CategoriesMotivational Strength Training

What’s The Single Best Thing You Can Do To Improve Your Program?

More specifically:  what’s the single best thing you can do to get better results in the gym?

At the expense of making the most redundant statement ever, there’s a lot of information out there.  We’re inundated with it. At no point in human history has information been more readily available and “in our face” than the here and now.

This is a blessing and a curse.

A blessing in that I can log onto Google right now and if I need to know the birthdate of Luke Skywalker, whether or not Alicia Keys is divorced yet, or say, the mating rituals of  South African rhinoceroses, I can do it.  And it’s awesome.

A curse in that, with so much information at our finger tips, people are often paralyzed into stagnancy.

This is never more apparent than in the health and fitness realm.

Take for example, food.  One week we’re told that eggs are the most nutritious food known to man, and ten minutes later, a new story comes out detailing how eating an egg will spurn the Mayan Apocalypse.

People literally have no freakin idea what to eat that it’s gotten to the point where I have clients asking me if eating an apple is okay.

YES, it is, for the love of god!!!!!

And, for the record, Luke Skywalker was born in 19 BBY.

Switching gears to the fitness side of the equation, the waters are just as uncharted.  Information is abundant, and if you were to type in bodybuilding, powerlifting, strength, or fat loss workouts into Google, you’d undoubtedly receive thousands of results for each.

There’s an endless cornucopia of websites, articles, and blog posts telling you the optimal set/rep scheme for this, the best weekly split for that, and  any number of other factors you can think of.

As a result, for many people, the cycle is as follows:

One week the goal is to get jacked.  The following you decide to start a fat loss phase.  Oh snap, you just read an article that promises to increase you bench press 50 lbs in 13 minutes!!!!!!

Actually never mind, MMA sounds kind of cool.

No wait, GODDAMIT, those dudes in 300 were pretty ripped up, I think I changed my mind and want to get shredded again.

Before you know it, it’s been six months and you’ve made little (if any) progress in the gym

Sound familiar?

If it does, you’re what I call a flip-flopper, and it needs to stop.

Pick a goal, ANY goal, and stick with it for more than two minutes.  Stealing a popular quote from Dan John, “your goal is to keep the goal, the goal.”

Expounding on things, and taking it even a step further, we could also make the case for exercise selection.

One popular (and valid) component of designing strength based programs – or any program for that matter – is the notion of “cycling” movements every 1-2 weeks.

So, for example, an elite powerlifter might choose to perform box squats one week for his main lower body exercise, and then switch to SUMO rack pulls the next.

The idea being that his CNS is so advanced and he’s developed such profound foundation of strength that in order to maintain a training effect (and make progress to boot) it’s advantageous to cycle though movements.

This issn’t always the case, of course, but it hopefully gets my point across.

Which is: most people aren’t elite nor are they advanced.  And the notion of cycling through exercises is more harmful than good.

Not that I feel people are going to physically hurt themselves (although that’s certainly not out of the question), but rather, I think when people have an insatiable case of training ADD – where they’re switching training goals every week and not allowing themselves enough time to actually learn how to perform an exercise correctly – they hurt their progress.

I’m sorry but if you’re just learning how to deadlift – arguably one of the more technical exercises to learn – you don’t need to be worrying about whether or not you should add chains or perform them from a deficit in order to get all swole.

Funnily enough, if you were to look at the majority of programs I write, many may be surprised to find that I don’t go out of my way to add in a lot variety.  It’s just not what most people need.

What they need is CONSISTENCY.

What they need is repetition and to learn how to squat properly by sitting back and pushing the knees out; to learn how to hip hinge properly when performing a deadlift; to not worry about making certain exercises more “McGyver(ish)” by adding bands, boards, weight releasers, a paper clip, and a rubber ducky.

Just stop.

Instead worry less about doing stuff that’s new and unique, and worry more about OWNING your training. Worry about perfecting technique and not switching your training emphasis every half hour, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll be surprised as to how much progress you can make.

CategoriesMotivational

Red Kites and Blueberry Pop-Tarts

This is probably my most random blog title ever (even more than THIS), and I’m sure those who clicked on the link and are now reading may be scratching their heads wondering where I could possibly be going with this.  Bear with me.

I’m a member of a pretty awesome movie theater here in Boston called The Coolidge. It’s an independent movie theater that’s like four blocks from my apartment, and it’s not uncommon for me to make a cameo appearance every weekend to check out one of the new releases or to participate in one of their events like a midnight showing of Point Break (I. AM. AN FBI AGENT!!!!), a Lord of the Rings marathon (where freaking Aragorn himself actually showed up to serenade the audience), or a book signing by Kevin Smith.

It’s a pretty baller place and it’s essentially a second home for me.

Now, as you can imagine, it’s not a huge:  there are four theaters (one of which is a ten seat screening room), and a small lobby that serves the normal movie theater fair, along with fine wine and booze. Holla!

Because of its size, the Coolidge has an un-spoken rule (kind of like not bunting in the 9th inning to break up a no-hitter) that they don’t start seating people until roughly 10-15 minutes prior to the show starting.  Anything earlier and the lobby just becomes one massive clusterf***.

Last week I showed up a little early and was told by the guy accepting tickets to wait outside for a few minutes while the theater was clearing out and so that they could clean.  Cool.  No problem.  It was a gorgeous night out anyways, and I had a book with me to read, so I could easily pass the time.

Another (older, presumably uppity a-hole) gentleman was right behind me, and the tenant mentioned the same thing to him (that he’d have to wait a few minutes……outside), and the guy went off.  Like REALLY off.

“The thing is sir, we have a small lobby and it gets crowded as one showing is exiting and others are waiting to get in.  Plus, we have concessions that need to be addressed, and it just becomes……”

“Yes I WOULD mind waiting ten minutes,” the guy said, in a “I’m more important than everyone else here” tone.

I was out the door before I could hear the rest of what he said.  But in my mind, I couldn’t help but think to myself how freaking uptight and high-strung people are.

Adding fuel to the fire, when one of the staff finally came outside to announce that they were ready to seat everyone, another jerk went off because there was no inherent “order” to how they were letting people it.  Essentially everyone was bum rushing the side door and there was no “line” of people waiting to get inside.

Mind you, there were like 40 or so of us waiting to get in, and it was a 400 seat theater.  This guy was muttering out loud to anyone who would listen, “this is stupid.  Why do they do it like this?  I can’t believe this.”

All I wanted to say was,”dude, there are 400 seats.  You’re going to get one.  Relax.”

But I didn’t.  I just chuckled to myself, handed my ticket to the guy, and walked in and got a seat.

For those curious, I saw Arbitrage starring Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon.  About a rich dude who’s an a-hole.  Ironic given the company I was in.

Good movie, though.  I gave it a solid B.

Which parlays very well into the title of this post.

The other night Lisa and I watched the movie We Bought a Zoo – starring my man-crush, and BFF (he just doesn’t know it), Matt Damon.

Based on a true story, in it, Matt’s character’s wife dies (don’t worry, it’s not a spoiler), and as a result he buys a zoo.  Literally.  Throughout the movie he references his wife and how she was able to enjoy the simple things in life – two examples of which were red kites and blueberry pop-tarts.

It got me thinking:  in a world where we’re so caught up in playing 17 different games of Words With Friends or making sure the barista gets our Frappuccino order just right (I said NO FOAM AT THE TOP!!!!!!!!), it’s no wonder we rarely (if ever) see the beauty in life.

Is it really that hard to press the pause button and enjoy some of life’s simple pleasures?

As I’m writing this blog post, CP is empty.  I’m sitting here in the lobby on the couch with my feet up on the coffee table listening to some soft ambient music, and I’m perfectly content.  To me, this is it.  Just doing my own thing, relaxing, and writing to my hearts content – even though it’s something that’s completely not fitness related.

I realize some people prefer ostentatious things like a Ferrari, 55 inch plasma tv screens, or gold plated toilet seats.  And that’s cool.  But I still argue that it’s the simple things that count.

Things like:

– A perfectly succulent filet mignon cooked medium.

– Watching a red light turn green right as you’re approaching it.

– Hitting a PR in the gym and then giving everyone a high five within a two mile radius.

– Turning back to the channel the instant the commercial break ends.

– Telling someone close to you that you love them, and hearing them say it back.

– Snuggling up with your pet.

– Wearing a snuggie. Don’t worry, I won’t judge.

– Saying “eff it,” and tossing in a set (or ten) of arm curls at the end of your training session.

– Carbs.

– Reading a good book.

– Going to the airport and NOT having your flight delayed.

– Making eye contact with a complete stranger, smiling, and saying “how are you?”  Dude, don’t be weird. You can look away now.

– The smell of freshly cut grass.

– Fenway Park. Granted the Red Sox are a walking pile of suck right now, but it’s still a beautiful place to watch a game.

– Sunday afternoon matinees.

– Beef jerky.  Or any form of dead animal flesh.

– Coming home after a rough day and taking a loooooooooooooooooooooooong shower.

– Walking into a subway station and having your train be the next one to arrive. Score!

– Caffeine.  Is. Glorious.

– A solid 8-9 hours of sleep. Seriously, is there anything better?

– Boobies.  Boobies are way better.

– Deadlifts.

– Realizing that with your next purchase that slice of pizza is free because it’s the tenth hole being punched in your “buy ten, get next one free” card.

– Being able to look down and see your wang without a big, ol, gut impeding everything.  This one courteous of Eric Cressey.

– Training at a gym that not only allows chalk, but encourages its use.

– And people.  People are just cool.  Except for Kanye West.  He’s kind of a douche.

Those are just a few examples of “simple” things that I enjoy and allow me to realize that life doesn’t necessarily have to be so complicated and full of angst.

Believe me:  I know that everything isn’t always puppy dog kisses and rainbows, and sometimes things suck. Like, a lot.

I just feel that if more people took a step back and didn’t take things – or themselves – so seriously, they’d probably see that life is kinda cool and that it shouldn’t resort to complaining about waiting ten minutes for a movie to start.

So with that, if you wouldn’t mind, do me a favor and do two things for me:

1.  Share a few things in YOUR life that you enjoy below.

2.  Pass this along – share it, like it, whatever it takes.  I think this a message that more people need to hear/boobies are really, really awesome.

CategoriesMotivational Strength Training

Can I Workout Today?

I love Tuesdays.  For me Tuesday is like everyone else’s Sunday because, as un-conventional as it is, it’s a regularly scheduled “day off” for me.  I know, that was all sorts of confusing, so let me try to clarify.

I don’t have a standard weekend like most people. I work on Saturday (and sometimes even on Sunday depending on the time of year), and my “weekend’ is generally shortened to a 36 hour span from Saturday afternoon through Sunday that generally consists of what I like to call catching up on life.

Translation:  a crap ton of laundry (which, for those curious, is a shade more than a shit ton), and other errands like grocery shopping, food prep, and being dragged , usually kicking and screaming, to Target.

Don’t get me wrong, my girlfriend and I do fun stuff, too.  For instance, we have our “date night” on Saturdays where we pick a restaurant, get all jazzed up (her looking as bootylicious as always, and me trying to remember not to wear brown shoes with a black belt), and head out on the town.

We like to consider ourselves “foodies” and have a fun hobby where we collect cards from all the different places we eat in or around Boston and pin them up on, what else, our “Date Night” Board.

But in the grand scheme of things, my “weekend” is a blur, as it is for most people.  Which is way I savor my Tuesdays.

Tuesday is effectively Tony Time, where I’m able to catch up on emails, writing, programming, various projects in the mix, and episodes of Deadliest Warrior.

In addition, Tuesday happens to be the day where I make the short walk over to Boston University to train with my friend, Dave Rak, at BU Strength and Conditioning which is essentially a candy store for meatheads.

We typically meet up around one in the afternoon, and I spend the majority of my morning salivating at the mouth because both Dave and I have dedicated that day to deadlifting our faces off (and doing our part in the fight against terrorism).

 

So, as is the case with every Tuesday, I was excited to train.  That is until I actually showed up and realized I felt like I got run over by a mack truck.

Mentally I was just drained, and to top matters off, my back was a bit cranky from what I guess was sleeping on it wrong the night prior. In a nutshell, I was a walking bag of fail.

X Infinity

My plan was to head in and do some heavy mid-shin rack pull singles, but I scratched that idea once I started warming up and realized my back wasn’t feeling spectacular.  I knew I could probably push through it, but I decided not to be an idiot and opted instead to switch things up.

Rather than pull heavy, I performed some light(er) back squats for sets of three, and then, still wanting to get some deadlifting in, set the bar up for some speed pulls.

315 felt like I was pulling the weight out of a tar pit.  It felt sluggish, and by the third of fourth set I was starting to get an exertion headache, where I felt light-headed and a little nauseous.

Again, I cut everything short, and then moved on to my accessory work (barbell glute bridges with some one-arm DB rows).

In hindsight, I probably would have been better off NOT training in the first place.

In my defense, I wanted to move around a little a bit, and I was still able to get some semblance of a training effect in – so there’s something to be said for that.

But really, if I’m going to be honest with myself, it was a craptastic session and I really didn’t make myself any better.

