CategoriesMiscellaneous Miscellany

Miscellaneous Miscellany: Fitness Pro Coaching and Business Advice

My good friend Bryan Krahn has a weekly “series” he does on his Facebook page called Five Boner Friday. Each iteration centers around random thoughts he has on training, nutrition, life, being a dad, supplements, and not actual boners.

Thank god.

I used to write a similar series titled Miscellaneous Miscellany Mondays.

Today is not a Monday. But I am sitting here in Los Angeles (actually a random coffee house in Beverly Hills) with some time to kill before I have to go present this afternoon, so I figured…

…lets do this. Miscellaneous Miscellany is back!

Starting with a picture of Keto Crystals.

Copyright: amaviael / 123RF Stock Photo

Keto Crystals

Yep, it’s true.

Not long ago Gwyneth Paltrow was able to convince thousands (maybe millions of people?) that placing jade eggs into their vaginas – oftentimes overnight – would somehow, via some sort voodoo, Shaman wizardry, help them “better connect to their power within.”

Via Washington Post (2018):

“For $66, one can buy a dark nephrite jade egg, which allegedly brings increased sexual energy and pleasure. Or, for $55, there is the “heart-activating” rose quartz egg, for those who want more positive energy and love.”

So I am starting a market for Keto Crystals.

When you hold the emerald colored crystal in your left hand anything you eat becomes carb-free! Moreover, when you place the orange crystal under the light of a full-moon, and play Prince’s Purple Rain album backwards, you will immediately pee ketones!

It’s legit.

And if can all be yours for $47/crystal (and the soul of your first born child).

Okay, lets get serious now

1. Program Design Simplified

As I mentioned above I am here in LA for a few speaking engagements. I flew in from Boston yesterday morning and when I checked into my hotel I texted my good friend Ben Bruno to see if he had some free time to hang out.

He did.

As is the case every time he and I get together we got to talking about stuff we’ve learned, stuff we don’t have enough eye rolls to give, business, and the fitness industry in general.

Just two dudes talking shop (<— OMG, podcast idea?).

Anyway, we started discussing program design and how we’re both flummoxed at how complicated some coaches/trainers make it seem.

Now, to be clear: Ben and I both recognize there’s a ton of nuance to program design. There’s no “one size fits all” template and there are many, many factors to consider. However, Ben made a profound statement as we were chatting that I felt sealed the topic of program design into a nice, neat, tidy, little bow.

Ben gave an example of a basketball player:

“I have a few NBA guys I work with who have cranky knees. I feel the trap bar deadlift is a great fit for them. Then I just place an emphasis in more HIP DOMINANT movements. The upper body stuff sorta takes care of itself: rows, weighted push-ups, Landmine variations, etc. That’s pretty much it.”

Cue Nazi Face Melt here:

I brought up some of my clients.

More than a few – male and female – have come in on Day #1 saying their goal is to be skinnier. Okay, cool. I’m not going to do them (or me) any favors wagging my finger at them saying “you don’t need to get skinner, you need to get strong!”

If I did that they would have done nothing more than move on to the next trainer on their Google search.

Instead, I did this profound thing called…listening to them.

  • I focused on compound movements (which tend to burn more calories)
  • I implemented some quickie 5-15 minutes “finishers” at the end of their session to elevate their heart rate.
  • I began conversations on their eating and sleep habits.

Namely, my objective was to build some consistency with their training – build more autonomy – and wammo-bammo they’d begin to see results.

Seriously people, it’s not rocket science. Yes, it behooves you to have a base knowledge of functional anatomy, physiology, and/or to read a bunch of Tudor Bompa’s early work on periodization.

That being said, a lot “program design” is intuition and just LISTENING to your client(s).

2. Business Advice For Fitness Pros

I am the LAST guy to put “savvy business person” next to his name. But sometimes I’m able to finagle a sound piece of advice on this front.

The impetus, coming from this Tweet via Jill Coleman:

I responded with:

“Not making money? Less focus on sales funnels and more on the fact your product, I.e., the client experience (probably) sucks.”

It’s something I parroted off a conversation I had with Cressey Sports Performance business director, Pete Dupuis, not long ago when he posited, “that seminar you’re attending to learn how to build the perfect sales funnel isn’t going to solve your problems if your product sucks. Chase perfection inside your training space and the marketing will figure itself out.”

Fitness professionals are easily seduced into thinking all they need to be successful is some slick marketing campaign or some insight into out-smarting Facebook’s latest algorithm to enhance their sales funnels.

Bullshit.

  • Be on time.
  • Greet your clients with a smile.
  • Provide a safe, engaging, and fun training environment.

Plus, too, if you’re unable to coach-up a squat, and you suck as a coach…

…all the marketing in the world isn’t going to compensate for that.

Client RETENTION is the key.

If you’re able to keep your current clients happy you won’t necessarily have to worry about marketing for new ones.

Plus, the former is a helluva lot cheaper.

3. Quick Reminder

The Complete Trainers’ Toolbox is on sale this week at $100 OFF the regular price. There’s only a handful more days left to take advantage.

  • Nine industry leaders.
  • 17+ hours of diverse content to make you a more well-rounded coach.
  • Continuing Education Credits available.
  • Immediate access and you can watch at your own pace.
  • Gluten free.

—> CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS <—

CategoriesMiscellaneous Miscellany

Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: It’s Go Time Edition

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these.

First things first: We’re in the final countdown for baby Gentilewis1 to arrive. Lisa entered week #40 this week and we’re gearing up for the due date which is technically this Friday, January 27th.

Copyright: alien185 / 123RF Stock Photo

 

We think we’re ready, but we’re both pretty realistic about the shit-show (literally and figuratively) that’s about to be dropped into our laps. Don’t get me wrong: we’re both super excited and pumped. However, all of that is met with equal parts trying not to destroy the back of our pants too.

If for some reason I happen to not update this blog this week, you will know why.

Wish us luck….;o)

1. It’s still surreal to think that by this time next week I’ll be someone’s daddy. I have zero confidence I’ll be able to keep my bearings and I know it’s going to be one of the most emotional and spectacular events of my life.

My emotions came to the forefront even more this past weekend when I finally sat down to watch the documentary, Gleason.

 

It’s hard to explain in words how this film made me feel. As a relatively newlywed (1.5 years) and a dad-to-be, it definitely brought to light the unparalleled beauty, complexity, and tragedy that life can deal us sometimes. We can either bow down or do something about it.

Do yourself a favor and watch this film. Keep a box of Kleenex handy too.

2. My wife is a rock star. Throughout her entire pregnancy she’s been hitting the gym pretty hard. She’s kept up with her strength training 3-4x per week in addition to teaching three spin classes per week.

