CategoriesMotivational

What I Learned From Avengers: Age of Ultron

Like most people on the planet I spent my $15 to go see Avengers: Age of Ultron recently.

Lisa and I had to hold off on seeing it right away because I was traveling last week, and there was NO way she was going to allow me to see it without her.

Even if I tried she’d be able to tell. Thor has Mjolnir, Quicksilver has super speed, Scarlet Witch has the ability to manipulate people’s thoughts, Tony Stark has a brilliant mind (and an Ironman suit), and Lisa has the ability to call BS if I’m lying to her.

It’s uncanny.

So alas, I had to give up a few “nerd points” and wait until the second weekend Avengers: Age of Ultron was out in theaters to go see it.

It….was…..awesome.

My good friend, John Romaniello, wrote a post earlier in the week about his lessons learned while watching The Avengers (you can check it out HERE).

On an aside: John is releasing his next product soon – the OMEGA Body Blue Print – and he has a killer video to share today titled How to Stay Fit (and Burn Fat) On the Road.

It’s the perfect answer for people who travel a lot and often allow their diet (and training) slide in between flights and hotel stops.

It’s FREE and definitely worth the watch. Check it out HERE.

Roman knows fat-loss (and sultry stares)

(NOTE: You will need to provide an email address, but I promise John won’t spam you or share your email. Because he’s not a dick.)

Back to The Avengers.

Did I mention it was awesome?

It was awesome.

I know it’s woefully unoriginal, but I’m stealing Roman’s idea and plan on sharing my own lessons learned from watching the movie.

Here you go.

1. A Team Trumps Any One Person

None of the (original) Avengers – Captain America, Ironman, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye – particularly like one another.

Put them in a room together where they’re not fighting a common enemy trying to destroy Earth and they’re bound to argue, squabble, fight, and otherwise act like whiny teenagers.

And while each one separately has their own set of unique skills and strengths which allow them to kick ass, it’s only when they combine and join forces – as a team – that they’re able to conquer immense circumstances and odds.

This parallels what we try to accomplish at Cressey Sports Performance.

Every coach on staff has their own set of strengths they bring to the table. And while I’d be lying if I sat her and said that Eric (Cressey) isn’t the ring leader and “the face of the franchise,” it’s equally false for me to sit here and state we haven’t worked – as a team – to make the brand successful with or without the namesake being around.

A few weekends ago Pete Dupuis, the Vice-President and business director of CSP, travelled with me to Kansas City to speak at The Fitness Summit.

The topic of his presentation? How Tony Took Over the Radio and Played NOTHING But Tiesto CSP Massachusetts Was Able to “Survive” and Flourish With Eric Gone.

Not the exact title, but close.

When Eric decided to open up another facility in Jupiter, FL, it was a very real concern that our numbers would drop up here in Massachusetts. Both from a foot-traffic standpoint and monetary standpoint.

As it happened: we had our most successful 6-month stretch ever……with Eric being gone.

Our foot-traffic stayed pretty much the same, and we not only saw continued double digit growth in business, but we were also able to hire TWO additional coaches (Miguel Aragoncillo and Tony Bonvechio, respectively).

I chalk it up to the entire staff working as a team to improve the athlete-client experience.

Each coach was able to “step-up” and come out of their shell (so-to-speak) and shine. What’s more, communication was placed at a premium, and we all made a concerted effort to bring up any issues or concerns we had. Everything from programming modifications and assessment protocols to scheduling and helping one another with evaluations.

It wasn’t about relying on ONE person to call the shots and be the leader. It was about all of us learning to become more of a team and playing to one another’s strength to make the customer experience better.

2.  Captain America Has Pecs That Could Cut Diamonds

As we were walking home from the movie yesterday, all I heard Lisa say was how Captain America’s (Chris Evans’) pecs were so juicy.

“They’re my new favorite pecs.”

[Cue evil stare from me]

“After yours, of course, honey.”

Okay, I’ll admit it: those are some pretty damn juicy. I mean, look at em!

While I can’t speak to the exact workout regimen Chris followed to get those pecs, I can speak to one of my new favorite ways to blast your pecs.

Something I’ve been hammering lately – thanks to my own coach, Greg Robins – is something called Oxidative Bench Pressing.

It goes like this:

1. Start with a weight in the 95-135 lb range (trust me, start LIGHT).

2. Using a 2-2-2 tempo (lowering bar in 2s, pausing at the chest for 2s, then pressing back up in 2s), press for 30 seconds.

3. Rest for 30s.

4. Repeat same process for a TOTAL of 3-4 rounds.

5. REST FIVE MINUTES

6. Repeat the whole shebang again.

Add 10s each for four weeks, so by the time you reach week #4 you’ll be pressing for 60 total seconds.

You’re welcome.

3.  People Will Find a Way to Complain About Anything

You’re never going to make everyone happy.

I read somewhere on the interwebz that some people were upset with Natasha Romanoff’/Black Widow’s backstory, and more specifically, were upset that the director, Joss Whedon, decided to add a bit of a romantic chemistry between Natasha (Scarlett Johansson) and Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo)……

…..and that this plot detail somehow spoke to a larger issue of how women are portrayed in movies.

Concerning the Back Story: was it lame? Maybe. Personally, I didn’t think so.

Concerning the Whole “How Women Are Portrayed in Movies Argument: I can see how this has some merit, but not here.

