CategoriesProgram Design

Early Morning Exercise: 2 Tips To Make It More Effective

Q: I have been lifting weights now for about 3.5 months and have been happy with my results. However, I have been feeling a little tired during my last few workouts. I believe that it is because I am lifting heavier weights than when I started.

I workout in my home and workout early in the morning, usually at 5am.

I think my problem is that I am working out on an empty stomach since I literally roll out of bed, take my pre-workout and go at it. I started taking casein before I go to bed and it seems to work a little. Unfortunately, this is the only time in the day I can fit in my workouts, so moving workout time is impossible. All I have been able to find is that I may need to add a pre-workout meal.  Do you have any suggestions?

A: Whether it’s due to family obligations, work, school, or because some of us stay up late fighting crime (or more realistically, playing video games), sometimes the only way we can squeeze in a workout is if we do so early in the morning.

While that’s fine, and there are plenty of people who do very well with that sort of schedule, there are some things to consider/address.

1. Spine Stiffness

Rolling out of bed at 5AM and immediately turning into some exercise Nazi – busting out sit-ups, push-ups, heavy squats, kettlebell swings, and the like – while admirable, probably isn’t ideal.

Can you at least brush your teeth and get the “eye boogers” out first?

The key word here is immediately.

Ever notice how much it sucks to try to bend over and put your socks on first thing in the morning compared to later in the day?

Dr. Stuart McGill has done a ton of research on spine mechanics and he’s noted that the spine is very “stiff” first thing in the morning.

Namely, because we’ve just spent the past 6-9 hours sleeping on our backs, our spine decompresses, collects water, which in turn increases annular tension within the discs themselves.

With this in mind, it’s generally not a good idea to begin exercising soon after hitting the snooze button for the seventh time.  Ideally, once out of bed, you’d want to hold for about 30 minutes before you begin to exercise.  More specifically, though, this pertains to exercise which will require a lot of bending over, rotating, or nunchucks.

Going for a walk or light jog = no biggie.

Lifting heavy stuff = hold off 30 minutes.

I see one of two options happening:

1.  Get up 30 minutes earlier and just chill out.  Stand-up, read the paper, drink a protein shake (more on this in a bit), watch a few LOLCat videos, I don’t care.  Just don’t hop out of bed and immediately walk over and start busting out some deadlifts.  Wait 30 minutes.

2.  If time is a factor, getting up even earlier sounds as enticing as watching an episode of Dancing With the Stars, and you don’t have the luxury of waiting, you can still start training early, but save the “heavy” stuff for later in the workout after you’re warmed-up and have been moving for a bit.

It may look something like this.

Full foam rolling and dynamic warm-up

Note:  try to keep most of the warm-up to standing options only.

A1.  Chin-Ups 3×5
A2.  Standing Split Stance Landmine Press 3×6-8/arm
B1.  1-Arm DB Row 3×10/arm
B2.  DB Goblet Reverse Lunge 3×8/arm

C.  Trap Bar Deadlift 3×5

D1.  Rotator Cuff
D2.  Additional Core Work
D3.  Take a shower, stinky.

2.  Should You “Break” the Fast?

Didja see what I just did there?

Some people can eat a ginormous meal right before training and feel fine.  Others will just look at a bowl of oats and hightail it to the bathroom after their first set. It’s purely individual.

Here it will take a bit of experimenting on your part to see what works for you.

The while casein vs. whey protein thing is overplayed.  It’s generally accepted that casein, since it’s slower to absorb, is a better protein to ingest to help preserve or “protect” muscle mass.  Conversely, whey protein, since it’s absorbed quickly, is best to take immediately after a training session to help jump-start the muscle repair process.

While not a wrong train of thought, it’s definitely sensationalized.  Yes, casein is absorbed slower compared to whey. But the last time I checked, and I believe smarter people than myself such as Alan Aragon and Mike Roussell have confirmed this, we’re talking minutes, not hours.

In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t matter that much, if at all.

One thing that I’m adamant about, however, it telling people NOT to train on an empty stomach.  While intuition – and a lot of faulty information, logic, and magical fairies making things up on the internet – says that training on an empty stomach will help one burn more fat, I have some news for you.

Your body is a lot smarter than you.

Even if you eat carbs before a workout, substrate utilization (ie: what the body burns) during exercise doesn’t really matter.  At the end of the day it’s about what the body is doing AFTER and IN-BETWEEN training sessions.

If you train on an empty stomach you have no “gas in the gas tank” and you’re essentially exercising on fumes.  Sure, you may burn a greater percentage of fat (as preferential fuel source, depending on degree of exercise intensity), but the TOTAL calories being burned as a whole – because you’re energy levels are in the crapper – is so insignificant, that it won’t matter anyways.

To that end, I much prefer to see people train with something in their stomach if for nothing else to give them a little boost during their workout.

It’s NOT about substrate utilization! It’s about fueling your workout!

What you can eat, however, is the million dollar question.  Some people do well with a simple protein shake and maybe a small piece of fruit beforehand. Others do well with a small bowl of oatmeal or cereal.  Hell, you can have last night’s leftover pork chop for all I care.

The point is: Eat something!  Please.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 3/28/14

Before we jump into this week’s list of stuff to read while you’re pretending to work (don’t worry:  I won’t judge.  It’s Friday, after all!), I wanted to let people know that Cressey Performance recently made available a new t-shirt geared towards all the people out there who don’t have a Y chromosome.

<—– I think it’s pretty baller if I do say so myself.

I’d totally wear it.

The t-shirts themselves are made out of 65% polyester, 34% cotton, and 1% dragon tears.

They’re wicked comfortable and will add at least 20 lbs to your deadlift the first time you wear it to the gym.  It’s science.

The only downside is that they run a little small, so you may want to consider ordering one size up. Each shirt is $19.99 plus shipping/handling.  Go HERE to order (link takes you to Eric’s website).

Ask Ann:  How Should I Treat My Sore and Tight Hip Flexor? – Ann Wendel

Some people feel I have a personal vendetta against stretching given I poo-poo on it every so often, and that’s partially true.

I do find there’s a lot of benefit to stretching – particularly when it comes to resetting or establishing better length/tension relationships amongst force couples.

