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Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 5/22/14

Guess who’s Bachelor Party is tomorrow??

This guy:

While I’d like to sit here and say the whole event entails Vegas, Victoria Secret models, vodka, and F-16 fighter jets (in no particular order)….lets just say there’ll be no jets.

Or Vegas.

Or models.

Vodka? Probably.

Either way, fingers crossed the night won’t turn into some replay from the movie The Hangover where I get stuck on the rooftop of the “Pru” in downtown Boston while the rest of the guys wake up the following morning in a haze of confusion trying to piece together the previous night’s shenanigans.

Part of the plot of The Hangover included Mike Tyson (and his pet tiger). Ironically, Saturday night starts with the bunch of us heading to Agganis Arena to watch good friend and CSP athlete, Danny O’Connor, fight.

I don’t think Danny has a pet tiger.

Anyways, it’s going to be an awesome night. I can’t wait.

Here’s this week’s stuff to check out:

The OMEGA Body Blueprint – John Romaniello

If there’s anyone I’d label a “fat loss guru” it’s my good friend (and fellow nerd), “Roman.” The OMEGA Body Blueprint is the direct descendent of his breakout hit from a few years ago, Final Phase Fat Loss.

Full Disclosure: I haven’t done this program personally. But I know John, I know his programming style, and I know he always puts out quality information and content.

I’ve been able to peruse the program, and it’s top-notch.

This is an advanced fat loss program, however. The idea here is that it’s harder to lose those last 5-15 lbs than it is the first 20, 30, or even 50 lbs.

This program is designed to target those “trouble areas,” the stubborn fat (for lack of a better term), and it does so by explaining the relationship of certain hormones in the body – leptin, ghrelin, testosterone, estrogen, to name a few – and how each can be manipulated (via specific training & nutrition protocols, heavy emphasis on the latter) for improved body composition.

If you’re looking to lock yourself in and really take your fat-loss efforts to the next level, John is your man.

The OMEGA Body Blueprint has been on sale all week, and the sale ENDS THIS SATURDAY (May 23rd). Don’t miss out. Check it out HERE.

The Science Behind Caffeine – Examine.com

There’s a reason why caffeine is the world’s #1 stimulant. Well, the world’s #1 legal stimulant anyways…..;o)

Does it work? Yep.

Does it have benefits? Absolutely.

But, there are limitations, and this nice summary helps explains some of them.  Be sure to check out the links for even more astoundingly thorough information and research!

Better yet: sign up for Examine.com’s Supplement-Goals Reference, hands down the best, most researched, UN-BIASED supplement resource in existence.

Deadlift Mastery: Paused Deadlifts – Adam Pine

 

I heart paused deadlifts. I’ve written about them myself HERE. I feel they provide a tremendous amount of benefits and serve as a perfect accessory movement when needed.

Adam can deadlift 700+ lbs, you should listen to him.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 5/13/15

I’m in Providence, RI as I type this.

More specifically I’m in Providence, it’s nighttime, it’s kinda-sorta late (for me anyways,(9PM1 ), and I’m hanging out in the lobby area of the hotel I’m staying in writing this post to go live tomorrow.

If you’re reading this now: hello.

Why am I in Providence you ask?

Well, I was invited to come speak at the NEHRSA (New England Health Racquet Sportsclub Association) Annual Spring Conference. I’m speaking about the shoulder tomorrow morning (er, I mean today), and how it does “stuff.”

I’ll discuss assessment, both static and dynamic, and discuss some of the key things we look for when we work with an overhead athlete at Cressey Sports Performance. I’ll then breakdown some common “big rock” things we typically need to address: lack of shoulder flexion, lack of elbow extension, propensity for joint laxity, difficulty with scapular upward rotation, and a host of other things.

I’ll showcase some corrective strategies we use, and then offer some insight on the strength training side of the fence.

And then I’ll perform an interpretive dance, ALA Napoleon Dynamite:

 

Don’t think I won’t do it!

