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Post Rehab Essentials

I don’t care if you’re a personal trainer who just started working at the local Gold’s Gym last week, or a seasoned veteran who’s been training people for the past 10-15 years, it’s inevitable that you’re going to be working with the walking wounded at some point in your career.

Everyone  you work with is injured to some degree. While some may walk in on day one with an already pre-existing condition – like an ACL injury or AC joint issue – others may walk in completely asymptomatic and be pain free, yet if you were to take an MRI of their spine, it could very well resemble something coming out of a meat grinder.

Nevertheless, having the ability to work around various injuries and not only help “fix” people but still elicit a training effect in a safe and timely manner, is an invaluable skill for any trainer or coach to possess.

Furthering the point above, those trainers who go out of their way to better themselves and learn to develop a bit more of a corrective exercise background, are the one’s that tend to separate themselves from the masses.

Which brings us to my good friend, Dean Somerset.  Dean just released his latest product, Post Rehab Essentials, which is designed for trainers looking to increase their knowledge of how to work with various injuries in a gym-based or studio setting. Truth be told, there’s a rather large knowledge gap between those who know a whole lot about every aspect of training and those who are looking to get a strong foothold and take a step up from average.

Dean was kind enough to send me an advance copy a few weeks ago and all I have to say is that after viewing it, I wish I could just hop onto Craigslist, do a search for “Flux Capacitor,” and then go back in time for the sole purpose of scissor kicking myself in the face for relying too heavily on what my text books told me.

Suffice it to say, it would have saved me A LOT of time if I had resources like this back then.

To that end, Dean was nice enough to sit down and answer a few questions regarding the fitness industry as well as discuss Post Rehab Essentials.

And, because I know some people won’t even bother to read the interview (tsk, tsk, tsk), here are some important things to consider:

1.  Dean breaks this down into four sections:  Introduction, Upper Extremity, Lower Extremity, and the Spine. He not only discusses some basic anatomy, but also covers assessment as well as programming variables. It’s pretty much one of the most baller products out there geared towards rookie and intermediate trainers.

2.  I think it’s an awesome product that will help a lot of trainers out there become better at what they do. This undoubtedly gets the Tony G seal of approval.

3.  Post Rehab Essentials is on sale only from now until Friday (12/9).  After that, the price increase $60, so be sure to take advantage of the savings while you can.

Okay, I’ll let Dean take over from here.

TG:  Dean, lets cut the formalities, most of the people reading this know who you are, because we’re always creepin on each other’s blogs.  For those who don’t, here’s a quick primer:

Dean’s a personal trainer and exercise physiologist who specializes in post-rehab programming, and being really smart. He likes walks on the beach, and, much like me, has an affinity for obscure Jedi references. Heck, we’re practically the same person – except he likes hockey, and I’m way better looking.

Anyways, Dean, tell us a little bit about the driving force behind Post Rehab Essentials. 

DS:  The whole program came about when I had 32 medical professionals referring me business a few years ago, and wound up at a point where I literally couldn’t take on any more business without training 4 or 5 people at once, and that was something the insurance providers and the referring professionals got pissed about.

As a result, I began to look for other trainers to off-load some clients in order to keep business flowing, but I wanted to make sure they had the right skillset to work with these people. No sit and reach testing or max rep pushups here, I wanted to have people who could look at a client and determine why their rotator cuff was getting all beat to hell.

 

As I’m sure you can attest, these kinds of trainers are few and far between, so I had to build a program that would cover the basics to up the games of those who would be working for me, coving all the major injuries you would see in a gym setting: rotator cuff tears, ACL reconstructions, disc herniations, and a few dozen others.

Once I began teaching the trainers what to do and what to look for, they also wanted to have some pre-made programs they could use with their clients (and even themselves) to help get the ball rolling. This was an idea that also piqued interest with a few doctors and insurance providers, so having the standardized plans in place helped actually build more business. Plus, it meant if a client came in with a rotator cuff issue, I could hand them to anyone and they would get a safe program that would help them out.

TG:  That’s awesome, and just goes to show how establishing a solid network of other fitness professionals can be a powerful thing.

Would you agree that the gap between the personal training side of things and physical therapy side of things is closing?  In my opinion the gap is smaller than we think, but it’s a dangerous line to walk because we now have plenty of personal trainers out there thinking they’re capable of diagnosing things because they read a book or two on the topic.  What are your thoughts?

DS: I totally agree that the gap is getting smaller, but I need to preface that a little more. The gap is getting smaller AT THE TOP of the fitness industry, and seems to be getting wider at the bottom, where the entry-level certifications are pumping out trainers with little to no experience with injuries whatsoever.

As a result, I’ve seen trainers telling clients with some obvious structural issues to “push through it” when performing overhead press and weighted crunches. Serious spin kicks needed in those situations.

At the same time, you’re absolutely right when trainers feel they can diagnose after reading Sahrmann or McGill for a weekend. The funny thing is that I’ve specialized in injury post-rehab for the better part of a decade, worked with dozens of doctors, physios and chiropractors in their clinics, observed multiple surgeries, and had my training programs picked over by some of the best minds in rehab, and I don’t even diagnose.

Sure, I can tell a lot about someone by looking at them, but there are some really specific red flags that I look for to see if going to keep training with me or go back for more treatment. I may know in the back of my mind that the person in front of me is presenting with all the right symptoms for a specific diagnosis, but I want to make sure I’m right before I decide on anything, otherwise my wrong move may wind up causing some big issues. I always want to have two sets of eyes looking at a client to make sure, and every other trainer should do the same.

TG: What do you feel are the key components for success in this industry?  More to the point, what can incoming (and current) trainers do to better set themselves up for long-term success.

The biggest advice I could get for any trainer is simple: Get better results for your clients, and get better results for more clients. Knowing how to help a client lose 5 pounds is great, but if you can help them lose 50 pounds, they’ll pay closer attention. Likewise, if you can help them lose 50 pounds, increase their strength, make their back not hurt anymore, and reduce their odds of having a total knee replacement (or helping them do all this after they’ve had a knee replacement) can make or break your ability to have someone open their wallet to get you to help them. The more problems you solve, and the better you solve them, the more in demand you will become.

 

The next piece is to make yourself a specialist in SOMETHING. I hd a client a few years ago who was a young lawyer, and he was all excited when he got his first actual business card, which read on the back “Specializing in marital law, business law, tax law, criminal defence, civil rights, andreal estate.” This means he didn’t specialize in anything at all.

