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What’s Your Sentence?

For those of you who visit this blog on a regular basis, you know that I like to read.  At any given point, I usually have my nose (or ear) glued to 3-4 books at once.  Of course, I’m always reading something dealing with strength and conditioning, nutrition, or anything related to my field.

Concurrently, I also have some sort of fiction nearby for when my brain hurts too much and I just don’t feel like thinking about what I’m reading.  Believe me, you can only read so much on lower-cross symdrome or spinal biomechanics before you want to jump out a window.

Additionally, I also like to read a lot of non-fiction – namely books dealing with behavioral economics.  Given that I’m in a field that’s highly dependent on figuring out what motivates people (and what keeps them motivated), it makes sense.

As such, one of my favorite books that I read last year was Daniel Pink’s phenomenal book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, and as it so happens, I came across this short video the other day that was made by the author himself called, What’s Your Sentence?, and I thought I’d share with all of you:

After watching that I couldn’t help but think to myself that much of what I do on a daily basis is trying to get people better today than they were yesterday.  Unfortunately, though, people tend to make this a lot harder than it really has to be.

Take for example a client of mine who’s simply trying to put on some weight (but good weight – he’s done the all you can eat diet, and it wasn’t quite the kind of weight he was looking for).  Here he is talking to me about counting the number of blueberries he’s eating, and SUBTRACTING them if it’s just one over the limit – yet, he’s waiting at least two hours upon waking up before eating breakfast.  Even worse still, he’ll often skip breakfast altogether.

If there was ever a can’t see the forest for the trees scenario, this would be it!

Anyways, all I’m trying to get is this: what will make him better?  Is it really the total # of blueberries he’s eating (or not eating)?  My guess is probably not.  As I told him the other day, there’s absolutely no need to get THAT detailed, and worry about something so trivial. In the end, it will do nothing but drive you bat shit crazy.

Instead, maybe it’s just something as simple as eating breakfast EVERY morning.  Taking it a step further – and this is something CP intern, and Lean Eating Coach, Jason Bonn suggested – what can he (my client) do, with full confidence, every morning, to help get him towards his goal?  Using a numerical system – with a 1 being not a chance in hell (making a gourmet omelet with feta cheese, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes, for instance) and a 10 being “yeah, I can do that, not a problem at all,” what can we do that would get him to a 9 or 10?

We came to the conclusion that making a simple shake which HAD to have one protein source (powder), one carb source (rolled oats), and one fat source (nuts or some kind of oil) was the way to go.  Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

Now, that’s just one example, and there’s no telling what will make YOU better today than yesterday.  Maybe it’s making an effort to drink more water.  Maybe it’s adding ten more lbs to the barbell this afternoon.  Maybe it’s paying the toll for the random stranger behind you on the freeway.  Maybe it’s something as simple as calling your mom (you prick).  Or, maybe it’s something a little more complicated, like finally asking out that cute barista at the coffee shop who’s clearly been flirting with you for the past three weeks.  Hell, maybe it’s just turning off the television and actually communicating with your significant other.

Who knows?  The point is, it can be anything.  And that, my friends, will undoubtedly help you form your own sentence.

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Exercises You Should Be Doing: Deadstop DB Row

Without blinking an eye, I’ll be the first to admit that my favorite body-part to train is the upper back.  For me at least, when I see someone with a thick or defined upper back, I know (s)he has put her work in at the gym.  Comparatively speaking, there are a lot more people walking around with six packs than there are those with an impressive upper back.

I mean, what looks more impressive, this (AKA: the walking bag of douche who will inevitably make this his Facebook profile picture)

Or this (Oleksandr Kutcher’s upper back)

 

Not even close if you ask me.

To no fault of their own, though, most trainees like to train what they can see, and the back often gets the shaft in favor of things like the pecs, abs, and biceps; or, the mirror muscles.

That said, while things like deadlifts, barbell rows, and chin-up variations are undoubtedly the “go to” movements for sculpting a powerful upper back, one of the more underrated, or less utilized exercises out there is the dumbbell row.

As a matter of fact, I’d argue that the dumbbell row is one of the more underrated upper back exercise, since not only does it help build a thick upper back, but it’s also a great movement for the lats as well.

Unlike the aforementioned exercises listed above, dumbbell rows are a single limb movement, which carries its own advantages in the sense that it’s easier to ascertain whether or not there’s a strength imbalance or weakness between the left and right side.  Too, due to the lack of equipment needed (all you need is a single DB), anyone can do them at any time.

First things first, however, as simple as the dumbbell row might appear, it’s surprising how much this movement is actually butchered.  Simply put, what most trainees feel is a dumbbell row is anything but, and is often nothing more than a test to see how long before my eyes starting hurting.