Ironically enough, Dave Dellanave, one of the head trainers at Movement Minneapolis, posted this graphic on their fan page yesterday:

While I can pat myself on the back that I still “trained” yesterday, looking at this simple yet effective chart, I most likely would have been better off doing some foam rolling, dynamic mobility drills, maybe some light pull-throughs and sled work, and calling it a day.

Of course there are going to be the internet warriors and people who talk a big game who will say that this approach is for the weak minded or “gay” (someone actually said this on the Minneapolis Movement Facebook page).

I’d like to take the route that it’s smart, instinctive, self auto-regulating training.

As I’ve grown as a coach, and as someone who’s job it is to make people better, I’ve come to understand that trying to pound square pegs into round holes – while admirable t0 an extent (you can’t fault people for loving to train) and will undoubtedly win you some internet cred – is a poor choice to go about things 90% of the time.

It dumbfounds me that some people (some of whom are coaches) will take such a close-minded, and if I may be frank, pigheaded “all or nothing” view on training.

It’s unfortunate really.  Go HERE to read the thread.

Reverting back to a phrase that both Eric Cressey and myself use regularly:

Fatigue will always mask your true fitness level.

While it would be wrong of me to state that one should never train while feeling fatigued  or tired (that’s a little overboard, and not the lesson being conveyed anyways), I do feel there’s a valuable message being “sold” by the Movement Minneapolis camp.

Which is: it’s okay to take a day off, or to back off a little bit.

The world won’t come to end, and no one will think any less of you.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tweaked my programming, or that of my clients, if they’re not feeling up to snuff on certain days.  While it’s rare that I’ll shut someone down completely, there is some credence behind knowing when to back off when the time is right. (<—-You should Tweet that).

What are you thoughts on the matter? I’d love to hear what others have to say on this topic.  For me, there’s little (if any) advantage in plowing through a training session when it’s just not there.

More specifically, what does it say of me as a coach to take an athlete – or a general population client – and beat them to a pulp when they only had three hours of sleep the night prior; or just broke up with their significant other; or worse case scenario, has a raging case of explosive diarrhea?

Probably not going to do them any favors

That said, do me a favor and sound off.  Seriously, I want to know your thoughts.

CategoriesMotivational

6 Keys to a Successful (Fitness) Blog

Within any given week I get a handful of emails from people asking me how they can go about building a “successful” fitness blog. In today’s ever increasing digital world (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, The Matrix), it’s readily apparent that if you’re not up to snuff with technology – and all it has to offer – you may be left in the dust.

Do people have actual conversations anymore?

Believe me, I’m far from what you would call a technology geek. My cell phone would be considered an antique by today’s standards, I’m deathly afraid of Excel spreadsheets, and I can barely run a toaster without setting off a 5-stage fire alarm.

But one thing I do know – or, at least have a general grasp on – is blogging, and how fitness professionals can implement and use one to their advantage.

While a simple blog post couldn’t possibly come remotely close to explaining all the ins and outs of blogging, here are a few simple strategies/insights you’ll need to get the ball rolling.

Before we begin, however, let me address the elephant in the room.  Is having a blog even necessary? No.  Does having one mean you’ve finally made?  Um, no.

I can’t reiterate enough my sentiments that one should gain ample experience before (s)he worries about starting a blog.

More important than having a popular blog is actually getting good (really good) at what you do – and actually coach people for a few years – before entering the blogosphere.

Just because you trained five people last week and read a book doesn’t mean you should start a blog about how to train people.

I mean, I made a meatloaf last night, I don’t consider myself an expert.

It’s just my personal opinion of course. And some may roll their eyes at me for being so “old school,” but I really feel that one should have 2-3 years of training experience under their belt before starting a blog.  As a frame of reference, I started as a personal trainer in 2002.  I didn’t start blogging until the fall of 2006. I spent a solid four years honing my craft, trying to get better before I even thought about spreading my knowledge to the interwebz.  That, and blogs didn’t even really start gaining popularity until 2005.  But whatever.

Anyhoo, lets get on with it.

1. Take the Initial Step

I understand this is the Captain Obvious thing to say, but you’d be surprised at how many people don’t quite “get it.”

The first thing to consider is why do you want a blog in the first place?

Some people start a blog because they have a lot on their mind. Others use it as a source of venting.  While others use it to build a brand and get their name out there.

Whatever the case may be, you have to start somewhere. Just saying you’re going to start a blog and then not doing anything about it isn’t going to get you anywhere.

Secondly, just write.  About anything.  One of the major deterrents as to why people are hesitant to begin with is that they feel they have nothing to say. More to the point, they feel as if everything has already been said and that they couldn’t possibly have anything more to add.

Let me let you in on a little secret:  nothing is new, and everything has already been said.

But not in your voice.  And not in your own context.  Using myself as an example: I’m not like Nick Tumminello, or Jim “Smitty” Smith, or Dean Somerset, or any number of other bright guys (and women) who are thinkers and have an innate ability to come up with new(ish) ideas.  I’m more of an interpreter.  I’m able to read what others say and teach and parlay that info to others in an entertaining fashion.

Tracy Anderson is a quack, doesn’t know her ass from her acetabulum, and is about as intelligent as ham sandwich.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK_A-A7PBXc

 

See how easy it is!

That wasn’t an original thought.  Many have thought the exact same thing before me, and many will think the exact same thing years from now. In fact, I’m willing to bet that even when aliens visit Earth – when we’re all dead –  they’ll somehow come across that video, scratch their heads, and think to themselves, “who the hell was that idiot?”

Suffice it to say, much like we would tell someone the hardest part about training is actually showing up, the same can be said about blogging.  Just start.  Go to blogspot.com, or blogger.com, or WordPress.com (which is what I would recommend), sign up for free, choose a template, and write.

2. Set a Schedule (and Be Consistent).

Once you are blogging, it’s important that you set a schedule and actually stick to it. Traffic isn’t going to come right away (more on this below), but one of the biggest traffic killers – in other words: deters people from visiting your site – is inconsistency.

This is going to be highly individual depending on one’s schedule. Pick a frequency.  2x, 3x, 4x per week?  Whatever it is stick to it.

I strive for 4-5 posts per week, 3 minimum, and the fruits of my labor have paid off because I’m consistent.

Nothing turns people off than someone who blogs like a champ for a few weeks – providing killer content, increasing people’s level of awesome – only to disappear for a week.  Stuff happens, life gets in the way, and there’s nothing you can do about that.  Giving your readers a heads up (hey sorry everyone, I’m going to be away for a bit fighting terrorists) would go a long way as far as keeping them on your radar.

But if you just disappear, and it’s a running trend, you’re going to have a hard time building a successful following.

3. Content is King

We all know the saying:  if it looks like s***, and it smells like s***, then it’s probably s***.

Don’t write s***.

[Read THIS for some excellent ideas on how to write killer content]

I know a lot of “experts” will say that you need to pick a niche and run with it.  There are plenty of fitness blogs out there which focus solely on fat-loss, some on nutrition, and others on how to go about training bomb sniffing dolphins.

Just go with it.

I like to blog about getting people stronger.  It’s what I know, and it works for me.

Whatever you choose to write about and focus on, you better make sure it’s damn good content.  You need to own it!

To that end a few thoughts:

– Grammar counts too.  I’m no Shakespeare, but I can tell you that if you’re mis-spelling every other word, confusing proper usage of there/their/they’re, and otherwise just showcasing slipshod work, people will call you out on it.

As much as I hate grammar Nazis, there comes a point where you need to call a spade a spade.

NOTE:  I’ll call myself out and state there’s  a handful of misspelled (or even missed) words in this very post. Whatever. Give me a break. It’s blog, not a dissertation. And, I’m not wearing my glasses.

– ALWAYS give credit.  Like I said above, nothing is new out there, but if you’re taking credit for things you didn’t say or do, you suck. And someone will figure you out sooner or later.

–  Not every posts needs to be Atlas Shrugged. Lengthy posts – while cool for showing off your writing chops and definitely warranted when you’re writing about something you’re passionate about – will bore the crap out of people after awhile.

In his book Rise to the Top, Jon Goodman mentioned how you should have a schedule of short, to the point posts (400-500 words) that are easily “shared” and help to generate more traffic, and long(er), more elaborate posts to help “keep” your current readers.

An example of the former would be something like a quick mobility exercise, or a brief quip you learned from a DVD.  An example of the latter would this very post which, approaching 1200 words, is probably long enough for today.

Check back tomorrow for some more insight on what makes for a successful fitness blog.

CategoriesMotivational Strength Training

It Doesn’t Need To Be So Complicated

Regardless of the guru, my answer’s always the same, “It doesn’t need to be so complicated” I’ll tell them.

That’s a quote from one of my favorite bloggers, Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, who always seems to have a knack for keeping it real and telling it like it is.

Even though the good doc specializes and resides more on the nutritional side of things, fighting the good fight against obesity (and many of the asinine policies surrounding the food industry), he’s someone whose insight I respect a ton and it’s not uncommon for me to see value in his message and how it permeates into the strength and conditioning community.

Take this shining example taking from a blog post of his not too long ago:

Even if the nutritional gurus and zealots were absolutely, 100%, scientifically bang-on with their edicts and commandments, I’d still stick with that message.

Not because I necessarily know better about nutrition, but rather because I work with actual people, real life folks who go to work, who worry about their finances, who shuttle their kids back and forth to hockey, who are trying to do their best. And while there’s no doubt that it’s possible one of these nutrition gurus will actually, indisputably, get it right, it won’t change the fact that real people need to like the lives they’re living, even if they’re not nutritionally perfect.

Real life folks? Here are my recommendations:

  • Cook more.
  • Use whole ingredients.
  • Eat out less frequently.
  • Cook together as a family.
  • Eat together around a table.

And while those instructions may not satisfy the gurus and zealots who demand perfection, I’m guessing they’ll take you a very long way health wise.

It doesn’t need to be so complicated.

How many times as trainers and coaches have we worked with a client or athlete who refuses to accept the notion that they’re completely average and that the basics don’t apply to them?

Unless there’s some fancy algorithm involved or some Russian’s name attached to it, they can’t be bothered.

What do you mean just squats?   My last trainer had me doing cluster sets of band resisted squats vs. chains off a BOSU ball using a 5114 tempo with exactly 88 seconds of rest in between each set.  On one leg.

Please, I know how to squat.

And then your eyes start bleeding because their squat is just god awful, and you have to break it to them – tactfully, of course – that, “no, your knees aren’t supposed to cave in on the descent.” And, “no, 225 lbs isn’t really all that impressive.”  And, “um, yeah, are you going to finish the rest of those reps later, or are you actually going to squat to depth?”

I’m guessing many of you reading who are trainers and coaches are nodding your heads in agreement as you read this.

It’s frustrating to say the least when you have to remind people that there’s nothing wrong with mastering the basics. That they’re not above paying their dues. In fact, 99% of the time if one masters the basics and stops making things so overly complicated, they’ll probably see infinitely better results – regardless of whether their goals are strength and performance based or fat loss.

So, in keeping with the doc’s theme above, for REAL people, here are my recommendations:

– Focus on compound movements that force you to integrate the entire body: squat, deadlift, chin-ups, bench press, military press, lunge variation, row, etc.

– For the love of god, step away from the Smith machine.

– And would it kill you to wash your gyms shorts on occasion?

– Stress QUALITY over quantity. I’d rather someone go to the gym and perform 5×5 deadlifts (making sure technique is solid on each rep) than spend an hour doing god-knows-what.

– 3x per week, full-body, is a solid approach for most people.

– Throw in a day (or two) of interval based training and you’re golden.

– Please don’t skip your soft tissue or mobility work.

– Walking shouldn’t be considered exercise.  It’s called life.

– How much weight should you use?  If you can easily hit all your reps, bump the weight up 5-10 lbs.  It’s not rocket science.  And no, you won’t get big a bulky.  Stop thinking you’re going to turn into Arnold Schwarzenegger in a week.

– Just to mix it up a bit, save “bench day” for any day other than Monday. Trust me, the world won’t end.

– Training sessions should be no longer than 45-60 minutes (75 minutes, tops if you include SportsCenter highlight breaks).

– The bulk of your exercises should be barbell and dumbbell based.

– If you can’t perform at least five bodyweight chin-ups (man or woman), you have no business performing 46 sets of bicep curls.

– Do some push-ups (or TRX rows) instead.

– Find a good training partner.  It makes all the difference in the world.

– Less is more.  Try to limit yourself to 3-5 exercises per session.

– Don’t be intimidated to ask for help or to be coached.  Even the best in the business ask for help from time to time.

Obviously some of these are said tongue-in-cheek, and in no way exemplifies a complete list.  But in the grand scheme of things, it’s no coincidence that none of the above are earth shattering or new or are going to start a fitness revolution.  That’s the point.

It Doesn’t Need to be So Complicated!!!!!

CategoriesMotivational Strength Training

Shut Up and Lift

I had the pleasure of doing an interview for Jon-Erik Kawamoto’s site last week, and without tooting my own horn, I have to say it’s arguably one of my best ones, like, ever.

To read it in its entirety, you can go HERE.

But since I know a lot of people never click on the links (jerks), I wanted to post one of the questions – and my answer – here because I think it’s a message that a lot of people need to hear.

