The Functional fitness community you’ve been looking for in Madison
Our interest in Functional Fitness/HIIT started back around 2005, when Twisted Fitness was a small Madison community of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners, Muay Thai Kickboxers, and MMA fighters.
Workout ideas such as CrossFit gained popularity through the athletes in these sports, who touted the benefits of this style of training. It was not uncommon for us to make a run down to the closest park for a workout. We’d use the playground equipment that was available, or run to the gym to get a WOD (Workout of the Day) in.
WORLD CLASS FACILITY
Fast forward to 2016, as our love of these workouts still continued, and Twisted Fitness began to outgrow our space. The universe gave us the push we needed and opportunities presented themselves. One of the things that we love about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the strong community that it builds. Which coincidentally is also one of the things that we love about Fitness Classes. Muay Thai, powerlifting, strongman, marathon running, bodybuilding, etc. all also build their own strong communities. What we also appreciate, is that they are all groups of individuals showing up, working hard, trying to stay active and healthy as they work to be the best version of themselves that they can be.
Our vision was to build a world class facility that allowed all of these communities to exist and grow in one space, create a supportive environment of hard work and fun, and build a larger community of people that support everyone on their individual adventure to greatness. We may not all have the same passion or interest, and our paths may be different and unique, but we can all appreciate and support the adventure each of us is on.
In this spirit, we started Mata Leão Athletics. What does the name mean? Mata Leão is a Portuguese word that translates to “Lion Killer”. Mythology tells stories of those that have shown courage and strength in the face of fear. Perhaps one of the most famous is Hercules, who, through success in seemingly impossible tasks and adventures, is considered the greatest of all the Greek mythological heroes. One of his most famous adventures was taking on the feared Nemean Lion and choking it with his bare hands.
In Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Mata Leão is the name of a choke. We chose the name as a way to bring together the Jiu-Jitsu and Strength training/Fitness communities, and to embrace the idea of showing strength and courage in the face of fear, whatever that fear may be. Some days it may just be getting through a difficult day at work, or even facing some difficult life choices or events. Some days it may be getting yourself to the gym, or sticking to the healthier eating goals you have set. Or bringing yourself to finally try something new.
We all have our own fears and our own struggles. They feel a little less daunting when you have a supportive community that is always there for you. The great thing about Mata Leao Athletics, much like all the other programs that are offered inside Twisted Fitness, is that it is for everyone. You don’t have to be an athlete, experienced, or meet anyone’s definition of “fit” to do our classes. As a matter of fact, our experienced coaches are here to help, and their job is to make sure you are successful! We believe in you, and we want to be a part of YOUR adventure.
Strongman Club
At one time, strongman referred to circus performers who exhibited feats of strength. Today, it refers to those who compete in modern strength competitions.
Many of these involve displaying raw functional strength. Some events require lifting and moving unusually shaped objects. Other Events require pulling, pushing, or even throwing heavy objects.
Strongman requires the ability to generate power and strength in unusual positions. It requires Strength, Conditioning, and Grip Strength. The equipment used in training is very unique. Equipment not found in a typical gym.
Growing as a sport, more and more people are getting into Strongman training. Recently the History channel featured a show called, “The Strongest Man in History”. The show featured some of the top strong men in the world trying to compete in different feats of strength. These were historical or even mythological feats from throughout History.
If you have not seen the show, we definitely suggest catching up on past episodes! This show definitely created a buzz around strongman and it is only getting bigger! Strongman here is Madison is also growing!
We are excited to support the Strongman community in Madison. Twisted Fitness is constantly expanding our equipment offering. This allows us to keep up with what’s being used in competition.
We have multiple Yokes, Sleds, Power Bars, Axles, and everything else you could need to begin having fun with Strongman. Whether a serious competitor or just curious about it, stop by and check it out!
Interested in learning more about training for Strongman? We’ve got a Strongman Club to help you get started! Not interested in competing, No problem! Strongman training could push your athletic performance to the next level. Most of all, it is fun. So try something new. After all, you never know until you try! If you are interested in Strongman and in the Madison Area, come check it out!
