CategoriesOff Topic

Something I Never Thought I’d Call Myself…..

A Belieber!

Bahahaha! Just kidding. Actually the word I’m looking for is “foodie.” I never thought I’d refer to myself as a foodie.

Photo Credit: Nadia Seccareccia

Or, as Urban Dictionary eloquently refers to it, “a douchebag who likes food.”

In that case I’ll raise my hand and offer myself to judgement and possible ridicule:

“My name is Tony Gentilcore, and I’m a douchebag who likes food. A lot.”

In my own defense I’m not one of those uppity bourgeois a-holes who nitpicks over fork placement on the table and pretends to like caviar1.

Liking pizza? Sure, I get it. What’s there not to like? Liking some fancy schmancy entree such as sauteed pig rectum? Shut up. Just, shut up.

Nor am I one of those people who refers to an entree as “delish” or stresses that such and such is “to die for.”

NOTE: in this instance “to die for” is said while flicking one’s wrist and the word “die” is accentuated with an exaggerated English drawl. Bonus points if you happen to be of royal descent or hunt foxes in your free time.

On the contrary I’m just someone who likes to eat. More to the point: I’m someone who likes to go out to eat.

Lisa and I go out almost every Saturday night as part of our “date night” ritual. And given we live in a pretty baller city – Boston – we have the luxury of endless restaurant options.

As it happens, the most current season of Bravo’s Top Chef was filmed in Boston. And one of mine and Lisa’s favorite restaurants – The Regal Beagle, located in our own neighborhood in Coolidge Corner –  was featured because their executive chef, Stacy Cogswell, was/is a contestant on the show!

So yeah, we’re fortunate to live in such an amazing city.

I wasn’t always a foodie, though.

There was a time in my life, back when I lived in my native central New York (hometown: Groton), when going out to eat was an event reserved for “special occasions.” You know, things like birthday parties, rehearsal dinners, Syracuse Orange basketball games, leap years, or sometimes on the off-chance when someone of the opposite sex agreed to be seen with me in public.

In addition there was also a time in my life when “fine dining” meant T.G.I Fridays, Applebees, or Olive Garden.

Don’t hate!

Two for one appetizers goes a long way when trying to woo a girl. And don’t even get me started on unlimited bread sticks! BOM CHICKA BOM BOM.

I know this comes across as me insinuating said establishments are somehow lame or lowbrow…but that couldn’t be further from the truth! 1) I still frequent those places. And 2) Who can resist unlimited bread sticks?

It’s just that when you live in a more metropolitan area and have more options to choose from, you learn to have a better appreciation for what really good food (and service) should be like.

And it’s with that I’d like to have a little fun (seriously people: don’t take all of this, well, seriously), breakdown some of my “criteria” for what separates good restaurants from excellent restaurants, and discuss some of my pet peeves when it comes to dining out.

Lisa enjoying a martini prior to dinner at Blue Water Cafe located in Vancouver.

1. Greeting/Wait Time

Listen, I’m not saying that whenever I walk through the front doors of a restaurant the hostess has to greet me as if I’m General Zod.

Would it hurt from time to time? Hell no!

But all else being equal I realize I’m not the center of the universe, and I don’t expect to be treated like an A-list celebrity. And, honestly, I always feel awkward when a place goes above and beyond and gives the royal treatment. I can chew my own food, thank you very much….;o)

That said, nothing sets off the “red flags” more than when you’re ignored when you walk in and/or you have to wait more than fifteen  minutes when you have a reservation.

It’s not the end of the world, of course……but it doesn’t set a nice precedent.

2. Bread

Listen, if I’m going to pay upwards of $30-$50 for an entree, you better sure as shit serve some bread beforehand! When I know we’re going out to a big dinner I almost always refrain from eating a lot of food that day because I know I’m going to go to town once I sit down at the table.

As a result I almost always show up hangry (angry because I’m hungry and ready to swallow my hand).

Not only is it important to serve bread, but it should be good bread. None of this hard, day old, white BS that some places serve.

Okay, maybe I am an uppity a-hole after all. First world problems, right? I have to be that guy who totally judging restaurants on the type of bread they serve! Italian restaurants get a pass because that’s what Italian restaurants do….serve white, hard, Italian bread.

Outside of that, if you’re charging people $30-$50 per entree, act like you’ve been there and serve some whole grain bread for crying out loud!

3. Bathrooms

Sorry, but if your bathrooms are a nightmare that even an Orc wouldn’t drop a deuce in it, it only makes me wonder what the hell is going on back in the kitchen.

4. No Substitutes Allowed?

This is probably my biggest pet peeve and will guarantee that I’ll never go back to eat at a certain place if they try to pull this off.

