CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work Uncategorized

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: Conditioning? Review of CP Seminar, and Arnold

As this post goes live I’m most likely confined in an airplane on my way to Florida with Lisa for her cousin’s wedding.

We’re actually head to Captiva Island for three days and it’s going to be glorious. I haven’t had any direct sunlight in like two months, and I can’t even remember the last time I had a tan. 1994 maybe?

Plus, things are going to be getting uber busy at the facility within the next week or two with all of our college guys coming home for Christmas break, contributing more or less, to a “perfect storm” of pro baseball players, college baseball players, and high-school baseball players….

…..so this short getaway will serve as a welcome length of quiet before the storm.

That said, as you’re reading this, I’m sitting in a plane (clenching my butt cheeks like you wouldn’t believe), which isn’t one of my more favorite things to do.

Given a choice between lighting my face on fire or flying, lets just say I’d have to think about it.

So of course what did I do all this morning?  Like an asshat I watched videos of plane crashes, of course!

I just want to make sure I’m prepared.  You know, just in case.

Anyways, here’s this week’s stuff to read:

Conditioning is a Sham – Mark Rippetoe

I respect the hell out of Coach Rip, and it’s hard not to love anything the man’s written given his remarkable career and experience.

This article is no different.

Funnily enough, just yesterday I was joking with a few of the guys after performing a high-rep set of deadlifts (405×12), bent over and panting trying to catch my breath, that anyone who thinks strength training can’t count as “cardio” or that it can’t improve your conditioning is crazy.

You don’t need to bring your body to the brink of shitting a kidney in order to improve your conditioning.  No kidding!

1st Annual Cressey Performance Fall Seminar Review, Part II – Matt Kramer & Chad Rodgers

In the last installment of “stuff to read,” I linked to the Matt and Chad’s awesome review of the CP seminar from a few weeks ago.  Here’s part II where they cover both Eric Schoenberg’s and Chris Howard’s topics.

Thanks for doing this fellas!

Arnold Wisdom – John Romaniello

Those who are familiar with John’s writing will eat this post up.  Those who aren’t familiar – well, you’re welcome. Your world just got a little more awesome

And one more BONUS addition.

How to Get Your Period Back – Cassandra Forsythe

I know half my audience will balk at the title (and yes, it’s about EXACTLY what you think it is) but this was an absolute knowledge bomb of an article that I feel should get more attention.

On that note, I’m out!  See everyone when I get back!

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: Intervention, Foam Rolling, and a Return to Kipping Pull-Ups

I’m pretty excited today (and not because my birthday is in two days, hint hint hint). In actuality I have to head to the facility early this morning because one of the people from the Postural Restoration Institute (PRI) who lives in or near the Boston area is stopping by to do a short two and half hour staff in-service for us and it’s going to be awesomesauce.

Eric has been to a few of the modalities and Greg (Robins) recently attended one a few weeks ago, and within the past year or two we’ve implemented a fair amount of the PRI philosophy into the programming of our athletes and clients.

For those not in the know:  much of the dialogue revolves around breathing patterns and helping to engage the diaphragm more effectively.  Admittedly it’s much more involved than that, but at the expense of oversimplifying things, I’ll leave it at that.

Lets just say that there’s a huge likelihood that I’ll only be able to understand and compute 37% of what’s said.  God I hope they bring coloring books!

Note:  I’m not kidding.  If you were to go to one of their actual seminars, because there’s a heavy emphasis on anatomy, they have people use coloring books to help with the learning process.

Just to throw it out there, if they really wanted to take it to the next level they’d somehow incorporate glitter paint and a smoke machine.

Anyways, I’m excited and looking forward to making my brain feel like mush.

In the meantime, here’s some stuff to read to keep you occupied.

Intervention – Dan John

I don’t feel I have to go out of my way to state how much of a fan I am of Dan John.    He’s undoubtedly been a huge influence on my career, and I’ve highlighted pretty much everything he’s ever written on this site.

Intervention is his latest ebook, and helps to breakdown movement and provides step-by-step instructions in the Olympic lifts, powerlifting, mobility, flexibility, kettlebell training & tumbling.

In a sense, it’s an invaluable guide to anyone who coaches people or who’s interested in not sucking in the gym.

