CategoriesUncategorized

Note to Fitness Professionals: This is How NOT to Market Yourself

On an almost daily basis I receive emails from people asking me to promote their website or pimp their product.

On one hand I’m honored that some people think highly enough of me that they’re willing to reach out, stroke my ego a bit (Tony, you’re so smart and handsome), and ask for help.

Plus, you know, free stuff!

I’m not going to lie:  90% of the time whatever it is someone’s selling or marketing – whether it’s a website, blog, or product – it’s garbage and has no relevance to me or my audience.  I once had someone contact me asking if I’d be interested in trying out their new vegetarian, soy-based, meat-like product, and if I liked it, would I be willing to write about it on my blog?

Clearly they didn’t read my site and were just fishing all the popular fitness blogs to see if they could get any bites.

It may have very well been the best tasting and highest quality whateverthef*** on the market, easily digestible, increasing protein synthesis by 177%, and making people shit rainbows and cinnamon.  But definitely not a good fit for me or my site considering all the dead animal flesh I eat.

Flipping the script, however, every now and then I’ll receive an email from someone where I’ll be intrigued by what they have to offer.

Clear Tea would be one example.

In this case, the individual sent me an email that wasn’t a “canned” template, actually mentioned that they were a fan of my work, even referenced a few posts where I mentioned my love of tea, and then offered to send me a few samples to try if I was interested.

In fact, the heading of Greg’s (the owner of Opportuniteas, which is such a baller name by the way) initial email to me read:  “I love your articles, want free tea?”

He then opened the dialogue by saying, “I hope things are amazing with you.  Your articles have helped my deadlift immensely…….”

It was personalized, it was professional, it was non-douchy.

As a result, he and I have kept in touch, I (and Lisa) love ClearTea and use it every day and have told friends and family about it, and I was more than willing to write up a testimonial for his website.

Unfortunately, in the world of networking and marketing that’s the exception and not the rule.

Lets go back and explore, in my experience, the “norm,” and how NOT to reach out to others and come across as someone destined to mediocrity.

All new and incoming fitness professionals pay attention.

Last week I received an email from a guy named Hazel asking me if I’d be interested in writing about his website.  Mind you, I’ve never heard of Hazel, never interacted with him, never read anything he’s written, never seen him coach, never laid eyes on him.

For all I know, Hazel could be some 50 lb overweight housewife catfishing me.

Nevertheless, his approach was to open with:

“I came across your site and find it full of useful information about fitness.”

Ahh, can you smell the mass email?

He then went on to ask if I’d be interested in blogging about his new website he designed which offers free content to guys looking to add muscle.

He was also gracious enough to inform me that I could easily link to his site!!!

Needless to say I deleted the email, chalked it up to someone who just doesn’t “get it,” and moved on with my life.

A few days later I saw my buddy, JC Deen, post this up on his Facebook Wall:

Note:  I blocked out Hazel’s website with the giant arrow.

Hahahahahahahaha.  I knew it was a mass email!  The dude sent the EXACT same message to JC (and John Romaniello) and I have to imagine dozens (if not hundreds) of other fitness professionals with popular websites and blogs.

People, this is how NOT to market or make a name for yourself.

As Lou Schuler has repeatedly noted:  “when the fitness industry is ready for you, it will find you.”

Many don’t want to hear the truth, but it takes years of hard work and consistency to gain an audience. Or, if you’re an attractive female with a badonkadonk (and an affinity to play Spiderman in your free time), all you need is an Instagram account.

You don’t do so by sending out “canned” mass emails to everyone with a .com next to their name and expect them to jump on board. Come on!  At least buy them dinner first or something.

Maybe Hazel will prove me wrong and his website will catch on.  But I doubt it.

CategoriesAssessment Exercise Technique Strength Training

How Deep Should I Squat?

Perusing the internet can be comical.  LOLcats, Buzzfeed, and Star Wars parodies aside, where I find the most comedy (or to be more precise, the most chest thumping, blatant lies, and fibbing) are in various training websites and forums.

It seems everyone on the internet – at least in training circles – is either some kind of unknown world-record holder or anonymous StrongMan competitor that no one’s ever heard of.  Some of the numbers tossed out by the likes of PowerPlateJumboJim or DieselJackedGunz101 are astonishing.

Ever notice how many of them claim to bench press 400+ lbs (raw) or can pull 4x bodyweight (for reps) or boast how  “they could have won State if only their high school coach didn’t have it in for them”?

