I feel the need to dedicate an entire Autopsy to the warm-up and cool-down, because there is an ostensible lack of documentation on them here. In addition to this, those of us designing and posting DCs sometimes take for granted that not everyone understands the warm-up and cool-down process, or even knows that it should be done by default for every DC. This Autopsy aims to educate you on not only the what and the how, but the why behind warm-up and cool-downs, and why it is extremely essential to include these in your Fatal Fitness workouts. We will also give you suggested warm-ups and cool-downs to perform.

About the Warm-up
A warm-up is the period before any exercise or activity. A warm-up consists of movements designed to raise your core body temperature and bring your mind into focus for the activities that follow. Warmups do not consist solely of static stretching; this Autopsy will hopefully clear up any misconception in that regard - there are several types of warm-ups, and we'll cover a few of them. The fact remains though, that you have to preheat your oven.

Warm-ups improve blood flow to your heart, increase muscle temperature, protect against injury through improved flexibility of muscles, and provide time for pre-competition or pre-training psychological preparation. An effective warm-up generally should consist of at least these components: gradual increase in exercise intensity for raising core temperature, some type of stretching (see below), and activity-specific movements. An example of this would be jogging at a low-intensity pace and increasing it to a moderate pace over time (not vigorous; the sole objective of this phase of the warm-up is to circulate your blood and warm your muscles in preparation for more strenuous activity), followed by stretching, followed by practice catching and throwing a baseball. It is a common misconception that acceptable warmups may consist exclusively of stretching, especially static stretching; the truth is that an effective warm up has a number of very important key components, which work together to minimize the likelihood of injury and prepare the individual for physical activity.

Identifying the elements of an effective and safe warm up, and executing them in the correct order is critical. Stretching is only one part of an effective warm up and should be used in conjunction with the other components, not exclusively. And believe it or not, warm-ups may last anywhere from five minutes to an hour, depending on the activity; longer warmups are generally only used by high-level athletes before competition, and may consist of several types of warmups of varying intensity.

Elements of an Effective Warm-up
There are several key elements of a safe, effective warmup which follow; we recommend you follow them in the order presented.

The General Warm Up
General warm ups increase your body temperature using non-specific body movements. Common practice includes 5-10 minutes of light (low intensity) physical activity such as walking, jogging on the spot or for real, jumping jacks, jump rope, low intensity pool laps, etc. You want to start with a general warm-up because...

Stretching
Stretching is best performed after the muscles are warm. It is recommended that all stretching be done after a general warm-up. Stretching muscles when they are cold may lead to a tear. Static stretching (stretching a muscle and holding it in this position without discomfort for 10-30 seconds) is considered the safest method of stretching; one shouldn't spend so long doing stretches that the muscles cool down and heart rate returns to normal.

We believe that static stretching, if done, should be done separately from your workout. We recommend doing static stretching sessions as stand-alone sessions. Don't forget to warm-up the muscles beforehand. If you really feel you need something similar to static stretching, you should consider doing self-myofascial release instead (we recommend this for the cool-down as well). Otherwise, we recommend you perform dynamic stretching after the general warm-up (see below). According to the principle of specificity it would seem to be more advantageous to perform a dynamic warm-up which more resembles the activity of the sport.

Dynamic Stretching
Dynamic stretching consists of a series of exaggerated yet controlled motions similar in nature to the activity that follows. It is similar to the sport-specific warmup. It should be noted that while it increases the range of motion of the joints, it does not promote as much flexibility as static stretching or PNF. This is why it is advisable for athletes to perform static stretching or PNF early on in the training plan to build the flexibility firsthand (if it's needed for their particular sport), and utilize dynamic stretching prior to activity or competition. Typical dynamic stretches include hip, knee, arm, and ankle circles, lunges, high knees, etc. This is the type of stretching Fatal Fitness recommends you use during a warm-up, immediately following the general warm-up.

The Sport-specific Warm Up
Specific warm ups increase temperature using similar biomechanics that are to be used in subsequent, more strenuous activity. Some of the best ways to perform a specific warm up is to perform the upcoming exercise at a slow pace. Examples include brief sessions of easy catching practice for cricketers or baseball players, high knees or jogging for runners, shadow boxing for boxers, or side-stepping and slow-paced practice hits for tennis players. Sport-specific warm-ups are often designed by a qualified trainer in that sport. Since Fatal Fitness isn't necessarily a sport, there are no sport-specific movements per se, however, you should, after dynamic stretching, include a few sets of bodyweight exercises that resemble the DC into your warm-up. For example, if you're doing a DC that features squats and bench press, you should finish your warm-up with a few sets of bodyweight squats and pushups.