Before we get to the actual exercise, here are some common technique flaws that I tend to come across.

Explosive Arm Curl Guy:

Here, there’s really no emphasis what-so-ever on the upper back itself.  Instead, the movement resembles some sort of explosive arm curl with momentum taking over.  Worse still are those guys who do this and grunt as if they’re giving birth to a bowling ball on every rep.  LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME!!!

Rotating Upper Torso Guy:

This one is quite common, where you’ll see someone performing a “row,” only to completely rotate their upper torso because they’re using too much weight to do it correctly.  Ideally, the torso should stay completely stationary, with the chest/nipple line pointing towards the bench the entire time. 

The I’m Completely Using the Worst Form Ever Guy:

This one should look familiar to anyone who trains at a commercial gym – rounded back, head protruding forward, absolutely no scapular retraction (adduction) taking place.  I cringe everytime I see this.

Which takes us to today’s exercise of the day

Deadstop DB Row

Who Did I Steal It From:  strength coach, and fellow t-nation.com contributor Tim Henriques

What Does It Do:  As noted above, this is a fantastic exercise to build a thick upper back (big biceps, too, since they’re in the direct line of pull), but also targets the lats as well in addition to providing a nice stretch in that area to boot.

Key Coaching Cues:  While maintaining a neutral spine position throughout (the body should make a straight line from the head to lumbar spine), start with the dumbbell resting on the floor.  Grab the handle and crush it – gripping it as hard as you can.  Doing so will single the rotator cuff to fire and to pack the shoulder back through a process called irradiation.

From there, I like to tell people to pretend they’re starting a lawn mower – rowing the dumbbell by bring their elbow towards the hip (not just going straight up and down).  Effectively, you’ll be “pulling through the elbow,” finishing at the top by retracting (technicaly, adducting) your shoulder blade towards the midline of the body.  In other words, squeeze your shoulder blade like a mofo at the top.

To finish, you’ll return the dumbbell back to the floor, coming to a complete STOP.  Pause for a second or two, and repeat for desired number or repetitions.

Of Note:  for those with shorter arms, you may want to grab a stepper or a few mats to place on the floor to decrease the range of motion.

And there you have it.  Try it out today and let me know what you think!  Also, just a friendly reminder, if you found this post useful, be sure to click the “Like ” button located at the bottom.  I’ll be your best friend forever if you do.

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How to Read Fitness Research

In an age when anyone with a digital camera, a Youtube page, and a personal training certificate they purchased online for four easy payments of $19.99 can market themselves as a “fitness professional,” it’s becoming increasingly clear that the line between the haves and the have nots is getting murkier by the day.

Taking it a step further, many who enter the fitness industry often rush to try to make a quick buck, and end up throwing themselves into the fire in an effort to make it big and retire by the age of 25.

Unfortunately, what usually ends up happening is that their e-book that they thought was going to revolutionize the industry, sucks (for lack of a better term).

And therein lies the problem – many fitness professionals simply don’t have enough in the trenches experience (or expertise) to produce a solid product – let alone come up with something that doesn’t scream “vanilla,”

Really?  Another fat-loss manual?  Wow, awesome.

So, when my buddy, Mark Young, asked me to take a sneak peek into his How to Read Fitness Research product, I thought to myself, “huh, interesting.”  Here’s something that’s different and unique, and something that will make A LOT of fitness professionals out there much better at what they do.

Full disclosure:  I hate reading research.  I’d rather sit in bumper- to-bumper traffic while trying to pass a kidney stone than try to read through an entire research article.  Seriously, you might as well hand me a book written in Klingon.

But, that’s always been because I’ve been intimidated – until now, at least.  As I’m always telling my readers – you need to step outside your comfort zone in order to get better.

To that end, I asked Mark if he’d be willing to jot down a few thoughts on why he feels this product can help, and here’s what he had to say:

Three Things How to Read Fitness Research Can Do For YOU.

1.  Save Money

If you’ve been around the fitness industry for a while you’ll most certainly be able to acknowledge that it is often difficult to differentiate between real facts and the circus of pseudoscientific information put together by internet “experts” that are designed to separate you from your hard earned money.  This shit has to stop!
How to Read Fitness Research will help you to learn how to cut through the BS and find out which people are worth following and, more importantly, which programs are worth shelling out for.  And let me be clear, it isn’t always as obvious as you might think.  I know people are making a LOT of money buy selling stuff to other people based on stuff theories that don’t hold water.
With this product, YOU won’t be one of those people.