Being a fitness couple, Lisa and I, to some degree, still try to eat “healthy” when we go out to eat. We’re not Paleo Nazis by any stretch, and we don’t hyperventilate into a brown paper bag at the mention of gluten, but we’ll try to tone it down to a certain degree when eating out.

I.e., instead of the mashed potatoes swimming in butter and cheese we’ll opt for something green; like kale, Brussels sprouts, or broccoli.

We made reservations at a place near our apartment not too long ago that, when the time came to order, said they couldn’t make any substitutions when it came to our meal.

Oooookkkkkaaaaaayyyy. I guess I’ll go fuck myself.

5. We Only Cook It This Way

This same place, when I ordered my steak ‘medium,’ went on to say that the chef wouldn’t cook it anywhere above ‘medium rare.’

What the what!?!?!?!

I’m sorry, who’s paying for this meal again?

And, I forgot:  Am I eating at a local neighborhood tavern that serves sup-par food or at Smith & Wollensky Wannabe Snobby McSnobbypants Emporium?

I’m not opposed to deferring to the chef’s judgement on how certain food should be prepared – especially with regard to bringing out it’s full flavor. But come on….steak?

Steak.

You’re going to play that card with steak? 

6. You Know That’s A lot of Food, Right?

I always laugh at this one.

I’m a meathead. I lift heavy things and I like to eat a lot of food. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that when I go out to eat it’s not uncommon for me to order meals which are designed with the intent to serve two. Or maybe I’ll DOUBLE certain orders.

For instance: if we go out to brunch I’ll often order a double omelet.

I’d wager a guess that 75% of the time the waitress or waiter will give me “the look,” as if to say “yeah right, like you’ll be able eat that much food!”

Then they’ll politely say something to the effect of: “Are you sure? That’s a lot of food.”

To which I’ll say, “yeah, you’re right. Better make that a triple order.” It’s almost as if they’re challenging me. And if that is indeed the case: BRING IT!!!

It’s funny though. Most won’t say a word to the people who order a large pizza on their own or order the stack of pancakes that would rival the peak of Mordor (<— That’s TWO LoTR references in this post, bitches) with peanut butter chips, M&Ms, and whipped cream.

No one blinks an eye.

Order a 6-10 egg omelet, however, and everyone becomes a cholesterol expert and thinks you have a death wish.

I ate at a place once where, after ordering a double omelet, the waitress brought out a t-shirt from the chef as a pseudo trophy. Apparently he had never been asked to make such a large omelet before.

Who knows: maybe one day I’ll eat a place where I’ll win a jacket, a PS4, or a new car!

Your Turn to Share

Like I said before this post was written in jest. I understand that some of the things I’m “complaining” about are minute and borderline trivial. But in this day and age, with the advent of social media and pretty everything being placed underneath a social microscope, it’s the finer details which often separate the good from the bad.

So, what about you? Do you have any dining pet peeves? Keep it light people……;o)

CategoriesExercise Technique Program Design

One Drill to Build Athleticism?

Today’s guest post is not only the last guest post of 2014 (sad face), but comes from good friend and regular contributor, Michael Anderson.

Enjoy!

When you are in your first year of damn near any Exercise Science or Strength and Conditioning program in college, one of your professors will inevitably ask you to define “athleticism”.

One guy will always raise his hand and say “it’s being athletic” and you will laugh at him but really he’s sorta right. Having “athleticism” (to me) means that you contain and exhibit the traits of coordination/balance, power, strength and suppleness (the ability to absorb external forces and remain uninjured) as well as being able to tie those all together into the context of your sport.

As strength coaches, many of us are out there trying to figure out the best ways to improve and fine-tune the athleticism of our athletes. There are a ton of drills that you can use to try and do this, but my personal favorite is the medicine ball shot-put.

It, through several variations, can really do a lot in the way of increasing the way an athlete performs.

Note from TG: Not to take away from Michael’s thunder…..HERE’s a video I shot for Stack Magazine on how we coach some popular med ball rotational drills at Cressey Sports Performance.

Through the several variations I’m going to present, your athletes will be challenged in several ways.

– They will be required to exhibit a good base of balance in their lower body will producing a ton of force through their upper body.

– They will also be asked to demonstrate some coordination and proprioception while throwing the ball hard. If they are missing any of the “links” that connects their feet to the arm pushing the ball then they are going to get a pretty lame sound when the ball hits the wall. When an athlete is able to figure out how to connect each piece of the exercise they should get a really satisfying “pop” from the MB slamming against the wall.

