The bummer about the kettlebell clean is bruising your forearm. But this movement is a huge strength builder, and there IS a way to do it without whacking your arm. If you do them swiftly and correctly, the KB should land and rest softly on your forearm, with your wrist straight and tight and your arm folded into your chest.

Check out this quick video where Ryan demos the steps to practice to get it right: Single arm dead lift > pistol pull > dead stop clean. 

Ryan Humphries, Co-Owner & Coach

This is one of the mottos used by climbers referring to having two or one carabiners clipped in at all times for safety. With none clipped in, your fate is literally in every step you take. With one clipped in, there is at least a little room for error (or at least a slight feeling of safety). With two clipped in, there may come a feeling of confidence (or at least more safety).

It's about backup. A safety net. Just in case.


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"While climbing the Via Ferrata, as my butt was puckering about 600’ above the forest below, I thought about how having a backup plan instills confidence."
 
A few weekends ago, a bunch of people from Axistence went to Ouray and Tellurdie to rappel down waterfalls, hike and climb mountains, with the help of local guides. This is what we aim to do here at Axistence: Take the strength and skills we get in the gym out into the great wide open.

While climbing the Via Ferrata, as my butt was puckering about 600’ above the forest below, I thought about how having a plan can make us feel safe; and having a backup plan instills confidence. Having no plan often results in disaster.

How often do we go through life without a plan? How about without a backup plan for when the first plan fails? I didn’t know what was around the corner but I knew that if I had two carabiners clipped in, then I was doing everything I could to ensure success.  

This isn’t to say that we must plan out every minute of every day, but how much more successful would we be if we had a plan? How about a backup plan for when plan A doesn’t deliver the results we were looking for?

Even with a plan, the only chance we have for success comes with implementation. We may have the most amazing plan with 16 backup plans but the only chance of that plan being successful is when we take action.

The planning stage is also where most ideas die. Either from over thinking or a lack of action.
We don’t have to have it all figured out, but with at least one plan and some action, our chances of success are high.

Having a literal carabiner or two in place allow you to take a low-risk leap to get ahold of the next crag. Metaphorically, being "clipped in" gives you permission to go for it, whatever that is - an adventure, a relationship,  a career move. When you've got backup, you can afford to shoot for something a bit out of reach. And as in climbing, when you really go for it, you get farther, and the view from up there is pretty sweet.

by Ryan Humphries, Co-Founder & Fitness Coach, Axistence Athletics  
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Think about exercise as something that you have to do, it won't be that much fun. Think about it as achieving  mastery, however and you'll develop a deeper respect for the movements, leading to the results you're looking for...

If you can keep yourself from thinking about exercise as a series of workouts or competitive events, you’re winning. Instead, think of it it as achieving mastery with your personal fitness. Another way to say this would be practicing or training. In doing so you’ll likely stick with the program for longer, leading to not only the results you were looking for when you started, but many more along the way.. ​

How do you do a sandbag floor-to-shoulder safely? Let me count the ways. Actually, let Coach Jake count the ways in this :40 second sandbag variation demo video: