CategoriesExercise Technique Exercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: KB Goblet Squat w/ Lowering

It’s hard to imagine a more versatile and “user friendly” exercise than the Goblet squat. I think we should collectively pass it into law that anytime anyone in the fitness industry crosses paths with Dan John, he or she is obligated to give him a high-five for popularizing it.

Or buy him a steak. His choice.

Taking pain, injury, and one’s anatomy/musculoskeletal limitations (FAI, bone spurs, etc) out of the equation, I’d argue there’s no one on Earth who couldn’t learn how to squat correctly within ten minutes of performing their first Goblet squat.

And they’re not just a one-trick pony either.

They also help solve everything from anterior knee pain to global warming to a bad hair day. They even solve bipartisanship. Congress can’t agree on simple things like health care for veterans or making birth control easily accessible for women (or that the number 3 comes after 2), Republicans and Democrats across the board give two thumbs up to Goblet squats.

They’re like magic, Gandalf and Professor Dumbledore approved.

There are a number of iterations:

1. Regular ol’ Goblet Squats – DB or KB.

2. Goblet Squat w/ Pulse

 3. Goblet Elevator Squats

 

And one I’m going to propose today…..

Goblet Squat w/ Lowering

Gold star to me for the sick t-shirt.

Who Did I Steal It From: I know of several coaches who have used this variation – Dean Somerset, Dr. Mark Cheng, Dan John, and Mike Robertson to name a few. So I’ll give credit to all of them.

And not for nothing: it should give you an indication of the exercise’s validity and overall bad-assery that so many top-notch coaches recommend doing it.

What Does It Do: The lowering component (where you actually lower the KB down to the floor while in the bottom position) adds an additional challenge to the exercise by increasing the lever arm (the actual distance the KB travels as you lower it away from the body).

This forces the anterior core to fire on all cylinders, but also the muscles posteriorly to help resist the flexion moment (learning to stay more upright).

I also love using this variation with people who tend to be hyper-mobile. Whenever I see a client or athlete with a loosey goosey (<- that’s the scientific term) squat pattern, where they can’t seem to control anything – the knees, hips and torso resemble a baby giraffe learning to walk – I’ll have them perform this exercise.

Why?

Because it forces them to concentrate, slow down, and OWN the position, especially in the bottom.

People who are more lax tend to “relax” in the bottom position which places much more stress on their passive restraints – ligaments, tendons, etc.

By adding in the “lowering” component, it forces them to own tension, and thereby helping/teaching them to maintain (hopefully) a more optimal pelvic position. And knees, and torso.

Key Coaching Cues: Slow down. I’ll generally have someone perform a controlled tempo on the way down (2-5s). In the bottom position I’ll have them perform 1-2 “pumps” where they lower the KB down towards the floor, again, in a controlled fashion.

One repetition = squat down, 1-2 pumps in the bottom position, then return back to standing.

Have fun.

Categoriespersonal training

Categories of (Fitness) Learning: Not Everyone Is Skynet

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of DC-based Equinox trainer, Kevin Mullins. Kevin attended mine and Dean Somerset’s DC Workshop last Fall, and I found him to be a pretty switched on guy. Plus, it’s obvious he as impeccable taste in the blogs he reads and the workshops he attends.

Enjoy!

There is a lot of information available out there in regards to health, fitness, wellness, and nutrition.

Too much actually.

Everyone from Dan John to Mario Lopez has made money because the ever-growing fitness information market. Some guys, Dan John, have earned their right to speak to you; while others are simply white noise in a crowd that has already collected its share of noise violations.

If you are looking to have a greater impact as a trainer, then you undoubtedly need to be able to sort through all of the books, blogs, certifications, and studies that are out there.

Who is a credible source, how can you apply what you’ve learned? What actually counts as education?

For one, the best education is often paired with an upfront cost. Whether it is a college degree in Kinesiology, a nationally recognized (and respected) certification, or a weekend seminar with some of your favorite trainers; there will be a financial cost.

However, if you choose to invest in your education, than most likely you’ll find yourself having a career in fitness instead of just a job at a local gym, a bicep vein, and too many tubs of pre-workout powder.

It will cost you time and money up front, but boy will you benefit.

That isn’t to say that you have to pay for ALL of your education.

There is tons of free content on blogs of reputable trainers around the net, amalgamated sites like T-Nation or PTDC, and e-books a plenty for the cost of a new video game. Furthermore, there is education that you’ll GET PAID for, as well as what you’ve learned with your own body.

Let’s explore deeper.

Education is the Catalyst

Being able to determine what is valid and applicable can be an immense challenge in and of itself. Add in actual training sessions, building your own body, a business, trying to publish your own content, and squeezing in every episode of every show that you “just have to start watching” and you are looking at an uphill climb.

You need a system.

A system to sort information into easier to digest categories.

The same way your body breaks down food into its little parts so that it can be used for a soon-to-be-determined function…

I personally sort information into four categories. These categories cover all aspects of your learning experience as a trainer and will help you save, store, and recall information when it is needed most.

1. Kinesthetic Education

The experiences of your body can be just as critical to your coaching ability as could a Master’s degree in Exercise Science.

You won’t completely understand a max-load deadlift until you’ve tried yanking a heavy ass barbell off of the floor. You can’t relate with your distance running client who is training for marathon if you’ve never ran further than a few miles on your own.

Now, these experiences are subjective and don’t measure across populations equally.

For example, just because you don’t have lower back pain when you squat doesn’t mean that your clients are wrong for feeling it.

Kinesthetic education falls lowest on my totem pole, but is still a critical element in what we do every day as coaches. It can serve as a bridge when building relationships with your clientele.