For a quick precursor, I offer you the Bechdel Test.

Introduced by comedian Alison Bechdel, it’s a quick test that calls attention to gender inequality in movies. Basically, a movie “passes” if it meets the following criteria:

  1. The movie has to have at least two women in it,
  2. who talk to each other,
  3. about something besides a man.

I guess, technically, Avengers: Age of Ultron “fails” the test.  But lets provide a bit of context.

You could make the argument that Joss Whedon has done MORE for female equality in movies than any other director in Hollywood. All we have to do is look at his past projects, ALL of which involve STRONG female character, often in a leading role.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (tv)

Dollhouse (tv)

Firefly (tv), which was then made into the movie Serenity.

As well as The Avengers and now Avengers: Age of Ultron.

So, shut-up internet.

I’ve also read that some people were turned off by Black Widow’s lack of badassery in this latest movie, and that this was another gleaming example of Hollywood placating into societal norms.

Bull to the shit.

First off, I challenge anyone to write, much less DIRECT a movie of this magnitude – which included upwards of FIFTEEN main (“superhero”) characters – and not be forced to tone down a few components of the story line.

That’s fifteen actors and actresses vying for significant screen time. Good luck with that.

Second, with regards to anyone commenting on Black Widow’s lack of badassery, did you not see Captain America: The Winter Soldier?

She was busting people’s faces all over the place. For two freakin straight hours.

Lastly, and I understand this is a bit of a stretch in terms of an argument, but Scarlett Johansson was pregnant during much of the filming of this movie.

The internet shit a kettlebell a few years ago when a mother had the audacity to continue to attend CrossFit classes and lift weights during her pregnancy.

The backlash she received from ignorant naysayers was sickening. All of it despite the fact she had years of experience, nothing she was doing was new (to her), and she reduced her frequency and loads as the pregnancy progressed.

For more of my thoughts on women training through pregnancy, check out THIS post.

Imagine the outcry if people found out Scarlett was performing scissor kicks to various people’s faces – while pregnant – during filming.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I don’t even want to think about it.

Needless to say, I’m sure this played into why, to some degree, Black Widow’s storyline was watered down a bit.

Relax, people.

4. Be You. Own You

Much of what makes the Avengers so interesting to watch is that each character has his or her’s own flaws.

None of them are perfect.

Just like none of us are perfect.

In the movie, while it doesn’t jive with the source material from the comics, Ultron is “created” by Tony Stark as a way to protect Earth, to serve as a “shield” from non-Earthly danger.

Unfortunately, Ultron comes to the conclusion that humans themselves are Earth’s greatest enemy, and seeks to destroy them/us.

Oops.

Without giving away too much, there’s a point in the movie where Stark tries to “right his wrong,” and seemingly goes about making the same mistake(s) that started the whole mess in the first place.

“I’m a mad scientist,” he blurts out to Dr. Bruce Banner, who’s incredulously looking on in disbelief.

Stark owns who he is. He’s unabashedly being himself.

I encourage you to do the same.

BE YOU!

Just don’t pretend to be someone you’re not.

I’ve never been a big drinker. I can count on one-hand the total number of times I drank alcohol in college; and I’d be hard pressed to surpass two-hands to point to the number of times I’ve held a drink in my hand throughout my entire life.

It’s never been a vanity thing or a health thing.

I just can’t stand the taste of alcohol. Remember those bitter-beer face commercials from back in the day?

That was me, no matter what type of alcohol touched my lips.

Sure, I got my balls busted by my teammates, and it took a while for them to understand I wasn’t ever really going to “break.” It was hard always being the one guy at the party that wasn’t drinking.

But I stuck to my guns, stayed true to myself, and it wasn’t long before it was just a common theme that “Tony didn’t drink.”

It’s an dramatic example, but whatever the case may be as it relates to YOU….don’t shy away from it.

Be you.

Always.

5. It’s Possible to Have an Erection For an Extended Amount of Time Without Having to Call a Doctor.

We’ve all seen those silly male erectile dysfunction commercials on television.

At the end of each one, when they start to list all the side-effects, one of them always tends to stand out. Always call your doctor for erections that last for an extended period of time.

I think it’s something like 2-4 hours.

Well, I’m here to tell you I had a (nerd) erection for a long-ass time yesterday and I was just fine. From the moment the first preview started – Fantastic Four to Star Wars to Batman vs. Superman to Jurassic World –  until the end of the mid-credit “final scene” featuring Thanos, I had a massive boner.

Can you blame a nerd?

Did I mention this movie was awesome?

CategoriesMotivational

Fitness Professionals: Find Your Why

While I wouldn’t place myself in the echelon of “voracious reader,” I do read a lot. Fiction, non-fiction, autobiographies, Entertainment Weekly, it’s all fair game.

Like many of my colleagues, I make a special point to read books on personal development and business. For some of my favs check out my list HERE.

One book that’s rocking my world at the moment is Start With Why by Simon Sinek.

At the center of the book is what’s referred to as The Golden Circle. I know it sounds nefarious – or at the very least a long-lost Narnia sequel – but I assure you it’s harmless.

It goes like this (and for the more visual learners in the crowd you can peep the chart above):

Many people and/or businesses and organizations know what they do and they know how they do it.

Rarely, though, do they know WHY.

WHY do they do what they do?

One “go to” example often used in the book is Apple. There are any number of companies that make computers, laptops, Mp3 players, and what not. Some of which are technologically better than Apple.