Lisa will be 35 weeks pregnant tomorrow. Forget the idea that we’re quickly approaching the “shit is now getting real” window and that I’m equal parts excited and trying not to destroy the back of pants. How cool is it that Lisa’s still getting after it in the gym? Strength training through pregnancy can be a tricky thing and I always default to how the woman feels and whether or not anything makes her feel weird. Prior experience plays a key role here. In Lisa’s case: 20+ years of strength training prior (and the load used in this video – 155 lbs – is no where near her 1RM). All that said I do find there’s still a lot of stigma with training through pregnancy and unfortunately many women are told to stop lifting weights. Of course no pregnancy is the same, but assuming one is healthy and has experience there’s no reason not to keep up with it. Modifications need to be addressed as a woman progresses (in the case of the video above we elevated the trap bar, even with high handle setting, to accommodate for her belly), but we need to do a better job at relaying the message that pregnancy is NOT a disease and doesn’t mean you have to be relegated to the elliptical and pink dumbbells.

A video posted by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

 

Although, she did stop teaching her classes three weeks ago and has only been attending them since. Slacker.

I feel there’s a lot of stigma with regards to strength training and pregnancy, which I find dumbfounding. Everyone is different and the answer as to whether or not a woman can (or should) do it is dependent on her previous experiences (and preferences). That said, women have been giving birth for thousands & thousands of years in much more complicated scenarios, and the body is more resilient than we give it credit for sometimes.

There’s a degree of bias in me saying this but, I don’t feel strength training is in any way deleterious during pregnancy. In my eyes strength training during this time is helping to prepare the body for something a helluva lot more taxing than a few sets of deadlifts.

#makinglaborlesslaborious

I wrote a much more thorough article on the topic a few years ago HERE when I was working with a few female clients through their first pregnancy.

3. I’ll be the first to admit my wife is a bit of an outlier. As an example throughout her pregnancy she’s still been hammering her chin-ups (and having weird taco cravings). Even with 25-30 lbs of natural progressive overload she’s been crushing them. Beast mode.

I think she made it to week #34 or 35 before she started giving me the “dude, really? look” and we stopped performing bodyweight chins and started using band assistance. She’s already planning her “come back” and is excited to give Kourtney Thomas and Jen Sinkler’s The Bigness Project a go once she’s cleared to resume normal physical activity.

I happened to get an advance copy of it last week, and am really impressed. What I love is the message: it’s okay, nay, more than okay, for women to want to put on muscle.

All this past week Kourtney and Jen have been putting out killer content in anticipation of it’s release this week:

How to Look Like You Lift

Get Buff in the Buff

And the latest, Pace Yourself for Big Payoffs.

Keep your eyes peeled because this program is going to change a lot of women’s lives.

 

4. The topic of program design is an abyss of dichotomies, paradoxes, and juxtapositions. What works for one person may have the polar opposite effect on someone else. I never like to marry myself to any ONE way of doing anything and wholeheartedly believe that it’s important to cater each program to the individual.

What’s more, each program is going to be contingent on several factors:

  • Past/current injury history.
  • Goals.
  • Training frequency.
  • Ability/Experience level.
  • Equipment availability.
  • Expectation management. I had someone ask me to write them a program to bring their deadlift from 300 to 400 lbs in four weeks. Um, yeah, what’s next? Beating The Mountain in being a ginormous human being?

This will likely be a topic of a more thorough blog post down the road, but there are some “rules” I have to program design to carry over to most everyone.

  • I LOVE using fillers. In short, there are various l0w-grade mobility, activation, stretching drills that are paired with a strength exercise. So, rather than make someone feel like a patient and bore them to tears with a litany of “correctives,” I can include fillers to take on that role and still ensure a training effect. For example, if someone lacks hip flexor length and t-spine mobility a good pairing may be:
    • Trap Bar Deadlift: 3×5
    • Stationary Spiderman w/ Reach 3×4/side

 

  • Volume is an under-appreciated component of muscle growth. However, it’s important to understand that training to failure all…the…time isn’t the same thing as volume.

 

  • I’ve been trying to do a better job at making sure my clients leave a rep or two in the tank in their earlier sets. The idea is that if they putter out too quickly, it’s going to impede their ability to hit all their prescribed reps in the first place.
  • Along the same lines, and a bit counterintuitive given what I said above, one easy way to get your bench up is to include more rest/pause AMRAP sets. This is something I “stole” from strength coach Greg Robins. After you hit your top set on your bench do this:
    • 80% of 1RM for AMRAP, rest 20s, AMRAP, rest 20s, AMRAP
    • Rest 3 Minutes
    • 75% of 1RM for AMRAP, rest 20s, AMRAP, rest 20s, AMRAP
    • Try not to die.

5. Two coaches who are putting out amazing content of late are:

Joel Seedman

Meghan Callaway

Check them out if you aren’t already.

And that’s all she wrote. See you tomorrow, I think….;o)

CategoriesMiscellaneous Miscellany

Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: Stuff I’m Wearing, Reading, Watching, and Pontificating

I hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend and have had ample time to recover from their Halloween candy induced insulin coma.

Don’t worry, I’m not judging. If you want to dress up as a Stormtrooper or slutty vampire and walk to a party while double fisting Butterfingers, have at it. This needs to happen more often if you ask me.

I for one DID NOT dress up for Halloween. It’s not my bag. Well, I didn’t dress up in a costume anyways. We went out to dinner with another couple at a fancy schmany place near our apartment and I wore jeans and a blazer. A BLAZER!!

That in of itself is a costume. I could make the case I dressed up as “non-strength coach.”

Anyways, it’s been awhile since I’ve done a Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday post so lets jump right into the nuts and bolts.

1. I’ve Teamed Up With Pedestal Footwear

I’m only two weeks into my new venture as a solo “gig” in Boston and I’ve been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to team up with a really cool company called Pedestal Footwear.

As the name implies they’re a Boston-based company that specializes in socks (and helping to make people into savages).

But not your every day run-of-the-mill white socks like the lame ones you get for Christmas or from your significant other because all your other pair have holes in them.

No, these socks are more baller because they’re made by people who lift for people who lift.

For starters they’re super comfy and look cool (just look at Exhibit A above). More to the point (speaking to why they’re made for people who lift)…have you ever tried to deadlift in socks on a lifting platform or something equally as slippery?

It’s annoying.

On a scale of how annoying with a 1 being “a pebble in your shoe” and 10 being “Kanye West,” it’s around a 5. So, yeah, annoying.

Pedestals are made with these sticky thingamajigs on the bottom that prevent your feet from sliding around as you train.

^^^ Sticky thingamajigs ^^^

They’re also made with a fabric that reduces the “your feet smell like a fart passing through an onion” phenomenon by a factor of ten. It’s science.

Last but not least: they’re packaging is so on point. If you’re someone who appreciates packaging, Pedestal Footwear is basically the Apple of the sock industry.

Nonetheless, all new clients who start working with me at my studio in Boston will be given a complimentary pair. Holla!

And even if you’re not a client of mine I’d encourage you to check them out anyways because 1) if you lift weights you’ll appreciate the quality 2) I really dig the product and 3) I said so.

Full Disclosure: I am NOT receiving any affiliate income for promoting this product.

Full Disclosure II: I am not at all opposed to considering sponsorship from other companies too. Especially Audi.

2. Beast Sensor

Autoregulation in training (and keeping tabs of velocity and bar speed via bio markers) is all the rage nowadays, and rightfully so. There’s a ton or efficacy, anecdotal evidence amongst coaches, and research to back it up.

Just a few gleaming examples:

– Bryan Mann, university of Missouri and NSCA, “Developing Explosive Athletes: Use of The Velocity Based Training in Training Athletes”
– Carmelo Bosco, Muscular Strength, Physiological Aspects and Practical Applications
– Jidovsteff et Al, Inertial Muscular Profiles allow a more accurate training load definitions,
– Rontu, Pekka et Al, One – Repetition Maximum Bench Press performance estimated with a new accelerometer method
– Gonzalez-Badillo and Sanchez-Medina, movement Velocity as a Measure of Loading Intensity in Resistance Training
– Jandacka and Beremlisjski, Determination of Strength Exercise Intenisties based on the Load Power Velocity Relationship
– Verkhoshansky and Mell Siff, Supertraining
– Zatsiorsky, Science and Practice Of Strength Training

Products like Gymaware, Push, and Tendo have made velocity based training more accessible to the general public at a fraction of the cost compared to years past.

Another cool app/product that’s grown in popularity and is fast gaining traction as of late is the Beast Sensor.

 

I’m only just getting acquainted with the product myself, but so far I really like it and feel it has a lot of uses outside of the “it looks cool” factor. The Beast can help with motivation, adapt lifting to daily conditions (depending on how you feel you may need to tweak optimal loading per day), help organize data via their WebPortal, in addition to more advanced analytics that are outside my scope of experience because I’m not a NASA rocket scientist.

Needless to say: you can do a lot with the data and get instant feedback on your daily performance. Check out their website if this has piqued your interest and let me (and them) know what you think.

And again, I receive NO kickbacks for recommending this product.

3. “Work Smarter, Not Harder”

My boy Tony Bonvechio wrote a great article yesterday titled 20 Frustrated Fitness Thoughts that I feel everyone should read.

In it he had the following gem of a quote:

“Work harder, not smarter” doesn’t apply if you’re not working hard in the first place.

Let that marinate for a moment and think twice before you send out that Tweet this AM that you’re “rising and grinding.”

No one gives a shit. Really, I’m not kidding. No one.

 

As a frame of reference I just listened to the latest episode of Mike Robertson’s Physical Preparation Podcast where he interviewed his business partner, Bill Hartman.

Bill noted that he had worked every Saturday from 1998-2013. For those who suck at math that’s 15 consecutive years of working six days a week.

You’re bragging about getting up at 5AM two days in a row to train clients? That’s cute.

4. Two Books I’m Reading

Back Mechanic – by Dr. Stuart McGill

Dr. McGill is more or less the Godfather when it comes to spine mechanics.

Consider this the layman’s version to his overall approach on assessing, addressing, and eliminating low back pain.

Strong – by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove

New Rules of Lifting for Women is still a book I refer women to all the time. It’s saved me innumerable hours trying to explain why Tracy Anderson is a moron in addition to counteracting many other myths and fallacies with regards to women and strength training.

I was sent an advance copy of Lou and Alwyn’s latest book geared towards women and it’s nothing short of amazeballs2

I believe it’s slated for release on November 10th, so it’s right around the corner. Keep your eyes peeled and make sure you purchase a copy for your mom, girlfriend, aunt, best friend, sister, or your old 11th grade Enblish teacher. Cause, that’s not weird at all.

5. Actually, I Lied. I’m Reading Other Stuff Too

My wife likes to pick on me because I tend to read 3-4 books at a time. I’ll read a few pages or a chapter in one book and then move onto the next.

What If – by Randall Munroe

Ever thought to yourself, “in the movie 300 they shoot arrows up into the sky and they seemingly blot out the sun. Is this possible, and how many arrows would it take?”

This question is answered (and many more like it) in this book. It’s basically nerd heaven.

I’d like to make a submission: “why can’t my wife go more than five minutes without giving me the look of death whenever I leave a dish in the sink without washing it?”

Oh, hey babe! I didn’t realize you were standing there behind me as I wrote that. I love you. What’s with the lead pipe? Babe? BABE????? Ahhhhhhhhh…..

6. Did You Know I Dabble In Movie Reviews?

I have a silly day dream that I’ll one day be paid to write movie reviews. I can think of nothing more that would make up the most perfect day than going to the gym and then spending the rest of the day watching movies.

Okay, maybe diving into a swimming pool of Honey Nut Cheerios or playing Laser Tag with 100 clones of Olivia Munn would rank up there too. But after that, I’d watch the shit out of movies.

I wrote some reviews for the following movies recently:

The Martian

Sicario

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

Check them out and let me know what you think (and whether or not I’m delusional for thinking I could write movie reviews).

CategoriesMiscellaneous Miscellany

Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: Perform Better, Strength Pyramids, and Voltron

It’s been a few months since I’ve done one of these so lets jump right to it.

1. If you’re a fitness professional (or someone who likes to geek out and rub elbows with some of the industry’s biggest names and/or stalk Dan John) why haven’t you attended a Perform Better event yet?

This past weekend Perform Better was in Providence, RI hosting their second (of three) weekend Summits.

Note: Chicago and Providence have passed, but there’s still a chance to attend Long Beach on August 7-9th.

I’ve been fortunate enough to attend the Summit almost every year since I’ve lived in Boston (9 years), in addition to a handful of PB’s One-Day Learn By Doing seminars. And it never gets old. I always walk away with numerous new ideas and takeaways. And free samples. What what!!

This year I was only able to make it for one day – the last day, Sunday. As it happened my wife, Lisa, had made plans for us to head out to Brimfield, MA for what’s known as Mordor the largest flea market in North America.

She made the plans a few weeks ago, and being the newly minted husband I am I feigned excitement and agreed to go.

“OMG, are you kidding babe? I’d LOVE to go walk around for an entire day looking at antiques, jewelry, and blankets with flower patterns on them! While we’re at it can we go jump into a live volcano too!?!!”

Giving her credit, Lisa was more than accommodating and compromised with me. In exchange for her being able to take the car for the entire day and spend as much time as she wanted at the flea market, she dropped me off in Providence at 8 AM so I could attend the last day of the Summit.

I dropped in and listened to talks by Michael Mullin, Artemis Scantalides, Brian St. Pierre, Dr. Evan Osar, and Robb Rogers, and also had the chance to catch up with several colleagues and friends.

Special shout-out to Artemis who ROCKED her first speaking appearance for Perform Better. She easily had the best title for her presentation: Toning Is For Printers: I Lift.

One of the highlights from her talk was how empowering it is to help women grasp the concept of STRENGTH TRAINING and how that alone can help them attain their aesthetic goals (something I preach ad nauseam on this site). In particular she spoke to pull-ups and how she goes about progressing and programming them for women. While I wasn’t able to film her talk, many of her same points can be seen in the video below by Karen Smith:

 

I also felt like a pseudo celebrity as numerous people walked up to me to say hello and introduce themselves, and on numerous occasions, in a surreal sort of way, I held open a door for a complete stranger and they’d say “thanks Tony!”

Even more baller was the fact that in a few presentations I sat in on the presenter gave me an unsolicited shoutout. I have to say it’s pretty cool feeling and an honor that I’m recognized by my colleagues.

Nonetheless it was a fantastic day and special thanks to Perform Better for their continued dominance for putting on the best and most professional fitness show on the planet.

2. I originally watched these over on Bret Contreras’ site and figured I’d re-post them here because I really, really3 liked them.

Strength coach and competitive powerlifter and bodybuilder, Eric Helms, did a superb job with this video series and I’d HIGHLY encourage you to watch these if or when you have the time.

I’m only going to link to the first THREE, but there are SIX levels in all.

Muscle and Strength Training Pyramid Level 1: Intro

 

Muscle and Strength Training Pyramid Level 2: Volume, Intensity, Frequency

 

Muscle and Strength Training Pyramid Level 3: Progression

 

3. With the success of this website I often get contacted by various supplement, apparel, and fitness companies asking if I’d be interested in trying their product(s). Some are garbage (especially those that are obviously a canned, arbitrary, altogether impersonal outreach); others just aren’t a good fit for my audience (Hey Tony, ever hear of Blindfolded Yogalates Kick-Boxing?); and others, especially supplements, while I do give them an honest “go,” just end up tasting like sawdust dipped in old people fart.

Not good.

But then again, there are times where I am pleasantly surprised and have no issues spreading the word. One such example is a company called ViewSport.

They use what’s called “sweat activated technology” where an inspirational message appears on your shirt the harder you work. Kind of like how when the ring in Lord of the Rings is put into the fire and a magical message appears, except in this case there’s no ring, no fire, and 100% no magic. Shit.

But it’s still pretty cool.

Both Lisa and I have been wearing our shirts to the gym the past few weeks and love them. They’re super comfy and, while I know better than to think that sweating is an indicator of the effectiveness of a workout, it is pretty satisfying when I get the message to appear.

Check them out. And no, I receive no kick-backs.

4. If you’re not reading Bryan Krahn’s site you should be. His latest article, 10 Reasons It’s Better To Be Lean, Bro is equal parts brotastic and spot on.

5. Based off the recommendation of a friend I just completed reading the novel Ready Player One, written by Ernest Cline.

Anyone who grew up in the 1980’s and 90s will appreciate this book. It’s chock full of pop culture references – Voltron, War Games, Atari, Joust, Adventure, Monty Python, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Godzilla, cue nerd boner here – from that era as you follow the protagonist, Wade (Parzival), as he navigates through a virtual video game of life and death.

Word on the street is that this book is being adapted by Steven Spielberg as his next film project.

I can’t even begin to tell you how many childhood memories were jolted free from the recesses of my consciousness as I read this book. Sooooo many references that I had completely forgotten about. It actually inspired me to do some YouTube searching and I came across this gem.

Anyone remember these 80’s cartoons?

CategoriesMiscellaneous Miscellany

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When she awoke, her life was forever changed.

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

And many more examples.

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

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

An Appetite for Wonder – Richard Dawkins

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

He’s a scientist, and I respect that.

Five Came Back – Mark Harris

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

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

Hint: I love chocolate covered pretzels.

Other Books to Check Out (Fitness Related)

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

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

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

Nope.

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

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

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

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

Still waiting for Rolex to contact me, though.

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

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

Vuori Clothing

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

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

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

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

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

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

Be sure to check them out

Gym Reapers

These shirts are badass. Nuff said.

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

It’s science.

Upcoming Speaking Engagements

Mark Fisher Fitness Motivate and Movement Lab

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

And no one would bat an eye.

The Fitness Summit

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

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

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

If you can make it, do it!

New England Health & Racquet Sports Club Association Spring Conference

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

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

CategoriesMiscellaneous Miscellany

Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday Musings: January 2015

Welcome to the first Miscellaneous Miscellany Post of 2015! Fresh off an impressive Pats win last night no less!

So, what’s everyone’s prediction for the Super Bowl? I honestly have a hard time convincing myself to pick one team over the other. I tend to ride on the same fence as my favorite sports talk guy, Colin Cowherd, in that both teams have a star quarterback (Pats = Tom Brady, Seahawks = Russell Wilson), both have a solid offensive line (particularly left tackle), and both have an A+ head coach (Bellichick and Carroll, respectively).

It’s just really, really hard to pick one.

Okay you’re right. It’s not that hard: Pats 54-3.

1. So yesterday Lisa and I were walking around town doing a little of this and a little bit of that4 when something unexpected happened.

Most of you will recall my trip to London last September, when I travelled across the pond for one of mine and Dean Somerset’s workshops. While the main reason for going was to spend two days at The Third Space in Soho speaking to 25-30 trainers and coaches, I also had ample time to play tourist and had the opportunity to walk around the city and take in the sights and sounds.

It was spectacular. I fell in love with London – everything from the people, the Underground5, the food, the culture, and just how chill everyone is over there was enchanting.

One of the subtler highlights of my trip over there was experiencing Caffe Nero.

A popular, family owned, European (Italian) coffee shop, Caffe Nero has something like 600+ locations throughout Europe; and they’re everywhere in London.

There was one directly across the street from the venue where Dean and I were presenting (as well as near where our hotel was located in Euston Square), and after having one of their chai tea lattes I was hooked.

The quality just seemed better compared to similar establishments6, and this doesn’t speak to the overall vibe and ambiance inside…..hard to describe, but “boner inducing” is about the best I can do.

Anyways, Lisa and I were walking around Downtown Crossing in Boston yesterday when low and behold we passed a freakin Caffe Nero!!!

Picture inside of Downtown Crossing location.

Little did I know that this location was the FIRST location in the entire US!! And the manager/owner mentioned to us that a handful more are slated to open around the city in 2015.

I had been bragging to Lisa about this place since my London trip, so I was excited to see what she thought.

She ordered her standard espresso and LOVED it. “This is coffee!” were her exact words.

I have to assume with several locations coming to Boston, that Caffe Nero has plans to open in other large cities in the near future. So keep your eyes peeled. You won’t be disappointed.

