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Shatterproof Your Spine

In an industry that’s inundated with movers and shakers promoting their watered down products, it’s always refreshing to have the opportunity to promote something I feel will help a lot of people. Back in 2009 (maybe it was 2010), fellow colleague John Izzo asked if I’d be willing to watch his DVD, Shatterproof Spine.

As the name suggests, it covers the spine (more specifically, lower back pain) and highlights a workshop that John did with a number of trainers at the facility he used to manage back in the day.

Note:  he now OWNS his own facility.

What I liked best was that John mixed the perfect formula of science/research and combined it with the perfect blend of practical knowledge into an easy to follow, easy to assimilate format.  Truth be told, he left no stone unturned covering topics such as assessment, corrective exercise for for low back health, proper posture positioning, understanding the role of fatigue as it relates to core strengthening, and much much more.

All told, I loved it, and it’s consistently one of the more popular DVDs that’s “borrowed” out of our Cressey Performance Resource Library.

Thing is, you can’t purchase the DVD anymore – it’s sold out (which should tell you something).  As such, John has decided to re-release Shatterproof Spine as an instant download, so you can watch it anywhere at any time.

Reciprocally, while the product alone is outstanding, John has “sweetened” the pot by also including a couple of  incentives:

5 Practical Drills to Identify Low Back Pain Sufferers – The book is complete with some applicable drills that John uses with his general population clients to help better understand which direction to take his programming, and also serves as a nice adjunct to his screening process.

Eye of the Trainer – Video download along the same lines of using certain exercises as observational assessments and helping trainers plan accordingly with their exercise programs.

Combined, this is a fantastic resource for any personal trainer out there looking to take his or her craft to the next level, and separate themselves from the masses.

To that end, I wanted to share an interview I did with John highlighting the release of Shatterproof Spine. In an industry that is notorious for less than exemplary practices, John is one of the rare few who “gets it,” and is recognized as one of the leaders in personal training standards.

Enjoy!

TG: John, lets get the particulars out of the way.  For those who may not be familiar with you or your work, can you give my readers the Cliff Notes version?  Where are you located? What’s your background? What’s the main demographic that you work with?  Do you like walks on the beach?

John Izzo:  Thanks for having me Tony. Here is the gist of Izzo…I am a personal trainer located in Manchester, CT about 15 minutes away from Hartford. Years ago, I thought I wanted to be a strength coach….so I focused my attention on young athletes in a commerical gym setting. Didn’t work out. Being inside a commerical gym, every kid that called himself an “Athlete” wanted to train like a bodybuilder.

Sooner than later, I was getting more and more general population clients walking up to me looking for directions to their goals: better health, losing fat, and getting stronger. They were seeing what I was doing with many of the younger guys and thought that I can help them out. Well….I was able to and soon over  90% of my clientele were “normal” Joe’s and Jane’s looking for better function. Training younger athletes started to dwindle down and I turned my attention to helping people improve everyday performance. This was back around 2002. Around 2007, I came to the realization that I was a personal trainer–not a strength coach

Through the years, I found myself in management running the day to day operations; outfitting facilities, and balancing budgets. Thinking I can turn my back on personal training and make more money in management, I found out that I was wrong. Managing others is a bitch. You try to get everyone on  the same page–same thought process as yours–but its never easy. As a gym manger, you are listening to people bitch and moan about changing channels on the TVs; music volume, someones hygiene on the treadmill, or trainers having sex outside. (Yes, that is a true story and guess who was the one that had to knock on the car window?)

TG:  Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh snap. BOM CHICKA BOM BOM.  Okay, sorry.  You were saying……

JI: Anyways….my love to train others soon won. I returned back to full-time training in 2008. I opened my own facility in 2010 and it is mainly a one-on-one private training studio. I do teach group strength classes, but my love shines in one on one. That is where I feel I am a coach.

TG: Even though you and I have never met, we’ve exchanged several emails throughout the years, and I’m always amazed at just how “real” you are, never hesitating to call BS on anyone or anything. This is your chance to sound off.  You and I both know that the fitness industry can be a circus – at best.  What are some of the things, as of late, that really get your goat?

JI:  Oh boy…are trying to get me in trouble…? The truth is, its not that I enjoy calling BS on anyone, I just feel that any good, honest adult should. I truly have a love for what I do, what you do, and what many fit pro’s do. I feel sometimes the industry is tainted with people that don’t belong here.  I ‘ll put it to you this way…I know you are a big movie buff. Remember that scene in “Behind Enemy Lines” with Owen Wilson? That is one of my Top 10 best movies, BTW.

Anyway, remember the scene when the evil admiral was dead-against the US Marines going in to save Owen Wilson? Remember when the Marine captain was going over the Intel with his team on the deck and then the admiral showed up with some “French troops”? The admiral stated that the French troops “would be going in for the extraction”. Those guys didn’t belong there! Those guys had ZERO attachment to our guy down behind enemy lines! They didn’t care about our man. They were not going to give 110% effort, because there was no passion for Owen Wilson!

Well, that’s how I feel about alot of the guys that turn personal trainers’ attention away from serving the client and make them focus on making money. They don’t belong in our industry. They know what they are doing. They are feeding on a fear or scarcity that young, under-developed trainers have. And to me, they continue to hurt the industry—not help it.

TG: Okay, lets talk Shatterproof Spine. What was the impetus behind making this product?

JI: Around 2008, I was working with alot of golfers (still do). Alot of these guys were working at the investment firms, private business, or playing bridge all day and then wanted to hit the course. Well, many of them were having major back pain and it was affecting their swing.

If you can’t swing, you can’t play golf. If you suck at golf, no one is going to ask you to meet them for 8:30am tee off.

So, I went to work researching Dr. Stuart McGill and Shirley Sahrmann’s books. The info I found was fascinating and once I put it to practice with my golfers, they began to tell me how their backs felt better. As a trainer, you have to realize that everyone knows someone that has some sort of low back pain. Some people hide it, some people disregard it, and some people take medicine or have surgery for it.

The job of the trainer is to help people alleviate the symptoms of low back pain and restore optimal function. When it came time for me to teach a workshop for new trainers, I put together a slide-show that would encompass everything I had learned from the authors, along with my own findings–including videos with my golfers. The participants in the workshop were amazed at how much help they can provide (as trainers) to their clients simply by designing exercise programs more carefully and utilizing the drills in the video.

TG: On that front,  what do you feel are the biggest mistakes trainers and coaches make with regards to working with clients who suffer from acute or chronic lower back pain?

JI: Mistake #1: Trainers ignore client’s complaints of low back pain. Personal trainers tend to ignore the small, subtle comments people make about low back pain and continue on with a strength training program. Or they tend to think a plank will fix everything. These trainers need to research more about mechanical low back pain and possibly learn the benefits of massage therapy, ART, and corrective exercise.

Mistake #2: Trainers shy away from giving clients challenging workouts because of low back issues. It is a double edged sword. New trainers–especially–tend to give clients very subtle, boring isometric exercises or tubing exercise that really make a client want to gag and leave

 

Truth is, most people that suffer from low back pain are probably overweight, sedentary, and lack adequate core strength. Trainers tend to be “too careful” because they don’t know how to approach and design an exercise program that can include drills to strengthen the core and relieve low back tightness, improve hip mobility, and add flexibility. Hence, they do nothing and the client gets nothing.

