CategoriesNutrition

Why Gym Bros Should Periodize Their Nutrition

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of United Kingdom based strength & nutrition coach, Harry Archer. 

He took my subtle hint from a few weeks ago when I made note of the dearth of nutrition content on my site and how I tend to not touch it with a ten-foot pole. 

Not because I don’t know what gluconeogenesis is1, but because I know my where my expertise isn’t and I respect scope of practice.

Nevertheless, he reached out and offered to provide some nutrition-related content for the site.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Copyright: tverdohlib / 123RF Stock Photo

Why Gym Bros Should Periodize Their Nutrition

Let’s face it –  as a lifter and fellow enthusiast of all things getting Yoked, chances are you wanna be jacked/strong and lean all at the same time.

Admirable goals friend, join the Swole Club.

Unfortunately our physiology doesn’t really like us doing all three at once, so it’ll make excuses and half ass any adaptations and responses to lifting.

IKR, ffs, c’mon physiology.

Fortunately there’s a groovy nutrition concept that allows us to maximize training adaptations over time so we can indeed get massiver, stronger-er and more shredded..

It’s called Periodizing Nutrition, and I’m going to take you through it today.

All aboard the Gainz Train.

What Does Periodizing Nutrition Even Mean?

 “The planned, purposeful, and strategic use of specific nutritional interventions to enhance the adaptations targeted by individual exercise sessions or periodic training plans, or to obtain other effects that will enhance performance longer term” – Juedenkup

In bro-terms it’s organizing what you eat around the type of training you do to get the best results.

You can’t maximize (<– note key term here) both strength and hypertrophy at the same time very well, nor can you do either of these things whilst dieting down to single-digit body fat at the same time.

I know, I’m as gutted as you are.

via GIPHY

This is why training periodization exists – we can logically and systematically create training stimuli to produce different physical adaptations. We can lift heavier loads to create neural/strength stimuli, or we can lift moderate weights a lot of times to create hypertrophic stimuli, and we can do a load of cardio to help lose fat.

(Just kidding on that last one – don’t be THAT person).

The central idea of Nutritional Periodization is to match what you eat/how much you eat/specific macro ratios to the goal of your training block.

  • If you’re getting jacked, we can use calories and macros strategically to maximize gains.
  • If lifting heavy is your thing, I feel you homie, we can use certain nutrition protocols to maximize that.
  • If you’re #teamnogains, then certain dieting nutrition protocols can attenuate losses in fat-free mass as you’re dieting so you can hold onto your gains as you spend time choosing to deliberately catabolize your gains.

Developing Your Very Own Periodized Nutrition Plan

Nutrition Periodisation by @feedthebarbellntr

I mean, just eat right?

Why not just eat “well” or eat “good foods” or have seven protein shakes a day?

Because, whilst that’s lifting nutrition’s most ok-est advice, we’re more interested in our goals than “just eating right.”

What happens if your “just eating right” doesn’t support the hypertrophic goals you have and training in a hard volume block doesn’t result in the desired muscle gain?

What happens if “just eating right” doesn’t support the maintenance of lean muscle tissue during a deficit?

What happens if “just eating right” isn’t a sufficient amount of carbohydrates to offset perceived exertion during exercise leading you to feel like you’re the weakest dude in any gym that ever gymed?

You put a limit on how much progress you’ll make. Let’s not do that…

Training x Nutrition Periodization

If we look at training periodization, we have different training goals for different blocks. Each goal has a different objective, to produce a certain physiological adaptation or response so we normally use three different phases:

  • Increased Load = hypertrophic adaptations
  • Maintenance Load = Context dependent – could be transitions, could be a strength block after hypertrophy training
  • Decreased Load = usually transition between different blocks of training e.g. hypertrophy to strength or strength to deload

So, we can manipulate our nutrition to match the goal of the block right? Like so:

  • Increased Load = ideal for gains, so ideal for a surplus!
  • Maintenance Load = maintain body weight
  • Decreased Load = ideal for a deficit

So how do we plan nutrition around our block of training?

I Wanna Bulk Up

Ok, now we’re talking. So how can we periodize nutrition for them sweet gains?

The goal of hypertrophy blocks is to accumulate maximum recoverable volume (MRV) at a sufficient intensity to elicit muscle hypertrophy.

Basically?

Recover from lifting enough weight, enough times, multiple times a week so you get jacked.

When training load increases, guess what else should increase? If you said “calories, carbs and my biceps” you guessed right! Periods of high volume massing just need higher total calories and higher amounts of carbohydrates.

If we don’t periodize calories and carbohydrates to energy demands of our training, then very bad, super non-awesome stuff happens like overtraining, injuries and worst of all, you can’t fill out your Gymshark stringer Vest.

Topless gym selfies won’t be the same again.

How Fast Should You Gain?

When massing, we want to keep muscle:fat gain ratios favourable right? Keep rates of gain between 0.25-0.5% of your body-weight per week.

How Long Should You Gain?

You could probably make enough gains in 6 weeks, however, longer massing phases would see better results so push it to 12/16 weeks.

Is there a limit?

16 weeks. Outside of this, we run the risks of desensitising ourselves to training,  the ratio of muscle:fat starts tipping in favour of fat, we start running into health issues and ultimately it means longer, and more frequent dieting + maintenance phases as you’ll have accumulated too much fat that you don’t want to keep.

Macros For Gains Phases

Calories = 30-45 kcals/FFM (fat-free mass)

Protein = 1.6-1.8g/kg

Fats = 0.2-0.4 % of total calories

Carbs = whatever’s left (calculate other needs first)

Bit Fluffy From Your Last Perma-Bulk? I Got You

The goal of fat loss blocks shouldn’t really be to lose as much fat as possible. Instead, productive fat loss phases should really centre on maximizing FFM/LBM during the dieting phase, pushing close to MRV and promoting recovery from training load.

There’s mixed opinion on training volume when dieting. General bro rules dictate trying to  keep MRV (max recoverable volume) high to keep lean muscle mass during your dieting phase. There might be drops over time due to recoverability factors but cross that bridge when you get to it.

How Long Should This Phase Be?

Typically between 6-12 weeks, depending on how aggressive you want your deficit to be/how much you can handle. 6 week diets aka “Mini-Cuts” open themselves up to more aggressive losses, although these are typically fluctuations in water/glycogen and salt which aren’t fat.

Still, you can look pretty decent to your gym crush.

Longer dieting phases give us a better chance of retaining FFM due to slower losses, as long as you regulate training load. Otherwise, whilst you’re losing fat, you’re also increasing FFM losses, increasing injury risks and generally having a miserable time of it.