Key Point: Do something new with your body, take mental and actual notes for use later on.

Personally, I’ve gained a lot of respect for core bracing by doing some Pilates sessions with the girls at my facility. I’ve learned what it ACTUALLY feels like to “pull-my belly button towards my spine”. It helps when coaching planks and deadlifts.

2. Experience Education

At the end of the day you need to just freaking train.

You’ll program some bad exercises, coach exercises half-backwards, and drink a ton of caffeine. Yet, you’ll learn.

You’ll need to work long hours. You’ll do 6AM and 8PM sessions. You will get clients who are guys and girls, young and old, avid goals and no goals.

Yet, you’ll learn.

You can read about coaching a deadlift a million times, and maybe be able to knock out a hell of a pull yourself, but if you aren’t actively coaching other people to do it, than chances are you will stumble and bumble through it.

Key Point: In order to be a great trainer you need to be in your facility training. You need to figure out what exercises can ACTUALLY be super-set together without frying your client in the first ten minutes of a session, etc.

Personally, I look at sessions as chances to try new cues, or fine-tune my coaching strategies to ensure my clients get a clear, concise message about the task at hand. Find yourself struggling to teach a barbell lift? I’d argue you aren’t a horrible coach, but rather haven’t spent enough time doing it.

3. Actionable-Education

The next layer of education comes from blogs such as this one1, and cumulative sites such as T-Nation and the PTDC.

These easy to read-while-on-the-toilet type of write-ups lend themselves to helping you change something as a trainer or trainee RIGHT NOW.

3 CORE EXERCISES to SHRED YOUR ABS

8 CUES for BETTER SQUAT PERFORMANCE

The list will go on and on with catchy titles attached to articles chock-full of information that you could apply immediately in your next session.

Seeing a client later today that has horrible shoulder mobility? Well, doing some reading at Tony Gentilcore or Eric Cressey’s website will likely find you some tools that you can place into your belt and pull out ASAP.

This information should be viewed on a daily basis even if it is a light-hearted read during your meals. The simple act of subjecting yourself to other views of fitness will sharpen your sword and give you new ways to integrate real knowledge into your sessions.

Another great example of actionable education is weekend clinics that are usually hosted on specific topics. A mix of the hard sciences and practical application; clinics serve as a “hands-on” blog experience for trainers looking to expand their knowledge, tool belt, and presence all the same.

Key Point: Even if it is one short blurb while you are consuming a protein shake between clients, knowledge is still power. These reads won’t tax your brain cells and leave you empty. Though, they may just have you doing new things the very next second you hit a gym floor.

Personally, I love reading blogs and articles while eating my breakfast. I slam an omelet at a café attached to my club and peruse various articles. Some are simply thought provoking while others have points that I can immediately put to use during a session that day.

4. Backbone Education

The most critical element in a trainer’s tool belt is the unfailing knowledge of the hard sciences.

If you don’t understand the why behind the things you do every day then it is going to be really hard to expand your presence in the field. Someone will eventually ask for more information, or even call you out on your practices.

I highly recommend having a sturdy place to rest your feet.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you have to have a Doctorate to be a great trainer. Rather I’m saying that you can’t expect to charge two-hundred dollars an hour if you don’t understand that the body has a variety of energy systems that power our performance.

If you didn’t have to dive too far into the sciences to get your certification, than it is imperative that you seek them out on your own. College degrees in the field of kinesiology, biomechanics, bioenergetics, and good ol’ exercise science, can provide you with a firm base for you to build upon.

Certifications such as the CSCS, CES, and Precision Nutrition Level 1 can separate you from your peers. The foundation created by these hard sciences will allow for you to branch out further as you explore the other forms of education since your roots are placed firmly in the ground.

Furthermore, science journals such as the NSCA’s Strength and Conditioning Journal provide information from the laboratory that can be interpreted and implemented in the field. While much of what is studied has limited practical application there still exists the chance to expand your scientific base outwards so that you have a better understanding of the variables that can impact a training session.

Key Point: You need to be able to defend your practices, and should WANT to. Understanding the science behind what you feel, what you see, and what you read about in between bites of your omelet is critical to making that JUMP!

It can be intimidating to a client if you start talking about the ATP/CP cycle regenerating after their set of 3 sub-max squats. Talking about the reasoning behind every repetition scheme will probably bore them too. However, if you truly understand these sciences you’ll find a way, in your own words, to not just train your client, but to teach them WHY they are doing what they are doing.

The Wrap Up

The conventional saying is that knowledge is power. I’d agree. Except for when all of that knowledge is unsorted and prioritized incorrectly.

We all know that guy who did a bodybuilding show who now “takes clients”. Sure, he looks good and knows how to cook one hell of a bland chicken breast, but does he have anything from the other categories?

We also probably know someone that is a genius in science, an old professor perhaps, that could quote the Kreb’s cycle enzyme for enzyme. Yet, does he even lift? Has he ever applied his knowledge to a client?

The take home point is this. Gain knowledge from every avenue possible, sort through the junk and organize it, internalize it, and continue to utilize it in your day-to-day actions. Go out there and be great!

About the Author

Kevin Mullins, CSCS, is a personal trainer and group exercise instructor at Equinox Sports Club in Washington D.C.

Kevin utilizes a listen first, coach second strategy to ensure his clients, and programs, are exceptional…and not his ego.

When he isn’t training clients or writing content Kevin can be found deadlifting, Bicep curling, or finding new, corny ways to emphasize squeezing the glutes. Kevin maintains his own personal site at KevinMullinsFitness.com.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 4/17/15

A quick heads-up before I toss this week’s list your way.