 

Foam Rolling Research (so far) – Jon-Erik Kawamoto

This was an excellent article which, surprisingly (I really didn’t know this), shows how there’s been very little research done with regards to the efficacy of foam rolling.  Much of what we know (and recommend) is based solely off anecdotal evidence (which isn’t a bad thing).

Basically at the end of the day, while there should be more research done on the topic (no one really knows how long, how often, and when to do it), I also feel that the “real world” evidence is clear.  I’ve seen with my own eyes people reap the benefits of foam rolling and feel it’s an invaluable tool in the tool box.

Still, I really liked this article in that it took an unbiased viewpoint and laid out what (little) research these is thus far.

Do Not Kip Your Pull-Ups Before Reading This – Dave Hedges

A few weeks ago I wrote a popular post (in the context of it making its rounds around Facebook) titled All the Hype Behind Kipping Pull-Ups, where I expressed my opinion on this controversial exercise.

I’m not going to get into it here (you can click on the link above), but needless to say I’m not a fan.

The impetus for the post was to note that I don’t feel that they’re a good fit for the vast majority of people who perform CrossFit.  It’s one thing if you’re already strong, have a solid training foundation, or have a fair amount of training experience.   There’s a reason why the top CF athletes don’t (generally) hurt themselves (as much).

It’s a walking train wreck otherwise.

As it happens, I’m not the only one who feels the same way.  Strength coach Dave Hedges offers his opinion on why kipping pull-ups probably aren’t the best choice for most (not all) people.

Also note the informative link he provides discussing the overwhelming amount of SLAP tears in the CrossFit community which can be directly linked to the kipping pull-up.

And remember, it my b-day on Friday!  I wear large t-shirts, 10.5 shoes, and I’m pretty sure Alicia Keys just came out with a new album.  Sooooo, yeah,  just sayin…….

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work Uncategorized

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: Deadlift Dynamite, The Swole Quotient, and a Really Funny Post

It’s pretty much set and stone (and if I’m not mistaken, the 14th Law of Physics) that anything with the word dynamite in it’s title is the epitome of baller and automatically increases its “badass” factor exponentially.

Two examples that immediately pop into my head are Napoleon Dynamite and Black Dynamite – both of which, respectively, are hilarious movies that I feel should be required viewing for everyone.

Now, just imagine what happens when you place the word DEADLIFT in front of DYNAMITE.

Like whoa.  That much awesome certainly can’t be  contained, and I believe a whole lotta Gangnam Style just hit you smack dab in the face.

Deadlift Dynamite – Andy Bolton and Pavel Tsatsouline

I’ve been hinting at this one for a while now, and I don’t feel as if I need to sit here and really “sell” people on this manual. I mean, everyone who knows me and reads this site consistently knows that I love me some deadlifts.

And Matt Damon, but that’s for another time.

I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy a few weeks ago, and to be perfectly honest it actually exceeded my expectations.

In fact, the title of the manual is a little misleading because it’s not just about the deadlift at all.  Everything from honing technique on the “big 3” (deadlift, bench press, squat) to programming ideas to corrective strategies on improving posture are covered.  And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

In a nutshell it’s about improving performance; it’s about preventing injury; and more to the point, it’s about getting strong as a s***!

If that’s something you’re interested in then I’d highly suggest checking it out.  It’s a game changer for sure!

The Swole Quotient Formula – Ben Bruno

This was a fun and entertaining post that Ben wrote a few days ago, that I think a lot of you will enjoy reading.

I wonder what my swole quotient would be for deadlifting 505 lbs eight times?

Even more thought provoking:  how would my swole quotient change if I did the same exact set of deadlifts albeit with a mustache?

See, I’m not scared to ask the hard questions.

A Quick Guide to the World of Strength Training – “Danny” from Tucson Kettlebell

HAhahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahaha.

This. Is. Awesome.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: Women CAN Do Pull-Ups, Make a Difference, and Programming Order

Okay before we get to this week’s list of stuff you should be reading, I have a few minor house cleaning tasks to take care of.

First: for those who missed it, yesterday I challenged everyone and their mom to a deadlifting battle, and so far the turn out has been awesome.  My goal was to get at least 100 people signed up, and as of the writing of this blog post (9:13 AM) there are a total of 45.  Sooooo, we’re almost half way there.  Not bad considering it’s only been one day – but I feel we can do better.

Much, much better.