Proposed Rate of Losses?

Losses between 0.5-1% of total bodyweight per week is sufficient. Whilst a more aggressive approach may initially increase those %’s, most of that is water/glycogen and salt fluctuations. Higher rates of loss will come back to kick your ass with stuff like poor muscle retention, being hungry all the time, low sexual desires (what’s the point of looking decent if you can’t get laid?) and generally being a bit of a dick to everyone ‘cos you’re moody.

Is There a Limit?

There’s a concept of “Single Phase Limits” – up to no more than 10% of total body weight loss is recommended for a single dieting phase. The goal isn’t to hit maximum fat loss per phase, the goal is to retain maximum muscle mass and recover from training loads per phase. Always has been, always will be.

More aggressive losses are a wild ride. For most, lower rates of loss will be easier to mentally and physically manage which honestly increases your chances of sustaining your fat loss efforts. I mean, don’t go so slow that you can’t see any results because that’s not fun for anyone but keep it psychologically and physiologically sensible.

Macros For Fat Loss

Calories = 30-45kcals/kg FFM

Protein = 1.6-2.4g/kg

Carbs = whatever is left

Fats = 0.2-0.5% total calories

Ok, You’re Shredded. Now What?

Now your gym crush is following you on Insta, now is the time to avoid rebounding post diet.

Here’s where maintaining gains comes in.

Maintenance blocks are important as you don’t really wanna go straight into a bulk, rebound, and regain all of the layers of fat you’ve just spent months slowly peeling off now do you?

The goal here is to keep lower body weights stable, and to reduce any diet fatigue. It takes a while for your body to recover from dieting, so maintenance blocks should be about as long as the dieting block.

Or at least until you stop fantasizing over food more than your gym crush.

If you want to sequence several fat loss blocks together (Rule of 10%) then diets with maintenance phases are very necessary as each period of dieting becomes a little bit more difficult

Each maintenance phase should progressively get longer than the dieting period as you’ll accumulate diet fatigue across each phase, life sucks when you diet a lot and dieting gets super hard and takes longer as you get leaner.

Bringing It All Together

via GIPHY

Choosing how to sequence your very own periodized nutrition plan is going to depend on where you’re currently at.

If you’re looking to pack on some size, then maybe string a few massing cycles together – with the appropriate maintenance blocks obviously, and see how you grow.

If you’re looking to shift a bit of timber in time for 6 Pack season, then sequencing dieting:maintenance cycles could be a good choice for you right now.

Ultimately you’ve got to decide what you want to achieve and then periodize your nutrition to match the goals of your training blocks.

Now, go get strong, jacked and shredded.

About the Author

Harry Archer is a Strength and Nutrition Coach based in Bedford, UK.

Having worked in the fitness industry for nearly a decade, he’s worked in commercial gyms, private gyms, performance gyms, health clinics and more recently online (thanks COVID), with a variety of clients, ranging from helping the John’s from Project Management get Jacked With Abs, to coaching Strength-Sport performance athletes attempting World Records.

He’s usually happiest when lifting and eating, and when thinking about lifting and eating. Follow him on his Insta HERE.

 

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 2/26/21

Copyright: conneldesign / 123RF Stock Photo

STUFF TO CHECK OUT FIRST

1. Virtual Coaching Competency Workshop – Begins 3/7/21

There’s only one more week left to register for my Virtual Coaching Competency Workshop.

I figured chances would be high many attendees would be fighting off the urge to commit seppuku staring at their computer screen for seven straight hours so made the executive decision to spread things out over three consecutive weekends:

  • 3 Hours on 3/7
  • 2 Hours on 3/14
  • 2 Hours on 3/21

The course has been approved for CEUs via the NSCA and all attendees will receive a recording in case Eastern Standard Time doesn’t bode well for your schedule. 

For more info go HERE.

2. CORE @ Home

You can now purchase CORE @ Home for whatever you want to pay.

During the first quarantine I started a platform where I’d deliver 20-40 minute workouts that could be performed in everyone’s living room using minimal equipment.

In all I filmed 36 workouts using nothing but bodyweight, bands, and kettlebells and/or dumbbells. With many people still reticent to head back to their regular gyms (not to mention the scarcity of gym equipment out there to purchase) I figured this would be a nice opportunity to help.

Whether you want to spend $1 or $99 (FYI: the latter enters you to win a 5×7 shirtless pic of me), the workouts are ready and available to start.

For more information go HERE.

SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS

Twitter

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STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

When to Add More Weight to the Bar – Mark Hoover

If you train young athletes this is a MUST read.

I demand you read it.

KNEEL: BEFORE ZOD!

8 Ways Personal Trainers Can Get Kids to Love Fitness – Andrew Coates

Cutest cameo of a toddler in an article in internet history inside…;o)

Transgender Equality in Sport – Malcom Godowski

Let me start by saying there’s a TON of nuance here and I truly believe there’s no clear cut “winner” to this controversial topic.

If I’m going to be honest: There’s parts of each side of the argument I agree with.

Regardless of what side of the political debate you’re on I think it’s important to be exposed to varying facts (even if you don’t agree with them) and opinions.

And that’s why I am sharing this article here.

This is a fascinating read by Malcom and I encourage everyone to take the time to check it out.

Categoriespersonal training rant

The One Question I Hate Answering

Hate is a strong word.

I generally reserve that word for things like:

  • Mushrooms1
  • Kipping pull-ups
  • Attack of the Clones
  • Talking about my feelings
  • White supremacists

However, a few weeks ago I received an email asking me a question I really do hate answering. No, it wasn’t asking me to send money to a Nigerian Prince. Instead it was from an editor of a website (I don’t recall which one) asking me if I’d be willing to send over a few thoughts regarding “what I felt were some of the best innovations in strength & conditioning heading into 2021?”

Copyright: khosrork / 123RF Stock Photo

SERIOUSLY, EVERY…SINGLE…YEAR

I’m sure I could scour my email’s trash bin from the past decade and find a similar email from an editor or freelance writer asking me some iteration of the exact same question.

I’d be remiss, if not come across as the ultimate curmudgeon, if I didn’t recognize that there truly has been some fantastic and innovative advances in strength & conditioning/personal training since I entered the industry in 2002.

The internet, for one thing, has made it infinitely easier to run one’s business and gain access to a wider array of clientele. When I first started offering remote coaching services I had clients mail me a check via the actual mail and had to use a digital camera to take & upload videos onto my computer, which then took three hours per video (give or take a week) to send via email.

