PACIFIC STRENGTH

"Do The Move! Don't Just Make the Shape."

2011-07-12T13:52:00.000-07:00

When fellow RKC assistant, friend, and RKCII (now Team Leader!) Andrew Read from Dragon Door Australia said this as he was teaching the group at the RKC in April, a little lightbulb went off in my head. I feel like I've been saying that forever, just not in that way. I've been using lots of words to say the same thing, like "don't just go through the motions, feel what your muscles are doing" and "don't think of your 'to-do' lists in the gym, focus on your body and what you're doing - you'll get more out of your workout".

What these people were doing, in essence, is "making the shape" of the exercise and not "doing the move".

I'll give you an example of someone "making the shape". This lady is the one in your gym right now reading a magazine on the leg extension or the inner thigh machine. You know you've all seen her and this is not to pick on women, but it's usually a woman reading a People Magazine about how Jessica Alba got into bikini shape. I digress...

Now, I'm not going to say I'm a huge fan of machines, but if you actually concentrate on the muscles you're working, control the weight with your muscles instead of letting the weight control your movements, you may actually get some benefit from those machines. Those people probably saw a trainer from across the gym show a client how to work that machine, saw the shape that person was making, and copied the shape. What they didn't hear was the trainer coaching the client on how to effectively do the move: activating different muscle groups, squeezing the muscles at the top of the movement, and then controlling the weight back onto the stack.

So how does this relate to kettlebells?

Doing the Move is HUGE!

Ok, so I'm not going to name any names. Partly because there are too many out there- on youtube, trainers in your gyms, trainers on TV.... Most of the people you see are making the shape. They generally say the right things- that the kettlebell is an extreme handheld gym (I would clarify: "in the right hands"), that it works your whole body (clarification: "if you do it right"), and you burn more calories in a shorter amount of time (again: "if you do it right"). But the problem is, what they demonstrate is not incorporating the things they are saying.

Here's my video on what NOT to do!

Now, you probably won't get hurt doing this with light weight. It's fine, but you can do it with a dumbbell and you're not getting the maximum benefit from the kettlebell, its unique shape and center of mass, and the total body workout you're looking for. It's a squat and forward raise- awesome for quads and anterior delts.

When you actually do the move, it looks something like this:

You're activating every muscle in your body. The swing motion (back and forth NOT up and down) is generated by throwing your hips back, throwing the kettlebell behind you, and then allowing your legs to do the work to swing the kettlebell forward. Your body stops in a standing plank position at the top and your arms are loose- allowing the kettlebell to swing.

This is one of the big reasons I clung to kettlebells like I did. The way Pavel and the awesome team of instructors at the RKC teach kettlebell techniques fit the way I've always trained.

You can't just go into a gym or pop in a video, put in your time, and think you're going to get results.

So get with a local RKC and start Doing the Move! The results with be worth it!

Enjoy!

If you want to see the whole video with my commentary, here it is:

Snatch Wave Workout

2011-06-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

Another quick and effective workout. All kettlebell snatches this time. I used one snatch test size bell (16k), one below (12k), and one above (20k). I would recommend using something you're comfortable with for the "snatch test size bell" and then one above and below. This is what I did:

Snatch Wave

12k - 10R, 10L

16k - 10R, 10L

20k - 10R, 10L

16k - 10R, 10L

12k - 10R, 10L

16k - 10R, 10L

20k - 10R, 10L

16k - 10R, 10L

12k - 10R, 10L

16k - 10R, 10L

for 200 total snatches

Then take your lightest bell and perform a 5 minute snatch test with that. I got 110 in 5 minutes.

Between the different sized snatches in the Snatch Wave section, rest as much as you feel like you need to. I wasn't in a huge rush. The 200 snatches took me about 18min. It was fun to groove with the 12k and 16k and then really focus with the 20k- something I don't often snatch.

Let me know how it goes for you!

ps- I have been doing my TGU's and they're getting better! I don't LOVE them yet, but I'm building a better appreciation for what they do for my body. The day after that first TGU workout I posted, my arms felt like noodles. Very strong and capable noodles, but noodles just the same. I like that =)

How are you doing with your TGUs?

Steff

2011-06-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

Watch Steff. She is about as bad-a$# as you can get.
Busy mother of three beautiful girls, all under the age of 9.
Doesn't necessarily have time for exercise. She makes time. With kettlebells, it's easy.