It’s uncanny and makes for some quality entertainment.

In that same vein, it’s also amazing how many people on the internet squat “ass-to-grass.”  For those unaware, the term “ass-to-grass” refers to one’s ability to squat deep or to the point where their butt touches their ankles. Or very close to it.

It’s often deemed the bro-tastic or “right” way to squat.  While admirable, and in some cases an acceptable approach, I don’t agree with this mentality as it flies in the face of every individual’s own goals, needs, abilities, experience, and freakin anatomy.

In my latest article for T-Nation, I discuss the whole notion of “deep squats” and why they may not be a great fit for a large number of the population.  Furthermore, I discuss the “butt wink,” what it is, what causes it (and what doesn’t), and how to resolve it.

It’s basically the greatest article ever written give or take a few billion.  Let me know what you think!

Continue Reading…….

CategoriesUncategorized

5 Life Lessons Learned From Powerlifting

Today’s guest post is brought to you by Tim Henriques. Tim’s someone whom I’ve followed a lot on sites like T-Nation because I admire his no-frills, no BS approach to training.  He’s also someone I respect a ton because not only is he a phenomenal coach, but he’s also deadlifted 700 lbs at a bodyweight of 198 lbs.

Ie: I hate him.

He knows a thing or two when it comes to powerlifting, and his new book, All About Powerlifting, sets the benchmark for learning everything and anything about the sport.

It’s a beautiful book, coming in at 485 pages, which details everything from dissecting each lift (squat, bench, deadlift) and how to master each one, including tips on technique and troubleshooting strategies, to all the nitty gritty stuff that people never think about like rules and regulations of all the different federations and how to go about determining your opening lifts.  And much, much more.

The title doesn’t lie:  It’s ALL About Powerlifting.

Tim was kind enough to send me an advance copy and I’ve really enjoyed reading it because it’s straightforward, loaded with information, and doesn’t make my head hurt with big words.  And there’s lots of pictures and stuff.

He was also kind enough to write this amazing post today.  So I hope you enjoy it!

5 Life Lessons Learned From Powerlifting

I have been competing in powerlifting for over two decades and I love the sport.  I have learned a tremendous amount, both in and out of the gym, thanks to powerlifting.  When Tony suggested I share some life lessons I thought that was an excellent idea.  Here are 5 key life lessons I have learned from the sport of powerlifting.

1.  Patience

My wife might tell you I still haven’t completely mastered this, but I definitely have more patience now than when I was younger.

Some of that may simply be due to age, but I believe a lot of it has to do with lifting.  If you have spent any time in the iron game you know the gains can ultimately come slow.  I benched over 300 (305) in a competition when I was 20 and I was sure 400 was right around the corner. If you would have told me I wouldn’t bench 400 by the time I was 30 I would have laughed at you, but sure enough 30 came and I still had not benched over 350!

At that point I thought I may never hit 400, but I didn’t give up, I tried new training programs and kept plugging away and 400 finally came.  It certainly wasn’t astronomical progress and a 400 lb bench isn’t earth shattering in powerlifting terms anyway, but it meant a lot to me because it was such a long time coming.

Most good things in life take patience.  Relationships, kids, important work projects – all require patience and in this day and age of quick fixes and instant gratification I think building patience is important.

2. Focus on Results

One of my favorite quotes is “you can’t argue with results”.  Powerlifting forces you to focus on results.

You can design any sort of fancy program you want on paper but when it is time to step up on the platform you can’t fake your way to progress.  You will immediately know if what you did worked or not.  Being driven toward results has had another benefit. Powerlifting seems to have the ability to make one immune to fads, which are ever present in the fitness industry.

When you are focused on finding those hard earned results, you will almost immediately realize that bosu balls, bodyblades, shake weights and other gimmicks are just that – tools may have a very slight benefit in certain circumstances but ultimately they are a way for us to deceive ourselves into thinking we are working hard, when in fact we are not.

Try to convince a powerlifter that this or that new thing will instantly make one bigger and stronger and you’ll find it a short conversion.  Focusing on results also helps one from becoming stuck in a certain philosophy – this person follows High Intensity Training, that person does kettlebells, this guy is a Westside guy, that lady just does 5/3/1. They all have their merits and they all likely will not be ideal to follow for the rest of your life.

Let results – both yours and your competitors – guide you and ground you.  All theories, no matter how eloquently worded, must at some point be tested and ultimately judged on their results.

3. Have a Plan

The difference between training and exercising is when you are training you have a plan – a map – to get somewhere.