Now there are entire websites and resources that make the process seamless. A one-stop shop of fitness-business prowess.

There’s an endless tapestry and selection of exercise equipment, specialty bars, and the like that we can choose from to hone in on specific goals and even body parts.

We also have a vast array of gadgets that bleep and bloop and do everything from measure one’s bar speed to offering feedback on technique to using heart-rate variability to help dictate one’s readiness to train on any given day.

I am not against innovation and stuff that’s new and exciting. I’ve had my fair share of leaning into the latest, brightness, and shiniest new thingamabobbers out there.

That said, I’d also be remiss not to note that we often get far too carried away and miss the forest for the trees. We’ve gotten to the point where technology sorta handcuffs us. We’ll renege on a workout because some app told us a rainbow didn’t appear in Mississippi today.

Okay, I’ll admit I’m being overly facetious here…

…but I am not too far off the mark.

Old Shit Still Works

What worked in 1985, still works today.

More to the point, barbells and dumbbells still work.

Then again, maybe I really am a curmudgeon and today’s fitness crowd requires a bit more gamification in order to be incentivized to exercise?

Either way, here’s my “recipe” for fitness innovation:

1. 3×52

Whenever I teach workshops, especially to other health/fitness professionals, and I go out of my way to expound on exercises I drills I like for this and that, I’ll inevitably be asked…

…”So, Tony, why do you insist on presenting with your shirt off how many sets and reps do you suggest?”

My answer is always 3×52.

If you can motivate yourself (or your clients) to workout 3 times per week, 52 weeks a year, some cool shit is bound to happen.

My bias is toward simple stuff like using easily accessible equipment (barbells and dumbbells), but if it has to entail a super attractive instructor taking you through a workout on a $3000.00 bike/screen in your dining room while listening to Daft Punk go for it.

Consistency of exercise matters more than the mode.

2. Strain a Little

You don’t need to shit your spleen in order to make a workout effective.

Conversely, if your workout consists of 5 lb weights while you watch an episode of Real Housewives you need to try harder.

There has to be a degree of strain in order to force the body to adapt to a stressor.

Keeping things as simple as possible on this front, this is why I’m such a fan of a 5×5 approach for most people. Pick an exercise, say, bench press.

Choose you weight you KNOW you can do for 6-8 reps (but not 10 or more).

Chances are the first 1-3 sets will feel quite doable if not easy. Once you enter the 4th or 5th se territory, that weight is going to become more challenging (as fatigue sets in).

You may find it will look something like this:

Set 1: 155 x5
Set 2: 155×5
Set 3: 155×5
Set 4: 155×4
Set 5: 155×3

The objective would be to stay at that weight until you’re able to complete 5 sets of 5 repetitions.

Once you do, you can then increase the weight 5-10 lbs and start the process all over again.

Easy training is good training. This approach ensures progressive overload without crushing your soul.

3. Make Sure Nutrition Matches Your Goals

One word: Keto.

Just kidding.

Tha fuck outta here.

But seriously, I won’t belabor this point, it’s just common sense.

4. Go to Bed

It amazes people will spend hundreds (if not thousands) of $$ on supplements, Theraguns, fancy boots, and contrast showers that use distilled water filtered through the beard of Jesus in the name of optimal recovery…

…when the cheapest (and best) thing they could do on that front is just go to bed at a decent hour.

That’s not click-baity enough though.

5. That’s It

That’s it.

CategoriesFemale Training personal training

A Thoughtful and Reflective Discussion On Postpartum Training

My son, Julian, was born January 31, 2017.

Four days later my wife, Lisa, accompanied me to the gym.

The workout wasn’t anything crazy. There were no burpees, no deadlifts, no squats; hell I don’t even think there was a barbell involved.

If anything, the field trip served as more of a rendezvous back to normalcy for us.

Our world had just been knocked the fuck upside down during the previous 96 hours, and, after the shellacking we had been taking, a lifetime in Azkaban would have seemed a better alternative.

So yeah, heading to the gym, even for 20 minutes, was exactly what we (she) needed.

It was an oasis for us.

Copyright: realstock / 123RF Stock Photo

That Time the Internet Got All Judgy On Us

Lisa’s first postpartum workout, if you want to call it a workout, wasn’t anything to write home about. I think I had her do some deadbugs, side planks, a few Pallof Presses, bodyweight step-ups, and, yeah, okay, there was a barbell involved…

…she did some light bicep curls.

To her credit Lisa trained all throughout her pregnancy.

While no where near the same intensity she was accustomed to, she deadlifted, swung kettlebells, performed hip thrusts, and even used natural progressive overload (her growing tummy) to crank out her chin-ups.

 

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At the same time, she remained cognizant it was imperative she listen to her body. If at any point something felt off or “wonky” she stopped and we made the appropriate adjustments.

I wholeheartedly believe that it was her dedication and diligence to strength train throughout her pregnancy which resulted in a smooth and seamless birth.1

NOTE: For a more detailed article expounding my approach and thought processes on the topic of women and strength training through pregnancy go HERE.

Fast forward several weeks and I posted this video on my Instagram page of Lisa hitting a bench press personal record:

During her maternity leave we took advantage of having more time to workout together, and I was proud of her for staying proactive during this time.

She listened to her doctor, she listened to her body, and she was able to regain (some) of her pre-baby strength levels rather quickly (in no small part because she stayed consistent with it during her pregnancy).

I say “some” because we made it a point of not pushing the envelope with other movements such as deadlifts and squats.

Nevertheless, there was a woman who chimed in with her own concerned, if not bordering on scathing remarks and comments on the matter.

“It takes a lot longer than 2-3 weeks to retrain the postnatal core! And wouldn’t she still be bleeding at this stage? That’s an open wound that needs time to heal/ and she needs lots of rest to repair her DRA and PFM tissues, especially if there’s additional birth trauma. I would get her to see a women’s health physio or pelvic PT first, if you care about her recovery. What postnatal courses have you done?”

Oh-no-she-didn’t.

It was all I could not to go into an all-out Beyonce “Lemonade’esque” rage.

“I DON’T CARE ABOUT HER RECOVERY?” – grabs baseball bat.

“WHO SAID ANYTHING ABOUT 2-3 WEEKS?!” – smashes windshield.

via GIPHY

But I didn’t do that.

In the woman’s defense what she (probably) read and saw was some meathead bragging about his wife hitting a heavy bench press a few weeks postpartum.

