June Archives

Attention Scale Addicts – Jason Seib

One of my female distance coaching clients sent me the link to this post the other day, and I thought it was fantastic.  If anything, it drives home the point that scale weight doesn’t mean diddly squat in terms of body compositional changes.

 

 

 

I Don’t Want to Get Big and Bulky:  Fitness Marketing and It’s Effect on Women – JC Deen

In keeping with the “it’s okay for women to lift heavy things” theme from above, JC breaks down fitness marketing and how the mainstream media does nothing but placate many of the myths and fears that women generally have when it comes to lifting some iron.  Awesome, awesome post – couldn’t have said it better myself!

Balancing Fitness with a Busy Life – Jim Smith

We’re all busy – and more often than not, the last thing on our to do list is “head to the gym.”   Coincidentally, we always seem to find the time to watch, on average, 6-8 hours of television per day.  Weird.

Anyways, here, Smitty provides a little insight on how to become more efficient with your gym time so that you’re able to maximize your results in the shortest amount of time

SPOILER ALERT:  there’s no mention of eliptical trainers, aerobic classes, “arms day,” or yoga.  Thank god.

1.  Figured I’d start this week off with an Operation Co-Habitation update.  As many of you who already read this blog know – my girlfriend, Lisa, and I moved in together about a week ago today.  The good news:  neither of us have felt the need to strangle the other yet.  The bad:  read below.

I’m what you would call an introvert.  Mistakenly, many are under the impression that introverts are socially reclusive people, who hate human interaction, live in their mother’s basement, and play World of War Craft in their spare time.

In fact, as Lisa (who’s getting her PhD in Sports Psychology, so she’s wicked smaht) has noted to me on numerous occasions, introverts are just people who prefer to “re-energize” by doing stuff on their own.  For some, they need to be around others to “reboot” or derive energy from.  So, if you’re the type of person, for instance, who likes to go out with friends and colleagues for happy hour after work on a Friday, you’re most likely an extrovert.

Conversely, if you’re like me, you like to get a few hours to yourself every now and then and head to the local coffee shop to get some writing done, or maybe the local bookstore to peruse some books, chill, and catch up on some reading.  Heck, maybe you go catch a Saturday matinee at the theater, or head to the local Farmer’s Market and just walk around eating beef jerky.  It’s all good.  The point is, you just need some “me time.”

Well, as it so happens, every Friday night when I get home from the facility, I like to get away and have a little “Tony Time.”  Lisa is totally cool with it, and more often than not, usually takes the opportunity to make plans with one of her girlfriends.

This past Friday was no different:  I grabbed my backpack, put my laptop and book inside, kissed Lisa goodbye, and left her and her friend, Jess, to do whatever it is that girls do when they’re alone.  Which, of course, means pillow fights right?

Anyways, a few hours passed, when I finally got a text from Lisa saying, “babe, can you come home now, please?” Now, a few hours before she had texted me saying that she and Jess were attacked (attacked in this sense just means they saw it) by the elusive mouse that’s in our apartment, and I just assumed that she needed me to come home to take care of business.

Being the good boyfriend that I am, I packed my things, bolted out the door, and took the five minute walk home to prepare myself for World War III with this mouse.

What do I arrive to?  Lisa and Jess sitting on the couch watching, of all things, Pretty Woman.

Pretty FREAKING Woman

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

2.  Anyone looking for a good book to read should pick up Dan John’s Mass Made Simple.  I picked a copy up a few weeks ago, and am now just starting to dive into it.  I’ve always loved Dan John’s writing.  His other book, Never Let Go, is arguably one of my all-time favorite strength and conditioning books if for no other reason than he just makes sense.

One of my favorite quotes from that book was when, in response to someone saying that squats were dangerous, Coach John replied, “not wearing a seatbelt is dangerous.”

Pwnage!

That said, Mass Made Simple is no different.  The title alone speaks for itself – contrary to popular thought, you don’t need some advanced text giving you elaborate algorhytms that only a person with a degree from MIT can decifer.  Building muscle, while that easy, definitely isn’t THAT complicated.