Did you know we have a Powerlifting Club here in Madison?
Interested in Powerlifting, but don’t know where to start? Come join the Twisted Fitness Powerlifting Club. This Club is perfect for the brand new lifter or the seasoned competitor.
The club meets multiple times a week to lift as a team to both help improve form and motivate each other. Being a member of this club has it’s benefits! Not only will you receive one on one instruction from a seasoned powerlifting coach, you will also be given individual programming to work on when you are lifting on your own. With a solid program and great coaching, you’re sure to have some success in the gym and on the competition platform! To sign up for the club, simply stop in and see the front desk, or if you are a member you can sign up directly through the app!
Don’t wait, today is the day to start seeing real progress and lifting with a fun group of hard working members! Sign up now!
Twisted Fitness proudly embraces the sport of Olympic Weight Lifting here in Madison.
Welcome to the Best USA Weightlifting Affiliate in Madison, WI. Twisted Fitness has not One, but Two Level 2 USA weightlifting certified coaches to meet your Olympic Lifting needs! What is Olympic Lifting, you ask?
Olympic Lifting or Weightlifting, is an Olympic sport. The sport is comprised of 2 Lifts, The Snatch and the Clean & Jerk. A lifter gets 3 attempts at each lift, to try and post the highest total amount of combined weight. It may seem simple, but it is anything but. Weight lifting is unlike any other barbell sport. It require lots of work on balance, mobility, strength, speed, and most of all technique.
Having high level, professional coaches makes this journey much easier. That’s why Twisted Fitness is THE BEST place to learn Olympic Lifting in Madison. Hopefully with a little understanding of the lifts and the history of this sport, you will understand why Olympic Weightlifting is one of the best ways to train athletes, as well as every day folks!
History:
The first Olympic Games of 1896 included weightlifting in the Field event of the predecessor to today’s track and field or athletics event. During the 1900 Olympic Games, there was no weightlifting event. Weightlifting resumed as an event, again in athletics, in 1904 but was omitted from the Games of 1908 and 1912.
In 1920, weightlifting returned to the Olympics and, for the first time, as an event in its own right. At these Games, which took place in Antwerp, Belgium, fourteen nations competed. The competition lifts were the ‘one hand’ snatch, the ‘one hand’ clean and jerk and the ‘two hands’ clean and jerk. At the next Olympic Games, in Paris, France, in 1924, the ‘two hands’ press and the ‘two hands’ snatch were added to the program, making a total of five lifts.
In the Olympic Games after 1920, instead of requiring all competitors to compete against each other regardless of size, weight classes were introduced and, by the 1932 Olympic Games, weightlifting was divided into five weight divisions. In 1928, the sport dropped the ‘one hand’ exercises altogether leaving only the three remaining exercises: the clean and press, the snatch and the clean and jerk.
After the 1972 Olympics, the clean and press was removed from the program due to difficulties in judging the event. What remained were the two elements of the modern Olympic weightlifting program – the snatch and the clean and jerk.
The Snatch
The Snatch is the first lift performed during a weightlifting competition. The objective of the snatch is to lift the barbell from the ground to overhead in one continuous motion. There are four main styles of snatch used: squat snatch (or full snatch), split snatch, power snatch, and muscle snatch. The squat snatch and split snatch are the most common styles used in competition while power snatch and muscle snatch are mostly used for training purposes.
The Clean and Jerk
The Clean and Jerk is a composite of two weightlifting movements. During the clean, the lifter moves the barbell from the floor to a racked position across the deltoids, without resting fully on the clavicles. During the jerk the lifter raises the barbell to a stationary position above the head, finishing with straight arms and legs, and the feet in the same plane as the torso and barbell. As with the Snatch, there are various techniques used when learning and/or performing both the Clean and the Jerk motions.
Twisted fitness has all the specialized equipment needed to train in weightlifting.
We have Bumper Plates, Men’s and Women’s Barbells, 3 Wooden style Platforms, and Jerk Blocks. Interested in learning more about the sport of Weightlifting? Contact Twisted Fitness today to see how you can get started!