2.  Think for Yourself

Often times, especially when we’re busy, we tend to rely on others to sort through information for us and give us their interpretation of the facts.  From this, we build our programs and our results are then dependent on someone else.
But the problem here is that even though second hand information is sometimes useful, it can be a lot like the telephone game we used to play when we were kids.  The further you get from the original message, the more distorted it becomes.  And with each person that message passes through, the less and less useful it is.

With this product, YOU won’t be reliant on anyone else because you’ll be able to go straight to the source and get the information for yourself.

3.  Freedom from Rules

The more time I spend working in the fitness industry the more rules seem to be created.  Eat this often.  Eat this much protein.  Take this supplement.  Train this many times per week.  Do this many reps.  Do this many sets.  If you don’t…the world will implode and you’ll look like Tony Gentilcore for the rest of your life.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!  Nooooooooo!!!!!
Fortunately, most of these rules don’t have much scientific support and by discovering which principles actually must be adhered to and which aren’t you can experience unparalleled freedom that you never imagined possible while still getting the results you deserve.  And guess what?  When you’re not confined by rules, working out can actually be FUN.  Imagine that.

With this product YOU can learn to break free from many of the “rules” that govern training and nutrition to create programs that give you freedom, fun, and results all at the same time.
In short, How to Read Fitness Research is about giving YOU the power to cut through hype and misinformation and to get the results you deserve while keeping money in your wallet.

 

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Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 4/15/2011

Cool News:  a few weeks ago, I mentioned in passing how I was offered the opportunity to start writing for a fairly popular fitness website that currently has an Alexa ranking of 1,143.  Meaning, it’s the 1,143rd most visited website in the world, and 397th in the U.S (ie, pretty freakin good). So, yeah, it’s kind of a big deal.

I didn’t name any names at the time because nothing was set in stone, and I didn’t want to jinx myself.  Kind of ilike what’s happening right now here in Boston with all of the people who claimed that the Sox were easily going to win the World Series this year.

*inserts foot in mouth*

Well, given that I received my first writing assignment from them yesterday, I think it’s safe to let the cat out of the bag and let people in on the secret.

[Cue drum roll, laser show, and smoke machine]

The site is LIVEstrong.com, and I’m really exicted for the opportunity.  Adam Bornstein, former fitness editor of Men’s Health, has recently taken over and is in charge of upgrading the content on the site.    So, you should see some cool things happening in the near future.

Anyways, moving on to matters at hand, here’s some stuff to keep you occupied for the next hour or so.

Knowledge vs. Experience – Mike Robertson

Mike has writen a lot of great things in the past, but I think this is one of his best.  As a fitness professional myself, and as someone who has worked his way up through the trenches, I couldn’t agree more with what Mike had to say in this post.   To all the upcoming coaches and trainers out there – READ THIS POST!!!!!

Is Sugar Toxic? – Gary Taubes

Here, Gary Taubes, author of the renowned book, Good Calories, Bad Calories (which admittedly, is still sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be read) gives his thoughts on Robert Lustig’s notion that sugar is nothing more than a toxin to the body – which namely stems from his lecture, Sugar: The Bitter Truth, which has gained a lot of attention in the past year or so.

It’s a compelling argument for sure.  But sometihng I’m not remotely qualified to throw myself into.  I will say this, though: I learned a new phrase – DIABESITY.  Clever.

And, to close out the week, here’s a video of yet another “fitness professional” (and I use that term VERY loosely here) demonstrating how to use kettlebells. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

I don’t know what it is about kettlebells, but it seems there’s an epidemic of videos popping up on Youtube of people just butchering technique.  I saw one the other day that Leigh Peele posted on her Facebook page of a personal trainer from Florida taking his female client through a tutorial on KB swings, and he just got shit on by the RKC and HKC crowd (and rightfully so).  It was that bad.  I think by the end of the day the video was removed from his youtube page.

Anyways, to her credit, the woman above apparently is going to seek professional instruction on how to use (and teach) proper kettlebell technique.  But shouldn’t this have been something she should have done before posting a video on youtube?  And, more importantly, what are the odds that if aliens came down from outer space and kidnapped her, that they’d find a Teddy Bear where her brain should be?

Have a great weekend everyone!

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The Two Best Accessory Lifts for the Deadlift?

I’m in a deadlifting state of mind as of late, so it only makes sense that I’d want to give everyone a little peak into my current training regimen that’s basically running my life at the moment. 

As I noted earlier in the week, I had my internet BFF, Bret Contreras, write me a program that – if all goes according to plan – will place me in the upper echelon of Vatican Assassin Warlock badassery that is the 600 lb deadlift.

To say that it’s been a welcome change of pace would be an understatement.  What’s been most beneficial for me, however, is the fact that Bret’s got me doing a lot of exercises that I’ve never done before, which in turn, has often been a humbling experience. 