I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking to add some meat to their frame or just looking for great perspective from one of the best coaches out there.

3.  I’m not gonna lie:  One of the best perks of co-owning (and working) at a premiere facility is the free gear that’s often thrown my way.  Between all the college and professional athletes that walk through our facility, much to my girlfriend’s chagrin, I never have a shortage of t-shirts to wear.

Recently, however, the staff has been lucky enough to have the opportunity to try out a lot of New Balance gear – specifically their new Minimus footwear.

Like many shoe companies, New Balance has noticed the ever growing trend of minimalist footwear that has saturated the market, and they’ve gone out of their way to produce a shoe that not only feels amazing, but doesn’t look “silly” either.

I’ve had my pair for a week, and I can’t take them off.  The true test is to see how they hold up after a month or two of training, but for now, I love them!

4.  Just a quick reminder:  the Peak Training and Diet Design Seminar will be the weekend of July 8^th.  Both Joe Dowdell and Dr. Mike Roussell will be presenting, and from what I hear, they’re expecting a great turn out.  I’ve already booked my tickets on Bolt Bus to take from Boston to NYC, and I can’t wait!

5.  I just read HERE that NBA star, Ron Artest, is going to legally change his name to, of all things, Metta World Peace.

Okay, so let me get this straight.  The same guy who, in 2004, jumped into the stands and attacked a fan causing one of the worst brawls in NBA history, is now changing his name to something douchy like Metta World Peace?

If that’s not an oxymoron of epic proportions, I don’t know what is.  What’s next?  Kobe Bryant changing his name to Kobe Fidelity?   LOL – get it?  Get it?  You see, he cheated on his wife and……. Oh never mind.

That should do it for today.  I’m out.

 

 

**Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

Q:  Hi Tony- Love your articles.  I am 50 years old and have been lifting since 1975.  Mostly bodybuilding programs.  Back in August of 2008, I was doing heay seated front presses when I twisted wrong upon pressing up.  A day later I had a lot of inflammation in the shoulder joint – pretty much zapping all my strength.

I have had off again on again intermittent pain aroind the shoulder blade which I have tried to work around.  I was told I had slight fraying of the tendon and some shoulder impingement, but nothing that warrants an operation.  Lately, though, squats or front presses seem to promote some achiness around the shoulder blade where I originally hurt it a few years ago.  It’s usually worse in the mornings, and about six weeks ago I started having some spasms on that side that eventually went away. 

Long story short, I was wondering if this sounds like anything you may have heard of before?  I really do not want to pursue any surgery if I don’t have to.

A:  For the sake of simplicity (and because I love making lists**) I’m just going to attack this with a few key points that come to mind off the top of my head:

1.  Are you making ANY effort to get any manual soft-tissue work done?  It stands to reason, especially after 3+ years of dealing with the same issue, that you’ve got some significant scar tissue accumulating in that area.  While daily foam rolling is a good start, it’s only going to take you so far – more than likely, you may need something a bit more aggressive.

To that end, finding a reputable manual therapist (whether it’s massage, ART, Graston, etc) that can get his or hers hands in there and dig around would be very advantageous in your situation.  This isn’t something that you just rub some dirt on, drink a shot (or two) of Tequila, add more weight to the bar, grit your teeth, and grind through.  Get it fixed!!!!

If, however, you’re unable to find a good therapist (whether you have limited access in your area, or just don’t have the funds), at the very least you may find some relief using the protocol in the video below.  Oftentimes, some dedicated work on the pecs works wonders.

NOTE:  Yes, ladies, Chris Howard IS single.

2.  Nix the overhead pressing and benching for 2-3 weeks.  Trust me, it won’t be the end of the world if you don’t press for a few weeks.  No, seriously, pigs won’t fly or anything!

A funny a side:  I had a guy walk into the facility yesterday who did an initial assessment with me a few months ago about some hip/leg pain he had been having while squatting and deadlifting.  When all was said and done, even though we cleaned up his technique, I suggested that he lay off the heavy loading for a while and instead, focus on some single leg work, toss in some dedicated corrective exercises, as well as HAMMER the foam rolling.  In all likelihood, I said, he should notice an improvement.