Come on people this is for bragging rights, not to mention FREE swag and delicious dead animal flesh.  Or, to put it more succinctly……….

STEAKS!!!!

If nothing else, you can look at it as a new challenge or as something different to do for a week.  Or, for some, at least temporarily, just another way to make your spine flip you the bird.

Whatever the case may be, it’s going to be a epic.  For more info (including rules, etc) go HERE.  Pretty please, with dark chocolate covered (organic) cherries on top???????

Secondly:  who else is pumped to go see Flight this weekend????? I for one, cannot wait. Denzel’s the man, and I’m really excited to finally see director, Robert Zemeckis, make his way back to live action film.  After directing hits like Forrest Gump and Cast Away, he ventured into live-action animation  – The Polar Express, Beowulf, A Christmal Carol – and while they were all stellar in their own right (except maybe for The Polar Express – the animation was kind of creepy) I’m still excited to see what the end result will be from him and Denzel teaming up.

Anyways, I’ll be sure to give a quick review on Monday.

Make a Difference – Dan John

I’d argue that no one in the fitness industry – or anywhere, for that matter – has a way with words and can make any topic a “life lesson” more so than Dan John.

This was an absolutely phenomenal article and I encourage EVERYONE to read it.

If you don’t a kitten will die.

Can Women Pull Their Own Weight – Pete McCall

Last week an article written by worst reporter ever Tara Parker-Pope in the NY Times titled Why Women Can’t Do Pull-Ups (link to the original article appears in the link above) made huge tidal waves in the fitness community for its woefully generalistic, chastising, and downright faulty conclusive remarks concerning a recent research study looking into women’s ability to perform pull-ups.

My boy Dean Somerset also wrote a “Tara Parker-Pope just got PWNED” recant HERE, but I thought this piece also hit the nail on the head.

Strength and Aerobic Training in the Same Session – Does the Order Matter – Patrick Ward

Which comes first:  the chicken or the egg?  Me vomiting a little bit in my mouth or listening to anything Tracy Anderson has to say?  Lifting heavy things or performing conditioning or aerobic work?

With regards to the latter, as is the case most of the time, it’s going to depend. But if you’re going to do both in one session, Patrick Ward has some interesting (and enlightening) things to say.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work Uncategorized

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: Drug Companies are Shady, Obesity Prejudice, and Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Training

It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of the current medical model for health.  As a society – at least here in the States – we have a very reactive mindset as opposed to preventative.

Using the most obvious example – heart disease – it’s more common for a physician to prescribe a litany of pills to help “mask” the issue rather than take the more practical (and generally less expensive) route of educating people that eating a whole egg won’t kill them, and that Taco Bell probably isn’t the best choice for dinner.

Of course, it’s much more complicated than that as we have to consider psycho-social and behavioral issues, as well as the more glaring obstacle that our society enables poor health choices left and right.  I mean, can you blame a kid for crushing chocolate milk and an apple fritter for breakfast when that’s all that’s available to him or her in school? Right from the start, we’re programming them to accept that highly processed, sugary foods are part of a “healthy” start to the day.

We’re now currently in a state where, for the first time EVER, our children are expected to have a shorter life span than their parents.

Anyways, my blood pressure is rising just thinking about it.  Ironic, huh?

Back to the whole doctor thing, though. I’m not placing all of them under one umbrella of suck.  Obviously there are a infinite number out there who “get it” and actually take a more proactive approach to medicine.

Interestingly, when it comes to the research available to physicians (which dictate what medications they prescribe to their patients) positive findings are TWICE as likely to be published than negative findings.

In every sense, doctors are literally blinded in evidence based medicine.

This is why primary care is shady business. Or, more to the point, why drug companies are a bunch of a-holes at times.

In their defense, doctors seemingly NEVER get the full picture.  How effective can they be in prescribing medication if they don’t have access to ALL the trials?

Ben Goldacre discusses this very topic in TED talk below.  Fascinating stuff, and well worth the 13 or so minutes it will take you to watch it:

What Doctors Don’t Know About the Drugs They Prescribe – Ben Goldacre

The Last Acceptable Prejudice – Dr. Jonny Bowden

This article kind of falls in line with the TED talk above (especially as it relates to drug companies), but most importantly it was a fantastic article discussing prejudice against the obese. More specifically, it delves into the story of Jennifer Livingston, the news reporter up in Wisconsin who was openly chastized by a viewer concerning her weight.

