JERRY HILL
Fit Force Camp

Hey Jerry,

Here's the list of questions for your profile in next the issue. Thanks for your time and for offering your experiences to others.

1. Firstly, tell us a bit about yourself and your training background (see also www.fitforcecamp.com to learn more about Jerry, his background and development).

2. Give us some insight into FitForce Camp, its inception, evolution and purpose and tell us about this 'soft America'.

I’m going to start off this profile straight from some stuff I’ve got written down; I’ll shoot from the hip a little later but first the formalities.

Introduction (Jerry):

Fitness is my passion, and it has been for twenty six years. At the age of fourteen, exercise intrigued me beyond mastering a basic level of competency. Even at that early age it struck me that if I could become stronger and faster and develop more endurance, then I would be able to play harder. Play being the operative word in the latter sentence. I do find exercise synonymous with fun. Of course, my definition of play may not be the same as others’, and even my own definition of it has changed over the years. I’ve moved from the kid on the playground scaling jungle gyms to a competitive athlete and a United States Marine, to my current roles as a coach, trainer, husband, and the father of two young girls. As I passed through each stage, fitness has always enhanced my life, and it has been the key to my continued desire to push my potential for peak performance.

Having met with great success in my fitness pursuits, I found myself asking, “How can I teach others to know gratification from their fitness, and what is it about my approach to exercise that makes it so inherent to me, so centering in my daily life?” In answer to this question, I founded FitForce Camp (FFC). With my passion now my vocation, I’m able to share the knowledge I’ve gained though my pursuits and provide others with the tools necessary to achieve results from their workouts. It’s also a great way to play hard!

As for the ‘soft America’ I’ll say:
“There is no external force greater than the resolve we all internally possess.”

What type of people do you train and what are the main reasons they train with you? Is there anything you look for in a potential client or do you train anyone?
In a potential client I look for desire - FFC provides the fuel, but ya gotta have a spark. I always like referrals, then the client knows what their getting into. With general inquiries I always respond by asking them questions simple stuff like: What is your fitness/athletic background? What are your current fitness goals? What do you want out of your fitness program? It gives the client a chance to think and starts a very important communication process. I want them to start talking, writing and thinking right from the get go.

How important is the spirit of training and a client's mental development in your approach?
Spirit of training and mental development is the core of FFC. Sadly, most fitness programs focus on the image in the mirror - within FFC we make a paradigm shift to performance based training but digging deeper it’s truly about building character and inner strength.

Physical toughness – Mental toughness - The Spirit of training: That’s one heck of an evolution and one well worth striving for.

We can run people through nasty circuits that will reveal their toughness; something I’m comfortable doing! Getting the client to think, to focus, to dream, to build a burning desire and passion for a goal, to check their ego – man that’s a great coach, that’s what I strive for, that’s my evolution. Within FFC my realization has multiplied, the chance to work with a diverse group of people all at once in a camp setting has been amazing for my progress as a coach and my clients reap the rewards…I still only have a tiny clue to what I’m doing, where I’m going or what I will become. I encourage all trainers to start a camp of their own so they to can enjoy this process, it’s simply amazing!

How important is it in your own evolution? I would normally ask you about your training but I think this sums it up for everyone http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J25kWo58cM
Ha! I was having a bit of fun in that one…
With easy access to video and online publishing I documented a bunch of stuff this year. In this compilation video I am poking some fun at age: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiNHwhlScx0 That’s our buddy Tohm Kryston counting the reps in the end…it’s good to hear his voice again.

For those who don't know you were friend and mentor to Tohm Kryston (Issue 24 of ‘On the Gunge’) who recently passed away. What qualities did you most admire in Tohm?
Well, if Tohm said I was a mentor then it’s my honor, definitely a friend.
When you say qualities I think of specific stories, memories…a flood of them have flashed before me - in the end my regret is that there weren’t more.

Tohm lived life with a degree of passion few of us will ever experience; he was operating on a whole different plane, a goal in my lifetime is to find the same instruction manual he was living from.

What exercise/s do you hate doing?
I really can’t think of any – at this stage in my training I only do exercises I like! The ones I won’t do are because of an injury, and every once in a while I’ll try one I know I shouldn’t and get a swift reminder. Ok, I’ve got one – not that I hate it, but they do suck; 400 meter sprints – Can never figure out how to pace those and always get fried. I mean its 400 freakin’ meters and I’m gassed, guess I should do more of those huh?

