We’re a couple of weeks into our Combat Athlete Scholarship program. So far, so good. We’ve had the chance to bring our athletes in, assess them and begin the process of building them into (bigger) beasts. It’s been fun. There’s been a little bit of puking and some real stink-faces. For the most part, though, we’ve managed to get the ball rolling in a pretty effective way.

I’d like to be able to take the credit for Robin Black’s July 25^th MMA win. However, Robin already had a solid foundation and an excellent work ethic. What’s nice is that we’re going to be able to cover a lot of ground over the next several months. We’re going to be adding lean muscle mass and a commensurate amount of functional strength to go with it. I have every confidence in Robin’s ability to perform.

Claude Patrick – despite a wealth of experience on the mats and in the cage – is a relative newcomer to a structured strength and conditioning program. This guy has a ton of raw physical talent. We’re going to be bringing it out of him and pushing him harder than he’s ever been pushed (are you reading this, kid?). This is the one missing link between him and a successful career in the big show. And when all of this comes to fruition, people had better watch out.

Alaina Hardie, one of our sponsored athletes, has also entered the fray. For those of you who have been reading about her, you’ll know that she’s athletically a late-bloomer. Her fierce determination and mental toughness (she can’t be killed – she can barely be slowed down) mean that she’s carved herself into a force to be reckoned with. Our friend and colleague, John Berardi of Precision Nutrition, is supervising her nutrition. Alaina had two tournaments coming up – the next one being this weekend – and a pretty hectic competition schedule. I have every confidence that only her exceptionally kind demeanour will prevent her from pulling the arms off of her competition.

Our next major step will to be to incorporate a more regulated nutrition program with the help of our go-to nutritionist, Kyle Byron. One of the things I always remind people of is that you don’t get stronger in the gym. Rather, you introduce your body to a stimulus. Only by providing it with adequate rest and nutrition will you allow your body to make the necessary adaptations. That’s where Kyle comes in.

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for our latest installment of Action Strength Ninjas!