Steff weighs about 115lbs.
Seen here swinging an 80lb kettlebell. That's 70% of her body weight.
It's the biggest one I had at the time. She swings it like its a 12k.

She'll tell you, she wasn't a huge fan of working out and used to dread it (used every excuse in the book!). But with kettlebells, she gets to the workout because she knows it's quick and effective. She's not wasting time with long cardio classes or elliptical sessions. She gets herself to the gym (sometimes on a unicycle, but that's another blog post), gets her training in, and then she's out in less than an hour to get on with her day! She trains with kettlebells 3 times per week and walks another 2-4 days with her dog (but that's more for Puppy Rose).

Turkish Get-Up Workout

2011-05-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

This may sound like blasphemy to my fellow RKCs... but I really don't like Turkish Get-ups. Meaning I avoid them like the plague. I know, I know, I probably shouldn't say this much less write it in my blog, but it's the truth and I'm trying to be honest and real with my blog.

The Turkish Get-Up, or TGU goes along with one of the RKC's mottos of "safety as a part of, not the opposite of, performance". The TGU has been touted for its ability to increase shoulder stability and mobility while that very same exercise is also known to increase military pressing strength. I know how much weight (pardon the pun) my fellow RKC Comrades give it: when deciding which three exercises are most important and should be taught at the new one-day HKC certification, the Get-Up made the list. Anybody who's anybody in "the community" knows the importance of TGUs in a good kettlebell routine.

I just don't like to DO them.

I'm more of a ballistic girl. I L-O-V-E swings and snatches. They are my go-to exercises and I have no trouble working them into my routine.

Come to think of it, I really like grinds as well- as long as they're HEAVY! I'm all about maximum bang for my buck. If I do something slow, I want it to be so heavy I couldn't go fast if I tried. You can do heavy TGUs, but you have to put in the work with the light weights to get to that point.

It's easy to do what you love and what you're good at, but that doesn't make you a better person. I want to be a better Turkish Get-Uper-er...

So, I'm going to do what I encourage my friends, family members, and clients to do all the time. Don't just practice what you love and what you're good at, practice the things you don't like and that need work! Hamilton Holt said, "Nothing worthwhile comes easy. Work, continuous work, and hard work, is the only way to accomplish results that last." And that's what I promised my friend and fellow RKC, Josh Hillis I would do. I'm working TGUs into my weekly routine. Gabby, you would be so proud!

My compromise for this week:
40-min of TGUs with a 12kg Kettlebell; broken up by 20 swings with 20kg Kettlebell every 5-minutes
It looked something like this:
- 5-min R/L Alternating Half Get-Ups; buzzer goes off
- 20 swings with 20kg kettlebell
- 5-min R/L Alternating Full Turkish Getups; buzzer goes off

- 20 swings with 20kg kettlebell

Repeat for 4 total rounds (40 total min)
I had to get my swings in and that was the "compromise" to myself. Made for quite the workout!

I hope I don't offend anyone, namely Dr. Mark Cheng who came to my studio last year and taught an entire seminar on the Get-Up. Or my RKC Team Leader Brett Jones who has multiple dvd's on the Get-Up.

My promise is that I will do at least one TGU workout every week. Now that I'm posting for the world to see, I have to do it! Wish me luck!

Minnesota RKC April 15-17

2011-05-19T14:37:00.000-07:00

Last month, I had the privilege of assisting Team Engum at the RKC in St. Paul. It's not every day you get a chance to be a part of such a talented group of people. From Chief Instructor Pavel Tsatsouline and his amazing group of Team Leaders to each and every candidate, there were 130 people all in one place for one thing- the Russian Kettlebell Challenge.

Andrew Read, Jon Engum, & Val Hedlund

I was going to do a recap of the weekend but when I got home from the RKC, I unpacked my RKC suitcase and packed my vacation bag. Troy & I flew to Maui for my best high school friend's wedding and then we went to Kauai for 8 days for our honeymoon! In the meantime, a couple friends and fellow RKC assistants posted blogs about their experience and I really could not have said it better myself. So, I'll let them tell you how it went!

Andrew Read from Dragon Door Australia

and

Josh Hillis from Denver (yep, right down the street from me and I had to go to Minnesota to meet him!)

