Giannicola Ruggieri
Vieste, Italy
www.bootcampvieste.it
casaruggieri@gmail.com
“A life devoted to martial arts.”
At 8 years-old I received my black belt in shotokan karate, then came along kempo, taekwondo, and full contact. My martial arts success continued with my first dan black belt in traditional karate, and instructor black belt in karate II dan, with numerous investments and impressive results at the national level. Then at 20 years-old, I became interested in natural bodybuilding and trained according to Mentzer and McRobert principles, reaching outstanding strength levels.
Physical strength has always fascinated me, especially the ability to increase my strength with an organized and planned routine. When Mike Mentzer came for the first and only time to Italy in 1990 for a seminar on strength, I attended with much interest. After reading the book “Brawn” by Stuart McRobert, I began to think that strength training and mass were not the only things needed for fitness, but an all-round training included knowledge, health, and nutrition for a greater longevity in the sport. In fact, every time I tested my heart and lungs after intense aerobic activity, I noticed enormous stress on my joints and musculoskeletal system induced by the hard core body building that could not be ignored. So I introduced flexibility and cardio sessions in my strength training but I still was not satisfied with the overall results.
In 2010 I was introduced to kettlebell training and saw results. But the real turning point came that September when I attended a seminar in Parma, hosted by Lacertosus, where I met Ivan Ivanov, and was introduced to the Bulgarian Bag. Immediately I understood the enormous potential of the bag to create physical packed results: force, power, endurance, flexibility, mobility, cardio.
I obtained my BBS Certification with Steve Nave in San Diego, California, and there my knowledge in the field of functional training really arrived at an optimum level. Steve, in fact, is obsessed with perfect technique and is very theoretical and technical. The IBBC is taught much like a martial art, with the greatest awareness, concentration and preparation, and an intense attention to theoretical physics before and after. This leads into lessons providing an arsenal of new techniques and scientific training for each type of subject, from the hard-core athlete to the common person.
I now spend my time developing training systems aimed at all types of subjects to help improve their lifestyles. The Bulgarian Bag course maintains a leading role in this program. The study of fitness continues to evolve inside of me and I like to study the current training protocols for special forces and soldiers. I firmly believe that functional training is truly revolutionizing the world of fitness and that the Bulgarian Bag is one of the most innovative and powerful tools for turning men into supermen in the shortest time possible!