We’re excited to announce that Cressey Sports Performance will be hosting an upcoming 1-Day seminar with Alex Viada titled An Introduction to Applied Hybrid Training Methodology on June 28, 2015.

Alex is the owner of Complete Human Performance and author of The Hybrid Athlete. If there were a WikiPedia page made for “Badass Motherf******,” I’m pretty sure Alex’s grill would be plastered next to the definition.

This is a guy who’s not only an elite level powerlifter with PRs of 705 (squat), 465 (bench press) and 700 (DL) raw w/ wraps in the 220 class, but also competes in triathlons and ULTRA marathons (100+ miles) with a mile time of 4:15.

Oh, and he also dabbles in bodybuilding. And arm wrestles grizzly bears. In fact, he’s the guy The Avengers call when they need help.

He’s an impressive human being and he’s someone who challenges people to push their bodies to levels and places they never thought possible. I’m really looking forward to listening to him speak, and I know the rest of the CSP staff is as well.

For more information you can go HERE.

8 Workout Mistakes You’re Probably Making – Lee Boyce

My favorite mistake – “You’re pulling a CrossFit.”

LOLs. I heart Lee.

This Is the Best Ab Wheel Instructional Video On the Internet – Jordan Syatt

I know the title comes across as a bit conceited, analogous to me writing something along the lines of “Hey Internet, My Biceps Are the Best Biceps in the History of Ever. Get Some!“2

But I didn’t think the title was conceited at all, and felt it was very fitting.

This is actually a really good video and demonstrates pretty much how everyone performs their ab wheel rollouts.

How Should Journalists Cover Quacks Like Dr. Oz or the Food Babe – Julia Belluz

I concede that even I’m growing tired of all the anti-Dr. Oz and Food Babe diatribes that are drowning the internet right now.

While at a base-level I enjoy it – because both are assholes. A little more assholey than someone who clubs a baby seal, but not quite as assholey as Kanye West – none of it really accomplishes anything.

Why?

Because even the negative commentary – which is often backed by facts and droves of scientific research that clearly debunks much (if not all) of the pseudoscience they spout – still draws attention to them.

Which, in a sick, backwards way, gains them supporters.

This was a nice outside-of-the-box way of addressing the issue.

Give it a read. PLEASE.

CategoriesInterview

Interview on FitPro Radio Show

I had the pleasure of being invited onto the FitPro Radio Show hosted by Matt Pack and Ted Ryce a while back. A little over a year ago, actually….so it’s a little old.

These are two guys who, outside of being super passionate about fitness, want nothing more than to help make the industry better. I had a blast doing this interview and was able to cover a ton of topics.

I’d encourage any new or upcoming trainers to take the time to listen as I discuss many of the thing I did to help build my own brand as well as that of Cressey Sports Performance. And even if you’re not a rookie, I’d encourage you to listen anyways because my voice is dead sexy.

And I believe the interview is Star Wars reference free. Go figure!

Topics

– How Tony got his start in the fitness industry
– Why corporate fitness taught
– How Tony connected with Eric Cressey and opened a gym
– How Cressey Sports Performance gym got it’s start with high school athletes
– How Tony and Eric found their niche in training baseball players
– The right way to market strength and conditioning to athletes
– How to give individualized programming in group training
– Why Cressey Sports Performance started doing “bootcamps”
– How marketing locally skyrocketed Cressey Sports Performance
– Local exposure is more important than national exposure for building your local business
– What role info products and online marketing play in Tony’s success
– Why having multiples streams of income is important for financial success
– Some training mistakes that Tony made when he first started working out
– Tony’s #1 success tip for new personal trainers
– 2 BIG mistakes that personal trainers make
– Why learning from other coaches is key to being your best
– 2 books every trainer should read

—-> FitPro Radio Show Interview <—–

CategoriesProgram Design Strength Training

How the Powerlifts and Sport(s) Go Together Like Peanut Butter & Jelly

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of strength coach, and good friend, Kelsey Reed. Some of you may recall Kelsey’s popular post – Fitness Marketing to Females: Don’t Be a Victim! – from a few months ago.

She’s back. And this time she’s discussing the powerlifts and how applicable they are when training for sport(s).

Enjoy.

Recently, I have been immersed in Easy Strength by Dan John and Pavel. (Tony mentioned it HERE.) If you’re a strength coach and you have not read it, do yourself a humongous favor and do so. Your athletes will thank you.

Dan and Pavel divvy up the various types of trainees into four quadrants. Today’s post will focus on Quadrant III: athletes/clients who possess a symbiotic relationship of strength training and their sport or goal in question. I’ll leave the other three quadrants as a mystery awaiting your discovery.

Unless you work with elite athletes, Olympic hopefuls or professionals, the bulk of your clients will be in QIII.

The mentality when working with said clients should be:

They are ___ athletes (i.e. football, soccer, or fill-in-the-blank) who happen to lift, NOT lifters who play ____.

Personally speaking, this has always been helpful for me to keep in mind when I’m tempted to allow one of my teenage boys to go for a 1RM (the answer is usually “No.”). After all, my athletes are training with me to improve their sport performance, not their weight room performance.

In general, there are two types, or spheres, of training: general physical preparedness (GPP), and special physical preparedness (SPP).

As strength coaches, our job often falls more in the realm of GPP rather than that of SPP. The bulk of GPP training is derived from the basic human movements: push, pull, hinge, squat, carry/walking pattern, and crawling. Those look remarkably like, bench press, rows, deadlifts, squats, and farmer carries.