He was a generalist. You shouldn’t be a generalist, because when someone needs something really bad, they want the best at what they do. They’re going to come to you, because you are the best at what you do (hopefully). Whether it’s preparing for a figure contest, getting baseball players ready to throw heat, or helping someone fix their wonky knees, make it your goal to have something account for 80% of your business.

TG: Great insight, Dean.  I couldn’t agree more.  And lastly, if you could, can you give my readers the 5 minute elevator pitch – or in this case, the 500 word pitch – as to what Post Rehab Essentials brings to the table?  Basically, how will this make trainers more awesome?

DS:  Knowledge is power, and this is never more resonant than in fitness.

The trainers who spend the most time learning from as many different sources as possible tend to make the most money, and tend to have the best reputations as fitness professionals. I’m also a big believer in quality, usable content that you don’t have to have a PhD in biomechanics to understand, so I made this product cut to the chase, show why specific injuries happen, how to assess for them, and what to do with the info you get from your assessments.

This is a quick reference guide to help you solve more of your clients problems than ever before, which makes you a better trainer at the end of the day, and as a result make more money and have a greater impact on the quality of your clients lives.

If that’s not enough, consider this: more than one third of asymptomatic people walking the streets would show a partial or full thickness rotator cuff tear on MRI, especially if they’re over 60. More than half of those asymptomatic people also had disc bulges, some at more than one level. What this means is that whether you want to work with injured clients or not, you already are, so not knowing what to do about it will be the fastest way to put yourself out of business.

If that’s not enough, I’m also going to show you a thousand different ways to make your workouts better, more effective, and way more pimp than you ever thought possible.

TG:  Awesome stuff Dean.  Thanks for your time! 

====> Post Rehab Essentials <====

 

 

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Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: Multivitamins, In-Season Training, MMA, and More

1.  Q:  There are a few vitamins and minerals in my diet that I don’t get quite enough of so I try to supplement with a multi-vitamin. I’ve been reading that a lot of people think that multi-vitamins aren’t really too effective though. Do you take a multi-vitamin? If so, which one do you like? If not, why not?

A:  I’ve always taken more of a minimalist approach when it comes to supplements. On one end of the spectrum you have those people who take a supplement for everything at the expense of ignoring basic food. At the other end, you have those like Steve Jobs (RIP) who, as I’ve been reading in his biography, Steve Jobs, would go extended periods where all he’d eat is fruit, and ignore supplements altogether.

As is the case with everything, the answer lies somewhere in the middle.

With regards to a multivitamin, I’m actually indifferent, as I feel if your diet is diverse in fruits, vegetables, and dead animal flesh, you’re probably good to go.

Having said that, it’s pretty near impossible to ingest EVERY mineral and vitamin known to man.

Some will argue that the body can’t (or won’t) absorb anything in pill form.  Others say that’s a bunch of foo-foo nonsense. If anything, I feel taking a multivitamin is a great way to at least cover your bases. I mean, multivitamins are fairly inexpensive, so I don’t see the big deal.

At the end of day, at best, like I said, you cover your bases.  At worst:  you’re down $10 for a six month supply.  No biggie.

As an alternative, you can try something like Athletic Greens, which I feel is an awesome product and something I’ve been using for the past few months.

2.  A HUGE congratulations goes out to CP coach, George Abele, on an impressive win in his MMA amateur debut this past Saturday night.

George had a big cheering section as all the coaches, as well as many CP clients headed out to Western Massachusetts to support him beating some dudes head in.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve never gone out of my way to watch MMA.  Sure, I’ve seen a few fights here and there on Spike tv, but I’d usually watch a fight or two and then flip it back over to Dukes of Hazzard re-runs or something. I just never got into them.

Let me just say, though, that when you go see the fights in person – and you actually know someone fighting – it’s a whole nother ball game.

It’s sick.

At one point, after round 2, I wanted Sparta kick a chair or something and then go all Gladiator and just stand up and yell at the top of my lungs:

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!!?!?!

Oh, I was entertained!  Great job George.  We’re proud of you.

3.  I had a senior in high-school email me about in-season training and whether or not it could be done.  Here’s what I said.

Yes

LOL. Okay, I said a little more than that.  Here’s what I actually said:

In-season training can be a bit of a conundrum, but it stands to reason it can’t definitely be implemented if done correctly.  The key is to:

  • Understand that you will lose some strength during the season. You can’t be under the impression that you’re going to make much (if any) gains during the season. So don’t get pissed if you see your gym numbers dip a bit.
  • The main emphasis of an in-season training program is to prevent injury and maintain some semblance of progress you established during your off-season training.
  • Condense training stress as much as possible.  For instance, with our high-school baseball guys, we like to hit the lower body pretty hard the day after a game.  Then, depending on the position one plays, we’ll have them get 1-2 more sessions in during the week based around their practice schedule.
  • Generally speaking, though, two or three sessions per week is completely fine (and I’d lean more towards two).  I’d make it a point of allotting one of your session to be the day after a game and then maybe another session two days prior to your next game…………..and, if you can pull it off, maybe a REAL easy GPP/mobility session the day before.
  • Please, for the love of god, refrain from doing any excessive agility or “jump specific” training during the season. You get enough of that playing your sport (basketball).  Seriously, don’t do it!

You’re a young kid, and resilient.  Assuming you’re not injured or have a funky injury history, I’d recommend Eric Cressey’s Show and Go program. It’s FOUR months of programming, and it includes 2,3, and 4 day templates, so you could easily fit it into your schedule.

4.  The following is a video that’s been making its rounds around the interwebz the past few days.  I’ve had several people send it my way asking what my thoughts were on it. But first, the video:

Here’s the description of the video on the page itself:

Taken from an event with veteran CrossFit athletes. Hitting axle clean and jerks. Supervised by Strongman Certified Coaches. Axle weight is about 10-15lbs. This lift is not a standard Clean and Jerk.

I almost feel like this is some sort of hoax. How anyone who claims to be a “veteran CrossFit athlete” or “certified strongman coach” would allow this video to see the light of day is beyond me.

I feel like the peeps who put this video up are just trying to throw more flame onto the fire – given all the negative talk about CrossFit – and get a laugh at everyone else’s expense.

I mean, seriously!?!?!?   Why not just take everyone who appears in that video and strap a rocket to their back and launch them into a brick wall?  At the very least, it would make for a killer WOD.