 When you are exercising you are just working out, there is no master plan – no end destination – at work.

If you want to be successful in powerlifting, you need to have a plan, and goals will help you create that plan.  There are all sorts of goals, but powerlifting teaches you to zero in on the most important goals.

And what goals are those you ask?  Good question.

It is the daily goals that really make all the difference.  Most people walking around have some version of a long term or ultimate goal in their head, it could be related to fitness or it could be something else.  I want to complete a Tough Mudder, I want to deadlift triple bodyweight, I want to write a book, I want to open up a business.  Long term goals are great to work toward, but sometimes the person’s starting point is so far away from that end goal they don’t know what to do or where to begin.

Powerlifting teaches you it is the daily goals that count.  You want to deadlift triple bodyweight?  Great, put your time in in the gym and work on that.  It doesn’t matter where you start, but it does matter how hard you work, how consistent you are, and what you do each day – day after day.

Regularly completing your daily goals (which should be well within your reach) is what you gets you to that long term goal.  Sitting around and dreaming about the long term goal actually does very little.  Direct your energy toward your daily goals, be consistent, show up, don’t get distracted, and you might be amazed at what happens.

4. Create a Positive Environment

If you train hard you quickly realize the difference between training in Planet Fitness and training in a hardcore gym that promotes hard work.

It is invigorating to be surrounded by people working toward a similar goal.  You see them working hard, they see you working hard, it is motivating for everyone involved and everyone gets better.

Transfer this over to the rest of your life.

If you want to surround yourself with positive workout partners, also surround yourself with positive people in your social and your business life.  Go out with positive people, hire people you like to be around that value hard work, and move to distance yourself from those that don’t.

By positive I don’t just mean somebody that is happy and flighty, I mean someone that creates positive energy.

Trust your gut on this.  Do you enjoy being around that person?  Do good things tend to happen when you are around that person?  Are you looking forward to being around that person more?  If the answer is yes or no, act on it either way.  Don’t stay connected to people that don’t believe in you and don’t let negative people drain your energy, surround yourself with good people and good things will happen.

5. Life is Better With Other People

My natural tendency is to be a bit of an introvert.  I also tend to romanticize the idea of me against the world.  I think a lot of lifters may be similar.

But as I have gotten older I have moved away from both of those mind-states.  It is okay to be an introvert, but I also think it is important to realize that life is simply better with other people around (assuming you can find the type of people I was referring to in point 4).

Think about the last time you had a tremendous amount of fun – were you alone?  When do you laugh and smile the most?  I doubt it is when you are by yourself.  When I see something beautiful or have an accomplishment, the first thing I want to do is share that with somebody else.

Some of my fondest memories are hanging out with my workout partners in the gym.

Many of the people I have met in the gym have gone on to become my closest friends.  My best man at my wedding and best friend to this day was my collegiate workout partner.

I created a powerlifting team in part because I wanted to create a positive environment and because I wanted people around me when I workout.  Certainly some part of that is selfish, but another part is not, because those same people often do better, excel, and enjoy life more when they are around other people.

In my opinion the goal is not to live in solitude in a cave somewhere (although there can be moments when that has its appeal); life is simply better when there are other people to share it with.  These might be your teammates, your workout partners, your significant other, your kids, your coworkers, whomever it is for you.

Cultivate those relationships and appreciate them.

Summary

I have a lot to thank the sport of powerlifting for.  As a kid I grew up on Arnold and Stallone movies so I always wanted to be big and strong.  Those terms are relative and one is likely never truly content in that department, but powerlifting helped me get a lot closer to those goals.

It taught me to have patience (I think my students will appreciate that), to focus on results, to have a plan (I never would have written my books without that), to create a positive environment, and realize that life is just better with other people around.  I think if you embark down the road paved with iron you will discover similar and equally valuable lessons await you.

About the Author

Tim Henriques is the Director for the National Personal Training Institute of VA/MD/DC.  NPTI is a 600 hour long program for people who wish to become personal trainers.  Tim is a Collegiate All American Powerlifter and he currently coaches his powerlifting team, Team Force, which won their federation’s National Championships in 2013.  He regularly teaches, lectures, and writes on the topics of health and fitness.  He recently released a book entitled All About Powerlifting, which has been hailed as “the new bible of powerlifting”.