On another note, I believe you should always err on the side of light when performing medicine ball work. I’m 6’1” and 210 pounds and in the following videos I’m using a 6# dynamax ball. Using a ball that is too heavy will result in the movement looking a helluva lot less crisp and explosive.

Half-Kneeling Shot Put


This variation is great for beginners because it takes the lower body totally out of the equation; the fewer things for a novice to think about, the better.

The half-kneeling position will allow the athlete to create a strong position to keep their hips stable while allowing for good torso rotation if you have the requisite mobility. Without the proper mobility, this drill won’t feel quite as powerful as it should and you’ll want to work a little more on your upper body and hip mobility. Athletes who have a tough time figuring out how to brace their lower body to create power will benefit from this drill as well.

Base Position Shot Put


This is the seated box jump variation of the shot puts. It requires the athlete to start in a complete stable base position and create forward propulsion of the ball without any countermovement whatsoever.

The big benefit I find with a static start like this is that athletes are forced to learn how to brace and fire muscles without just relying on momentum to get things going. Weaker athletes who tend to rely on their springs rather than muscles will find this drill awkward and will probably hate it a lot. This will also be a good opportunity for you to teach them how to drive off their back leg and snap their hip to create force from the ground up.

Rockback Shot Put


This is probably the first variation where your athletes are going to feel like they can produce some serious power. Start them in the base position and have them transfer their weight over their trail leg and load up their back hip.

Once they feel comfortable with their weight shift they can explode forward and pound the ball into the wall. This is my favorite drill to teach athletes how to drive off of their back leg to initiate the movement. This drill will allow for enough force production that they will start to need to bring their trail leg around for a little bit of a decelerative effect.

I like the rockback to be a controlled movement rather than just all-out ballistic. I feel that this allows the athlete to understand the movement that you’re looking for better than just trying to bounce off of their back leg to take advantage of the stretch-shortening cycle as much as possible.

Step-Behind Shot Put


All things considered, this is my favorite medicine ball drill. From the first time I learned it (from a CSP blog, surely) I knew it was a good way to produce a bunch of power. It took me a little longer to understand just how useful a drill it was to get athletes doing athletic things.

It’s a very complete drill: the footwork requires more coordination than you’d think, the forward momentum created plus the power from the throw requires the athlete to decelerate properly, and the lower body and upper body are doing two different things at the same time.

If the athlete is unable to link all of these pieces together they are going to end up performing a pretty flaccid medicine ball throw. Much like the rockback exercise, I think the step-behind portion of this is best performed with a measure of control rather than being completely explosive from the get-go.

Crow Hop Shot Put


This is the most technical medicine ball drill that I’ll give to most athletes; if they can’t perform the step-behind shot put without a high level of proficiency then asking them to perform this drill is going to be like watching a monkey hump a football.

The “crow hop” is a movement that baseball players use to gain some momentum in a short amount of time/space to create more power to deliver the ball further/harder.

We can use that same movement to our advantage to teach athletes how to create a bunch of power as soon as their feet hit the ground. This requires a high level of reactivity from the athlete, or else the movement will become awkward and cumbersome. Teaching an athlete how to transfer fluidly from one movement (in this case, a hop) into another one (a lateral push to throw the ball) will have a great carry over effect to their sport of choice.

Sport Specific?

I hate the phrase “sport specific” because it’s been so bastardized in the last few years, but these are some of the most sport specific drills that you can do in the weight room. Teaching athletes how to move laterally, create rotational force starting at the their feet and transferring it up into their torso and how to decelerate their body after force production will help just about any athlete in any sport.

Spend some time working these drills into your athletes programs over the next several months and take some measures to see how their performance increases. Have a great day and go lift some heavy shit!

Additional Commentary from TG

How we implement med ball work in our programming depends, in large part, on where we are in the year. In the very beginning stages of the off-season, our baseball guys are pretty banged up and the idea of throwing anything, much less a med ball, is about as enticing as a colonoscopy. That said we’ll still implement *some* med ball drills, albeit at a very low volume.  However, it’s not uncommon to OMIT then altogether depending on total innings pitched, etc.

Once we enter the meat and potatoes of the off-season we’ll hammer a TON of med ball drills. We’ll typically try to hit one rotational drill and one overhead drill (per training session) 2-3x per week. Although we’ll also divide it up like this:

Monday: Overhead Med Ball, Box Jumps, Lower Body strength training.

Tuesday: Rotational Med Ball, Upper Body strength training.

Wednesday: Movement (skipping, marches, linear sprint work)

Thursday: Overhead Med Ball, Box Jumps, Lower Body strength training.

Friday: Rotational Med Ball, Upper Body strength training.

Saturday: Movement (heidens, change of direction work)

Sunday: eat dead animal flesh.