And now I give you this week’s list of stuff to read…..

Does Periodization of a Program Help Improve Strength? – Mike Reinold

I felt this was an excellent perspective given by Mike. When working with beginner (and even many intermediate) lifters, and those not remotely interested in deadlifting a bulldozer, advanced periodization programs and techniques probably aren’t as necessary as we’ve been lead to believe.

5 Must Follow Rules to Dominate Your Fat Loss – John Romaniello

There aren’t many people I trust more on the topic of fat loss than my boy John Romaniello. The man practices what he preaches, and he’s a walking, living, adonis….24/7/365.

I hate him.

He’s releasing a series of FREE videos this week as a precursor to the release of his latest project, OMEGA Body Blueprint.

This is video #2, and it breaks down five of the biggest rules to follow if you’re interested in maximum fat loss.

Full Disclosure: it’s nothing groundbreaking, but all of them are things pretty much everyone overlooks.

Like, all the time.

All you have to do is provide your email (don’t worry, you won’t be spammed to death), and you’ll get instant access to the video and PDF.

Sex, Lies, and Fifty Shades – Leslie Bennetts

Subtitle: Millions have read the books. Millions more will see the movie. And everything you think you know about it – and women – is wrong.

I receive Entertainment Weekly in the mail every week. I remember reading this article in the magazine back in February, right as 50 Shades of Grey was hitting theaters on Valentines Day.

I remember really enjoying it. The article that is, not the movie.

Yes, I saw the movie. Considering all the depressing art-house films and kung-fu movies I’ve made Lisa watch in the six years we’ve been together, I owed her one.

It wasn’t as vomit in my mouth’ish as I thought it was going to be (great soundtrack, Dakota Johnson was good, the dude playing the billionaire Red Room guy, not so much), but it wasn’t anything I’d encourage someone to pay to go see.

Anyways, I came across the article online and thought I’d share it here because, why not?

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: The Fitness Summit Edition

Another week of “stuff to read,” another edition inspired by an eventful weekend of fitness industry shenanigans.

This time around: The Fitness Summit

Pictured (L to R): Pete Dupuis, Dr. Susan Kleiner, Bret Contreras, Dr. Erika Mundinger, Tony Gentilcore, Jeannine Trimboli, David Dellanave, Dean Somerset, Lou Schuler, Dr. Mike T. Nelson, Alan Aragon, Dr. Spencer Nadolsky, Sol Orwell, Nick Tumminello

I had the honor of being a first-time invitee last year (I even wrote about my experience HERE), and was thrilled I was invited back for the 2015 edition.

Lets take the insanely good speaker line-up out of the equation2 and note that, as a testament to the event itself, many of the attendees would constitute as an all-star line-up in of itself.

People like Greg Nuckols, Jen Sinkler, Andy Morgan, Eric Bach, Alicia Fetters, Bryan Krahn, Armi Legge, Mark Fisher, and many, many more made the trip to Kansas City to learn, mingle, eat what’s probably some of the best BBQ on Earth, and swear like sailors for two days.

If anything The Fitness Summit is a social event as much as it’s a learning event (and believe me there was a TON of learning). The uniqueness and appeal is the accessibility of the speakers to the attendees (which included 150+). It’s not as if the speakers speak and then jet off to their hotel rooms or sequester themselves at the “cool table” with all the other speakers.

Quite literally the entire weekend is designed and meant to be an informal party and networking extravaganza.

And based off how many people were wearing sunglasses on day two, plenty of people let loose….;o)

Ahem, cough, cough Alan Aragon cough, cough.

Kidding aside: I’ve never seen one human being bro-knuckle more than Alan Aragon. The man is a machine.

All of this to say: THANK YOU to everyone involved for (always) making it such an amazing weekend. Special kudos go to the Bromberg brosefs – Nick and David (in addition to their parents) – for organizing the event. THANK YOU to the speakers whom I’m always learning from and for considering me a colleague.