How could she have known that in the weeks leading up to that Lisa had also been performing a plethora of diaphragmatic/positional breathing drills, deadbugs, birddogs, carries, hip stability drills, and many other exercises that don’t equate to near the engagement on social media as a bench press?

#mostboringexerciseever

#actuallymaybethisismoreboring…zzzzzzzzzzzz

 

I kindly reiterated that Lisa was cleared by her doctor, that she had been taking things slow up until that point, had been using appropriate progressions, and that she had a pretty smart strength coach (and the world’s #23rd ranked tickle fighter) in her corner writing her programs.

The same woman also stated:

“There’s nothing badass about being a victim to the social pressure to get your body back, it’s stupid really.”

Given no one ever came close to mentioning anything about social pressure or being a victim, at the time, I didn’t have much of a response. She was likely projecting based of experiences in her past, and I chose to ignore it.2

I mean, my wife’s been lifting weights since she was 13 years old, it’s part of her DNA. What’s more, we were engaged in an activity we enjoyed doing together (working out), and she really loves benching, why should I have to defend that?

However, upon further reflection I could see where this woman was/is coming from.

Don’t get me wrong: I still feel there was an exorbitant and egregious amount of “assuming” on this woman’s end.

Like, who in the flying fucks of fucks was she to assume we didn’t take all the precautions in the world? But, deep breaths Tony, I could see how my initial post may have been triggering and come across as a bit too braggadocious.

Moreover, I can see how the message could have been misconstrued.

As oxymoronic as it sounds (and this is likely why this particular woman called me out), women that exercise through their pregnancy are often at MORE risk for postpartum issues. Many feel pressure to head to the gym as soon as possible after giving birth because they actually feel “okay.”

To be clear: This was not the case with my wife. It had everything to do with not wanting to throw an ax into her face from cabin fever.

However, this mentality can often lead to dire circumstances because their body is still healing. Just because someone may want to perform kipping pull-ups paired with sandbag carries through a grenade field for AMRAP doesn’t mean you should.

You CAN still exercise postpartum, but it’s important, nay, crucial, to respect the notion that your body still needs time to “catch up.”

I guess maybe I should have said that from the get go when I originally posted that video of Lisa bench pressing.

That said, it was something the woman said in her initial comment to me that really struck a chord:

“What postnatal courses have you done?

Shit.

None.

Now, I’m not an idiot.

I understand, to the best of my Y chromosome having abilities, the intricacies that coincide with helping a woman train through her pregnancy, as well as how delicate matters are in the months postpartum.

The first few months are all about rebuilding the base (specifically to address the pelvic floor and diaphragm, to get the “core” connected, working, and to progress from there).

After that, a person’s capabilities and foundation matter more than whatever time frame it takes to get them deadlifting appreciable weight again.

As far as the BIG no-no’s to avoid immediately postpartum:

  • Plyometrics – burpees (please, stop), jumping, stairs, and running.
  • Anything coming close to max-effort loading.
  • Front abdominal exercises (planks, sit-ups, push-ups, leg lifts, or anything that makes the abdominals bulge anteriorly or uses the core to support a lot of bodyweight).
  • FWIW: Any sort of Fight Club is out of the question during this time as well.

I’m also aware that the postpartum “phase” doesn’t just refer to weeks or even months. Women can present with postpartum issues years after the fact, and it’s imperative to respect that and know how to assess and program accordingly.

But, to go back to the woman’s comment (what postnatal course have you taken?) that was a massive mea culpa.

I had taken none.

She got me there.

At that point I felt it was my responsibility to remedy the situation.

And that’s what I did (and am still doing).

Pregnancy & Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist 2.0

In recent years whenever I am asked by other health/fitness professionals what course I’d recommend they look into my immediate answer is Dr. Sarah Duvall’s PCES course.

It’s without hesitation the most valuable continuing education resource I’ve come across in the past four years, and it’s also had the most impact on my own coaching.

Every pregnancy is different.

Every woman who is postpartum is different.

There are a LOT of women out there and you WILL undoubtedly need to know this information and know how to apply it.

As it happens, Sarah just revamped the entire course: PCES 2.0

  • 34 hours of content loaded with a tsunami of lectures, videos, and case studies.
  • CEUs available
  • Save $150 off the regular price through Wednesday (2/24). Access to the course CLOSES on March 5th.
  • FYI: Payment plans available.

This course will teach and show you the appropriate assessments/screens to use as well as the corrective strategies to implement to address everything from pelvic floor dysfunction to incontinence to rectus diastasis. In addition, and this is what I dig the most about Sarah’s approach, is that strength training can and should be a part of the process.

Remember: You only have till midnight on 2/24 to SAVE $150 and access to the course shuts down on 3/5.

👉 Click HERE 👈

CategoriesCorrective Exercise Female Training

4 Things to Consider When Working With Postpartum Women

I’ve always prided myself in my ability to recognize (and then attempt to address) my knowledge gaps.1

  • Understanding functional anatomy? ✅
  • Peeling back the onion on the importance of breathing mechanics? ✅
  • Having a better understanding of how to appropriately program plyometrics? ✅
  • Long division? ❌

One of the best things I did for my career, however, was to better educate myself on the topic of training clients’ through pregnancy in addition to having a better understanding of the intricacies working with postpartum women.

Anyone who works with women – which is pretty much every coach, ever – should consider investing in this area. I can only speak for myself, but studying this topic in more depth has given me much more confidence as a coach.

I’m also speaking for myself when I say one of THE best courses I have ever taken – not just on the topic, but ever – is Dr. Sarah Duvall’s Pregnancy & Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist course.

She’s just revamped the entire course and starting today (through tomorrow, 2/24) you can purchase Pregnancy & Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist 2.0 for $150 OFF the regular price.

  • 34 hours of content (legit, everything is covered: The only thing not covered is showing a live birth).
  • CEUs available (the total # will depend on your certifying body).
  • Payment plans are available too.

I cannot express enough how valuable this course has been in helping me not only become a better coach, but also gaining the confidence/trust of my female clients. I have little reservations in saying that investing in this course will pay for itself tenfold.

Below is a repost of an article I wrote last year sharing some of the things I’ve learned taking the course. But for those who prefer to skip the foreplay, you can go HERE to purchase. REMEMBER: The discounted price only lasts through Wednesday (2/24).

Outside of that, you should totally read my article (pretty sure it’s Pulitzer worthy).

Copyright: sangriana / 123RF Stock Photo

4 Things to Consider When Working With Postpartum Women

1. Once a Woman is Postpartum, She’s ALWAYS Postpartum

This is a powerful quote and something Sarah stresses over and over again in her course. Whether you’re working with a woman who is very recently postpartum or she gave birth three years ago, you still need to do your due diligence as a coach.

