CategoriesMotivational

What The Princess Bride Can Teach You About Dealing With Critics

Behind deadlifting and eating carrot cake my next most favorite thing to do in the world (that’s PG-13 enough to discuss on this blog, wink wink, nudge nudge) is watching movies.

I’d say “going to the theater” or “watching film,” but I don’t want to come across as some uppity, Pruis driving, bourgeoisie snob.

I go the movies dammit.  Just like I order large drinks at Starbucks and not “Grande,” and prefer to not correct people when they refer to soccer as futbol and not, well, soccer.

For those that do do that….get over yourself will ya!

I often joke that if I weren’t a strength coach or baseball player (or professional tank driver), I’d opt to watch, review, and write about movies. I freakin loooooooove watching movies.

As many of you know, and maybe sometimes hate, I often digress about the movies I go see or make random pop cultural references to movie quotes all the time on this blog. One minute I’m discussing rotary stability and how it applies to rotational sports, and the next I’m quoting Tarantino or making my 118,306th reference to Star Wars.

HAN SHOT FIRST.  HAN SHOT FIRST!!!!!

It’s my blog, so unfortunately you have to suck it up and deal with it. But I do try really hard to stay on task and keep it strictly fitness and lifting heavy things 98.97% of the time.

This is not one of those times.  At least, not entirely.  Bear with me.

Going back to my movie obsession, as it happens I’m a member of the local independent theater house here in Brookline, The Coolidge Corner Theater, or The Coolidge for short.

It’s an amazing place, showcasing smaller, lesser known, independent movies, some of which have subtitles and stuff (okay, fair enough, I’m getting a little snobby, sorry), and as a member I’m privy to many of the special events they’ll host throughout the year.

Last night Lisa and I were able to attend a special advance screening of director Rob Reiner’s upcoming movie And So It Goes, starring Michael Douglass and Diane Keaton, and afterwards, Rob Reiner himself appeared in person for a brief Q & A.

Freakin Rob Reiner.  In person!!!  The man is a legend!  You’d be hard pressed to discuss the history of Hollywood and not mention his name at some point.  On top of being an established actor (TV show All in the Family, as well as numerous bit roles in movies like Sleepless in Seattle, Edtv and The Wolf of Wall Street), where he’s (arguably) more recognized and established is as a director.

See if you recognize any of these famous quotes from movies he’s directed.

1. “My name is Inigo Montoya.  You killed my father, prepare to die!”

2. “I’ll have what she’s having.”

3. “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!”

4.“Leeches!!!!!”

Stumped?  Need a little help? Here you go……

1.  The Princess Bride

2.  When Harry Met Sally

Note:  Quick movie trivia.  The woman who actually says “I’ll have what she’s having” at the end of the scene is Rob Reiner’s mother, Estelle.

3.  A Few Good Men

4. Stand by Me

Like I said, the man is a legend, and none of the above take into account his other films like This is Spinal Tap, Misery, The American President, and The Bucket List.

If you’re a movie buff (or even if you’re not), chances are you’ve seen one of his films.

So needless to say, I was in full on fan-boy, geek fest mode when Mr. Reiner showed up last night to discuss his latest project as well as answer questions from the audience. Here’s a pic I took from my seat:

I was too much of a wimp to ask anything, fearing I’d pull a Chris Farley from his uproarious skit back in the day on Saturday Night Live, The Chris Farley Show.

Me:  So, uh, Mr. Reiner, you remember that scene in A Few Good Men where Tom Cruise’s character yells at Jack Nicholson’s character, “I want the truth!!!” and Jack Nicholson’s character yells back to Tom Cruise’s character, “you can’t handle the truth!!”??

Rob Reiner: Yes, yes I do.

Me:  That…..that was awesome.

However, there was one question asked from another audience member that struck a chord with me which had a lot of relevance to the fitness world.  And Mr. Reiner’s answer was the tits.

The question related to the movie and how it ended. Don’t worry I won’t spoil anything, but the audience member asked whether or not he (Mr. Reiner) would take issue with the critics (possibly) bashing it and whether or not it would bother him?

