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Maxbells BW Trainer’s Certification Report (pt.1)
List of posts in Maxbells BW Trainer's Certification Report
- Maxbells BW Trainer’s Certification Report (pt.1)
- Maxbells BW Trainer’s Certification Report (pt.2)
Sorry for the delay fellas, but my day job has started again 
Anyway, it was one week ago today that I set out on my drive to Sacramento from Los Angeles. This was my first time driving up north, and only my second time venturing near the state’s capitol since I moved to southern CA more than 10 years ago.
I had already made my reservations online for the Econo Lodge in downtown Sacramento, so all I had to do is focus on the ride, which took me a total of 8 hours instead of 6 because of the traffic and rain that I kept running into on the way there. When I finally arrived at the hotel, I soon realized that you get what you pay for …
It was hard for me to fall asleep that night because not only was the bed hard, but I was also pretty anxious about attending Steve’s Body Weight Trainer’s certification the following morning. I had to force myself to go to bed because I was already tired from the 8 hour drive, and I knew that I was going to need my rest.
This wasn’t my first time going to one of Steve’s workshops. I attended his Joint Mobility & Body Weight Exercises Workshop in Las Vegas last year. This is when I realized that this guy not only had an immense amount of knowledge about physical fitness, but he was able to explain it in a way that a lay person could understand. This workshop also showed me the areas I needed to improve on in my own body weight program.
When I found out that Steve was offering an instructor’s certification in his system/philosophy of body weight exercises, I knew it was a challenge that I decided I would make for myself. You see, after the workshop in Las Vegas, I went home, sold all of my kettlebells (except a pair of 35lbers), bought a pair of gymnastic rings, and started doing a steady diet of pullups, dips, and hindu pushups and squats. I totally changed the focus of my workouts to having the lofty goal of one day wanting to master my own body weight!
Me & the Ole' Coach @ Body Tribe Gym
So, I wake up around 6am pretty anxious and nervous. I leave the hotel around a quarter after 8 to drive around and find the gym. Once I found the gym, I realized that it was only 8:30, and the workshop didn’t start until 9am. I drove around downtown Sacramento to kill time before heading back to Body Tribe. Once I got back and parked, I saw Steve’s van pull into the parking lot.
I was able to give him and his girlfriend, Teresa, MrLowBodyFat t-shirts I had brought for them and to tell them how much I was looking forward to the workshop.
Walking into Body Tribe was really an experience. This place is a professed follower of the Physical Sub-culture movement that it taking place. There were no mirrors on the wall, no nautilus-style machines, or any treadmills or ellipticals in sight. What you did see were Olympic lifting platforms, power racks, one or two spots to bench, one cable-row machine, and a collection of barbells, dumbbells, clubbells, kettlebells, macebells, sandbags, kegs, truck tires, chains, bands, gymnast rings, climbing rope, parrellettes, etc.
What’s funny is that I’m sure many of you are picturing a dark dungeon type feel or even smell to the place. Well, I’m sure that it can get smelly like any gym when it’s full of folks, but what struck me as odd was that it had an artsy feel to it! There were paintings and metal artwork around the gym, and the owner’s, Chip, taste in music wasn’t bad either. How can you not get pumped up listening to Olatunji’s Drums of Passion?
There was a small group of guys that attended the certification. Most of them were friends from Texas, with another guy from the Bay Area. Chip, the owner of the gym, also joined us as Steve gathered us in a circle to welcome us and to give us an idea of what the certification process consisted of. In a nutshell, the day would consist of us going over pullups and pushups before lunch and then moving on to working legs and the core after lunch. The workshop went from 9am – 6pm with a 30 minute lunch break.
After receiving our BW Trainer’s manuals, Steve started us on our journey of how one can use nothing but their own body weight to lose fat, build and strengthen muscles, and to improve and maintain flexibility, mobility, and balance as you age.
Using the pushup board, Steve took us through a series of different pushups and sequences of pushups. This section of the certification reinforced that I’ve been using the correct form since going to his workshop in Vegas. I felt pretty strong with the pushups until we started doing the scorpion pushup and the half-moon pushups …
What I found pretty interesting is that Steve had an injured shoulder from practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu; however, he was still able to show us an effective way of doing a pushup which makes sure that you lock your shoulders into your trunk and use your lats throughout the entire movement. When done properly, the simple pushup becomes a total body movement with zero pain or stress on your shoulders!