THANK YOU to everyone who introduced themselves and for taking the time to say such nice things to me. It means so much knowing that people enjoy and respect my work and appreciate the efforts I take provide a bit more integrity – however small – to this industry.

And THANK YOU to Southwest airlines for two seamless, turbulence-free flights.

This week I wanted to highlight some articles from some first-time presenters at The Fitness Summit this year. Some (or all) of them may be familiar to you – if so, my bad – but nonetheless, it’s my hope to direct you towards a few new resources that you might not otherwise have the chance to check out.

Power Eating – Dr. Susan Kleiner

It was a real fan-boy moment treat to have the opportunity to listen to Dr. Kleiner speak this past weekend because her seminal book, Power Eating (now in its 4th Edition), was one of the very first nutrition books I ever read when I started out in this industry.

At a time when carbohydrates are being tossed into the same category as ISIS, sub-prime mortgage loans, and Nicholas Sparks movies (< – rightfully so), it’s awesome to listen to a voice of reason like Dr. Kleiner – especially as it relates to ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE!!!!

Low-carb, and worse ketogenic diets, are horrible if athletic performance is the driving force, and this book is one of the “go to” resources I use to help drive that point home.

Sex Sells (You Out) – Jeannine Trimboli

Anna Sidorova 2014 Curling Champion, AKA “hot Winter Olympic Babe”

I really enjoyed Jeannine’s presentation this past weekend as she spoke to a topic that I often discuss here on this site with regards to the mainstream media and the unrealistic, sexualized messages it relays to women interested in fitness.

This article serves as a perfect overview of Jeannine’s message.

Ask Ann: Why Is My Shoulder Blade Grinding, Popping, and Achy – Dr. Ann Wendel

Full disclosure: Dr. Ann Wendel did not speak at The Fitness Summit (although I’m a big fan and she’s fully qualified to do), but for the life of me I couldn’t find an article written by Dr. Erika Mundinger (who DID speak).

She presented a superb presentation on SI joint dysfunction and maybe I can entice her to write a guest post on my site down the road (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

This article was the last one she linked to on her Twitter account (HERE), so that’s the best I can do.

It’s an article written by a doctor, shared by a doctor. And since I have a doctorate in being awesome, I approve of this article as well.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: I Survived Mark Fisher Fitness Edition

What a bonkers weekend.

I had the amazing opportunity of being invited down to NYC this past weekend to speak at the first Motivation & Movement Lab hosted by Mark Fisher Fitness.

The picture above was a group photo I happened to snake myself into during their POP (Pants Optional Party)3 on Saturday night.

A night, mind you, that saw me stay up till 3:30AM, which never happens. I wasn’t even fighting crime. I was just having a good time.

Can you spot me?

[And yes, there were plenty of people with no pants on during the party. FYI: Mine were on. I think.]

I’ve been friends with Mark (and many of his staff) for years now, but this was my first time visiting his facility in the flesh. And there was a lot of flesh.

Need a little perspective?

Here’s me finishing my last set of squats with MFF coaches Brian Patrick Murphy, Matt Wilson, and Liz Messina (along with special guest appearance by Roger Lawson, or RogLaw for those in the know) in the background performing bicep curls in their underwear.

With the red lights on and “No Easy Way Out” (<—Rocky IV shout out!) blaring in the background. All par for the course at MFF.

#seriousfitness

 

The video above was shared on Facebook yesterday and my mom (of all people) shared it on her Facebook page. I guess I’ll gave some explaining to do at this year’s Thanksgiving dinner.

Needless to say I had a blast this past weekend. The Motivate and Movement Lab, held on Saturday and featuring myself, Mark Fisher, Harold Gibbons, and Kyle Young – speaking on everything from gym culture and the power of social media to building a better coaching rapport with your clients and female marketing in the mainstream media – was baller.

