Life is brief and precious

A first-grade class photo reminder that life is brief and precious

About one year ago I gave a copy of my book "Every man who looks in a mirror sees a 16-year-old kid" to my banker.  It was a token of friendship gift to a fellow middle-aged man.  I suggested he only read one reflection a day, put the book down after reading it, and then spend the rest of the day pondering what had just been read. 

He saved the book for a vacation, disregarded my one a day suggestion, and burned through it in a couple hours while catching up on his long-overdue suntan sitting at the beach in Santa Cruz, California.  I had a chance to chat with him upon his return and he gave me some feedback about my book.  One comment was one I had not heard before. 

He commented how my book had too much to say about death and dying.

To which I replied that was because at this chapter of my life, death and dying comes up more often than other life events.  “I’m more likely to attend a funeral than a baby shower”, or something like that, was my reply.

And isn’t that true for most of us at this middle-aged man point in our lives?

Well this year is not even half over yet and more evidence of this truth stares at me.  As I stare back in reflection, I fondly recall the pleasant memories I have of three people who recently passed away. Two were personal friends and the other was a very famous athlete who I did not personally know. 

Father Patrick Lee was a Catholic priest friend my wife and I got to know well from our pro-life activities.  He passed away earlier this year.

He was a gentle giant in our Sacramento pro-life community and could regularly be found at the sidewalk in front of local abortion centers praying in a peaceful and prayerful way for those women entering for an abortion; for them to choose life for their unborn child rather than an abortion.  

Only God knows how many more precious children are living today because of Father Lee’s peaceful prayerful ministry evangelizing and witnessing the sanctity of life.

I'm forever grateful to Father Lee for visiting my father during his last remaining days of life and delivering to him the sacraments of anointing of the sick, confession and holy communion.  He was also the priest for my father's requiem mass and funeral. 

Father Patrick Lee taught me much about how life is brief and precious.

Tommy Kono, America's greatest Olympic weightlifter, also recently passed away.  He became a good friend of mine coincidentally after my efforts about 9 years ago to reunite my Dad and him.  They were weightlifting buddies in the early 1950’s and trained at the Sacramento YMCA. 

Mr. Kono stayed as a guest in my home the first year we met.  Each year thereafter, we would also spend quality time together during his annual visits to Sacramento to visit his brother and attend an Olympic weightlifting competition named in his honor and held at the high school he attended while growing up in Sacramento.

One thing I remember about Mr. Kono was his humility and sage wise elder-perspective of having been there and done it.  He so graciously shared all that he had to offer and was never in a rush when talking to a young lifter or when asked to have a photo taken of him and the person asking for this favor. 

I witnessed his graceful aging and it actually crossed my mind when I saw him last August 2015 that it might be the last time.  I was right because he passed away about 8 months later.

Tommy Kono taught me much about how life is brief and precious.

All middle-aged men of my decade vintage will forever have many memories, while growing up, of Muhammad Ali who also recently passed away.    

I remember the first time I learned of him when he was the reigning heavyweight boxing champion and more commonly known as Cassius Clay.  I was at the Sacramento Judo Club about to begin an evening workout when someone shared that Ali had just knocked out Sonny Liston in the first round with a "mysterious karate" punch. 

This would be the beginning of my following his boxing career.  Ali defended his heavyweight boxing championship several times in matches that could often be viewed "for free" on television.  His post-fight interview encounters with Wide World of Sports' sportscaster Howard Cosell were fun to watch.

I remember Ali’s first fight with Joe Frazier when I was a high school student and then a few years later, his amazing victory over George Foreman during which he patented his famous “rope a dope” technique, using it to exhaust and then knock out the bigger, stronger and younger Foreman.

It was hard to view this great athlete's physical decline in his later years due to Parkinson's disease but he did so with dignity and witness to the beauty of life despite its challenges and imperfections.  

Muhammad Ali taught me much about how life is brief and precious.

I recently read an article on the business magazine Forbes’ website that inspired me to write today's blogflection.  This article was an interview of a physician who shared her perspective of death and dying.

Of the many wisdom points I got from reading it is how this physician, who has witnessed lots of deaths, shared “I’ve seen death done well. And I’ve seen it done poorly.”

She also shared about one lesson learned from her experiences which, coincidentally, is the same lesson I learned from Father Patrick Lee, Tommy Kono and Muhammad Ali.

What is this lesson she learned?  