—-> All About Powerlifting <—-

 

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 6/6/14

Sorry gotta keep this quick today.  I just got done coaching bootcamps and I’ve got a 1PM appointment to get to, which only leaves me 30 minutes to post this, take a shower, solve some long division, and then try to catch the T.  Ahhhhhhhhh.

9 Essential Strength Benchmarks for Women – Patrick Striet

Loved the overall message of this slideshow.  Ladies, no one says you “can’t train like the boys” or that you “can’t get stronger.”  It’s BS.  And anyone who says so probably has never trained anyone in real life in the first place or plays Dungeons & Dragons alone in their basement.

The Simple Deadlift Program – Matt Kroc

Who am I to argue with Matt Kroc?  The guy’s bigger than Paul Bunyan.

I’m a BIG fan of simple, and this plan is about as simple as it gets.

8 of the Smartest People in Fitness Industry Share Their Healthy Travel Tips – compiled by Will Owen

I was honored to be lumped into the same breath as the others who contributed to this article.

CategoriesUncategorized

Sam Bennett Can’t Do a Pull-Up? He’ll Be Just Fine.

I’ll be honest right out of the gate:  I don’t follow hockey, let alone watch it. Truth be told I’ve never even been to a live hockey event.

I’ve lived in Boston for around seven years now, and the only time I’ve ever stepped foot in TD Garden – where both the Bruins (NHL – hockey) and Celtics (NBA – basketball) play – was to attend a Star Wars in Concert event when Lisa and I first started dating five years ago.

It was awesome. There was a GIANT screen playing scenes from all the movies coinciding with a live orchestra playing John Williams’ classic soundtrack.  And Anthony Daniels, C3pO himself!, was there emceeing the entire thing.

Lisa wore her hair in a Princess Leia bun (sooooooooooo hot, and it was then I knew she was a keeper), and I wore one of my 27 vintage Star Wars t-shirts.  We even took a picture with a StormTrooper.

Ah, young love.

So, um, yeah…..while I’ve trained a handful of hockey players in my coaching career, I have yet to go to an actual hockey game.

They score touchdowns in hockey, right?…….;o)

Last week I received several messages from people asking me my opinion on top hockey prospect, Sam Bennett, and how he failed to perform one single pull-up during the NHL Combine recently.

A quick search pointed me in the right direction.  Some headline highlights:

Top Hockey Prospect Fails to do a Pull-Up.

Top Hockey Prospect Sam Bennett Can’t Do One Pull-Up at NHL Draft Combine

Top Prospect Sam Bennett Posts No Pull-Ups at 2014 Combine.

You can read some of the headlines yourself HERE and HERE.

I’m surprised the media didn’t go even further and produce more headlines like Top Prospect Has Stinky Armpits or Sam Bennett Asked a Girl Out and She Said No….Hahahahaha.

WTF – way to throw the guy under the bus media. Nice job! Worse still were many of ensuing comments from people who have nothing better to do with their lives than leave anonymous comments.

Like this doozy from MOJO1120:

“This is kind of crazy. While many of the things would be difficult for me I can still do pull ups and I am 40 years old and slightly overweight.  Almost does not seem possible.”

Well shit, I know that pie is 3.14 (and then some, x infinity) but that doesn’t mean I can compare myself to a NASA scientist and think I can send a satellite to Mars.

I’d like to see this guy lace up the skates and see if he could last 30 seconds on the ice with Mr. Bennett.  My money would be on Sam.

And that’s just one rather mellow example. Perusing other articles and the subsequent comments I found any number of off-color dialogue and vitriol directed towards Sam.

“Is this what professional sports is coming to???”

“OMG, this kid won’t last a year in the NHL!!”

Blah, blah, blah.

A few thoughts:

1.  Last time I checked, one’s ability to perform a pull-up doesn’t necessarily equate to athletic prowess in one’s respective sport.  It seems Sam did okay for himself competing against his peers, tallying 55 assists and scoring 36 goals in 57 games this past season.

He may not be able to perform a pull-up (now), but that somehow didn’t deter him from dominating in the rink this past season. He can take all the other pull-ups everyone else did and compare that to the number of zeros he’ll see on his signing bonus check.

2.  Also, lets not forget that (absolute) strength (and relative strength) is just ONE aspect of athleticism. Athletes still need to develop force rapidly (RFD) and be able to accelerate and decelerate their bodyweight, as well as change direction in multiple planes to succeed.

As my boy Bret Contreras notes:  “if maximal strength were the end-all-be-all in sports performance, powerlifters around the world would be dominating the competition in various sports.”