2. Updated Premium Workout Group!

For the past year or so I’ve been running a group called the Tony Gentilcore Premium Workout Group.

It’s an online training program hosted by WeightTraining.com where I write monthly “canned” (non-individualized) programming for anyone to follow for a bargain price. Yes, I’m a guy who feels that IN-PERSON coaching is the way to go. But given not everyone has access to quality coaching in the first place, this group is a nice alternative.

In 2014 I focused on providing a variety of training blocks: strength block, fat-loss block, and a hybrid hypertrophy block (which are all still available if you choose to do them), but with 2015 kicking into high-gear I decided to revamp my approach.

Not everyone wants to focus on strength or fat-loss or muscle growth, and I certainly can’t cater to everyone and make everyone happy.

Still I know how to write effective, efficient, quality programming that will help (most) people get stronger, move better, address nagging injuries, and make people of the opposite sex (or same sex!) want to hang out with you. Rather than write specific blocks of training, in 2015 I’m just keeping things simple.

Don’t confuse simple with not effective

Simple is what most people need BTW.

The first month of programming for 2015 went live yesterday, aptly titled Tony Gentilcore Premium Workout Group – January 2015.

If you find yourself in a training rut or in limbo as far as succumbing to analysis by paralysis when writing your own programs, this group may be a perfect fit.

Give it a look HERE.

3. For those people who are looking for something more dialed in, specifically to the tune of improving your squat, bench press, and deadlift, my good friend Jordan Syatt released his Raw Strength for Powerlifting manual today.

If you’re a competitive powerlifter or someone who’s toying with the idea of entering a meet down the road, this manual will undoubtedly help.

Jordan, on top of being one of the most genuine fitness professionals I have ever met, is one strong mofo….to the tune of a (close to) 4x bodyweight deadlift! So, in a word, he knows what he’s talking about when it comes to getting people strong.

Full Disclosure: I am not receiving any affiliate kick-backs by recommending this manual. I just think it’s a solid resource that can (and will) help a lot of people.

For more info go HERE.

4. In addition to the Caffe Nero experience, Lisa and I also went to the movies yesterday to check out American Sniper.

 

In lieu of “douchehole of the moment” Michael Moore’s commentary on the movie yesterday, where he basically referred to Chris Kyle as a “coward” (I don’t mind that he didn’t like the movie – to each his own – I just felt it was a bad take done in poor taste on Moore’s part to use the term coward), I couldn’t have disagreed more.

I’m not calling a Kyle a saint by any stretch (I know he had a few libel suits in the past held against him, and I also know some elements of his book have been called to question), but I find it hard to call any person who risks his 0r her’s own life to defend our country a coward. Furthermore, I’d have to assume it’s the last adjective the hundreds (if not thousands) of soldiers Kyle helped protect and save would use to describe his actions (regardless of how Hollywoodized the movie made them seem).

I loved this movie. I wouldn’t rank it right on par with The Hurt Locker or Zero Dark Thirty as far as best (recent) war movies made, but it’s not too far off.

American Sniper isn’t just a war movie. If anything it’s more about the psychological and after effects that war has on soldiers. To his credit – and my fiance would know more about this than myself since she’s a psychologist – Bradley Cooper (who portrays Kyle in the movie) did an amazing job showing how one almost has to “shut down” and remain closed off in order to perform their job – to the detriment of their relationships with loved ones.

Pacing, acting, cinematography, dialogue, directing, everything was superb.  I give it a solid B.

5. I made it a personal goal of mine to step up my continuing education game in 2015. I was able to attend a few workshops and seminars last year, but not as many as I would have liked.

I’ve already got a sick line-up slated for the early part of this year:

To start, Greg Robins is putting on his Optimizing the “Big 3” Seminar again this March at Cressey Sports Performance.

I attended last year (and helped out with coaching), and I plan on attending again this year. Greg is a FANTASTIC coach who has a lot of knowledge with regards to coaching and getting results. If you’re looking to spend an afternoon going into more depth on squats, bench pressing, and deadlifts….this will be well worth it.

For more info go HERE.

Second (and obviously not in chronological order) I’ll be heading to Burlington, MA the weekend of February 20th for both the FMS I and II certifications.

Brett Jones will be coaching/teaching that weekend and I can’t wait to watch him in action!

You can go HERE to check out other FMS venues/clinics.

And last, also in February, Chad Wesley Smith of Juggernaut Training, will be in Boston on Sunday the 8th to head his Powerlifting Clinic.

It’s a one-day seminar where he’ll discuss anything and everything related to technique on the big 3, programming, warm-ups, and even some insight on nutrition. Plus, he’s stronger than everyone else there so he’ll make all of us feel bad about ourselves….;o)

Go HERE for more info.

Like I said, I’ll be attending all three. Who’s coming with me!?!?!

And Not to Be Understated or Forgotten

We shouldn’t forget the great Martin Luther King Jr and everything he stood for. Probably even more so given the current commentary and state of affairs throughout the country.

Lets hope his leadership and message from back in the day permeates to today (and then some).

CategoriesExercise Technique Miscellaneous Miscellany

Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: Get-ups, Deadlifts, and B-Days

1.  I have a love-hate relationship with Turkish get-ups.

Photo Credit: John Maguire

As a coach I love them in the sense of how much bang-for-my-training-buck they provide. I get asked all the time from my athletes and clients “what the hell do these get-up thingamabobbers do anyways?” To which I respond: what don’t they do?

Dean Somerset wrote an excellent article last week on T-Nation HERE which mirrors many of my own thoughts on the matter.

But to expound a bit more, you can think of get-ups as loaded yoga. Yes, I can use the word “yoga” in a sentence and not throw up a little in my mouth….;o)

Truth be told: 98% of the dynamic warm-up drills that we use on a regular basis at Cressey Sports Performance are derived and have their base in yoga. Likewise, a fair number of basic strength training moves like planks (and all their iterations), yoga push-ups, and certain lunge variations have their ancestry in yoga.

So it’s not like yoga doesn’t deserve some credit!

Taking the thought process a bit further, can you name another exercise which incorporates so many valuable components as the get-up? We have lying, rolling, glute activation, bridging, scapular stability, overhead static hold, core stability/strength, half kneeling, and lunging; and then a reversal of all of that. About the only thing get-ups don’t do is remember to set the DVR to record the latest episode of The Walking Dead, GODDAMMIT!!!!

As a trainee I hate get-ups.

1. No exercise does a better job at highlighting any glaring weaknesses up and down the kinetic chain. Whether it’s limited hip flexor length, having hip mobility that would rival the ROM of a pregnant rhino, poor scapular stability, or weakness in general, get-ups are going to humble you.

2. Using a more personal anecdote, get-ups just take F.O.R.E.V.E.R to perform. Coming from a guy who thinks anything that requires more than five reps is cardio, the fact that it takes upwards of one minute to complete ONE SIDE of a get-up makes me want to punch myself in the neck. It’s so annoying.

The thing is: when performed correctly, that’s how long a get-up should take!

Dr. Mark Cheng was kind enough to make a cameo appearance two weekends ago at mine and Dean’s Excellent Workshop in LA.

He spent a solid 90 minutes taking all the attendees through the kettlebell swing and get-up. I learned more in those 90 minutes than anything I’ve watched or read in the past five years (no offense to those who’s DVDs I watched and books/articles I read!).

Side Note: Mark is the guy James Fell interviewed for THIS article a few years ago that time Jillian Michaels tried to pretend she knew what she was talking about when it came to whatever it is she was trying to demonstrate here.

– For example, why are they called TURKISH get-ups in the first place? Why not Canadian get-ups or Vulcan get-ups? Why do the Turks get all the love?

It seems back in the day, and I assume present day too, the Turks were kind of badass. I forget what term Mark used, but he described the form of grappling they typically trained their warriors in, and how they used to do so all oiled up.

You know how hard it is to grip or grab something that’s all wet or sweaty, right? Well imagine that only 100x more challenging and homoneurotic (depending on what your definition of an ideal Friday night is)7

Anyways, waaaaaaay back in the day, in order to even be considered “man enough” to train and to learn how to fight the Turks made it a prerequisite you had to perform a get-up with close to a 100 lb kettlebell (give or take a few lb’s). While fighting a grizzly with your free hand!

Okay, I made that last part up….but still. WTF!!!!!

Point: Turks. Well played.

– Another tidbit I didn’t realize was that Mark is the guy who implemented the high bridge into the get-up! This isn’t to say he feels this is the correct way to do the get-up, but rather to suggest there’s more than one approach to any given component.

To transition from the seated overhead position to the half kneeling position you can do so in a variety of ways depending on preference and/or limitations. You can use the basic leg sweep, the leg switcharoo (<— where you essentially stay seated the entire time, switch leg positions, then stand up), the two-legged squat approach, or the high bridge.

– According to Mark he was toying around with the high bridge one day (as it emulated a specific move in his favorite form of fighting), and he and Gray Cook had an Ah-HA moment! The high bridge, when you pause to think about it, “clears” people from hip flexor limitations. If they can’t get full hip extension, their hip flexors may be a limitation.

Again, as Mark adamantly noted, the high bridge IS NOT a requirement!!! He’s not married to one way or the other with regards to completing the movement. It just comes down to personal preference.

– The get-up should be a controlled movement!  If you have to speed up in order to complete any one step, you lack stability. Speed = instability!!!!

As I alluded to above, when done correctly, the get-up should take upwards of 60s PER SIDE!!!

– Mark prefers to using anywhere from 20-24kg for his get-ups and “grease the groove.” He can go higher – much higher – but that’s not necessarily the point of the exercise. It’s to do shit right (my words, not his. But I know he wouldn’t disagree).

In short: SLOW DOWN!!!!!!

2. Thanks to everyone who went out of their way to send me B-day wishes yesterday. As you can tell I had a rough day.

Lisa snapped this pic in the middle of the afternoon as I was taking a nap. I fell asleep watching The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey for the 17th time.

Don’t worry, though. I recovered nicely, took off my lame hat, and Lisa and I went to an amazing dinner last night with our friends Pat and Brianne.

A quick nod to Sarma (located in Somerville, MA) for an unreal menu and dinner.

3. Deadlifts!!!!

Last year my good friend, Dave Dellanave, released what I felt was one of the best deadlift(centric) resources I had ever come across  – Off the Floor.

It just so happens that after receiving feedback and testimonials over the past year, Dave’s fine tuned his program and has added a bunch of new content and add-ons.

As if listening to a guy who has deadlifted 3x bodyweight on three different deadlift variations – not to mention owning a few world records to boot – wasn’t enough, Off the Floor now includes three different programs (beginner, intermediate, and advanced), a slew of new grip challenges, in addition to just under an hour of new video content (including Dave talking about the concept of autoregulation).

It’s off the hook and something I feel would be an excellent addition to anyone interested in improving their deadlift; or just their overall level of badassery in general.

For more info you can go HERE (<—- link to an article, not a sales page).

4. Seriously, how freakin cute is my cat?

CategoriesMiscellaneous Miscellany

Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: 10/27/14

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve done one of these, so lets jump right into it.

1. I wanted to first thank everyone who’s gone out of their way to reach out and to say such nice things about the new site.

Words cannot even express how much more I love the new site, and it makes me happy to know that others out there feel the same way.

There are still a handful of things that need to be addressed both functionally and aesthetically. Like the shirtless picture montage of myself set to the background music of the Karate Kid soundtrack (You’re the best! Around! Nothing’s ever gonna keep you down!). But all in all I feel the transition to the new site has been an easy one.

FYI: I’m referring to the original Karate Kid starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. Not that Jaden Smith remake piece of garbage made a few years ago.

One thing I’ve implemented to the site that I feel many are unaware of is the Miscellany section. It’s an area where I can do more “off-topic” writing.

I know, I know…my writing as a whole lends itself to be more off-topic in nature. But I wanted there to be more of a sense of separation between my fitness writing and my nerdier other half that likes to write about progressive house music (check out my EPIC chill mix on Spotify), cheese, zombies, and my secret (but not really) obsession with movies.

As an example I went to see the new movie Whiplash this past weekend.

HERE’s my first attempt at writing a review.

I’ll be awesome if you checked it out and let me know what you think!

2. Speaking of other things I’ve written as of late, and for those who aren’t remotely interested in what I have to say about artsy-fartsy independent movies that don’t have any explosions, HERE’s recent article I wrote on MensHealth.com on a simple fix you can use to make squatting more knee friendly.

HERE’s an article I helped contribute to on WomensHealth.com on some of the best combination strength moves.

And HERE’s one where I made a cameo that popped up on the Daily Burn’s site written by Jordan Shakeshaft on gym etiquette.

3. Lisa and I were walking home from the gym yesterday when we passed this bike outside of Trader Joe’s.

Coolest bike ever?

A photo posted by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

Like it’s even a question!?

4. Hey Los Angeles!!

Do I have your attention?

Dean Somerset and I are going to be in your neck of the woods the weekend of November 22nd for our 2-day Excellent High Five Workshop.

We’ll be hosted by CrossFit 714 located in Orange, CA and we’re expecting a baller event.

As if hanging with Dean and I isn’t enough, as it turns out we have a few fitness celebrities who are going to be stopping by as well.

Best selling author of Man 2.0 Engineering the Alpha (and my former editor at Men’s Health and LiveStrong), Adam Bornstein, will be attendance. His co-author and good friend of mine, John Romaniello, may also stop by.

Master Strong First instructor and FMS instructor, Dr. Mark Cheng, will be stopping by to pwn all of us in kettlebell shenanigans.