Nikolay Vitkevich, a full-contact black belt and world-class powerlifter, says:

“You must clearly understand the difference between basic training and special physical preparation. [SPP] is different for everybody; one beats up on a tire with a sledgehammer, another does figure eights with a kettlebell, and someone incline presses. Basic training is roughly the same in all sports and aims to increase general strength and muscle mass. Powerlifting was born as a competition in exercises everybody does.”

Did you read that last sentence? Read it again and let it sink in.

A strength coach can easily accomplish 90% of what an athlete needs by intelligently dispersing those movements throughout the training week. From a training economy standpoint, you can’t go wrong by placing a premium on squatting, deadlifting, and pressing.

Deadlifting, squatting, and pressing are exercises every athlete should perform. They are the meat and potatoes (or meat and sweet potatoes for the Paleo adherents out there) of strength and conditioning. The number of muscle groups involved in the powerlifts allows for higher poundages to be used, which in turn, stimulates the neuromuscular and endocrine systems in ways not found in other exercises. The effect produces really strong people. And with everything else being equal, the stronger athlete will win.

Not that it’s impossible to become strong without the powerlifts, it just takes much, much longer. You cannot beat the efficiency and efficacy of picking up heavy things in building powerful athletes.

The powerlifts are also scaleable to each athlete’s strength and experience level.

A 9 year-old can benefit from the squat while using a 5 pound plate as much as a 20 year-old with 200lb on the bar in the next rack over.

That same little guy can deadlift with 15 lbs, while our older athlete has 300lb on her bar: both will increase the strength in their posterior chains. The 9 year-old may learn how to hold a plank (still a press) while an older athlete benches, again both are developing full body strength.

What’s more, the powerlifts are broad enough to apply to every sport and so effective at strength building, why wouldn’t you use them?

Now, before you attack me with pitchforks and PubMed articles, I know that some lifts are not optimal choices for all sports or for all athletes. It’s the difference between contraindicated exercises and contraindicated people.

For example, I will rarely (if ever) bench press an overhead athlete, but will defer to one of the hundreds (literally) of push up variations.

 

I would be remiss to note, too, that non-powerlifter athletes should use the powerlifts, but should not train like a powerlifter.

The powerlifts, programmed appropriately, build a solid strength foundation from which speed and power will spring.

What do I mean by that?

Powerlifting methods can produce CNS fatigue, joint/muscle soreness, and require substantial recovery time. Which is fine if the athlete’s sole goal is to add weight to the bar. But, the human body has only so much capacity for adaptation and recovery. QIII athletes are focused on another goal, typically involving their sport, and need to have plenty of gas in the tank for sport practice.

Another point to remember, in most, if not all athletic endeavors, power (force x velocity) is driving force behind quick athletic movement, like this dude:

 

Max strength does contribute to maximal power output, but only up to a point. If it takes .3 seconds to reach maximal force output but a broad jump only takes about .1 second, you’re not going to be able to express your full strength in that brief amount of time.

Therefore, power athletes (which is pretty much every sport) need to increase their rate of force development. To prevent this post from becoming longer than the lines for the new Star Wars movie, read this and this for more in-depth information.

Max strength and power are not distinct entities, but the latter is built upon the former. Thus, it is imperative to develop a solid strength foundation from which an athlete’s power explodes (pun definitely intended). How to train for power is another post for another day.

As Yoda Pavel says, “Power is strength compressed in time, so to get powerful, you must get strong.”

Athletes have a limited amount of time and energy therefore, exercises that require minimal amount of time are ideal; the powerlifts fit the bill. Like peanut butter is to jelly, barbell work should complement sport practice in an athlete’s overall development.

About the Author

Kelsey Reed is head strength coach at SAPT Strength & Performance located in Fairfax, VA. Bitten by the iron bug at 16, Kelsey has been lifting ever since. Her love for picking up heavy things spurred her to pursue a degree in the Science of Exercise and Nutrition at Virginia Tech.

Now she spends her days teaching and coaching others in the iron game. In her down time, she lives life on the wild side by not following recipes when she cooks, fighting battles through characters fantasy fiction novels, and attempting to make her cats love her.

Kelsey, along with her husband, Coach Steve.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 4/10/15

Before I get to this week’s list of stuff to read while you’re pretending to work, I wanted to toss some love towards a new show that Lisa and I just finished watching on Netflix….Bloodline.

The show revolves around the Rayburn family….Mom, Dad, four siblings, and the dynamics – past and present – between each member as they run their family owned beach resort in the Florida Keys.

The Rayburns are your classic American, small town, successful, happy family. Or so it seems.

John (played by Kyle Chandler, best known for his role as coach Eric Taylor in Friday Night Lights) is a local detective and moral compass for the family.

Older brother Danny (played by Ben Mendelsohn, who will assuredly win many awards for his role) is the family outcast and black sheep.

Youngest siblings, Meg and Kevin (played by Linda Cardellini and Norbert Leo Butz) are stuck in the middle of all the drama.

And rounding out the all-star cast, the patriarchs – Robert and Sally Rayburn – are played by none other than freakin Sam Shepard and Sissy Spacek.

The Rayburns have their demons to contend with…deep, dark, family secrets that would make an episode of Forensic Files seem like a Care Bears movie. To that end, it’s right up my alley. But I can’t speak highly enough of how well written and acted the show is. Not to mention how well it’s shot.

My fiance, Lisa, who is from Florida, ooo’d and aaah’d watching all 13 episodes and it reminded her of how much she misses it down there.

Suffice it to say if you’re looking for a new show to binge watch, and show that’s dark, supremely made, and is smart….Bloodline would get my vote.

Losing Fat Without Macro Counting: 10 Strategies – Anyman Fitness

We have the IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) crowd, we have the intermittent fasting crowd, we have Paleo, we low-carb/high fat, low fat/high carb, and we have any number of “fanatical” approaches on how everyone should eat to lose fat.