SLIGHT Spoiler Alert:  the movie ends in a predicable, borderline overly sentimental fashion, and Mr. Reiner himself was quick to note that he KNOWS that that will be what many of the critics will take issue with.

More or less he had this to say:  f*** em.

He went on to say, “I’ve had a fair share of bad reviews, as well as been fortunate enough to receive many good ones.  In the end, though, I don’t really pay much attention to what critics say because, when all is said and done, I’m doing what I love to do.

I’m doing.”

To bring his point home, he went on to share two anecdotes.

One was about a baseball player –  I don’t remember who – whom he idolized as a kid growing up.  He remarked how this particular athlete, during his rookie year, would demonstrate an extreme spectrum of emotions.  Whenever he hit a home-run he’d be super excited and jump all over the place.  Conversely, whenever he struck out, he’d toss his bat, yell, and go into tantrums.

This is not dissimilar to what Mr. Reiner had gone through with critics or what I (or anyone else who makes a part of their living writing) goes through.  You have those people who go out of their way to praise your work (and you react one way), and you have those people who are life-sucking vampire doucheholes who go out of their way to shit on your work (and as a result, you react another way, and not coincidentally they deserve a raging case of genital herpes).

The moral of the story was that it wasn’t until later in his career  when the baseball player realized that BOTH events – hitting home runs and striking out – were part of the game and that both came with territory.

The other parallel Mr. Reiner shared involved legendary Hall of Fame basketball coach, John Wooden.

Coach Wooden is widely regarded as the human equivalent of Yoda (make that 118,307 references!), and there are endless stories of him sharing sage advice. In this case, the story revolved around him telling his players that it’s okay to act one way when you win a game, as it’s okay to act the polar opposite when you lose.

The key is to make sure that once you leave the arena and you’re around friends, family, and loved ones that they won’t be able to tell the difference.

You leave happens there, there.  And you don’t take it with you.

Which is as appropriate of a segue as any to my point.

I’m often asked by interns that pass through Cressey Performance or by others I know if it ever bothers me when someone goes out of their way to be nasty or derogatory towards me with an article I write or anything else I put out there?

I’d like to think that I consistently put out good content and that it doesn’t happen often, but sure, yeah, sometimes it bothers me.  I’m human after all.

When I first started getting stuff published some remarks I’d receive would bother me a lot. It dumbfounded me how some people, without even knowing me, would say some really mean things.

I’d grab a pint of Ben&Jerry’s, put on Notting Hill and cry myself to sleep.

Of course, if I said something wrong and someone called me out or corrected me, I’d own up to it (and still do)…..but I’ve learned to tune out the ad hominem garbage that some people spew no matter what.

Likewise, I don’t expect every person to agree 100% with everything I write about, and I’ve learned to accept (and respect) other’s opinions.  Unless they’re just flat out wrong. Then I’ll push back a bit.

That said, at the end of the day, much like Mr. Reiner, I don’t care what critics or internet meanie heads have to say. And if you’re someone just starting out in the industry and exploring putting your stuff out there for the masses to see, you should feel the same way (in time).

Don’t get me wrong:  it’s one thing to have open dialogue and discourse with people with varying opinions, especially within the context of the learning process.  But if it comes down to someone simply “not liking” an article or blog post, who cares?

I take pride in what I do as a coach.  I help people on a daily basis get better and achieve things they never thought possible.  Too, I take pride in the creative process of writing. This shit is hard, and I challenge anyone to try to CONSISTENTLY put out quality content.  Many times for free.

I have the opportunity to reach and inspire thousands of people.  How cool is that?  I can’t expect to please every single one, however.

What matters most to me is that I’m a good coach to my athletes and clients, I’m a good boyfriend to my wonderful girlfriend, I’m a son, a brother, a friend, and I’m just being me.

What some random person who probably has never trained anyone in his or her life and thinks they know everything there is to know about strength and conditioning because they read SuperTraining once five years ago has to say about one of my articles doesn’t matter.