Both guys write awesome blogs so you all should follow them!

Josh has a piece on my RKC team member, Jenni, who lost 65lbs with kettlebells. She rocked it that weekend and this is a great interview by Josh.

All in all, it was an awesome weekend. Met a ton of really great people I will always call my friends and tried to absorb everything I could from all of the great fitness and business minds that were there.

Thanks everyone for an awesome weekend!

Beautiful Day Workout on the Back Porch

2011-05-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

I woke up to snow this morning...

But two days ago, my husband and I did a workout on the back porch!

I think it worked well for a post-honeymoon workout. I didn't get a strength workout for 10 days in Kauai- we did hike and run and kayak, but no strength. I feel like I'm just getting back into it and felt like this workout was a good one.

Check it out and let me know what you think!

It's a ladder workout - started at 10 reps each exercise and worked our way down to 1. I think it took about 40 minutes. I used the 16kg for the snatches and then moved to the 12kg for the lunges.

Enjoy!

Ladder Workout of the Day

2011-03-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

I had 20 minutes yesterday and came up with a doozie. Grab your kettlebells and give it a shot!

Start with an easier weight. I used 12k for the first round.

Workout:
1 R snatch, lower kb to shoulder
1 R squat,
1 R press
10 R swings
switch sides
1 L snatch, lower kb to shoulder

1 L squat,

1 L press

10 L swings

switch sides

2 R snatches, lower kb to shoulder

1 R squat,

1 R press

10 R swings

switch sides

2 L snatches, lower kb to shoulder

1 L squat,

1 L press

10 L swings

3 R snatches.....

up to 5 snatches each side

rest 60sec

move to next higher kettlebell (I used a 16k)

start with 5 snatches and work your way down to 1 each side

rest 60 sec

move to starting kettlebell weight

repeat first round as written above

you're done!

Quick & Effective

Enjoy!

Pacific Strength in AZ

2010-11-18T15:42:00.000-08:00

Susan is in Arizona helping her mom and she brought a little Pacific Strength with her!
Thanks for the pic =)

Pacific Strength... in VAIL!

2010-11-02T15:41:00.000-07:00

Well, at least for our mini-honeymoon. And yes, we did exercise. It was impossible NOT to on this great trail that ran right next to the river. They've gotten some snow in the last couple weeks, but it was nice and sunny for us all weekend. The above pic is Troy representing Pacific Strength in the Rockies. I'm thinking that may be a good place for our first Lady Kettlebell Retreat!

This is what my clients do on vacation

2010-09-21T21:19:00.000-07:00

Gina was in Kauai with her family. Apparently, Kauai has a Walmart and that Walmart carries kettlebells. Gina "got her kettlebell on" on the private beach - between the kayaking, hiking, and surfing.

I love it!

Vacation Workout

2010-06-17T14:40:00.000-07:00

I went to Orlando, Florida over Memorial Day weekend for my little brother's wedding. I don't like lines or waiting in general and I like to consider myself an experienced traveler (that's what dating a guy in a different state will do to you) so I try to carry on whenever possible.
Five days worth of clothing to include outfits for rehearsal dinner & wedding didn't leave a lot of room for exercise equipment. A kettlebell was out of the question- space and the hassle of getting that thing into the overhead bin. Plus- do they let you carry those things on? Would that be considered a weapon? I could have brought an exercise band, but I forgot. So, I improvised with my nephew (aka my flexible barbell)...

I recommend you try this at home with a little person of your own!

Fun for the whole family =)

Thanks for being a good sport, Liam!

SC United Soccer- Running Training- FARTLEK TIME!

2010-04-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

To improve your endurance, you need a plan and here's one that will challenge every level. Funny name but awesome training....

Fartlek!
Yep, it sounds just like it's spelled. It's Swedish word that means "speed-play" and it's a great tool for training speed and endurance at the same time. We do a lot of this in our conditioning training, but for the workouts on your own, you'll be choosing the pace and the distance for each pace. If you go with a group of soccer friends, you can trade off "leaders" every 5 minutes.
An example of a good Fartlek workout would be:
2-3mile total run
5 minutes of warmup at gear 2-3
For the remainder of the run your default gear will be gear 3. The leader will then pick a landmark (a driveway, mailbox, palm tree, street sign, etc), choose a speed (gears 2 through 5), and the group will run to that landmark at that speed. The group will return to a gear 3 speed until the leader chooses another landmark.
When you are finished with your "speed-play", be sure to jog easy (gear 2-3) for 10-15 minutes and then get some good stretches in!