Also, he showed us the importance of slowly progressing up to harder versions of a particular movement and how to explain to the people we work with that it’s OK to start with doing pushups on their knees or to simply do a static hold or plank from their knees to eventually build up to doing a standard pushup. Steve emphasized that there’s no such thing as “girl” pushups and “men” or “real” pushups.
The same thing goes for pullups; so, stop with the fat man pullups name for body weight rows guys. The pullup was the second section that we covered in the morning before lunch. One thing about Steve’s workshop is that they follow a very effective format. He explains a concept or movement, demonstrates the movement, then had us perform the movement with him and on our own as he walked around checking on our form.
Although my pullup numbers have increased since the last workshop, I’m here to tell you that the other guys in the workshop were pullup feins!! I was impressed with their form and stamina. Hell, one guy, who’s also a police officer, was able to do a complete one-arm pullup for the first time after a couple of pointers from Steve!
Just in case you’re wondering how impressive a one-arm pullup is, Steve told us that it’s been estimated that only 1 in 500,000 folks can actually do one.
After showing us how to do dips without tearing out rotator’s cuff and sharing a couple of interesting stories about lessons he received at the rings in Venice beach, we broke for our brief lunch.
Going into lunch, I felt pretty proud of myself because I was half-way through the certification. My energy levels were doing well, and I had my protein shake ready for lunch.
OK guys, I’ll cover the rest of the workshop next week, and how I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it through the certification process . . .
February 13th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
I don’t know Muata. I looked the Econo up and it seems really . . . er ? nice.
Elevator(s)
Free Coffee
Free Continental Breakfast
FEMA Approved
Guest Use Fax Machine
Iron & Ironing Board
Cable/Satellite TV
In-Room Air Conditioning
Who could want anything more?
Have fun with the Trainer’s certification
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Muata Reply:
February 16th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
LOL! I know, what was I thinking about . . .
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February 13th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Hey Muata,
Wow – it sounds like you had a great experience! When are you quitting your day job?
Seriously many people ‘discover’ themselves I hear and when they retire – they do something fun and rewarding.
Anyhow I wanted to let you know that one thing you have been vocal about – calories count – I am starting to keep track and it is working out good again. Last year I made the most gains when I kept track and then back slid when I did not.
I’ve always thought that guys on the rings were the true strong-men.
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Muata Reply:
February 16th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
I feel the same way John because it takes a helluva lot of strength to do a muscle-up. I don’t know about quitting my day job because it’s paying the bills
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February 15th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Muata, it only costs a quater more to go first class-LOL
I am glad to here that one thing in the cert class was to re-enforce how to teach to the average Joe. Some of us ain’t body builders, keep up the education—- i am in need.
Your humble Grasshopper.
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Muata Reply:
February 16th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Hey, I can’t argue with you Bill. I’ve learned my lesson about being too frugal, or too cheap
I hear you about many of us not wanting to be bodybuilders, and this is one of the main reasons why I went after the BW certification because BWE are all that the majority of guys need …
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February 16th, 2009 at 9:30 am
Muata,
I am definitely thinking about checking out the BW Certification class in May. I am in pretty good shape and am a big fitness enthusiasts. I want to learn more and more about body weight exercises, but the classes sound pretty intense. What are the range of fitness levels in the class?
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Muata Reply:
February 16th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Richard, don’t worry. You’ll be fine because it’s not Steve’s purpose to smoke everyone at the certification. As a matter of fact, he is more than willing to work with those who can’t do some of the moves that he shows. If you’re in decent shape, you’ll be OK. Sign up for the certification, and I look forward to hearing your report!
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March 7th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Muata,
Great story! I suffer from Tendonitis/Bursitis (i’m not sure which, i’ve gotten conflicting reports from the doctors) in my left shoulder so I got excited when I read about the pushup that doesn’t stress the shoulders! Is there anywhere I find out more about this? I find my entire fitness level suffering because of this injury and I miss doing pushups! I’m so discouraged at this point.
Stacy
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Muata Reply:
March 7th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Stacy, thanks for leaving a comment, and you’re right. I’ve injured my right shoulder so many times from poor benching and push-up techniques that when I discovered how to pack my shoulder down into my lats, I found myself pulling myself down to the ground and pushing my way back up all while my lats were activated. No shoulder pain because they’re not being used. Now, as Steve pointed out, this is not the only way of doing push-ups, as their are endless variations. But, for those of us who are no longer spring chickens or have injured our shoulders in the past, this is great way to bring back your childhood favorite without hurting your shoulder.
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