Trust me when I say this, Zercher barbell carries for distance suck donkey balls.

Anyways, getting back on task, as I mentioned above, today I want to give you all a quick peak into what my current programming looks like.  Specifically, I want to share the two exercises that I feel are going to pay huge dividends in the grand scheme of things.

Giant Cambered Bar Goodmorning

Admittedly, I’ve always been a big fan of goodmornings, and have always made an effort to throw them in on occasion as I feel they have a huge carry over to the deadlift.  I mean, you’d be hard pressed to find any other movement that hammers the hamstrings, erectors, and glutes like this does.

Moreover, by using the cambered bar, it makes the movement much more “shoulder friendly,” which is definitely not a bad thing when you have upwards of 300+ lbs on your back.

Speaking bluntly, though, I don’t have a lot of clients performing goodmornings because I feel they’re a fairly advanced movement, and definitely take some time to learn to do properly.  That being said, when done correctly, they’re an absolutely fantastic exercise.  I love em!

Anderson Half Squat

NOTE:  to all the internet warriors out there in their mother’s basement who are undoubtedly shitting a kettlebell right now because I’m not squatting ass-to-grass, take a deep breath, relax, and let me explain.

Remember:  my main objective here is to improve my deadlift.  This particular exercise (as Bret noted to me) is joint specific to MY deadlift setup.  If you look at the setup in the video above, you’ll note that it’s VERY much on par with my conventional deadlift set up (seen below). 

So, the point here is to mimic the same hip and knee angles in an effort to improve my pull. 

Taking it a step further, and again as Bret noted, we could also add that this exercise will help develop the joint specific quad strength necessary to assist in the deadlift itself.  Makes a lot of sense if you ask me.

Summarizing:

  • Anderson Half Squats are an ACCESSORY movement.  Rest assured I still squat with a full ROM (as do all of my athletes and clients).
  • The video taken above was my first week doing the exercise (ever), so I was a bit conservative with the weight.  I believe this week, I did 405 x 5.
  • This is a joint specific movement used to mimic the same joint angles as my conventional deadlift.
  • Understandably, I can’t include EVERY valuable accessory movement for deadlifts in this post.  But suffice it to say, things like glute ham raises, hip thrusters, pull-throughs, RDLs, speed work, etc all come into play.  The above are just two movements that I have found have helped me the most.
  • Zercher carries are about as fun as washing your face with broken glass.

That is all.

 

 

 

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Q and A: The Road to a 400 lb Deadlift?

Q:  I know you are a busy guy but I thought you might be open to hearing from a long time reader and big time fan (not to mention a Canadian).

Today was max deadlift day. We use a 8-5-3-1 progression. I must admit I’m a beginner to heavy lifting so my numbers are a bit sub par, but you’ve got to start somewhere, right? After reading about Cressey Performance’s ideology that any fit male should be able to pull a 400 deadlift with a little focus in training, I figure I have a lot to look forward to.

8 x 225
5 x 275
3 x 295
1 x 315

While I was able to pull 315 for a single, it came after two failed attempts and ended up being an ugly rep at that.

I guess I am just looking for some advice on how to progress towards a heavy single and perhaps how you would handle this as a coach. Would you see two fails and get a client to drop weight? If so by know much? 5,10lbs.

A:  As always, thanks for reaching out and for the kind words.  And, for the record, I have nothing against Canadians.   Even though I live in Boston, and the Bruins and Montreal Canadiens are aboot (ha! Sorry) to butt heads in the first round of the NHL playoffs, I could care less.  I’m not really a hockey fan anyways, so there’s no love lost on my end.

Besides, how can I make fun of a guy whose country has produced the likes of Elisha Cuthbert

and Rachel McAdams?

Okay, I’m going to break this down in list format because 1) I like lists, and 2) It’s  my blog, and I feel like it.

1.  I have a hard time understanding how you can call it a “max effort” deadlift day when you’re performing eight reps!  To me, that’s cardio.

2.  What’s more, lets break the numbers down to better illustrate my point.  You mentioned that you’ve been following a 8-5-3-1 format – okay, so, by the time you actually attempted a heavy single, you had already lifted a combined total of 4,060 lbs.

Comparatively, lets use myself as an example:  here’s how I personally approach a max effort lift.

We won’t count the reps at 135 lbs

225 x 3

315 x 3

405 x 1

465 x 1

495 x 1

??? x  try not to destroy the back of my pants

If you crunch the numbers, by the time I even attempt anything above 500 lbs (my best pull is 570 lbs), I’ve only lifted a combined total of 2,985 lbs.

4,060 (you) – 2,985 (me) = 1,075 lbs MORE tonnage.