3.  Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma Thunder took heat a few years ago when he failed to bench press 185 lbs at the NBA combine.  Much like Sam is now, Durant had to endure all the media and internet “hate” and many people questioned whether he’d last one season.

Well, one MVP, four scoring titles, and five NBA All-Star teams later…..he seems to be doing just fine.

4.  More importantly, what gets lost in the noise is that Sam is ONLY 17 YEARS OLD!!!! He’s a kid for crying out loud!!!

Chances are he’s spent the majority of his career playing hockey and more in the absolute speed side of the training continuum.  I can’t say for sure, but I’m confident he’s set foot in a weight room, but maybe hasn’t yet prioritized that component yet.

The fact he wasn’t able to perform a pull-up should be making NHL scouts, coaches, and General Managers salivate!!!

If he performs this well now, as a relatively un-trained athlete (as far as weight-room antics go), just imagine how much of a BEAST he’s going to be when he develops and adopts more of a strength base.

He has an almost infinite ceiling of adaptability as far as I’m concerned. The sky’s the limit! He’s going to be just fine.

Shut-up internet!

UPDATE:  I feel I need to add an addendum here.  By no means am I saying it’s a good thing that a 17 year old, elite level athlete can’t do a pull-up.  I see this all the time, unfortunately, with many of the young athletes who step through the doors at Cressey Performance.

It’s a testament to us as a society – in a negative way – that we’re in the midst of a generation who can’t perform simple tasks that many could do quite easily not too long ago.  Kids nowadays are more concerned with how fast they can send a text message than they are in their ability to do a proper lunge or squat pattern or handstand.

That being said, I do feel that many people are blowing this waaaaaaay out of proportion, which served as the impetus for my original post. I don’t feel there’s a need to attack the kid or make him feel like he’s an embarrassment to the human race like some (not all) are doing.

I guarantee once he starts a well-structured, CONSISTENT strength training routine (where he’s NOT playing hockey year round) he’s going to make people eat their words.

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Paused Deadlift

I know this is going to come across as weird or unconventional to some of my loyal readers, and if you’re one of them (or if not, welcome!  I hope you stay awhile) you may wonder if my website was hacked into today by someone playing a practical joke.  I assure you it wasn’t, but I do have something to share.

Ready?  Here it goes.

I like deadlifts!! Like, a lot.

What did you think I was going to say? Something like “You know what, I could really go for a soy burger today!” or “That Tracy Anderson….she’s onto something.  She’s really smart.”

Come on.  Don’t be silly.

All facetiousness aside I don’t think it’s any secret I’m a fan of the deadlift.  A quick search on the internet shows I’ve written roughly 1,812 articles on the topic.  Give or take.

Me saying I like the deadlift is like Gray Cook saying he likes the Functional Movement Screen or Taylor Swift saying she likes writing songs about how much she hates boys.

It’s all in the same boat.

That being said, when it comes to the deadlift there’s a lot we can dissect.  Depending on one’s leverages, personal anthropomorphic differences, and postural considerations some deadlift variations will be better suited for certain body types compared to others.  As an example, those with limited ankle dorsiflexion and/or hip flexion, or even those lifters who are taller, will find that trap bar or Sumo variations fit them very well.

Along those same lines, regardless of what variation we’re discussing, some lifters will find “sticking points” within the arc of the lift itself, to the point where some may have issues off the floor while others will have trouble locking the weight out.

I’ve heard some coaches discuss initial (low) back positioning and how that may affect the mechanics of the lift itself.

Advocates for a more rounded back will note that it makes initial pulling off the floor easier (due to leverage), but things become more arduous at lockout.

Conversely, those who swear by a neutral or hard arch throughout will note that the bar is slower off the floor, however lockout is a breeze.  Again, due to leverages.

I fall in the latter camp and will rarely (if ever) advocate someone to purposely lift with a rounded back.  So it’s no surprise that I tend to be slower than molasses – a smidge above slower than shit – when I deadlift.

Without fail every FIRST rep off the floor for me is slow, which always makes any lift above 90% of 1RM interesting.

Yes, I’ve done deficit pulls.  And yes, I’ve done speed pulls vs. chains, all of which have helped some.  Lately, though, one of my favorite accessory movements – and something that’s been heavily influenced by fellow CP-coach, Greg Robins – is paused deadlifts.

We’re all familiar with the likes of  bench pressing with a pause or squatting with a pause, but rarely do you hear coaches talk about deadifting with a pause.