As we inch closer to the competitive season and guys start throwing bullpens and preparing for Spring Training, we’ll tone down the med ball work and reduce volume significantly.

However, outside of rotational dominant sports (where it’s almost mandatory), placing med ball work into the mix regardless of what sport you play or if you don’t play a sport and you’re just Ron from Accounting or Hillary from Scottsdale, can be highly advantageous and fun!

What’s more, I’ve found that med ball training is about as close to a self-limiting modality as you can get. Meaning just about anyone, regardless of experience (and assuming there’s no contraindications), can implement it into their program without much of a learning curve and risk of injury. Granted you make look like you have two left feet out of the gate. But as with anything, with a little practice and consistency, you’ll look like an athlete before you know it!

Author’s Bio

Mike Anderson is a graduate of the UMass Boston Exercise Science program and spent a year interning with Boston University Strength and Conditioning. After spending five fun years physically developing absolutely savage doctors and teachers as a personal trainer in Brookline, MA he is now residing in sunny Cleveland, OH and works as a Performance Coach at Michael Johnson Performance at the Spire Institute in Geneva, OH. You can read his blog HERE or email him at michaelkaneanderson@gmail.com if you have any questions.
CategoriesCorrective Exercise Exercise Technique

Fix Your Knees, Get Bigger & Stronger

It’s kind of hard to achieve the holy grail of brohood – i.e., bigger, faster, and stronger (and tanned) – if you’re constantly banged up and/or hurt.

Our knees take a beating as it is, but if you’re a meathead this statement is exponentially true.

But even if someone says “my knees hurt!”……what does that even mean? Knee pain, or how smarty pants people refer to it – anterior knee or patellofemoral pain – is a very subjective term and doesn’t help explain the mechanism or cause of the pain in the first place. Hell, many scientist can’t even explain or agree what the term pain means or where it manifests from!

I guess to be more precise I should allude to the actual diagnoses of patellofermoral pain. There are many and it’s hard to pinpoint one major culprit over the other. We have patellar compression syndrome, patellar instability, general biomechanical syndrome, direct patellar trauma, soft tissue lesions, and overuse syndromes to name a few.

Too, we can’t deny that many people just move like complete shit. And while squatting is often poo-pooed or pointed to as Public Enemy #1 with regards to eating up someone’s knees, quite frankly (and more often than not) their squat pattern is atrocious. Sometimes all it takes a one minor tweak to their technique which can make all the difference in the world.

And then there’s other stuff like how to coach someone to perform a more “knee friendly” lunge, addressing weak hips, addressing alignment, mobility deficits, and engraining in people that you can always, ALWAYS train around an injury.

In my latest article on T-Nation.com I discuss all of the above and then some.

Continue Reading……

CategoriesUncategorized

Best Posts of 2014 – Guest Posts

Heeeellllo everybody! As you can tell I took a few days off from posting anything due to the Holiday (and because I was in insulin coma from all the cookies I’ve been eating). But I’m back!

I for one had an amazing time. Lisa and I went out to a killer steak dinner Christmas Eve, loaded up on some eggnog and cheese (and cookies) later that night, and seemingly had the city to ourselves. It’s sooooo quiet during this time of year.

We woke up early yesterday to start the shenanigans. We opened our stockings, exchanged gifts, and as par for the course I went all Nintendo 64.

 

We hung out, went to go see The Imitation Game (starring Benedict Cumberbatch1, and continued to eat about as non-Paleo as possible throughout the day. Nevertheless, I feel rested and ready to charge into 2015.

On that note I’d like to continue the theme of the week and highlight some more posts from this past year. Today I’d like to share with you again some of the best GUEST POSTS from 2014. I’m very fortunate in that I have a lot of people reach out and ask me if they can write for the site from time to time. 1) I love when I can help introduce other people’s name and work to the masses and more selfishly 2) I love it even more when I get a day off from writing…;o)

An Open Letter to Everyone Who Has Told Women “Don’t Get Too Muscular” – Sophia Herbst

This was easily THE….MOST….VISITED post EVER in the history of my site. People flocked to this post for many reasons. Most because it’s an awesome post with an awesome message. And some because they missed the entire point of the post and wanted to write some disparaging words in the comments section.

Whatever the case, it was a post with a powerful message and people had something to say.

Carbohydrate Rotation Revamped – Jonathan Acosta

I love carbs like the next person. In this article Jonathan breaks down a neat “rotation” approach that isn’t rocket science and resembles more of a PRACTICAL approach to dieting.

I like it.

Finding Your Niche As a Trainer or Coach – Michael Anderson\

There are a lot of trainers and coaches out there. Speaking personally, I think if you’re good at what you do, give a shit, and get people results, people will seek out your services.