So what makes Apple so special?

Why are they able to maintain such a stronghold, be the most profitable, and retain such a loyal following despite only penetrating 6-7% of the market?

What do they do differently and where are others missing the mark?

And since I’m on a roll right now and ending every sentence with an open-ended question, is this not the funniest video ever?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VuMdLm0ccU

 

To quote the book, here’s a marketing message from Apple, if they were like everyone else:

“We make great computers. They’re beautifully designed, simple to use and user-friendly. Wanna buy one?”

Here’s the same message written in a way that Apple actually communicates. This time emphasizing the WHY:

“Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently. The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use and user-friendly.

And we happen to make great computers. Wanna buy one?”

What’s My Point?

I see this same phenomenon in the fitness industry (and frankly, you can insert any industry or occupation here), and the same message mirrors why many fitness professionals fail.

While I generally avoid using gross generalizations, I’d garner a guess that most personal trainers and coaches know what they do.

“I get people jacked, shredded, bigger, faster, stronger, or increase their level of sexification, yo!”

To that same point, many know how to do it.

[Lets assume we live in a perfect bubble and every trainer takes their clients through a thorough assessment and designs a well thought out, organized, efficient, and non-bat-shit-crazy program based off the findings of said assessment.

1. HAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAA.

2. But seriously, lets assume it.]

But WHY do you do what you do?

“To help people achieve their goals,” most might say.

Okay, noble answer.

But that doesn’t really say anything, differentiate you from the masses, or speak to the fact 99.99% of fitness professionals aren’t in it to not help people achieve their goals.

In short: lame answer, and it’s what everyone else says.

Much like Apple, we don’t need to over-think things and come up with some Tolstoy’esq sized Mission Statement.

Lets run with the canned response “I want to help people achieve their goals.”

It it were me, I’d saying something along the lines of:

“There are any number of trainers and coaches out there you could hire. And like most of them, I too want to help you achieve your goals – whether it’s to get a little stronger, improve performance in your respective sport, shed some extra body fat, or help with a nagging injury.

I choose to do so with integrity and honesty, in addition to using equal parts evidence-based research and anecdotal “real-world” experience.”

I want to help you achieve your goals, but I also want to help you not have to rely on me long-term. I want to teach you, educate you, coach you. It’s my goal to make you your own best ally, asset, and advocate.”

I encourage you to find your WHY.

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Rotational Deadlift

Anyone who’s ever dealt with Sacroiliac (SI) joint dysfunction or pain knows how much of a soul suck it can be.

It’s something that’s very common, but altogether mysterious because it’s such a tricky joint to begin with.

This isn’t going to be a post on SI joint dysfunction. There’s really nothing I can say or add to the conversation that hasn’t already been stated.

HERE’s an excellent post by my boy Dean Somerset which breaks down the anatomy and some programming considerations.

And for the more clinically minded, HERE’s a post by Mike Reinold on the assessment side of things.

Suffice it to say, when it comes to SI joint shenanigans there’s no one universal approach or train of thought as to the best way to rehab it or resolve it.

It’s kind of like driving through Boston. No one really knows what the heck is going on.

Last weekend at The Fitness Summit I had the opportunity to listen to Dr. Erika Mundinger speak on the topic, and really liked what she had to say.

One “delicious Bon Bon” (< – to steal a quote from Mark Fisher) of information I gleaned from her talk was the idea of including more rotational movements as part of SIJ dysfunction rehab/treatment.

Specifically she talked about the Posterior Sling and how, for many suffering from SIJ dysfunction, it’s often neglected. Or, rather, it’s addressed from the wrong vantage point.

For most, sagittal plane movements are going to be money. Most will be able to handle sagittal loading via bilateral squats and deadlifts fairly well. This will generally always be the starting point.

Where that starting point actually is…depends. Some people will be on one end of the spectrum and need to learn how to perform a basic hip hinge and hammer floor based core stability (deadbugs, quadruped drills, etc).

Others will be able to be more aggressive and perform more traditional DL and squat exercises.

 

HOWEVER, as Dr. Mundinger noted, it’s these very sagittal plane (flexion/extension) dominant exercise that may be jacking up people’s SI joints further.

Sometimes people gain too much rigidity in the sagittal plane and it causes it’s own set of issues.

Hypermobility and laxity is a common “correlation” with SIJ dysfunction, and it makes sense to build more stability in that area with said movements. But Dr. Mundinger’s commentary about including more transverse plane (rotational) movements made a lot of sense to me.

Which serves as a perfect opportunity to introduce the next Exercise You Should Be Doing.

Rotational Deadlift

 

It’s no secret I love me some deadlifts. There’s no one exercise that gets me pumped up or gratifies me more than the deadlift.

In every sense: it’s you vs. the bar.

It helps build bulletproof athletes and makes men out of boys (women out of girls?).

Either way, it’s a staple movement and one I feel is about as versatile as they come, whether you’re an athlete or regular Joe/Jane, someone interested in powerlifting or just looking to move well and feel better……..

…..the deadlift can accomplish a lot.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Rotational Deadlifts WILL NOT get you yoked.

Sorry meatheads.

[Cue hilarious video I found on the internet now……NSFW]

 

For those still reading….lets continue.

I do feel it’s a variation that many people can incorporate into their training repertoire injured or not, but one that obviously has increased merit with those suffering from SIJ pain.