I believe close t0 75 personal trainers and coaches showed up (pants on for this one) and were treated to a less conventional, albeit welcomed and fresh approach compared to other seminars and workshops.

Each speaker provided a 30 minute “introductory presentation” on their topic which was then followed by a 45 minute “lab” where the information was dissected in a more hand-on or participatory fashion.

I can’t say for sure, but it was pretty much the best day of everyone’s life. Ever.

All in all, the weekend was a testament to Mark and the culture that he and his staff have been able to germinate and grow to cult-like – albeit inspiring – proportions.

Warning: video below is NSFW, so put on your headphones.

 

And on that note, lets get to this week’s list of Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work.

Is “Lift Big, Eat Big” Always the Way To Go? – Lauren Perrault

Loved the perspective shared in this article. Which is, basically, sometimes, even us coaches need to practice what we preach.

Before Opening a Gym Ask Yourself These 7 Questions – Angie Garner

I can’t tell you how many times Pete Dupuis, Cressey Sports Performance’s Vice President and Business Director, has consulted with current and prospective gym owners who have seemingly fallen prey to a handful of seemingly OBVIOUS mistakes.

1. Having eyes bigger than their bank account(s) and opening up a 10,000 sq. foot facility out of the gate.

Start small and build. Always.

2. Not knowing their numbers inside and out. One of Pete’s litmus tests is to ask someone what’s the minimum amount they need to collect on any given month to cover their overhead (payroll, rent, health insurance, electric bill, etc).

It’s mind-boggling how many don’t even know that.

Some don’t even know what they collected that month.

Nevertheless, I felt this article helped shed some light on many other factors that are often overlooked.

3 Keys to a Big Raw Squat – John Gaglione

YES!!

This article kicked ass.

Many articles written about squats are written by geared lifters. This isn’t a knock against geared lifters – they have a lot to offer – but many of the cues and techniques that work for them won’t translate to raw lifters.

John nailed this one. Read it. I demand you.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 4/17/15

A quick heads-up before I toss this week’s list your way.

We’re excited to announce that Cressey Sports Performance will be hosting an upcoming 1-Day seminar with Alex Viada titled An Introduction to Applied Hybrid Training Methodology on June 28, 2015.

Alex is the owner of Complete Human Performance and author of The Hybrid Athlete. If there were a WikiPedia page made for “Badass Motherf******,” I’m pretty sure Alex’s grill would be plastered next to the definition.

This is a guy who’s not only an elite level powerlifter with PRs of 705 (squat), 465 (bench press) and 700 (DL) raw w/ wraps in the 220 class, but also competes in triathlons and ULTRA marathons (100+ miles) with a mile time of 4:15.

Oh, and he also dabbles in bodybuilding. And arm wrestles grizzly bears. In fact, he’s the guy The Avengers call when they need help.

He’s an impressive human being and he’s someone who challenges people to push their bodies to levels and places they never thought possible. I’m really looking forward to listening to him speak, and I know the rest of the CSP staff is as well.

For more information you can go HERE.

8 Workout Mistakes You’re Probably Making – Lee Boyce

My favorite mistake – “You’re pulling a CrossFit.”

LOLs. I heart Lee.

This Is the Best Ab Wheel Instructional Video On the Internet – Jordan Syatt

I know the title comes across as a bit conceited, analogous to me writing something along the lines of “Hey Internet, My Biceps Are the Best Biceps in the History of Ever. Get Some!“4

But I didn’t think the title was conceited at all, and felt it was very fitting.

This is actually a really good video and demonstrates pretty much how everyone performs their ab wheel rollouts.

How Should Journalists Cover Quacks Like Dr. Oz or the Food Babe – Julia Belluz

I concede that even I’m growing tired of all the anti-Dr. Oz and Food Babe diatribes that are drowning the internet right now.

While at a base-level I enjoy it – because both are assholes. A little more assholey than someone who clubs a baby seal, but not quite as assholey as Kanye West – none of it really accomplishes anything.