TG:  Great points on both fronts John.  Elevator Pitch:  who will benefit most from this product?

JI: Shatterproof Spine, Eye of the Trainer, and 5 Practical Drills eBook are really designed with the personal trainer or strength coach in mind. That’s not to say that your average exerciser can’t benefit from the drills demonstrated in the hands-on portion of the workshop.

TG:  Thanks John.  For those interested in more information on John (and his products), visit his site HERE. In addition, for those interested in Shatterproof Spine, what are you waiting for GO!!!

—-> Shatterproof Spine <—-

 
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CP Badass Video of the Week

In an effort to increase our web presence (and take over the world), we’ve been making more of a concerted effort to take daily videos of clients getting their lift on at the facility and then posting them up on either our respective websites (CresseyPerformance.com, EricCressey.com, or TonyGentilcore.com) as well as CP’s Twitter account.

HINT:  you should follow us.  We’re kinda cool

A few weeks ago I shared a video of high school junior, Becca, crushing a set of barbell bridges with 405 lbs, and making every guy within a two mile radius question his manhood.

It was awesome, and the cool part was that I got feedback as far away as Japan where a strength coach showed that video to his track athletes in an effort to motivate them and demonstrate how weak they are.

In keeping with the “girls can lift heavy things, too” theme, today I want to share a video of CP client, Whitney G performing a set of ONE-HAND CHIN-UPS.

This is Whitney’s second off-season training at Cressey Performance.  I say “off-season” because her husband, Tim, who plays in the Cincinnati Reds organization, also trains with us, and is the main impetus behind Whitney coming to CP as well.

Long story short, Whitney loves to be challenged, and it’s always fun to write her programs because:

1.  She’s loves to train, and has really embraced the lifestyle since coming to CP.
2. I can pretty much program anything I want with her. Which is to say, we both get a chuckle out of making Tim feel inferior.  Although, to be fair, Whitney can’t throw 95 MPH.

………I think.

Anyways, she shows up everyday with Tim and trains right alongside 25-30 other professional baseball players – easily holding her own. She’s a huge fan of Jamie Eason, and as such, has been toying around with the possibility of competing in a figure show down the road. For a visual reference, this is Jamie Eason.

Almost daily, Whitney will spout off some random fact about Jamie – to the extent that we now have a running joke around the facility of WWJD (What Would Jamie Do?) –  and then, without breaking a sweat, walk over and crush a set of deadlifts like it ain’t no thang.

I’d argue, however, that the exercise that she excels at the best are chin-up variations. In fact, it’s because of Whitney that many of our other female clients have vowed to improve their chin-up prowess.

1-Hand Chin-Up Pwnage

Whaaaaaaaaaat.  How cool is that?

About the only thing that would be more badass, is if Whitney repelled from a Stealth bomber and scissor kicked a pirate in the throat.

Giving full disclosure: Whitney does have an extensive background in gymnastics, competing until the age of 17 while growing up in Georgia, but that doesn’t negate the fact that she’s doing a set of chin-ups with one freaking arm!!!!

Pretty impressive if you ask me.

Also, FREE stuff below…………

The 5 Diet Rules You Must Break

My good buddy John Romaniello just released a FREE 31-page report detailing some of his thoughts on the incredibly controversial topic of intermittent fasting.

Speaking truthfully, I’ve never done it, but I know a lot of good friends and colleagues who have (and have done really well with it).

Here, John helps to dispel many of the myths and misconceptions surrounding the topic, and did I mention it’s FREE?  Well, it is. For more information, click below:

—–> HERE <—–

 

 

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Miscellaneous Miscellaneous Monday: 1/23/12

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve written one of my miscellaneous posts, so I figured this would be the perfect way to start what I hope will be a full week of blogging.

1. It’s no secret that I heart movies. I’ve always joked that if I were ever independently wealthy, all I would do is train, finance my own gourmet omelet restaurant/bowling center, and hang out with Matt Damon and give each other high-fives while we watch movies – like, all the time.

There are only a few shows on television that I like to watch:  The Daily Show, the Red Sox (when it’s baseball season), Top Chef, and House Hunters.  Namely, with regards to the latter, Lisa and I just like to have fake arguments with the couple’s that are on the show.

I mean, how asinine is it that someone walks into a room, and can’t look past the color of paint on the walls?

Anyways, I don’t watch a lot of tv, and would much rather walk down to the theater and catch a movie.

In the past few weeks alone, we’ve seen Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (awesome), The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (I read the books AND watched the original foreign films, too, but the American version was like whoa); Sherlock Holmes (first one was better); A Dangerous Method (Keira Knightely shows her boobies); Melancholia (Kirsten Dunst also shows her boobies, but it was the worst movie I’ve ever seen); The Descendants (good, but overrated); and lastly, Haywire, which Lisa and I saw yesterday.

I’ve been anxiously waiting for this movie to come out since I first saw the trailer back in November. Directed by one of my favs, Steven Soderbergh – of Erin Brockovich and Ocean’s 11,12,&13 fame – and starring Gina Carano – of MMA, she can totally kick your ass fame – Haywire, in simplest terms, is basically the female equivalent of the Jason Bourne films.

While Carano won’t be winning any Best Actress awards anytime soon, she more than held her own, and it was clear, from the start, that the film was all about showcasing her fighting skills.

What I liked best was that the movie wasn’t enhanced with silly sound effects or over-the-top music during the fight scenes. Instead, it was raw, unadulterated, awesomeness.

What was interesting, and this was something that Lisa brought up on our walk back home, was that Carano’s physique was covered up.  There was no doubt that the film makers showcased Carano’s, um, assets. But you couldn’t help but think that they were purposely holding back and blatantly covering up her pecs, shoulders, and upper back throughout. Possibly to make her seem more feminine?

Either way, like I said, it was great to see a (believable) female character kick some ass. I get so tired of watching female characters who weigh like 87 lbs toss around dudes three times their size like a paperweights.  Conversely, Carano looks the part. And she ain’t too shabby on the eyes either.

All in all, when you combine the action, writing, directing, as well as the supporting cast (Michael Fassbender, Michael Douglass, Antonio Banderas, Obi Wan Kenobi Ewan McGregor), it was definitely worth seeing.

I gave the movie a solid B.

2.  Speaking of strong female characters, HERE is an awesome interview done with MariAnne Kane from the Girls Gone Strong crew.

I LOVE what these women are doing for the industry. Guys have always had the likes of Arnold, Ronnie Coleman, Dave Tate, and numerous others to look up to. Now, thanks to Girls Gone Strong, women have someone to look up to for inspiration. And it’s a beautiful thing.

3.  Here’s a question that I received in the mail the other day:

Q: Tony is it ok to switch from doing regular deadlifts and do deficit deadlifts as a different variation for training deadlifts?  What are the benefits of doing deficit deadlifts… do they still work the same muscle groups ?

A: It’s definitely okay to switch from “regular” deadlifts to deficit deadlifts.  While there are a few benefits, the main one to consider is that deficit deadlifts help to increase the ROM, which for those who are slow off the ground, can bode in their favor.

In short, when you return back to standard height, the weight should feel lighter.

The key thing to remember, though, is that you DO NOT need a huge deficit to perform these.  Anything from 1-4 inches is plenty.  Placing a plate underneath each foot should suffice for most.

Additionally, and maybe even more important, is that deficit deadlifts aren’t something you’ll want to include in your programming for a prolonged period of time – ESPECIALLY if your technique isn’t up to par.

As noted previously, you’re going to increase the ROM of the movement which by default, will make it more challenging.  And hence, maybe more deleterious to the spine (if done incorrectly).

Having said that, even if you’re technique is flawless, I’d still be reluctant to do this for more than 3-4 weeks at a time.  Honestly, four weeks is pushing it in my eyes.

 To that end, deficit deadlifts are a worthwhile variation to include in your programming – I just wouldn’t use them exclusively for a long period of time.

4.  On January 2nd my girlfriend, Lisa, started a little experiment on herself. She’s always been interested in nutrition and the effects that certain foods can have on the body. After doing a little research and talking to a few people, she picked up The Paleo Diet.

 

It really resonated with her (she read the entire book in a day), and so, she decided she’d give it a try for 60 days.

Now, I understand that there are a lot of detractors out there who will chime in and say something along the lines of “Tony, Tony, Tony…..you do realize that we have no idea what our Paleolithic ancestors ate, and it’s all based on speculation and not fact, right?”

Indeed, I do. Who cares!?! I also realize they didn’t eat Dunkin Donuts for breakfast.  To each his own.

Nonetheless, it’s not like Lisa cowers into the fetal position every time she encounters a carb.  She has her allotted “off” meals on the weekends.  But all told, she’s been following the diet verbatim, focusing her efforts on lean meats (beef, buffalo, chicken, ground turkey,etc), tons of greens and various fruits, and limiting her salt and sugar intake.

After three weeks, she feels amazing! She’s more energetic and it takes her waaaaaaay longer to get pissed off whenever I leave dirty clothes on the couch.  It’s a win-win if you ask me.

Being the supportive boyfriend that I am, I’m doing a Paleo’ish type diet, too.  Albeit, I’m still allowing myself more wiggle room like oatmeal, sweet potatoes, yogurt, Ezekiel bread, and grass fed dragon.

So far, I really like it, and it definitely supports my lifestyle.  I can’t say for sure whether or not I’ll follow it long-term, but for now, it seems to be working.

I’ll keep everyone posted.

5.  And lastly, sitting sucks.  Read THIS article if you don’t believe me.

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6 Tips On Becoming a Better Fitness Professional

I’ve been toying around with writing a post providing tips and insight for new and upcoming trainers/coaches on how to become a better fitness professional for a while now, as I feel the ‘new class’ coming in often has an overwhelming sense of entitlement.

Not all of them, of course.  But a fair share.

For some, they feel that just because they’ve spent the last four years in school and completed a few internships, they’re entitled to a killer job that has them training professional athletes eight hours a day and provides them with full benefits and a Lamborghini.  Hell, throw in some stock options, too!

Sorry, hate to break it to you, it doesn’t quite work that way.

For others, they feel that all they need to do is find the perfect 15,000 sq. foot location, sign a lease, and the people will just magically appear readily handing over their money.

Again, you’re more likely to ride a unicorn to work this morning than that actually happening.

For a select few, however, they “get it,” and understand that it often takes YEARS of incessant studying, honing their craft, attending seminars and workshops, developing interpersonal relationships, building professional networks, and putting in some VERY long hours writing programs, scheduling, building a client list, and otherwise building their business (whether they’re a one-person show or part of a group or team of trainers/coaches) to become successful.

As luck would have it, Pat Rigsby dropped it like it’s hot last week, and shared some of his thoughts on the topic at his website:  www.fitbusinessinsider.com.

HINT:  if you’re a fitness professional and NOT subscribed to this site, you’re really missing out on a ton of FREE information that’s helped not only myself and countless others.

Rather than reinvent the wheel, I figured I’d re-post Pat’s thoughts here, and then expound of them a bit with my own musings and diatribes.

Enjoy!

6 Tips On Becoming a Better Fitness Professional

If you want to become the best fitness professionals and run the best business in your area, here’s what you need to do:

1. Study Your Craft.

You need to be studying continually.  Becoming the best is a dynamic thing as every day you need to keep improving to either climb to the top or stay there.  Study everything you can that will assist you in getting your clients better results.

TG:  We had a staff in-service yesterday where myself and Chris Howard took all six of our interns and had them name a muscle that attached to the scapulae, as well as name an attachment point (distal or proximal), as well as name an action (as it relates to the shoulder).

Upon looking at some of their faces when put on the spot, you would think we asked them to swallow the red pill

I’m not gonna lie and say that I passed with flying colors (I held my own), but it was definitely a testament on how important it is to take it upon yourself to get better.

I’ve worked with people in the past who hadn’t picked up a book in years.  YEARS!!!  I can remember one instance where a male trainer I worked with a few years ago said to me during a casual conversation about attending a seminar, “I’m not going. I’ve learned all I need to know.”

He was a douche.

2. Practice What You Learn.

There are a bunch of internet jockeys out there that read enough that you’d think they could become PhDs, but reading or watching isn’t enough.  You need to put what you learn into action.

TG:  It seems that anyone with a digital camera and a Youtube channel can mold themselves into a fitness celebrity nowadays.  In reality, for many, it’s nothing more than a facade of BS.

One of the best ways to get better is to actually take what you learn, and apply it to a real…..live……person.  Unfortunately, as much as I love the internet, it seems that anyone who’s read Zatisiorky (and has 10,000 posts on some random forum) thinks they know what they’re talking about.

I’ve witnessed firsthand trainers who had all the book smarts in the world and could give Doogie Howser a run for his money, but when it came to actually coaching and applying what they learned to a real person, they were a walking ball of fail.

3. Become An Implementer.

It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about a marketing strategy or a cue for an exercise – learning it does no good if you’re not implementing.  Once you implement something, you can track the outcome and determine if you want to keep doing it or discard it.  But it starts with implementation.

TG:  Pigging back on my point above, what good is it to increase your knowledge base if you’re not going to use it?  For some reason, there’s often a disconnect between what we read and how we apply it.

I was talking with another trainer last week who was in town for a week observing, and he mentioned how many of the coaches at the facility where he works are complacent. He reiterated to me that they were all very bright guys, but that they rarely ever implemented what they read or watched into their programming.

Using an example:  he stated how they work with a lot of basketball players who, for the most part, are notorious for having poor t-spine mobility.

He suggested implementing the side lying windmill to help.

Nothing.  Nada.  No one listened.  The worst part:  many of the coaches KNOW that t-spine mobility is crucial for shoulder health (they all read the likes of Mike Robertson, Eric Cressey, Mike Boyle, Gray Cook, and maybe even myself), yet, they do nothing to implement what they learn.

I don’t get it.

4. Commit.

Being the best requires making a commitment – it doesn’t happen by chance.  You have to be willing to do the things others won’t. You have to be willing to study not just training, but business too. You have to be willing to find solutions to the things holding you back rather than settling for less. You have to decide to be better than everyone else and do what it takes to get there.

TG:  This is something I wish I would have adapted sooner rather than later.  Early in my career, I read nothing but t-nation, and various other websites/books/DVDs on training and nutrition. Basically if it didn’t help me attain knowledge to make people more badass, I didn’t read it.

Then, I slowly started to realize that I wasn’t really making a lot of money despite getting all of my clients results. I had NO idea how to sell myself.  Worse, unlike the paperboy from Better Off Dead (arguably the best movie of the 80s), I HATED asking people for money.  

It wasn’t until I started reading more books on personal development, business, behavioral economics, and the like, that things started to click.

Likewise, the sooner you realize that this industry is not just a 9-5 endeavor, the better of you’ll be. 

HINT:  Get up earlier.

5. Get Help.

No one gets to the top on their own. No one.  Mentors, Mastermind Groups, Business Partners, Strategic Alliances – there is no faster way to get to where you want to be than to get help.

TG:  I owe much of my success as a trainer and coach to people like Eric Cressey, Dr. John Berardi, Dan John, Mike Roberson, Mike Boyle, Optimus Prime, Bret Contreras, and numerous other people whom I know I’m forgetting (sorry!).

Make it a point to visit other facilities and watch other coaches.  Ask for help!   Better yet, help people yourself.

I’ve always been under the mindset that I’m NEVER that big of a deal that I can’t answer people’s emails. Weirdly enough, I’m always surprised when, after taking the time to respond to their email, people email me back just to say ‘thank you’ for responding.

I took it upon myself to reach out to random people early in my career – to the annoyance of a few – but more often than not, they WANTED to help.  So don’t be intimidated to ask.

6. Attend Live Events.

They provide 5 incredibly valuable things: A learning opportunity, Motivation from being around successful, dedicated peers and leaders, networking opportunities with people who can make you
better and understand where you’re at and a chance to get away from your business and work on it rather than in it.

TG:  Listen to the man…..attend live events.  It’s that simple.

Do those 6 things and you’ll set yourself apart from the crowd, guaranteed. I can promise you that most of your competition will never do more than 1 or 2 of those things and only a few will do as many as 3-4.  Commit to doing all six and you’ll quickly be on the path to being the best.

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Q and A: My Supplement List

Q: What, if any, supplements do you actually take? I know you’re a whole-food-before-supps kind of guy, but I also know that you get your goody basket from Biotest every month. Just curious as to what stuff you find worthwhile.

A:  I’ve discussed my stance on supplements in the past, so at the expense of sounding like a broken record, those interested can click HERE to read more about it.

Admittedly, it’s a bit old (I wrote it like four years ago), but all in all my views on the topic still stand.

Which is to say, much like Dr. John Berardi, I like to divide my supplements into two categories:

1. Supplements that help you get your dieselfication on.

2. Supplements that increase the likelihood that someone of the opposite sex will want to hang out you. Sometimes, if you play your cards right, even with your clothes off.  What whaaaaaaaaaaat.

Okay, just kidding. Those aren’t the actual categories. If you really want to know, just click on the link above and find out! Do I have to do everything for you?

………Fair warning, though:  the actual categories aren’t nearly as boss.

Anyways, since the question is about ME and what supplements I take, I’ll preface everything by being as clear as possible:

REAL food is the best supplement out there.

Yes, I feel REAL food takes precedence over ANY supplement you can get your hands on.

Supplements are exactly that……..SUPPLEMENTS.  They supplement your current diet or way of eating.

For instance, if we’re going to be honest with ourselves, the limiting factor of why we have an ever growing obesity problem in this country isn’t because we’re not taking enough supplements (it’s a multi-multi BILLION dollar industry after all).  On the contrary, it may be due, in no small part, to one of two scenarios:

  • People have no idea what REAL food actually is.
  • People can’t seem to step away from the damn cookie jar.

The latter seems pretty intuitive if you ask me.  It’s no secret that crushing a row of Oreo cookies while watching The Price Is Right probably isn’t doing your waistline any favors.

It’s the former – not knowing what real food is – that throws a monkey wrench into things.

A stack of five chocolate chip/banana pancakes covered in syrupy goop, topped with whipped cream and a pint of ice-cream for breakfast?  Cool.  Bring it on.

Ask that same person to eat five whole eggs using a vat of butter?  Most will look at you as if you asked them to club a baby seal. Someone call the cholesterol police!!!!

It’s astounding how much callous disregard most people have towards their bodies. It’s not uncommon for some to be more concerned about what type of gas they put into their car than what type of fuel they put into their own body!

I know when I have a night of less than exemplary eating (last night, actually), I feel like complete garbage the next day.  Seriously, as I type this sentence, my stomach is one massive ball of gluten, and I’m pretty sure I’m going to give birth to a food baby any minute now.

I can’t help but think to myself, “this is what A LOT of people out there feel like every…….single…….day.”  This is normal to them. This overall sense of lethargic, groggy, insulin coma, all I want to do is sit on the couch and watch tv…….is baseline.

YUCK!

Worse still, for many, they feel that by taking “x” supplement, which they have no idea what it actually does – without changing their dietary habits, no less – is the key to covering all their nutritional bases.

Is that REALLY the missing link?  Answer:  you bet your ass it isn’t!

Sadly, they have no idea what it’s like to feel energetic, lively, or any other adjective that’s the exact opposite of “dude, I feel like complete ass”……….without popping a pill or spending an exorbitant amount of money on supplements.

I can’t stress it enough……………………EAT REAL FOOD.

Trust me, for most trainees that’s the only supplement they’ll ever need.

If only this was how politicians REALLY talked.

That said, concurrently, it’s impossible to think that one can cover ALL their nutritional needs through food alone.

In this sense, supplements do have a time and place. Sometimes – whether it’s due to allergies, various food intolerances, religious beliefs, or maybe someone is prepping for a figure competition or bodybuilding show – supplements do play an important purpose and role when trying to achieve a certain goal or look.

Welcome to the Part You Probably Skipped to Anyways

To that end, firstly, I actually do practice what I preach and do go out of my way to eat food as much as I can.  If you don’t believe me, check out my fridge.

Secondly, and more to the point, there are several supplements that I take on an almost daily basis.  Some I take because the Biotest Fairy drops them off every month.

Most of the supps I take, however, have no bells or whistles attached to them.  They don’t promise 417% more muscle growth, or say they’ll turn my chest into diamonds. Instead, the ones I do take, I choose for the health benefits alone.

Daily Supplement List

Flameout – Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past ten years, you’ve undoubtedly heard of the many health benefits of fish oil.  Literally, you name it and fish oil probably cures it.   Except gonorrhea.

 

But seriously, everything from reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease, helping reduce inflammation, joint health, to improving blood/lipid profiles – fish oil has all the bases covered.

I won’t belabor the point here, but suffice it to say, Flameout is easily one of the best fish oil products on the market.

Vitamin D – This won’t matter as much for those who live in warmer climates, but for those us who aren’t as fortunate, vitamin D supplementation is almost a necessity (less exposure to direct sunlight).  Behind fish oil, I’d rank vitamin D as my “go to” supplement as it plays a role in alleviating/reducing things like chronic fatigue, depression (seasonal affective disorder), joint pain, osteoporosis, and uncontrollable weight gain (to name a few).

And don’t let the haters fool you.  Direct sunlight isn’t the end of the world.  As little as 20 minutes per day will more then meet your vitamin D requirements.  For those who live in colder climates, though, supplementation (especially in the winter months) is paramount.