I’m sure somewhere out there in the world there’s a group of people who will say to avoid all foods beginning with the letters C, K, M, P, and Q on Thursdays, except for in months that end with the letter E and/or if it’s a leap year.

Then it’s all months that end in Y.

The point is: there’s a lot of information out there with a lot of different view points and it’s hella confusing. I felt this article was pretty level headed and “accessible” with its message. The less minutia the better in my book.

How to Bulletproof Your Hamstrings – Mike Robertson

It’s Spring time – tis the season for an epidemic of hamstring strains and tears.

This post by Mike is excellent.

One Movement That Will Help Your Pull-Up – Artemis Scantalides

As someone who works with a lot of female clients who’s goal it is to finally conquer their first chin-up/pull-up, I can’t approve of this article enough.

If I could make out with it, I would. I like it that much.

CategoriesMotivational personal training

Talent Matters

I was chatting with one of our high-school athletes yesterday when I asked how his (baseball) season had been going so far. We had a miserable winter here in Massachusetts and for a lot of our athletes they’re still practicing indoors.

This athlete, however, goes to a school that had the opportunity of traveling down to Florida recently so they were able to get their cleats dirty and see some green grass for a change.

“We played okay,” he said. “Our team, though, is having a hard time. We have a bunch of guys who just don’t “get it” and have hard time with the team concept.”

“How so?,” I asked.

He then went on to tell me how one teammate, during a game, in the dugout, took out his phone and started using Facetime.

My jaw dropped.

He then told another story where, with the team back up North, another teammate decided he was too cold to cheer and support the rest of the guys and took off for an inning to go hang out in his car to warm-up.

Again, I was flabbergasted.

If I or any of my teammates even thought about doing something like that back when I played in high school and college we would have at best been taken out of the game and suspended, or at worst been given a soap blanket party Full Metal Jacket style.

It just wouldn’t have happened.

Sadly, in both scenarios above, each athlete is headed to a respectable Division I program and I suspect each one feels they’re above the rules and/or have an overwhelming sense of entitlement.

It’s a case where both feel their talent is enough to be successful….despite the woeful lack of respect and social filter.

Here’s another example.

A good friend of mine opened a gym in downtown Boston a few months ago. It’s his dream, it’s kicking his ass, but he’s loving every second of it. I finally made it down there earlier this week to check it out and to get a quick lift in.

In between sets he told me how, a few weeks prior, he was contacted by a local organization asking if he’d be willing to allow a group of their personal training students to stop by and observe for a few hours.

Everything was set up so that the students would come by and watch as he and one of his other coaches were training clients. As my buddy noted, “something like 10-12 students came in, all in their early 20s, and they were pretty obnoxious and loud which pissed me off because it was distracting. All but one were talking to one another, texting, and not really paying attention.”

At the end, the group coordinator wrangled all of them together for the opportunity to ask my friend any questions they may have had.

“How do you make money?”

“How do I start my own gym?’

“Blah blah blah…How do I not do any of the work, but have what you have?

I told him that if I were in his shoes at that point I would have 1) probably Sparta kicked one of them in the chest and 2) picked someone randomly to show me and the entire group how to coach someone through a squat pattern.

My guess is that the result would have been worse than the infamous Miss South Carolina “Where is America on the Map” answer…..

Maybe I’m coming across as nothing more than an old, ornery strength coach who’s next order of business is to shake my fist and yell at people to get of my damn lawn.

I don’t know.

I’d like to think I’m just shelling out a dose of tough love and perspective.

A few weekends ago I was at my alma mater (SUNY Cortland, in central New York) as part of the Annual Strength & Conditioning Symposium. At the end of the day all the presenters were brought to the front of the room as part of a Q&A panel.

Giving credit where it’s due: I was impressed with the attendees, and praised everyone who attended for being more proactive in their learning and continuing education. The fact that they were there and chose to do so, on a Saturday, spoke volumes.

One theme kept popping up though, subtly, time and time again as students were asking their questions. Something to the effect of:

“How did you become so successful?”

“What do I need to do to get to where you’re at in your career?”

Opposite of the examples above – with the baseball players – I do feel the students in this case knew that “putting in the work” was part of the equation and that none of them had illusions of landing a gig which them training professional athletes on Day #1. All because they got an A- in Kinesiology or because they read SuperTraining once.

Many asked about blogs and websites and Social Media. All of which are pertinent, important questions to ask. We live in an ever growing digital age now, and all of those things matter and play a role – to a lesser or higher degree, depending on the person – in the development and growth of one’s fitness career.

But here’s the thing, and it’s something that Nick Tumminello stressed…..

Talent Still Matters

Or maybe a better way to put it: BUILDING talent matters.

It’s not the only thing that matters, of course. But it’s still pretty damn important. You just don’t want to be an uppity, entitled, brat with no work ethic like the examples above.

Far too often – at least nowadays – new trainers and coaches place too much weight on how many Twitter followers they have, YouTube views a certain video gets3, or how many “Likes” a certain article gets.

Some even brag about how many books they’ve read. Which is awesome.

But that doesn’t mean anything.

That’s like me bragging about how I read The Science of Hitting by Ted Williams 47 times cover to cover.

Unless I actually go out and do it, hit a baseball hundreds of times a day, day after day after day, for years on end, to the point where my hands start bleeding, I’ll never come close to sniffing Ted Williams’ ability……much less the Mendoza Line.

Ted Williams had talent, but he also worked his tail off.

You can read about the intricacies of breaking down the deadlift all you want, but unless you actually 1) deadlift yourself 2) deadlift appreciable weight 3) and coach other people through it, I don’t give a shit how many books you read.