About the Cool-Down
A cool-down is the portion immediately following an exercise session, and it allows your body to gradually transition from an exertional state to a resting or near resting state. They should involve a gradual yet continuous decrease in exercise intensity (i.e. from a hard run to an easy jog to a brisk walk), a period of stretching, and rehydration. Don't just walk outside to your car and drive off. A cool-down doesn't have to take 20 minutes; you can get an effective cool-down in 5-10 minutes, and you'll feel a lot better afterwards. A typical cool-down my consist of a slow jog or walk, to get your heart rate back down following something like intervals, but if your heart rate is already down, you can go directly into self-myofascial release (like following a strength DC). For SMR, you will need a Foam Roller; it's probably the best $20 you'll ever spend (trust me on this!) You should have a sports drink or some form of carbohydrate following exercise sessions that last longer than one hour.

As far as stretching is concerned, we recommend you use static stretching or PNF separately from the cool-down or warm-up.

Cooling down helps remove lactic acid and allows the heart rate to return to its resting rate. Contrary to popular belief, cool down does not appear to reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness (lactic acid and DOMS are different animals). A cool down will also allow you to mentally transition to a non-exercise state, and they're pretty relaxing as well.

Examples
So now that you understand a little behind warm-ups and cool-downs, how do you apply it to Fatal Fitness? Well, for one, you DO THEM. Here's another thing we should clear up right here and now: some DCs actually say something like "warmup: 300 abs" or "warmup: 150 situps, 150 flutterkicks". You should consider that warm-up to be a post-warmup warmup. In other words, at the very least you should be doing a general warmup and dynamic stretching before DCs that "include" warmups already.

So...knowing what you now know you should be able to hook yourself up. But in case you don't want to, I will throw in a generic (not cheap) warm-up that you can use for ANY DC, now or the in the future. Don't say I never did anything for you. UPDATE: we have created an exclusive warmup and cooldown, which you will be seeing a lot more of in the future. These are:

The Warm-up: Anesthesia
The Cool-down: Demerol

Conclusion to All This Madness
In conclusion, you should do a warm-up and a cooldown before and after every DC. If you need more help than this Autopsy provides, post questions in the Morgue.

When people talk about the Navy SEALs, implications of super-endurance and strength go hand in hand with the legendary aura of skill and invincibility.  People often question how SEALs work out, or better yet, how to become one.  That’s where Stew Smith comes in.  

Stew, a former SEAL officer, is now a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist who specializes in helping people achieve their dreams of serving in law enforcement, emergency services, and the military, especially in the field of special operations.  Stew has a number of workout books available, and also runs the Heroes of Tomorrow project to help people prepare.

Fatal Fitness was lucky enough to get the chance to chat with Stew.  

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You went to the Naval Academy and joined the SEALs right after.  What made you choose the SEALs?

Back in the mid 80's there were no Navy SEAL books, movies, videos etc.  I knew of the SEALs but referred to them as Frogmen.  Even as a young kid 7-8 yrs old I said I wanted to be a Navy Frogman - truly not really knowing anything about it.  As I grew up and became seduced by fighter pilot movies like Top Gun (ha - funny I know) I started to learn about the Naval Academy.  With Grand-dad's and Dad in the Army, they thought West Point.  I guess my "rebellious" youthfulness prompted me to go to USNA.  But on a visit to both schools, I saw the town of Annapolis with several bars and lots of girls and figured the Navy profession would at least have me somewhere on this Earth near a beach, I chose to go Navy.

What was preparing for SEAL training like for you?

Once at USNA, it was a struggle both academically and physically having to turn a power lifting football player body into a PT machine.  It took about two years and hundreds of SEAL PTs later but it worked and prompted a desire to challenge myself again in life to pursue a career in the SEAL Teams.  My physical fitness education began in the 8th grade training for football (big football school in Florida) and grew into military style training with SEAL mentors leading the way for me.  I was hooked on a new way to workout - without weights, tons of reps with many many miles of running and swimming.

The SEALs have a saying, "the only easy day was yesterday."  I'm sure there's no "easy days" from the day you start BUD/S to the day you retire.  What would you say was the most challenging thing you faced during BUD/S and your career in the SEALs? 

The Only Easy Day was Yesterday - funny saying but it means basically since yesterday is over and you are still here / alive that is was easy.  And we are stronger from that experience.