But there is something to be said about picking a niche to help separate you from the masses. In this article Michael discusses how to go about doing that.

Fitness Marketing to Females: Don’t Be a Victim! – Kelsey Reed

Guys are supposed to get ripped and yoked and women are supposed to get “firm,” “toned,” and “sexy” right? How the mainstream media portrays and markets to women when it comes to fitness is a travesty at best and deplorable at worst.

In this fantastic article Kelsey sheds some light on a VERY important topic.

Recovering Your Metabolism: Do You Need to Increase or Decrease Your Calories? Part I and Part II – Lucas Serwinski

I don’t post nearly as much nutritional based content as I should. Luckily I have people like Lucas who are more than willing to pick up the slack and post some really insightful and thought out information like this article.

A Woman’s Journey of Strength: How Lifting Changed My Life Forever – Neghar Fonooni

As you can tell by now, I get quite a few passionate, intelligent, and strong women coming onto the site to discuss female specific topics. And I love it.

Here, Neghar, a good friend, discusses how lifting weights changed her life for the better. A fantastic message to any woman who’s been told weight training is “only what guys do.”

Thank You!

Thanks to everyone who went out of their way to write such fantastic content for the site. This wasn’t even all of the guest post! I’m lucky to have so many awesome fitness friends.

Here’s to more of the same in 2015.

CategoriesUncategorized

Best Posts of 2014 (Tony’s Picks)

So yesterday I highlighted the best posts of 2014 as dictated by the internet, web traffic, and views. I have to admit: you all have impeccable taste! But what else is new: It goes without saying given you visit this site on a daily basis….;o)

Today I wanted to highlight MY picks for the best posts of 2014. You know, because, f-you internet! (And because it’s all about me, me, me, me, me, me, and ME!!)

That, and they’re all Batman approved.

Indeed a handful of the ones highlighted yesterday would have made today’s list, but I didn’t want to repeat myself. Instead I wanted to showcase some of the articles I’ve written that may have fallen through the cracks or were overlooked. Granted everything I write is Pulitzer worthy1, but here’s a refresher.

The Start of “Us”

Lisa is my best friend. Yep, it’s a cliche to say…but it’s true. She and I got engaged this past September and I wrote a little sumthin to celebrate the occasion.

It’s not remotely fitness related, but neither is 12% of the content on this blog.

Stretch the Tight

Stretching (in the traditional sense) has a time and place. It serves a purpose and is undoubtedly an important piece of the puzzle for many people.

That said, too many fitness professionals default to the mindset that a lack of ROM is due to short or stiff muscles. I’d argue the opposite.

How Deep Down the Rabbit Hole Do We Really Need To Go?

Why do we make things more complicated than they have to be?  To sound smart? To make ourselves feel better? Because we feel it’s “just the way things are?”

Especially with regards to assessment and the new “it” thing in the industry….BREATHING. How far outside our scope of practice should personal trainers and coaches go?

What We’re Really Saying When We Discuss Breathing

In conjunction with the previous article, here’s a bit more with regards to “breathing.”

What the Princess Bride Can Teach You About Dealing With Critics

We all have our critics. Sometimes we’re our own worst critic! But in general some people in our lives – or more likely on the interwebz – will always be haters.

Learning how to deal with criticism is an often important lesson in the fitness industry.

Why the Box Squat Is Overrated

Yep, I just went there. Before you grab the pitchforks and storm the castle, though, just read the article and hear me out.

Extension Based Back Pain is a B****. And What To Do About It

Flexion based back pain gets all the love. It wins Homecoming King every year, is the starting Quarterback, is voted best looking and most likely to succeed, and to add insult to injury, has impeccable hair and style. Ohhhhh, everyone loves flexion based back pain.

I fucking hate flexion based back pain.

NOTE: the above is completely satirical. Both flexion and extension based back pain suck donkey balls. I just feel extension often takes a back seat to flexion, and it’s important to understand that many, many people deal with former.

“Luxury” Problems vs. Real Problems

Are you fat? Can’t do a push-up? Can’t perform a deadlift without pissing off your spine? Well, maybe you should ACTUALLY address the real issues and not spin your wheels.

Rethinking Percentage Based Training

I flip flop on a lot of things. Percentage based training is something I go back and forth on all the time.

An Open Letter To (New) Fitness Professionals

This is dedicated to those fitness professionals whose sense of entitlement rivals Mt. Everest.

Confessions of an Introverted Strength Coach: Part One and Part Two

As an introvert through and through…..this 2-part series was something that was easy to write and something I feel a lot of people appreciated.

