academy of Sports Medicine for continuing education credits.

Dragon Door:   Given your extensive experience coaching strength and conditioning, what led you to try kettlebell training with your athletes?Jeff Fish:  I began researching the role of movement-based methodology in the early 2000′s and was fortunate to meet Pavel in 2005.  I learned a great deal from him—this was the first obtainable information I found for implementing kettlebells in a workout plan.  At the time, there was very little information available on safe, proper kettlebell techniques.  Now, I had the fundamentals of how to execute the exercises, and felt comfortable adding them to our plans.  Very quickly, I realized the power of the kettlebell as a training tool, and how it could expand and produce general and specific performance improvements that I could not achieve with other equipment. Dragon Door:  What are the particular advantages with kettlebell training over a more traditional approach to strength and conditioning for professional football? Jeff Fish:  When I look at how to improve an athlete’s performance—no matter the skill level—I have many variables to assess: fundamental movement patterns, mobility, stability, restrictions, strength and power symmetry, core stability and dynamic coordination, prerequisite movement proficiency, just to name a few.  When I look at improving some of the key qualities for a professional football player—specific joint static and dynamic stability, functional strength and power output, metabolic training, efficient core function, transfer and application of force—the kettlebell is a tremendous choice to achieve results in a fast, safe manner while simultaneously improving overall movement. Dragon Door:   What are your top kettlebell exercises for football players? Jeff Fish:   I started implementing a program with kettlebells in 2005, using get-ups, different presses, squats, and single leg movements.  As an alternative to a barbell on the back, we train with them in the rack position, so the player maintains good torso posture when they’re working their lower body—subtle things like that go a long way.   I put together a complete teaching system addressing developmental stages, starting with new players who may have never even seen a kettlebell, up to a very advanced level—for players who have trained with kettlebells with me for a number of years. We start with a base program of four exercises, and as the athletes become more proficient, we advance them into stage two movements.  Eventually they progress to where they’re doing everything imaginable. Dragon Door:   Sounds like you’ve made this process very efficient! Jeff Fish:   Yes, instead of spending an hour and a half in the weight room, we averaged only 45 minutes to an hour.  This was great for two reasons: first, the guys felt like they really did a good workout, second, they felt like they could still practice their sport afterwards. Dragon Door:   Sounds like the idea of aiming to feel stronger after the workout, instead of exhausted… Jeff Fish:   Yes, that’s 100 percent true of our guys—no matter what position they play, they almost always leave feeling more energized than before the workout.  They feel better, they’re moving better, and they’re excited about practicing afterward, too.  Many players told me after this year’s first pre-season game that they feel different. Dragon Door:   How else are you using kettlebells?  Is there specific sequence you’re using with swings? Jeff Fish:    We teach the double-arm, single kettlebell swing, next the single-arm swings, and then two-arm, two kettlebell swings where we can load them up pretty good.  Once they get the mechanics of the swing, I transition them to cleans as long as they understand the hip hinge movement, how to finish their hips, tilt their hips, and get their quads tight so they can protect their back.  I try to teach them to clean as quickly as I can, because cleans can link circuits and combine lower-body and upper-body movements.   For example, a sequence of cleaning, pressing, cleaning, squatting, etc. Dragon Door:   Are your guys training kettlebell cleans alone, or mainly using them as a link between other exercises? Jeff Fish:  We do both—training cleans by themselves, and in many different complexes—I like that about them.   Also, they’re a quick movement where guys really have to think about being quick with their hips, they have to absorb the weight quickly as compared to a swing.  The clean is really crisp and it’s impressive to see a group of athletes lined up, and almost synchronized doing cleans.  It’s pretty awesome to see. Dragon Door:  Since implementing the FMS with your players, how has it affected game play and injury prevention/recovery? Jeff Fish:   The FMS is a starting point.  It’s a guide and an evaluator to our overall system.  We use it to evaluate every player before prescribing any exercise.  We will never just write up programs or give someone a program that was successful with another athlete.  The FMS gives us a look into an athlete’s current state of movement potential and limitation.  It also shows me where I can start an athlete in terms of strength training exercises. It allows me to give them the appropriate challenge without elevating the injury risk of an over-demanding plan.  We truly build the plans around each athlete.  We always use this “baseline” score to evaluate our system of prescription.  Basically, if we do a follow up FMS on an athlete in 6-8 weeks and they have improved their score by three points, then we know our corrective strategy prescription was accurate.  We also have a baseline to hold us accountable in our rehabilitation efforts. In terms of game play, a more efficient athlete can perform at a high level for a longer time than a heavily restricted/asymmetrical athlete.  Also, by reducing the risk factors, we have a greater chance of our players not missing games due to injury.  In most high level sports, to lose your “stars” for extended periods of time usually spells disaster in terms of wins and losses. Dragon Door:   Has it also helped to prevent injuries during training as well as during a game? Jeff Fish:   Yes, I have used the data to prescribe movement-based drills at the appropriate levels and times during the off-season.  At that time of the year, athletes are…read complete interview