Greens Product – while I think it’s important to listen to you mother and eat your fruits and vegetables; sometimes there just isn’t enough time.  The best alternative is having the ability to toss a scoop or two of a greens product into one of your shakes.

Two of my favorites are Biotest Superfood, and Human Performance Athletic Greens.

Protein Powder – This one is pretty easy.   We all know that protein (or more specifically, amino acids) is the building block of muscle.  When we lift heavy things, we break muscle down, and it’s important to take in ample protein to ensure proper recovery, and in the long-term, growth, of said muscle.

Most often, eating various cute, furry animals will  easily do the job – but like everyone else, I’m busy and sometimes it’s more convenient just to pound a shake and be done with it.

Ideally you’d want to try to find a brand that have little to no artificial sweeteners.  I like Grow.  But I know there are plenty of other brands out there that are equally as high quality, and may have a smidge less sweetener added.

Dandelion Root – after reading Jonny Bowden’s 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth a few years back, and how much he RAVED on dandelion root, I hopped on that train ASAP.

Clearly, I wasn’t about to head out to my yard and pick dandelions and eat them, so I opted to supplement instead.

While the health benefits are many, the most important is arguably dandelion’s affect on the liver.  To quote Dr. Bowden:

Since the liver’s job is to detoxify every chemical, pollutant, and medicine that we’re exposed to – according to some experts it performs more than 5,000 enzymatic reactions – keeping it strong and functioning smoothly is of prime importance to our health.

Probiotic – in the past, I’ve supplemented with a pill. But now I’m obsessed with kefir as well as with this wholemilk yogurt (made from grassfed cows) that I buy from Whole Foods, which provides more than enough “good” bacteria to keep my intestinal tract (and digestive system) healthy.

I add about 1/2 cup to one of my shakes and I’m good to go.

Spike – taken intravenously through the left ventricle.  I need to try to ween myself off of caffeine at some point, but when I’m coaching upwards of 7-8 hours per day, sometimes I just need that added kick.

At least I’m not THIS bad (an old video of one of our powerlifters warming up)

ZMA – I find this helps me with recovery.  And more importantly, it definitely helps with my sleep quality.  It doesn’t help with getting to sleep (I have no issues there anyways), but it does help me attain a deeper sleep.  Moreover, if I ever want to dream about, I don’t know, riding a dinosaur through the hallways of my old high school or something equally as wacky, ZMA is where it’s at.  It gives me the most vivid dreams.  It’s awesome.

And that’s about it.  Pretty boring in the grand scheme of things.  Every now and then I’ll throw in some creatine, but for the most part, that’s my supplement list.

To reiterate, most of the one’s I take, I take for the health benefits they provide, and not to offset anything I’m not doing with my regular eating habits and training.

It’s been said supplements are progress enhancers, not progress starters.  If your current diet and training program isn’t getting the job done, then taking “x” supplement probably isn’t going to be the answer.

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Exercises You Should Be Doing: Standing Half Press

I know, I know.  Normally I scoff at any exercise that suggests using a limited ROM (leg press, anyone?), and I typically have to resist the urge to throw my face into a brick wall.  But today, since I’m in a little bit of a rush (and because there’s currently a HUGE fire in the apartment building across the street from mine, and I can’t turn away from watching it.*), I’m throwing everyone a bit of a curve ball.

Today’s exercise you should be doing, is one that I’ve used numerous times myself as well as with my athletes and clients, so it’s not like it’s a complete oddity as far as programming is concerned.

And what’s more, it appeals to the meat-head that resides in all of us – yes, myself included.  As a quick reference, look at the picture to the left.  <—–  No, your other left

Now, THAT’S a meat head.

What is it:  Standing Half Press

What Does It Do: this is an excellent exercise that I like to use every now and then to hammer both the shoulders and triceps. Although, to be fair, using the half press places a bit more of an emphasis on the triceps.  I remember the first time I did these…..my triceps hated me for like a week!

Additionally, since you’re standing while doing this, it’s an excellent FULL body exercise, as you have to fire your glutes and anterior core like crazy to prevent hyper-extension of the lumbar spine.

And lastly, using the pins to come to a FULL stop provides a bit more of a “starting strength” component otherwise deficient in a regular, full-ROM press.

Key Coaching Cues:  place the pins of your rack at eye level so that the bar rests right in line with your forehead as you set up. Bracing your abs and squeezing your glutes HARD (again, to prevent excessive lumbar extension), press the bar over your head until your arms are fully extended.

Slowly lower the bar back down to the pins to a complete stop.  No bouncing!  Gather yourself if you have to, re-brace, and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

High fives and fist pumps afterwards are optional.

Ideally, this would be used as an accessory movement to the bench press for 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions. Try it out today, and let me know what you think.

*  =  This is a picture of the fire, taken from the homepage of Boston.com.

Click HERE to see video.

Note to self:   Call Liberty Mutual today and look into getting renter’s insurance.  I can’t believe I’ve gone this long without it.

If this isn’t a sign, I don’t know what is.

UPDATE:  Done.  Our apartment is now insured against fires, burglars, earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes. Maybe even asteroids.  You know, just in case.

 

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Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 1/13/12

It’s been a busy week in both my professional and personal life.  We’re seemingly bursting at the seams at the facility getting everyone ready for the upcoming baseball season.  Many of the college guys who are home on their breaks will be heading back to school starting next week though, so it should slow down a bit and allow us an opportunity to come up for air.

Likewise, in a few short weeks, many of our pro-baseball guys will be making their way south (or west) for Spring Training.  It’s hard to believe that it’s only like four weeks away, but there’s still plenty of intense work and sweat to be had.

What’s more, many of our high school and general population clients are working equally as hard.  Yesterday alone we had a few people set some deadlifting PRs – Congrats to Lisa V!

On a more personal level, I have some pretty cool things in the works:

1.  In about a week or two, you should see some changes to the website.  Now, I’m not going to go all Facebook on you and add some lame scrolling ticker that everyone hates  – RELAX!! Rather, I’m just making some aesthetic changes to site while upgrading some of the social media, in addition to………..DRUM ROLL PLEASE…………….

…….implementing a newsletter!

EC, Smitty, Kevin Neeld, and pretty much everyone else I know has been busting my chops for eons for not having a newsletter in place, and I’ve finally decided to put my big-boy pants on and run with it.

2.  It seems that my resolution to do more speaking engagements has caught fire.  Currently, I have 3-4 events tentatively lined up, and more in the works.  Sweet!  I’ll keep you posted.  Or, better yet, once it’s available, you can sign up for my newsletter (hint hint).

3.  I’m going on vacation!!!!!!  Lisa and I booked a flight for Florida in March, and it can’t come soon enough – I’m about as white as a Coldplay concert right now.

There are some other things going on as well:  I started a creative non-fiction writing class earlier this week (Note to my editors: I can’t promise less grammatical errors), I pulled 500×4 last night AFTER eight hours of coaching, my cat is sitting on my lap as I type this post (such a cute kittie!!!), and I brushed my teeth like ten minutes ago.  So there you go. You’re caught up.