If it’s high praise, cool….thank you!   I can’t tell how much I appreciate that.

If it’s negative, derogatory, or otherwise devoid of any constructive criticism what-so-ever, that’s cool too. I guess.  I  just hope that person has a massive case of explosive diarrhea.  Just kidding. But not really.

Either way, and especially in the case of the latter, I’ll move on with my life.  I encourage others who are creative junkies to do the same.

The end.

CategoriesCorrective Exercise

Massage: Misunderstood and Misused

I have an excellent guest post for you today, but before I hand it over to you for your reading pleasure I wanted to quickly remind people of my Premium Workout Group on WeightTraining.com.

After a 4-month block of a strength emphasis (and people breaking personal records left and right), we’re currently in the midst of a fat-loss block that’s, well, kicking everyone’s ass.  And people are still breaking PRs.

I say “fat loss” with a grain of salt because honestly, I hate that term.  I think most people see the phrase “fat loss” and automatically cringe and assume endless repetitions of burpees, supersets, Prowler pushes, puke buckets and carrot sticks.

Wait! Maybe carrot sticks aren’t Paleo enough?  Celery sticks then?  Crap, now I’m just confused.  Maybe James Fell can help shed some light on that topic?

Anyhoo, while making things more metabolically challenging does enter the equation and helps to expedite the process, a major mistake many people make with their fat loss programming is going  bat-shit crazy with training volume.

The role of a WELL-STRUCTURED fat-loss program should be to MAINTAIN or PRESERVE as much muscle mass as possible.

Most fat-loss programs do nothing but make people a smaller, weaker version of their original selves.  In other words, skinny-fat.

To that end, with my approach to fat-loss, people still lift heavy things, and the overall training volume isn’t egregious.  Ie….assuming you’re not eating like an a-hole, and calories out trumps calories in, training doesn’t have to be too dissimilar compared to regular ol’ strength training.

For more information just click HERE and you’ll see what I mean.

And with that, I now introduce to you Justin Sorbo.  Justin’s a local personal trainer and competitive powerlifter here in the Boston area who’s currently finishing up massage therapy school.

He’s been gracious enough to offer some free clinical hours to both myself and Lisa and I have to say, he’s good.  Like, REALLY good.  He offered to write a post on the massage industry and how it’s often misunderstood and misrepresented.

I hope you enjoy it!

Massage: Misunderstood and Misused

“ Sweet, bro. You’re gonna be a masseuse?  Can I sign up for a rub-n-tug?”

“Oh, that sounds like a nice idea for  some work on the side.  Which spa are you working at?”

“…What do you plan on doing with that?”

As a massage therapy student with a background in Kinesiology, I cringe every time I hear a friend or family member interject with one of the above statements.

Among other specialties like lymphatic drainage, clinically trained LMTs can prescribe and perform movement assessment, soft tissue work, stretching, active movement, joint mobilizations, and corrective breathing drills.  Combined with an exercise background (exercise science, CSCS, etc), we can be capable clinicians with a wide scope of practice.

In the United States, popular culture continues to regard the profession as strictly a form of pampering for the rich and famous, or; a thinly guised romp with a prostitute.

Note from TG: BOM CHICKA BOM BOM (sorry Justin, I couldn’t resist).

In reality, massage can be a powerful facilitator in the healing process and the management of pain.  The cloud of ambiguity surrounding the true nature of bodywork rests largely on the massage community itself.  In no particular order, here are a few of the forces driving massage culture in America today:

-Low Barrier of Entry with Minimum Prerequisites:  In most states, one can acquire a license to practice with a GED and a couple thousand dollars.  Massachusetts requires 650 hours of education, while some states require less.

This is a double edged sword: higher rates of entry mean lower quality students, but the relatively small financial and time commitment allows for a potentially better investment than a typical non-profit university.

-A History of Sex Work: Many of us have witnessed or heard of a local business being raided for prostitution.  The massage setting can be an easy target for shady people and moral-less money makers.  Privacy, intimacy, and trust are easily abused.