What Does It Do: As alluded to above it gets you out of the sagittal plane, and as Dr. Mundinger suggested (much to the GASPS of her colleagues), it relieves some of the stress off of the SI joint and challenges it in the transverse plane.

Of course this is going to be a case-by-case scenario, and it’s important that someone OWNS sagittal plane before introducing rotational movements.

But it makes sense – at least to me – that constantly hammering the same pattern(s) over and over and over again could be detrimental. Adding in (some) rotation can be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Pun intended.

Dr. Erika Mundinger

Key Coaching Cues: for some, you’ll have to tame your inner meat-head. This IS NOT going to be an exercise where max-effort is the goal.

Start with a KB on one side and sit (rotate) INTO the hip. Grab the handle as if you were trying to melt it in your hands (this will force the shoulder to pack itself through a process called irradiation) and then “deadlift” the bell up to waist height.

For some people I may even have them “hover” the bell above the floor a couple of inches for a few seconds to help them maintain tension and to keep proper spinal position.

You’ll then reverse the action and rotate into the opposite hip, coming to a complete stop on the other side.

(Again, sometimes, I’ll have people hover for a few seconds above the floor).

And that’s pretty much it.

There are ways to progress this movement. You can perform with TWO kettlebells or you can even perform it as a 1-legged variation.

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

UPDATE: scratch that, you can go beast mode on rotational deadlifts. You win this time David Dellanave.

CategoriesRehab/Prehab

6 Reasons Why You’re Always Hurt

Everyone has that one crazy uncle in their family. The one who burps in public, says inappropriate things at the most inopportune times, and who’s social filter is otherwise…always a little off.

By that same token many of us – the fitness minded ones, the gym rats – tend to have that one friend who’s always hurt

Whether it’s a bum knee, an old shoulder injury, or nagging lower back pain that never seems to go away, they’re never 100% and can’t seem to get out of their own way.

In my latest article on T-Nation I discuss a handful of not-so-common reasons why some people are always hurt.

I had a lot of fun writing this one.

Check it out HERE.

CategoriesUncategorized

I Was Nominated For Something. You Should Vote For Me.

I don’t normally do this but……

…..Holy s*** I was nominated for something!

It wasn’t for an Oscar.

It wasn’t for a Tony Award, as ironical as that would be.

It wasn’t for a Grammy.1

And it definitely wasn’t for anything like “best looking deadlift” or “best last name for a strength coach” or “most likely to kick Batman’s ass” or “owner of cutest cat on Earth.”

It was, however, something unexpected and something I think is pretty cool.

My website/blog was nominated for the 2015 Fitness Blog Awards (in the category of Bodybuilding and Strength) by the website Muscle & Strength.

The last time I was nominated for anything was back when I was a junior in high school for Prom Court.

I didn’t win.

It’s a long story, I don’t want to get into it.

Those fuckers.

Nevertheless, while I can’t sit here and say what, exactly, I’d “win” for winning – other than bragging rights (?) – as the cliche goes, it’s an honor just to be nominated.

As noted on the site:

“The awards are designed to recognize and promote fitness bloggers who create great fitness content that helps others reach their personal health & fitness goals.”

That’s pretty awesome in my book.

[According to the representative who contacted me from the site, in order to be placed onto the ballot you had to be nominated, and those sites which garnered the most nominations were then placed on the final tally.]

So here we are, and thank you to everyone who nominated my site.

What Now?

1. I kind of feel like one of those contestants on The Bachelor or The Bachelorette. I want to win (or at least get into the top four) just to say I made it that far. Except, you know, with less back-stabbing, cattiness, hot tub make-out scenes, and final rose ceremonies.

2. If you have a few spare moments (and you agree with the nomination)2 you can cast your vote HERE. You just need to scroll down a bit and place a checkmark in the appropriate box.

[Cue Jedi mind-trick here]

“You will vote for TonyGentilcore.com”

Voting started yesterday and will continue until May 15th.

You can vote everyday.

3. What’s more, the more often you vote, the more likely you are to win one of ten $50 gift card prizes.

And a hug from me.

–> GO VOTE <–

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: The Fitness Summit Edition

Another week of “stuff to read,” another edition inspired by an eventful weekend of fitness industry shenanigans.

This time around: The Fitness Summit

Pictured (L to R): Pete Dupuis, Dr. Susan Kleiner, Bret Contreras, Dr. Erika Mundinger, Tony Gentilcore, Jeannine Trimboli, David Dellanave, Dean Somerset, Lou Schuler, Dr. Mike T. Nelson, Alan Aragon, Dr. Spencer Nadolsky, Sol Orwell, Nick Tumminello

I had the honor of being a first-time invitee last year (I even wrote about my experience HERE), and was thrilled I was invited back for the 2015 edition.

Lets take the insanely good speaker line-up out of the equation3 and note that, as a testament to the event itself, many of the attendees would constitute as an all-star line-up in of itself.

People like Greg Nuckols, Jen Sinkler, Andy Morgan, Eric Bach, Alicia Fetters, Bryan Krahn, Armi Legge, Mark Fisher, and many, many more made the trip to Kansas City to learn, mingle, eat what’s probably some of the best BBQ on Earth, and swear like sailors for two days.