Same guy walked in yesterday, describing the exact same symptoms – pain when he squats and deadlifts.

Are you still squatting and deadlifting?  Yes

Have you done any of the foam rolling and stretches I suggested?  No, I don’t really like stretching.

The point is:  1). Some people just don’t get it,  and 2).

If it hurts, stop doing it – simple as that.

Anyways, back to matters at hand.  Instead, amp up your horizontal rowing (seated rows, 1-arm standing rows, chesy supported rows, etc) to a 2:1 (maybe even a 3:1) ratio.  Meaning, for every “pushing” movement you perform, you’ll want to counteract that with 2-3 pulling/rowing movements.

Almost always, making this minor adjustement in programming speaks volumes for one’s overall shoulder health.

3.  If you’re like most, you’re still going to bench.  I’m not stupid.  If that’s the case, stick to board presses, or DB floor press (with a neutral grip).  Better yet, I’d be ecstatic if you just performed some closed chain pressing (push-ups), and just focus on loading them or making them more challenging in general.

4.  Chances are, you have some upper trap dominance (welcome to the club.  Population:  pretty much everyone) which is going to superiorly shift the glenohumeral joint into the subacromial space.  In other words, you have an ouchie, and you need to fix it. Because the upper traps are pretty much pwning your lower traps, that subacromial space is diminished, and you need to take some corrective steps to fix it.

Throw in some no money drills (off the foam roller), scapular wall slides (without shrugging), band pull-aparts, retraction to low rows, shoulder w’s, etc which place more of an emphasis on the LOWER traps, as well as scapular depression and posterior tilt.  Really, anything that doesn’t involve shrugging and improves scapular upward rotation will be good for you.

5.  Nix the back squats.  Due to the “at risk” position that back squats place on the shoulders (external rotation + abduction), you’re just setting yourself up for something worse to happen.  Instead, switch to a front squat which will be a lot more shoulder friendly in the long run.  Likewise, if you happen to have access to speciality bars like a giant cambered bar or safety squat bar, both would be a better option that your typical back squat with a standard bar.

6.  Stop doing bodybuilding splits……..;o)

Hope that helps!

 

As much as I poke fun at commercial gyms, I have to say, in the grand scheme of things, it provides for awesome blog content.  Almost without fail, anytime I feel a case of “writer’s block” rearing its ugly head – as has been the case the past week or so – I can revert back to chance encounters I’ve had at commercial gyms for some blog writing gold.

Well, to be honest, today’s post is a combination of something that happened at the facility yesterday and something that took place about a year ago – both of which involved Jessica Alba and a 1-Legged Romanian Deadlift.  Okay, I lied, it’s just the 1-Legged RDL.  But a guy can dream, right?

First, lets begin with the commercial gym story.  Every so often – whether it’s because I’m taking the day off from work, or just need a good laugh – I sometimes hit up the local globo gym to get a quick lift in.  And, as you might expect, between trying to keep my corneas from perpetually bleeding while watching some personal trainer make their client squat in a Smith Machine, not to mention the smell of stale Axe body spray that permeates the air, I’m always telling myself, “never again, Tony.  Never again.”

But, it is what it is – I need to train.  So, I do my warm-up, bust out my iPod, blast some Tribe Called Quest, and get my lift on.

So, not too long ago, I was in the middle of my training session, doing a set of 1-Legged RDLs when another dude (who was there training with this wife, which I thought was pretty cool) stopped to ask me a question.

“What are those,” he asked.

“Oh, these are 1-legged Romanian Deadlifts,” I replied (you can cue the Jaws theme music right now).

“Those work your core or something?“ he came back with. 

Side Note:  I don’t know about you, but I’m always amused at how, every time someone doesn’t know what a particular exercise is, they just assume it works your “core.”

“Well, I guess they do, in a way,” I said.  “Namely, though, they’re a single leg exercise that targets the posterior chain – glutes and hamstrings – and they’re also great for hip stability.”

[Crickets Chirping]

I lost him.