How life is brief and precious.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

A few words with Tommy Kono

Tommy Kono visits worldwide headquarters of Pierini Fitnesss

Last Friday, I met with my my friend Olympic weightlifting legend Tommy Kono at the worldwide headquarters of Pierini Fitness.  

Mr. Kono was in Sacramento over the weekend to attend the Tommy Kono X Weightlifting Competition named in his honor.

For those of you who are west coast weightlifting history buffs, here's a photo of Tommy Kono circa mid-1950's.  

Tommy Kono is second from the left, followed by Alyce Yarick, Ed Yarick and my father (RIP). The person to Mr. Kono's right is Dan Uhalde who, at the time, was the second best lifter in the 198-lb. weight class.  Back then, lbs. were used to express weight. Mr. Kono's best guess is that this photo was taken in 1954 or 1955.  

Click above photo for larger view

Here's another photo of Ed Yarick Gym's weightlifting team that went to San Quentin Prison sometime after the 1952 Olympics to compete against the prisoners.  This friendly competition with the prisoners took place in either 1954 or 1955.

Mr. Kono is standing far right, my Dad is standing far left (RIP) and my uncle (RIP) is kneeling in the front row second from right.  Ed Yarick is the big man standing in the center.  

Click above photo for larger view

I had an opportunity to ask Mr. Kono if he had any new words of wisdom for all the middle-aged men of the world in their gracefully aging journey. 

View the video below to learn what he shared.

View this video on YouTube

Wise counsel doesn't have to be complex or lengthy.  Sometimes less will do such as a few words with Tommy Kono.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

When Tommy Kono speaks wise men listen

After a Sunday evening telephone conversation with Tommy Kono, I decided to resurrect an interview article I wrote in August 2007 for another fitness forum website. It has been modified for today's blogflection at Pierini Fitness.

From the time he won his first Olympic weightlifting gold medal in 1952, Tommy Kono was invincible. He was undefeated internationally until the 1960 Olympic Games, where he took a silver medal. He set a total of 26 world records in 4 weight classes. He also excelled in physique competitions as well, winning the Mr. World contest in 1954 and Mr. Universe contests in 1955, 1957, and 1961.

After his competitive years, Tommy Kono then turned his energies toward coaching. He was the Olympic weightlifting coach for Mexico in 1968, bringing lifters to the Games from a country that had little history in the sport. He then went on to coach the West German Olympic weightlifting team in 1972, and returned to the U.S.A. to coach its team in 1976.He is in the International Weightlifting Federation Hall of Fame, U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and one of the 100 Golden Olympians honored at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

Tommy Kono was born in my hometown of Sacramento, California in 1930. He was a weightlifting buddy of my Dad’s until moving to Hawaii in 1955. I grew up listening to my Dad tell me countless Tommy Kono stories. To make a long story short, during an August 2007 visit to Sacramento, I arranged a surprise 52-year friendship reunion of Tommy Kono and my Dad during his stay as a guest in my home. I had a chance to visit with him at length and he agreed to be interviewed by me for a fitness forum website article.

Grab a chair and get comfortable and enjoy the sage fitness counsel this wise Olympian has to offer.

Pierini: Many new exercise enthusiasts ask questions about a beginner weight-training routine. Please provide a beginner weightlifting routine with set and rep recommendations.

Mr. Kono: I have designed a workout that I call the Kono Plan for increasing overall muscle size and strength. It consists of barbell exercises that concentrate on large muscle groups of the body and on exercises that call into play many muscle groups at one time.

There are 8 exercises that make up the Kono Plan. They are as follows: (1) situps - 1 to 2 sets of 15 to 25 reps - ( 2) overhead press - 2 (later 3) sets of 8 to 12 reps - (3) upright rowing - 2 (later 3) sets of 8 to 12 reps -(4) bench press - 2 (later 3) sets of 8 to 12 reps -(5) bent over rowing - 2 (later 3) sets of 8 to 12 reps -(6) squats - 2 (gradually work up to 4) sets of 8 to 12 reps - (7) breathing pullover - alternate with squat exercise for 12 to 15 reps - (8) deadlift - 2 sets of 8 to 12 reps.

This program is for a 3 days a week training frequency such as Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday. Additional details of my Kono Plan are included in my book, "Weightlifting, Olympic Style".

Pierini: How many reps and sets should be performed. What do you believe is the optimum number of sets and reps to perform for (1) strength, (2) hypertrophy, (3) general conditioning and (4) endurance.