3.  No wonder you missed your first two attempts – you were gassed by the time you got there!

Moreover, if you look at your increments, you did 295 for three reps, and then bumped it up 20 lbs and missed (twice), before hitting an (admittedly) ugly rep.  That shouldn’t happen, and just demonstrates that your approach needs a little tweaking.

Tweak Away

  • You’re not strong enough yet to be missing reps (let alone multiple times).  So, stop it.  One of the biggest mistakes I see a lot of trainees make (particularly those who are new to lifting with heavier loads) is missing lifts on a regular basis.  The rationale is to GO HEAVY OR GO HOME.  While I can respect the mentality, you’re really doing nothing but frying your CNS (Central Nervous System) and accomplishing nothing other than not moving any weight.
  • Ditch the 8-5-3-1 format.  To be blunt, it’s retarded.
  • Oh, snap – Evangeline Lilly is from Canada, too.  Just an FYI
  • At this point – given your 1RM is 315 lbs – I’d be reluctant to do any dedicated work above 90%.  Something tells me you’d be best to stick with heavy triples and ensure your technique is rock solid.
  • That said, for the next few months, I’d stick with your basic progressive overload template and just make sure you’re adding 5-10 lbs on your LAST set each month.

So, it may look something like this:

Week 1: 5×3

Warm-Up

135×5
185×3
205×3
225×1

Work Sets

250×3
250×3
250×3
265×3
265×3

Week 2: 5×3

Same warm-up as above

Work Sets

250×3
265×3
265×3
265×3
275×3

Hopefully you get the general idea.  You may very well be able to start with more weight, but I was just using this as an example.  Just try to make a concerted effort to add a liiiiiitle more weight to the bar each and every week.

I have no doubts that if you follow this format, you’ll be pulling multiple sets of 315 for triples in no time.  Once there, then (maybe) we can start opening up the discussion to incorporating heavy singles into the equation (90% + of your 1RM) and charge towards that 400 lb mark.  But until then, keep it simple, use progressive overload (hey, it works!), hit ALL your reps, and tell Evangeline I said hello.

Hope that helps!

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Five Supplements I Can’t Live Without. Seriously, I’d Die! (Part II)

As I noted in Part I yesterday, when it comes to supplements, I take more of a simpleton approach.  Which is to say, I’m not one of those guys that spends a mortgage payment each month buying everything on the shelf in order to get my swoleification on.

While I’m pretty lucky in the sense that I get a “goodie package” sent to me every month from Biotest, many are surprised to learn that even though that’s the case, I still don’t go out of my way to take that many supplements (relatively speaking).

Truth be told, though, I give away a lot of my stuff to co-workers, friends, and family – and, I hook my girlfriend up as well.  Which begs the question:  does she date me for my uncanny wit and charm, or my supplements?

Me:  Hey babe, how was your day?

Girlfriend:  Great!  You got a package in the mail today.

Me:  Oh, that must be my goodie package.  Say, I was thinking that later tonight I could light some candles, make us dinner, wash the dishes, rub your feet, and then afterwards take you to…..

Girlfriend:  Lets cut through BS Gentilcore – do you have my Hot Rox or what?

Me: Um, yeah, here you go.  I love you.

Girlfriend:  I love you too.  Where’s the Flame out?

Okay, all kidding aside – given all the options out there, from the hundreds (if not thousands) of supplements to pick from (most of which suck pond water), they’re really are only a handful that I feel are worthwhile to take.

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.

While we could make an argument either way on which “type” of protein powder is more worthwhile…those who argue whey protein will say it’s absorbed quicker and is most ideal to take immediately after training.  Those who are proponents of casein will note that its absorption rate is slower and helps “preserve” muscle to a greater degree.

At the end of the day, I don’t think it really matters much, and you’re best just using a product that uses BOTH (since that’s how nature intended it anyways).

Fish Oil

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.

The only caveat, however, is which brand you buy – as it’s important to take into consideration the PURITY and POTENTCY of the product.

Ideally, you want to buy a fish oil supplement that’s at least 50% pure.

To do this, simply divide the amount of combined EPA and DHA (the omega 3’s) by the total amount of fat in the product. Most fish oil products you’ll find in your local grocery store contain 180mg of EPA and 120mg of DHA per one gram capsule.

180mg + 120mg = 300 mg of total omega-3’s (EPA/DHA combined)

0.3/1g (of fat per capsule)=.3 or 30%

Essentially most fish oil supplements found in local drug stores or grocery stores are 30% pure. Sure, they’re cheap, but they’re also potentially loaded with mercury, toxins, and other contaminants.

While you’ll end up forking over a little more for 50% pure fish oil products, it’s definitely worth it. As an added bonus, the purer the product is, the less likely you are to experience any fishy after taste or burps.