If anything The Fitness Summit is a social event as much as it’s a learning event (and believe me there was a TON of learning). The uniqueness and appeal is the accessibility of the speakers to the attendees (which included 150+). It’s not as if the speakers speak and then jet off to their hotel rooms or sequester themselves at the “cool table” with all the other speakers.

Quite literally the entire weekend is designed and meant to be an informal party and networking extravaganza.

And based off how many people were wearing sunglasses on day two, plenty of people let loose….;o)

Ahem, cough, cough Alan Aragon cough, cough.

Kidding aside: I’ve never seen one human being bro-knuckle more than Alan Aragon. The man is a machine.

All of this to say: THANK YOU to everyone involved for (always) making it such an amazing weekend. Special kudos go to the Bromberg brosefs – Nick and David (in addition to their parents) – for organizing the event. THANK YOU to the speakers whom I’m always learning from and for considering me a colleague.

THANK YOU to everyone who introduced themselves and for taking the time to say such nice things to me. It means so much knowing that people enjoy and respect my work and appreciate the efforts I take provide a bit more integrity – however small – to this industry.

And THANK YOU to Southwest airlines for two seamless, turbulence-free flights.

This week I wanted to highlight some articles from some first-time presenters at The Fitness Summit this year. Some (or all) of them may be familiar to you – if so, my bad – but nonetheless, it’s my hope to direct you towards a few new resources that you might not otherwise have the chance to check out.

Power Eating – Dr. Susan Kleiner

It was a real fan-boy moment treat to have the opportunity to listen to Dr. Kleiner speak this past weekend because her seminal book, Power Eating (now in its 4th Edition), was one of the very first nutrition books I ever read when I started out in this industry.

At a time when carbohydrates are being tossed into the same category as ISIS, sub-prime mortgage loans, and Nicholas Sparks movies (< – rightfully so), it’s awesome to listen to a voice of reason like Dr. Kleiner – especially as it relates to ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE!!!!

Low-carb, and worse ketogenic diets, are horrible if athletic performance is the driving force, and this book is one of the “go to” resources I use to help drive that point home.

Sex Sells (You Out) – Jeannine Trimboli

Anna Sidorova 2014 Curling Champion, AKA “hot Winter Olympic Babe”

I really enjoyed Jeannine’s presentation this past weekend as she spoke to a topic that I often discuss here on this site with regards to the mainstream media and the unrealistic, sexualized messages it relays to women interested in fitness.

This article serves as a perfect overview of Jeannine’s message.

Ask Ann: Why Is My Shoulder Blade Grinding, Popping, and Achy – Dr. Ann Wendel

Full disclosure: Dr. Ann Wendel did not speak at The Fitness Summit (although I’m a big fan and she’s fully qualified to do), but for the life of me I couldn’t find an article written by Dr. Erika Mundinger (who DID speak).

She presented a superb presentation on SI joint dysfunction and maybe I can entice her to write a guest post on my site down the road (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

This article was the last one she linked to on her Twitter account (HERE), so that’s the best I can do.

It’s an article written by a doctor, shared by a doctor. And since I have a doctorate in being awesome, I approve of this article as well.

Categoriespersonal training

How to Choose a Good Group Class

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Cressey Sports Performance’s group fitness coordinator, George Kalantzis.

Enjoy!

The fitness industry is changing. Terms like boot camp, body pump, zumba, and much more are watering down the quality of group training.

Case in Point: Bootcamp Pilates

From an upper management point of view, it makes sense to clone a generic name, throw it out there and offer a low cost offer to bring in as many as bodies as possible through the door to generate revenue.

But, just because a class may be jam packed with bodies, does not necessarily mean it may be the best fit for you.

This article will give you the ins and outs of a great group class and hopefully lead you into choosing a right class that best fits your personal needs.

1. Check References

With all the technology in the world, anyone can post an online testimonial or review. Cressey Sports Performance Strength Camp officially launched three years ago and started with only two clients.

Over the past three years, we have grown to five classes, three times a week, and a steady base of 35-40 clientele.

At first, that may not seem like much, but we have created a family and culture that keeps our clients coming back for more, with a steady flow of at least 1-2 new members signing up from referrals alone each month.

Before you decide to sign up for a group class, talk to current members and get a feel for the class to see if it is a right fit for you.

2. Beware of the Sweat Effect

Walk into any health club or commercial gym and you will be sure to see massive amounts of people packed into a small space.

Sure, larger groups look like a lot of fun, but you need to make sure, after taking a look and running through the class a few times, that you are not getting a list of randomized circuits and trainers who don’t care about proper form, exercise selection, flow of workout, and progression/regression of clients.Take a look at this example:

Have you ever walked into a class where the trainer was yelling random exercises and having you move all over the room, while you found yourself repeating the same things throughout the class with no exercise modifications?

If so, you have experienced the “ sweat effect”. It’s these types of classes that cause overuse injuries to clients and give group training a bad reputation.

Next time you decide to join a group class, look at the way the class is structured and see if the trainer modifies any exercises according to your individual needs.

Don’t be a sucker for the sweat effect.

3. Check the Coach to Client Ratio

While there is nothing wrong with large group training, when you are in search of a group class to learn new movement patterns and/or are relatively new to exercise, a large group setting may not be the right fit for you.

At CSP, we like to keep our client to coach ratio of 6:1, meaning that we will cap out our classes at 12 clients and provide 2 coaches.

While this is not the end-all-be-all standard list of ratios in reference to group sizes, these numbers are relatively close to the norm in the industry.