In addition, and I think this is super cool, celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson actually signed up to attend.

Kinda cool to know that guys of his caliber and stature still make an effort to learn.

On top of that we still may have a few more appearances from other fitness big wigs to add. Nevertheless, it’s looking as if it’s going to be an amazing weekend.

For more information on the itinerary, cost, etc you can go HERE.

5. I never quite understand why some people will get super duper butt-hurt over something I write. On one hand I understand that, by my own accord and choice, I offer myself to open criticism by the public for anything I write. It comes with the territory, and I get that. I’m a big boy and I can handle it.

Sometimes I cry.

Okay, all the time.

I’m crying right now.

The point is, I wish some people would read an article – preferably all the way through – and learn how to disseminate the text as it applies to them.

Case in point: CrossFit.

I’m over the CrossFit bashing. I did it a few years back, like every other strength coach, but have more or less done a 180 in terms of my feelings towards it.

I have good friends who “do CrossFit,” and who also own or coach in their own boxes. I’ve also trained at a CrossFit gym. I don’t “do CrossFit,” but I do utilize their open gym hours.

GASP!!!

I know, right?

Next think you know I’m going to admit to ordering a soy burger or becoming BFFs with Tracy Anderson.

That said, I still have my qualms with CrossFit. While it’s starting to get better, I still feel most (not all) do a piss-poor job at assessing (or ramping) their clientele to better match workouts to one’s injury history, or better yet ability level.

I also still adamantly abhor kipping pull-ups.

Relax. I understand that kipping pull-ups are a different beast compared to strict pull-ups…much like, as Christian Thibaudeau noted recently, a push press is different compared to a strict military press.

There’s “technique” involved to a kipping pull-up (weeeeeeeeeeeeeee), and more to the point, it’s part of the culture and is something that’s tested (in CrossFit. No where else).

Okay, fine.

But that doesn’t make it a good fit for most of the people who are doing them.

For me, if someone can’t do a STRICT pull-up they have no business attempting a kipping pull-up (even if it does allow them to do “more”).

Joint distraction forces on the shoulders and lumber spine notwithstanding – and there’s a SHIT-TON of it – it’s just common sense in my eyes.

If or when someone can do (several) strict pull-ups, maybe, MAYBE kipping pull-ups can enter the conversation. But if I were going to be honest with myself: I still think they’re, for lack of a better term, dumb not my first choice. And most people aren’t close to being appropriately prepared to handle them in the long-term.

This is something I’ve stated repeatedly – in both the article linked to above, as well as continue to do today……..

Strict pull-ups BEFORE kipping pull-ups.

Which is why I find it perplexing that I still get hate mail from CrossFit coaches (or participants) saying that I don’t know what I’m talking about and that I’m just a hater despite them AGREEING WITH ME! 

I don’t get it.

All they see if me dissing CrossFit, and they take it as a personal attack on them and their box.

Stop being so butt-hurt! If what I write doesn’t apply TO YOU or what you do with YOUR clients, then don’t get so offended.

I’m not saying you have to agree with me. And I certainly don’t want to insinuate that everything I write is the Golden Rule. It’s not. Except for anything I write about Matt Damon and how awesome he is. It’s pretty much fact. No debate.

*Puts fingers in ears*

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la. I can’t hear you.

All I ask is that you pause for a second and read what I’m saying.

It’s akin to when I write something like “dips aren’t a good fit for people with a history of shoulder issues,” and then someone inevitably shoots me an angry response “WTF Tony!!  I do dips all the time and my shoulders feel fine! You suck!  And your cat is ugly!”

I’m obviously not referring to YOU, and what I’m writing doesn’t apply. And my cat is a beautiful, beautiful princess!!!!

So, angry, fails to see my point CrossFit coach, here’s the deal: if you’re someone who advocates strict pull-ups before kipping pull-ups, congrats….we’re on the same page. No need to add me to your Billy Madison People to Kill list.

Obviously, I’m not referring to you. Deep breaths. Relax. It’ll be okay.

However, if you’re a coach who blindly has all of your clients kip, and many of them (not all) are dropping out like flies due to various injuries to their shoulders and backs, well then I have to ask….why?

For the elite of the elite – and for those best prepared – fine, kipping pull-ups okay.

But for everyone else, why?

CategoriesMiscellaneous Miscellany

Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: 9/22/14

It’s been eons since I’ve done one of these types of posts, so lets get right to it!

1.  I spent a bulk of yesterday prepping my presentation for this coming weekend’s annual Cressey Sports Performance Fall Seminar. It’s our third go at it and we’re expecting a decent sized crowd based off the original sign-up tally

My topic is titled Making Movement Better, where I plan on breaking down some of the big lifts (squats, deadliffts, twerking overhead press, to name a few) and dissecting some of the common mistakes trainees make with their execution, as well as break down a number of the screens and cues I like to use when coaching them up.

It’s basically going to win me a Nobel Prize for Awesome.  Either that or people are going to fall asleep (I’m slated to speak right after lunch…LOLz).

With the entire staff slated to speak (Eric Cressey, myself, Chris Howard, Greg Robins, Andrew Zomberg, along with a special cameo appearance by Brian St. Pierre), it’s going to be off the hook.  Hudson, Massachusetts will be rocking!

If this is the first you’re hearing about the seminar you can still sign-up HERE.

2. Speaking of off the hook, I’d like to take this opportunity to formally welcome our newest addition to the CSP team, Miguel Aragoncillo.

Miguel interned with us back in 2012. Or maybe it was 2013? Whatever, the point is he interned with us. He did an amazing job and was easily one of our most popular coaches to date with the staff as well as with the clients.

Since then he’s been working as a part-time coach with another CSP alum, Kevin Neeld, at his facility, Endeavor Sports Performance, located in Pitman, New Jersey.

In addition Miguel has built a bit of a cult following of his own with his blog (HERE) as well as writing for various fitness websites like Stack.com and several others.

When a full-time position became available he was on our short list of coaches to contact. Long story short, he accepted, and we’re STOKED to have him on board.

Miguel brings a ton of enthusiasm to the facility as well as a unique dynamic with regards to assessment and movement analysis.

As it happens Miguel is also a very talented dancer, and unbeknownst to me was taping himself when I decided to DO THIS.

There’s more where that came from.

3. I don’t have the best grip in the world, but I get by. I can say that I’ve never missed a deadlift because of my (lack of) grip strength, but I also know I’m not performing any cool bar tricks like ripping a telephone book in half any time soon.

Not too long ago I was contacted by the guys over at TNT Personal Training (located in Victoria, BC <—– that’s Canada for the geographically impaired) asking me if I’d be interested in sampling their products which, admittedly, are targeted more towards rock climbers.

Basically they make these funky shaped grip-handle thingamabobbers that tend to be very popular with not only their rock-climbing clientele, but their regular personal training clients as well.

