Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday
1. First off, it’s really (and I mean, REALLY) weird having all this quiet time at CP. The high school baseball season is right around the corner, and as such, the bulk of our guys are either starting practice this week or trying out for their respective teams. It’s been a great off-season, and I wish everyone the best of luck. Go get em’ fellas!
This, of course, means that for the next few weeks I’ll be able to concentrate a little more time towards writing. I’m actually in the midst of sending in a first draft of a ‘yet to be titled’ deadlift article to TMUSCLE this week, so stay tuned for that!
Moreover, I have some stuff coming out in upcoming issues of Men’s Health Magazine and Experience Life Magazine, and I have a few article ideas for some other websites as well; not to mention I’ll try my best to keep this blogging streak going. I think it’s been three straight weeks where I’ve blogged everyday. Not that I’m keeping track or anything…….
2. Mike Robertson wrote a really great post last week where he discussed how important it is as strength coaches to understand that, as much as we hate to admit it, we don’t have control over everything. Between school, sports, appointments, chores, girlfriends/boyfriends, homework, etc- it isn’t uncommon for our athletes to not be on their “A-game” when they finally step foot in the gym. What we do have control over, though, is the workout.
Conversely, sometimes our athletes feel like a million bucks, and it’s our job to know when to hold them back. This was never more evident than this past Friday afternoon when we were testing out some of our high school kids.
One of our freshman was testing his 1RM front squat, and smoked 275 lbs. Admittedly, we got a little greedy and decided to go for 285. He missed it- albeit barely. Not surprisingly, he spent the next few minutes trying to convince me to let him try it again.
I almost let him, but then I thought to myself, “why? ” I mean, he already set a PR and got his name on the CP Leaderboard (again, as a freshman). What would have been the advantage in letting him try again? In my eyes, the risks (missing another lift, or worse, possibly getting hurt) far outweighed the reward (stroking his ego).
As much as it is our jobs to get our athletes bigger, stronger, and/or faster (obviously), we also need to understand that our primary role as strength coaches is to keep our athletes healthy.
3. Speaking of our high school baseball guys, I was talking movies with one of them the other day, and come to find out, the kid has never seen The Usual Suspects!!!!
He admitted to going to see Dear, John, but has somehow failed to watch, arguably, one of the greatest “guy movies” of all time? I was thiiiis close to kicking him out of the gym right then and there, but then realized I’m like, you know, 15 years older than he is. So I just made him push the prowler instead.
Seriously, if you poled 99 out of 100 guys, and had them make a list of “must see” movies, I can guarantee The Usual Suspects would be on every one of their lists. Well, that and Old Yeller and/or anything involving Scarlet Johannson’s breasts.
4. Recently, as the closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Vancouver were coming to to an end, CP athlete, Omri Geva, was featured in an article describing his attempts to rejuvenate the Israeli Bobsled team and compete in the 2014 games in Sochi, Russia. Check it out HERE.
5. Someone sent me this video with the tag “I think this mouse works out at your gym.”
Oh, really? We tell people to bench with their feet up in the air, without an arch in their back? That’s news to me. What’s next? Suggesting that we test 1RM cable abductions??? Hahahaha. Idiot. Oh, wait…..
6. Here’s a little tip for all the guys out there who try to pick up chicks at the gym. Stop. It doesn’t work. One of my female clients (who trains at another gym on the days she’s not at CP) told me a story of some random guy that approached here the other day and said, “I’ve been watching you for a while now, and just wanted to say you have an amazing physique.” Thanks Creepy McCreepypants, you just ruined it for the rest of us. Dammit, I can’t take you anywhere!
7. Earlier last week, the New York State Legislature introduced a bill that, if passed, will ban the use of salt in restaurant cooking. Riiiiiigggghhhhttt, it’s not like the government doesn’t have more pressing issues to deal with- like, I don’t know, a war, a recession, or terrorism for example. Um, newsflash, EVERYTHING has salt in it.
Hell, the seafood we eat comes from salt water. Ask any chef, anywhere, what makes things taste better- and it’s salt. Sure, people with a predisposition to hypertension may have to be a bit more cautious. That being said- and at the expense of opening up a can of worms- I’d go so far as to say that sugar has far more reaching ramifications on our overall health than salt. Really, banning salt?
So, instead of salt, what’s going to happen the next time my girlfriend and I go out and she wants to order her favorite salt rimmed margarita?
Dip the glass in some Anthrax? No, wait, Plutonium?
8. Here’s an awesome quote from an article I came across, “The Power of the Pack,” written by strength coach Matt Phelps with regards to finding a conducive training environment to train in.
Only join the gym if they allow chalk. If they don’t, this isn’t the place for you. You need a gym with character and heart. Chalk implies that heavy things are being lifted. Heavy things get you jacked.
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