It’s pretty sad (and frustrating) to see this.  As a coach, it pains me to see that this is the kind of training that’s being “sold” to the masses about CrossFit. Don’t get me wrong, there ARE affiliates out there who do it right – and those coaches should be commended for their efforts.  But this?  This is just garbage.  And the  coaches involved – whether it’s CrossFit, Strongman, Olympic, whatever, I don’t care – should be ashamed of themselves.

I’m not kidding, though:  this HAS to be a joke.  Right?

5.  And finally.  I’m posting this video because it’s awesome.

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How to Set-Up to Deadlift Properly

I’m throwing you a curve ball today, and starting what I hope will be an on-going series of video blogs here on tonygentilcore.com.

My hope is that:

1.  I’m able to better convey the information I’m trying to relay to the masses. Writing is one thing, and I feel I do a decent job of not sucking at that. For many, though, they’re more visual learners, and this is the perfect medium for those types of people.

2. 2012 is looking to be the year where I put on my big boy pants and start doing more speaking engagements. The way I see it, video blogs will help me hone my skillz and hopefully teach myself to not swear like a sailor, stop saying “um” every other sentence, and to stop USING MY HANDS WHEN I TALK FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!!!!

3. And, more importantly, save my fingers from all of this damn typing!

Anyways, the catalyst for today’s video blog stemmed from my incessant (maybe un-healthy?) obsession with deadlifts. But more to the point, it stemmed from various questions and comments I’ve received on articles and blog posts I’ve written in the past concerning how to set-up for the deadlift properly.

Sometimes, things are just lost in translation, and I figured a video would help elucidate my thoughts more clearly and showcase some simple coaching cues I feel will benefit a lot of people.

The tipping point, however, came when an online client sent me a video of his deadlift set-up and I had to do everything in my power not to face plant into my keyboard.

It was bad. Like, “how is his spine still in one piece?” bad. And with that, I knew I had to do something other than write back “Um yeah, you need to stop doing that.”

The result?

How to Set-Up to Deadlift Properly

A few things to note:

  • I feel the set-up is something that many trainees take far too casually.  Let me be blunt:  deadlifting success and performance starts and ends with the set-up.  Foot placement, bar placement, learning to activate the lats, as well as hip placement all come into play. With the latter point for instance, people tend to set their hips either too high, where their lower back takes a beating, or they set up too low, and it turns more into this weird, squat/deadlift, hybrid thingamajig.

Hopefully this video clears some of the murky water.

  • Thanks to Kyle for being my model (and for the sweet Presidential-like wave in the background when being introduced).  Also, thanks for Marco for being Spielberg’esq with the camera work.
  • My goal was to do this sucker in one take. I succeeded. In re-watching it, though, there were definitely some “did I just sat that?” moments (did I just say “finger Kyle?” Dammit Tony!). Trust me, I’ll get better. Promise.
  • I’d love to get your feedback, so please feel free to comment below.  In addition, I’d also be interested in ideas for future installments. Is there anything you’d like to see covered?

Okay, I’ll shut up now.  Here’s the video:

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What’s the Dealo with Weightbelts?

In the words of the great 50-Cent:  Go, go, go, go, go, go.

……Go shawty, it’s your birthday

We gonna party like it’s your birthday

We gon’ sip Bacardi like it’s your birthday

In case you weren’t picking up on my vibe, today’s my birthday, soooooooo, I automatically get a mulligan for taking so long to get this post up today.

I took a personal day off from CP, and as a result I slept in, made a ginormous omelet, opened up my presents, answered some emails, wrote a few programs, dropped Lisa off at work, helped a little old lady cross the street, read scripture to a bunch of orphans, fought crime, and now I’m sitting here writing at a local coffee shop chillaxing.

I’ll hang out here for a while, and then head back to pick Lisa up whereupon she’s treating me to an all-you-can-eat-meat-buffet-extravaganza.

Life is good.

I contemplated not writing a post today, but thought better of it since I took most of last week off due to Thanksgiving/marathon football watching.  And, even more importantly, I didn’t want to leave my loyal readers feeling shafted that I haven’t been a blog writing ninja lately.

I don’t know if it’s something in the water or what, but lately I’ve been receiving a lot of inquiries about my thoughts on weight belts.  Namely, whether or not I feel there’s any efficacy for their use, and if so, when?

As is the case with any question pertaining to fitness, the answer is:

It Depends

For most, here’s where I see a belt’s use coming to fruition:

1.  They have observed others wearing them and have come to the conclusion that it will be a good idea for them to do so as well.

2.  Their back has an ouchie, and they believe that a weight belt with help alleviate the problem.

3.  They think it will make them invincible and chicks will want to hang out with them.

Attacking the first argument (everyone uses them, so I should too) – this is where I feel most trainees miss the boat entirely, and where I feel most need a little dose of tough love.

Sure, there’s a lot of research proving the usefulness of weight belts in increasing intra-abdominal pressure, as well as improving performance: go to Pubmed and do a search, or better yet, go to page 174 of McGill’s Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance, where he uses an entire chapter discussing this topic.

Here’s the rub, though. I feel many trainees tend to get carried away and tend to rely on a weight belt as crutch. Looking at the anatomy, you’ll realize that your body has it’s own natural weight belt already in place.

Anteriorly:  rectus abdomimus (or your abz, in bro-science talk).

Laterally:  internal & external obliques

Posteriorly:  erector spinae, multifidus (segmental stability), longissimus, iliocostalis, and we can even throw the lats into the mix here.

And, digging a little deeper, we can’t neglect the roles of the transverse abdominus, diaphragm, and pelvic floor with regards to core function (with both stability AND performance).

Assuming one is perfectly healthy, and doesn’t have a history of back issues, one could argue there’s no immediate use for a weight belt, and that our body does a pretty darn good job on its own!

Note:  this is taking into consideration that, despite many people being asymptomatic, MRI’s have shown 52% of people walking around have a bulge at one level; 38% have bulges at TWO levels. In short, just because you’re pain free, doesn’t mean you’re entirely in the clear.

But that’s a discussion for another day.

Stealing a section from an article I read by Dave Kirschen on this same topic:

I tend to think of a belt as a performance enhancer rather than protection. If you are lifting correctly, your midsection should be strong enough to support itself through the vast majority of tasks you put it through. You may be limited in how much weight you can lift, but you are not in any significant danger of injury without it. The belt really comes into play when you need the extra support to get after heavy weights.