Have fun and I'll see you on the field!

Marilyn

2010-03-30T13:02:00.000-07:00

She's training for her 50th college reunion. She wants to be the same weight she was in college. She wants to look and feel better than all of her other friends who've stopped trying and use age as an excuse to not be active.

Watch her swing the 24kg kettlebell (that's 52.8lbs!).

Click the link to see Marilyn on YouTube

She wants to be swinging Kettlebells when she's 100 years old.

Power you YOU, Marilyn =)

More Victims, Please!

2010-02-16T08:32:00.000-08:00

We had another awesome Kettlebell Intro Workshop this weekend. Thanks to Gabby and all of the Newbies for helping make it such a great class. I really enjoy sharing this unique form of torture with people so thank you for allowing me to do that. About half of you have already been back for more- I hope the rest of you are getting your bodies moving and stretching those tight muscles out. If you're too sore to walk, WALK and STRETCH! You'll feel much better afterward, I promise. =)
Keep up the great work and I'll see you in class!

Val

SC United Soccer- Conditioning Training- February Workout

2010-02-03T13:43:00.000-08:00

Running is a huge part of soccer. The skills of the game are extremely important, but if the you're beating the other team to the ball at the end of a close match, you're much more likely to win!

I've been working with some of the San Clemente United Soccer Teams to help increase endurance and I wanted to post some running workouts for the kids to do on their own. Just going out and running the beach trail while you're chatting with your friends isn't going to cut it. So here's your workout of the month- do it once or twice a week and try to push the "intervals" harder every time. Wear a watch for this workout!

We've been working on gears so I'll put all of the training in those terms. As a reminder...

Gear 1 = Just slightly faster than a walk; this is your recovery jog
Gear 2 = about a 30-40% effort; easy jog, faster than 1
Gear 3 = 50% effort; moderate jog- you could easily go for a mile at this pace
Gear 4 = 75-80% effort; you could run at this pace for about 2 or 3 minutes before your legs really start to burn
Gear 5 = all out sprint

5-Minute Warmup Jog at Gear 3
5 x 1 minute at Gear 4, 1 minute at Gear 2
5 x 30 seconds at Gear 5, 1 minute at Gear 2
5 x 1 minute at Gear 4, 1 minute at Gear 2
5-Minute Cool down Jog at Gear 3
Stretch

You should NEED the Gear 2 to recover after each interval at either Gear 4 or 5. If you don't feel like you need that active rest at Gear 2, then run Gears 4 and 5 faster!

If you're running with friends (and I recommend this), use the Gear 2 recovery to group back up. Everyone will be running the Gears 4 and 5 at their own pace. Encourage each other and get back into your groups during the Gear 2 recovery jogs.

No go out there and have some fun with your runs!

Having Dinner with Justin Timberlake

2010-01-25T17:20:00.000-08:00

This is how I explained last Saturday to my sister.

What I actually did on Saturday was go to a Return of the Kettlebell Seminar down in La Jolla, California which was put on by my friends Franz and Yoana Snideman of Revolution Fitness. The focus of the day was Double Kettlebell drills and Pavel instructed. I have been very fortunate in Southern California to be able to attend workshops in my own backyard that are taught by some of the best in the industry. So, on Saturday we learned Double Snatches, Double Presses, Double Cleans, Double Jerks- all of the things I'm afraid to try in my gym by myself. Of course, we got a lot of really good tips on corrective exercises and stretches to help our clients and ourselves into these incredibly difficult postures.

So, the seminars are always great, but another thing I love is networking and meeting new people who share the same passion. Michele runs a really successful boot camp called Kettlebell Kamp in Mission Valley. Petra is getting her Dragonfly Kettlebells business going in East San Diego County at here home as well as at the Marine Corps Base nearby. There were a couple of guys from the Equinox in Chicago who were trying to escape the cold and get some ideas for their club. Everyone was focused on personal gains as well as trying to bring back ideas for their victims. At the RKC we're all a big family, learning from eachother and sharing our experiences.