Just because some time has passed doesn’t mean she’s out of the weeds yet. Some women exhibit significant Diastasis Recti years after giving birth and shrug it off as “meh, that’s just the way things are.”

Likewise, some women view incidents such as incontinence (urine leaks) as equally “normal” and shrug worthy years after the fact.

NEWSFLASH: they’re not.

In light of that, it’s important to ask questions and to peel back the onion on a woman’s (reproductive) health history to glean as much information as possible.

Now, I get it: I’m a dude.

There’s a high degree of professionalism at play here.

“So, where you from?”

“Born and raised in Boston.”

“Awesome, do you have any major injuries I need to be aware of?”

“Nope, none I can think of.”

“How many kids do you have? Did you have a natural birth or c-section? Oh, and do you pee when you squat?”

To help stave off any awkwardness, I’ll send all prospective clients a questionnaire to fill out a head of time with pertinent questions related to this part of their health history.

If they’ve never given birth then they can skip and move on to the “Favorite Movie of All-Time” section (which is TOTALLY a thing by the way.  I find it’s a great conversation stimulator and helps break the ice). And if they do have kids I ask them to fill out that section which has a handful of follow-up questions.

They can then go into as much detail as they feel comfortable with with 1019% less awkwardness.

2. Breathing –> Core –> Posture –> Everything Else –> More Kitty Cuddles

That’s the order of things you’ll almost always want to prioritize when working with postpartum women. I’ve had a crush on the importance of positional breathing drills ever since my days at Cressey Sports Performance.

We found there was a lot of efficacy towards their use with getting athletes into a better position prior to training; specifically nudging toward a canister position (Zone of Apposition, I.e., the act of bringing things together or in proximity) as opposed to a scissor position.

Canister Position = diaphragm and pelvic floor stacked on top of each other.

Scissor Position = the opposite of that.

The latter tends to be a much more UN-stable position and can (not always) result in a fusillade of things we’d rather not see happen:

  • Poor breathing mechanics.
  • Lower back pain.
  • Shoulder pain.
  • Many of the things I’ve already noted above: DA, pelvic floor issues, etc.
  • Global warming
  • Another Transformer movie.

Honing in on breath can help “glue” or connect things more efficiently. Making sure someone is getting 3D expansion of their rib cage (and not just breathing UP into their chest) can be a game changer and helps to set the stage for everything else that follows.

If you don’t own breath, you’re not going to own “position” during exercise.

Something as simple as the Deadbug exercise – done correctly, with emphasis on the breath – is a great example.

 

It’s important to note that everyone is different and every birth is different. I can’t stress enough the importance of encouraging a woman to wait until she’s ready before implementing any mode of exercise. However, it’s important to note that it only takes 14 days of bedrest to notice atrophy of the Multifidi and surrounding spine musculature.

Encouraging small walks in conjunction with very basic breathing drills can help offset this.

 

Reiterate – from the rooftops – that a woman’s core is GOING TO BE WEAK FOR A LONG-TIME and that it is okay, normal, and 100% human for this to happen.

It still behooves them to set in motion – when they’re ready – these mini interventions that will pay HUGE dividends down the road.

3. It Takes Time

Women who train during their pregnancy are often the most vulnerable. They want to revert back to their “normal” training schedule often times before they’re close to being ready.

The pelvic floor (and other places of trauma) need time to catch up.

A good rule to keep handy:

“9 months to grow, 9 months to recover.”

This is not to imply that a woman can’t start lifting weights or exercising more vigorously prior to nine months, however it’s just to toss in a bit of expectation management.

The kipping pull-ups and heavy squats can wait.

FIRST FOUR MONTHS = rebuilding solid base (get the pelvic floor and core working with a ton of breathing drills).

But even this approach can be tempered to that of the client and her capabilities.

As an example I have a current client who gave birth less than a month ago who has just started to come back to the gym to train. She had been working with me for two years prior and knows her way around the weight room.

Here’s an example of her first week of training back:

A1. Deadbug 3×5/side
A2. Goblet Split Squat: 3×6/leg

B1. Standing Band Row: 3×10
B2. Breathing Side Plank: 3×3/side

C1. Pallof Press: 2×10/side
C2. Suitcase Carry: 2×25 yds/side

D1. Box Jumps – AMAP x 2x30seconds
D2. Just kidding. The fuck outta here.

Again, everyone is different.

The umbrella theme to remember, though, is to TAKE THINGS SLOW!

4. What To Avoid in the Early Stages

On that front, here are some thing you’ll likely want to skip altogether in the early stages of working with postpartum women:

Plyos – burpees, jumping jacks, stairs, stop it.

Running – just an accentuated plyometric.

Front Abdominal Exercises – planks, sit-ups, push-ups, leg lifts (or anything that makes the abs bulge in front or uses the core to support a lot of the body weight).

Ninja Fights – Probably best to avoid ninjas at all costs, actually.

And That’s That

There’s obviously a lot more to consider, but that’s a pretty good start. For much, MUCH more on this topic check out the Certified Pregnancy & Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist 2.0 course HERE.

Your face is going to melt so hard you’ll learn so much.

CategoriesFat Loss Nutrition

Calorie Cycling Strategies For Fat Loss

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Nevada based strength & conditioning coach, Travis Hansen. 

Travis has contributed several articles to this site in years past and he always impresses me with his diversity in knowledge.

(FYI: His ebook, The Complete Speed Encyclopedia, is one of the best resources on the topic I’ve ever read.)

NOTE: 👆👆 Not an affiliate link.

Anyway, he also knows a thing or two with regards to helping his clients/athletes shed fat and the “minor” nutritional tweaks that they may need to consider; like calorie cycling.

Check it out.

Copyright: vladimirsoldatov / 123RF Stock Photo

Calorie Cycling Strategies For Fat Loss

We humans are cyclical creatures in terms of our overall behavior, and when it comes to nutrition and our calorie intake there are no exceptions.

The fundamental reason for why we need to cycle calories over the course of weeks and months when attempting to lose weight/fat is because of natural adaptations and guaranteed reduction of our metabolic rate and calorie burn that naturally occur when calories are lowered below a certain level necessary to cause effective weight/fat loss.

Fortunately for you, all guesswork for how to cycle calories will be eliminated for you through a specific diagram provided for you shortly.

Cycling calories is so powerful and essential that our body literally fights back and sets our body’s natural weight range, otherwise known as our “metabolic set point,” higher when we attempt to keep our calories fixed aggressively too low for too long.