JK: From stalking you on Facebook and your blog, I know there is nothing more important in your life than deadlifting and bacon (and your new cat). There are a kagillion articles on deadlifting out there. In your expert opinion, what’s the best method/program to deadlift two ton Tessie?

TG: That is true, I do love bacon. And, it’s funny: if you would have told me five years ago that I’d eventually own a cat, I probably would have 1) laughed in your face, and 2) make some kind of joke that I was more likely to listen to John Mayer while eating tofu in my Prius on my way to a yoga class.

But it’s true, my name is Tony Gentilcore, and I own a cat (Dagny).

Who’s the most beautifulest pretty Princess on the planet???? You are, that’s who.

So bringing this to a more manly discussion, lets talk about deadlifts! What’s the best method/program to pull over two ton Tessie?

1. For starters, I really wish people would just get off the freakin internet, go to the gym, and actually lift some heavy shit. There are countless “internet warriors” out there that all they do is talk and talk and talk, and speculate, and argue, and brag about how many posts they have on any given forum, and any number of other things equally as dumb, and yet forget one key component: you need to actually lift some damn weight!

Stop talking, get your ass to the gym, place some weight on the bar, get angry, and then lift it……sometimes repeatedly.

2. Speaking more colloquially, it really comes down to one simple concept:

PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD

Here’s a personal reference. I didn’t start deadlifting until 2004. I shit you not, you can probably find posts on T-Nation where I’m asking people “what are these deadlifts you speak of?”

Like a lot of people I started out lifting weight at a young age and followed more of a body part per day split. Chest day, back day, blah blah blah. Trust me, a little piece of my soul dies just thinking about it. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I cringe looking back at how I trained as a high school and even collegiate athlete. If I ever had the chance to take a time machine back to 1994, I’d totally go back and Sparta kick myself in the face.

While I laugh and make fun of it, you know what? I always, and I mean ALWAYS had it in my mind to consistently try to lift heavier loads – whether it was adding a rep here and there, or incrementally increasing the load. That just made sense, ya know? I didn’t need anyone to tell me otherwise.

Anyways, so I started reading a few things here and there and slowly but surely started to understand that, for lack of a better term, I was training like a moron. I started incorporating deadlifts into my weekly training. I nixed the leg press, and started learning to squat to depth (a very humbling experience I might add).

One day I decided to test my 1RM deadlift. Mind you, I had NEVER tested my 1RM before. On day one I hit a 420 lb lift. Not too shabby. The kicker? I didn’t even train for it. All I did was focus on progressive overload. I wasn’t on internet forums arguing about foot placement or set/rep schemes or whether or not Han shot before Greedo (token Star Wars reference there). I was in the gym. Training.

Shut up, and train. It’s that simple. If more people did that…….they’d see marked improvements in their lifts.

I know that that wasn’t the “x’s and o’s” answer you were looking for, but I just feel that we’re living in an age where people are so inundated with information, that they’ve become paralyzed. It’s literally gotten to the point where people over-think things so much – should I do 5×5 or 4×4; So and so said I should wait 47 seconds between sets in order to elicit optimal growth hormone elevation; For max strength, this article said to use a 212 tempo, but my best friend’s brother’s second cousin’s Little League coach said to use a 311 tempo – that they forget one crucial thing.

Fucking lift!!!!!!

To read the rest of the interview (it’s pretty awesome) go HERE.

CategoriesMotivational Nutrition

A Discussion: Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss

Today I’m throwing everyone a bit of a curve ball, and doing something a little differently compared to what I normally do. To be as succinct as possible, I had an interesting email exchange with one of my female clients last weekend about the difference between weight loss and fat loss, and I thought I’d share the dialogue both she and I exchanged here as I felt it would make for some decent blog fodder.

I think this is a topic that leaves a lot of trainees flummoxed, and it’s something that unfortunately, despite our best efforts, is a message that gets lost in translation – especially within the mainstream media.

If nothing else, I thought my insight would serve two purposes:

1.  I think it’s a topic that a lot trainees (especially women) need to hear more often, and is something I feel pretty strongly about.

2.  Hopefully help turn the tides and help people realize that it’s not necessarily an “education thing” (we all know that pounding beer isn’t the answer), but rather a BEHAVIORAL issue that we need to address.

With that said, below is the email exchange between her and I, which has been edited slightly so that it would “flow” more easily in blog format.

On that note: Bagels suck!

Female Client:  Hey Tony, it’s been several weeks since I’ve seen you and I’m excited to get back to CP to train!  Having said that, while I still have some things I’d like to work on in terms of some aches and pains, and I definitely want to get my strength back,  I would like to work on weight loss, do you have any good suggestions for me in that area?

Me: Hey Kate Beckinsale (name has been changed to protect the identity of the actual client)!  Great to hear from you. With the weight loss issue, I think it’s important to understand that there’s a huge difference between weight loss and fat loss.

Far too often – at least in my experience, and this may or may not pertain to you – women get overly caught up on what the scale tells them. Weight loss can be completely subjective, and the truth of matter is the scale really doesn’t tell you anything.

If I told you to not eat for eight hours, you would weigh less.

If I told you to not drink water for a day, you would weigh less.

If I told you to cut off you right arm, you would weigh less.

In all three scenarios you weigh less, but does that really mean you made any significant progress?

Answer:  Um, no.

Sure, you weigh less……….but all you’ve really accomplished is to make yourself a smaller, weaker, armless, version of your original self.  There’s no shape, form, or contour to the body. What’s more:  now you have to do everything with your left arm.  And that just sucks!

How most women (and I’ll throw a lot of men under the bus here, too) approach weight loss is wrong.  Many would bode well by changing their mindset altogether and start thinking in terms of FAT loss.

More to the point:  to MAINTAIN as much muscle as possible (even better, build some muscle) and focus on fat loss.

One lb of muscle weighs the EXACT same as one lb of fat – well, DUH!! –  the difference, however, is that muscle is more dense than fat and takes up less space.

Stealing a little thunder from my good friend, Nia Shanks, here’s a great example of why it’s often a VERY good idea for women to not only toss their scale into the trash, but to not be skeered of adding a little muscle to their frame as well:

Muscle is more dense than fat, and that’s why a woman who’s been training hard and, despite losing body fat, hasn’t seen the number on the scale change much, if any, because she’s built muscle, too.

This is one reason why building muscle is a very good thing for women.

Here’s a picture to show that you can look better even if you gain weight. This is one of Jason Ferruggia’s clients.

As you can see, she gained 9 pounds but looks leaner, more “toned”, and more athletic because she lost body fat and built muscle. Good thing she didn’t let the number on the scale upset her!

I could write an entire book on what type of training one should follow in order to elicit similar results (Note to Self:  write a book), but I don’t really want to get into that here with you.