The highlight of my day was the group dinner at the Fleming's Steakhouse after the conference. I had the pleasure of sitting at a table with SrRKC Jon Engum from Minnesota, Dr. Mark Cheng from Los Angeles, AND Pavel! To be able to have an hour with ONE of these Kettlebell celebrities would have been enough to make me giddy, but all three was a total treat. We talked some shop, some wine, and lots of random stuff in between. Again, that's what I love about this community- everyone from Pavel and the Masters down to the greenest RKCs are friendly, down to earth, and always happy to share what they've learned along the way.

For those of you (including my sister) who do not understand the significance of eating dinner with Pavel, I will say that for a lowly RKC, it's like my sister sharing a table with Justin Timberlake, like Steff breaking bread with Neil Diamond, or like the data-entry clerk having a meeting with the CEO of his company. It was really freaking cool. =)

I picked up a lot of great ideas and a couple of sore muscles (abs- OUCH!)- can't wait for the next workshop!

To see pictures from the event, check out Yoana's blog.

Liam Waldron

2009-12-26T19:53:00.000-08:00

Great little story:

My nephew Liam is 4-years-old and my brother was in Foot Locker one day buying shoes and the salesperson says to Liam, "Wow, you have some big muscles, do you work out?"

And Liam says, "Yeah, I just do push-ups and kettlebells."

Here's a picture:

Holiday Workout!

2009-12-25T10:35:00.000-08:00

Ok, Kettlebellers. The Holiday Workout is ready. Please read carefully below.

A couple things to consider:

#1- As a reminder to everyone who plans on following along with the video, please be certain you are cleared by your physician to be working out. You should be healthy and have no physical limitations that prevent you from working out and increasing your heart rate. Valerie Waldron and Pacific Strength are not responsible for any injuries resulting from this workout.

#2- Use your best judgement. Use little or no weight if there is an exercise you are unfamiliar with. Rest more than the allotted time when you're tired. Don't do anything that hurts your joints. Remember Kettlebell Safety 101: It's Your Fault!

#3- Be sure to warmup before and cool down after.

#4- Please Please Please Play Music in the background! The video is silent with a couple of voice-overs. Please have music in the background- it'll make the workout much more fun.

#5- Now get to work and Enjoy the pain!

The link to the Holiday workout is now inactive. Hope you enjoyed it!

Have a very Safe and Happy Holiday!

Val

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T08:36:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Morning, bloggers!
Workout video is coming! I'm having a little technical difficulty- youtube won't let me post something longer than 10 minutes so rather than cutting the video, I'm trying to post it on MobileMe with my Mac account. It's uploading now and will be up on the blog asap...
Enjoy the holiday =)

PLANK!

2009-12-14T10:21:00.000-08:00

Check out this video about how to make your plank more efficient. You thought the plank was tough before, just wait until you try the RKC plank! Enjoy the pain!

Bummer!

2009-12-09T08:31:00.000-08:00

So I start this gym. I start a blog. I put my goals in writing (something I haven't done since college). And guess what I do? I fall on my bum taking out the garbage.

Now let me paint a picture so you know that I'm not a total klutz...

It's 7am on a misty morning in beautiful San Clemente. We are "socked in" with a heavy marine layer covering all of downtown. I usually don't work out in the morning, but there were only 2 people at the 6am Beach Workout (maybe it was the fog?) and I decided to put my kettlebell where my mouth usually is- show my loyal Beach Workout goers that I can workout too!

We have a great workout. I'm energized. I have 2 hours before the next Beach Workout and I decide to do some cleaning around the house. First stop- GARBAGE! I hate taking out the trash, so I do that first. To save time, I take the trash in one hand and the recycling in the other. Outside I go, I get to the bottom step and I slip on the dewey steps and fall flat on my left butt cheek. I can't catch myself because my hands are full and all of my weight slams on the edge of the step. Recycling scatters everywhere. Glad I didn't hit my head, I take a couple deep breaths and slowly get up. I pick up all the trash, gingerly walk up the stairs to my apartment, grab an ice pack out of the freezer and lie down on it. I can barely move and I keep thinking, "How on earth am I going to teach my next class?".

Luckily, I had some of my seasoned veterans at the workout (thank you Steff and Cindy) who were able to do the demonstrations for me. I had my sister (shout-out, Crystal!) come to the evening workout where I knew there would be a bunch of Newbies. And for the next 3 weeks, I had to use my words a little more than usual rather than relying on demonstrations.