I just feel that many people approach stretching as the end-all-be-all answer, not to mention most do it wrong.

In the case of “tight hip flexors,” more often than not the true culprit isn’t even a hip flexor issue in the first place!  What’s more, for those who proceed to continually stretch their hip flexors like it’s going out of style, as counterintuitive as it sounds, it could be causing more harm than good.

In this excellent blog post, physical therapist Ann Wendel sets the record straight, and hits on a point that I’ve talked about religiously in the past.

Being An Athlete Means More Than Winning Games – Diana Cutaia

This was a “passion piece,” written by a good friend of mine for a local newspaper here in the Boston area.

I felt there were several great messages, but the one that struck me was the notion that training HAS to be revolved around some result.  While this can help, I don’t feel it’s something that’s mandatory.  As Diana notes, what’s wrong with just having fun?

The Vulgar Truth Diet – Chris L. Hitchko

I was sent this book a few months back when the author reached out to me and asked if I’d be willing to check it out.

Admittedly, it took me a while to get to it (the pile of books I have in my office can be considered an occupational hazard), but I finally had a chance to peruse it while I was away on vacation.

What this book is:  a quote-unquote “diet” book.

What this book isn’t: a quote-unquote “diet” book.

Yes this is a diet book, but this isn’t your feel good, warm-and-fuzzy, lets talk about rainbows, kitty kisses, and how carbohydrates are your worst enemy diet book.

This book, while providing a TON of information and insight, doesn’t hold any punches when it comes to telling people what’s up.

The title says it all: There’s vulgarity, it tells you to stop making excuses, and it’s awesome.

As someone who tends to put his own personality in his writing, I could really appreciate how Chris was able to get his message across, yet not “coddle” people.

I understand that there are a million and one different diet books out there to choose from, but this one was a nice change of pace.

CategoriesMotivational Strength Training

Jedi Mind Tricks to Make You Instantly Stronger

Today I have a guest post by St. Louis based personal trainer Ian Fagala. Ian actually reached out to me right before I left for vacation about writing a little sumthin sumthin for the website while I was away, but unfortunately I dropped the ball and forgot to put it up.

Oopsies.

In any case, when Ian forwarded the article to me and I saw the title, he had me at Jedi.

Some of the tips may see obvious, but they’ll still serve as a nice reminder that we don’t need to make things more complicated than they have to be.

Enjoy!

I’ve been at this lifting thing for a while now, approximately 14 years, which is hard to believe.  Now I’m no weightlifting prodigy, but having been in the game that length of time I’ve learned a thing or two.

Learning is a funny thing because we come armed to the teeth with information via google and the internet, but how much of that knowledge actually turns to wisdom?  Because wisdom I contend is much more about putting knowledge into action, than simply knowing answers.

However, I don’t believe your reading this article to listen to me wax philosophic about knowledge and wisdom, you want to find out how you can instantly get stronger.  Your goal might be to deadlift a Mac Truck, or bench press a volkswagen, but the distinction between knowledge and wisdom is an important one.

The reason is, I can list these two simple hacks to make you stronger, and you can know the answer of how to improve your lifts, but without actually putting them into action they don’t mean didley-squat.  (It’s only a bonus that I’ve made a Star Wars reference to illustrate them!).

#1 Confidence

You’ve seen it before, confidence that is.  For a prime example check out Ronnie Coleman below, arguably one of the best bodybuilders of all time.

The phrase “lightweight” is an example of it for Ronnie.

It doesn’t mean you psyche yourself and scream, yell, and sniff ammonia caps (you don’t’ want to be that guy), but you get ready for a tough set or PR by setting your mind on the task at hand without any other distractions.

You have to be confident that when you walk up to or slide under that bar and start to crush it with your grip, you know that you know that you know the only acceptable outcome is success.

#2 Visualization

This can tie pretty intimately to number one.

Visualization, as I’ve started practicing it, before tough sets usually increases my confidence before a lift.  Many pro and olympic athletes use visualization to increase success in their respective sports, and if it’s good enough for them it’s good enough for me.

Before you un-rack the weight, take a few seconds and play a tape in your mind of every step of the set or lift attempt.  Start by stepping up to the bar, gripping it and feeling the iron in your hands, imagine yourself getting into optimal positioning, and go through your entire setup.

Then continue through the set or attempt in your mind, each and every rep, and when you finish your set conjure up the same feelings you would have if you actually succeeded.

#3 Whole Body Tightness

I’m sure at this point some of you reading may be under the impression that I sit in the corner of the gym in the lotus position before I lift. Far from it.  I actually do lift heavy things, and one of the concepts that I feel many trainees fail to address is whole body tightness or stiffness.

Getting tight is an easy way to instantly add more weight to the bar.  Tony’s talked a lot about things like irradiation and the importance of gripping the bar hard, by adding the same advice to the rest of the body you can likely slip a few more pounds on the bar during your next training session.

Note from TG:  here’s a video I shot for BodyBuilding.com which helps explain how engaging the lats – and gaining more TENSION – can have profound effects on deadlift performance.

Note from TG (continued…sorry I’m hijacking your article Ian): The same idea or principle can be applied to any lift, but it fits perfectly with the “big three” (deadlift, squat, bench press).

Bringing the conversation to the squat, one major mistake I see a lot of people make is how they approach the bar and set-up.  Many will just haphazardly approach the bar without any intent or care in the world as if they’re Dorothy skipping down the yellow-brick road, duck under, un-rack the weight, and then perform their set.

Major, major mistake.

How you set-up for a lift is going to make or break the set.  Always. No Discussion.

Don’t you roll your eyes at me mister!!  I’ll send you up to your room with no supper. I’ll do it!

For a better idea of what I mean, check out the video below on how I coach someone to set-up to squat properly.  The theme is TENSION!

It’s uncanny how surprised people are with how much more weight they can handle once they understand and grasp the concept of tension. It will take some tinkering around, but it’s not at all uncommon for people to add 10-25 lbs to their lift in one session.

About the Author

Ian is a Fitness Professional that has been working in and around the St. Louis area for the last 10 years or so.  Most days you’ll find him at the gym or spending time with his family.  He has worked with people from all walks of life and is passionate about helping regular people reach their fitness goals.  You can read more about him at his blog  or you can find him at his Facebook page HERE.

