The Cave was a major part of my life for almostv 12 years, it was like my second home.
It just had run it’s course.
Our main focus now is Mace Fit, which was the msot popular class at the Cave.
A few weeks ago I published The Official mace Fit Training Manual
which gives any reasonably healthy person the opportunity to do Mace Fit.
The feedback I have gotten on the manual has been very positive.
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO MAKE A NEW START!
Big things happen in straight lines, but not always.
When I was at Ed Coan’s Powerlifting Seminar a few years ago, he stressed being strong all over.
Coringa Conway, the owner of Iron Life Athletics in Orlando, is a great example of that.
He’s a Strongman & Highland Games competitor and a very accomplished martial artist.
Did I mention he’s one of our Mace Fit coaches also?
He trains with Atlas stones, axles, heavy carries, steel clubs & maces and more.
This video was taken last year at the Vintage Strength Games.
Coringa was actually running a Highland Games event at the same venue but he came over to do this demo for us.​
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However you train, doing linear and rotational work will make you better overall.
Lift those stones, and pull those big deadlifts, and sling some steel too.
Coach D
For my first ten years in martial arts I practiced a very classical system.
Every class started with us kneeling and clearing our minds.
There was silence in the dojo until the Sensei spoke.
The dojo itself was very austere, basically an empty room.
Our mental focus was sharp and undistracted.
What a far cry from the world we train in now.
That’s one of the reasons I train alone or outdoors as much as I can.
This helps clear the “back channel” of my mind.
The “back channel” can be a very busy place, full of distactions.
It might be thoughts about work you need to do or how bad the traffic was.
Maybe it’s relational problems, or how good someone else looks, or how bad you think you look.
It could even be what you saw in the news (which is almost always bad).
All these things and more can race through your mind and break your focus.
Another side effect of all this is your body is often very tense, and you probably don’t even know it.
This hampers range of motion and movements become choppy instead of being fluid.
External distractions are more easily dealt with, like loud music or TVs on every wall.
The “back channel” is silent but it is tougher.
Just a few thoughts as we head into the weekend.
Coach D
Check out all our training resources in one place.
How do you picture strength?
Many people think big biceps and six pack abs mean someone is strong.
Really?
The public’s view of strength is very tainted.
What about strong forearms, back, and legs?
These might not be “beach muscles” but they get the job done when it’s tough, hard, and heavy.
Check out Strongman Dan training with a 70lb club.
​https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqML3iOpD9H/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link​
Or Tim Welsh swing a 52lb short mace
​https://www.instagram.com/reel/CiC2RwrvA3u/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link​
and Brad Hutchins swing ing a 100 lb club.
​https://www.instagram.com/p/Clhk1f0jAyU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link​
If you’re not strong all over, then you’re not strong.
It’s just that simple.
Coach D
PS: Grab your copy of the The Official Mace Fit Training Manual
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We’ve had the Vintage Strength games since 2019, but this year’s games will be the best yet.
The events will include Strongman and mace/club events.
Athletes will have to be brutally strong and well-conditioned to handle this type of competition.
I love this stuff!
Get all the details at Woodall’s Vintage Strength Games​
In this crazy world, weakness makes you an easy target.
Don’t be weak.
You never know what you might have happen on any given day.
You might have to defend yourself or family or maybe carry an injured person out of a burning building.
It pays to be strong all over at like Ed Coan says.
So grab your gear and your training in today.
Get strong and stay strong,
Coach D
Just about all heavy lifts are done with two hands.
No doubt bilateral work can get you strong.
But what if your dominant side compensates for your weaker side?
Maybe there’s a muscle imbalance lurking in the shadows.
Unilateral exercises could probably help fix that.
Dumbbells, kettlebells, maces, & clubs are great for that.
Snatches, presses, and swings are a few of the things that can be done with these implements.
There are many more unilateral exercises that can also be done.
Take a plank for instance.
A one-armed plank is much tougher than using two hands.
The same thing goes for pullups, squats, and deadlifts.
One of the excruciating exercises we do in Mace Fit is the Russian plank fly.
Basically its a unilateral plank but with a steel club in the other hand.
The club is slowly pressed parallel to the ground then to full extension, then it’s
brought slowly around in a wide arc back to its starting position.
This one really shows which side needs more work.
So throw in some unilateral work this week.
You won’t regret it.
Coach D
I hope you had a great Christmas.
Now New Years is coming up fast.
Many people will be making resolutions for 2023, most of which will probably fizzle out in a couple of weeks.
They will do basically nothing.
Others will opt for an extreme, even drastic plan to get in shape.
It’s kind of a lifestyle revolution.
They will do crazy fad diets and overdo it on exercise.
Neither the resolution or the revolution are any good.
All the weightloss and fitness hype will be in full swing and a lot of peope, will get suckered by it.
What people really need is discipline and a legit coach with a solid training strategy.
Discipline is superior to motivation because motivation fades after a while.
Discipline is a lifelong habit.
Good coaches are out there if people have the sense to seek them out.
Coach D
Real quick, I wanted to share a recent podcast I was on.
We covered quite a bit of territory on this one.
One thing was the growing interest in mace & club training in the Strongman and martial arts communities.
Hope you like it,
Coach D
In this crazy world we live in very few things are reliable or predictable.
Politicians often lie. News stations always have their spin (agenda) when it comes to news.
Facts get lost in the blur.
Thank God that iron and steel are reliable.
Henry Rollins made that point several years ago.
When you pull a PR deadlift you know how much the weight had increased. There’s no guessing.
Iron and steel don’t have any agenda.
They just sit there until you make them move.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a heavy mace or a 100lb plate.
It is what is.
It never changes.
If you want to read something reliable look at your training journal.
As long as you haven’t lied to yourself you will get accurate information every time.
This is how we improve.
Hype and nonsense help no one get better at anything.
Stick to the basics and rule the day!
Coach D
Today I’m double-checking what we need to run our booth at this epic event.
This is our 4th year as a sponsor and I am chomping at the bit to get up there in that high-adrenaline atmosphere.
Watching Strongman on TV or online is great but it doesn’t compare to being there in person.
You can get all the details on events, weigh-ins, sponsors, tickets, etc.at Iron Podium​
If you are in the central Florida area get on over there this Saturday!
Stop by the Mace Fit booth for some hands-on steel mace & club exercises and to enter our drawings.
You can also get your “look like a Viking” photo taken holding a steel mace or club.
Grab a copy of our new interactive training manual while they are on sale too.
The $15 discount is only available at the Tampa Bay Strongman Classic on Nov. 5, 2022
Retails is $39.00
Sale price is $24
While supply lasts
The Cave 