Arrived in Alaska

Mr Barker of Valley Tang Soo Do Martial Arts School picked me up last night at the Anchorage Airport a little after midnight. First I have to say I am very impressed with Alaskan Airlines. The service was great and the experience awesome. Upon my arrival at the airport I found the airport to be one of the nicest I have been in. It is clean and has a variety of food shops and stores. 


Mr Barker drove me through a glacieral lake where I saw the mountains for the first time. It literally looks as if you could touch the stars on top of them. This morning as I look out the window of my hotel, the sun is just rising over the mountains. I find myself with little sleep, but very inspired. This truly is God's country and I can't wait to experience it. I'm off now to catch the sunrise and a hike.

A Growing Weight Problem

The latest Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, shows that 63.1% of adults in the U.S. were either overweight or obese in 2009. That was a small but measurable increase from 62.2% the previous year. The survey finds that 36.6% of Americans are overweight and 26.5% obese. The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index findings are based on telephone interviews with 673,000 adults in January 2008 to December 2009. About 90,000 surveys were done each quarter, and the margin of error for the quarterly results is +/- 0.3 percentage points.

Reversing this trend will take the involvment of many. With the country focused on health care costs, hopefully we can develop innovative solutions, especially for children.

Ultimate MMA Magazine Review of My New Grappling Conditioning DVD

The May 2010 issue of Ultimate MMA Magazine features a review of my new Grappling Specific Conditioning DVD:

"If you haven't seen Kevin Kearns perform you're in for a big treat. He's comfortable and humorous on camera, so his personality pulls you in and keeps you hanging onto every word as he takes you through every exercise."

"Speaking of which, these exercises are amazing. He had us on the ground, in our office, working along with him.  Working out may be the only thing in this world better than writing, so we decided to forego all work for a bit while we Burned with Kearns. Eventually, we got back to pounding the keyboard, but this DVD is going home with us. Guaranteed."

A Winter Workout with Nature

I am a huge fan of getting back to nature (working out outside)! On a recent day in Boston, a snow had fallen a few days before, it was about 35 degrees and the sun was shining.

Although my time was limited, I wanted to workout outside. (I was getting my kids off the bus in about 30 minutes). Strength training was on my agenda with an interval component.

I grabed a Kettlebell and my 4lb sledge hammers and went to workout in the snow. Our yard has many pine trees, a kid's swing set, plus a nice 20 yard hill for sprints.

Here was the circuit:

• 3 sets on all Hammer time: 20 reps each
• Kettlebell swings: 30 reps
• Kettlebell horn squats: 30 reps
• Alternating snatches: 30 reps
• Pull ups: 20 reps
• 20 yard sprints uphill: 3 sets
• Hammer matrix
• I concluded with 10 minutes of yoga

There is something special about being outside - like a kid and just playing.

The MMA Conditioning Revolution

Martial artists are some the most disciplined athletes you will find. Initially, the UFC  was more about which style worked better. As the sport evolved, fighters realized that they had to have both a standup game and a ground game to succeed. In today’s MMA arena, a new revolution is talking place.

It is no longer a matter of being a BJJ black belt, an accomplished Muay Thai fighter, or an NCAA wrestling champ to succeed. The competitive edge comes to those who have deep conditioning plans that detail how to train all year round.

The outcome of many fights is now coming down to who has the most gas left in the tank. This concept is prevalent in many other sports as well. Besides the physical edge, if an athlete is fresh - the mind is clearer, reactions quicker and balance is better.

Whether you are fighting professionally, or just want your next BJJ belt, or want to train injury free, you need to stay in shape even when you’re not on the mat. A conditioning program should address:

 1. Movement evaluation of the fighter or trainee.

 2. Evaluation of physical strengths and weaknesses.

 3. Evaluation of current nutritional intake.

 4. In-depth analysis of current performance.

 5. Identifying specific performance needs and goals.

 6. Detailed outline of conditioning program modules.

 7. Coordination of programming time table with other professionals

 8. Implementation of conditioning and nutrition.

 9. Post event evaluation.

10. Sports psychology analysis

MMA conditioning falls into these categories:

1. Cardiovascular endurance

2. Explosive strength

3. Muscular endurance and strength

4. Functional strength

5. Sport specific flexibility

6. Nutrient timing

I have produced 5 MMA Training DVDs that cover these approaches. They are available at UFC.com.

The Mother Nature Fitness Incentive

Over the holidays, I was able to enjoy many invigorating times with my family and friends. I believe that fitness is everywhere and during my holiday vacation I lived it. One day we received a significant amount of snow. It took me about an hour to shovel. Then I went sledding with my kids for 2 hours. Next I decided to hike in the deep snow for an hour. At the end of the day, I added it up and realized I just got 4 hours of solid fitness activity in! The best part was that I was back to nature. 

Moving around outside is a real treat, even in the winter when we have a natural tendency to stay indoors. For me, if it's 25 degrees or above and the sun's shining, I'm outside. I take a page from my kids. They don't care how cold it is, they just want to go out and play! As adults we need to open our minds to this same sense of exploration and freedom.

The other activity I was able to experience with my kids on vacation was ice skating. This is something I have not done since I was 12 years old. We have a pond near our house which makes it great for them to learn. From my ankles to my core, I felt it the next day.

I begin the new year with my wife and 60 other people at a 10pm to midnight hot yoga practice. Believe it or not it was better than going out and drinking! The endorphins we received after that session were incredible. It was quite the experience and I plan on doing it next year as well!


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Promotional Contest for my new Grappling Specific Conditioning DVD

In celebration of my new Grappling Specific Conditioning DVD, everyone who purchases any Burn with Kearns DVD or DVD Package (Jan 1 through Feb 6, 2010) is automatically entered into a drawing for a Customized Workout and Nutrition Plan ($795 value) that I will develop for you.  The winner will be announced on Feb 8, 2010. Check out my DVDs.