Paused Deadlift – from Floor

What Does It Do:  As noted above, it’s a fantastic way to help improve strength (and explosiveness) off the floor.  More to the point:

1.  It helps increase time under tension in a “trouble spot,” which then feeds into the explosiveness factor.

2.  Helps train people to engage the lats to a higher degree which will prevent the bar from getting away from the body.  In other words:  it helps maintain a better bar path.

Key Coaching Cues:  You won’t need to be too aggressive with the weight selection here, anything from 50-70% will suffice.  In addition, the actual pause can vary from 2-5s with the rep scheme varying from 2-5 reps.  We’re looking for QUALITY reps here, not quantity.

A sample cycle may look something like this:

Week 1: 4×3 (pause 2 inches off floor for 2s) @ 50%
Week 2: 4×3 (pause 2 inches off floor for 2s) @ 55%
Week 3: 4×2 (pause 2 inches off floor for 3s) @ 60%
Week 4: 3×2 (pause 2 inches off floor for 3s) @ 65%

I’ve also seen coaches stick with the same set/rep scheme throughout or stick with a set time for the pause – there’s no wrong way here.

The important thing to consider is that some semblance of progressive overload is being followed.

Give these a try and let me know what you think.

NOTE I: Just to clarify on my end, I’d consider this an exercise that should only be implemented if you’re pulling close to or over 2x bodyweight.  Anything less than that I’d be more inclined to focus on technique in general or just getting stronger.

NOTE II:  I normally don’t wear shoes when I deadlift.  It was a quick video I shot after training myself, sooooo cut me slack will ya.

NOTE III:  Apparently my skills in gym math are lacking.  The weight in the video is 275 lbs which is 48% of my 1RM.  Not 50-55% like I mentioned.  Oops.

Whatever.  It’s not like you listen to me anyways.  You never listen to me!!  You’re RUINING MY LIFE!!!!  *slams door*

CategoriesStrength Training

Old School Strength

I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I watched movies like Commando, Terminator, Predator, or Conan the Barbarian growing up.

You had explosions, guns, sword fights, time travel, and a litany of other factors – cheesy dialogue, aliens, epic handshakes, and did I mention explosions? –  which could easily hold the attention of any 13 year old kid for two hours.

The common denominator in all those film, of course, was the one and only Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Ask any guy my age what “inspired” him to start working out in the first place and you’re bound to hear something along the lines of “Arnold’s biceps.” You could argue that no one person in the history of the world inspired a generation of pimply faced, rail thin, “girly men” to pick up a barbell more so than Arnold.

But lets not forget the other golden era bodybuilders like Franco Columbo, Dave Draper, Lou Ferrigno, Frank Zane, and Sergio Olivia (to name a few), who were equally as responsible.

These guys are referenced endlessly in the realm of bodybuilding for their unparalleled aesthetics, especially with regards to the balance they were able to establish between muscularity AND symmetry.

Books have been written, DVDs have been made, and countless websites have been created to highlight their training and how they were able to build those Adonis-like physiques.

One aspect or detail that’s often glossed over is the notion that these guys – for all intents and purposes – were strong as oxen (<— look at me using proper grammar!!).

For as much as we dissect their training – What was their ideal training split?, How often did they do drop sets?, Did they like to train to failure consistently? Which was better: training biceps with back or on shoulder day? Favorite color?  – we forget that almost all of them went out of their way to build a foundation of STRENGTH before they ever thought about competing in bodybuilding, let along step foot on stage.

As I note in my latest article on BodyBuilding.com, many of these guys had a history of competing in powerlifting, Olympic lifting (or both!), before they ever became well-known in their respective body-building careers.

Furthermore, where I feel many newbie and intermediate lifters miss the mark is not recognizing how important strength is when it comes to building an impressive physique. What’s the point in having an “arms day” if you can’t even perform a chin-up?

For more insight on the topic and more of my thoughts, you can go HERE.

Click on the link.  Do it. DO IT!!! I’ll be your BFF.

NOTE:  Of interest is the comments section in the article.  Not surprisingly the “steroid police” took over completely missing the point of the entire article.  Sigh……..

NOTE #2:  I realize that one of my comments in the article regarding chin-ups should be clarified.  Obviously this is an exercise that favors the lighter guys, and it’s going to be challenging for anyone who weighs over 200+ lbs to crank out ten straight reps.

That said, the main point is this:  if you’re a newbie, and performing 17 different variations of bicep curls in one training session to work on your “peak,” you need to stop. Now.