Why?

Because even the negative commentary – which is often backed by facts and droves of scientific research that clearly debunks much (if not all) of the pseudoscience they spout – still draws attention to them.

Which, in a sick, backwards way, gains them supporters.

This was a nice outside-of-the-box way of addressing the issue.

Give it a read. PLEASE.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 4/10/15

Before I get to this week’s list of stuff to read while you’re pretending to work, I wanted to toss some love towards a new show that Lisa and I just finished watching on Netflix….Bloodline.

The show revolves around the Rayburn family….Mom, Dad, four siblings, and the dynamics – past and present – between each member as they run their family owned beach resort in the Florida Keys.

The Rayburns are your classic American, small town, successful, happy family. Or so it seems.

John (played by Kyle Chandler, best known for his role as coach Eric Taylor in Friday Night Lights) is a local detective and moral compass for the family.

Older brother Danny (played by Ben Mendelsohn, who will assuredly win many awards for his role) is the family outcast and black sheep.

Youngest siblings, Meg and Kevin (played by Linda Cardellini and Norbert Leo Butz) are stuck in the middle of all the drama.

And rounding out the all-star cast, the patriarchs – Robert and Sally Rayburn – are played by none other than freakin Sam Shepard and Sissy Spacek.

The Rayburns have their demons to contend with…deep, dark, family secrets that would make an episode of Forensic Files seem like a Care Bears movie. To that end, it’s right up my alley. But I can’t speak highly enough of how well written and acted the show is. Not to mention how well it’s shot.

My fiance, Lisa, who is from Florida, ooo’d and aaah’d watching all 13 episodes and it reminded her of how much she misses it down there.

Suffice it to say if you’re looking for a new show to binge watch, and show that’s dark, supremely made, and is smart….Bloodline would get my vote.

Losing Fat Without Macro Counting: 10 Strategies – Anyman Fitness

We have the IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) crowd, we have the intermittent fasting crowd, we have Paleo, we low-carb/high fat, low fat/high carb, and we have any number of “fanatical” approaches on how everyone should eat to lose fat.

I’m sure somewhere out there in the world there’s a group of people who will say to avoid all foods beginning with the letters C, K, M, P, and Q on Thursdays, except for in months that end with the letter E and/or if it’s a leap year.

Then it’s all months that end in Y.

The point is: there’s a lot of information out there with a lot of different view points and it’s hella confusing. I felt this article was pretty level headed and “accessible” with its message. The less minutia the better in my book.

How to Bulletproof Your Hamstrings – Mike Robertson

It’s Spring time – tis the season for an epidemic of hamstring strains and tears.

This post by Mike is excellent.

One Movement That Will Help Your Pull-Up – Artemis Scantalides

As someone who works with a lot of female clients who’s goal it is to finally conquer their first chin-up/pull-up, I can’t approve of this article enough.

If I could make out with it, I would. I like it that much.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: Second List This Week Because Why Not?

I know I posted one of these earlier this week, sorry. Fridays are the days I typically slap this stuff up on my site and I wanted to try to get back on track.

Plus, it’s my website. So there. Deal with it.  And, here’s a picture of a cute kitty.

Did You Hear High Performance Handbook Is On Sale? – Eric Cressey

;o)

Last chance to get HPH at $50 off the regular price. Sale ends Saturday (4/4)

I know the internet is tired of hearing from Eric Cressey this week, but there’s a reason why so many people have been singing his praises. He’s written a program that works.

It’s never a bad thing to have one of the best strength coaches around guiding you through four months programming – includes pre-assessment to cater the program to your needs and goals in addition to over 200+ video demonstrations with commentary (that’s like two hours of content right there).

Rep 29: Mark Rippetoe Asks “Are Physical Therapists Really Frauds?” – Scotty Butcher

About a year ago (maybe a tad longer), strength coach Mark Rippetoe wrote a scathing article on T-Nation bemoaning the efficacy of physical therapy. I can’t say I agreed 100% with his commentary, but I also can’t say I wasn’t nodding my head in agreement for most of it either.

