Tuesday, 25 October 2011

What gravity defies...


I've always had a fascination for the human body and what it's capabilities are. The magic of being able to defy gravity and contradict what people assume is the impossible.  Just the word 'calisthenics' makes my hair stand on end.  As a little girl I would watch the Olympic gymnasts for hours and hope that one day I too would master my own body.

Meeting Dave Ozorio back in 2009 turned my simple fascination with body weight control into an absolute obsession.  He fed me the best reading material and educated me on the old school approach to real training, to learning how to curb your own weight first, prior to knocking on the weight lifting door.

Not only on the 'how to' but also on how your body benefits from calisthenics. Where your chassis can take you and how being an apprentice of your physique will change the way you see and experience the world.

Since then my training methodologies have revolved around using body weight training to strengthen your core, develop power and build maximum raw muscle. When I was introduced to the kettlebell, my world took another 360, combining this humble strength tool with my calisthenic training took my body to new levels.

The word 'functional' is being thrown around today's fitness communities like a cheap hooker on new year.  Functional to my understanding is practicality and body weight training is practical.  Learning to move your own weight around without an external force is a feat of strength.

Defying gravity is tough, its challenging and not a single movement is easy and that is why its the real trial. Its demanding, daring and just plain hardcore.  Where I view the body as an integrated whole, and not as a collection of parts. I train my body to work in synergy for every day life, for practicality, and for my own mental well being.  I will confront and brave the forces, I will master my own body, I will demolish the series of one arm moves, I will conquer the bar and I will achieve the finesse of calisthenics.

Why?

"Because it's a shame for a woman to grow old without ever seeing the strength and beauty of which her body is capable" - Socrates