It takes TALENT (and hard work) to become a good coach.

It takes TALENT (and hard work) to become a good writer.

It takes TALENT (and hard work) to hit a baseball.

It takes TALENT (and hard work) to get through an entire season of Downton Abbey. Trust me, I’ve tried.

Talent doesn’t happen without work ethic. The two go hand in hand.

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Prone Sphinx

If you were talking to twelve year old Tony, the Prone Sphinx sounds like some sweet WWF Wrestling move that Hulk Hogan or Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka would perform on one of their opponents during WrestleMania.

Alas, I’m not twelve, and don’t watch WrestleMania on Mondays anymore, so in this context it refers to the mythical creature that has the head of a human and the body of a lion. You know, real life.=

Kidding aside, the Prone Sphinx is the name of an exercise I feel has a lot of merit and usefulness.

Who Did I Steal It From: Dr. Mark Cheng in his Prehab=Rehab 101 DVD.

What Does It Do: It’s an awesome drill that helps to improve scapular stability in addition to core stability, and with certain progressions works on t-spine mobility and pectoral length.

Key Coaching Cues: Due to the position of the exercise you’d have to clear someone of extension-based back pain before implementing it, but assuming there’s no issues some things to consider:

1. It’s important to reset the scapulae prior to each rep. This ensures that no shrugging occurs and that the shoulders are packed.

2. The non-moving side must remain packed throughout!

3. Don’t rush through the progressions. This drill is a lot harder than it looks.

4. Probably best used as part of an extended warm-up or as a filler exercise for most people. But I could see this exercise being used as a “main movement” for some.

Prone Sphinx

 

CategoriesNutrition

How to Conquer Your Trigger Foods

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Registered Dietician and nutrition coach, Georgie Fear. I first “met” Georgie a few years ago when she was a coach for Precision Nutrition, and immediately found her take and approach to nutrition as refreshing and non-dogmatic.

Her new book, Lean Habits For Lifelong Weight Loss, was just released today.

What is a trigger food?

Most people would say that “trigger foods” are foods that they have trouble eating a reasonable portion of. Most commonly, it’s sweets like cookies or chocolate, and sometimes salty, crunchy snacks like potato chips or tortilla chips. If you feel like you have ever lost control while eating and consumed an unreasonable amount, you’re not alone, and you’re not messed up. The unpleasant experience, however, would make any level-headed person think “Gosh, I don’t want to do that again” and look for a way to prevent it.

It’s common to label a food that was involved in an incident such as this as a trigger food, and to be wary of it. If you’ve been bitten by a dog, it’s also normal to be a bit tentative to pet dogs afterward!

When a client refers to something as a “trigger food”, I always want to hear more. Further discussion usually reveals not just one unpleasant interaction, but a rocky ongoing relationship, where the food is like an on-again-off-again romance. They love the taste of the food, but repeatedly buy it, overeat it, and swear it off for a while.

After a while, they inevitably buy it again (either hoping it will end differently this time, or already accepting that overeating it is the plan) and go through the cycle again.

Break The Cycle: 3 parts

Three things will help you turn a trigger food into just a food you like. First, let’s clarify who’s in charge here. You. Not the food.

Is it hard to stop eating that food after one serving? Heck yeah, I will never say it is or should be easy. But difficulty need not be confused with impossibility.

You may have felt like you lost control in the past, but that doesn’t mean you did. The food did not jump in your mouth. I realize it can be very difficult to manage strong impulses, but you are never without control. You always have the option to not take another bite. With help and practice, I know you can do this.

Second: Forbidding specific foods rigidly leads to increased cravings for that food1,2.

Most people who do find peace with all foods only are able to do it after they start eating previously-taboo food in a planned, enjoyed, and allowed way. Associating guilt with a particular food, on the other hand, has been found to predict continued weight gain and feelings of helplessness around that food item3.

That doesn’t mean you have to eat your most willpower-challenging dessert with every meal, or every day, but planning to eat it at least every now and then and enjoy it mindfully is important.

Note from TG: ice-cream (and carrot cake).

Sometimes, people wonder if they have a physical addiction to that particular food, food in general, or sugar. Most contemplate that maybe, like an alcoholic, they would be best off abstaining.

Rest assured, you have options besides a.) keep the cycle going and b.) kiss the food goodbye for good. Here’s how you can choose c.) turn it into just another food that you can choose to eat or not, in whatever portion you choose.

Third: Start collecting experiences where you successfully eat your former trigger foods in a way that leaves you feeling good. Every time you prove to yourself that eating this food does not automatically result in an overeating experience, you’ll gain more confidence.

I know it can be a daunting or even frightening task to deliberately eat a food you have previously struggled with managing, so here are tips on ensuring a good experience.

Remember that your eating behaviors are significantly impacted by your expectations, including how strongly you believe you will lose control when eating4.

If you expect to lose control and be unable to stop after one cookie, you are more likely to have that happen. If you expect that once you eat your chosen portion of frozen yogurt, you’ll head to the park with your spouse for a walk, you have a better chance of making that happen.

Instead, think in small steps, and realize that not every situation is equally triggering, so you can start with easier scenarios. The physical environment, company, time of day, even the brightness of the lighting and whether it’s the weekend or not can impact how much you eat5.

It’s not about the food itself.

Let’s say potato chips have been a “trigger food” for you before (see what I did there, past tense because you’re leaving it behind and not believing in trigger foods anymore). It’s incredibly tough to eat a single portion of chips if you are stuck in a car, as the passenger, on a 12 hour drive across the midwest with nothing to do and a 2 pounds bag of Lays in your lap. That’s a perfect storm of challenge-increasing factors.