This might come across as beating a dead horse, but when it DOES come to fat loss, almost always, nutrition is going to be the biggest determining factor.

So, with that said, we need to come up with some “system” that starts to change your behaviors. I’m sure we can sit here and figure out a multitude of things that you need to change from a nutrition standpoint (eating more veggies, stressing protein with every meal, increasing healthy fats, food prep, etc), but that’s not going to help you.

Instead, and this is a concept I “stole” from another buddy of mine, Mark Young, who has a lot of experience in these sort of things,  we need to figure out a way to fix/change your behaviors one at a time. As an example, on a scale of 1-10 (one being “I’d rather swallow a live grenade and ten being “I could do that in my sleep”) how confident do you feel about omitting fast food or weekend brunches out of the mix?

If it’s not at least an eight or above, then we need to take a step back and figure out a better approach.  It’s only when we can figure out a way for you to be successful and to carry that over into a CONSISTENT behavior that things are going to really make a difference.

If you don’t feel overly confident about eating protein with every meal (using another example), then what about two meals?  Once you start making two meals a day a habit, then we can push the envelop to four meals per day, so on and so forth until it becomes standard procedure.

You go girl!

But remember:  YOU CANNOT OUT TRAIN A POOR DIET

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ In case you were wondering, I used capital letters so that you’d understand that this is kind of an important point

You. Can. Not. Out-Train. A. Poor. Diet.

It’s just not going to happen.  I can write you the most kick-ass fat loss plan in the history of the human race – training 4-5 times per week, throwing in any combination of circuits, finishers, or anything else we can think of that will make you hate life – but it’s not going to matter if we don’t tackle the nutritional side of things.

Using an analogy I’ve used in the past, if we KNOW that fat loss is (more or less) determined by calories in vs. calories out, which seems to be a more efficient use of our time:

A) Spending upwards of 45-60 minutes (maybe) burning off 350-500 calories (depending on the mode, intensity, duration) exercising ?

Note to Everyone Reading: trust me when I say this, despite the machine telling you otherwise, you DID NOT just burn 700 kcals walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes at a 5% grade.  Those machines are WOEFULLY off and not remotely accurate.

Seriously, think about it. Unless you’re walking with Volkswagon on your back, you’re not burning that many calories.

OR

B) Electing not to eat that bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios before bed?

Ding, ding, ding, ding.

If we were to take the simple equation that a lb of fat equals 350o of excess kcals (which I know can be argued, but bare with me, I’m trying to make a point), we can surmise that subtracting 500 kcals per day (whether through diet or exercise, or both!) leads to a lb of fat loss per week. Give or take.

Again, from a time efficiency standpoint, and with FAT LOSS as the goal, nutrition is going to trump exercise in terms of better use of our time no matter what.

Here’s the rub though:  as I noted above, it’s not an education thing.  You know that it’s not the best idea to crush Doritos (or whatever) or to forego preparing a home cooked meal in lieu of hitting up McDonald’s on your way home from work.

You know that eating a boatload of highly processed carbohydrates on a day where you’re less active probably isn’t the best idea.  You know ALL of this. So what’s holding you back?

It’s all about behavior change.

We need to have some sort of default “path” to help you succeed.  So,  instead of McDonald’s, maybe you hit up Chipolte Grill and order a meat salad with a heaping pile of guacamole on top?

While still not the best option, it’s a heckuva lot more conducive to your goals, and a step in the right direction.

The same can be said for trying to include more veggies, healthy fats etc.  We need to find a “spot” where you feel confident you can be successful. Going back to the scale suggested earlier: how confident are you that you can include five servings of vegetables per day?  Is it an 8 or above?

If not, then what about three servings? Two?

Hopefully this all makes some sense, and more importantly sheds some light on why I feel weight loss is not where your head should be at at the moment.

Still think cutting off that arm is a good idea?…..;o)

CategoriesMotivational

Get Rid of the Toxicity In Your Life

I think a lot of what holds people back from attaining their goals – especially those which are more fitness and health related – is the incessant toxicity that permeates their life.  In a way, it’s almost as if we’re all self-sabotaging ourselves, playing the role of enabler to continue sucking at whatever it is we’re sucking at.

Rather than take responsibility for our own actions and hold ourselves accountable, we “accept” things as the way they’re supposed to be, and grow immune to change.  Or worse, we just say something lame like “oh, I’ll start getting up early on Monday to go to the gym,” as if the weekend was some sort of free-pass or mulligan to stay complacent.

It goes without saying that in order to change something in our lives – whether it’s something physical, emotional, mental, or whatever – we have to WANT to make those changes. I think we can all agree with that, right?

But one thing that I feel many people fail to comprehend is the notion that we’re all drowning in toxicity that surrounds us.

What do I mean?

Food

I like what Krista Scott Dixon as to say on the matter:

You think your “willpower” is strong enough to keep you out of the potato chips after a tough day of not stabbing your boss? Hah! Make sure the chips aren’t there, make sure some tasty crunchy veggies are there, and then you don’t have to use your over-booked thinky brain to make that decision.

It’s a simple solution, but if the double-stuffed Oreo’s aren’t there – even in your super secret  hiding spot – to eat once you’re home from work, you won’t eat them.

Get rid of the toxicity.

Make time to go shopping for more nutritious foods (this is the accountability part). MAKE A LIST, and stick to it.  Those who make lists are less likely to buy the Cheese Whiz that’s on sale.  Likewise, reduce temptation by staying more in the periphery of the store where the meats and fresh produce reside.

And since we’re on the topic:  Buy whole eggs and not the egg whites you Pruis driving, John Mayer listening douche.

Gym

I don’t know about you, but (most) commercial gyms are a joke. Of course, anything that gets people off their ass and exercising is a good thing, but  itt’s almost as if training is an afterthought at most of these places, what with HD television screens attached to every piece of equipment and lunk alarms going off whenever someone lifts something heavier than a purse.

Not only that, how in the hell is anyone supposed to get strong with ambient music playing in the background and  when no chalk is allowed?

I’ve always stressed that one of the “x-factors” with regards to training is environment.  It’s an often overlooked component and something that more people should pay attention to.

NOTHING beats training around like-minded individuals who are going to push you and encourage  you to take your body to the limits.  Hell, nothing beats training in a gym that actually has more squat racks than treadmills.

This is actually one of the reasons why I like CrossFit.  Sure most everything else about it makes a small part of my soul die, but you can’t argue the overwhelming sense of camaraderie that it instills in its members.  I dig that.

Even if it’s only once per week, find a gyn that doesn’t suck.  Get rid of the toxicity.

People

You’re the summation of the five people you hang out with the most.

No really, you are.