I felt this article by Scotty Butcher was an excellent introspection.

You Don’t Have To Do This – Greg Robins

Nice to see Greg back to writing on his site. I hope he continues to do more of it.

There is no honor in nay-saying the person who chooses to run for exercise, or to play hoops, or to skip “leg-day”, just because you are “power-lifting” or identify with some other STRENGTH SPORT. In reality, these people are enjoying their training approach, they are reaching their goals, and in most scenarios they are happy, healthy and look great by the only measure that matters; their own. An EliteFTS t-shirt and a pair of Converse All-Stars doesn’t make you better than anyone. Doing deadlifts is in no way superior to other productive forms of resistance training if you aren’t invested in the growing pains of learning how to do it well.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 3/30/15

Just a brief word expressing my gratitude and thanks to everyone who attended the 2nd Annual Strength and Conditioning Symposium at SUNY Cortland this past weekend in Cortland, NY.

It was a stellar line-up of presenters including myself, Nick Tumminello, Mark Fisher, John Gaglione, and Joy Victoria.

In freakin Cortland, NY.

Don’t know where that is? Here’s a map to help out.

Hook a left at middle-of-nowhere, make a u-turn at the 7347th corn field you pass (if you miss it, just use the lights emanating from the North Star Wal-Mart to guide you), and you should see it on your right.  Nope, crap, you missed it. Turn back. There. See the cow? Dammit, you missed it again.

Yeah, yeah….the NY Jets have had their pre-season camp there for the past five years or so, which is a big deal and brings a lot of excitement to the community. But this is the second year in a row that Justin Kompf has wrangled together some impressive coaches and speakers to come speak, which is a big deal in of itself.

The re-acquisition of Darrelle Revis by the Jets will undoubtedly bring some buzz to Cortland this summer; but with Mark discussing how to build a gym culture, Nick sharing his thoughts and insights on single leg training, John breaking down the deadlift, Joy discussing female specific program design, and my biceps with me offering my own thoughts on program design, the buzz that was felt this past weekend was pretty epic too.

Keep you eyes peeled and mark your calendars for next year!

Here’s some stuff to read…..

Cressey Sports Performance Roundtable: Carving Your Path As a Strength Coach – Tony Bonvechio

It happens all the time. An athlete comes to train at CSP and gets the “bug” to become a strength coach, personal trainer, or something along those lines.

In fact, we’ve had several former athletes of ours pursue this path once completing their collegiate or professional careers, oftentimes returning as an intern. And I can’t begin to tell you how many high-school athletes of ours have gone on to higher education to pursue becoming a strength coach, physical therapist, or athletic trainer.

It’s awesome, and we take a lot of pride knowing we’ve had a say in helping to mold young adult’s passion and career path.

Some (not all), however, to no fault of their own, feel all they need to do is study for an exam, pass a test, and BAM, they’re well on their way to training professional athletes. It’s not quite that simple, and we as a coaching staff took it upon ourselves to offer our own insight and experiences on the topic.

Settling the Great Grain Debate – Brian St. Pierre

 

There are two types of people in this world: those who eat grains, and those who feel you’re the Spawn of Satan if you do and are condemned to a life of on-going health issues, never getting below 10% body fat, and explosive diarrhea.

Facetiousness aside, the “grain debate” is a real one and one that’s making people choose sides. Often with major biases, faulty logic, and misinformation.

This was an excellent piece by Brian I feel was a fair and level headed answer to the debate.

How to Be a Popular & Successful Fitness Authority – Bret Contreras

This was a very fitting post by Bret, because it was a topic that was discussed extensively this past weekend in Cortland (see above).

I agree with Bret that the words “popular and successful” are a bit ambiguous and don’t speak to the anything concrete or relevant to the topic.