Never Say Die

You hear it all of the time “Never Say Die”. You see the athlete in competition, whether its MMA, a Grappling Match, a Track Meet or a Football game – the sport does not matter, only the actions that lead to the end result. The participant is behind and it seems as if all is lost and then the tide shifts and the athlete that appeared to be done for surges and emerges victorious.

Everyone wants to win. Wanting to win is not the hard part. Sacrificing everyday in your training, your eating habits and ignoring distractions; that is the difficult task. You need to make your training your priority – no room for excuses – make it to your workouts and push yourself to get better, stronger and faster. Excuses for failure are common, find a way to succeed.

How does this happen? How does one develop this “Never Say Die” attitude? Can it be developed? Or is it only in certain people?

There are certain people born with an innate inner toughness, but if it’s not cultivated, they burn out and lose it over time. Others seem to develop, grow tougher and more resilient over time. How is this done?

There is one sure fire way to develop this Never Say Die attitude, Train Hard. Yes, the more that you sacrifice and persevere, the more you become committed to succeed and less you are able to tolerate failure. There are many times when a combatant is in a scramble, they could easily give in and let their opponent win, yet they do not allow this to happen. The time, effort and pain endured in training comes through and they “dig deep” into their soul and put forth another effort. Training with purpose will not only harden your body, but your mind as well.

When you are training, think to yourself “What is my opponent doing? Is he training like I am? Is he sparring those extra rounds, running that additional mile and performing those few more reps? Is he pushing through the pain?” You will never be able to answer those questions, until after the contest. The best chance of success that you have is to train to your best ability and don’t make excuses for not training.

The more that you put in, the more that you will be prepared to win. Take the Samurai for example. They were in Life and Death Battles. If they lost, they were dead. In order to win, they needed to have supreme confidence. They developed this confidence through their daily training regiment and discipline. The tenants espoused by the Samurai are ones that we can base our training on to develop our Never Say Die attitude.

As Always – Train Hard & Train Often.

My Best Friend: Are you a fitness enthusiast that takes their running shoes on trips, only to feel uncomfortable road running in unfamiliar areas? Are you tired of endlessly waiting for cardio equipment to free up at your gym, only to feel like a hamster running on a wheel? Do you love to run outdoors, yet shy away from putting on five layers of under-armor and sweats on in order to brave the sub arctic temperatures?

Well, let me introduce you to my “Best Friend”, the jump rope. You can take it anywhere, you do not need much space, it does not matter what the weather is like outside, you do not need expensive equipment ($2.00 to $20.00 for a rope, my favorite costs $8.00) and you can vary the routines and movements to keep it interesting. My Grandfather was a boxing trainer in Paterson, NJ back in the 30’s, 40’s and into the 50’s. He instructed me on how to jump rope as a teenager as a means to improve my foot speed and endurance for wrestling and football. I then began to realize the incredible benefits of jumping rope.

If you jump rope at a good pace for 5 minutes, it’s equivalent to running a mile! The coordination of your hands and feet moving in rhythm with each other is essential for a fighter. All of my martial arts classes begin with 3 to 5 minutes of jumping rope. In addition to the coordination development, jumping rope is an incredible means to warm up the body.

Even if you are a beginner and you miss on your jump, keep moving your feet. To learn how to jump, here are a couple of tips:

1) Play some music that you like with a good beat. You should put together a playlist for at least the same amount of time that you want to jump for. Use your favorite, upbeat songs & make a mix. Or, for those with obsessive, manic personalities, repeat the same song as an extended version. This also helps you jump rope longer. You basically fool your self into NOT thinking that you are jumping that long.