Take me for example.  Just last week I was chilling with the likes of Chuck Norris, Mr. T, Jack Bauer, Papa Smurf, and Alicia Keys.

Okay, I lied.  I didn’t really hang out with Alicia Keys.  But if we did, it would have been awesome.

In all seriousness, though, if you have friends who are more concerned with what beer specials are at which bars during the week or who are constantly chastising or judging you on your healthy lifestyle, screw em!  Get rid of them.  Or, at the very least, limit your time with them.

By that same token, no one wants to be around a Johnny Raincloud all the time.  If you have friends or colleagues who are constantly bringing you down into their valley of gloom and negativity, as harsh as it sounds, get rid of them. Who needs it? You certainly don’t!

Having a strong and supportive social network is kind of a big deal and something you DESERVE to have.  Get rid of the toxicity!

Other things come into play here, too.

Turn off the television and pick up a book every once in a while.

Go see an art house film rather than your typical, mindless popcorn movie. This isn’t to say popcorn movies don’t have their place – Dark Knight Rises, anyone? – but you may be surprised at how enjoyable watching a movie with some substance (and an actual plot) might be.  Too, art house films usually show lots of boobies! Just an FYI.

Travel!

Go for a walk.  Seriously, people forget how beneficial a simple nightly walk can be.

Get off the elliptical and pick up something heavy.

Buy THIS book.

Adopt a pet.

Get off Facebook and live a REAL life and interact with REAL people.

Do some hill sprints.

Try new foods!  Preferably ones that  are green or used to have a face.

Have any other tips for those looking to remove the toxicity in their life?  Share them below!

 

CategoriesMotivational

Purpose

Before you read any further, do yourself a favor and check out THIS article by Adam Bornstein on What Type of Workout is Best?  Go a head I’ll wait.  I have to make my breakfast anyways, so I have a few minutes to spare.

Besides, if you don’t read it, the rest of this post won’t make any sense and then you’re going to feel left out and get all out of sorts when everyone else is laughing at you because you don’t get any of the inside jokes.

I mean, can you believe there were BUNNIES ON THE CEILING!?!??!?!!?!

AHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

See what I mean?  Now you’re looking at me like I’m an asshat because you have no idea what I’m referring to.

Seriously, just click on the link and read.

[Cue Jeopardy theme music]

Done?  Cool.

NOTE:  as you noticed, there actually is no reference to bunnies on a ceiling in the article, but if there were, and it was as hilarious as I made it out to be, who would have been the asshat then?  Hmmmmm??????

All kidding aside, pretty inspirational stuff by Adam, right?  I’ve long been of the same mindset that the only workout (or training program) that’s going to be successful is the one that you’re actually going to follow.  It could be anything from following a Westside type template to some sort of bodybuilding type split to, I don’t know, some sort of crazy protocol that has you performing 400 squats paired with slamming your balls inside an oven door.

Whatever works and gets you to the gym………..who am I to judge?

Getting inside the doors, for many, is the real key. But once there…….then what?

There’s one other component that I feel rarely ever gets addressed.  As much as people discuss the optimal set/rep schemes, proper rest intervals, ideal programming structure, frequency, tempo of the lifts, so on and so forth………..

…….None of it means jack if you don’t train with purpose.

If you half ass your workouts, you’re going to get half ass results.

Nothing – outside of those who drive under the speed limit.  And Ryan Seacreast – irritates me more than when I walk into a commercial gym and watch people train with no purpose.

They just kind of flounder around with no rhyme or reason, haphazardly doing a few arm curls here, a few whateverthehellthosearecalled there, and pitter-putter along. They’re just there. That’s it.  As if just showing up is all that matters.

Most often, these are the same people who bitch and whine that they never get any results despite going to the gym “x” number of times per week.

Want to know what purpose looks like?  Watch this video taken yesterday of Franklin Pierce RHP, Ryan Thompson, performing some of his med ball work:

THAT’S purpose.

And to think:  this is part of his PRE-WORK, before he even starts the meat and potatoes of his training session.

Every throw looks as if Ryan’s main objective is to knock down the wall. Every throw has meaning.  You can tell there’s intent, and he’s not just going through the motions.

So, the question then becomes:  if you are one of those people who goes to the gym religiously 3-5 times per week, and yet, never seems to get the results you want, are you really working as hard as you could?

Now, this isn’t to say that you have to approach each training session as if you were going to stab someone in the throat.  But by that token, it probably wouldn’t hurt to amp up the intensity a little bit and take things a little more seriously.

  • Increase the speed of the treadmill a couple of notches the next time you’re at the gym.
  • Better yet, get off the treadmill, walk over to the squat rack and use it.  Not to do arm curls.
  • Add a few extra lbs on the bar or dumbbell.  Whatever it is that you’re lifting.
  • Spend a little less time talking about last night’s episode of Dancing With the Stars, and a little more time focusing on the fact that you’ve been in the gym for 45 minutes and have yet to elevate your heart rate past comatose.
  • Try a new exercise you’ve never tried before.  Deadlifts?
  • Shut up and train.  Intimidate the weight.
  • Have fun, sure.  Don’t take yourself too seriously, but you know, train with some purpose.

Are you picking up what I’m putting down?

CategoriesFemale Training Motivational

A Girlfriend’s Response To the Atrocity That Is Women’s Fitness Marketing

UPDATE: said girlfriend who wrote this post is now my wife. Holla!

It seems I ruffled a few feathers last week when I re-visited my 4 Things Your Girlfriend Should Know article.

For those who need to catch up:

1.  I wrote an article five years ago.
2.  It got sucked into some sort of internet blackhole, and no longer exists.
3.  I used part of the article for another blog post HERE.
4.  I had several people contact me to ask where they could find the rest of the article.
5.  Since I had the original draft saved on  my laptop, I decided to re-post the article on my blog.
6.  Apparently, to some, I’m a chauvinistic a-hole who thinks women are dumb, and don’t deserve the right to vote.
7.  Wait a second…..women can vote?????????
8.  Just kidding.
9.  See what I just did there?  That’s called sarcasm.

Anyways, even though it was a piece I wrote a while go, it was obviously new to a lot of people, and I was surprised at how extensively it made its rounds throughout the blogosphere.

All told, the article was received very well. But as to be expected, there was some backlash, and that’s cool.  I certainly don’t expect everyone to agree with me.

Some women felt I was insulting them and they didn’t like my tone. Well, to be honest, the article wasn’t originally intended FOR women; it was intended (as another reader commented) for the men who hear a lot of the same complaints from poorly-informed women all…the…freakin…time.

More to the point: my goal was to convey that, when all is said and done, lifting heavy things = sexy (or whatever adjective you prefer), regardless of whether you’re a Victoria Secret model or just someone who likes to train for the hell of it.