About the Author Who Hijacked the Author’s Article

Tony trains people, and writes stuff.  Outside of his cat, Dagny, he’s obsessed with Matt Damon, Star Wars (obviously), and cheese.  God, he loves cheese.

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: 1-Arm Kettlebell Front Squat

I had the opportunity of being invited to a local CrossFit affiliate here in Boston yesterday to spend an hour or so taking their staff – as well as a handful of other trainers from local commercial gyms – through an informal staff in-service on assessment.

I say “informal” because I wore jeans and a t-shirt and swore like a sailor. And I chewed gum the entire time.  I basically broke every rule there is when it comes to public speaking.  It was awesome.

While the main “theme” of the talk was shoulders, shoulder assessment, and how we can make things in CrossFit a bit more “shoulder friendly,” on more than one occasion I made the following point:

An assessment (or screen, which is a more appropriate term I feel) should serve a few functions:

1. To gather information and find out where a person’s Point A is.

2. Give them an opportunity to prove to YOU (the coach) that they can do “stuff.”

I’m a strength guy, and in my eyes everyone I work with is going to squat to some capacity, deadlift to some capacity, bench press to some capacity, and inevitably end up listening to Tiesto to some capacity.

Sorry, if you train under my roof, it’s my rules…..;o)

Where the assessment/screen comes in is to serve as a litmus test to tell me which VARIATION of the squat or deadlift or bench press or whatever the client will start with.

Not everyone can walk in on day one and conventional deadlift from the floor. Likewise, depending on one’s past or current injury history, training experience, goals, and postural imbalances (to name a few), maybe something as innocuous as a standard bench press will be too advanced for them.

With that in mind, today’s exercise you should be doing falls underneath this people-are-going-to-do-stuff-just-not-the-advanced-stuff-they-think-they-should-be-doing umbrella.

1-Arm Kettlebell Front Squat

Who Did I Steal It From:  I have no idea, so I’ll just say Professor Snape.

What Does It Do: This is a fantastic squat variation which, after mastering the Goblet Squat, still allows the trainee to groove their hip hinge pattern, engage the anterior core, but with an additional component:  ROTARY STABILITY.

By holding one KB to one side of the body, it forces the body to further stabilize itself and to resist the rotational forces placed on it.

Furthermore, this also serves as a nice variation which is a bit more shoulder friendly in its own right.  Back squats for example may be problematic for some due to the “at risk” position the shoulder joint is placed in (maximal abduction + external rotation) during its execution.

The easy fix would be to use specialty bars such as the Giant Cambered bar or Safety Squat bar – or to just front squat – but not many people have access to them.

Hence, why this is yet another viable option.

Key Coaching Cues: It sounds borderline trivial, but picking up the kettlebell correctly matters.  I see a lot of people just kind of haphazardly bend over and pick up the KB with a rounded back and this is something you don’t want to make a habit of doing.  For starters, a kitten dies every time it happens. Secondly, your spine will thank you in the long run.

I like to tell people to “straddle” the KB standing roughly an arms length away. Reach down with a neutral spine, and “set” the lats and then pretend as if you’re trying to “hike” the kettlebell through your legs.  Essentially you’re starting off the whole shebang by performing a 1-arm KB swing.

Clean the KB to one side of the body.  The KB itself should rest in the nook of your pec muscle and shoulder.

From there place your free hand out in front of the body to act as a counterbalance and make a fist.  Squeeze hard.  This will elicit much more tension in the body.

Now….squat.  All the same rules apply.  Initiate by pushing the hips back, pushing the knees out (I like to tell people keep the knee cap in line with their middle toe), and keeping the chest up.

I’ll typically shoot for 6-8 reps per side and then switch sides.  Give it a try today and let me know what you think.

Categoriespersonal training Program Design Strength Training

“How Much Weight Should I Use?”

Do any of you have a question or statement that, when blurted out, automatically sets off your inner Jaws theme music playlist?

For guys it could be something like, “hey, wanna go see the latest Julia Roberts movie?” or worse your girlfriend comes home and says, “I know what we could do tonight instead of watching Game of Thrones. Lets talk about our feelings!”

For the ladies some prime examples could be “babe, do you mind if the guys come over to play some cards?” or “was that good for you?”

There’s no right or wrong answer here.  We’re all human. It’s in our nature to get annoyed on occasion.

I hate to say it, but for me there’s one question that sometimes (not always) sets me over the ledge.

“Tony, how much weight should I use?”

I feel guilty because it’s a question, especially for those who aren’t seasoned veterans in the weight room, is applicable and is a reasonable one to ask. Moreover, as a strength coach it’s my job to guide people and point them in the right direction.

Sometimes I have to fight back the urge to say something along the lines of, “if you can do more reps than what’s called for, it’s too light.  If you can’t, take some weight off.”

But then I’d just be an a-hole.

On the flip side, I do feel that people – trainers and coaches included – tend to make things waaaaaaay more complicated than they have to be.  This isn’t a question that should involve some advance algorithm or a degree from NASA.

In my latest article for BodyBuilding.com I try my best to break things down and explain how I approach the “how much weight should I use” conundrum.

Click Me <—– But Gently, I Did Legs Yesterday.

CategoriesUncategorized

“Luxury” Problems vs. Real Problems

I’m sitting here in my apartment – in Boston – and it’s currently 17 degrees outside.  Two days ago I was sitting on the beach reading a book in 80 degree weather in the Dominican Republic.

Lisa just left for work, and right before she shut the door we both kinda gave each other a bemused look as if to say “well, it was cool while it lasted.”

We kissed, said “I love you,” and in that instance……..we were both propelled back into reality.

I don’t think I have to tell everyone that our vacation was nothing short of amazing. In fact, for those who kept up with the blog last week in my “absence,” you know we had an amazing time, because 1) I told you (I did have access to some wifi, and Lisa was understanding enough to let me disappear for a few minutes here and there to check in and update the blog. It didn’t hurt I was able to bribe her with an endless array of cocktails), and 2) we took – and shared – and bunch of pictures.

Here we are at the Monkey Jungle/Zip Lining Adventure

I’ll refrain from the obvious “getting the monkey off my back” joke here.

