Taking Your Sweat Equity to the Banc

by Kelly Basinger | Men's Book Atlanta magazine | November 18, 2011

Don’t get me wrong: There’s nothing like a good workout. But how many of us really train our bodies as if our lives depend on it? According to M. O’Neal Mitchell, who developed the Bond Premium Fitness Programme, they just might. You may be able to bench-press a Buick, but I doubt that’ll help you against an armed mugger or protect you in a barroom brawl. When placed under these circumstances, bicep curls and calf raises sound kind of impudent, don’t they?

Where other workout programs fall short of real-life application, the Bond program bridges the gap and turns vulnerabilities into strengths, and the body into a defensive apparatus driven by instinct. Mitchell, the man behind Banc & Bond Fitness Companies and the Bond program itself, created Bond by combining components of physical fitness, mental strength and tactical preparedness, or what he breaks down as Well-Being, Wellness and Welfare.

Mitchell designed the system by borrowing the best bits and pieces of what he has learned over the years, which happens to be... a lot. From his second-degree black belts in judo and jujitsu to his endless certifications in weapons and close-quarters combat, his résumé reads more like Jason Bourne’s than a fitness instructor. As a former professional bodyguard for Fortune 100 executives who made a habit of traveling to areas like the Middle East and Latin America—where kidnap and ransom are common crimes—he and his team not only had to protect their clients, but teach them how to handle themselves for “just in case” scenarios. Bond training sessions incorporate these same techniques and mechanics, borrowed from an array of disciplines such as yoga, traditional strength training, martial arts and tactical-weapons training. Typically lasting an hour, each session is done one-on-one, with an instructor matching every rep of the client.

Be warned: Bond training is not for the weak-willed. I was privy to a session myself, and even for me, a former college decathlete who just ran the Chicago marathon two weeks ago, the warm-up alone had me gasping for air. No amount of CrossFit classes or P90X videos will have you ready for Bond, but remember the payoff is reward for the mind, body and spirit. As Mitchell succinctly puts it, “No other physical activity of the body is more important than defending itself.”

The Three Ws
A few basic tips based on the three pillars of Bond:

For Your WELL-BEING
Warm up with meditation. Spend three minutes in silence taking deep breaths, while visualizing yourself performing the exercises.

For Your WELLNESS
Adopt an interval-training exercise program, alternating between high-intensity aerobic and anaerobic exercises, both below and above 85 percent of maximum heart rate.

For Your WELFARE
Learn basic first aid and CPR, while studying and constantly performing self-defenses that challenge your instincts. Prepare a GOODIE (Get Out Of Dodge In an Emergency) bag for your car and home.

For more information, visit bondfit.com.