Which exercise/s do you love doing?
I could Hang Power Snatch every stinkin’ day, I love the aggressive speed of that movement…I usually only hit it once a week though. I love the big 4 bodyweight movements: Chin, Push-up, Sit-up and Squat – most of the time with a 40lb weight vest on. I got addicted to the muscle-up for a while, talk about a real powerful movement…awesome. I love the sledge, the rotational aspect does wonders for my back, I don’t use it as much as I’d like to. Something like 80% of us suffer from low back pain, right? Not if I’m swinging a sledge regularly. Love the push press, for some reason behind the neck feels best. I used to love taking a stroll with the wheelbarrow, not much time for that these days.

What are some of your key principles when it comes to training and personal development?
I think I sprinkle in my personal development philosophy through-out this profile but from a training standpoint I’ll add: I love to train with blistering speed of movement and all out power. I’ve come to appreciate the finer developmental aspects of occasionally grinding it out – but I cut my teeth on speed and power and usually rely on that.

What / who are some of the profound influences on your own development?
Jim Peckham, wrestling coach. Ten of us would stay at his house for a week and train, we slept in his attic and spare room, his wife cooked us meals. I went at age 16 and 17. Peckham really got in your head, the camp motto; “Earn the Right to Win”. Every morning we would wake up go to his backyard and climb a 50 foot rope three times, dropping for push-ups in between; what a marvellous way to start your day! He was a great story teller, told em like you were there and part of it all. He had to be in his mid-fifties and still a beast; we watched him split wood with a hatchet; not a splitting maul a little freakin hatchet! I really caught the training bug through him. Peckham; “When force exceeds the structural integrity of the human body injury incurs. Therefore, the stronger we are the less chance we have of being injured.” Dude I was 16, I loved that! Beyond the hard training he also showed us how to use mental imagery and visualization. Finally, he taught us to look within for strength, for inspiration and to earn to win not for the admiration of others but for your own development.

The Marine Corp. No rose garden, but I learned the lessons I needed and came out the other side all the better for it.

Other than in your movie link, what music do you train to?
Funny thing, the music in the video was added for artistic expression only, you know entertainment. I never train to music. If I’m in a commercial gym and they are playing music I couldn’t tell you one song after the session. I don’t need distractions, I love training – I love being alone with my thoughts, or on real good days no thoughts at all.

What's the story with chicks and training? On your site there's some pretty ripped chicks training really hard. We have loads of psycho women training too that put lots of the guys to shame. What's with chicks and going hard these days do you think?
I’ve got a buddy here in Philly, Jerry; Former Marine, Vietnam vet, works in a tattoo shop, shaved head, long white beard, head to toe tats, he’s lean and looks real mean - great guy, smart as hell, always has something interesting to say, actually the guys a freakin sage. We are chattin’ a bit about today’s society and norms, the conversation moves to today’s 20 something year olds. He say’s something like; these days the guys come in looking for a tattoo and shop around like it’s a freakin boutique…the chicks come in and get a tat…”I’ll take that one and put er’ there”. He goes on; today’s chicks have the blue collar mentality of yesteryears male – 20 years ago he was inking sailors, today mostly women.

Shoot, what was the question? Kidding, I just wanted to tell ya about Jerry – you should profile him – Ha!

So yeah, women are really attracted to my camp and they can definitely bring it. Maybe it’s because they’ve been marketed a load of useless crap over the years and they see an environment where they can push their abilities, begin to grasp their unique potential – not some fitness model or mass marketed ideal. Women are tough as heck; I see it everyday in camp. How about natural childbirth? Seriously, it’s the single greatest mind-body-spirit event and women do it everyday. Back to fitness though, I think women are more adapt at letting go of ego – and this is where the psychosis of hard training begins. Now I’m generalizing here but let’s face it guys have some monster egos; it can be tough to let go, to put oneself in that place of vulnerability. Another thing, men today are now marketed a certain look, image or ideal it’s a bit of a role reversal us guys just haven’t picked up on it yet. Sorry, I rambled a bit on that one…

Where do I get FitForce Camp t-shirt?
You want the new one? Nothing fancy; poly/cotton 50/50 a decal of a bunch of old tires piled up and FitForce Camp written over the top. Even better, a camp member designed it!

The last one was designed by a camp member also; FitForce Camp on the front and on the back; “Just a little nasty…”

Send me your mailing address and it’s off to ya!

Finally, what advice would you give to those considering hard training as a means for personal development?
Hard training is a beautiful thing; a look in the ole’ crystal ball reveals it’s time to come get some.

Haydn, I’d like to close by thanking you for the opportunity to write some of my thoughts down it’s been cathartic - yesterday I had to break the news to my camp members that I was moving out of state and that these last 2-weeks of camp will indeed be our final one’s together. I hope my profile is a helpful read to Brutal subscribers.

Strength and honour,
Jerry