There was plenty of pool and beach time

And of course, cocktails

Admittedly, I’m not a big drinker – I honestly can’t stand the taste of alcohol – but  hey: it was vacation, why the hell not.

Here’s me trying one of Lisa’s drinks

Annnnnnnnd, here’s my reaction

But as much as we enjoyed the scenery, weather, and food.  OMG the food! I’d say what made the trip exceptional was the people.  I know I mentioned this last week during one of my covert Lisa-has-a-cocktail-and-is-in-her-happy-place-so-I’m-going-to-snake-away-and-get-on-the-internet operations, but words can’t describe how friendly, appreciative, kind, and gracious the people of the DR were.

Throughout our week-long stay, both Lisa and I made note of how often we (as in she and I, as well as society) take things for granted, and how “we” allow ourselves to be inundated with our quote on quote 1st World or “luxury” problems.

The resorts and beaches are beautiful.  But I don’t think I have to sugar-coat anything or pull the wool over everyone’s eyes and not note that there’s a resounding amount of poverty in that area.

It’s hard not to take notice when it’s right there in front of you during the ride from the airport to the resort(s).  The windowless, dilapidated, houses, the lack of infrastructure, the kids running around with no shoes.  It’s all right there. Unflinching.

But even as Lisa and I noticed it and couldn’t possibly understand what it’s like to not have access to a mattress, clean tap water, or god-for-bid, a consistent wifi connection, the people were, almost resoundingly so…..happy!

Granted our perspective(s) may have been a bit skewed since we were on the resort 95% of the time, but it was uncanny how upbeat and enjoyable the locals were. Everyone smiled. Everyone, when asked how they were, responded with “excelente!”

Even the vendors on the beach – who, if you read the reviews on TripAdvisor, were the universal sole negative factor of the resort and were the worst things since a Kardashian wedding – were pretty freaking cool.

Here they were walking around the beach in god-awful hot weather, lugging around and trying to sell their necklaces, shirts, and carved goods to a bunch of rich, entitled tourists, and even they were smiling and seemingly having a good time.

I’m sure wearing my RedSox hat helped me to some degree – David Ortiz is a god down there – but even after politely saying “no thanks,” it wasn’t uncommon to end up engaged in some small talk about the RedSox or baseball in general, and it was uncanny to observe how upbeat and happy they all were.

This isn’t to say that there aren’t some MAJOR societal “red flags” and issues going down in the DR with regards to equality and basic human rights being met, but all things considered, from what I observed, they’re pretty happy.

And it comes back to this whole “luxury problems” comment I made earlier.

In recovery or 12-Step language, so long as you have your basic needs met – food, water, shelter, access to healthcare – then, and only then, do you really have to worry about addressing any “luxury” or 1st World problems you may have.

But be honest……..

How many problems in your life are ACTUAL problems?

Your iPhone breaks down.  Sure it sucks, and it’s a minor inconvenience, but is it the end of the world?  Will the Mayan Apocalypse begin if you can’t play Candy Crush for a day or two?

Probably not.

I can’t help but see some of these same parallels in the fitness world.

Many of our “fitness woes” can be considered luxury problems.

I’m taking some liberties and making some gross generalizations, but:

1. Men tend to be worried and place a lot of credence in having a six pack or biceps.

2. Women tend to get a in a tizzy if they don’t fit into a particular pant size or don’t weigh 110 lbs.

Neither of the above scenarios really say anything about one’s actual health or well-being.  It’s just, sadly, what society tells us is what’s “valuable.”

And it’s bullshit.

Worrying about weight, clothing size, six packs, whether or not your biceps look good in your latest selfie pic, or crushing your next WOD are all the fitness equivalent of LUXURY PROBLEMS.

Stephen King tells all aspiring writers to read The Elements of Style.  I’ve read it. Most of it is Klingon to me. But rule 17 in the chapter titled “Principles of Composition” is “Omit needless words.”

I’m still working on that rule (poop), but when you think about it, it’s a rule that parlays very well into other realms in lifeOh, too.  Especially the fitness realm.

In the same vain I’d like to tell everyone to “omit needless exercises.”

Squat, hinge, push, pull, carry, single leg work, and “some” direct core training is all you need.

Oh, and it probably wouldn’t hurt you to focus on getting STRONG. Focus on bar speed. Focus on QUALITY reps.  Eat your fucking vegetables! <—— Just tossing that last one in there.

Much like the example made earlier with basic needs, these are your basic fitness needs.

I wholeheartedly believe that if people placed more credence on these things, tried, to the best of their ability, to include all the movements in every workout, placed a premium on getting stronger, and made more of an effort to focus on performance based goals, they wouldn’t be worrying about pant sizes, or six packs, or what the scale says.

If guys spent more time working towards deadlifting 2x their bodyweight than performing 14 different bicep exercises in one training session, I’m willing to bet they’d actually have decent sized arms anyways.

If women spent more time working towards being able to perform at least one, strict, bodyweight chin-up than fiddling with those silly pink dumbbells to “tone” their arms, I’m willing to bet they’d be rocking that strapless dress sooner rather than later.

Quit focusing on the luxury problems.  Focus on the REAL problems.  The big rocks. That’s the path to (fitness) happiness.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 3/21/14

Alas, it’s our last day of vacation here in the Dominican Republic and words can’t express what an amazing experience it has been. While I could easily sit here and wax poetic about the beaches, the water, and the scenery in general (it would all be deserved), what really made this trip special was the people.

The people here are some of the kindest, friendliest, and most giving people I have ever met.  Coming from Boston where it’s rare if anyone makes eye contact with you – let alone says hello – you’d be hard pressed to walk more than ten feet without someone smiling and saying “hola! here.

Even more to their credit, everyone…..and I mean EVERYONE (as far as the locals are concerned) is “muy excelente.”

No one complains about mundane or trivial things like the WiFi being too slow; or that there’s only two choices of salad and not three; or that there’s, literally, only one highway, and that people drive like maniacs!

It’s been refreshing to see people appreciate the simple things in life.  To smile. To not take themselves (or things) too seriously.  In short: I love it here, and look forward to coming back soon.

On a somewhat related note, I petted a monkey yesterday.