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).

What’s more, considering that vitamin D deficiency is almost at epidemic levels (regardless of living in warmer clients or not), it stands to reason that most people reading this blog post would benefit from including more it in their daily regimen.

Probiotic

As my colleague, Brian St. Pierre, has noted on numerous occasions, gut health is kind of an important thing.  Consider the following:

  • The gastrointestinal system comprises 75% of the body’s immune system.
  • There are more neurons in the small intestine than in the entire spinal cord.
  • It is the only system in the body that has its own, independently operating nervous system, called the enteric nervous system.
  • If you stretched out the gastrointestinal system in its entirety, it would have the surface area of a regulation sized singles tennis court.
  • There are over 400 species of microbes living in your gut, totaling over 15 pounds of mass and containing more bacteria than there are known stars in the sky.

To that end, even though I include things like Greek yogurt in my diet, I still feel that supplementing with an additional probiotic is important.

While I tend to lean more towards The Pearl, it’s important to vary the types of strands you take on a month by month basis.

Bromelain

Pigging back on the above, bromelain is another supplement that plays a huge role in gut health/digestion, as well as speeding wound healing and helping to reduce inflammation.  Up until a few months ago, I had never really given it the time of day, until the Mountaindog himself, John Meadows, introduced it to me.

Almost within weeks, I noticed my knees feeling better.  And, as an added bonus, I wasn’t nearly as “gassy.”  Win win!

Interestingly enough, while many people are quick to point to pineapple as the best source of bromelain – it’s actually the stem where the good stuff is.  Hence, if you’re going to try it, supplementation is almost a neccesity.

BONUS – Athletic Greens

Note: I originally wrote this article a few years ago, and since then Athletic Greens has entered my life.

Ingesting a high-quality greens product daily is just about one of the the best “cover your bases” healthy habits you can implement (outside of the Dan John staples of flossing and wearing your seatbelt).

Real food is going to trump any supplement, but at least here you ensure you ingest a cornucopia of good ingredients for your body in a convenient, quick-n-easy manner. And the best part is that this greens product doesn’t taste like seaweed blasted out of a whale’s rectum.

It actually, you know, tastes good as a stand alone thing.

Nevertheless, it’s something I take daily – as does my wife – and it’s also something I recommend to all my athletes and clients.

For more information you can go HERE.

And there you have it – my supplements I can’t live without.  Yes, there are a few others that I take (creatine, Superfood, vitamin awesome), but the ones listed above are the ones I tend to place the most emphasis on, if for nothing else the health benefits alone.

What’s on your list?

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Five Supplements I Can’t Live Without. Seriously, I’d Die!

Before I give you my list, I need to rant a little bit.  Sorry.

To me, supplements are exactly that – SUPPLEMENTS (they “supplement” your current diet).   Take, for example, the guy who is 40 lbs overweight, asking which supplements he should be taking in order to get back into shape.

Me:  What did you have for breakfast?

Him:  Uh, I don’t eat breakfast.

Me.  What did you have for lunch?

Him:  Dunkin donuts.

Me:  Do you see a problem here?

Him:  [blank stare]  So, uh, what should I take?

Unfortunately, this is more common than you think.  People are generally under the assumption that so long as they’re taking supplements (any supplement) that there’s no reason to hold themselves accountable for their own actions.

Supplements will fix everything!

Why should they hold themselves accountable when you can just walk into your local GNC and haphazardly drop two-hundred bones on something that sounds like it belongs in a science fiction movie?

I mean, how can you not want to try something that will give you:

The World’s strongest vaso-anabolic psychoactive experience.   Our secret cellular volumizing formula is patented to nanomolecularize your vascular expanders.

For those scratching their heads, in supplement speak, I’m pretty sure that it means you’ll cause an earthquake when you flex your pecs and/or you’ll be able to fly.  Or, maybe it just means you’ll end up with explosive diarrhea.  I don’t know, something will happen.

Listen, outside of getting contest lean, if your current diet/training plan isn’t getting you the results you want, taking a plethora of supplements probably isn’t going to make any bit of difference.   I’d go so far as to say that if you’re making a concerted effort to eat whole, un-processed, real foods, you probably have all your bases covered – so save your money.

But, the kicker is that most people have atrocious eating habits.  And well, you can’t deny the many health benefits that certain supplements have to offer.

That being said, I don’t like blanket statements such as “all supplements are a waste of time and money.” On the contrary, there are a host of supplements that I recommend to my clients (and take personally) that I don’t necessarily consider “supplements” in every sense of the word.

I like to use the same approach as Dr. John Berardi with regards to categorizing supplements.

Essential Supplements (Non-supplement, supplements):  proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals  These can all be used by everyone based on their dietary needs.