CategoriesUncategorized

Best Posts of 2014

Tis the Holiday Season, and as such since it’s the end of the year (and my desire to write new content is on par with wanting to wash my face with broken glass) I like to take this time to reflect on things and post a handful of “round-up” articles highlighting the best of 2014.

Take a seat and let Uncle Tony tell you a story.

2014 kicked some major ass for TG.com. I had close to 1.2 million people visit this site from all over the world which is 1) astounding to me and 2) just about the same number of people who watched the new Star Wars teaser trailer within the first hour of its release.

So, basically, people love me as much as Star Wars. The numbers don’t lie!

Not only that, but the site went through a significant re-design/face lift this past Fall – to rave reviews – and I have every expectation that 2015 will be every bit as successful. 2 million visits or bust!

In any case, as this week and the next progress I’ll be sharing some highlights from this past year as well as writing a little sumthin, sumthin on what I learned in the last 365 days. Don’t worry: I’ll try not to get too wishy-washy. I’m not one to talk about my feelings, but when I do it’s Oscar speech worthy….;o)

On that note today I’d like to highlight the most popular posts from this past year based off of web traffic and total hits.

A Response to Anyone Who Feels Deadlifts Are Destroying Everyone’s Spine

It all started with a comment left on my site which read:

“Your arrogance and writing style makes for an unpleasant reading experience.”

I was like, “OH NO YOU DIDN’T!?!??!” And then Bret Contreras and I went to town.  Enjoy.

What’s Wrong With Female Fitness?

Oh, not too much. Other than many (not all) women are programmed to think that lifting a weight heavier than their purse will mean they’ll grow an Adam’s apple, and that Jen Selter -who’s claim to fame is an InstaGram account where she does nothing but showcase her badonkadonk, literally – is considered a fitness authority.

How to Get Stronger

There are many means to accomplish any goal. Getting stronger is no different.

Still I think this is an area where most trainees tend to make things more complicated than they have to be. Many try to make it rocket science, when in reality it’s just a matter of memorizing your multiplication tables.

Simple is often what works, and what works long-term.

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

For those who don’t know who Sam Bennett is – he was highly touted amateur hockey prospect who was drafted into the NHL earlier this year.  I think he was drafted within the first three picks, if not the top pick overall.

During his combine it came out that he couldn’t perform one…single…pullup. And the internet pretty much had a massive conniption and started stomping its feet on the ground.

This post was my response.

The Tenets of Fat Loss

An often highly debated topic, I decided to throw myself into the fire and discuss some of what I feel makes for a well-rounded “fat loss” approach.

Newsflash: People Lifted Weights Before CrossFit

There was a time where I was unabashedly a CrossFit basher. I’ve toned it down a lot in recent years. There’s still much about I disagree with, but I’d be an a-hole if I didn’t recognize all the good it’s done for the fitness industry. Especially with regards to getting more barbells into people’s hands.

That said, a week doesn’t go by where, when someone finds out what I do for a living, they say something like “that’s CrossFit, right?”

Um, no.

Should You Use Straps When Deadlifting?

This is the most recent article of the bunch that made the list. I wrote this one only weeks ago, but it quickly climbed the ladder and become one of the most popular of the year.

Thanks to EVERYONE for all their support and for making 2014 the most visited year yet on TG.com!!

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 12/19/14

In case you missed it yesterday (I posted it later than usual), I had the opportunity to be a guest on the Inside the Athletic Grind Podcast earlier this week. I know pretty much everyone and their mailman is listening to the Serial Podcast nowadays, but if you need a slight change of pace, and something a bit less “heavy,” and you have an hour to kill (<—– LOL, pun intended. You know, cause the Serial Podcast is about a real murder)…..you can check out my interview HERE.

I said it yesterday and I’ll say it again today: it’s easily one the funnest interviews I’ve done in a while.

Know what else is going to be fun? Watching The Battle of the Five Armies this weekend!!!!!!!!

I bought tickets for myself, Lisa, and the couple we’re going to see it with about two weeks ago. We saw Desolation of Smaug last year with the same couple at one of those Super Deluxe theaters (where you have a lounge chair, unlimited popcorn, and you can order a meal to eat if you want), and we figured we might as well go see Five Armies in the same fashion. Cause, why wouldn’t you?

This movie is going to be awesome. And from what I’ve read and listened to, the last battle scene in the movie is 45 minutes of nerd Viagra. OMG I can’t even stand it!!!!!!! I’ll report back next week to tender my thoughts.

Has anyone else seen it already? Liked it? Disliked it?