Um, yeah, get your mind out of the gutter, people!  Literally, I petted a monkey.

Since it was our last full day yesterday, Lisa and I took an excursion to the Monkey Jungle to hang out with the monkeys. For those of you who follow me on Facebook you can see more of the cuteness over there.  For those that don’t, you’re stuck with the picture above….;o)

We have a few hours left to hit up the buffet and to soak up some more vitamin D.  I’m out, and will see you all once I’m back in Boston.

Okay, so lets get to the stuff you should be reading.

Premium Workout Group Update

Things are still chugging along with my Premium Workout Group over on WeightTraining.com.  All the feedback I’ve received from all the participants has been great, and seemingly everyone is busting through a bunch of personal records and having a blast with their training.

As it happens, right before I left for vacation I sent in the latest program update (Month 3), and I already warned everyone that they should prepare themselves for a shit-load (just a shade under a shit-ton) of squatting.

All of this to lead into a killer fat-loss phase starting in May.

For those who have no idea what the heck I’m referring to, I’d suggest going HERE to be filled in on the deets.

Note #1: Even if you haven’t jumped in on the fun from the start, don’t worry…….you can join today, tomorrow, next week, or when the cows come home and you’ll have access to ALL the programs (as well as all the additional videos).  This is so that everyone can go at their own pace and not feel too overwhelmed.

Note #2: For those who have been keeping up with the blog this week – even in my absence – Jen Sinkler’s Lift Weights Faster product has been a ginormous hit.  Unfortunately, the price will go UP starting tonight (3/21) at MIDNIGHT.

So you only have a few more hours to take advantage of the sale price.  After that the price will nearly DOUBLE. Ouch!

If that wasn’t incentive enough, here’s another.  For everyone who purchases Lift Weights Faster and then sends me a copy of their receipt, I’ll send you a coupon for HALF-PRICE off the first month in my Premium Workout Group.

1.  Purchase Lift Weights Faster

2.  Send me a copy of your receipt with the email titled “Receipt for Lift Weights Faster” to [email protected]

3.  I’ll send back a coupon code for HALF-PRICE off the first month of membership in my Premium Workout Group.

4.  You’ll earn 15 points for Gryffindor.  It’s a win-win.

The Up Side of Down: Why Failing Well is the Key to Success – Megan McArdle

Knowing I was going to be spending a fair amount of time reading while on vacation, I picked up this book right before I left and dove in.

I’m a nerd when it comes to behavioral economics.  I don’t know why. I just am.  It’s like trying to explain The Force and midi-chlorians. They just……exist.

Anyhoo:  as the title suggest, this book is all about failing.  Not only failing, but why failing is good. What’s more, how we fail plays as much of a part in our success as anything else.  Drawing parallels from 9/11, the housing crash of 2008, the movie Titanic (and WaterWorld), as well as her own anecdotal life experiences, Megan McArdle makes a very strong case for why we should all strive to fail. And fail well.

1,200 Calories – Sophia Herbst

I don’t think I need to defend my stance on the topic of women and fitness and how the mainstream media vomits all over itself extolling a bunch of nonsense and gibberish.

I hate it.  And thankfully, a lot more people are starting to wake-up and understand the massive double-standard between what’s regurgitated towards women compared to men.

Men are told to be strong, yoked, and Alpha!

Women are told to tone.  And to eat 1200 calories.  It’s BS.  And this is probably one of the best “rant” pieces I have ever read.

If I could (non-creepily) hug the author, I totally would.

CategoriesExercise Technique Fat Loss

Nailed It: Ass-Kicking With Nothing But a Kettlebell

Note from TG:  Still on vacation.  Lisa dragged me zip-lining yesterday.  I almost destroyed the back of my pants.  But it ended up being so much fun!

That is all.  

Enjoy this awesome guest post by current Cressey Performance intern, James Cerbie (who happened to write THIS very popular article on push-ups a few weeks ago).

Enjoy!

Conditioning can be boring.  Like really boring.

Just think back to high school sports, or really any level for that matter, and reflect on how many times people had you run for the sake of running.

Ugghhh….

Unless you’re a long distance runner (I currently live with two and don’t know how they do it) this was probably about as much fun as repetitively banging your head against a wall.

This isn’t to say that running doesn’t have its place (because it does), but more to bring light to the fact that there are many ways to burn fat, get in shape and all that jazz.

Furthermore, we know from experience that high intensity work (think sprints, circuits, finishers etc) is more effective than slow, steady state cardio when it comes to burning fat, building muscle, increasing VO2 max, and improving GPP.

Enter the kettlebell:  one of the greatest and most versatile pieces of equipment of all time.  It, by itself, has the ability to take your conditioning and fitness to the next level, so let’s get started.

The Movements

For the sake of today’s discussion, these are the movements you will need to be familiar with:

1.  Russian Kettlebell Swing

There are primarily two types of kettlebell swings:  Russian and American.  In the Russian swing the bell will only reach eye level, while in the American swing the bell will go all the way overhead.

We will be concerning ourselves with the former because I think it’s more user friendly, teaches the hip hinge better, and gets more out of your glutes and hamstrings:

2.  Kettlebell Goblet Squat

3.  Kettlebell Squat Jump

4.  KB Goblet Walking Lunge

5.  1-Arm Kettlebell Push Press

6.  KB Snatch

Note from TG:  as simple cue I like to use on these is to pretend as if you’re performing a KB high-pull and then the bottom of the KB should face straight a head once it hits about nipple height.  From there just think about “punching” the ceiling with a quick, explosive jab.

Look at you!  It’s like you’r Thor!

7.  1-Arm KB Reverse Lunge

The Workouts

As I mentioned above, all you need for a kickass “cardio” session is a kettlebell and your imagination.  With both of those things you can burn fat, build lean mass and take over the world.

Here are 4 variations to get you started:

1.  100-300 swings

This is about as straight forward as you could ever ask for:  pick how many swings you want to do, grab a kettlebell, and start swinging until you finish all the reps.

Side note: I’d recommend checking out THIS piece by Dan John on the 10,000-swing challenge.  It just goes to show how effective high volume swings can be.

2.  Swing and Squat/Jump Ladder

Perform the following in descending order until you hit 1.