Protein – Protein Powder (whey, casein, milk protein isolates, etc)

Fats –  Fish Oil, flax oil

Carbohydrates –  Post-Training drinks

Green’s product – Greens plus, Superfood

BCAA’s (Branch Chained Amino Acids)

Multi-Vitamin

***All of these can technically be attained through whole foods alone, but supplementation is often utilized to meet daily requirements/needs based on lifestyle. For the most part I feel that everyone could benefit to some degree using many of these “supplements.”

Targeted Supplements (the supplement, supplements):  CNS stimulants, thermogenics, acid buffers, etc  Used only in special physiological situations based on special needs.

Important questions to ask before taking these supplements, however:

1. What physiological system do I hope to target with this supplement?

For instance, ask most trainees what Beta Alanine is, and you’ll most likely get a quizzacle look – kinda like what happens when my girlfriend asks me to vacuum.

Simly put:  if you don’t know what the heck the supplement is supposed to do, then you don’t need to be taking it.  Period.

2. Is there objective research demonstrating real benefit and safety?

Using the popular NO Explode as an example…is it safe? If you ask Dave Barr, the answer would be a resounding nope.

The combination of screwing with key enzymes in the heart and brain, while also hindering creatine uptake into those two organs, makes this one about as useful as a poop flavored lolly pop.

[Side Note: I added the unsavory lolly pop flavor for effect ].

What about creatine? Is it safe? First off, it IS NOT a steroid contrary to what many people (particularly parents) may believe.

Do you eat red meat?  That contains creatine. Secondly, it’s the most studied supplement in history.  I just typed “creatine AND performance” in the search engine and came up with over 1600 studies.  A review of over 500 studies evaluating effects on muscle physiology and/or exercise capacity; 300 have evaluated performance value and 70% showed positive results.  Of these, very few showed any negative effects.

Short answer: it’s safe and it works. And no, your kidneys will not explode.

In a nutshell, do your research and ask qualified people on the merits of supplements and whether or not you should be using them. While many supplements do deserve the negative press they get, there are also many out there that do not.

Tomorrow, I’ll share my top five.  Can you feel the excitement???????

PS:  If you like this article, be sure to do me a favor and click the “like” button below.  Every little bit helps!

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When Bad Things Happen to Good People Who Know Better

Note from TG:  A little head’s up before we begin:  The question below is long, but I wanted to include it in its’ entirety because, well, just read it.  Lets just say that if, by the end of the question, you’re not facepalming to some capacity, you’re a better human being than myself.

Q:  I’ve been a trainer for about 3 years, but have been out of work for the past couple months.  I just got turned down for a training position here at the [TG:  I went a head and deleted the actual name of the university] recreational facility.

The person I interviewed with is actually my boss who I teach a TRX class for and she told me a few things that came up during my on floor practical interview.  My ‘client’ was training for a triathlon and was currently biking/swimming/running 3x a week each, and had zero weight room time.  So I figured this guy needed a little strength training.

All necessary other steps were taken before hitting the floor:  intake, assessment etc.  I took the client through a movement prep/dynamic warm-up session, and did some rotary stability drills as he tested weakest for those in the assessment.  Then I took him through alternating sets for goblet squats/OH presses, RDLs/pull ups and reverse lunges/standing 1 arm cable rows for three sets or 10 -12 reps each.

My reasoning here is that he hasn’t been weight training recently and I wanted to cover as many movements as possible to supplement the huge amount of volume he was doing with his biking, swimming and running.  My boss saw a problem with the amount of reps I was using, thinking they were too low, and would have liked to see me do some exercises simulating a bike swim or run movement.

My argument was that he was getting enough repetition doing those activities and just needed to get stronger, period.  I used the bigger motor in a car analogy, but maybe it didn’t take the way it was supposed to.

I understand there are probably a few tweaks as far as exercise selection and such go, but is there a completely different approach I should have taken in this situation from a theory standpoint?

Summarizing, I felt like this interview process had nothing to do with any of those things as it came down to more of a different view in philosophies.  Of course there probably were other factors that existed, but this seemed to be the biggest hang-up.

Is it as simple as this maybe wasn’t the right place for me, or are there other things I should be doing to ensure that setbacks are kept to a minimum?

Thanks, Chris

A:  Chris, wow, I don’t even know where to begin with this.  First off, I’m sorry that things didn’t work out for you, and that you had to go through that experience.  It’s a shame that this woman is in a position where she’s able to make snap judgements on one’s ability and expertise, when she’s clearly out of the loop with current research, woefully misinformed, and obviously an uppity bitch.