Another less obvious point to consider is how the internet allows people to say things that they would never say to someone’s face.

Is Aerobic of Anaerobic Training Best For Getting Rid of Belly Fat – Charles Poliquin

Before the gates of Hell Fire open, let me state that I’m not opposed to aerobic training.  I’d much prefer someone do something over nothing – and if that entails going for walks or jogging or Zumba class (with some *cough, cough* extracurricular activities) than so be it.

That said, as a strength coach, I obviously lean a little more towards the “people should lift heavy things” side of the equation.

Ever wonder why commercial gyms are chock full of “cardio” machines and why they’re the most popular, yet the vast majority of people using them are still overweight?

This isn’t the case all the time, but Coach Poliquin does bring up some interesting data in his argument.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: Weight Manipulation, Intermittent Fasting, and Coaching

Happy belated Columbus Day everyone!!!  Or, if you’re Canadian – happy belated Thanksgiving.  Or, if you’re located somewhere else in the world and you don’t celebrate those two – happy belated Whatever It Is You Celebrate on October 8th!!!!

I hope whatever it was, it was awesome.

As you probably realized, I took the day off from blogging yesterday because both Lisa and I were away for a brief Columbus Day Weekend getaway. Well, to be more specific, Lisa surprised me with a weekend getaway.  Earlier in the week she emailed me from her work and all it said was “you have plans this weekend.”  And she reminded me to pick up some toilet paper on the way home, but that’s besides the point.

So, all last week she was stoked about going away and teasing me with hints about where our mystery journey was going to take us.

To my knowledge there was no Star Wars convention within a 200 mile radius of Boston, and I’m pretty sure Alicia Keys hadn’t started some super secret concert tour or anything.  Soooooooo, I honestly had no clue.

As it turned out – Lisa planned a completely Autumnal extravaganza complete with apple picking, raspberry picking, goat farm touring (including cheese sampling – YUM!), and of course, pumpkin deadlifting (see photo above).

To top things off, she also booked a room at this wonderful bed-and-breakfast in Wakefield, NH – The Wakefield Inn – that was about as quiet, charming, and colonial as they come.

Too, we ate at this restaurant (appropriately called The Restaurant) that had a burger called The Elvis.

What’s The Elvis you ask?  Well, it’s a 1/2 lb of beef with bacon and peanut butter – arguably three of my most favorite things combined.

Honestly, though, it wasn’t as epic as I thought it was going to be, but I was glad I ordered off principle alone.

All in all it was an amazing weekend filled with lots of laughs, LOTS of food, and some cool new memories.  But now it’s back to the grind.

However, before I get to the Stuff You Should Read I first want to note that, unbeknownst to myself until after the fact, last Friday’s post was my 1,000 post of all time.

Holy shit nuts!!!!

I just wanted to take a few seconds to thank EVERYONE for reading all my articles and for all the support throughout the years.

It’s surreal to think that a blog that I originally started back in 2006 on a whim (which I aptly titled “The G-Spot.” No, I’m not kidding. Sorry mom) which then led to the Step-Up blog on the Boston Herald, which then grew into the current TonyGentilcore.com, would turn out to be as successful as it’s been.

I’m humbled – and immensely grateful – that so many people visit on a daily basis and don’t think I suck. Well, I’m sure there are more than a few who do think I suck, but such is life.  All I have to say to these people is: thanks for the traffic!

Thanks again everyone – here’s hoping for another 1,000 posts!

Bigger Smaller Bigger – Nate Green

Nate Green is one crazy bastard.  Just for the fun of it he did this experiment where he gained 20 lbs in four weeks, lost it all in five days, and then gained it back in 24 hours.

And he documented EVERYTHING along the way.  Don’t worry, he had some pretty smart dudes monitoring every crumb eaten and weight lifted – Martin Rooney and Dr. John Berardi. N0 big deal.

It’s a FREE e-book chock full of insights and details behind the experiment.

Anyone interested in weight manipulation should check this out.  It’s a real quick read (less than an hour), and written in Nate’s signature witty style.

9 Things You Should Know Before Intermittent Fasting – Anthony Mychal

It seems everyone is intermittent fasting nowadays – *raises hand* – yet many don’t really know what to expect before embarking on their little adventure. Will you feel hungry all the time?  What foods should you focus on?  How do you go about structuring your feeding schedule?  And, maybe even more important, if done long-term, does one run the risk of growing a third nipple?