10  kettlebell swings

10  kettlebell goblet squats or kettlebell squat jumps

9  kettlebell swings

9  kettlebell goblet squats or kettlebell squat jumps

8  kettlebell swings

8  kettlebell goblet squats or kettlebell squat jumps

.

.

.

.

1 kettlebell swing

1 kettlebell goblet squat or kettlebell squat jump

I’d recommend sticking to the swing and squat combo if you only have access to one kettlebell because you’re realistically not going to be able to jump with a heavy kettlebell (unless you wanted to do bodyweight squat jumps).

If you have access to a lighter kettlebell, and enjoy having jello legs, then give the swing and jump combo a try.  You’ll swing a heavy bell and jump with a lighter one.

3.  Squat, Press, Lunge Circuit

Complete as many rounds as you can in 8-10 minutes of the following:

15 kettlebell goblet squats

10 1-arm kettlebell push press with right arm

10 1-arm kettlebell push press with left arm

16 (8/side) kettlebell goblet walking lunge

4.  Overhead Nightmare

This variation is only for more advanced personnel that can go overhead safely.  Give THIS article by Tony a read over if you have questions concerning whether or not you should go overhead.

Perform as many rounds as possible in 6 minutes of the following:

10 kettlebell snatch on right

10 1-arm kettlebell reverse lunge on right

10 kettlebell snatch on left

10 1-arm kettlebell reverse lunge on left

Rest 1.5 min

And then go for another 3 minutes.

Closing Thoughts

Hopefully this has given you some new exercises to play with and ideas on how to put together a conditioning session with nothing but a kettlebell.  There’s honestly an infinite number of possibilities you could throw together just using the 7 exercises I gave you.

In addition, I hope it helps those of you who have really tight schedules.

Just because you can’t go to the gym for an hour, or just because you have access to limited equipment doesn’t mean you can’t get in an awesome workout.

Anyways, thanks for your time and post any questions or comments you have below.

Note from TG:  On an aside, my good friend Jen Sinkler just released an awesome new product – Lift Weights Faster – that mirrors many of the same thoughts in this article.  Ie:  Traditional cardio is about as exciting as watching NASCAR.

In it you’ll find 130+ grab-n-go workouts that will not only improve your conditioning, but also help you burn fat, possibly build a little muscle,  move better, and possibly help you look better naked…….with the lights on…..;o)

Go HERE to check it out.

About the Author

James Cerbie, CSCS, Pn1, USAW, Crossfit Level 1

James Cerbie is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, Precision Nutrition level 1 certified, USA weighlifting sports performance coach, and Crossfit Level 1 certified.  He has been blessed to work with athletes from the middle school to professional level, powerlifters, olympic lifters, and Crossfit athletes alike.  At the end of the day, James gets no greater enjoyment than seeing people improve, succeed, and achieve their goals.  He’s the owner of Rebel Performance and currently works as a strength and conditioning intern at Cressey Performance.

Come hang out with James on Facebook, Twitter, or drop him a line at Rebel Performance.

CategoriesFat Loss Female Training

The Conditioning Conundrum: 4 Common Mistakes

Setting the scene:  Jen Sinkler, former USA Rugby player, former fitness editor of Experience Life Magazine, current “free-agent/entrepreneur” fitness junkie, and 100% fashionista was asked a follow-up question when being interviewed by a reporter. When explaining how she prefers to train and not ONCE uttering the words treadmill, elliptical, or Thigh Master, the reporter incredulously asked……“but what do you do for cardio???”

Jen’s now viral answer:  “I lift weights faster!”

I’ve known Jen for coming up on six years now, and outside of being one helluva editor and awesome human being, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who’s more immersed in “fitness” than her.  You name it, she’s done it.

Powerlifting, Strongman, CrossFit, kettlebells, Tough Mudders, taming Dragons…..she’s done it all.  While never being more than five feet away from some lip gloss.

Told ya:  100% fashionista.

Knowing I was going to be away on vacation this week (it’s 75 degrees at 7:30 AM as I type this. What, what!), and knowing that Jen’s first solo product – Lift Weights Faster – was launching while I was going t be away,  Jen was gracious enough to write a superb guest post for me on common conditioning mistakes that people make.

For those who like short and to the point here are the Cliff Notes:

Forgetting time is money – quick run down on intensity, volume and density…and how people neglect taking into the importance of density and their conditioning.

Not taking a systems approach – the importance of a $2 notebook for training, people throw it to the side during the conditioning, and leave progress on the table.

Workouts Can Be Like Having a Birthday Near Christmas – putting too much stress on an already stressed out body, whether it be from work, relationship, and other chronic stressors.

Variety the Smart Way – last but not lest, forgetting to add variety in different structures, time versus rep-based, and letting mental creep set in and loath the workout.

The Conditioning Conundrum:  4 Common Mistakes

Thanks to a rash of new research, the viral spread of info over the internet (“lift weights faster,” anyone?) and your own common sense stemming from the fact that you can get just as winded doing sets of heavy kettlebell swings as going for a run, the idea that cardio and strength work can be blended is generally more accepted than it used to be.

Thank god, because that elliptical shit is for the birds. (Unless you like it, then yadda yadda yadda, carry on.)

If you are here on this particular website, however, chances are you’ve already bought into the idea that resistance-training circuits are a viable alternative to traditional cardio pursuits (and that when it comes to both performance and body composition changes, they’re superior).

But as the pendulum inevitably swings toward favoritism of metabolic resistance training and everything that falls under that umbrella, some people will naturally either redline the extremes, or simply misinterpret what smart circuit training really is.

Here are four ways you may not be doing it quite right.

Mistake 1: Not Being Dense Enough

Regardless of the type of conditioning you’re doing, there are three variables always at play:

Intensity: This is the how many pounds you’re lifting, or how much resistance you’re using. In the context of exercise, for the sake of precision, it is not how hard you try. It’s just cold, hard weight on the bar (or otherwise in your hands).

Volume: This is the total number of repetitions you complete of a particular movement. Whether you’re talking about one set or your entire workout, volume is the number of repetitions you complete. (To calculate total volume, multiply reps by resistance used, or intensity.)