I’m game for anything different, so long as I sense some value in how I can apply whatever-it-is to my own athletes and clients.

I see grip training as important, so I was intrigued.

Thom – one of the main honchos – sent me a set of the “Missiles,”pictured first above and I’ve been including them here and there with my own training, as well as that of my clients.

I can’t say it’s a game changer, but I do feel they add a bit of spice to training and are worth having as an option.

They offer several different variations – Pipe Bombs, Medium Bombs, Large Bombs, Missiles – and you can check them all out HERE.

Note:  I don’t receive any commission or kick-back for providing the link.  I just feel it’s a cool product and something that a lot of people would enjoy using.

4. I dragged Lisa to go see the new movie The Skeleton Twins yesterday, starring Saturday Night Live alums Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig.

I say “dragged” because in hindsight, the last thing a therapist (Lisa) – who spends a large portion of her day dealing with people battling depression and in the worse case scenarios, thoughts of suicide – wants to do on her day off is watch a movie about people battling depression and attempting suicide.

It would be akin to me being forced to watch a 90 minute movie of Jillian Michaels trying to teach someone how to squat correctly or perform a kettlebell swing without making a small piece of my soul dying.

This is my public apology to Lisa.

My bad, babe.

I owe you an hour long foot-rub.

That being said, I liked the movie.

But then again, for some reason, I like dark, sad, depressing movies. There were funny moments – particularly a scene where both Hader and Wiig’s characters (who play estranged siblings) improvise and lip sync to Starship’s Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now –  but this was far, far from your typical comedy.

However, I have to say, I was impressed with the acting chops that both stars showcased. In much the same way how past SNL alums like Bill Murray in Lost in Translation, Robert Downey Jr in Chaplin, Eddie Murphy in Dreamgirls, or Will Ferrell in Stranger Than Fiction, showed off their dramatic talents, Hader and Wiig are equally as commendable.

If dark and sad isn’t your cup of tea, though, I’d steer clear.

6.  Lastly, coming off the momentum of London, Dean Somerset and I are looking forward to bringing our updated workshop back to the States.

Spots are still available for our stop in Washington DC in mid-October (HERE), and we’ve recently added Los Angeles to the mix!

It’ll be my first trip to California, so I’ll be sure not to pack my Notorious B.I.G t-shirt….;o)

We’re hoping to make the LA trip a big event – 714 CrossFit (located just outside Anaheim) has been nice enough to host – with some possible cameo appearances from other fitness big wigs.

For more information on the itinerary, location, cost, and the over/under on whether or not I destroy the back of my pants if there’s an earthquake tremor you can go HERE.

CategoriesMiscellaneous Miscellany Uncategorized

Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: Catching Up

I haven’t done one of these in forever, and boy oh boy do we have a lot of catching up to do!

1.  First and foremost, as I’m tapping away on my keyboard this very moment there’s only 507 days, 17 hours, and 18 minutes until the premiere of Star Wars Episode VII.

If you want to keep track for yourself you can go HERE.

Don’t worry about it. Embrace you’re inner nerd.

2.  I can’t believe that we’re only a few days from hitting the dog days of summer! Speaking from a personal standpoint August is going to be the quiet before the storm. I have a very busy fall schedule on the horizon.

Excellent High Five Workshop Reminders – London and DC (<– Important!)

Dean Somerset and I are going to be in London the weekend of September 13th and 14th at The Third Space Soho to kick off our little “tour.”

This will be my first trip to London (or Europe, for that matter) and Dean’s 212th visit (give or take).

We’re both really excited to be bringing our workshop overseas and anxious to share our information with other trainers, coaches, and fitness enthusiasts eager to learn.

We’ve capped the number of attendees due to space restrictions and we’re thiiiiiiis close to hitting that number, so if you were planning on waiting till the last minute to register I wouldn’t wait much longer.  Seriously, go HERE.

In addition to London, we’ll also be in Washington, DC the weekend of October 18th and 19th at Underground Athlete in Sterling, VA.

We have an early-bird special running until August 15th, and after that date the price increases $100.  That’s like dinner for two at a nice restaurant, or 14 at Olive Garden.

Either way, saving yourself a hundred big ones never sucks.  For more information and to register go HERE.

3.  I’ve made several cameo appearances around the interwebz as of late and wanted to share them here:

– What do you get when you clump together six trainers/coaches and ask them what their favorite exercises are to strengthen and firm the abs?

Unfortunately, not some raunchy reality tv show

Instead, you get THIS doozy on WomensHealthMag.com (additional contributions from Mike Boyle, Rachel Cosgrove, BJ Gaddour, Ashley Borden, and John Romaniello).

– The CrossFit games were this past weekend (c0ngrats to both Rich Froning and Camille Leblanc-Bazinet for making us all feel bad about ourselves) and as such there were a slew of articles all over the mainstream media which preceded them.  Some good (yay for CrossFit!), some bad (CrossFit is Satan’s spawn).

I’m not going to open up Pandora’s box on that topic, but needless to say I was happy to be a part of THIS article which was featured on the Huffington Post.  In a nutshell: moving well and taking the time or properly progress people should ALWAYS take precedence.

Yeah, that’s right….Tony Gentilcore, in the Huffington Post.  Excuse me while I go order some Grey Poupon.

On an aside, the author of that article, Sophia Herbst, took my lengthier responses to her initial questions and posted them up on her blog HERE.

– I also made a bit of a cameo in a hilarious – albeit 100% spot on – article on Buzzfeed last week titled 15 Things Girls Who Lift Are Tired of Hearing.

The author – Hannah Bass – was kind enough to link to an old blog post of mine on Tracy Anderson (see point #5 in the article).

– A few weeks ago EVOShield in conjunction with Stack Magazine came to Cressey Sports Performance to film a few videos on baseball training starring……..ME!!!!!

All of them are within the 3-6 minute range, so grab a bag of beef jerky or something and enjoy. They’re pretty much the sexiest thing on the internet.

Seriously though, I hate watching myself on video. For me it’s like listening to Freddy Kruger scratch a chalkboard, or worse, listening to a John Mayer song.

But I have to say, these all turned out great!

Safe Upper Body Exercises for Baseball Players

Essential Mobility Drills for Baseball Players

How to Keep Your Shoulders Strong and Healthy

The Best Two Lower Body Exercises for Baseball Players

The Best Plyo Exercises for Baseball Players

And that’s it for now.  Unless you want to know what I had for breakfast this morning too. In that case:

– 5 (whole) egg omelet with onion, broccoli, and cheese (seasoned with pepper, turmeric, Italian seasoning, and garlic)

– 1 cup oatmeal with scoop of protein powder and 1/2 cup blueberries.

– 6 Flame Out capsules

– 20 ounces of water with a scoop of Athletic Greens.

– And, boom goes the dynamite.