For me I was in the group of big guys and did well on the PT, obstacle course, swimming with fins.  Running was tough on the knees for me, but I was able to suck it up and though I never finished in the top 10% on the runs I was never in the goon squad either.  Everything else I was in the competition for top 10% of the class.

Sure there are cold, wet, miserably uncomfortable days and nights at SEAL Training and that gets a lot of people.  For some reason that never bothered me.  The instructors challenge your desire as well verbally to see if you really want this program on top of all the above as well.  So being able to compartmentalize negative feedback is a good characteristic to have too.

What are some reasons why so many fail at BUD/S and other special ops selection processes?

Everyone one has a nemesis when attending SEAL training.  For example:

1 - Great swimmers are typically not great runners as stress fractures, shin splints and tendonitis tend to flare up on them as they start rigorous running programs.  Gravity is a bitch.

2 - Bigger guys (200+ lbs) are usually great with the PT, strapping on a pair of fins and swimming fast, but have trouble hanging with the runs times.  The obstacle course is tough on them as well.

3 - Great runners are usually not that strong in the upper body and have trouble with the 100's of reps of pushups, pull-ups, dips, etc during a normal day at SEAL Training.

Every now and then you have guys who can do it all and that is impressive BUT they had to work at a weakness as no one is naturally good at swimming, running endurance, and upper body strength. 

How long does it take for most guys to adequately prepare themselves, both physically and mentally, to make it?

I usually recommend most folks to take at least a year to prepare for SEAL type training programs.  The reason is most are usually power sports (football, power lifters, non swimmers) and you need a solid foundation of endurance workouts, swimming, running fast for distances greater than 2 miles.

Most people think 1.5 mile is long distance running - when you no longer think that then you are closer to being ready for BUDS. 

Most people do not swim often enough, when you swim 4-5 times a week, you are closer to being ready for BUDS. 

Most people do not do 100 pull-ups in a single workout.  When you are able to do that in 15 minutes and consider it a warm-up, you are closer to being ready for BUDS

And believe it or not, most of my emails come from kids seeking to lose 20-30 lbs before the military will even allow them into the ranks.  For that kid to prepare for BUDS, it will take at least 2 years usually.

I have seen very active, endurance athletes (wrestlers, swimmers, triathletes) take about 6 months to prepare and do well physically.  BUT everyone has the issue of dealing with the cold, wet, sandy days and nights and instructors seeking an individual moment of weakness.

In regards to swimming and running- form can make the difference when it comes to efficiency and injury-prevention.  What do you think about "POSE" method for running and the "Total Immersion" method for swimming?

I highly recommend both methods to learn how to run and swim properly.  As you may know Terry Laughlin and I made a Combat Swimmer Stroke DVD that works really well using TIs methodology of teaching swimming mixed with a Spec Op version of swimming.

Hydration is something that gets debated.  Even in our own circles, we hear debate between those who say that athletic men should drink even around a gallon a day of water, and those who say that this is over-hydration, capable of killing you.  Where do you stand in this?

I know I have been drinking more than a gallon a day of water for decades - as well as other liquids - tea, sports drinks.  If I sweat I tend to drink more water and electrolytes (bananas, salty foods) - workouts in humid weather where you can lose 10 lbs of water weight.   You need to replenish salts AND water.

Many reasonable standards I have seen is if you are active - more than 1-2 hours of activity where you sweat then you need about an oz of water / liquids (mostly water) for every lb of bodyweight.  (liquids = electrolyte replacements) More conservative estimates have you at 1 oz for every kg bodyweight.  I do not have an exact solution - find what works for you personally.  One size does NOT fit all on rehydration.

[See Stew’s article on over hydration and how hyponatremia occurs]

What is your exercise routine like nowadays?

You can still say that my programs are callisthenic, running, and swimming based supplemented with weights, power lifts, kettlebells, dumbbells, TRX, and plyometrics.  After doing this now for more than 20 years (turning 40 this year), I am still hanging with the kids half my age in my Hero of Tomorrow program.

That's really a great example- most people look at extreme fitness as something just for those people in their 20's.  They really seem to give up on themselves, or at least get too comfortable to challenge themselves that much.  What would your advice be to people 40 and over, looking to stay in shape, get back in shape, or just to challenge themselves?