Here, Anthony sheds some light on a few topics that many people don’t necessarily touch on, including a really funny anecdote on how people can be a little bit too anal about whether or not it’s okay to break the fasting window by a few minutes

It’s funny because it’s true.

By the Coach for the Coach:  Be a Better Coach – Todd Hamer

This was an EXCELLENT article by Coach Hamer that I feel every coach should take the time to read.  The point that resonated with me the most?

#9.  Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know.”

What a profound statement to make, and something I feel many, many coaches are afraid to do. I know there’s a huge sense of machismo and bravado in the strength and conditioning community, and it’s often seen as a “weakness” to admit when you don’t the answer to something.

Listen, we can’t all be Gandalf or Gray Cook.  You can’t expect to know everything and anything….it’s impossible.

There’s a lot to be gained from admitting you don’t know something. And a lot to be lost when – and granted this is a worse case scenario – you give someone the wrong information and they end up hurting themselves.

 

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: Sacrifice, Concurrent Training, and a Video You Should Watch

Just a quick talking point before I get to the stuff you should read.

1.  I definitely plan on writing more on this in the near future (an article perhaps?), but I’d love to get other’s opinion on this.  In the past 1-2 months, I’ve taken roughly 80% of single leg training out of my OWN training program and my knees feel infinitely better.

In it’s place I’ve been squatting upwards of 3-4 times per week – with varying set/rep schemes and intensities each day** – and the only single leg training I perform are exercises using the Prowler (with the occasional reverse lunge or bulgarian split squat thrown in for good measure).

I’m not trying to make this into a functional vs. non-functional/organic vs. non-organic/ninjas vs. zombie debate here. This is solely an N=1 example, and I am NOT against single leg training.  I still use it with my clients and athletes and understand their efficacy, so anyone about to enter Defcon 1 status because they feel I said something absurd like eggs cause cancer, or I don’t know, Wolverine is the greatest X-Men ever, RELAX!!!!!!!!!

No need to send the hate mail.

I’m just trying to see if there are others out in the world who have similar experiences.  I’m in the mentality that everyone is different, and what works for one person, doesn’t necessarily work for the other: single leg training included.

Discuss.

Sacrifice and Hard Work in the Fitness Industry – Mike Robertson

Mike reached out to several other coaches and trainers in the industry and asked if we’d be interested in sharing a story or experience for a post he was writing on motivation.  In his own words…..

“I think some people assume that those who are “successful” (however you want to define that) have something inherently special about them.

Maybe they’re smarter, better looking, more well-connected, or they just flat-out got lucky.

Many of us enter the industry for one simple reason:

To change people’s lives via our passion for fitness.

And if you work/live in this industry, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Every single one of us has had one of those times where we feel a little beaten down and question why we do this for a living.”

I was humbled that Mike would include me on such a list, and I thought the end product was pretty cool!

Concurrent Training: Strength and Aerobic Training At The Same Time? – Patrick Ward

You can’t be an elite powerlifter and elite marathoner at the same time.  This isn’t to say, however, that you can’t implement a “system” that allows you train certain fitness qualities simultaneously.  You just have to understand that there’s going to be a “give and take” with regards to expected results.

Here, Patrick sheds some light on a VERY interesting topic and offers some sage advice on how to go about programming for different qualities.  At the end of the day research is cool, but you still need to be able apply it to your athletes.

It Was The Best Of Times, It Was The Worst Of Times – Anthony Griffith

I saw that Roger Lawson posted this on his Facebook page, and watched it myself.  All I have to say is…..Wow.

If you have nine minutes to spare, this is nine minutes well spent.  If nothing else, it just makes you feel that maybe your day wasn’t quite as bad as you thought.

 

** Just to give people an idea of how I’m approaching this squatting experiment, my week has been looking like this:

Monday:  Squat, working up to heavy(ish) triples.

Tuesday:  Squat, 3×5.  Nice and easy reps here.  Nothing remotely strenuous or grinding.

Wednesday: Day off. Cuddle with my cat.

Thursday: Squat, 2-3×8. Higher reps here using 10-12RM

Friday: No squatting.