But, let’s say it’s 5 am, and you stop at a convenience store, half asleep, on your way to work. You have a slightly queasy “got up too early” stomach, and someone offers you a bag of potato chips with your coffee. They aren’t your favorite flavor. And they’re expired. You might not want ANY chips in those circumstances, and if you did get a single serving bag and eat it, the odds of driving back to the store in a chip-possessed maniacal fashion to buy and eat more are (I’m guessing here) slim.

To use an even MORE over the top illustration, if you were eating the food you used to think of as trigger food and the phone rang and your mother was in the hospital and you needed to come right now, would you be able to stop eating the food?

Gosh I hope so.

Everyone is different, but in general, eating excessive portions is harder to resist if we are home, alone, emotional, have a large quantity of the food in front of us, it’s later in the day, it’s a weekend, we have nowhere to go, and are stressed or upset5–7.

Ladies, throw in PMS. When you are working on reclaiming control over a food, you want as few of these factors increasing the challenge as possible. Make it as easy as you can for yourself to succeed! That means you may want to have company, be outside the house, only have immediate access to a single serving, on a day you’re feeling pretty good, and know after you have your treat you’ll be doing something else.

Start at the maximally supported situation you can think of, and get a few exposures to that food with success. Prove to yourself it is possible.

A typical one my clients use is going out with a friend or significant other to buy one single portion of the food, and then having something else planned to do. Popping gum in your mouth can help even more to move on from the taste.

Then, consider if you want to move along the spectrum and open up the flexibility of your eating that food. There’s no end point you “have to” or “should” reach. If you find it’s easy to avoid overeating certain foods by not keeping them in your house, or by only buying single serve portions – great! Use that knowledge to help yourself succeed.

Many people find that they quickly build confidence and soon don’t need the company with them or can bring the food home and be totally fine with it. Awesome!!

It’s also okay to decide to not bring a food home for the long term if it’s too difficult. There is no “I can keep every junk food imaginable in my house and resist it” merit badge.

If you choose to make certain foods “out of the house” foods, it’s not because you “can’t” but because it’s easier to eat it in the manner you enjoy if you choose to have it in a different setting. That’s not making a rule, it’s making a wise choice.

My husband Roland and I don’t keep cookies at home, because if we want a cookie, it’s easiest for us to eat one cookie if we go buy one cookie. Having cookies around here just makes it an added willpower challenge to not eat them in excess. Not having them around makes it easy to not even think of them.

The relationship you have with a particular food, like so many other things in your life, is one you can choose and make reality. You might choose to set some boundaries, and reserve particular foods for certain circumstances, or eventually feel at ease having any food at any time in any scenario. There is no right or wrong. 

For more help in attaining a healthy relationship with food and reaching your leanness goals without ever dieting again, pick up my book Lean Habits for Lifelong Weight Loss and join my free Facebook Group for support. You can also find my latest articles over at AskGeorgie.com.

About the Author

Georgie Fear is a registered dietitian and professional nutrition coach and the author of Lean Habits for Lifelong Weight Loss.

One habit at a time, she teaches clients around the world how to get lean and live better lives through improving their food habits, without suffering or calorie counting.

In her coaching, Georgie draws from her research expertise in appetite regulation and human behavior change to ensure clients are not only well fed physically, but supported emotionally and given autonomy throughout their journey.

She adores teaching, has an analogy for almost everything, and loves to help her clients fall in love with themselves. While she has worked with NCAA teams and Olympic athletes, her favorite type of clients are normal everyday people who are sick of dieting and want to an enjoyable, healthy relationship with food.

Works Cited:

  1. Massey A, Hill AJ. Dieting and food craving. A descriptive, quasi-prospective study. Appetite. 2012;58(3):781-785. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2012.01.020.
  2. Meule A, Westenhöfer J, Kübler A. Food cravings mediate the relationship between rigid, but not flexible control of eating behavior and dieting success. Appetite. 2011;57(3):582-584. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2011.07.013.
  3. Kuijer RG, Boyce J a. Chocolate cake. Guilt or celebration? Associations with healthy eating attitudes, perceived behavioural control, intentions and weight-loss. Appetite. 2014;74:48-54. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2013.11.013.
  4. Fitzsimmons-Craft EE, Keatts DA, Bardone-Cone AM. Eating Expectancies in Relation to Eating Disorder Recovery. Cognit Ther Res. 2013;37(5):1041-1047. doi:10.1007/s10608-013-9522-7.
  5. Stroebele N, De Castro JM. Effect of ambience on food intake and food choice. Nutrition. 2004;20(9):821-838. doi:10.1016/j.nut.2004.05.012.
  6. Rolls BJ, Morris EL, Roe LS. Portion size of food affects energy intake in normal-weight and overweight men and women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002;76(6):1207-1213. http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/76/6/1207.short. Accessed April 4, 2015.
  7. Crowther JH, Sanftner J, Bonifazi DZ, Shepherd KL. The role of daily hassles in binge eating. Int J Eat Disord. 2001;29(4):449-454. doi:10.1002/eat.1041.
CategoriesMiscellaneous Miscellany

Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: Books I’m Reading, Places I’m Speaking, and Stuff I’ve Gotten For Free (That I Like!)

No need to give a witty introduction or quip. The title of today’s post pretty much sums it up.

I’m a huge fan of Jon Ronson (^^ this guy, in case you’re wondering). I first heard of him a few years ago while watching The Daily Show as he was making the rounds promoting is then new book, The Psychopath Test.

It was an amazing book that I devoured within days of purchasing it. It helped that I started reading it the day Lisa and I moved in together and I was stuck in our apartment waiting for the cable company to show up. I had nothing to do but read.