So the take home message here is that cycling calories is inevitable and there is a very specific way you can approach this nutritional law and have it work to your advantage so that you maximize all aspects of your results and feel physically and mentally satisfied in the process.

via GIPHY

Some of the most notable evidence supporting the idea of cycling calories in the “short term” centers around the hormone, leptin.

According to Lyle McDonald and his research on the matter, leptin levels drop dramatically within the first week or so of dieting.

The drop can be as much as 50%.

For the non-nerds reading, leptin is our primary metabolic regulator, acting on several areas of the body. So in theory, if we cycle our calories during the week we can boost leptin and keep our metabolism higher.

Note From TG: For a more thorough discussion on the topic of Leptin and it’s affects on metabolism you can check THIS out. Grab a cup of coffee. You’ll need it…;o)

Moving forward I want to break down three categories of structured eating that will need to be built into your collective nutrition plan that feeds into (<—HA, see what I just did there) and supports the concept of calorie cycling.

  • Free Meals
  • Structured Refeeds
  • Full Diet Breaks 

Free Meals (Cheat Meals)

Free meal(s) can be considered structured eating where calories are higher and you overfeed more.

Key Word: Structured. Also, meal (as in singular).

This is basically where you pick one single meal of your liking, set aside all the rules, and you enjoy some pizza or tacos.

Or both…;o)

To note: There’s really no inherent physiological benefit happening here. One single meal isn’t going to break or make a dietary approach or be the panacea of success.

It can’t help, nor can it hurt you in terms of actual fat and weight loss, so you shouldn’t worry much.

Rather, the main benefit here is psychological.

The feeling of complete deprivation of desired and enjoyable foods for weeks and months on end can become very stressful and completely depressing.

A free meal is one method that provides a “light at the end of the tunnel” per se.

Research has shown consistently time and time again that flexible dieting strategies are far more effective than extremely strict and rigid approaches both in terms of overall results and healthy eating behavior.

Structured Re-feeds

A structured reefed is simply a 4-5 hour window where you don’t count calories and you deviate from both the quantity and type of food that you are eating with your normal fat loss diet.

Moreover, carbohydrates are supposed to be higher during the re-feed.

It’s also worth noting that carbohydrates are highly “anti-catabolic” in nature.  Meaning they prevent muscle tissue and others from degrading or breaking down through the increases in insulin production.  For example, a recent study from Campbell et. al  2020 found that a two day reefed in resistance trained individuals preserved RMR, and FFM a.k.a muscle mass. 2  .

Lastly, in my experience re-feeds should generally come in the evening for two reasons.

1) It’s psychologically much easier to resume normal dieting and healthier eating at the start of the next day where you interpret a clean slate rather than attempting to pwn a industrial sized bag of Skittles in the middle of the day and then attempt to get back on track after the fact.

2) It just seems to work well and mirrors normal human behavior.

A good general rule of thumb is to reefed from 5-10pm.

This works well since structured re-feeds are programmed on the weekend where a majority are partaking in social activities and get-togethers where higher food consumption is almost guaranteed to occur.

SIDE NOTE: It’s also ideal to perform a workout at or near a re-feed so that the carbohydrates and other nutrients are automatically soaked up in the muscles. This is especially true for those who are overweight or have sensitivity issues to carbohydrates.  When you eat your carbohydrates around intense lifting times you are conditioning your cellular components to better handle and manage carbohydrates to help limit potential feelings of hunger and overeating.

Full Diet Breaks

Just as the name states, full diet breaks are periods lasting as high as two whole weeks where you increase calories to maintenance levels and are allowed much more leniency with food selection.

Recent research has also supported that intermittent calorie maintenance may be ideal for faster fat loss.

Not only from a psychological standpoint, but also in terms of feelings of “confidence” that you’ll be able to stay on track once stricter eating resumes again.

Another huge potential benefit to diet breaks is that they can programmed around periods of vacation or special events.

Anecdotally, it has been shown that breaks from dieting can be viewed much more positively by dieters, since it’s actually part of a strategic plan, and people report an easier time returning to diet once the break is over.

General Diet Breaks Guidelines

1️⃣ Raise calories by 500-1000 calories daily.

2️⃣ Keep weight training hard and regularly and maintain at least 50% of your cardio work.

3️⃣ Don’t worry about counting macro’s until the end of the break.

Body-Fat Percentage
(Men / Women)

Diet Break Frequency

<10% / 18%

Every 6–8 weeks

10-15% / 18–23%

Every 8–12 weeks

>15% / >23%

Every 12–16 weeks

(I.e., the leaner you are, the more frequent “breaks” you can get away with).

(Chart courtesy of Andy Morgan, RippedBody.com “How to Use a Diet Break for Fat Loss to Get Shredded Lean”)

About the Author

Travis Hansen  has been involved in the field of training for over a decade, and he has over 60,000 hours of hands-on training experience.

He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fitness and Wellness, and he holds three training certifications—from the ISSA, NASM and NCSF.

He was the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Reno Bighorns of the NBA D-League during their 2010 season, and The University of Nevada-Reno golf team in 2015.

He was the former Director of the Reno Speed School. He has worked with hundreds of athletes from almost all sports, ranging from the youth to the professional ranks.

He is also the leading authority on speed development for the International Sports Sciences Association. Check out his website HERE.

 

 

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 2/19/21

Copyright: conneldesign / 123RF Stock Photo

STUFF TO CHECK OUT FIRST

1. Virtual Coaching Competency Workshop – Coming in March

Since I won’t be traveling anytime soon to present, I decided why not bring one of my workshops to YOU? I will be putting on my popular Coaching Competency Workshop this March.

I figured chances would be high many attendees would be fighting off the urge to commit seppuku staring at their computer screen for seven straight hours so made the executive decision to spread things out over three consecutive weekends:

  • 3 Hours on 3/7
  • 2 Hours on 3/14
  • 2 Hours on 3/21

The course has been approved for CEUs via the NSCA and all attendees will receive a recording in case Eastern Standard Time doesn’t bode well for your schedule. 

For more info go HERE.

2. CORE @ Home

You can now purchase CORE @ Home for whatever you want to pay.

During the first quarantine I started a platform where I’d deliver 20-40 minute workouts that could be performed in everyone’s living room using minimal equipment.

In all I filmed 36 workouts using nothing but bodyweight, bands, and kettlebells and/or dumbbells. With many people still reticent to head back to their regular gyms (not to mention the scarcity of gym equipment out there to purchase) I figured this would be a nice opportunity to help.