Lesson #1- Take your time
Lesson #2- Don't do too many things at once
Lesson #3- Be thankful for a healthy body that moves well
Lesson #4- Let your boyfriend take out the trash

How did I get back to working out? For an entire week, I did the RI treatment (RICE minus the CE)- Rest Ice and Ibuprofen. About a week after "the fall" I started doing really slow bodyweight exercises, keeping my stomach and back tight by "bracing"- about 20 minutes of squats, pushups, plank, lunges, band rows, superman. By week 3, I was able to add weight to those exercises. And by week 4, I was able to add lighter cleans, snatches, and all the other fun stuff. I'm finally back to semi-normal. I'm still icing and occasionally taking ibuprofen after workouts. I've started working on my goals again but they will have to be pushed back. I'll get back to you late February.

Be safe out there!

My Workout

2009-10-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

I'm not one for talking about my own workouts. Usually, I just try to wipe myself out with a combination of kettlebells, body weight exercises, and as little rest as possible. But, the trap I think we all fall into is doing the exercises we like. You probably think I'm nuts, but I LIKE squats, lunges, pushups, and pullups. My clients reading this are saying, "uh, yeah, we know that!".
So, to force myself to change things up, I've been going to the blog sites of some of my kettlebell buddies to check out what workouts they're doing. I'll take bits and pieces from their training and come up with my own form of torture.

Wednesday looked a little something like this:

5 minute jump-rope warmup
5 yoga up/down dogs
2 TGU each side w/12k (to remind my joints where they SHOULD be)

Squat Ladder 10,9,8,7,6 w/12k & 5,4,3,2,1 w/16k w/10 swings between each squat set (NO rest)

3 sets of:
5 pullups
10 pushups
3 pistols each leg w/12k
30 sec rest between sets

3 sets of:
1 double swing
1 double clean
1 double press
1 double squat
5 x thru with 12k
30 sec rest between sets

3 sets of:
5 double snatches w/12k
30 sec rest between sets
cooldown with 5 yoga up/down dogs, other stretching

Kind of random workout, but it felt good. Never tried double snatches- SUPER FUN! I know, I still did squats, pushups, and pullups, BUT I also did TGUs (turkish get-ups), and double kb exercises.

My goals:
Complete the Femme Fatale Challenge- press 24k, pullup w/24k, pistol w/24k
Work on the TGU every day! Do TGU with 24k on each side.
I'll check back in January and tell you how I'm progressing!

Happy Training!

Beach Workout

2009-10-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

Just had another great Beach Workout. With a name like that, how could it be bad? Wake up, head to the beach, swing some kettlebells around... What a great way to start a Wednesday.
This morning, after the warmup, we started with swings and squats- the usual gear-up to the workout ahead- really stretch into the squats and focus on form with a lighter than usual kettlebell. We followed that with some one-arm swings and squats combined with pushups, and so on. The gang was dragging a little, so I tried to keep it simple. Focus on form and keep the heart-rates up without doing anything too technical. We finished with a great 10-minute cooldown and active stretch which I think everyone was thankful for. Great job this morning, my loyal kettlebellers!
So, I get back from the workout and am looking through pictures from when Evan (www.christmanphotography.net) came down to the beach workout a couple of weeks ago. I figured out how to post them (kind of a no-brainer, but remember: I'm new to blogging!). The one above is me torturing my victims and then next one is to show that we are still able to laugh- we have fun down there too!

First Ever Blogging Attempt

2009-09-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

So I know I'm behind the curve on this one, but I wanted to wait until I had something to say. I've myspaced and facebooked as myself, but now I plan to blog and figure out twitter for Pacific Strength. It's my newest venture and I'm really excited about it. After personal training for 7 years, I feel like I've finally found my community in the RKC. The people over at the Russian Kettlebell Certification really sucked me in and I'm a total believer. This stuff is smart and fun and athletic and powerful and just makes you feel good. So, as I am sad to leave Fitness Elite, I am excited to begin my training over at Pacific Strength. Check out my website at www.pacstrength.com- I'll still be doing all of my personal training, but I'll be adding kettlebell classes and more fun stuff so be sure to keep checking back.