Density: This is the time it takes to complete a bout of work — essentially, how quickly you get the job done, whether “the job” refers to a set or your entire workout.  (You can calculate it by dividing volume by time.)

If you’ve been strength training for a while, you’re probably inherently familiar with the three and how they play out in your strength program and progress, whether you’re conscious of it or not. You know that if you do much of X (high-volume deadlifts?), you’re wiped out when you try to do Y (Yvette), for example, and by the same token, what leads you to better performance. If you can lift heavier than you did a few weeks ago, you have a working knowledge of these concepts.

As a fitness community, we share a lot of notes about volume and intensity, but the variable that doesn’t get enough love is density.

Outside of CrossFit, people don’t really talk about how quickly they finished their workouts or work sets, but I think, perhaps, that we should — especially when your goal is better conditioning.

Teach your body to crush a circuit, recover quickly and ask for more, and you’ll crack open a new metric by which to measure your progress, both in how you feel and also how you look, if you want to lean out.

Mistake 2: Not Tracking Your Workouts

McDonald’s is one of the most profitable businesses on the planet, not so much because their food is delicious and high quality, but because they’ve taken a systems approach to make everything easier. Easier to produce, easier to measure, easier to manage.

Every piece of that business has a process and system in place, and if you approach your strength and conditioning from the same angle, you, too will be able to more easily measure and produce progress.

Bar none the best piece of strength training equipment in the weight room is the two-dollar training journal you bring in with you. The amount of feedback you can provide yourself, along with the ability to troubleshoot stalled progress, is big. Big. Huge. (Why yes, I am quoting Pretty Woman!)

But time and again, I see people toss their journals by the wayside when it’s time to finish up with a quick circuit. And yet, there is much valuable info to be gleaned, even here.

Track your volume, density and intensity, here, too, and you can figure out new ways to PR. In fact, even in your circuits, try setting your mind to moving the needle on one of those factors every time you train.

Mistake 3: Going Overboard

My rule of thumb: Regardless of your fitness level, if it feels like too much, it probably is.

What may not look difficult on paper will play out very differently while you’re in the gym. A whole lot of plyometric exercise, heavy lifting and hard circuit training can take a toll after some time.

Stress hormones such as cortisol are by no means always the bad guy — in fact, they’re quite useful for saving the day, in whatever form that takes for you. Chronically elevated cortisol levels, however, are a different story, and we would do well to note that our bodies don’t differentiate between types of stress. Piling training stress on top of work stress, relationship stress and money stress on a long-term basis can lead to a pretty major crash and burn.

Research points to lifting weights at maximal velocity spiking cortisol levels when compared to lifting at a lower rep speed, so if you’re piling on elsewhere, it’s probably better to cool it on conditioning. One to two sessions a week is plenty, for many people.

Mistake 4: Joining the Circus

Humans are hardwired to seek novelty — we have a deep-seated tendency to constantly seek out new, different, shiny. It can be good thing, this neophilia, in that it helps us assess risks, to learn new skills, to become more capable.

But new is everywhere now, including the gym. In her book New: Understanding Our Need for Novelty and Change, Winifred Gallagher writes: “We already crunch four times more data — e-mail, tweets, searches, music, video, and traditional media — than we did just thirty years ago, and this deluge shows no signs of slackening. To thrive amid unprecedented amounts of novelty, we must shift from being mere seekers of the new to being connoisseurs of it.”

You know what that means? It means being selective about what is worth your time and what is not, not embracing variety simply for variety’s sake.

If your training time is limited, seek productivity in your conditioning sessions, exploring variations of skills you’re proficient in and finding ways to manipulate volume and work-to-rest ratios.

Changing a circuit of “three sets of 10 repetitions” to “three rounds of 30 seconds of work and 30 seconds of rest” will evoke a different psychological response. New structure, new progress. Win-win.

The Total Package and Then Some A Lot

I get it — it’s easy to feel stagnant or overwhelmed by the prospect of putting together productive conditioning circuits. With that in mind, I compiled 130 grab-and-go workouts in my Lift Weights Faster product (including two guest workouts from Tony G.!).

Complete with a full exercise glossary that includes written descriptions and photographic demonstrations of approximately 225 exercises, from classic moves to more creative ones, I leveraged my background in magazine publishing to create a clear-cut, easy-to-use resource.

Every workout is organized by the equipment you have available and how much time you’ve got, including plenty of effective, hot-n-heavy options that last less than 10 minutes and also over 35 different workouts that require minimal equipment for when you’re traveling or outside the gym.

—–> Lift Weights Faster <—–

About the Author

Jen Sinkler (www.jensinkler.com), RKC, PCC, PM, USAW, is a longtime fitness journalist who writes for national magazines such as Women’s Health and Men’s Health. A former member of the U.S. national women’s rugby team, she currently trains clients at The Movement Minneapolis.

CategoriesMotivational personal training

Finding Your Niche as a Trainer or Coach

Not to rub it in or anything, but as I type these words I’m sitting poolside here in the Dominican Republic.

I’m on vacation!!!!

And while yes, I snaked away for a little bit to hop on the internet for a few minutes…….it’s all good, because Lisa is currently enjoying a cocktail…..;o)

We arrived here this past Saturday afternoon, and since then it’s been nothing but beach, pool, naps, and lots of delicious local delicacies (that is: if you consider an all-you-can-eat-ice-cream-buffet a delicacy.)  Holla!

It’s been an amazing trip so far. Every morning Lisa and I have been getting up early to move around a little – this morning it was sprints on the beach (the old men walking around in their Speedos were big fans of Lisa) – and the rest of our days are spent doing whatever the heck we want.  Hitting up the buffet, going for walks, reading on the beach or poolside, and people watching.  OMG – the people watching is EPIC.

Life is hard.

Nevertheless, I planned a head beforehand, and made sure I was still going to be able to provide some content while I was away.  Ie:  I bribed a few friends to fill in while I was away…..

Today I have a guest post Michael Anderson.

Enjoy!

I know that this post won’t apply to everyone who reads Tony’s blog, and that’s ok.

I know there are a TON of trainers and coaches (both new and seasoned) who read this blog for insight into training, exercise and maybe one of roughly seven million adorable picture of Dagny sleeping that Tony has saved on his computer.