Whether you want to spend $1 or $99 (FYI: the latter enters you to win a 5×7 shirtless pic of me), the workouts are ready and available to start.

For more information go HERE.

3. I Care A Lot

 

I am not one to toot my own horn (that often), but I am giddy about this.

I had the opportunity to work with the lovely Rosamund Pike while she was in Boston back in 2019 filming her latest movie, I Care A lot, which was just released on Netflix today.

I love deadlifts and movies.

So, of course, when I had the chance to work with a bonafide movie star, I had her deadlift…;o)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Rosamund Pike (@mspike)

Anyway, I Care A lot has been getting rave reviews, as has her performance as the movie’s main character, Marla Grayson, which has been getting compared to Rosamund’s most iconic character, Amy Dunne, from Gone Girl.

Rosamund is the sweetest person on Earth, but she seems to excel at portraying sinister characters. In fact, Rosamund was just nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in this film.

Looking for something good to watch this weekend? Check this out!

SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS

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STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

Blood Flow Restriction Training: Everything You Need to Know – Mike Reinold

I remember when BFR started gaining traction several years ago I had to do all I could to prevent my eyeballs from rolling out of their sockets.

Really? We’re gonna “cut off” circulation to our limbs in order to elicit just a smidgeon more of a pump?

As it happens, yes.

And, too, as it happens, there’s a bevy of other legitimate applications as well. For example (and speaking personally), I used BFR as part of my Achilles rehab.

But I’ll let Mike to do the talking. He does a better job anyway in this extensive article.

Not the King of Exercises: The Bench Press – Christian Thibaudeau

Ohhhhh, shit.

Shots have been fired.

3+ Plank Substitutes That Make Solid AF – Julia Eyre

The next time that plank holds are in your program or in your head, do me a favor. Pause for a moment and ask yourself one simple question:

“Why?”

Categoriescoaching

Do Bad Workouts Exist?

I liken this question to pizza.

Is there such a thing as “bad” pizza?

Sure, we’ve all had a sub-par slice of pizza here and there. I mean, pizza made in middle-of-no-where Montana cannot be held in the same regard as one born from a brick oven in Manhattan.

I have zero doubts the former is still good pizza,  but let’s be honest…

…it’ll pale in comparison to the latter.

That said, salt, fat, tomato sauce, and gluten will always be tasty.

Copyright: hquality / 123RF Stock Photo

Do Bad Workouts Exist?

To quote a good friend of mine, Nia Shanks, who wrote a similar article recently:

There’s no such thing as a “bad” workout.

“Every workout, regardless of performance improvements or decreases, is a productive workout.”

Every time you step foot in the weight room or on the track or beat Jason Bourne in a street fight (that’s a workout, right?), you did it.

You won.

You (likely) did something good and productive for your body that day.

The metric that every workout has to set some sort of personal record or that it wasn’t an effective use of your time unless you’re swimming in a pool of your own sweat or you can’t feel the right side of your face is, well…

…ludicrous.

The 80% Rule for Workouts

Note: I originally got this “rule” from coach Paul Carter.

The gist is as follows:

  • 10% of your workouts you’ll feel like you can beat The Mountain in an arm-wrestling match.
  • 10% of your workouts you’ll feel like you got run over by a Mack truck.
  • 80% of your workouts you’ll just show up.

Those 80% workouts are where the magic happens and where you’ll actually make progress. There’s no glory, smelling salts, or Instagram highlight videos involved.

You show up, do the work, and leave.

Sometimes this means completing what was planned for the day.

Sometimes this means completing what was planned, albeit with the weights adjusted slightly lower.

That’s okay.

You didn’t besmirch your family name because you didn’t add ten pounds to your bench press this week.

You did work.

That’s the real “win.”

Stop “Should’ing On Yourself”

We’ve programmed ourselves into an endless game of comparison (in no small part to social media). Many of us form these beliefs and inevitably turn them into doctrine:

  • I “should” be working out 5x per week like “so and so.”
  • I “should” be performing “x” exercise.
  • I “should” be lifting “x” amount of weight.
  • I “should” look a certain way.
  • I “should” attack every workout as if I were Leonidas leading the Spartans to battle.

via GIPHY

Even if a reliable source makes a professional recommendation about what you “should” be doing – does that mean it’s come down from the mountain?

It’s All Made Up

The thing to point out – especially as it relates to YOUR goals and YOUR happiness – is that there are no rules. Everything – more or less – is someone else’s belief.

Someone else’s opinion.

[Not coincidentally to help sell a book, course, or, I don’t know, Gluten-free, GMO, organic, Acai Pills soaked in Unicorn tears.]

That doesn’t mean it’s right for you.

So, bringing this conversation full-circle.

I don’t believe bad workouts exists.1

“Bad” (lofty, force-fed, unattainable) expectations do.

CategoriesNutrition

Set Yourself Up For Nutrition Success With a Kitchen Refresh

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Minneapolis based personal trainer and nutrition coach, Megan Schall. Megan’s been a distance coaching client of mine for a number of years (I write her training programs), but is someone I’ve referred many other clients to when they have any nutritional needs or questions.

She’s an awesome coach.

I’m always excited when I can provide sound nutrition based content on the site and I think you will appreciate Megan’s down-to-Earth approach and tone.

I hope this will be the first of more submissions from Megan (hint, hint. nudge, nudge).

Enjoy!

Copyright: serezniy / 123RF Stock Photo

The Kitchen Refresh

When I first started distance coaching with Tony, I told him one of my goals was to be able to do a pull-up. So for the first several months my program included a shit-ton of upper back work (so. many. rows.) and core stability exercises.

After a steady progression from month to month, the day finally came and…

…I walked up to the bar (well, I walked up to a box underneath the bar because I’m short) and did my first strict pull-up, no problem.

via GIPHY

I admit I was a little nervous that it wasn’t going to happen! But looking back I realize I had no need to worry – Tony had set me up for success. His plan had created an environment where it was basically impossible for me to ‘fail’ because all the pieces were already in place.

This same concept applies when it comes to our eating habits and food choices: setting up your environment in a way that makes better choices easy and less great choices difficult (or impossible) allows you to conquer your nutrition goals.

Enter the Kitchen Refresh

The kitchen refresh is exactly as it sounds: You are going to clean out and refill your kitchen, updating it to support your needs and goals.

It’ll be fun, I promise!

This can be especially helpful right now, as most of us are spending a lot more time at home and thus a lot more time in or near the kitchen. As hard as it might have been to avoid treats in the office, having your kitchen a few steps away (or maybe your kitchen is your office now) makes it that much more challenging, not to mention the stress, boredom, and social isolation also affecting our food and eating choices.