From a theoretical standpoint, you’re rationale on why this gentleman should have included more strength training was/is spot on.  As I’ve noted on numerous occasions here on this blog endurance athletes would be well served to drop some of the crazy volume they put themselves through, and instead, replace it with traditional strength training to not only improve performance, but to also offset many of the structural imbalances that they accumulate along the way.

If I had to bulletpoint my thoughts on this, it may look something like this:

  • In THIS study, the intervention group all had increases in strength, without adding any mass (body-weight). This is an important distinction and something that endurance athletes need to hear. Getting stronger, doesn’t necessarily mean getting bigger.
  • Furthermore, outside of the obvious (improved performance), increasing strength also has an often overlooked side benefit. As muscles (active restraints) get stronger, it’s less perceived stress by the passive restraints (bone, ligaments, etc). This goes a long ways as far as keeping you healthy and preventing all of those nagging injuries in the first place.
  • Increases in force development will undoubtedly equate to improvement in performance. The more force an athlete can generate into the ground (or pedal, or water), the more force said athlete will generate to propel him/her forward. To do this, one needs to lift heavy stuff.  Last time I checked, the objective of a race is to see who can finish the fastest, not who can go the longest.
  • And, as the study linked above notes, the intervention group improved their running economy by 5%. To put this into perspective, that’s roughly twelve minutes shaved off of a four-hour marathon; all of this without having to log more mileage. 
  • And, to drive the point home even further, it’s been well documented in the research that the biggest indicator of whether or not someone will get injured (whether we’re talking shin splints, plantar fasciitis, stress fractures, you name it) is the total mileage he or she accumulates.  Put another way, the more you run/bike/swim, the more likely you are to break down.  Not always, of course – but a lot.

If you need more of a real-world example read THIS.

Moving on, your boss’ assertion that you should have mimicked more biking, running, or swimming movements into the routine is borderline asinine.  Why?  So he can just feed into the numerous postural imbalances and weaknesses he already has?

Using this logic, I guess the only way to train MMA fighters is by nixing the squats and opting for more swift roundhouse kicks to the head.  That’s specific!  Or, we should include more of these into our programming for baseball players:

Listen, people get enough “sport specific training” by simply playing their respective sports.  We don’t need to include more of these movements in the weightroom.

In the end, I have to say she was wrong….by a landslide.  Based off what you described, you handled this particular client about as well as you could have.  You assessed, saw some glaring issues, recognized that he was weak and didn’t move well, and addressed them.  You had his best interests in mind.  Apparently, she did not.  FAIL!

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Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: Back to Reality Edition

So, I’m back in Boston as I type this.  No less than three hours ago, I was in 80 degree weather with the sun beating down on me and not a cloud in the sky.  Now, I’m looking out the window at nothing but gray skies and rain.  And a homeless person collecting cans.  Great.

Alas, it’s back to reality.  We had an amazing time in Florida, and I can see why so many people decide to set up shop there when it’s time to retire.  Beautiful weather, beaches, golf, bikini’s, gator meat – what’s not to love?   Of course, having no state income tax doesn’t hurt either.

Nonetheless, I’m not gonna sit here and pretend that I’m not kinda, sorta still in vacation mode. The idea of writing a well thought out blog post right now is the furthest thing from my mind – especially considering I have yet to un-pack, I have a pile a mile high of laundry to do, and I still need to hit off the store to get some groceries.  The only thing in my fridge at this moment is some marinated chicken I made last week, and I’m pretty sure that would taste like cardboard and farts right now.

To that end, today’s post is going to be cut and dry.  I was able to catch up on a lot of reading while I was away, and below are some gems that I felt were pretty good.

Drugs, Brown Fat, and Weight Loss – Mark Young

Mark has an uncanny ability to filter out the stupid, and this post is no different.

The Shoulder W Exercise – Mike Reinold

I remember Mike talking about this exercise exclusively last year during the Optimal Shoulder Performance seminar.  Here, he gives a little background on why he feels it’s such a valuable exercise, and I tend to agree!

Why Go Organic? – Jamie Hale

Steady State Cardio vs. Intervals, High Reps vs. Low Reps, Jamie Eason vs. Jelena Abbou – there are a myriad of controversies in the fitness industry that either one of us can make legitimate cases for or against.  None, however, are more controversial than the whole Conventional Food vs. Organic debate.

Personally, I tend to veer more towards the organic side of things – as I feel that the costs and high(er) prices of buying organic far outweigh the costs of the ever increasing ramifications that our food industry has on health care; not to mention sustainable agriculture

That said, I like to consider myself an open-minded guy, and this article by Jamie Hale does make some great arguments on why organic might not be all it’s cracked up to be.

Even still, at the end of the day, for my own peace of mind, I’m still leaning more towards organic.