Some will define popular and success by how many Twitter followers they have. Some will define it by their back account. It’s up to the individual to figure that out on his or her own.

That said, Bret nails it on the head with this post. I’d also add TALENT to the mix. At the end of the day, you still need to convey some semblance of talent – in multiple facets: coaching, continuing education, program design, getting results, and not being an uppity, entitled, doucher of a douchebag).

Well said Bret. Thank you for writing this.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 3/13/15

I’m in a bitter sweet mood as I type these words while chilling in Tropicana Cafe located just outside the reach of Circular Quay in a neighborhood called Darlinghurst (Sydney).

Lisa’s sitting right across from me and we’re both sharing a piece of carrot cake while sipping on some peppermint teas. We’re classy like that.

Feeling bitter because we just checked out of the Sir Stamford Hotel in the Quay and are now staying in a hotel that’s not the Sir Stamford Hotel. That was place the shit. I highly recommend it if you’re ever in the area. Also bitter because we’re down to our last two days in Australia. Tomorrow I’ll be busy with my last workshop working with 30 of Sydney’s most prolific trainers, taking them through the ropes on how I coach and approach corrective exercise.

And then Lisa and I will be heading back to Boston the day after that.

Feeling sweet because this has been an amazing experience and something I won’t soon forget. That and we’re both ready to come home to Boston. We miss Dagny (our cat).

We don’t miss the snow.

For those unaware, Lisa has been writing a daily dairy of our Australian exploits. You can check it out HERE. To give you a bit of the flavor of her posts here’s a pic we took as I was driving from Sydney to the Hunter Valley (on the opposite of the car and road).

Needless to say there’s plenty of trials, tribulations, and tomfoolery to read about. I think you’ll enjoy it.

And speaking of stuff to read, here’s the latest list……

Lift Weights Faster 2.0 – Jen Sinkler

Full Disclosure: this isn’t an article. But it isn’t a hidden agenda either. I like Jen. I respect Jen. I think she’s one of the best coaches around, and I KNOW she’s someone who routinely puts out high-quality content. In short: she helps people, and she’s damn good at it too.

If you missed it, she wrote a fantastic guest post a few days ago on OVER-conditioning.

LWF 2.0 is a fantastic resource for anyone looking to up the ante not only with their conditioning, but also how not to be an asshat with overdoing it.

In fact I use LWF myself when I need a swift kick in the ass, or if I need a little “twist” when writing programs for my own clients. It’s that good!

Friday (March 13th) is the LAST day to purchase it at a heavily discounted price though, so make sure to take advantage of it while you can.

My Favorite Exercise Combinations: Installment 4 – Miguel Aragoncillo

Fellow Cressey Sports Performance coach, Miguel Aragoncillo, wrote this fantastic post on a really cool bench press/”creep” combination that I think a lot of people will enjoy.

Never thought of this approach before. I dig it!

6 Deadlift Tips For Non-Powerlifters – Nick Tumminello

What can I say? I can never resist a good deadlift article. This one was superb.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 3/3/15

Before I get into this week’s list I wanted to share with everyone a cool event coming up in the very near future that I’ve been invited to participate in. No, it’s not the NorthEast Regional Star Wars Geek Fest Extravaganza.

But it is something just as nerdtastic……..

Movement and Motivation LAB

Let my good friend and MFF coach, Harold Gibbons, explain….

On Saturday, April 25th, the Mark Fisher Fitness team is hosting our first Motivation and Movement LAB (M/M LAB) for fitness professionals. 

Our take on the fitness conference is a laboratory — one that lets health and fitness professionals like you explore progressive strategies to enhance your life and the lives of your clients.

We’re building a learning experience that’s better for trainers. Long lectures can work for some, but we’d like to try something we think can be more effective.

Instead, we’re focusing on power 30-minute presentation, followed by 45-minute workshops where attendees and presenters work together to build action plans that can be smoothly implemented in their personal practice. It’s the “Monday Morning” take home, with a personal system to make it a success.