“Eh, well, I may have to give those a try sometime,” he gingerly said.  He walked away, and ten minutes later, as I was leaving, I see him in the corner of my eye doing something that resembled this:

I wouldn’t be surprised if many of you reading recognize this from your gyms as well.

Just to clarify, if it looks anything like the picture above, it’s wrong.  Okay?  Got it?  Good.

Which brings us to last night.  I was walking around the gym floor checking in with clients, when I turn around and see Vanessa (who’s getting ready for her very first powerlifting competition this August) performing 1-Legged, 1-Arm RDLs in much the same way as the picture above.

Well, maybe not quite THAT bad – but if I were making a check list of what NOT to do – rounding the back and shoulders, not packing the neck, lowering the DB too low, to name a few – she was doing it.  And, it had to be fixed…..stat.

The fact of the matter is, even for trainees with a fair amount of experience under the bar, 1-Legged RDLs are about as advanced as they get as far as single leg movements go.  Here, a lot of things have to harmoniously come into play (core stability, hip stability, upper back strength, balance, etc) in order to perform the movement effectively, and it’s not something you just haphazardly throw into the mix.

That said, below I’m going to share some coaching cues that I used to help fix Vanessa’s form and my hope is that you walk away with a better understanding of how to perfect your own technique.

But first, lets see what it should actually look like, so we can then break it down into manageable parts.

NOTE:  the video below shows an Offset 1-Legged Romanian Deadlift (using only one arm).  I like this variation because it really forces you fire your external rotators to help “offset” the pull of the dumbbell itself.

Key Points to Consider:

1.  Keep the neck packed.  Many will view this as looking down, but in fact, you’re just keeping the neck in a neutral position.  Ideally, when performing this exercise, you want to think of your entire backside as making a straight line (said differently, arch your back) from your head all the way down to your toes.  Resultantly, you can think of it as making your spine long.

Now, admittedly, I did bend my moving leg slightly – but, for the most part, you should get the general idea. 

2.  CRUSH the dumbbell with your grip.  By doing so, you create a phenomenon called irradiation, which forces the rotator cuff to fire and essentially “packs” the shoulder nice and tight.  This is important because you can’t think of this movement as actively lowering the DB with your arm – many trainees make the mistake of trying to touch the DB all the way to the floor, resulting in a significant amount of flexion, which I don’t agree with.

Instead, a better way to approach it is to think about pushing your hips back (again, keeping your back in a straight line throughout).  So, instead of actively thinking about lowering the DB, all you need to do is think “hips back,” until the DB reaches roughly mid-shin level.  At that point, you shoulde feel some pretty significant tension in the hamstrings.

3.  Also of note, with the standing (supporting) leg, I like to tell trainees to keep a “soft knee.”  It shouldn’t be locked or stiff.  Ideally, you want about 15-20 degrees of knee flexion.

4.  Again, pigging back on the points above, grip the DB HARD, push your hips back, and think about driving your moving leg’s heel up towards the ceiling.  Like I noted, you want to try to keep your backside as straight as possible, and I’ve found that using the “heel towards the celing” cue works wonders in that regard. 

Likewise, as you push back, you should feel the brunt of your weight shift back into your supporting leg’s heel.  if you feel your weight shifting more towards your toes, try taking your shoes off as the additional heel lift will shift your weight anteriorly (which you don’t want).

5.  To finish, try to “pull” yourself back through the heel and squeeze your glute to finish.  Repeat. Don’t tip over.  Be awesome.

6.  Lastly, I’ll just add that it’s perfectly okay to perform this exercise in your “usable” range of motion.  In other words, if you’re unable to do it using a full ROM, there’s no rule stating that you can’t shorten the distance.  Again, this is a very valuable exercise, and there are a lot of things coming into play here.  So, if you have to limit the ROM due to poor hip stablity (for instance), that’s fine.  As you grow more proficient, you’ll undoubtedly be able to increase your ROM as you go.

And there you have it.  While it’s a bit presumptuous, obviously, to say that this is perfect form (is there such a thing?), I feel that the above suggestions will drastically improve people’s performance with this exercise.  Try them out today, and let me know what you think!