I couldn’t agree more.

Outside of some heavy, I’m going to shit my spine lifting (we’re talking in the range of 90% + of one’s 1RM), weight belts, in my opinion, are less than optimal.

 

As mentioned above, belts do help to improve intra-abdominal pressure, as well as prevent buckling of the spine with heavier loads, but it’s just gotten to the point where dudes (and girls, too – you’re not off the hook!) wear belts for just about everything:  bicep curls, lat pulldowns, lunges, changing a light bulb, taking the garbage out, you name it.

It’s gotten out of hand.

Attacking the second point (your back has an ouchie, and a belt will help alleviate the problem) – again, I feel this is placing a band-aid over the real issue. Many trainees use weight belts as a crutch and fail to address the actual dysfunctions and imbalances they have.  In a way, by wearing a belt incessantly, they’re “shutting off” the surrounding musculature in terms of doing what they’re designed to do – protecting and stabilizing the spine.

This is actually a tough one to tackle, because there are obviously circumstances where a weight belt is advantageous and warranted.

As a general rule, however, most trainees would be better off taking a step back and addressing the issues at hand (unable to find, or even maintain, a neutral spine, having the t-spine mobility of the Tin Man, and hips that are stiffer than a 2×4, to name a few), rather than relying on a weight belt for everything.

And lastly, undressing the third point (they’ll feel invincible) – I’m not going to lie, there IS a sense of “comfort” and peace of mind that comes from wearing a belt; but again, unless you’re using loads upwards of 90% of your 1RM, you’re better off keeping the belt in your gym bag.

Which presents another question:

What Kind of Belt Should You Get?

Not all belts are created equal. At the expense of sounding like a broken record, a weight belt is mostly designed to help one increase intra-abdominal pressure, which in turn, stabilizes the ENTIRE mid-section. Belts that you can purchase at your local Wal-Mart that are skinny in the front and wide in the back are worthless, because they do a piss poor job at providing enough support for the entire system.

Remember that one time you decided to buy your cottage cheese from the dollar store because, well, it was a dollar? How did that work out? It probably tasted like sour butt crack, right? You get what you pay for. And purchasing a top-notch weight belt is no different.

I’d recommend heading over to elitefts.com and perusing their weight belt section. They’re not cheap, but they’re legit, and will last F.O.R.E.V.E.R.

UPDATE (March 2017): The peeps over at BarBend.com have done everyone a solid and started reviewing every weightbelt they can get their hands on. By the end of this year their goal is to have 40 or so of the top brands reviewed. You can check the list HERE.

Keeping that in mind, I’d be remiss if I didn’t take at least a few moments to discuss how to use a belt properly.

1.  Seriously, don’t wear one for every exercise!  Squats and deadlifts would be the staples. Others on the list would include goodmornings, HAS (Heavy As Shit) farmer carries, and competition bench presses. I’m sure I could think of more, but whatever.  The point is if you’re wearing a weight belt to perform tricep kickbacks, you’re tool.

I’d recommend going belt-less for all of your warm-up and build-up sets. From there, once you reach roughly 90% of your 1RM, strap that baby on and dominate!

2. Mistakenly, many trainees tend to latch their belt on as tight as possible – to the point where they’re cutting off circulation. Again, the belt is there to help, but you also need to do some of the work. Instead, leave some wiggle room and latch the belt a little looser than usual. This way you’re forced to PUSH OUT against the belt and get more kinesthetic feedback.  Additionally, as a result, you’re teaching yourself to increase intra-abdominal pressure without relying too heavily on the belt.

3.  And that’s about it.  This ain’t rocket science, yo.

I’m sure I’m missing some points, and I could expound on a few things in more detail, but I think you get the gist.  At the end of the day, I can just defer to Dr. McGill on the matter:

If one must lift a few more pounds, wear a belt. If one wants to groove motor patterns to train for other athletic tasks that demand a stable torso, it is probably better not to wear a belt.

What are YOUR thoughts?  Agree? Disagree? Don’t care? Sound off below.

PS:  It’s MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

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Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: The Day Before My Birthday Edition

That’s right, it’s the day before my birthday. For the record, I wear a size 10.5 shoe, large t-shirts (okay whatever, smedium), and if you’re looking for any other gift ideas, I’ve been eye-balling the Star Wars collection on blu-ray.

…..I also take gift cards.

Truth be told, I’ve never been much of a birthday person.  I mean, I’m one of seven BILLION people in this world, so who am I to think that November 30th is somehow a bigger deal than any other day throughout the year? Come to think of it, though, I do share a birthday with Bo Jackson – so that’s pretty baller.

Nevertheless, tomorrow I turn 35.  35!  To put that into perspective, 20 years ago Goodfellas came out in theaters (but Silence of the Lambs won Best Picture.  Bullshit!), The Fresh Prince of Bel Air was my favorite television show (Blossom was a close second), and I was totally performing my fair share of bicep curls while listening to Gonna Make You Sweat by C+C Music Factory.

In a way, I guess you could say I was pretty awesome for a 15 year old.

Okay, enough with the walking down memory lane business – I’m sure this is just thrilling to everyone reading. Anyways, here’s some stuff to check out that I felt were fantastic reads from this past week!

Core Power, with a Twist – by Tonge Mccor Erotempo of Econazole

For those wondering who the hell Tonge Mccor Erotempo of Econzole is – that’s me; albeit it’s my Star Wars name. Go a head and click the link.  Don’t pretend you don’t want to know what yours is as well.

If you turn to page 57 of this month’s issue of Men’s Health (the one pictured above), you’ll see a quick 15-Minute workout I wrote.  Sorry there’s no link, so you’ll have to visit your local CVS.  That is all.

The Real Reasons You Should Exercise – by Ericka Hurst

This blog post was sent to me by my internet buddy, Juliet, because she felt it would be something I’d think was pretty badass.  And she was right!

I’ve always been curious as to why, when a woman is seen training her butt off in the gym, she’ll inevitably be approached by someone asking “so, uh, what are you training for, a competition or something?”  My girlfriend gets interrupted all the time during her training sessions by either personal trainers or random gym patrons asking her about her program (which I write). She doesn’t mind or anything, and she’ll answer their questions, but it’s funny to think that just because she’s performing a heavy set of deadlifts followed by kettlebell swings automatically means she’s stepping on stage next week.

Why can’t a woman train just to train?

I love Ericka’s comment:  I workout because being weak and mediocre sucks!

Right on!

New Cholesterol Guidelines:  Utter Madness – by Jonny Bowden

Anyone who’s been reading my blog for a while knows my thoughts on cholesterol. I think it’s been wrongly demonized, and feel that the lay public is woefully misinformed.

Here, Jonny Bowden responds to the news that The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has issued new guidelines on cholesterol, and now advise screening for all children between the ages of 9-11.

I’ll let Jonny take over from here, but suffice it to say, I couldn’t agree more that this is setting a very, very, very dangerous precedent.

How a Chubby Trainer Became the “Go To” Guy Among Dozens of Hardbodies – by John Izzo

I’ve always appreciated John’s perspective on things, because he doesn’t sugar coat anything. If you’re an upcoming trainer or coach, you’d be remiss not to read this excellent post. At the end of the day, it comes down to something Mike Boyle has stated numerous times:  no one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.

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Food Industry’s David vs. Goliath?

It’s the Monday after Thanksgiving, and I’m back (and recovered from the 48-hour insulin coma fest I put myself through). What can I say: I’m powerless when it comes to my mom’s homemade apple pie.  And don’t even get me started when it comes to stuffing and pumpkin rolls.

Needless to say, it was great to see my entire family and spend some quality time with them – as it is, I’m only able to make it home once or twice per year. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t spend the rest of the weekend trying to detox my body. Once we made it back to Boston Saturday night, Lisa and I bee-lined it to Trader Joe’s and bought enough greens to feed an army.

Which serves as a perfect segue to today’s dose of WTF.

Last week I was sent THIS (includes video) story from a local news station about a New England area artist, Bo, who’s also a small biz owner behind the slogan “Eat More Kale.” It’s a labor of love for Bo, who’s been hand making EVERY t-shirt that’s ordered for the past eleven years. He even made mine, which Lisa got for me last year for my birthday.

I love it. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve been walking around with it on, and some random person approaches me and asks “what the heck is kale?” or comments “your shirt rocks!”  What’s more, one time, I even had someone walk past me and throw me a friendly high-five and say “I eat kale, too!”  As if to imply that we were both part of some secret society.

It’s a conversation stimulator if there ever was one. Plus, the t-shirt clearly increases the gunnage factor of my arms, which is always cool.

Anyways, as I noted above, Bo has been using this slogan for upwards of eleven years and he’s FINALLY reached the point where he’s ready to grow and make this thing go viral. He applied for a federal trademark recently only to receive a document from a lawyer stating that “Eat More Kale” too closely resembled that of the fast food chain Chick-fil-A, who’s slogan “Eat Mor Chikin,” clearly draws from the exact same audience (note sarcasm).

Lets think about this for a second. While I’m a clear exception, I’d have to say 80-90% of the people who purchase an Eat More Kale t-shirt are most likely vegetarian.

Moreover, what’s the likelihood that anyone who goes out of their way to purchase an “Eat More Kale” t-shirt would even step foot in a fast food chain?

Taking it a step further, how can anyone claim the slogan “Eat More…..[insert whatever you want here]” as their own?  So, if I were to make a shirt that said Eat More Diarrhea, would Chick-fil-A come after me?????

According to the lawyer, who’s clearly a douchebag to the douchiest degree, Eat More Kale:

“…….is a clear encroachment upon Chick-fil-A’s prior and superior nationwide trademark rights.”  Furthermore, Chick-fil-A somehow feels that Bo’s one-man show t-shirt company is deluding the profits of their corporation.

I just feel that this is probably the most absurd thing I have ever heard, highlighting corporate bullying at its finest, and just goes to show that big food are a bunch of dicks.

Do me a favor, if this pisses you off just as much as me, go HERE to sign a petition that will demand that Chick-fil-A stop being a bunch of a-holes and prevent them from blocking EAT MORE KALE’s attempt at a federal trademark.

Consider it your good deed for the day.

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Trainees Don’t Know How to Learn

Thanksgiving is right around the corner!11!1!  I’m excited because out of all the holidays we celebrate throughout the year here in the States – Christmas, Valentine’s Day, my birthday – it’s my favorite because there’s no pretentiousness to it. Sure, it’s getting a bit ridiculous with all of the Black Friday sales now starting on Thursday……

But in the end, Thanksgiving is about family, friends, and of course, FOOD!!!

I’m heading into the facility shortly to coach an abbreviated day, and then tomorrow we’ll open our doors early for our annual Cressey Performance Thanksgiving Morning Lift.

Think of it as our version of a 5K Turkey Trot, except instead of running, we’re lifting heavy things.  For a quick glimpse, check out this video from a few years ago – which may or may not include me flexing my bicep at the 0:33 mark.

HINT:  it totally does.

It’s kind of a big deal, with people signing up to attend weeks (even months) in advance.  You think I’m kidding, but I’m not.

Afterwards, Lisa and I will be heading back to my old stomping grounds in New York to spend a few days at my parents house, so the likelihood that I’ll be posting anything from now until Monday is somewhere between not a chance in hell and probably not. But hey, you never know.

On that note, have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone. Eat a slice of apple pie for me. Actually, eat two!

Today’s guest post comes from personal trainer Jon Goodman. Jon has asked me to contribute on his site several times, and he offered to return the favor. I thought it was fantastic, and hope you do as well.

Trainees Don’t Know How to Learn

Every once in a while I step out of my boutique studio bubble and enter a big box gym to see how the rest of the World is training.

I know what you’re thinking – this is another rant about the evil empire and we need to burn the owners of big box gyms at the stake. (cue Darth Vader theme)

But hold on for a minute, I’m going to take this article in a different path. I didn’t see a whole bunch of meatheads, idiots, goombas (my personal favourite) lifting improperly. Quite the opposite:

I saw people dedicated to training. I saw people trying to get better. I saw people really trying to train the right way. And you know what? they weren’t doing a bad job. Coaches like Tony are becoming more prevalent and I can say with all honestly that mainstream media is doing a better job in giving the public researched information. I pick up an issue of Men’s Health and can proudly say that not only am I friends with but I also have respect for the majority of the writers in each issue.

So why are People Still Lifting Badly?

The majority of folks in the gym and probably every single person who reads this blog want to lift well. The Goomba squatting 3 plates to a 2.3inch depth doesn’t want to lift poorly, I promise you. In my eyes, the problem is two-fold:

1. Trainees don’t take the time to learn exercises properly before pressing beyond their capabilities (kind of like a fitness Peter Principle)

2. Trainees don’t know how to learn

Tony was nice enough to give me opportunity to help. I’m going to solve both problems for you in one with this short article by teaching you briefly about the physiology of skill acquisition and how you can quickly and effectively use it to learn new exercises fast.

Oligodendrocytes, Astrocytes, and Myelin… oh my

Skill is a cellular insulation that wraps neural circuits and that grows in response to certain signals

Hold your breath – Here comes the science talk. I listed a couple references below but I urge you to check out Daniel Coyle’s brilliant book The Talent Code as well.

I’ll start first by describing an action potential. Without it, movement would never happen. When your brain decides to squat, deadlift, push, pull, lunge, or twist it fires impulses to the muscle. That impulse travels along nerve fibres until it reaches a neuromuscular (joint between the nerve and muscle) junction (NMJ). Once it reaches the NMJ a neurotransmitter is released which crosses the junction to the opened receptors on the other side. Once there, the neurotransmitter enables the Myosin filament to grab onto Actin and BOOM! We have a muscle contraction.

The above is an incredibly simplified version of what actually happens but enough for the scope of this article. What I didn’t mention is that the transmission of the action potential travels along the nerve fibre to the NMJ via voltage gated channels. Speeds vary and the signal can leak out. Our body has developed a system of insulation (called myelin) to conduct the impulse better and avoid leakages.

That much has been understood for years. What wasnít understood was the incredible contribution the myelination system actually does.

In fact, myelination is the key to acquisition of skills and the more myelin you have, the better you are at that skill.  In Daniel Coyleís own words:

The revolution is built on three simple facts. (1) Every human movement, thought, or feeling is a precisely timed electric signal travelling through a chain or neurons ñ a circuit of nerve fibers.† (2) Myelin is the insulation that wraps these nerve fibers and increases signal strength, speed, and accuracy.† (3) The more we fire a particular circuit, the more myelin optimizes that circuit, and the stronger, faster, and more fluent our movements and thoughts become.

The precise mechanism is completed by supporter cells called oligodendroctytes and astrocytes. They sense a nerve firing and wrap more myelin on the fibre that fires.

Preciseness

The beauty of the myelin system is in its simplicity. It makes sense that the more myelination we have, the better insulation our nerve fibers will have and therefore signals will get from one place to the next faster and more efficiently.

The last piece of the puzzle is how unbelievably precise this system is. Oligodendrocytes and astrocytes have no idea what you actually want to accomplish. Their job is to line the nerve that fired. Translation ñ If you fire a nerve fiber improperly, you reinforce that habit. To add to it, in the absence of aging or disease there is no human process to remove myelination. This explains why habits are so hard to break. Your only way to break bad habits is to re-learn new habits stronger.

Since Myelin is a Scienfitic Process How do we Do it Right? … or Better

struggling is not an option, it’s a biological requirement

Before I lay out the steps to better myelinate yourself allow me to drop some numbers on you:

  1. Neural traffic that was once travelling at 2mi/hr can accelerate to 200mi/hr
  2. The refractory time (wait required between signals) can decrease by a factor of 30
  • Together that makes for a 3 000X increase in information processing capability!

Personally, I wouldn’t mind being 3 000X better at something. So here’s how you do it:

1. Have a blueprint. I send my clients videos on new exercises and make sure they watch them before I teach them the movement. The first step in learning a new skill is having the proper form cemented in your brain. You should always be able to close your eyes and visualize what an exercise should look like. Put a video of the exercise on your ipod and watch it before and after each set constantly trying to emulate the form.

The better you get at visualization, the quicker you will learn

2. Fail better. Repeating bad habits is a sure fire way to keep your bad form. The minute form goes awry, stop the set, put the bar down, close your eyes and visualize the step you did wrong. When you pick back up the bar focus on your improper step (if possible only practice the one movement you screwed up).

Try ñ fail ñ fail better

Timing is everything

Consider the unlimited possibilities in movement that our bodies possess. Our neurons are unable to coordinate the timing precisely so myelin has taken on the challenge. Think of how many different movements are involved in a basic squat. If 100 nerves are firing to complete that movement all of the different fibres must be timed perfectly to interact with each other within milliseconds. That’s the power of myelin, it’s the timing mechanism. Visualization and failing with purpose are paramount. Thank me later when you lifts dramatically improve.

References

Yamazaki Y, Hozumi Y, Kaneko K, Sugihara T, Fujii S, Goto K, Kato H. Modulatory effects of oligodendrocytes on the conduction velocity of action potentials along axons in the alveus of the rat hippocampal CA1 region. Neuron Glia Biol. 2007 Nov;3(4):325-34. PubMed PMID:18634564

Fields RD. Imaging learning: the search for a memory trace Neuroscientist.†2011 Apr;17(2):185-96. Epub 2011 Mar 14. PubMed PMID:21403182

The Talent Code – Daniel Coyle

Who’s This Jon Guy?

Jonathan Goodman is a personal trainer out of Toronto on a mission to help as many trainers as possible. In doing so he’s set up a collaborative free resource for personal trainers with some of the brightest minds in the industry called the Personal Trainer Development Center (www.theptdc.com). You can also find him at www.jonathangoodman.ca or on Facebook or Twitter.

 

 

 

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Can I Have Your Attention Please: Pizza Is Now a Veggie!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few days, you’ve undoubtedly seen or heard the news that Congress has passed a bill stating that, as far as children’s school lunches go, pizza is now a vegetable.

Well, to be more precise, the tomato paste on a slice of pizza counts as a vegetable. But WTF, right?

Here are a few links in case you missed it.

NPR

New York Times

Fox News

And the list goes on and on.  Every major news outlet has covered the story one way or another, from the Washington Post to the Chicago Tribune, and regardless of where you heard it, if you’re like me, you’re probably resisting the urge to want to throw face through a window.

Really?  Pizza is going to be counted as a vegetable?

I’m just wondering what’s next:  Pop Tarts being recognized as a fruit?

This is an epic fail by Congress.  And it boggles my mind that, even for a second, this is the type of nonsense they’re concentrating their efforts on.  I mean, it’s not like we have a financial crisis, two wars, skyrocketing unemployment rates, and another Twilight movie to be more concerned about.