-Lack of a Definition of Massage: In reality, massage encompasses many modalities of manual therapy, yet usually seems to be imaged as a picture of a woman lying face down on a table.

-Pseudoscience: To me, this is the most damning of the bunch.  The world of massage therapy abounds with poor logic, uninformed or apathetic educators, and a lack of good research.

Historically, massage theory and technique has been derived largely from anecdote. Mechanisms for its effects have been proposed throughout the years, but very few have stood the tests of research and time.  The embrace of half-truths and lies surrounding soft tissue science further distance the profession from its rightful place as a part of mainstream medicine.

While certainly not a “cure-all”, manual therapy can be a formidable weapon for the treatment of a variety of conditions; some of which are better supported with research than others.

Specifically, massage shows promise as an effective treatment for low back pain in both acute and chronic sufferers.  Massage is an excellent treatment for the relief of anxiety and depression, conditions which are highly correlated with painful physical manifestations.

Mobilizations are effective at improving rehab outcomes, and breathing work can facilitate range of motion changes.

In order to be recognized as a form of healthcare, we need to focus on movement rather than just static palpation on a table.  We need to be testing and retesting our techniques, and documenting the outcomes.  We need to be able to communicate through anatomical language, and recognize our lack of understanding of biological mechanisms.

Most of all, we have to be morally and intellectually honest.

Addition from TG: Much like any profession, the process of learning and continuing to improve one’s skills doesn’t end once you stop paying for a course.  In addition, those therapist who succeed are generally the one’s who understand that not every person fits into one mold where one form of massage or manual therapy works 100% of the time.

While it’s great to have a niche or speciality to help separate yourself from the masses, in my experience those therapists who thrive are the ones who DO NOT pigeon hole themselves into being  SOLELY a deep tissue guy (or girl) or a fascial manipulation guy or a Swedish guy or a Graston guy or a Active Release guy or however many other forms of manual therapies are out there.

Opening up your skill set and adopting other modalities as you learn and gain experience is paramount.  What’s more, just to toss it out there, developing a network and referral system is hhhyyyyyyooooogggge.  This is something a lot of fitness professionals neglect to do, and I can tell you right now that in the future I’ll be referring clients to Justin because 1) he was proactive and reached out and 2) I KNOW he’s good.

It also doesn’t hurt that I know he’s open minded and he actually lifts weights.

For those looking on more insight on how to develop solid referral systems, Dean Somerset wrote a nice post on that topic HERE.

About the Author

Justin Sorbo is a Boston based personal trainer working out of One-to-One BodyScapes located in Newton, MA.  He’s also a competitive powerlifter.

You can find out more information via his Facebook page HERE.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 6/13/14

Really quick before I get into the meat and potatoes of this week’s list.

1.  I love you.

2.  I didn’t even realize it was Friday the 13th until someone pointed it out to me today.  Also, apparently, I think someone told me there’s a full moon tonight.  If so, have fun with that. Good luck!

3.  If you missed it, strength coach, writer, and stronger than 99% of the population, Tim Henriques, wrote a fantastic guest post earlier this week titled 5 Life Lessons From Powerlifting.

I’m reminding people because his new book, All About Powerlifting, is quickly becoming one of my “go to” books to recommend to people regardless of training experience or whether or not they’re interested in powerlifting.  Don’t let the title fool. Yes, it’s about powerlifting….but Tim goes into great detail on each of the “big 3” and I feel it serves as an excellent primer for those looking to learn the lifts and improve their technique.

4. Only 553 days left until Star Wars Episode VII comes out.  In case anyone’s keeping track. 5 hours, 47 minutes, and 33 seconds.

32, 31, 30……..

Death By Cardio & The Fortress of Solitude – Bryan Krahn

There was an article written last week on a very popular fitness site basically telling people that cardio kills people.  I didn’t much care for it and felt it did more to bring the industry back rather than improve it.

There was a lot of research studies sited in the article itself, which, for better or worse, automatically gives people the impression that it must be accurate.