Saturday: Is just a “get-up-early-and-head-to-the-facility-to-move-around-a-little-bit-before-clients-show-up” day.  I’ll toss in some VERY light Goblet squats in here.

Sunday:  Laundry, grocery shopping, whatever else I’m told to do.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Lift Like a Girl?

I know I seemingly talk about my girlfriend a lot on this blog (what can I say:  she’s the shit), but today I have a story that I think a lot of the ladies reading will appreciate.

Lisa (said girlfriend) is a fitness enthusiast who likes to train, eat dead animals, and who also teaches a few spin classes throughout the week for the heck of it (and for the free gym membership).  It’s serious business for her.  The night prior to every class she’ll make a new playlist, figuring out which songs should be used for sprints, seated climbs, as well as which ones she’ll use for their general awesome factor.

Not surprisingly, as someone who talks the talk and walks it, Lisa’s classes are routinely jam packed and she has her own “cult following” of spinners who follow her religiously. Rain or shine.

She also has a fair share of newcomers who sporadically attend her class, and she’s always welcoming and more than willing to offer feedback and advice.

As it happened – and this actually happens quite a bit – last week Lisa was approached by a woman who attended her class for the first time and asked whether or not she (Lisa) also teaches an “arms class.”

For a visual reference, see picture below.  Lisa is the one who’s not wearing blue.  And has hair.

Looking somewhat perplexed, Lisa was like “excuse me?”  The woman then said, “you know, an arms class…..kickbacks, bicep curls, etc.  What did you do to get your arms!?”

Always playing the modest card, Lisa said “thank you,” and matter-of-factly stated that she lifts weights 3x per week and got her arms by doing a lot of chin-ups and push-ups.

Probably not the answer the woman wanted to hear, but such is life.  If you want to actually look like you lift weights, or even if you don’t and all you want is to give your body some semblance of shape, contour, or definition (I can’t bring myself to say “toned”), you NEED TO LIFT APPRECIATE WEIGHT!!!!!!

There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Which is why I’m STOKED about Nia Shanks’ new product:

Lift Like a Girl Guide

 

Nia and I have been friends for a few years now, I respect the hell out of her, love everything that she represents, and I consider her the ambassador for female training.

Like myself Nia has long been telling women that they should focus more on training for PERFORMANCE, even if their goal is fat loss.

Even if you want to lose fat, setting achievable, measureable goals like being able to perform ten push-ups, deadlifting 1.5x your bodyweight, or working up to your first-ever unassisted chin-up, is the key.

If you want that toned (there I said it), athletic look, you need to drop the pink dumbbells and Zumba class, and lift real weights.

***And not view food as your enemy (which Nia also addresses)

The Lift Like a Girl Guide is Nia’s opus, and something I feel is going to open the floodgates for a lot of women with regards to learning HOW to train and eat the right way.  Not to mention set them up for a world of confidence moving forward.

Funnily enough, Nia sent me an advance copy and as I was listening/watching her first presentation last Sunday afternoon out on the patio, Lisa was within earshot doing some food prep in the kitchen.

Repeatedly I kept hearing her belt out “AMEN!!!!!” in response to everything Nia was saying. After about 20 minutes Lisa walked out to where I was sitting and said, “this is such a wonderful message to give women.”

I think of Nia were in the room at the time, the two of them would have shared a Thelma and Louise moment for sure.

So if it’s any consolation to anyone reading, Lisa gives it a HUGE thumbs up.

The objective here is simple: to get stronger, leaner, and healthier in the shortest amount of time possible.  That way there’s more time to do stuff that girls like to do.  You know, stuff like watching clips of Ryan Gosling being Ryan Gosling, and talking about “feelings” and what not.

Okay, just kidding (but not really).

What’s more, not only are you going to learn how to lift like a girl, but Nia also discusses how to EAT and THINK like a girl, too.

And, to throw a cherry on top: Nia says that if anyone who follows this program gets “big and bulky,” you can go to her house and personally Sparta kick her in the kidney.

It’s really a win-win. What have you got to lose?

—> Lift Like a Girl Guide <—

 

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 8/31/12

Can you believe it’s almost September!!?!?!  I was writing our rent check this morning and I couldn’t help but think to myself, “WTF….September starts, like, tomorrow.”

It seems like yesterday I was excited about summer starting, and now it’s almost freaking over.  The worst part?  I can count on one hand the number of times I had the opportunity to take my shirt off.  That’s just completely unacceptable.