It’s pretty pathetic and downright disheartening that our politicians are placing the interests of corporate America a head of that of children.

Is it any wonder, then, why Congress’ approval rating has taken a nosedive in recent months?  After this fiasco,  I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Hepatitis C is ahead of them in the polls.  Ohhhhhhh snap.  Count it!

What gets me, though, is that in one of the stories I read, the main argument against healthier food options in school cafeterias is that the tax payers would bear the burden of the costs.

To quote:

This is an important step for the school districts, parents and taxpayers who would shoulder the burden of U.S.D.A.’s proposed $6.8 billion school meal regulation that will not increase the delivery of key nutrients,” said John Keeling, executive vice president and chief executive of the National Potato Council.

The Agriculture Department had estimated that the proposal would have cost about $6.8 billion over the next five years, adding about 14 cents a meal to the cost of a school lunch.

Okay, so what?  14 cents?  Big deal.

I was having a conversation this weekend with Diana Cutia, the Wheelock College athletic director, and she stated that she attended a meeting last week where it was noted that upwards of 50% of FIRST GRADERS in the city of Boston were considered over-weight.

I don’t know about you, but as a tax payer I’d rather suck it up and spend the additional money now to ensure that kids are indeed getting proper nutrition at school – and education: it would be nice if they could recognize that a carrot is not the same as carrot cake – than pay tenfold the amount later on treating a twelve year old with type II diabetes.

And lest we forget, tomatoes are a fruit and not a vegetable.  God, Congress can’t get anything right!

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What I Do When I Feel Stale

Two important notes before we get started:

1.  Today is the last day you can purchase the Peak Performance Diet and Training Summit at its sale price.  Once the clock strikes midnight tonight (11/19), Joe and Dr. Mike are increasing the price $100, and you’ll be sad.   And while I’m sure many are balking at the price, if you look at it as more of an investment rather than an expense, you’ll see that it’s definitely worth every cent.

2.  Along the same lines, today is also the last day you can purchase Muscle Imbalances Revealed – Upper Body Re-Loaded at it’s sale price of 47% off.  NINE additions were added on top of the already stellar content, and now it’s available in DVD format, too!  Also, for those who don’t know, MIRU is my very first product and I’m damn proud of it.  So what I’m trying to say is:  if you don’t buy it, you’re banned from this site.  Well, not really.  But kinda.

With that out of the way, lets get to today’s content.

Full disclosure:  I “stole” this blog idea from Mike Reinold.  He wrote a similar post a few weeks ago and I liked it so much I thought I’d use it myself.  Trust me, he won’t mind.  I think.

Whether it’s training, nutrition, how I coach/cue clients, trying to come up with content for blogs and articles, or writing programs, sometimes I just feel stale or otherwise like I’m walking in mud that’s knee deep.

What follows are some things that help me get my mojo back.

1.  Have Tony Time.  Okay, get your mind out of the gutter…(wink).  I’ve mentioned this here before, but I’m an introvert at heart. Don’t get me wrong, I love being sociable, but there comes a time where I reach my threshold and I just need to step away from the chaos and have a little “me” time.

Seemingly, I’m “on” all the time.  There are always programs that need to be written; e-mails that need to be answered; clients that need to be coached; articles that have deadlines; and meatloaf sandwiches that need to be eaten.

We close early on Fridays, and since I get home relatively early, I tend to use Friday night as my wild-card night.  Or Tony Time, as I like to call it. Most often, I use it as a night to head down to my favorite hang-out spot and just catch up on some reading.

I may spend an hour reading some blogs:  Eric Cressey, Mike Robertson, Nia Shanks, John Romaniello, Dean Somerset, Lee Boyce, to name a few.  If anything, reading what other people in the industry are doing or what they’re currently thinking about is an easy way to get my own juices flowing.

Conversely, I may just spend my time reading for the sake of reading. As much as I love reading about strength and conditioning, sometimes it makes my head hurt. There’s this really cool bookstore in my neighborhood that’s like a five-minute walk from my apartment, and it’s not at all uncommon for me to walk in, grab a chair, and spend the next 2-3 hours reading the Kama Sutra or something.

Hahaha. Okay, that doesn’t really happen.** But I do spend a lot of time there reading various books, and I always walk back home feeling re-charged and ready to attack the road a head.

2.  Watch other coaches.  I don’t do this nearly as often I would like, but it stands to reason that one of the easiest ways to get out of a rut is to actually go see what other coaches are doing with their athletes. I’m lucky in that I live in a major city with 50-70 schools in the area. As an example, Mike Boyle is literally right down the street at Boston University where he’s the head strength for the men’s hockey team.

Likewise, I bumped into Art Horne, head athletic trainer and strength coach at Northeastern University, two weeks ago, and he invited me to stop by and observe anytime I wanted.  Given it’s roughly a 10-15 minute walk away, I’m totally going to do it.

The point is, try to make a concerted effort to go see other coaches in action.  Networking is something that’s crucial for professional development, and it’s always cool to talk shop with other coaches and pick their brains.

A small piece of advice, though.  You have two ears, two eyes, and one mouth……….use them in that order.

About a month ago we had a woman come in to OBSERVE and I actually saw her attempt to coach one of our athletes out of the blue.

Unless asked, that’s a big no-no.  Not only that, she was all up in every coach’s grill asking questions and just being annoying when the place was jammed packed with athletes. I was thiiiiiis close to asking her to leave, but didn’t want to make a scene. Thankfully she wasn’t there for too long, but it definitely gave some food for thought with regards to what NOT to do when you go observe at another facility.

Rule of thumb:  don’t suck! Go and watch.  Ask questions when the time is right.  And stay out of the way!

3.  Fajita night.  Sometimes I just need to turn my brain off and sit on a couch with Lisa and eat fajitas.  We like to have “date night” every now and again where we make our own fajitas and then pop whatever came in the mail through Netflix into the DVD player.

Who says romance is dead?

4.  Hill Sprints.  Arguably one of my favorite forms of exercise.  No equipment needed other than a hill and a pair of shoes.  And maybe a pair of pants.  Maybe.

Whenever I have a case of writer’s block or just feel like a pile of poop, I simply walk outside and perform some hill sprints, and instantly feel better.

Just exercise.  Just get up a move for the love of god!  Lift heavy things.  I don’t care: deadlift your couch!  Exercise has been proven to improve cognitive function and one’s sense of badassery.