In the few years since I’ve read most of his books, and I’m always anticipating the release of his next deluge into the abyss of human behavior and how messed up it can be.

His latest, released last week, So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, is nothing short of extraordinary.

After experiencing a case of identity theft (on Twitter) and confronting the people who pretended to be him, out of curiosity Jon decided to invite the culprits to a friendly chat and film the interaction. In his mind, maybe he’d get an interesting story out of it.

He posted the video on YouTube and was surprised at the public reaction. Commentors were saying the most vulgar things possible towards the “fake Jon Ronson’s”, and some even went out of their way to make death threats.

The experience piqued Jon’s interests, and he decided to seek out other casualties of public shaming. People like Justine Sacco, that of the now infamous “AIDS Tweet”

This woman has been through HELL in the past two years. Losing her job, forced into exile, being called every name possible, putting up with death threats, stuff I can’t even begin to imagine….all because of a Tweet – which, admittedly, shows a drastic lack of social filter, joke or not – she sent within seconds before she hopped on a plane and went to sleep.

When she awoke, her life was forever changed.

Or Jonah Lehrer, a New York Times best-selling author who, a few years ago, was caught in the middle of a self-plagiarism scandal and has been struggling to recover ever since.

And many more examples.

It really is a thrilling read into human behavior and the “psyche” behind social media and how it’s altered the instantaneous stream of conscious landscape we all now live in.

Some Other Books to Check Out (Non-Fitness Related)

An Appetite for Wonder – Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins is no rookie when it comes to controversy – especially with regards to spiritualism, God, and the never ending debate over creationism vs. evolution.

He’s a scientist, and I respect that.

Five Came Back – Mark Harris

Written by one of my favorite entertainment/movie/tv columnists, Mark Harris, this book combines two of my favorite subjects to read about: movies and World War II.

The only way this book could have been more “Tony” is if he had included references to He-Man, GI Joe, and chocolate covered pretzels.

Hint: I love chocolate covered pretzels.

Other Books to Check Out (Fitness Related)

The Science of Lifting & The Art of Lifting – Greg Nuckols

All I have to say about these two books is: holy shit-balls.

I’m not getting ANY affiliate sales from saying this, so you can pipe down guy who’s gonna email me and say “you’re only saying what you’re saying because you’re getting a little kick-back.”

Nope.

I’m saying what I’m saying because 1) I think both of these books are game-changers 2) Greg Nuckols deserves all the kudos and accolades he’s been receiving for writing these bad boys and 3) he has an epic beard.

Stuff I’m Wearing (Cause I’m So Fancy)

One of the cool things about the continued growth of this website is the free stuff that’s often sent my way.

It’s not uncommon to receive several emails weekly from people asking me if I’d be interested in trying out their new product – usually a supplement or fitness gadget or some kind of apparel. I don’t always accept, but if something sounds up my alley I’ll bite.

Still waiting for Rolex to contact me, though.

Anyhoo, recently I’ve gotten a slew of new companies sending me their apparel to try and I wanted to share some of them with my readers because I know many of you reading are always looking for comfortable, stylish, and/or cool things to wear or workout in.

FYI: I am NOT receiving any kick-back or affiliate money for pointing you in the direction of the following companies.

Vuori Clothing

The people from Vuori contacted me asking if I’d like to peruse their line, and if there’s something that caught my eye if they could send it to me to try (and keep).

Sheepishly, I wrote back saying I really liked the look of their Movement Hoodie, and that I’d understand if they’d prefer not to send it to me since it was their highest priced item.

“What an a-hole this Gentilcore guy is” is what I assumed they were muttering to themselves back in their office. “This guy has a lot of nerve.”

To my surprise, they sent it. Sweet! Along with a few of their t-shirts (Crest Tee, and Tuvalu Tee).

I’ve been wearing the hoodie everyday since I got it, and everyone at the facility has been sweating it. Too, the t-shirts are super comfy and more importantly make my biceps looks extra bicepy.

You can tell they put a lot of pride in the material they choose to use, and all I have to say is everything feels great to wear.

Be sure to check them out

Gym Reapers

These shirts are badass. Nuff said.

Granted Lisa’s not a fan of the evil skull head, but I think it’s awesome.  While I can’t back it up, I’m pretty sure your squat will increase by at least 50 lbs if you wear this shirt during your next training session.

It’s science.

Upcoming Speaking Engagements

Mark Fisher Fitness Motivate and Movement Lab

I don’t which makes me more excited: the fact I was invited to go speak at Mark Fisher Fitness, or the fact that, if I wanted, I could wear a cape during my presentation while simultaneously speak into a microphone shaped like a dildo.

And no one would bat an eye.

The Fitness Summit

This is growing to be one of the “go to” fitness events every year. I was fortunate enough to be invited to speak last year, and had an amazing time. I wrote about my experience HERE.

The vibe is much more informal and intimate (<— in a non-creepy way) compared to other large fitness events, but that’s also what makes The Fitness Summit so unique.

I’ve been invited back again this year and the line-up looks sick. I know registration has officially been closed for a few weeks now, but there is an email address you can write to about any possible openings.

If you can make it, do it!

New England Health & Racquet Sports Club Association Spring Conference

This one isn’t until May 13th, but I was given the green light to help spread the word. I’m (again) very honored to have the opportunity to be chosen to speak at this year’s event.

This will be my first time attending this conference and I know it’s kind of a big deal. Which is to say I’ve been repeating to myself over and over and over again, “No Tony, it is not okay to swear. Even a little. No Tony, it is not okay to swear. Even a little. No Tony………”