Mr. Kono: For strength, I recommend 7-10 sets of 3 reps using heavier weights and longer recovery periods. For hypertrophy, I recommend 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and for general conditioning, I recommend 2 sets of 8 to 12 reps. Finally, for endurance, I recommend 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps with the exercises done following a circuit format with very short recovery between circuits.

Pierini: What do you think of training that consists of a single set to failure for each exercise? For example, doing 20 reps of squats, picking a weight that is your 10-rep max, but taking standing rest pauses and continuing until you have completed 20 reps?

Mr. Kono: I believe this is very hard and a different type of training, but the principle is a sound one. In my opinion, it is more mental training. I believe you need a training partner to successfully train this way.

Personally, I have never trained this way although when I was young (about 20 years of age), I performed a 20-rep set of squats using 360 lbs. when I weighed about 154 lbs. At that time my single rep squat best was 420 lbs. Years later at a heavier bodyweight, I tried a 20 rep set of squats with the same 360 lbs. and quit after 14 reps after I told myself I wasn't going to suffer any longer. In your example of picking a weight that is your 10-rep max and completing 20 reps, that weight is not your 10-rep max because if it was, there is no way you could complete 20 reps.

Pierini: Should women train any differently from what you have recommended above?

Mr. Kono: No, they have the same muscles.

Pierini: What words of training wisdom do you have for competitive powerlifters to help them to improve their bench press, squat and deadlift performances?

Mr. Kono: I don't have a lot to offer other than to say that they should tax themselves and allow plenty of time to recover.Pierini: Have you ever used kettlebells in your training? What do you think of them?

Mr. Kono: I have never used kettlebells in my training, but I think they are good. I don't see them replacing barbells and dumbbells.
Pierini: Have you ever done just dumbbell only training? What do you think of dumbbell-only training?

Mr. Kono: I have never done dumbbell-only training. I consider dumbbells to be auxiliary or supplemental to barbell training. I believe that weight training should concentrate on using the most weight possible, which you can do more with barbells than with dumbbells.

Pierini: How much attention do you think a weightlifter should devote to macronutrient percentages, for example, the percentages of calories consumed of carbohydrates, protein and fat?

Mr. Kono: I have always favored a high-protein diet. I think carbohydrates are what make you gain or lose weight. I have never paid much attention to macronutrient percentages, instead just concentrating on maintaining a well-balanced diet.

Pierini: How important is meal frequency for the weightlifter/bodybuilder? What frequency did you follow during your competitive days?

Mr. Kono: Your choice of food and amount eaten are very important. Meal frequency is an individual thing depending on how your body responds and your goals. Mostly ate three meals a day, evenly spaced apart. I have a small stomach and cannot eat a lot at one sitting. When I wanted to gain weight, I had to eat more often. When I wanted to lose weight, I went back to three meals a day. Gaining weight was hard for me. Losing weight was easier.

Pierini: What are your thoughts about vitamins, protein and other supplements? What vitamins and supplements did you consume during your competitive days? What vitamins and supplements do you consume now?

Mr. Kono: I am not a nutritionist, but I believe vitamins, protein and other supplements are very important because modern food processing methods do not provide reasonable assurance that you will get all essential nutrients. During my competitive days, I took a multiple vitamin, and additionally Vitamin C, Vitamin E, wheat germ oil and protein drinks. Currently, I still take a multiple vitamin, and additionally Vitamin C, Vitamin E, fish oil capsules, and a glucosomine/chondroitin combination. I don't know if the latter helps me but it sure does help my nails grow faster.

Pierini: How prevalent were steroids during your competitive years in America and other countries? What about now?

Mr. Kono: Steroids came into existence in the early 1960s and then the word steroid was not used to describe these pills; rather they were referred to by their actual name such as Dianabol. This was during the latter part of my competitive years. There was hearsay many years earlier that a Dr. Ziegler, who traveled with the American weightlifting team to Copenhagen and Vienna in 1954, claimed that he spoke to a Russian weightlifting coach who acknowledged that the Russian team was using "something" to enhance their weightlifting performance. I never attached a lot of significance to anything Dr. Ziegler said.  Now, there is random testing of weightlifters to see if they are taking any performance enhancing drugs.

Pierini: How important were training logs and journals to you in your training? Do you still maintain a journal?