Small Group Training : 2-6 people / 1 coach

Large Group Training : 7-15 people / 2 coaches

Bootcamp/Very Large groups : 16+ / 3 coaches

Keep in mind when selecting the size of your class, as the more people there are in a group, the harder it will be to get a personalized workout.

4. Look at the Training Philosophy

Many people start out their journey in fitness and find themselves doing programs that do not match up with their goals. In fact, it’s not uncommon for people to stay doing the same routines only to end up feeling worse or injured because they have not been educated on the importance of proper recovery and exercise selection.

Here are a few things to look for in a good group class:

– Look at the warm-up, does the group foam roll and do some mobility/stability drills or do they just jump right into the workout?

– Look for a program that helps you build a base before progressing to the next level.

– Are the classes always high intensity, or do they throw in some strength work in there?

– Do the coaches take the time to coach you? To demonstrate and show you proper technique?

– Do the classes incorporate upper and lower body movements in addition to single leg work and appropriate core work?

– Is there any sense of a “ramp system” where exercises and drills are catered or modified to fit the needs of the individual?

There are certainly many more factors to consider, but I have found the points made above are an excellent starting point.

Also, just to toss it out there: if you’re a fitness professional looking to start a group exercise/bootcamp class and would like to get a leg up on the competition and learn many of the SYSTEMS we used at CSP to implement our camps, I’d highly recommend Bootcamp In a Box by Mike Robertson, Molly Galbraith, and Jim Laird.

In Conclusion

Group classes are the current trend in the fitness industry. They are incredibly affordable and lots of classes provide a great atmosphere to train in.

Before you decide to join a new class, do some homework and find a program that best fits your needs rather than a random class that will make you sweat.

About the Author

George began his time at Cressey Sports Performance as an intern in the fall of 2013, and returned in 2014 as CSP’s Group Fitness Coordinator, overseeing all Strength Camp coaching and programming responsibilities.

George is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and was awarded an honorary discharge after eight years of service. He possesses an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University and is currently attending massage school to become a licensed massage therapist.

Outside of CSP, George maintains a fitness-related blog that can be found at www.sgtkfitness.com.

He and his wife Shawna reside in Manchester, NH, with their fur-baby Lola the dog.

CategoriesOff Topic

Movie Review: Ex Machina

Ex Machina is considered a futuristic Sci-Fi movie, but I’d argue it’s about as non-futuristic a Sci-Fi movie as you’re ever going to see.

I forget where I read it originally, but I believe the director and writer of the movie, Alex Garland, stated in an interview recently that the movie takes place “10 minutes into the future.”

Because, really, would we be all that surprised if the likes of Google or Apple came out today and stated they’ve solved the A.I (Artificial Intelligence) riddle?

I think not.

The movies follows talented wiz-kid programmer Caleb (played by Domhnall Gleeson, Anna Karenina, About Time, and the upcoming Star Wars Episode VII4) as he’s seemingly the random winner of an inter-company (feel free to insert Google here) lottery to go and hang out and chill with the founder and CEO, a recluse genius named Nathan, played by Oscar Isaac (who’s quickly climbing the ladder as one of my new favorite actors).

So off Caleb goes via helicopter to the middle of nowhere. Alone. To hang out and hobnob with some guy he doesn’t know who happens to live in a half underground bunker/half technological fortress with “enough fiberoptic cabling within its walls to make the trek to the moon and back” for a week.

There better be Netflix available! Just sayin.

It doesn’t take long for Caleb to find out why he’s there. To test Ava (played by the talented Alicia Vikander), Nathan’s latest (and top secret) A.I creation, to see if she can pass the Turing Test and subsequently, pass as human.

I obviously don’t want to give away any particulars and ruin the fun, but needless to say some shenanigans starts going down. Caleb soon realizes that him being invited wasn’t all that random after all, and well, Nathan may or may have some ulterior motives up his sleeve.

And there’s no Netflix. WTF!

Also, Ava is hot. She’s a hot robot. She’s a hot robot with a killer body. [Thankfully the producers didn’t hire me to come up with the tagline for the movie.]

She may have some ulterior motives of her own. Particularly when she confides in Caleb to not trust anything Nathan says.

What could go wrong?

Compound that with Caleb, who isn’t what we’d call a traditional ladies man, and you can do the predictable movie math.

The “will they or won’t they” vibe was predictable5, I called it half way in!, however the writing is crisp (and well paced), and the last 15-20 minutes will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Definitely worth the viewing if your local theater is playing it. At the very least it will help curb your robot/A.I. fetish (you freak!) until The Avengers: Age of Ultron comes out this weekend.

I give this a solid B.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYGzRB4Pnq8

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: I Survived Mark Fisher Fitness Edition

What a bonkers weekend.

I had the amazing opportunity of being invited down to NYC this past weekend to speak at the first Motivation & Movement Lab hosted by Mark Fisher Fitness.

The picture above was a group photo I happened to snake myself into during their POP (Pants Optional Party)6 on Saturday night.

A night, mind you, that saw me stay up till 3:30AM, which never happens. I wasn’t even fighting crime. I was just having a good time.

Can you spot me?

[And yes, there were plenty of people with no pants on during the party. FYI: Mine were on. I think.]

I’ve been friends with Mark (and many of his staff) for years now, but this was my first time visiting his facility in the flesh. And there was a lot of flesh.