 

 

I just happened to step on the scale this morning, and noticed that I’ve lost roughly eight lbs since starting this whole moving process a few days ago.  Good grief!  That’s just unacceptable!  I kind of feel like Christian Bale’s character from The Machinist – only I’m not getting paid seven figures to look like an emaciated crack addict.

But, in the grand scheme of things, this shouldn’t come as a surprise given I’ve done nothing but lug around boxes for the past 48 hours.  The kicker?  We’re only about 75% done.  Ahhhhhhhhhhh.

Anyways, the good news is that our apartment is now connected to the 21st Century – I’m wriing this blog post from our floor as I type this (the furniture isn’t here yet).  And, even more importantly, after over a year of not having it, I now have cable!  One Word:  SportsCenter.

Also, on an aside, I was able to catch a lift at the local commercial gym here in my new neighborhood yesterday and I was surprised to find that the deadlift Nazi’s didn’t show their ugly heads.  Normally, as ridiculous as it sounds, many gyms frown on meatheads coming into their domain and lifting heavy things off the floor.  As a matter of fact, I’ve seen instances where signs are put up saying:  NO DEADLIFTING ALLOWED. 

This place, though, actually ENCOURAGED their members to deadlift, even going so far as to post a thorough write up on the beneftis of deadlifting on one of their display boards.  Needless to say, it was refreshing.

What’s more, no one flinched when I took my shoes off to train.  In the past, I’ve had instances where everyone but a HAZMAT team approached me to please put my shoes back on.  Suffice it to say, it was cool to walk into a place that “gets it.” 

Anyways, I still feel like I’m running around like a chicken with its head cut-off – I have a ton of errands to run this morning before I head out to the facility.  So, to that end, I’m just going to leave you with a picture I took the other day with my camera that I thought was humerous.  I’m not kidding when I say our staff lifts are pretty intense at times.  Don’t believe me? Check out the workout one of our interns, Sam, did the other day:

Who needs CrossFit Workout of the Day when you have interns who stab people?

Okay, have an awesome weekend.  I’ll be back with actual content next week – promise.

 

 

 

 

As you’re reading this, I’m busy packing up my dishes (which may or may not include a Thunder Cats special edition glass I got when I was twelve), some clothes, one plant I’ve managed to keep alive for the past year, and arguably the greatest DVD and Blu-Ray collection even known to man stuff.  It’s a bitter-sweet day to say the least.

Bitter in that I’m leaving my bachelor pad (and my nunchuicks) behind.  Also, this is the sixth or seventh (I’ve lost count) consecutive year I’ve had to move, and it’s raining, so this sucks!

Sweet in that I’m turning the page in my life and moving in with someone who has blown me away with her compassion, intelligence, smile, humor, enthusiasm, kindness, and of course, affinity to deadlift and do sprints with me on Sundays.

So yeah, I feel pretty lucky today.  Anyways, I have my hands full for obvious reasons, so below are some links you should check out.

Understanding Compression When Squatting – John Izzo

Fantastic post by John on one of the most common myths in fitness history.

The Kinetic Chain Ripple Effect – Mike Reinold

Mike is a ninja when it comes to photoshop (read the article, and you’ll get the reference), and he’s kinda smart, too.

Bro Badasses – Nia Shanks

The title speaks for itself.  Nia has copywrited the term Beautiful Badasses (may or may not be true), but it only  makes sense since she’s responsible for helping to bring light to the fact that women can indeed lift heavy things and still be feminine at the same time.  Following the popularity of her Beautiful Badass franchise, here, she gives us fellas some love.

And finally, this video is just too awesome not to share:

Speaking as a former collegiate pitcher (1998 Division II Player to Watch, thank you very much), if someone did that to me, I wouldn’t throw at him in his next at bat.  That’s just bushleague.  No no no no no no, my friend….I’d throw at his mother…..sitting in the stands. 

I have to admit, though, that WAS one epic pimp job.  Well done, sir.  Well done.

Alright, time to get to work.  Wish me luck/I better get my security deposit back!