I would say diversify your fitness.  I like to break up the year into four quarters where I focus on a variety of types of workouts in order of intensity (high to low):

1st quarter - Light Weights, PT, swimming, running
2nd quarter - High Rep PT, running, swimming, balance with weights, KBs, DBs
3rd quarter - Running, Swimming, Medium Rep PT mixed with weights, KBs, DBs
4th quarter - Moderate / Heavy Weights with KBs, DBs, med/low rep PT, swimming, minimal running

I find this gives my joints a rest for at least a quarter of high reps, mileage of running, heavy weights as well. 

I would focus on flexibility and non impact cardio if first getting into fitness and needed to lose weight / get healthy.  I think as I age, I will tend to lean more toward a yoga based workout and swimming programs - of course PT and weights too...and eventually eliminate running as 30 yrs of athletics / military training has taken a toll on the knees.

You mentioned that you use kettlebells.  These are growing in popularity nowadays- what is your favorite lift with them, and how do you feel kettlebells stack up when it comes to special operations levels of fitness?

Like I said - I supplement mostly hardcore calisthenics running and swimming with KBs - some of my favorite exercises are the same exercises you can do with barbells but the one armed KB adds to the uniqueness of this exercise piece:

Regular squats, one arm swings, power cleans, snatches are what I do the most but I also like the turkish get up done with KBs or dumbbells.  I basically use KB / DBs as lighter power lifts focusing on balance of the one arm movements.

As a former power lifter in HS / college I like the Olympic lifts but the lighter, one armed versions of those have a place in Spec Ops / Athletic fitness in my opinion.

SO, would you say that the lighter lifts are good for increasing work capacity?  It's not hard to see why that would be helpful during the constant grind of specops.

Oh yes - in Spec Ops it is all about muscle stamina and cardio vascular endurance to make it through the training programs.  The quicker you can recover from muscle failure the better you will be in training programs like BUDS that are long days and night for six months.

Many of our readers may have seen you shoot a man in the face on TV recently.  Tell us about that!

That was a fun show!  The physiologists on the show were really smart.  I wish you could have seen the full day of filming instead of only a 20 minute segment.  In a nutshell, our bodies are amazing units of survival and we have the ability to adapt into anything we throw at them - hot, cold, strength, speed, endurance, etc. 

I really learned a lot.  I discuss the day as well as the second day of filming that they did not even show.  See this page for the full interview I did with the doctors after the show.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: For those of you that don’t know, Stew was on a show called “Fight Science”- click here to check it out!] 

You were submerged in a tank of ice water for how long?  How do you endure that- how do you keep control of your body under such harsh circumstances well enough to even stay conscious, let alone run an obstacle course, find a target in a dark hallway and have steady enough hands to hit him in the face? 

Good question - truth is I do not know.  I was expecting what the docs were expecting 20-30 minutes in the 45-50 degree ice water.  After 65 minutes, my body temp did not really move that much - still above 98 degrees F.  Now I wish they would have shown this - they did mention it - but when I got out and started to move the cold extremity blood in the arms and legs started to pump through my core dropping my core temp by 3 degrees in about 5-10 minutes.  Then I started to feel COLD.  I credit years of diving in near freezing water for having an ability to handle that one...

The accuracy test on the O course / shooting?  Not sure on that either - I had to really focus on getting over the wall as my legs did not work that well and the shooting I think I got lucky to get that shot on the first take.  I had been doing body shots all day but had tight groups.  I still practice shooting as it is a perishable skill so maybe that helps.  Once again, I have to credit my years of training.  I had shot the weapon I used 1000's of times so I was used to the 9mm Beretta they gave me.

So, any upcoming projects? 

I am in the process of creating Volume II of all of my ebooks for military and law enforcement professions with new workouts / pics / info etc. 

Also a NEW published project that will have a theme (not sure title) of Ultimate Fitness over 40 with smart ways to train to avoid injury, like impact / tendon injuries, flexibility, weight loss, muscle development etc...

Also my first workout DVD called Prehabit Fitness. 

And I do free workouts all the time in Severna Park, Maryland with some pretty hard core guys seeking Spec Op professions - check it out on my site here!

Fatal Fitness would like to thank Stew for taking the time to do this interview!

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Unleash the Beast: Jim Bathurst Interview

When I think of crazy physical feats I normally think of circus acts and Chinese acrobats. Or unsettling acts on Ripley’s Believe it or Not. The kind I’m talking about though, with admiration, are those cool moves that have stood the test of time, the perpetually awesome, yet still evasive things that never find their way into how-to manuals. They’re almost taboo, these super-techniques, and because of that most “normal” people (like me) disregard them as untouchable—they’re thrust into the “I could never do that” category. Fortunate for us, there is one man who aims to change all that. His name is Jim Bathurst, and he is widely regarded these days as the go-to guy for these super-awesome moves. Or BEAST SKILLS.

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You’ve taken a small hiatus from new tutorials on Beast Skills. What new skills are you working on now?

I've been working to improve my one arm handstand for ages. I see videos of guys with much longer holds with this skill and it drives me to practice it more. I've been working towards a double-bodyweight chin-up and hope to see the carryover it may have for multiple repetitions in the one arm chin-up. I've been playing around with the one arm handstand pushup, but I need to step back and attack that skill differently than what I've been doing. I haven't given it serious training time, but I'd like to start working towards the one arm front and back lever.

Like in the John Gill picture. (We’ll get to that later…) What tutorials can we look forward to in the near future?

Well, by the time this interview is published, there should be a new one arm pushup tutorial up on the site. A planche tutorial, an iron cross tutorial, an advanced handstand press-up tutorial, rafter chin-ups, and a tiger bend, are just some of the tutorials on my wish list to write-up and complete.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: The one-armed pushup tutorial is finished, true to his word. Get it here.] So far you’ve got 26 tutorials up on Beast Skills—do you ever think you're going to run out of exercises to write about?

I don't think so. As my skill and strength increases, I'd hope that I can write about new and more challenging skills. And despite all I've seen, there are still some new things here and there that amaze and inspire me.

How long does it normally take you to establish a skill? Please tell us it’s a couple of days…

The time varies widely, from a couple months to a couple years. And of course, any skill could be improved upon, so it's harder to nail down an exact start and end date. It's always an ongoing process to strengthen and improve certain skills.

Good to hear that you’re still human. Have you ever just hit a wall with any skills you're learning? What do you do to break through that?

Of course! I felt like I was going nowhere with the planche for ages. Sometimes it's not really a matter of breaking through the wall, but slowly chipping away at it. Try to determine your weaknesses in the skill. For me, this involves reading anything and everything I can about the skill and watching videos repeatedly and trying to pull new things out each time. Sometimes I'd take a break to give my mind a rest.

Anyone who's every trained for any significant amount of time knows what it's like to hit a plateau. Sometimes you get past it with an increase in strength, sometimes it takes a refinement of technique. Sometimes both.

Are there any skills that really intimidate you?

The one arm front lever and one arm back lever are a bit intimidating at the moment due to the extreme difficulty I find in working the skills in any way, but as far as anything "scaring" me, not yet.

What about if Richard Simmons came out with a new move? Would that scare you?

Haha, perhaps. On a complete side note, my girlfriend recently met Richard Simmons on a flight out to California. He’s a target for easy jokes, but he’s overwhelmingly passionate about what he does, and I think any trainer would like to survive as long as Richard has in the industry. You have to respect that.

Definitely, and truth be told, I think anyone who’s in it for the right reasons—like Richard Simmons—deserves our respect. Looking back, were there ever any skills you never thought you'd get, and if so, how did you overcome that feeling?

The planche felt absolutely impossible for years. I tried everything under the sun to improve it. Quite honestly, there were plenty of times when self-doubt started to creep in. It happens to everyone. And sometimes when that happens, you just need to back off for a bit and give it some rest. Read up on the skill, find a new way to approach it and a new motivation for it. Remember, training should ultimately be enjoyable, not dreadful.

You're also a personal trainer—a CSCS to be specific—what are some of the things you see people doing wrong? If you could educate the masses on a few things, what do you think you'd tell them?

I'm lucky enough to work in a fairly progressive gym, so I don't have too many stories, but I still see my share of things. One is disregard for proper technique. Now there's a difference between good and great technique in various lifts, and then there's just god-awful, horrible technique that should put these people in the hospital. Take the time to learn good technique, then train and refine to make it great technique. Good technique will protect you from injury, great technique will increase your strength. We have to be technicians - Kirk Karwoski told me that. I'll listen to absolutely anything that man says.

Speaking of technique, a lot of people focus heavily on the movements, weights, etc, but how important is proper nutrition?

Proper nutrition is huge. It's vital in supplying your body with the energy it needs, as well as recovering properly from workouts. If you're not thinking about proper nutrition, then you're severely limiting yourself. And while there have been huge advances in what we know about nutrition, it doesn't have to be overly complicated for most people. Jack Lalanne was giving simple, sound nutritional advice back in the 50's. We all generally know what to eat, or can learn the basics quickly. The real challenge is actually following a healthy eating plan and fitting it into your life.

What would you say the single most important element of a training program is?

Progression.

Please. Explain.

It’s simple – the body adapts. You have to challenge it in new ways in order to see continual improvement. This might mean heavier weights, or more reps, or shorter rest periods, or what have you. With the skills that I post on my site, I often provide several ways to progress so that people can challenge themselves when one step becomes too easy. I felt this was one of the most useful aspects of Beast Skills. Progression in the bench press might be just adding 5 lbs to a set, whereas progression with these bodyweight skills is not always so intuitive.

Remember to always think about that overload. Can I add more weight to the bar? Can I make this exercise harder? I see far too many people sell themselves short.

You won the Grand Prize for Men's Health Magazine's "How Fit Are You?" contest not once, but twice in a row.  Any plans on doing it again?  How are you going to top your last performances, or is that a secret?

The Men's Health contest? First off, I have to thank all my readers again profusely, as I'm sure they are the primary reason I won both. I felt my videos were very good, but it was all my readers that took the time to cast their votes.



I don't know if Men's Health is having another "How Fit Are You?" contest anytime soon. I would not enter it anyways. I was almost denied the grand prize the second time when they found out I was the same guy! It was a new contest and new video, so I didn't see the problem. But if I did enter again, I've still got a couple skills that weren't showcased.

I think you should let other people have their turn, haha.  What's the most underrated piece of equipment?

Parallettes. Working on the handstands with your hands on the ground for days and days will chew up your wrists. Parallettes keep them in a neutral position and help protect them. This goes for planche work as well. Not to mention the extra range of motion they give to handstand pushups.

Over ten years ago, one of the first pieces of equipment I worked on were the parallettes. Even today I find them invaluable in training. [Check here for instructions on making your own parallettes.]

I talked to Mark Toorock at American Parkour, and he says he's persuaded you to come out with them a few times. How was that experience?

Mark is an awesome guy and I had a great time heading out with him and Jesse and the rest of the Parkour community. There are only so many hours in the day, and I regret not being able to meet with them more often.

Parkour is an absolute blast and it had me scaling walls and leaping over things and just generally moving my body in new ways and doing things I never thought I could do.

Whether it's Parkour, or weight training, or acrobatics, they all share the common trend of learning to control your body. The hard work and discipline learned in any one of these interests should carryover to non-athletic endeavors as well. That's the huge benefit of training that some people miss.

I mentioned John Gill earlier, and I know he is one of your inspirations. Who else inspires you?

B-boy Kujo was and always has been a huge inspiration. I was lucky enough to meet him at an event several years ago. B-boy Junior is also incredible to watch. Pretty much any competitive b-boy out there. Jack Arnow, Jasper Benincasa, and Brad Johnson are three individuals who absolutely astound me with their achievements. The strongmen of the past - Sandow, Bert Assirati, Jack Lalanne, Arthur Saxon. The history of it all is amazing. I was just commenting to someone the other day that the mix of incredible strength with amazing physique and unbelievable acrobatic ability is very rare these days.

Have you ever used your powers for evil? Like, say, to win a bet? What about to get chicks?

Haha... can't say as I've used them to trick someone, but my handstand and chair handstand tend to be my "party tricks". I won a t-shirt from the Marines for pull-ups one time, does that count?

Hell yes that counts! It’s a lot better than a 9th Place ribbon, that’s for sure. Do you have any plans on breaking out on your own, maybe starting your own gym?

Yes, I would love to start up my own gym in the future. For the time being though, I want to put the majority of my energy into Beast Skills. The website grew out of my old blog postings, and now it's an enormous monstrosity of a page. I desperately need to revamp the entire site to improve its look and functionality.

People will die if you make your site any more awesome. And I’m all out of questions just thinking about it. Is there anything else you're just dying to get out there?

I want to thank each and every one of my visitors, as it's their encouragement and emails that have kept me going when I thought this page was too much to handle. It's their stories that remind me what I felt like many years ago, trying to learn these skills.

I've recently had to stop responding to emails asking for training advice, but I want them to know this is so I can put more time and effort into the webpage. It needs a lot of work at the moment.

I've got a lot planned for the site and I'm working as hard as I can to make time for it all.

There’s nothing else I can really say. To see Jim in action, check out his ridiculously sweet website, Beast Skills.

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Strength for the Fight: Stew Smith Interview