Projection: Or How to Show Your Clients You’re Not Listening to a Damn Thing They’re Saying – Dr. Mark Cheng

I say it ALL the time: what works for one athlete or client, may not work for someone else. In all likelihood it won’t work. Which is why it’s unfortunate when some coaches and personal trainers train all their clientele in the exact same manner.

It’s dumb, Stop doing it. You suck.

Ultimate Athleticism – Max Shank

Today (12/19) is the LAST day to purchase Max Shank’s Ultimate Athleticism at the sick discounted price. I’m telling you right now, Max is a different cat. He’s a meathead like the rest of us who read this blog, but he truly feels that many, many people are missing the boat with regards to their training.

In short: we move like shit, and people aren’t athletic enough!

Max’s book covers a lot of material, but he tends to place most of his focus on four key movements:

1. L-Press to Handstand

2. Deadlift

3. Front Lever

4. Airborne Lunge

It all sounds intimidating, but I promise he’s not advocating we all quit our day jobs and join Cirque de Soleil just yet. While he comes from a heavy gymnastics background (self-taught mind you, which is impressive itself), he offers a TON of regressions and progressions to help people master their movement and work up to the exercises listed above.

If you’re looking for something different, something that will challenge you, and get you outside your comfort zone, Ultimate Athleticism is the real deal.

What Wearing Dresses Taught me About Authenticity – Jessi Kneeland

I’ve known Jessi for a few years. She’s an awesome trainer at one of the best personal training facilities in the country – Peak Performance, located in NYC.

And while she has a lot to say as a coach, and a lot of great things to say, I felt this post presented a very powerful message even if it doesn’t fit into a “fitness specific” mold.

CategoriesUncategorized

Inside the Athletic Grind

Gotta keep this one short and sweet today. I had the opportunity to appear on the Inside the Athletic Grind Podcast earlier this week as a guest.

Nick Merich, one of the Editors-in-Chief, was a former athlete who trained at Cressey Sports Performance and his experience training with us a few summers ago inspired him to start the Inside the Athletic Grind website (and podcast).

Both are about inspiring the athlete and entrepreneur on their path to greatness. Why do some athletes and entrepreneurs succeed without much effort (or grind for that matter)? Why do others fail? Is failing even that bad of a thing?

I’d argue not.

More often than not it’s our failures in every day life, business, and athletics that help us learn and to come back stronger; to drop kick adversity in the face if you will.

Inside the Athletic Grind encourages self-development, inspires athletes of all levels, and helps them embrace the “grind” we all live by.

This was one my favorite interviews I’ve ever done. It’s more conversational and  we hit on a wide variety of topics. Everything from my journey as a lowly college student to recognized strength coach to my own mistakes and walls I had to hurdle to make it to the point where I am today. And I promise, no mentions of my cat. I think.

—> Listen HERE <—

CategoriesExercise Technique

Kettlebell Swing: How to Cue the Hinge and Never Perform a Squat Swing Again

There’s just some things in life you don’t do.

1. You don’t punch kittens in the face1. That’s just common sense (and really cruel).

2. Guys: you don’t not pay for the first date. And ladies: the fake purse grab at the end of dinner makes us guys feel good, and we appreciate the sentiment; but at some point, say between dates #3-71, you don’t need to continue the charade.

At some point you should eventually actually pay for something.

3. You don’t hang out at Chuck-E-Cheese when you’re an adult. That’s Creepy McCreepypants territory.

4. You don’t wear white socks with dress pants2.

5. And, for the love of all that’s holy, you don’t squat the kettlebell swing.

I’d argue it’s the most common mistake that many people make with their swing technique. For starters, it’s wrong. I don’t care who you are or who you were coached by, even if it was Captain America, squatting the KB swing is not correct. It just isn’t.

How’s that for a scientific explanation?

Second, and more importantly, “squatting” the swing (to the point where the KB drops below the knees) increases the lever arm and places much more stress on the lower back. Often, whenever someone complains that KB swings bothers their back the culprit is one of two things: 1) not engaging their glutes enough and 2) not incorporating a hip hinge.

Today I wanted to share a simple tactile cue I learned from Dr. Mark Cheng (Senior Instructor for StrongFirst) you can use to help groove more of a hip hinge/hip snap pattern when swinging. Basically you need to stay upright A LOT longer than you think (and much longer than most are comfortable with) before you break the hips and hinge back.

 

ADDENDUM: I’ve noticed a few comments on various social media outlets where people have noted there ARE viable reasons to perform a squat swing and that it does have its place. I guess agree. Sorta.

There’s a time and place for everything I suppose. But even for those who DO perform a squat swing, there’s still a significant hip hinge involved.  Yeah, yeah, there’s “research” to back up a squat swing and how it can improve “x” factor; but then again, there was research back in the day that said smoking wasn’t carcinogenic.