The positive in all this is that 1) I planned a special weekend “getaway” with Lisa and the weather is supposed to be amazing, sooooooooo basically, my shirt is coming off.  And 2) Autumn is my favorite time of year.  Being from the Finger Lakes region originally (in central New York), I grew up appreciating the contrast of colors that would surround the lakes during this time of year.  Luckily New England is just as beautiful in a lot of ways, and I think every person out there with a Y chromosome agrees that nothing beats the smell of college football season right around the corner

Nonetheless, it’s going to be brief today. Here’s some stuff to read to tide you over between rounds of Angry Birds.  It’s Friday, I know you’re not working.

The Hidden Truth about Calories – Rob Dunn

This was sent my way via Twitter, and while I know there are parts of this article that could easily be dissected and ripped to shreds by the nutrition nerds out there, I thought this was a pretty thought provoking piece overall.

Creatine – Examine.com

We get asked quite often about supplements at the facility.  While we first go out of our way to instill in our athletes (especially the younger, more impressionable ones) that eating real, whole, minimally processed foods is the best avenue to travel, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that we do view supplements as part of the equation.

Note: We never push supplements onto our clients, but if the topic ever manifests itself, we feel it’s important to provide as much factual, concise, and relavent information as possible.

With our athletes, it usually comes down to helping them filter out the stupid and help them understand that supplements are just that….supplements.  They can serve a purpose, but won’t trump a solid training and nutrition plan.

More importantly, with the parents that entrust us with their kids, it’s about educating them that supplements <=> steroids.

This is never more prevalent than when the topic of creatine pops up.  While it’s the most researched supplement in all of human history – and yes, it’s safe and effective – you’d be surprised as to how many parents, usually as a result of some bloated cautionary tale from their family doctor, are under the impression that creatine is a steroid and causes global warming.

And to their credit, they should be leery and pessimistic.  There’s a lot of shady stuff out there.

I just chuckle and tell them that, no, polar bear farts cause global warming, and that  creatine is completely safe and then hand them a very abbreviated version of the link above (which is arguably one of the most thorough reviews you’ll find anywhere).

60+ Lessons from the 2012 Midwest Performance Enhancement Seminar – Mike Robertson

I was bummed I couldn’t make it out to Indy for this seminar as the line-up was an All-Star cast of  who’s who in the industry. Nevertheless, Mike does a fantastic job of recapping some of the highlights from what seemed to be an amazing weekend.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 8/17/12

I’m in a bit of a rush this morning because like an idiot I waited until the last minute to pack. A bunch of us guys are heading up to Maine for the weekend for Pete’s bachelor party where the plan is to go white water rafting, eat copious amounts of dead animal flesh, and arm wrestle a grizzly bear (or two).

It’s going to be an awesome time for sure, and given I’ve never gone rafting before, it should be pretty entertaining too.

Here’s some stuff to check out I think you’ll enjoy.

7 Reasons Why You Didn’t Lose Weight Going Gluten Free – Dr. Brooke

Gluten free is all rage lately.  I even saw a commercial on television the other day

where Kellogs (the food conglomerate) were bragging about their “gluten free” cereal line.

You know, as if eating gluten free Apple Cinnamon Chex (with 13 grams of sugar per serving) was somehow magically healthier for you.

In this article, Dr. Brooke breaks it down to common sense as to why gluten free isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Well, more specifically, the food industry is just shady.

The Hip Hinge – Sohee Lee

Here’s a fantastic article by current CP intern, Sohee Lee, on anything and everything that is the hip hinge: why it’s important, how to “groove” it, and why it will not only save your back, but increase your overall level of awesomeness by like ten points, too.  Who knew!?!?!

Muscle Imbalances Revealed – Assessment and Exercise

I know I said I was going to review ALL the presentations this week, but with Lisa coming home from Europe I kinda slacked in that department.  SORRY!!!!!!!

Nevertheless, I did watch the entire thing and was blown away with the amount of information that all the presenters gave.  And, not to play favorites, Anthony Mychal’s presentation was probably my favorite – especially the whole part on the importance of training the foot tripod.

Anyways, today is the last day to purchase the latest installment for the sick introductory price of $37.  Trust me, that’s a steal.

Okay, I’m out.  Wish me luck that I don’t fall out of the raft.