2) To initially get your timing, watch as the rope hits the ground. That’s when you time your jump. It may take a few weeks to get your timing, but keep working, it will eventually happen.

3) If you are still having issues, try putting the rope in one hand and jump up and down while rotating your wrist. This will help you to find your timing.

4) Remember the less movement of your arms, the better. Your wrists are the primary focus of the rotation. Try also to keep them in the same spot, approximately at the level between the bottom of your chest and the top of your hips. This does not hold true when you are doing more advanced movements, like crossing the rope or double jumps.

5) You do not have to jump very high. You only need to jump high enough to allow the thin rope to pass under your feet. Get your rhythm and all else will fall into place.

If you’d like to workout the rest of your body, try performing push-ups and abdominal exercises in a rotation with jumping rope. You can start with 100 jumps, 20 push – ups and 30 abdominals. Start with 3 rotations and then increase to 5. You may also execute additional push – ups or abdominals. What a great way to start the day!

Victory Favors the Prepared!

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach me at  HYPERLINK “http://www.philross.com” www.philross.com.

Muscle Confusion: Hype or Reality? 

Since the advent of the P90X video series, the notion of “Muscle Confusion” seems to be on everyone’s lips and has replaced conversations of Core Based Workouts as the main concern for fitness enthusiasts. We’ll tackle the notion of the elusive “Core” in another blog.

Muscle confusion has been a very popular training method for many, many years. Yes – the P90X does a good job at leading you through your daily routine, but the program does not take into consideration the varying degrees of fitness, athletic ability, age and other stressors that the potential customer base may possess. I am not here to bash the P90X series. On one hand it has inspired many people to lose weight, get in shape and improve their lives, on the other hand many people have become injured while using it. I have personally worked with several clients, of various ages, that came to me after doing the PX90 series and incurring injuries. People have injured their backs, knees, hips and shoulders.

If you read the book by Arnold Schwartzeneggar: The Education of A Bodybuilder. I read this book in 1978 and it had an incredible impact on me. While attending the University of Maryland I participated in a workout session with the Barbarian Brothers, Peter & David Paul. They were filming of the movie DC Cab with Mr. T & Gary Bussey. My friend’s dad owned the Gold’s Gym in Wheaton, Maryland and he invited a few of us guys down for the workout session. The book by Arnold, the workout session with the Barbarian Brothers and countless other strength and fitness athletes have always stressed “Varying the Workout”, “Shock the Muscles”, “Change your Routine”. That is the only true way to stimulate growth and achieve higher levels of fitness.

Why is it so important? Why can’t I just stick with my set of exercises? Why can’t I simply run the same amount and the same route every time? Why – because the body gets stale with the same routine. You need to “force” the body to respond to varied loads and/or movements. Soreness from your workout should be the norm. If you do not experience soreness on a regular basis, you are not developing. If you have hit platues with your strength or your times running or find that you are dreading training; you need to varying your routine. Not to mention the fact of repetitive stress injuries that the same routine breed.

When you do your roadwork, you need to vary the terrain, the distance and the level of intensity that you run. Example: If you run three times a week, session one, do a 3 mile mile run at 80 percent your capability. Next session, do interval training or what runners call the “Float”. Go to the track and run a 200 hard, then at 50%. Do this for several laps, in accordance to your fitness level and ability. The third session of the week, go for a long run at an easy pace, 65 to 70%. This is just an example for one week. I’ll address running programs in more detail in future blogs.

Kettlebell Training: Lends itself to Muscle Confusion better than any other method available. Personally, I know several hundred movement variations with the Kettlebell. There are also a plethora of workout delivery methods with a Kettlebell. Complexes, Chains, Powerdure, 4×8’s, Combined Kettlebell and Body weight routines, Scrambled eggs, Strength, Endurance, Flexibility, Explosive Power Focus. One of the differentiators  with Kettlebells, is that you have the ability to either focus on one of the phases of training or mix and match the methods in any combination that make sense or that keeps your workout interesting. You also need to employ the various levels of intensity to your workouts. You can’t go 100% every workout. This is another subject that I will cover in greater detail in a future blog. Hey – I have to keep you coming back for more!

Yes – Muscle Confusion is a reality and has great merit, but it’s not new or revolutionary – It’s just simply good.

Train Hard & Train Often!