Need a little perspective?

Here’s me finishing my last set of squats with MFF coaches Brian Patrick Murphy, Matt Wilson, and Liz Messina (along with special guest appearance by Roger Lawson, or RogLaw for those in the know) in the background performing bicep curls in their underwear.

With the red lights on and “No Easy Way Out” (<—Rocky IV shout out!) blaring in the background. All par for the course at MFF.

#seriousfitness

 

The video above was shared on Facebook yesterday and my mom (of all people) shared it on her Facebook page. I guess I’ll gave some explaining to do at this year’s Thanksgiving dinner.

Needless to say I had a blast this past weekend. The Motivate and Movement Lab, held on Saturday and featuring myself, Mark Fisher, Harold Gibbons, and Kyle Young – speaking on everything from gym culture and the power of social media to building a better coaching rapport with your clients and female marketing in the mainstream media – was baller.

I believe close t0 75 personal trainers and coaches showed up (pants on for this one) and were treated to a less conventional, albeit welcomed and fresh approach compared to other seminars and workshops.

Each speaker provided a 30 minute “introductory presentation” on their topic which was then followed by a 45 minute “lab” where the information was dissected in a more hand-on or participatory fashion.

I can’t say for sure, but it was pretty much the best day of everyone’s life. Ever.

All in all, the weekend was a testament to Mark and the culture that he and his staff have been able to germinate and grow to cult-like – albeit inspiring – proportions.

Warning: video below is NSFW, so put on your headphones.

 

And on that note, lets get to this week’s list of Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work.

Is “Lift Big, Eat Big” Always the Way To Go? – Lauren Perrault

Loved the perspective shared in this article. Which is, basically, sometimes, even us coaches need to practice what we preach.

Before Opening a Gym Ask Yourself These 7 Questions – Angie Garner

I can’t tell you how many times Pete Dupuis, Cressey Sports Performance’s Vice President and Business Director, has consulted with current and prospective gym owners who have seemingly fallen prey to a handful of seemingly OBVIOUS mistakes.

1. Having eyes bigger than their bank account(s) and opening up a 10,000 sq. foot facility out of the gate.

Start small and build. Always.

2. Not knowing their numbers inside and out. One of Pete’s litmus tests is to ask someone what’s the minimum amount they need to collect on any given month to cover their overhead (payroll, rent, health insurance, electric bill, etc).

It’s mind-boggling how many don’t even know that.

Some don’t even know what they collected that month.

Nevertheless, I felt this article helped shed some light on many other factors that are often overlooked.

3 Keys to a Big Raw Squat – John Gaglione

YES!!

This article kicked ass.

Many articles written about squats are written by geared lifters. This isn’t a knock against geared lifters – they have a lot to offer – but many of the cues and techniques that work for them won’t translate to raw lifters.

John nailed this one. Read it. I demand you.

CategoriesAssessment Corrective Exercise

Defending Spinal Flexion: It’s Not Always the Evil Step-Child We Make It Out to Be

No offense to my future wife (t-minus 37 days until the big day), one of the greatest days of my life was the day I got my first Atari 26007 My game of choice: Defender.

The premise was/is simple: your planet is under invasion by waves of aliens and it’s your mission to “defend” it, as well as other astronauts.

Pew pew pew

Man, I spent hours playing that game.

I really have no other reason for leading with this story other than to say 1) it was an awesome game 2) the chick on the cover was hot and 3) the theme – defender – served as a nice segue to today’s topic……

Spinal Flexion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y73sPHKxw

 

Like many other fitness professionals a few years back, I jumped onto the anti-flexion bandwagon.

I mean could you blame me?

Gulfs of research – in addition to anecdotal evidence – suggest that spinal flexion has its downfalls. To be more precise, however, I should state it’s repeated spinal flexion (and extension) taken into end range that’s the real culprit. Do that on a consistent basis, let it marinate with little to no strength training, and you have the perfect recipe to herniate a disc.

And as my boy, Eric Cressey, notes:

“If you want to see a population of folks with disc herniations, just look at people who sit in flexion all day; it’s a slam dunk.”

Of course, this doesn’t automatically equate to someone being in pain or complaining of back issues. There are plenty of people walking around with not one, but maybe even two, levels of herniations or disc bulges in their spine. And they’re fine.

In fact, in a landmark study published in 1994 in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers sent MRI’s of 98 “healthy” backs to various doctors, and asked them to diagnose them.

– 80% of the MRI interpretations came back with disc herniations and bulges. in 38% of the patients, there was involvement of more than one disc.

And these were considered “healthy” backs, and those of people walking around with no symptoms what-so-ever.

Which goes to show: I’d trust an MRI about as much as I’d trust a barber with a mullet.

NOTE: this isn’t to insinuate that MRIs are a waste of time or aren’t valuable. That’s 100% false. But I’d be remiss not to state that we, sometimes, place far too much precedence in them.

Oftentimes leading to unnecessary surgery (which should be an absolute LAST resort).

Long story short: just because someone flexes their spine – and may or may not have a disc herniation – doesn’t mean their spine is going to explode.

And least we forget the Godfather of spinal mechanics and research Dr. Stuart McGill. The man has forgotten more about the spine than any of us could ever hope to remember. I’d be lying if I said his two books – Low Back Disorders and Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance – haven’t shaped most of my thinking and approach when working with clients and athletes with low back pain.

