Twitter Chat with Ben Musholt – July 16 at 3:30 PM PST (6:30 EST)
Whether you’re a long-time parkour enthusiast, total newcomer to the sport, or just want to learn more about what parkour is, you’re in luck. On Tuesday, July 16 at 3:30pm PST/6:30pm EST, we’re chatting all things parkour with Ben Musholt. Ben is our resident parkour expert here at Breaking Muscle and also provides parkour information at his own websites, Parkour Conditioning and Strength Mob.
Not sure what parkour is? Here’s a video of what Ben’s training is like:
Ben will also be answering questions about his new resource for fitness enthusiasts of all backgrounds, The Mad Skills Exercise Encyclopedia. Currently, Ben is in the final publication stages and running a crowd-funding campaign to help cover publishing costs. One lucky participant in our chat will win a free signed copy of the book!
The Mad Skills Exercise Encyclopedia, set to be released in October 2013, will be the largest exercise encyclopedia ever written, with illustrations for hundreds of movements. Learn more about the project and help Ben’s campaign by visiting his crowd-funding page here.
We asked Ben a few questions about how he got started in parkour and what to expect from his new book. Here’s what he had to say:
1. How did you get started in parkour?
I have twenty-plus years of history in gymnastics, martial arts, and board sports, but I’m a relative newcomer to parkour training. Around 2010, after watching countless parkour videos, I decided to learn more about the amazing movement efficiency that the athletes displayed when scaling walls and other obstacles. The incredible balance, spatial awareness, and bodyweight strength used in parkour were natural draws to someone with a lifelong passion for movement.
I began practicing in parks with a training partner before linking up with a larger local group. Online tutorials were initially really helpful, but the one-on-one experience provided from friends was infinitely better. Last year, I felt comfortable enough with my skills that I competed on American Ninja Warrior, and did pretty well, until dislocating my shoulder on the Warp Wall.
I was recently awarded a Level 1 coaching certification from APEX Movement, out of Boulder, Colorado, which was an awesome experience.
2. What do you think are the biggest benefits of parkour training, even for normal everyday people who just want to build fitness?
The term “functional” is thrown around quite a bit in the fitness community, yet nothing is more functional than the bodyweight skills used in parkour. Aside from building great dynamic strength, learning how to lift your body above a wall or jump with accuracy are skills that could save your life one day.
Bottom line, it is an excellent complement to all of the fitness activities that you are already doing. The heightened balance, coordination, and movement efficiency of parkour make you a better athlete, regardless if you run obstacle races or just like to hike on the weekend.
3. Tell us about the “Mad Skills Encyclopedia.”
The Mad Skills Exercise Encyclopedia is a project that I have been working on for many years, and is set to be published this October. I’m currently running a crowd-funding campaign to wrap-up the final editing, layout, and other post-production tasks.
The book will be the largest illustrated exercise encyclopedia that has ever been published, and has over 700 black and white images of bodyweight and free weight movements. There are chapters devoted to gymnastics conditioning skills, push-up variations, barbell lifts, kettlebell drills, and even partner exercises. It is designed as a reference tool for athletes to turn to keep their workouts highly varied and challenging.
By helping support the project before July 21st you have the chance to get a signed copy and even have your name listed in the Acknowledgement section!
Thanks Ben! Got questions of your own? Join us for a Twitter chat!
Here’s how to get in on the conversation:
- Log into Twitter on Tuesday, June 16 at 3:30 PM PST (6:30 EST)
- Follow the hashtag #RealKnowledge
- Ask away! The floor will be open for questions for one hour until 6:30 PST. Be sure to end your question with the hashtag #RealKnowledge to lock into the chat.
- Stay tuned after the chat to find out if you won a copy of The Mad Skills Exercise Encyclopedia!
Note: Twitter is great, but it can be overwhelming. If you want to declutter your Twitter feed and just hear the conversation, you can log in at TweetChat.com to follow the chat. Once you’ve logged in to the website, just type the hashtag #realknowledge into the search box at the top (it’s kind of hard to see) and you’ll be directed to a chat room.
Be sure to stay tuned for future Twitter chats with coaches from every discipline! You can also read highlights from previous chats with Pat Flynn and Nia Shanks.
New to Twitter or have questions?