On that note, here’s this week’s stuff to read:

 Are You Making This Critical Corrective Exercise Mistake – Nick Tumminello

Coaches need to coach, and NOT get too caught up in this whole concept of “corrective exercise.” Too often, trainers and coaches get cute with their assessments and programming and fail to do the ONE thing that’s most important:  cue and coach their clients!

I thought this was a fantastic video blog by Nick, and is something we try to instill on our interns at Cressey Performance on a routine basis.

Assessments are mandatory, no doubt.  Corrective exercise – when indicated – IS important, obviously.  But more importantly, having the ability to demonstrate, cue, and coach a client through any given exercise is kind of a big deal, and is a characteristic that’s often overlooked.

Keep it simple people……COACH!

The Recovery Day Workout – PJ Striet

You can’t be a rock star everyday.  Sorry, it’s just the truth.  This is never more evident than in the weight room. For a vast majority of trainees out there, many are under the impression that “more is better,” and that even if they feel like they’ve gotten run over by a mack truck of fail, they should still train through it.

This is dumb.

I’ve touched on this topic before in the past, but here, my good buddy PJ elaborates a little further and provides some killer circuits to boot. Check it out!

Why Do You Train Your Clients – Lee Boyce

WOW.  Just wow.  Amazing article by Lee which asks the question:  do you educate your clients or just collect their money?

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Box Squat vs. Squat TO Box (Yes There’s a Difference)

A few months ago I wrote an article for t-nation.com titled Squatmeggedon – All Things Squatting, where I discussed several different thought processes I had as it relates to SPOILER ALERT:  squatting.

One topic that struck a chord with me (which is why I wrote about it), as well as with many people who read the article, was the differentiation I made between box squats and squats TO a box.  While some may feel it’s borderline redundant – dude, aren’t they the same thing? – I’d argue they’re anything but.

Sure, they both have the word squat in their title, and yes, they both incorporate a box.  You got me there. But outside of those two obvious things, that’s where the similarities end.  You see, for me, it comes down to WHY you would use one over the other.  What’s the rationale for having someone box squat compared to having them squat to a box?

Simple.  Watch the video, and find out.

A few quick notes beforehand:

1.  This wasn’t meant to be a dissertation on how to squat. While I do go into a little detail on the proper set-up and things to look for on the descent, the real meat and potatoes lie in the separation between a box squat and a squat to box. Besides, the video is six minutes long, so cut me some slack for crying loud.

If you want to have your world rocked, and are looking for something that goes into more length, I’d highly suggest checking out Matt Wenning’s So You Think You Can Squat series HERE.

2.  A huge thanks goes out to Kennet Waale, who’s currently visiting CP on school break all the way from Brisbane, Australia.  I asked him to be my squatting guinea pig on the spot and he came through like a champ.

3.  Also, I want to thank one Chris Howard for the Spielberg’esq camera work.

4.  Compared to my first video on deadlifts, no sexual innuendos this time around.

If you found this video informative or helpful or maybe even a smidge “the best video you’ve ever watched,” please share it on your Facebook page or on Twitter.  Likewise, if you can also do me a huge favor and click the “Like” button at the bottom of this post, I’ll be your BFF for like a day.  Maybe even two.  But only if you make me a meatloaf.

On that note, feel free to leave your comments below.  I’d love to know what you think!  Additionally, if there are any topics you’d like me to cover in future video blogs, let me know.  I’m always looking for ideas.

 

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Tony Takes a Yoga Class – Part II

For those who missed it, yesterday I rehashed some of my (admittedly early in my career, albeit I still agree with 95% of it) thoughts on yoga.  And, what’s more, I left everyone in a bit of cliffhanger, stating that I did, in fact, attend my very first yoga class this past weekend.

To recap:

1.  Much of my “beef” with yoga is how it’s incessantly marketed towards women as the end-all/be-all of health and well-being.  It plays a part, but some of it’s claims are grossly embellished.

  • Long, lean muscles?  Sorry, but unless you’re Professor Dumbledore (which would be awesome) and can somehow change the attachment points of a muscle on a bone, you’re not lengthening anything.
  • Getting less fat?  Probably.  Lengthening a muscle?  Muhahahahahahaha.  That’s a good one.

2.  Given what most (not all) women are looking to accomplish with their bodies – lower body fat levels, increased bone density, increased LBM, to name a few – strength training trumps yoga in every aspect.

3.  I’m a strength coach, and as such, I’m going to advocate that people strength train. Well, duh!?!  Still, I’d be remiss to turn my back on the many benefits of yoga, and I’ll come to a compromise and state that it’s a component of a well-rounded routine……..

…..but not a whole.

4.  While I didn’t state this originally, I’d like to point out that as much as I may poo-poo on some aspects of yoga, much of the same can be said about any realm of fitness – whether we’re talking about massage therapists, manual therapist, strength coaches, or “celebrity” trainers.

There are plenty of personal trainers out there who don’t know their ass from their acetabulum that have their de-conditioned clients jump around on a BOSU ball.

5.  And finally…….WTF! I took a freakin yoga class!  That’s saying something, right? I mean, there are plenty of internet warriors out there not using their real names who talk a big game while sitting in their parent’s basement that never do or take part in whatever it is they’re trashing.

I don’t want to be one of those people.

Today, to change the pace, I’d rather steer clear of any bashing or anything else that may be misconstrued as “anti-yoga.”  Instead, I want to discuss – in an informal and conversational manner – my overall experience taking a yoga class.

A little back tracking is in order, however.

In a lot of ways a large reason why I took a yoga class in the first place was because my girlfriend, Lisa, happens to be a member of the website Groupon.com.  For those unfamiliar, it’s essentially a website that offers discounted “groupons” from local restaurants, taverns, spas, etc.

In a nutshell here’s how it works: a local restaurant offers a $25 “groupon” for $50 worth of food.   Assuming “x” number of people (group) purchase it, the deal is accepted, and everyone walks away happy.

We’ve used Groupon.com (as well as sites like LivingSocial.com and BuyWithMe.com) to eat at numerous restaurants around Boston we otherwise would never check out.  Likewise, last fall, Lisa jumped out of a plane and went sky diving using a similar service.

I skipped that one.

Nevertheless, one day Lisa saw that there was a Groupon for ten Yoga sessions at a local yoga studio.  She looked at me, hesitantly, and asked if I’d be interested?

I remember an article Dan John wrote awhile ago on how he and his wife took a yoga class every Sunday.  He loved it.  In addition, he noted how amazing he felt and how it was something that he and his wife looked forward to doing together after a stressful week.

“Sure,” I said, while thinking to myself, “If Dan John can take yoga classes, I can too.”

Besides, much in the same vein, it would be an excellent way for the two of us to do something different and “active” together other than just going to the movies or making a cameo appearance at Target.

Upon further reflection, though, it’s not like I’ve NEVER done yoga before.  Speaking truthfully, many (if not all) of the movements we include in our dynamic warm-ups have their foundation in yoga.

So in a sense, I have done yoga – albeit indirectly.

That said, like everyone else, the holiday season was chock full of parties, social gatherings, and being dragged – sometimes kicking and screaming – shopping.  So, up until last weekend it had been a challenge to find the time to actually go to a class.

Early last week, though, we checked the schedule online and noticed that there was a vinyasa class at 10 AM Sunday morning.

We marked the calender, committed ourselves (ie: Lisa bribed me with an omelet brunch afterwards), and waited for Sunday to arrive.