Just remember:  there was once a time where physicians advocated we smoke to improve our health!

Anyways, I really appreciated Bryan’s retort and I think you will too.

My Secret Sauce to Healthy Weight: Meal Preparation – Trish DaCosta

I had the pleasure of meeting Trish in person earlier this week and felt she was a lovely human being, and someone whom I shared many common beliefs with.

Like the idea of meal prep and how that plays a key role in weight management.

Every Sunday Lisa and I will get our groceries for the week and we’ll get home and have most of the food prep done (chicken breasts grilled, starches cooked, and beef sauteed) before noon.  And be “we’ll have it done,” what I really mean is Lisa will have it done.

Love you babe!

Yes, meal prep sucks.  Yes, no one likes doing it.  But you need to learn to suck it up and do it anyways. That, and TAKE OUT THE RECYCLING!!!!!!!!!!  HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO ASK!?!??!

Low Cholesterol: The Risks, Dangers, and Reality – Michael McEvoy

I had my first appointment with a doctor in well over a decade last summer. As I recall it was a fairly painless experience, and I only hyperventilated into a brown paper bag twice at the sight of a needle.

As part of the deal, I had some blood work done to test things like my vitamin D levels, testosterone levels, as well as cholesterol and adamantium (<—– please tell you get the reference).

A week or so after the fact I received the results and noticed that my TOTAL cholesterol levels were somewhat low (take that egg haters!!!!), and I was more or less patting myself on the back.

As it happened, a fellow Facebook friend of mine, a doctor himself, noted that, while there was nothing to be too (too) concerned about, low cholesterol levels can be just as much a sign of something wrong as high cholesterol readings.

He noted:

“If your total cholesterol is really in the 120s, you (may) have a couple of things going on….the first could be fat malabsorption due to decreased bile production or flow, the second is significant adrenal stress that leads to all of your cholesterol getting shunted to pregnenolone to control inflammation. Infections(sub-clinical) will lead to chronic inflammation that depletes cholesterol as well.” 

To which I responded:

Am I going to die?

Anyways, this was the article he sent my way which I felt was interesting and something that some of you may find interesting as well.

CategoriesUncategorized

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

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

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

Plus, you know, free stuff!

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

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

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

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

Clear Tea would be one example.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All new and incoming fitness professionals pay attention.

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

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

Nevertheless, his approach was to open with:

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

Ahh, can you smell the mass email?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CategoriesAssessment Exercise Technique Strength Training

How Deep Should I Squat?

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

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

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

It’s uncanny and makes for some quality entertainment.

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

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

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

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

Continue Reading…….

CategoriesUncategorized

5 Life Lessons Learned From Powerlifting

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

Ie: I hate him.

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

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

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

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

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

5 Life Lessons Learned From Powerlifting

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

1.  Patience

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

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

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

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

2. Focus on Results

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

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

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

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

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

3. Have a Plan

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

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

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

And what goals are those you ask?  Good question.

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

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

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

4. Create a Positive Environment

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

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

Transfer this over to the rest of your life.

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

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

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

5. Life is Better With Other People

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cultivate those relationships and appreciate them.

Summary

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

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

About the Author

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

—-> All About Powerlifting <—-

 

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

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

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

9 Essential Strength Benchmarks for Women – Patrick Striet

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

The Simple Deadlift Program – Matt Kroc

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

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

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

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

CategoriesUncategorized

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

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

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

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

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

Ah, young love.

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

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

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

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

Top Hockey Prospect Fails to do a Pull-Up.

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

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

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

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

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

Like this doozy from MOJO1120:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blah, blah, blah.

A few thoughts:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shut-up internet!

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

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

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

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

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Paused Deadlift

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

Ready?  Here it goes.

I like deadlifts!! Like, a lot.

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

Come on.  Don’t be silly.

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

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

It’s all in the same boat.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Paused Deadlift – from Floor

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

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

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

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

A sample cycle may look something like this:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CategoriesStrength Training

Old School Strength

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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