Note from TG:  Well, since you asked……..

My topic today is going to be aimed at those new fitness professionals; I want to talk a little bit about how to “find your way” in this crazy world we call Fitness.

I found this industry a little bit late; I went back to school for Exercise and Health Science at 25 and just knew that I wanted to work with pro athletes.

I couldn’t see myself doing anything besides working with the Celtics and training Paul Pierce. Then, I moved on to thinking that the University setting was where I wanted to be; there’d be nothing cooler than being in a college weight room all day.

I’ve worked with athletes at every level (Olympic -> little kids) as well as every variety of general population client in multiple settings (even a gasp CrossFit gym), so I think I’ve developed some insights that will help you out.

Professional Sports

This is where everyone thinks they want to go, which is why it kind of sucks. You’ve got a thousand people applying for the same assistant strength coach job with a pro team, so they will take whoever is willing to work for the least amount of money.

 

If you’re actually able to get that job, you’re following whatever program the head coach is writing or you’re over-seeing the veterans while they do what they “know” is best for them after years of weight training.

Head coach jobs don’t open up very often, so you end up being an assistant or associate coach for a long time.

On the awesome side, you’re working with the best of the best. You get to see how elite athletes train and how they move on a daily basis. Watching this sort of thing gives you an amazing insight into what great movement looks like and what sort of training works with athletes of this caliber.

I’ve been consistently surprised at what athletes of this caliber are actually doing (right or wrong) in the weight room.

College Athletics

I spent a year at Boston University Strength and Conditioning, and loved it.

I got to be around high level athletes on a daily basis and worked with a really strong group of coaches. The athletes we had there didn’t have the entitled sense of “I’ve made it”, even the Olympians we had in the gym.

These are athletes who come in to work hard and understand what strength and conditioning can bring them.

You also have a ton of “touches” with athletes so you have space to experiment and see what works with different athletes at different times of the year; some of the coolest new research comes from college strength and conditioning.

The downside is the amount of red tape you deal with in the college setting (rules, regulations, sport coaches, sports med, blah blah) and the limited amount of time you actually end up seeing these athletes in the weight room.  Like pro sports, the money isn’t fantastic because everyone wants to work there, and the room for growth can be limited because people don’t vacate their jobs very often.

High School Sports

This can be a really cool position to hold, but tough to find.

There’s not a ton of money in most high schools, so you have to tailor your search. A lot of high schools don’t even have real weight rooms, so finding a job is tough. The ones that do, though, can be really rewarding and fun places to work.

My buddy went to a local private school with one of the best-equipped weight rooms anyone has ever seen, with a powerlifting team and a coach who uses the Westside Barbell system with fantastic success.

For most people this wouldn’t constitute a full-time job, but would make a great addition another coaching/training position. One of the downsides is that you get high school athletes and end up spending a lot of time teaching the basics over and over, and all the athletes end up leaving you before you get to see them at their best.

Private Facility

I currently work in a private training facility (THIS ONE) and it’s pretty cool.

We work primarily with post grad (prep year) and high school athletes and see a lot of regional kids after school.

Being in a private facility allows you to do whatever kind of training you want with the athletes and you don’t have to adhere to the rules/regulations of a college or a pro team. It also allows you to reach a broader range of people then you do in any other setting; you can get pro athletes, semi-pro, recreational, high school and just normal general population people all training together under one roof.

The downside, as the CP guys would attest to, is that it is a business at the end of the day.

You have to be sure enough that you’re as good as you say you are and then worry about where to get the clients from.

To open a private facility takes time, patience and money. Getting a job in one means you have to be really good. These places run off of their reputation and tend to hire very carefully. If you get to work at a good one, chances are high that you’ll get to see/work with some pretty high level athletes.

CrossFit Gym

Yeah, I’m including this too. Deal with it.

One of my best friends runs a CrossFit gym and I’ve coached some classes for him and loved it.

I wrote a blog post (HERE) on my own site about the direction that I feel CrossFit is headed.

While there are still very “CrossFit-y” gyms out there, there are quite a few headed in a much more traditional strength and conditioning direction.

Working in the right CrossFit gym is sort of a “best of both worlds” scenario: you get access to all of the fun toys that hardcore strength gyms have, but you get to work with gen pop clients that will be really grateful for the help you’re giving them.

When you’re doing this day in and day out for years, you come to really appreciate what it means to change someone’s life and have them be grateful for it. One of the other good things is that CF gyms tend to pay full-time coaches a little bit better than other gyms do.

The downside is that the market is so saturated that it’s tough to separate yourself from the herd; which is something I think will change soon. You also can’t stray too far from the CrossFit brand because that is what will bring people into the door in the first place. But if you know a CrossFit gym with good programming and coaches that you trust, it’s a pretty cool place to work.

Commercial Gyms

We have all done it.

Regular ol’ gyms are where you need to cut your teeth a little bit in this industry.

I personally learned a TON about myself, my style of training and how to get people to understand what they need to do to achieve their goals.

You can talk at someone till Tony pulls 600, but if you can’t make them understand then it’s not worth squat.

It can either suck or be awesome, depending on the gym that you’re in. It’s become more and more common to have big commercial gyms that have a room full of fun toys, but still have stairmasters and arc trainers out front.

In a facility like this, I could have a solid little career.

In a place where you’re not allowed to deadlift or make noise or have fun, it’s a little bit tougher.

At the end of the day, being in a place like this comes down to who your co-workers are and whom you’re training. I was lucky during my commercial gym career: I had some amazing co-workers and I trained some really fantastic people with whom I had great success. Don’t count out commercial gyms, there are some good ones out there.

Conclusion

There’s no perfect situation for anybody, that’s why we have all these options. In my humble opinion, I’d say that the most important factors you should consider when finding your place in this industry is your co-workers and clients.

Don’t ever catch yourself thinking that you’re “too good” to work with normal Joes or that it’s beneath you or you’ll spend a lot of time trying to get somewhere that you might not even like.

Have a great day and go lift some heavy shit!

Author’s Bio

I was an asshat and forgot to ask Mike to send his updated bio.  Until he does you can reach him with any questions, comments or notes of affection at [email protected]. You can also visit his website:  http://commercialgymtrainer.blogspot.com/