You’ll gain insight into just how Mark Fisher Fitness built a multi-million dollar fitness business in less than three years. We’ll be joined by guest star, Jedi Knight and fitness super hero Tony Gentilcore and together we’ll explore strategies to improve your coaching and your business in an innovative format.  Each speaker (four total) will offer a 30-minute lecture and a 45-minute interactive work session to allow for a more complete integration of the concepts covered.  

You’ll leave with a clear list of actions steps for Monday morning and the M/M LAB effect will lead to immediate positive impact on your clients and your career.

You can learn more at the M/M Lab website, and ENROLL to join us on April 25th for new ideas, new results, and a new you.

NOTE from TG: Early bird registration ends on March 8th, so there’s only a few days left to take advantage of the savings. Not only is it more expensive to wait to sign up, but in order to gain access to the party all non-early bird registrants have to either lip sync a Lady Gaga song (in full, with dancing) or wear a leopard print leotard during my presentation.

Now lets get to this week’s list:

Female Fat Loss Hierarchy – Stacie Schaedler

Stacie is a local trainer here in Boston who’s about as diverse as they come. She’s has an extensive background in yoga, but is also an accomplished kettlebell instructor and loves to lift heavy stuff.

She and I have crossed paths several times in recent years, and it was recently, at Chad Wesley Smith’s Juggernaut Workshop that we connected and talked some shop.

In short, she’s the shit.

I think many people who read this blog will enjoy Stacie’s work and tone. And I think many people will especially enjoy this article.

The World We Live In…Man Has It Changed – Curt Schilling

Curt trained at Cressey Sports Performance briefly back in 2008 when he was contemplating a comeback. I don’t think I have to tell everyone reading that it was an awesome opportunity and experience.

Yes he’s opinionated, and yes he likes to talk (a lot), but it’s hard not to respect someone who isn’t afraid to stick to his guns and stand by his word.

The story is now national news, but for those unaware Curt shared an experience on his website recently regarding a disturbing “incident” on his Twitter page. In short it goes like this:

1. Like any proud father would do, he posts a congratulatory Tweet about his daughter being accepted to college where she’ll also be an athlete on the softball team.

2. Several young men go on to post vulgar, sexual, abusive, disturbing messages about his daughter.

3. Curt “ousts” the culprits on his website.

I felt it was a VERY well written article by Curt and more than warranted. Kids nowadays have grown up behind a keyboard, and it’s unfortunate that because of this, many have grown up with a sincere lacking of a social filter…to the point where some feel immune to any consequences of their words and actions.

This is a mantra that we try to instill with our own high-school and collegiate athletes at CSP. I can count numerous times where we’ve seen “questionable” posts and Tweets by athletes of ours to the point where we felt it necessary to sit them down and tell them if WE see this, who’s to say that a future coach or employer won’t see it?

In any case, it’s a vital message that needs to relayed to today’s Millennials…their words matter and have consequences whether said to someone’s face (which, not coincidentally, never happens) or on the computer screen.

Three Rotational Movements to Give Your Conditioning a Twist – Jen Sinkler

In anticipation of the release of her updated version of her popular Lift Weights Faster program, appropriately titled Lift Weights Faster 2.0,5 Jen Sinkler is releasing a treasure trove of FREE videos this week to help wet the palette of those looking to, well, lift weights faster.

The title is misleading because it’s NOT about twisting and contorting your lumbar spine with rotational movements like med ball throws and the like. Boooooooooooring.

Rather the video breaks down three baller movements which help improve your hip and t-spine mobility to battle things like back pain and SI joint pain.

You’ll have to provide your email address to watch the video, but 1) it will be worth it and 2) I can vouch for Jen and assure you she’s not an asshole and will up using your email to spam you incessantly.

She’s good people…you should (nay, need) to listen to her.