Sunday Arrives

With my testicles cupped in my left hand, Lisa and I walked 20 minutes to the studio.  Once there, I took this picture before heading up.

If there was ever a time I felt like I was going to shit a yoga block, this was it.  I was completely out of my element.

At the top of the stairs, Lisa and I turn the corner and are immediately surrounded by a raging fume of estrogen.  Not that it was a bad thing, I was just the ONLY dude, and felt like a bull in a China shop.

Comparing by contrast, I couldn’t help but think to myself that this must be what it feels like for women to walk into a weight room full of dudes who smell like rotten Ax Body Spray grunting, breathing heavy, and making any number of innumerable noises.  To say I was a wee bit intimidated and outside my comfort zone would have been an understatement.

Where do I put my shoes?

Am I supposed to grab a mat?

Do we have to pay for it?

What happens if I sweat all over the place? 

Am I going to be judged?

Jesus christ…..where do I put my hands!?!?!?!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.  *jumps out a window*

Lisa slapped me across the face (actually, that didn’t happen), told me to chill, and to just follow her lead.

We walked into the studio and I observed that most of the women were lying on their back, feet together, with their heels up towards their tushes and arms spread out to their sides.  Lisa mentioned to me that this was called the Goddess pose.

Needing to elevate my testosterone levels in some fashion, I jokingly referenced the movie 300 and said “well, what’s the Sparta pose?”  She turned, gave me the look of death, and I sat on my mat and did the Goddess pose.

We laid there for like five minutes before the instructor – a youngish, tall female – made her way towards the front of the room.

As I noted yesterday, she started the class by asking if there was anyone new to yoga.

I sheepishly raised my hand, and that was about the extent of her interaction with me.  But more on that in a bit.  She then proceeded to ask the class if there were any injuries she needed to be aware of, blah blah blah, so on and so forth, and class began.

What followed was, to my knowledge, your typical vinyasa class.  Unlike hatha styled classes – where you hold specific poses for an allotted time – vinyasa incorporates more movement and you learn to “flow” with your breath.

I have to say, I liked it!  I was glad that we weren’t just sitting there in one spot holding our poses while twiddling our thumbs.  If anything, and as I alluded to above, many of the movements we used I was vaguely familiar with.  We performed a TON of warrior poses, which are right on par with a few dynamic drills we like to use at Cressey Performance

Furthermore, one of our “home base” poses was very similar to what would be considered a goblet squat in strength and conditioning circles:

Of course, I avoided those poses I deemed either too advanced (for me) or simply knew my spine would throw me the middle finger if attempted them in the first place.

The wheel pose, for instance:

For me, the wheel is just asking for trouble and would turn any spine into a walking ball of fail.

The strength coach in me couldn’t help but observe how many of the women moved, and at the expense of coming across like a douche, that pose would have been the LAST thing I’d have any of them perform.  But I digress.

At one point, the instructor grabbed one of the other students to have her demonstrate some random pose that, while impressive, was equally as likely to make my eyes bleed. Not wanting to miss the show, I just held my goblet squat pose and observed.

As the class came to a close, the latter ten minutes were spent lying supine on our backs, breathing deeply and letting our thoughts drift while listening to some dude chant over the stereo. I was thinking about the omelet I was going to dominate, but nevertheless, it was a relaxing way to end things.

And that was it. The music was shut off.  The instructor got up, and the students followed.

All told, it was DEFINITELY worth going.  Shocker right?  I bet you didn’t think I was going to say that, huh?  I left feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to seize the day.

Moreover, I don’t think my hips have felt that “open” since I was like 23, as evident by the picture I took upon leaving class.

My only issue was with the instructor. And this is something that bothered Lisa as well.  While the class was well taught, as I mentioned above she didn’t acknowledge me ONCE. Not a “hey how are you doing?” or a “is there anything you need further explanation on?” or a “excuse me, but can you please put your shirt back on?” Nothing.

She walked around, correcting various students.  She corrected Lisa, who was seated to my right. And she corrected the random girl who was seated to my left.  Me? Unless I’m the world’s most baller yoga newbie, I was a little taken aback by her lack of interest given I openly admitted – to the entire class no less – that I had never performed yoga before.

I mean, how would it come across if someone walked into my facility and I didn’t give them one second of my attention whether it was correcting their technique on a deadlift or simply asking how they’re doing?

What would that say about me as a fitness professional? They’d probably not think too highly of me, and the likelihood they’d come back would be fairly slim.

Now, I realize not all yoga instructors are like that, and maybe my experience was just an anomaly and she wasn’t used to working with men. Either way, it was disconcerting to say the least, and I doubt Lisa and I will return to that specific class in the near future.

We WILL be returning, however.

And that’s saying something.

In the grand scheme of things, I lift heavy stuff upwards of five times per week. In addition, I work in an environment that immerses me in a vortex of constant stimulation – coaching, cuing, yelling, listening to Rage Against the Machine all……the……..time – and I’d be lying if I said that spending a solid hour every week just relaxing and being in the moment doesn’t sound blissful.

I’m going to attempt to make a yoga a weekly “diversion” for myself.  I still believe it’s an over-hyped phenomenon that caters to the fears and negative connotations that a vast majority of women have towards strength training; and I do feel it can put people into compromising positions that can be dangerous.

Concurrently, as it relates to ME, it would be ignorant to turn my back on the obvious benefits it has to offer.

So with that, all I can say is……….yoga doesn’t mostly suck anymore.

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Tony Takes a Yoga Class – Part I

“Is there anyone here who’s new or who’s never done yoga before?” the tall, lean, yoga instructor asked.

Taking a glance around the room, with my girlfriend sitting directly to my right, and surrounded by a roomful of women, I reluctantly raised my hand.  Slowly.  I gave a nervous, meager chuckle and that’s how it began.

Yes, I took a yoga class yesterday.  No, pigs aren’t flying in hell.

………at least not yet.

Given my past transgressions towards yoga and most of what it stands for, I know this is blowing people’s minds as they read this. A few years ago, when asked my thoughts on yoga, I was quoted as saying:

Yoga mostly sucks

Admittedly, I was young, immature, and maybe even a little pigheaded in saying that.  Still, at the time, and even now, many of my “grievances” with yoga do have merit (in my eyes, at least).  Namely, I just hate how it’s marketed towards women.  How it’s somehow this panacea of fitness and health. Women are promised long, lean muscles.  Strength.  Power.  Even improved bone density. You name it and yoga is the answer to all your prayers.

A trimmer waistline?  Maybe.

A date with Brad Pitt?  Lets not get carried away.

A Coach hand bag?  Hahahahahahahahaha.

Don’t get me wrong, there ARE many benefits to yoga.  First off, if someone enjoys doing it, and it gets them off their ass……great!  The more women NOT watching The Real Housewives of Whereeverthefuck, the better.

Speaking more succinctly, however, you’d be hard to dismiss benefits like an increased harmony in the mind-body connection, improved blood flow, improved state of well-being, learning one’s breath, flexibility, so on and so forth.

Still, as with ANY form of exercise (yes, even strength training), it has it’s limitations.  And, again, I just HATE how it’s marketed.

Given the claims the majority of Yoga “gurus” tout, it’s no wonder many (not all) women are under the assumption that Yoga will do everything from help them lose weight and increase strength to bringing sexy back.