Let’s walk through it step by step:

Step 1: Prepare

This is where you will make a plan for what will stay and what will go. Determine criteria that will make it easy to decide whether to keep or toss items – there’s the obvious ‘toss’ items (anything that has expired or that looks like a lab experiment), but otherwise this will vary for everyone. Defining clear guidelines for what you want to have around and what needs to go will make the cleaning out process much easier.

One strategy for doing this is to make a list of red, yellow, and green light foods.

Red Light Foods = Things that you know don’t make you feel good or are just too tempting if they’re in the house (this may include things like highly processed foods and/or certain ingredients, and anything that feels mentally challenging to have around or you find difficult to eat in moderation).

 Yellow Light Foods = Those that may not be the ‘best’ choice but that you are comfortable keeping around and can eat in moderation.

Green Light Foods = Items that make you feel great and help you reach your health and wellness goals (generally all whole/fresh foods, fruits and veggies, etc.).

(Note From TG: My “red light foods” are honey wheat pretzels, Cheez-Its, cereal, and those pills that Bradley Cooper took in that movie Limitless).

Step 2: Toss

Grab a trash bag (or several) and get to work. Read labels carefully. Remove red light foods and move yellow light foods to harder to reach areas or out of sight.

Put green light foods front and center.

This can also be a chance to clear out some of the extra “stuff” that might be hanging around the kitchen. Those 17 extra spatulas you never use? Give one to each of your friends, donate them, or find a creative new use.

Step 3: Restock

Use your green/yellow light foods to make a grocery list and stock up. Rearrange or reorganize so the “better” choices are also the easiest – keep fruits and veggies accessible and visible in the kitchen or fridge. Keep the items you use most often in easy to reach places.

BONUS Step 4: Upgrade

Is there anything that would make life easier when it comes to your food prep or kitchen organization?

  • A great blender that would make you happy to put together a post-workout smoothie?
  • A sharp knife and good cutting board to chop veggies?
  • Decent food storage containers?
  • A time machine to head back to November 2019 to invest in Zoom stock?

Investing in some equipment can make a world of difference, and now’s the chance to take inventory of what you might want or need.

Wasn’t That Fun?

Okay, “fun” may have been a bit of a stretch. The kitchen refresh isn’t like demo day in an actual renovation where you get to pile drive your old cabinets.

However, what WILL be fun is the better sense of control you’ll have over your eating habits.

Cleaning out the kitchen can feel overwhelming, and it certainly does not have to be done all at once. Start with one drawer or cabinet. Set a timer for five minutes and go to town. Maybe you keep a trash bag in the kitchen and get rid of whatever isn’t working for you whenever you come across it, or aim to toss one item a day.

Make a game out of it and get the whole family involved!

Use this as a guide, but feel free to be creative and find what works best for you.

One more thing to note: This process can be challenging if you have multiple family members who all have different wants/needs/food allergies etc.

Some compromises may need to happen – if your red light foods include ice cream and tortilla chips but your significant other or kids likes to have them around, are there compromises that make it work for both of you? (eg: buy smaller containers and keep them in the back of the freezer or out of sight.) It may take a little problem-solving to make sure everyone’s needs are met, but it can be done!

Just as your workout program helps you reach your fitness goals, the kitchen refresh is a great way to make your environment work for you and set yourself up for success. Give it a try and you’ll be well on your way to your first nutrition pull-up!

About the Author

Megan Schall is a certified nutrition coach and personal trainer located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Through her customized online nutrition coaching programs, Megan helps you clarify your goals and take action to address all aspects of well-being: nutrition, sleep, stress management, movement, mind-body awareness, and more. By building skills and routines that fit into your real life, Megan will help you make changes to your nutrition and self-care habits to meet your health and wellness goals and create sustainable, lasting results.
YouTube: HERE
CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 2/5/21

Copyright: conneldesign / 123RF Stock Photo

STUFF TO CHECK OUT FIRST

1. Virtual Coaching Competency Workshop – Coming in March

Since I won’t be traveling anytime soon to present, I decided why not bring one of my workshops to YOU? I will be putting on my popular Coaching Competency Workshop this March over the span of three weekends.

I figured chances would be high many attendees would be fighting off the urge to commit seppuku staring at their computer screen for seven straight hours so made the executive decision to spread things out

  • 3 Hours on 3/7
  • 2 Hours on 3/14
  • 2 Hours on 3/21

The course has been approved for CEUs via the NSCA and all attendees will receive a recording in case Eastern Standard Time doesn’t bode well for your schedule. 

You can register at the EARLY BIRD rate now through 2/15. For more info go HERE.

2. CORE @ Home

You can now purchase CORE @ Home for whatever you want to pay.

During the first quarantine I started a platform where I’d deliver 20-40 minute workouts that could be performed in everyone’s living room using minimal equipment.

In all I filmed 36 workouts using nothing but bodyweight, bands, and kettlebells and/or dumbbells. With many people still reticent to head back to their regular gyms (not to mention the scarcity of gym equipment out there to purchase) I figured this would be a nice opportunity to help.

Now that many parts of the US (and world) have started to implement a second wave of shut-downs, this resource is timely.

Whether you want to spend $1 or $99 (FYI: the latter enters you to win a 5×7 shirtless pic of me), the workouts are ready and available to start.

For more information go HERE.

SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS

Twitter

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STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

How to Handle Bad Workouts – Nia Shanks

Nia goes into more detail on this and I encourage you to read what she has to say. I’ll add my two cents by quoting the great Ted Lasso:

“Be a goldfish.”

Context: Goldfish have no short-term memory. If you have a bad workout, be a goldfish…;o)

Also: Watch Ted Lasso. Best show I’ve watched in a long time.

4 Years Ago, I Graduated From Business School and Didn’t “Use” My Degree. Why That Was the Best Decision of My Life – Gerry DeFilippo

Some people say to follow your passion.

Others say that’s bunk advice. I mean, if you’re passion is being a Broadway performer and you have two left feet, well then, things aren’t going to work out well.

The answer, as always, is somewhere in the middle.

Set-Rep Schemes for the Under-Equipped – Geoff Girvitz

Many of you are still unable to hit up a proper gym and are stuck using a smattering of equipment at home. Here’s some cool ideas to turbo boost your training.

BONUS: Back in the Day Buffet (an old joint I wrote that you likely missed)

Stop “Should’ing All Over Yourself 

Can you spot me in the picture?….LOL