Nonetheless, my girlfriend and I had a really great discussion about all of this over the weekend during our Saturday “date night.” As far as conversations are concerned, it definitely ranked up there as one of our most intellectual (poop).

Afterwards, we kept the momentum and went and saw a subtitled film. Totally not kidding.

She’s kind of smart, finishing up her doctorate in sports psychology in a few short weeks, so I asked her if she’d be willing to write down her thoughts and share them here.

This is what she said.

[Smoke bomb, smoke bomb, exits stage right]

Unplugged From the Matrix

Women’s fitness is controversial. Women’s fitness is confusing. Women’s fitness may or may not even exist. Learning that women and men should be doing the same basic movements to be fit, healthy, and in shape is the same as being unplugged from the “Matrix”, if you will.

For those non-sci-fi-readers, it is the same as learning that the earth is round, when you have been told your entire life that the earth is flat. Tony’s article on 4 Things Your Girlfriend Should Know is controversial because it unplugs us from the Matrix – it exclaims that the earth is round!

The beauty of the article, aside from its truth, is the passion and controversy it provokes. I say bravo, in small part to Tony, but more so to the men and women who responded to the article – who have feelings about ‘women’s fitness’ – and who, most importantly, are insulted by ‘Women’s Fitness’.

To ‘Yuck’, I am glad that you are insulted…. Say more! What language does the industry have to speak to women? To educate women? To help women to be healthy and efficacious in their fitness endeavors? At present, and in my humble opinion, the language of bullshit. Women, and men, harangue us on television, in magazines, and on the internet with promises of “toned” “thin” “longer” muscles and body parts.

‘Yuck’, are you insulted by Strippercize? By Yoga Booty Ballet? By the Pussycat Dolls Workout? I am. I am insulted that the industry has tried to convince me all my life that steady-state, low-impact, sexualized strutting is the key to me becoming healthy, sexy, and thin.

I am insulted that I am bombarded with false information at my every turn, and I am angry that I believed and followed bullshit advice for so many years. What I love about your comments, and your message, is that it is insulting to be spoken to as if we are “stupid”.

What it means to be a woman, and what is acceptable for a woman to be, has changed dramatically in the eyes of both society and the fitness industry since the 1960’s. Unfortunately, not enough. We may not sit back and wait for popular culture to hand us true, evidence-based, ulterior-motive free information. We must ask for it. We must demand it. And we must make it known that we are pissed off, indignant, and insulted when we are given otherwise.

“NOBODY EVER TAUGHT US!” I applaud “Ambition” for putting it so plainly, and truthfully. In light of the language of bullshit that pervades the fitness industry, how can we expect the average American women to respond differently?

I agree with Kelsey’s suggestion that Tony submit articles to Shape and Fitness magazines – several sources that insist, month after month, that the earth is flat.

Note from TG:  I’ll actually be making my first cameo appearance in Women’s Health this Spring!

Indeed, there are more effective and nicer ways to unplug women, and fitness-ignorant men, from the Matrix.

Christine, I agree that Tony, boyfriends everywhere, and fitness professionals alike could all catch more fitness “flies” with sugar, than with vinegar – But that is another topic altogether.

Sweet or sour, women need to hear the truth

We deserve to hear the truth. How truth is served to us, is up to us, to flavor. “Yuck”, “Well”, Christine, and other readers, tell Tony and the rest of the fitness industry what you want – and how you want it. Don’t stay quiet. Influence the information you receive, and demand what you deserve!

One of the great blessings of my life is that somebody taught me. My father, a bodybuilding, protein-shake-drinking, Arnold Schwarzenegger-admiring man, taught me about and included me in his most beloved hobby for as long as I can remember.I loved him, and in turn, I loved lifting weights.

I was always interested in being strong, in looking strong, and in pulling, pushing, and pressing more. I was never intimidated in the gym, and was often labeled intimidating. I realize that my experience is outside the norm. Most women have never been taught how to take care of and strengthen their bodies, and that is a shame.

Lisa V. suggested that it is shameful for women to be intimidated to lift weights, but the reality is that many are, and that’s not their fault – it’s the fault of society and the fitness industry. We can judge intimidated women all we want, but until we influence them, and until we empower them, we are only part of the problem.

Judgment doesn’t make change… education, communication, and action make change. Bravo to Lisa V., and many other women, for getting to Cressey Performance to train (and Amen that many men are as ignorant as women about how to train!), but the fact remains that you are a beautiful, powerful, exemplary exception – not the rule.

 

 

 

For Lisa V., and “Ambition”, “Yuck”, “Well”, “Speed”, Kelsey, and all of the other women out there who are not intimidated by weights and strength training, who are hungry for the truth, and who are insulted by stupidity and Bullshit – I implore you to keep saying it! It is only through writing, talking, confronting and considering that we can evoke the evolution of the fitness industry – and in turn, of women’s fitness… Whatever that is.

Confront Tony, other fitness professionals, the media, and the images, programs, and bullshit that we are bombarded with.

“Well” expressed her belief that the pictures of the women on Tony’s article were horrible – and I think she may feel this way because these are thin, idealized models who do not appear physically muscular. However, the point of the pictures is to demonstrate that thin and thick women alike lift weights and strength train.

No matter what we look like, or what we want to look like, being fit and strong is elementary to our goal. Personally, I feel that Serena Williams has the hottest, sickest, most amazing body on earth. Will I ever look like her? Unfortunately for me, no. Do pictures of her speak to me? Encourage me? Inspire me? Hell yes.

Whether it’s Serena or Giselle, seeing images of women who weight train is important to women of every shape and size, who aspire to change their body into any shape or size.

Bodybuilders and others who make a career out of their musculature aside, in my opinion, there is no such thing as too muscular. If seeing lots of muscles on a lady is too much for you, than that is you. If a woman wants to kill it in the gym, build muscle mass, and create a physique “outside the box” of acceptable female appearance, good for her! I celebrate her. I admire her. I think she is a badass.

She is healthy, fit, and she sure as hell feels fabulous. As far as I am concerned, saying a woman is too much of an athlete, too masculine, or too far away from the societal standard is chauvinistic, and judgmental. It’s no different than suggesting we should all look like Victoria’s Secret models.

Prakash, and all the others frustrated by the topic of ‘Womens’ Fitness’ – don’t give up! We can create and change the language of the fitness industry – but only if we are active, only if we voice our opinions, and only if we are willing to say over and over again (sweetly or otherwise) that the earth is round!

There is so much more to say on this topic. Thank you for being some of the few who have unplugged from the American Fitness Matrix that is ineffective and insulting.  I hope we will all keep talking – and criticizing, comparing, and kvetching. It is the only way to make change. To make it better. To make us stronger.