Post Primal Move workshop with Paul Daniels.
Recently, I had the pleasure of taking a day-long Primal Move workshop at Kettlebells South Bay in Torrence, CA. The host and owner of the gym Joe Chalakee, is a real class act, and welcomed us with open arms and great hospitality. I was so “moved” by the experience that I felt compelled to write about it.
Before I go any farther, let me give you a quick background as to why I’m so stoked about Primal Move. Over the course of time, I’ve gone through many ups and downs, peaks and valleys, ruts and mountains, and rocks and hard places. I’m sure you’ve all been in the same boat, but my situation got very ugly. Aside from having a major eating disorder, I was one millimeter away from being skewered, jumping into the East River, homeless, and emotionally and spiritually bankrupt. I know this may sound a bit extreme, but I’m a Lean Beret, and we pull no punches. As I dug myself out of this rock-bottomness of life I had sunk to, there was always one thing that remained constant… exercise. Although it was a big contributor to my overly thin body, it was also all I had to keep from coming completely unglued. Without a gym membership and having to seek healing and refuge in my mom’s basement, I had to get resourceful. This meant using my body for resistance. One of my all time favorite mentors Napoleon Hill once said, “Every adversity has a seed of equivalent benefit.” I committed that statement to memory and say it to myself every time I’m tested with a tough situation. This was a good example of that. I started created all kinds of body-weight moves and variations to gold standards like pushups, dips, squats, planks and lunges. Once I started getting back on my feet and rejoined the gym world–both professionally and recreationally–I always kept body-weight exercises present in my workouts. They just had a different flare and snap to them that really resonated well with my body. Fast forward to today and along comes Primal Move. For me, it was a match made in heaven and it couldn’t be timed any better. This is exactly what I’ve been waiting and looking for, and I can’t get enough of it.
A Primal Move in action.
When I first stepped foot into South Bay, I had a little background on Primal Move because both Ron and Candas Jones of The Lean Berets team are certified instructors, and they’ve gifted me some knowledge. But when I participated in an all-day workshop it finally all made sense and came full circle.
The whole theory of Primal Move is based on smooth body-weight movements put together in a rhythmic, flowing sequence. When done with grace and precision, these movements improve your posture, core strength, functional ability, cognitive function, stability and vestibular awareness. As an added bonus, you can turn the volume up and experience a tremendous calorie burn, promoting weight loss and lean muscle mass gain. With all the vanilla, recycled, repackaged information being pushed down fitness professional’s throats these days, I was thrilled at how innovative and refreshing Primal Move was. All you need is the weight of your body, a comfortable floor surface and instructor who knows the Primal game well. In the case of my workshop, I’d like to tip my hat to Paul Daniels. This guy moved like a graceful ninja and I was blown away from minute one as he effortlessly and flawlessly demonstrated one exercise after another with proper form and technique. In a past blog, I mentioned how age is only a number and there are some really fit dudes out there who are 50-puls. Believe me when I tell you, Paul is a walking testament of that!
Graceful movement by one of the best in the business.
I am now in a position to get Primal Move certified myself, and I am super excited! Since coming back to Park City, I just can’t stop talking about this new technique based on old-school mentality, and I’ve made the decision that I want to go as far as I can in this system. Perhaps the biggest bonus with Primal is that you do not need any equipment whatsoever, and all ages, body styles, fitness levels and training backgrounds are welcome. I can’t say the same for some of these other over-the-top, high-intensity workout models that leave you wondering if they’re safe or dangerous.
As head of Special Ops for The Lean Berets, it is my duty to give you the straight facts and separate that which is part of the problem and part of the solution. I’m telling you right now that Primal Move is here to stay and is definitely part of the solution! Find a class to attend or certified instructor in your area as soon as possible. I all but guarantee after one session you will be hooked, and feeling and moving better than you have in months!
Take care and be moved,
K/Rail