Who the hell am I to disagree with him?!?!

That would be like me starring Yoda in the face and saying something like, “Pffft, whatever dude. Force schmorce. What do you know??”

With that commentary in mind, as a fitness professional, most of the time (but not always), I’m not going to go out of my way to include more exercises or drills that place people into spinal flexion.

Particularly with the aforementioned “people who already sit a lot and live in flexion” scenario from above.

Taking it a step further (and to help appease those people who are probably hyperventilating into a brown paper bag reading this, assuming I’m saying spinal flexion is okay):

I typically avoid the following:

1. End-range lumbar flexion

2. Lumbar flexion exercises for those who are “stuck” in flexion.

3. LOADED spinal flexion

But Just to Play Devil’s Advocate For a Second

With point #3 – loaded flexion – there are some people out there who purposely train with a rounded spine and do very well.

Lets use the deadlift as a quick example.

We could make the argument – from a bio-mechanical standpoint – that a rounded back deadlift is efficacious because it’ll allow you lift more weight.

As Greg Nuckols explains in THIS amazing article:

“Rounding your back a bit shortens the length of the torso in the sagittal plane.  In non-nerd speak, it lets you keep your hips closer to the bar front-to-back so they don’t have to work as hard to lift the same amount of weight.”

Fancy chart making skills courtesy of Greg Nuckols

The picture on the right depicts a “neutral spine.” Taking natural kyphotic/lordotic curves into account, on the right, “neutral” equates to a spine that’s 15.3 inches “long” front to back.

On the left, with some significant rounding – albeit in the THORACIC spine (more on this point in a bit) – the the length of the spine is reduced to 11.7 inches. I.e., the hips are closer to the bar.

This in mind, if you watch elite level powerlifters you’ll notice that many of them do seem to “round” their back on max effort pulls.

But lets put things into context

A). It’s important to understand that for most, the rounding is happening in the t-spine and NOT the lumbar spine. The T-spine has more “wiggle room” in terms of end-range flexion compared to the lumbar spine.

B) They’re NOT rounding their lumbar spine.

C) Pulling 600+ lbs is heavy as f***. You try pulling that much without some rounding.

D) Guys (and girls) who are strong enough to be pulling 3-4x bodyweight have assuredly trained themselves to stay out of those last 2-3 degrees of end-range flexion. Moreover, they’ve also been in compromising positions enough that they’re able to stay out of the danger zone.

E) More importantly, you’re (probably) not an elite lifter, so I wouldn’t suggest you start training with a rounded back.

In the end, we could make the case for loaded spinal flexion. Just like we could make the case for Lisa and I being introduced as husband and wife for the first time with Juvenile’s Back That Ass Up playing in the background:

 

Neither are a good idea. Except for the second one.

When Is Spinal Flexion Okay?

Let me repeat, I generally avoid:

1. End-range lumbar flexion

2. Lumbar flexion exercises for those who are “stuck” in flexion.

3. Loaded spinal flexion

I BOLDED #2 because, well, I work with a lot of athletes and people who are the opposite. They live in extension and excessive anterior pelvic tilt, which can be just as deleterious for the spine as flexion.

I BOLDED “excessive” because I want to make it clear that anterior pelvic tilt is not a bad thing (it’s normal). And because some people are morons, will miss the bolded EXCESSIVE, and will still send me a note via email or social media saying how dumb I am for saying APT is bad for the spine.

People on this side of the fence face a whole host of other scenarios like Spondylolysis (referred to as an end plate fracture, most often on the pars interarticularis), Spondylolisthesis (forward disc slippage), femoral acetabular impingement, and what I like to call fake badonkadonk-itis.

In other words: some people don’t have a big butt, they’re just rockin some serious APT.

Cough, cough Jen Selter cough, cough

Kidding aside, extension-based back pain or extension-based issues are no laughing matter, and it’s in scenarios like these where spinal flexion is warranted (and encouraged).

This is where were start to dive into the PRI (Postural Restoration Institute) philosophy and discuss breathing and how it affects pretty much everything.

Many of the (breathing) drills we use at Cressey Sports Performance place people (people who are overly extended) into spinal flexion, which is a good thing.

Watch this video below and you’ll get a sense of what I’m referring to.

Lets take the regular ol’ boring prone plank/bridge.

Learning to perform this exercise correctly (getting to and maintaining neutral spine) is a game changer for anyone experiencing low-back pain regardless of whether it’s a flexion issue or extension.

However, I rarely ever see anyone perform this exercise right. Most people start in a okay position for about five seconds, but then quickly “fall into” an excessively extended posture where their head protracts towards the floor and/or their entire spine sags, essentially doing nothing but hanging onto their passive restraints and hip flexors.

The “core” isn’t doing anything.

It kind of looks like this.

Not coincidentally these are the same people who brag about being able to perform a plank for [insert pointless amount of time here].

When done correctly – I prefer an RKC style plank: feet together, palms flat, elbows being pulled towards toes (to increase tension), and fire everything (glutes, abs, quads, nostrils, everything) – the amount of time someone can perform it is drastically different.

20 seconds and you should be hating life.

You may also notice that I’m rounding my (upper) back above. This is on purpose and goes against conventional wisdom.

Here’s the deal.

I like to start people in a bit of flexion – especially those who are overly extended – because as fatigue kicks in they’ll end up in neutral (rather than past it).

And I’m done.