5.  Write s*** down.  For the past 4-5 weeks, I’ve been in a massive training slump.  In a nutshell, I’d show up to the facility, decide what didn’t hurt, and then toss some weight around.  It sucked donkey balls, and my enthusiasm to train was pretty much non-existent.

Given I had no set plan in place, this shouldn’t come as any surprise.  I know, I know………I’m always preaching the importance of having a plan in place.  What can I say:  I was in a rut.

Last weekend, though, I decided to nip things in the bud and actually write down my next four-weeks of programming.  Wouldn’t you know it:  this week has been a SOLID week of training.

What’s more, there’s an old saying that states the easiest way to increase your wealth by $25,000 is to write down FIVE things you need to do TODAY.  Then, do them.

Easy enough.  Write it down.  It holds you more accountable.

6.  When all else fails – Inject Spike into my left ventricle. 

Works every time.

What do you do when you feel stale?  Share your thoughts below

** or does it?

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A House Divided

Today I have a guest post from one of my internet buddies, Kellie Hart Davis.  For those who aren’t familiar with Kellie, she’s a natural figure competitor, fitness writer, avid meat eater, has the mouth of a sailor, and lover of all things lifting heavy.

In a lot of ways, she’s the female equivalent of me – except she looks way better in a bikini, and she’s less obsessed with Jedis.

She’s pretty smart, and definitely has a way with words.

To that end, I’ll let her take over from here.  Enjoy!  And please, feel free to share your comments below.

A House Divided

Tony’s blog post titled “Don’t You Think You Look Tiny? A Psychological Look Into the Female Brain (Sorta)” really hit a cord, compelling me to share my own internal battle.

Note from TG:  for those who missed it, click HERE to check out the original blog post.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the external factors of an improved lifestyle—the improved physique, the rounded muscles, the hot ass– that we completely forget what’s going on inside. We also forget how close to home these issues hit until we are forced to deal with them head on.

This meditation stemmed from a series of events in my life. Sadly, I think many will be all-too familiar to some of you.

Every conversation with my mother about her health hinges on a variety of independent clauses strategically placed at the end of her sentences. Each “but” is an excuse explaining away why she refuses to take any action that will lead toward a healthier, more vibrant life.

This past weekend, before we said our good-byes on the phone, she hung her health excuse on, “but no one understands how hard it is to stop eating all of those foods.” Those foods– referring to the ones that are slowly killing her.

Nine years ago, at age 45, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. After a mastectomy and a bout of chemo that laid her on a deathbed (she was allergic to the meds), she vehemently stamped blame on her diet and lifestyle. There is no history of breast cancer in her family, but she does have a history of choosing a poor diet, leading a stressful life, and neglecting to exercise.

I was convinced by this proclamation that things would change. She turned around to head down the road leading toward greater wellness. But those were just words and she never followed through with actions. That road less traveled had not a single one of her footprints in which she could securely press her heels. It lacked familiarity and reassurance. She opted out of the journey and turned back down the path that led her to cancer in the first place.

Things hit rock bottom this past year due to the recession. Her weight skyrocketed and her health became so poor that even without insurance she was forced to undergo medical testing. An explanation was needed because she had never felt worse. I had the explanation that no doctor would ever give her. He would only root out the symptoms and bandage those for a while. But she didn’t want to hear my lecture.

The results revealed issues with her heart, gall bladder, and liver. When asked, ”Did the cancer come back?” She replied, “I don’t care to know.”

Now in her mid-fifties, my mother admits that she would rather let herself go completely than do anything about it. That very notion forced my fist against the wall. I held my breath waiting for it all to make sense, but it was pointless to suffocate in my own thoughts.

What gets me most is that she’s not the only one. My father has high blood pressure; my uncle went through two triple bypass surgeries. Both my paternal grandparents died of stroke related to heart disease. My maternal grandmother has been on medication for high blood pressure and cholesterol for as long as I can remember, and she is very active.

Both sides of my family have severe depression. My maternal grandfather barely functions when in states of mania. Just this past week my sister-in-law had several polyps removed from her colon. She’s in her thirties.

Why is it so much easier to become a statistic than to beat the odds? Why has beating the odds been reduced to not succumbing to non-communicable disease? As far as I can tell, the odds aren’t stacked against you when avoiding a lifestyle conducive to poor health.

Disease isn’t a part of aging; it’s a force of habit. It’s the inability to take action by putting your quality of life before indulgence, idleness, and insecurity. I can say this with such passion and fervor because I’ve heard every excuse in the book from those I love most. The pain from watching their health decline penetrates my bones so forcefully that I suffer acute paralysis– especially when realizing how weak my voice is against the team of medical experts that spit out incomprehensible advice.

I’ve been called extreme, obsessive, and consumed in regards to nutrition and fitness. There I stood–cornered against the wall where both sides of my familial fence meet– being told to live a little.

I don’t want to live a little. I want to live to the fullest.

I want to wake up every day with the energy of an eight-year old kid. I want my doctor to question why I even get check-ups because I’m in such great health. I want to live agelessly, knowing I’m doing everything in my power to avoid becoming a statistic.

I’d listen to her if I were you

I want that for everyone I love, but I come across as preachy and invasive.

Beauty and strength are only the surface.  The real reason to rub against the grain– to lead this unorthodox lifestyle– is all about what goes on inside.

To nourish your vital organs, to nurture mental health. To secure the joy in your future, as not to wait on death’s doorstep, riddled with pill bottles and uncured illness.

The question remains, “What are we fighting for?” When will two sides meet and collectively agree that we must take our health in our own hands? Eating a diet rich in whole foods and exercising is the only proven practical prevention and treatment for virtually every man-made illness in this country.

Call me extreme, obsessed, and consumed, but I refuse to sign my own death certification.

I find it appropriate to end this manifest with my own independent clause…

…”But, no one understands how easy it is to avoid non-communicable disease.”

Author Byline:

Kellie Davis holds a Bachelor’s degree from Florida Gulf Coast University, competes as a natural figure athlete, and works as a professional writer.  She has penned content for personal trainers, strength and conditioning experts, sports supplement companies, online fitness magazine sites, and fitness facilities. Davis is the co-author of Bret Contreras’s female strength training manual titled Strong Curves, which is due to hit stores in the summer of 2012. Follow her at www.motherfitness.com.