Mr. Kono: Training logs and journals were very important to me during my competitive years as I did not have a coach. My training logs and journals were very detailed. I no longer maintain a training log or journal for I am not so goal-oriented as in my competitive years.

Pierini: What is your current training? How many days a week do you train and what exercises do you do? Reps/sets. Free weights versus machines?

Mr. Kono: At 77 years of age, I now exercise to maintain my muscles and health. I train three times a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for about 35 minutes each. There are seven exercises I perform for two sets of 12 reps. My first set is a lighter weight for a warm-up, and then I perform the second set after minimal recovery. The seven exercises that make up my current training are: (1) machine leg press - (2) lat pulldowns - (3) sitting machine bench press - (4) machine abdominal crunches - (5) machine sitting lower back extensions - (6) sitting rear deltoid pullback using the pec deck machine -(7) machine overhead press.

Pierini: Have you ever trained using isometric contractions? What do you think of this training? Did you ever perform the exercises that were part of the Hoffman Functional Isometric Contraction System?

Mr. Kono: I experimented with isometric contractions as outlined in the Bob Hoffman course but found that this way of exercising was not for me. You have to be able to give all that you have for a maximum effort and I wasn't able to do this by myself; it was just too difficult for me. I believe you can fool yourself into thinking that you are giving your maximum effort when, it fact, you are not really. Therefore, in my opinion, this training works better with a training partner who can encourage you to try harder. I personally did not and do not think much of this as a primary training method so there is no sense in me training this way if I do not believe in it.

Pierini: American weightlifters Bill March and Louis Riecke made phenomenal gains in their weightlifting totals in the early 1960s that Bob Hoffman attributed to his Functional Isometric Contraction System? Did this get other lifters into doing isometrics? How prevalent is this training for today's national and world-caliber Olympic lifters?

Mr. Kono: Other lifters tried isometric contractions after observing the gains made by March and Riecke. I do not know how far they went with this training. I do not know how prevalent this training is today for national and world-caliber Olympic lifters.

Pierini: The term "busted up weightlifter syndrome" is used in the bodyweight-only training community to describe guys who are pretty banged up from their days of heavy lifting. How is your back? How are your shoulders? How are your wrists? How are your knees? What about other lifters you know from your competitive years?

Mr. Kono: I have never heard of the term "busted up weightlifter syndrome". It reminds me of when people would say that if you lifted weights you would get "muscle bound". We knew that wasn't true. This term also reminds me of a humorous phrase in the old days that bodybuilders were burnt-out weightlifters. I don't think it exists, but I will say this, if you strive to be the very best, you have to challenge and extend yourself and some injuries will occur. A former Bulgarian Olympic weightlifting coach said it best when he said: "if you go to war there will be casualties."

As far as me, at age 77 my back is good, I have a bad left shoulder, my knees are bad and I had my left hip replaced which I damaged due to my knees. My fellow Olympic team members, specifically Pete George, Isaac Berger, and Chuck Vinci are all doing well with their bodies.

Pierini: How much does America owe Bob Hoffman for his contribution to weightlifting/bodybuilding?

Mr. Kono: Bob Hoffman was the father of barbell and dumbbell training. He stressed the importance of weightlifting for all aspects of fitness, not just strength or appearance. Mr. Hoffman's contribution was tremendous. He gave a lot, including funding the travel costs so the American team could attend world championships.

Pierini: You've written a book called "Weightlifting, Olympic Style". I have read this book and think it is great. It doesn't really cover split style snatches and cleans. Are there any competitive lifters who split snatch or split clean? Your book also doesn't discuss the power jerk or the squat jerk that a small percentage of competitors use. What do you think of the power and squat jerks?

Mr. Kono: Split style snatches and cleans are extremely rare nowadays. They are as obsolete as the "Western roll" high jump technique, you just don't see it. I believe the split jerk is superior to the power jerk and the squat jerk, and will always be the predominant jerk method used by lifters. A competitor has got to have superior leg strength to successfully perform the squat jerk. Most of the time, coming out of the squat is the limiting factor when performing a very heavy clean and jerk so to be able to then squat jerk a heavy weight takes exceptionally strong leg power.

Pierini: You have designed and marketed weightlifting accessories. Tell us a little about these products. Are the knee bands a good knee injury prevention measure for those who do not have any knee problems?