The eye sores that I see a lot people performing (where it’s entirely a squat) is wrong. You’d have a hard time convincing me there’s a legitimate rationale to do swings that way.

Nevertheless, I guess I should have re-worded things to say this: My main beef are for those people learning the swing in the first place. The hip hinge is such an integral movement which reduces the learning curve when introducing new movements drastically.

Maybe a better way to articulate my thoughts would be this: learn the hip hinge swing first, get really good at it, and THEN you can play around with the squat swing, if that’s what floats your boat. Weeeeeeeeeeeee.

CategoriesProgram Design Strength Training

But Can You Move Your Body?

I hate Max Shank.

He’s a phenomenal strength coach with a unique perspective and approach that I admire. He’s also a lovely human being. But I still hate him.

Why?  Because I’m not him.

He can do cool stuff like deadlift 315 (for reps)….on one leg. He can do handstands, backflips, L-sits, overhead press a human being, squat a metric shit-ton, and probably win a fight against Batman and/or a pack of ninjas. And he’s ripped. What a jerk!

It’s really impressive to watch the things he can do. And it’s even more impressive to watch him coach regular people to do all of the same things (except maybe the whole fighting Batman thing). Which is why I admire his work.

He just released his new resource, Ultimate Athleticism, this week. While I’ve only had the chance to peruse the first few chapters, I can tell you that Max’s approach to training is different compared to anything else you’ve ever come across. While it may seem like the things he can do are superhuman, it’s important to understand that, despite not having a gymnastics background, he taught himself how to do those things through persistence, practice, and implementing the proper progressions.

What’s more, he teaches regular people how to do all the same things….every day! He’s adamant that lifting heavy things is important. But in addition to that he feels building more overall athleticism is the key to help fill in the gaps to better performance and a better body (and one that’s less likely to break down!).

In today’s guest post he discusses a few ways to accomplish this feat. Enjoy! And be sure to check out Ultimate Athleticism HERE.

But Can You Move Your Body?

Smashing weights in the gym makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I can’t get enough of it.

Warm and Fuzzy Pic Credit: Snuggle Pup

I feel like the tides are shifting in the sense that more people are sharing that same passion for fitness.

But like everything else, it leads to extremes on both sides. This is especially true with those of us who are smashing weights.

It’s a bit silly how getting winded while walking up the stairs or not being able to squat to full depth without 300lbs on your back can somehow be a badge of honor among heavy lifters.

Some of you are probably thinking, “this guy doesn’t even lift, bro.” Here’s the deal; the pendulum has swung to far to the right. The goal hasn’t become, get stronger, or more athletic–it’s become lift more weights, or do more reps.

Before you excommunicate me from the lifters guild, just hear me out.

I’m still suggesting we all continue to hammer away at heavy deadlifts and throw ridiculous weights overhead, but let’s do just a couple things to make it more well-rounded. Let’s get more athletic for life, not just for gym movements.

So without further ado, here a couple simple things you can do to get more athletic without losing your heavy lifting gainz.

Mobilize

Combining yoga, dance, martial arts–whatever floats your boat–move around and improve your coordination at the same time. Throw this in at the beginning of your session and splice it in to your heavy lifts as an active rest.

Jump/Sprint

Don’t just jump straight up, and don’t just sprint straight ahead. Move in a variety of directions! Jump onto things, off of them. One leg, two legs. Lateral bound, maybe even learn how to do some basic tumbling if you have anyone willing to teach you.

Gymnastics

Upper body strength has, for whatever reason, become very one-dimensional. There are so many gymnastics, or even breakdancing movements with steady progressions starting out at a beginner level that will give you an even greater stimulus, and ultimately more gains than traditional gym movements targeting the upper body.

My two personal favorites are L Sit to Handstands, and Front Levers. If you’re confused, just go balance on your hands and climb stuff–a great substitute for overhead presses and pull-ups, respectively.

If your goal, like mine, is to be able to crush it athletically in any situation I am ever tossed into, you’re going to have to widen your spectrum of athleticism. Keep smashing heavy weights but add in some other movements to fill the gaps in your overall athleticism.

Ultimate Athleticism is on sale NOW through the end of the week. You can check it out HERE.

About the Author

Max is an author, coach, and owner of Ambition Athletics in Encinitas, CA. He also competes in a wide variety of sports ranging from Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu to Scottish Highland Games.

Max’s desire to constantly improve his knowledge and personal skills has led him to be a sought after international presenter of his unique and pragmatic blend of strength, flexibility, health, and overall athleticism.

www.ultimateathleticism.com

www.maxshank.com

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