The fact is – and I realize I’m a bit biased in saying this given I’m a strength and conditioning coach – when it comes to general fitness and body compositional goals, most females want and/or need the following:

  1. Decreased body fat
  2. Increased strength.
  3. Improved daily/athletic function
  4. Increased bone density
  5. Increased flexibility

Each one of these, I’d argue, can be improved – almost tenfold – through resistance training.  Yoga can’t hold a flame to good ol’ fashioned lifting heavy things.

Note from TG:  I didn’t want to re-invent the wheel, so what follows is an excerpt from an article I wrote for Figureathlete.com titled 4 Things Your Girlfriend Should Know.  I’d provide the link, but unfortunately, the site doesn’t exist anymore.  Bummer.

Lets break each one down individually.

Decreased Body Fat

It’s no secret that in order to decrease body fat, you have to provide some sort of caloric deficit either through dieting or through increased caloric expenditure from physical activity (or some form of both).  I’m going to leave the dieting component alone for now (I think women tend to drastically UNDER eat as it is), but I do want to elaborate on the latter component.

Yoga does not cause a high (or acute) or post-exercise calorie expenditure, which is one of the main factors in fat loss.  Many people (not just women) equate sweating to burning a lot of calories.  Sorry ladies, but just because you sweat a lot while taking a class in a 105 degree room, doesn’t mean you’re burning a lot of calories.  You wouldn’t say you’re burning that many calories sun bathing on the beach would you?

How many calories do you think you can burn standing or sitting in one spot for an hour, which is essentially what you do in a typical Yoga class? Numerous studies have shown that resistance training elevates EPOC (Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption) for upwards of 24-48 hours AFTER you’re done training.

Simply put, not only will you burn more calories during one hour of resistance training compared to one hour of Yoga, but you will also burn MORE calories even when you’re not in the gym.  More calories burned equals more body fat lost.  I have yet to see one study which shows that Yoga does anything to increase EPOC significantly (if at all).

Additionally, Yoga does not provide resistance sufficient enough to increase or preserve lean body mass (LBM), which is directly correlated with metabolism, and thus the rate at which you burn calories.  Yes, “beginners” might see transient increases in LBM in the beginning, but that is mainly because most women who go from doing nothing to participating in Yoga classes a few times per week are so de-conditioned, that their body weight elicits enough of a stimulus to cause the body to change.

Increased Strength

As Vladimir Zatsiorsky states in his book “Science and Practice of Strength Training,” muscular strength is defined as “the ability to overcome or counteract external resistance by muscular effort; also, the ability to generate maximum external force” (1). In order to generate maximum force (get stronger), a trainee needs to incorporate one of three methods:

  1. Maximum Effort Method:  lifting a maximum load (exercising against maximum resistance).
  2. Repeated Effort Method:  lifting non-maximal load to failure (albeit still taking into consideration the rule of progressive overload.  Relying on one’s body weight will only take you so far).
  3. Dynamic Effort Method:  lifting (or throwing) a non-maximal load with the highest attainable speed.

The fact is yoga is not easily “modifiable” to facilitate constant adaptation for strength gains, unless of course, you want to gain weight (highly unlikely).  Yoga will in fact develop strength to a point, but soon thereafter, you’re just training strength endurance.  If bodyweight is constant, then progressive resistance is not possible without adding an external load.

Increased Bone Density

This is especially important for women because they are significantly at higher risk of developing osteoporosis compared to men (especially if they’re Caucasian, Asian, and slight build.).

In terms of stimulating new bone formation, what is needed is something called a minimal essential strain (MES), which refers to a threshold stimulus that initiates new bone formation.

A force that reaches or exceeds this threshold and is repeated often enough will signal osteoblasts to migrate to that region of the bone and lay down matrix proteins (collagen) to increase the strength of the bone in that area.

Furthermore, physical activities that generate forces exceeding the MES are those activities that represent an increase in intensity relative to normal daily activities.

For sedentary or elderly individuals, this could very well be where yoga could be enough of a stimulus to cause an MES and new bone formation (bodyweight exceeds the threshold).  However you still have to take into consideration the rule of progressive overload (bodyweight will only take them so far) and for younger or more active people, higher intensity activities will need to be included to exceed MES – such as sprinting, jumping, and heavy resistance training.

Regardless of one’s training history or lifestyle, it’s clear that the activities chosen to increase bone density need to be WEIGHT BEARI NG in nature, and progressive.  Yoga does not do this.

Improved Daily/Athletic Function

This will be short.  During a Yoga class, you’re sitting and/or standing in one spot for 45-60 minutes.

This will NOT equate to better efficiency or performance in daily life or on the athletic field.  As an athlete your time is better spent elsewhere.

Increased Flexibility

This one I will concede to Yoga.  It DOES help to improve flexibility, which is a good thing (sort of).  Unfortunately, it tends to promote flexibility/mobility in areas of the body where it doesn’t need it.

If we were to take a joint-by-joint look at the body, popularized by Mike Boyle and Gray Cook, one would notice that there is a delicate balance between mobility/stability:

Joints that “need” to be trained with mobility in mind:  ankle, hips, t-spine, scapulae

Joints that “need” to be trained with stability in mind:  knee, lumbar spine, scapulae

I have worked with many clients with extended histories of lower back pain who start participating in Yoga classes through the recommendation of a friend or worse yet, and uninformed physician.  Their rationale:  “all you need to do is stretch out your back.”  Quite possibly the worst piece of advice to give.

As you can see from above, the lumbar spine (lower back) generally needs to be trained with stability in mind.   Many of the poses in Yoga promote HYPER-extension of the lumbar spine, which is the last thing that it needs.  Many back issues are extension-based, which just means that an individual is getting more ROM (Range of Motion) at the lumbar spine due to lack of ROM at the hips.  Essentially with Yoga, one is promoting more ROM (and thus, instability) in a place where it needs LESS ROM (more STABILITY).

Furthermore, what good is it to have all this extra mobility or ROM if you can’t stabilize in that ROM in the first place?  Having excessive ROM (in the wrong places) without the strength to stabilize that ROM actually predisposes people to injury.  So while Yoga does enhance flexibility and mobility, RESISTANCE TRAINING actually facilitates movement through that range of motion, and provides the dynamic control to allow you to utilize the range of motion safely.

Now Before I Get the Hate Mail

Even though I wrote the original article like four years ago, I wholeheartedly feel every point I made still has merit today. Yoga IS NOT the end all – be all of everything that it’s often proclaimed (or marketed) to be.

I’m NOT saying it’s dangerous (although it can be:  click ME), or that it’s a waste of time.  All I’m saying is that it would bode well to try to step away from the yoga Kool-Aid, and take a little more of an objective look.

I understand that many yogi’s are going to want to defend their craft, much like I’d go ape shit if someone said that deadlifting was dangerous or somehow inferior. Again, I get it, I’m a little biased.

To that end, have at it!  You’re entitled to your opinion……..as am I.

That said, tomorrow I’m going to talk about my experience.  Now that I’ve actually taken a yoga class, I think you may be surprised at what I have to say.

Till then……..I’d be interested to hear what everyone else thinks.  Am I off base?  Do I have a point?  Sound off below.