Mr. Kono: I have designed and market Tommy Kono knee bands and waist bands and I believe both of these weightlifting accessories are equally good for lifters who do not have any problems, as a preventative measure, and for lifters who have problems and need extra support and stability.Pierini: What is your website address for our members interested in learning more about you and your weightlifting accessories or your book "Weightlifting, Olympic Style"?

Mr. Kono: My website is www.tommykono.com.

Pierini: Thank you very much for this interview, Mr. Kono, and best wishes for you and your family's good health, fitness and fortune in the coming year. Come back to Sacramento soon. You are always welcome in my home.

Click here for some nostalgic photos and clips of Tommy Kono

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

The Tommy Kono Bodyweight Squat

Squats are one of the best whole-body exercises you can perform, with or without weights. It's one of the most widely discussed exercises in articles written by the "experts" from all fitness disciplines. Everyone has his or her opinion about squats.

There are those who swear that squats are better than homemade apple pie for fitness and strength. Then there are those who warn that they are dangerous and will wreck havoc on your knees and spine and, therefore, should be avoided. I've been in both camps at one time or another in my fitness journey. Currently I swear that squats are better than homemade apple pie for fitness and strength, but only if your body is flexible to safely perform them with correct form.

I'll not discuss the various ways in which you can perform squats or suggest a squat workout. Instead, I'll describe and demonstrate an exercise I learned from Olympic weightlifting legend Tommy Kono to improve my flexibility to safely perform Olympic style squats. I call it the Tommy Kono bodyweight squat.

Here's how you do it

Stand with the center of your back slightly touching the corner of a wall, feet spaced as you normally would to perform a squat. The back of your head, most of your back and your glutes should be touching the wall corner. Keep a strong lower back arch and expand your chest to set yourself in a very upright starting position. In this position, the area of your arched lower back is not touching the wall corner.

Now perform a squat descending as low as you can while maintaining contact with the wall corner. You can pause at the bottom to check your form and contact. Rise back to the starting position to complete one repetition. Perform additional repetitions only as long as you are able to maintain good form. It's a very challenging exercise for me and exposes my flexibility weaknesses.

Here's a short video demonstration of the exercise



You'll notice I fail to keep my head touching the wall corner as I rise from the bottom position. Some days are better than others and this obviously was not one of my better days.

Give this exercise a try and let me know what you think. I guarantee it will improve your whole body flexibility and squat performance. Have fun doing the Tommy Kono Bodyweight Squat.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

The Kono Course

During the 1950's, from the time he won his first Olympic weightlifting gold medal in 1952, Tommy Kono was invincible. He was undefeated internationally until the 1960 Olympic Games, where he took a silver medal. He set a total of 26 world records in 4 weight classes. He also excelled in physique competitions as well, winning the Mr. World contest in 1954 and Mr. Universe contests in 1955, 1957, and 1961.

During an August 2007 visit to his birth town of Sacramento, Tommy Kono stayed as a guest in my home, and agreed to be interviewed by me for an article I wrote for an internet fitness forum website. Of the many questions I asked him, one was for his recommendations of a beginner weight-training routine with set and rep recommendations.

Mr. Kono outlined a workout he calls The Kono Course for increasing overall muscle size and strength. It consists of barbell exercises that concentrate on large muscle groups of the body and on exercises that call into play many muscle groups at one time.

The program is for a 3 days a week training frequency such as Monday, Wednesday and Friday, or Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Here are the eight exercises that make up The Kono Course (I assume you are familiar with basic weightlifting exercises so an explanation of each is not provided):

(1) situps - 1 to 2 sets of 15 to 25 reps

(2) overhead press - 2 (later 3) sets of 8 to 12 reps

(3) upright rowing - 2 (later 3) sets of 8 to 12 reps

(4) bench press - 2 (later 3) sets of 8 to 12 reps

(5) bent over rowing - 2 (later 3) sets of 8 to 12 reps

(6) squats - 2 (gradually work up to 4) sets of 8 to 12 reps

(7) breathing pullover - alternate with squat exercise for 12 to 15 reps

(8) deadlift - 2 sets of 8 to 12 reps

Additional details of The Kono Course can be found in Mr. Kono’s book "Weightlifting, Olympic Style. The book costs $30.00 plus $5.00 for shipping within the U.S.A. To order, send a money order to: HKC (Hawaii Kono Company - Post Office Box 2192 - Aiea, HI 96701, USA.

If you have been looking for that new program to help you increase overall muscle size and strength, look no further because you have found it here, The Kono Course.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum