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Rob and Angel have shown incredible commitment, encouragement, and hard work since joining our little gym of fitness fanatics.  

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Like any good pet owner I give my dog treats such as pig ears, bones etc.  Well, this afternoon right before my first afternoon session I raced to the pet store in order to get a dog collar for Bently so he could be tethered at the shop without fear of escape.  As I was leaving the pet store I decided to grab a “chew toy” so that the little one could chew away and hopefully not growl at those arriving for their workout.  The plan worked like a charm, however, as an anonymous family (they workout at Tuesday and Thursday at 4pm) arrived for their session I was informed that the doggy treat that Bently was so thoroughly enjoying was infact a bulls penis.  A quick google search and I found (this blog) which apparently has been a hot spot for those inquiring about the origins of there pet”s treats.  

Anyway here is one of my favorite comments from the Cranky Ol” Ladies blog: “I wonder why the limited offering of pizzles at Trader Joe”s. Where”s pig pizzle? How about horse pizzle? Or lamb? I wonder if they taste different? Um, no, I don”t.”

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When the application of functionality and scalability are explored it is quickly apparent that some of the most functional of movements are also some of the most difficult to perform.  Body control movements such as pull-ups, push-ups, and dips are as functional as it gets.  They also require little “special” equipment and are fundamental to movement.  Their fundamental nature is further evident when a new trainee vocalizes their desire to do a “real” push-up or pull-up.  Enter bands.  

The bands we currently use are sold by jumstretch Inc.   These bands offer anywhere from 5-200lbs of resistance and are an indispensable aid for pull-ups, dips, and muscle-ups.  However, these bands and others like them are also extremely useful for push-ups, L-sits, levers, handstands, and planche training. If the aim is body control and progressive resistance bands can be utilized in one capacity or another.