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Day 5: Ballina, Sydney, Pokolbin, Success!

Lisa’s daily dairy of our Australian Adventure continues (cue old-school 1960s Batman music here. Dah-na-na-na-na-Dah-na-na-na-na)….

For no reason whatsoever I woke up at 4:00am and couldn’t go back to sleep. I think it’s because it feels like Christmas every morning since a few days before we even left for the trip! We enjoyed a quiet last morning in our lovely suite at the Ramada, and were the first patrons for a second time at The Bean Bank. Are you tired of admiring my morning flat white?:

I had the “big breakfast”, and Tony had the omelet and the muesli (two breakfasts). As you can see, we hated it:

Sometimes I am a space cadet. For example, Shannan was kind enough to offer a ride to the airport, and I told him our flight was at 10:40am. We made a plan for a pick up, and he asked us to be in touch when we got back to our room and noticed that it was a different time.

Did I look then? Nope.

This morning at about 5:15am, THANK GOODNESS I checked, just in time to see that our flight LANDS at 10:35, and leaves at 9:00am. Should we panic?! I’m sure we made for a stressful start to Shannan’s day, but he was a champ about it and came to pick us up with his delicious family, bright and early at 8:00am.

I’m pretty sure Shannan, Mady, and Sebastian qualify as the cutest family in Ballina. Everyone is smiling and pumped! Sebastian is super-yummy and I almost bit him right on the face while saying goodbye. Even though we’re excited for the next phase of the Australian Adventure, we’re bummed to leave Ballina, and sad to say good-bye to Shannan and company.

Please, for anyone living in or around Ballina visit Shannan and his gym RAW F.A.S.T Fitness. You won’t be disappointed.

Everyone kept telling us we only needed to get to the airport 30 minutes before take off… say what??! We didn’t believe it. I’m not kidding you, from the front door to the gate, it was 4 minutes. For serious.

No ballywho. No waiting for hours and standing in line. The front half of the plane loads through the front door, the back half through the back door. And then you go. It’s a bullshit free system – point for the Australians.

Here’s Tony (with me behind) walking up to the plane:

I was so excited to start part II of our adventure that the top of my head almost blasted off as the plane approached Sydney:

After retrieving our luggage we headed to the rental car dealer. We got a “Holden” – which neither of us has seen before. Check our cute little rental!

This is the point of the show when the anxiety sets in. The driver’s seat is on the other side – the traffic flows on the other side (the left side). We’ve got to drive through some Sydney traffic and about 2 hours north to the Hunter Valley, using the GPS on Tony’s phone… We begin our mantra for the day, “staaaaay to the leeeeft…. Staaaaay to the leeeeft….”

We make it about 40 feet and I notice a red light on the dash, “stop the car! Stop the car!” I exclaim. With a line of other car-renters behind us, ready to start their journey, Tony and I begin with a mini panic while we try to determine what the exclamation mark in parenthesis means. (“I had this on my Jetta when the brakes were whacked” – I think to myself. “Or maybe that was when the oil pressure was shot?” I tried to remember). I leaped out of the car while Tony had to irritate some other car renters by turning around just before the gate. I got one of the attendants to come help, and his very serious, worried face brightened up when he looked at the dash and sighed, “yeah – that’s the emergency brake”…. Did I mention we were anxious?

So essentially, no one in our little Holden took a breath for about 45 minutes. I was in charge of navigation. Me. (For those of you who don’t know, I have the most terrible sense of direction on earth. It is horrendous). Poor Tony was trying to respond to my queues to “merge left”… stay in this lane…. No! Shit! Get over to the right!” And all the while we chanted, “stay to the left… STAY TO THE LEFT!!!!”

Tony was a rock star, and after a few missed turns, a few tunnels with very narrow lanes, and more than a few close calls, we were north of the city and kickin’ it at 100km/hr through some mountains and into the valley!

Did you know I love wine?

I’m a novice, but I love to learn about it – terroir, grapes, the winemaking processes; and I love to try new wines. Tony, on the other hand, has nothing to do with wine. He does not like the taste or even the smell. He cannot even have a glass to humor me.

I mention it here because this part of the trip was 100% for me. The scary driving, the winery visits, and some of the discomforts I’m about to describe – it was all for me. Please, let’s pause here for a little round of applause, just for my wonderful fiancé who signed right on for all of the following just to make me happy J.

Note from Tony: Yeah, I’m pretty much the shit.

The Hunter Valley reminds me of a more relaxed, more remote, less polished and more bohemian version of Sonoma Valley.

It’s not no frills, but it’s mostly no frills. Also, it’s freakin’ hot! I love it, but Tony forgot to pack any flip-flops, so we needed to fix that. We stayed at the Tuscany Wine Resort, which is supposed to feel Tuscan. It did have the stucco, the heat, and some of the plants to approach the look of Tuscany, but this estate was tired and non-fabulous. We had a lovely concierge, Mady, who helped us to get to our room. Here it is!

Upon entering our mini-villa, Tony and I spotted a spider. I don’t think spider is actually the best word to describe the creature. I think Transformer-Wooly Mammoth that looks-like-a-spider is more accurate:

Inside, there were many mosquitos in the bathroom. I had flashbacks of a trip my best friend Susie and I took to Mexico years ago, when we were eaten alive every night while we slept. I started to get nervous about the bugs, and that Transformer-Wooly-Mammoth-Spider.

We dropped off our stuff and set out for lunch. I checked back in with Mady at the front desk, and she was nervous about the Transformer-Woolly-Mammoth-spider too!

A manager came out from the back to ask if its, “Bottom is really big?” Indeed it was. So I guess it is a Transformer-Kardashian-Wooly-Mammoth Spider. The ladies said they would take care of it, and so I took Tony to get some food.

Tony was hungry. Hours of driving (on the left), after flying, after waking up around 4:00am. It was almost 3:00pm and we needed sustenance! We went to the restaurant up the hill from our B&B, and were happy to meet Kylie, who was friendly, knowledgeable, and ready to talk to us about the area. In sticking with the Tuscan theme, we had the antipasti platter, and BAM! It was super delicious and hit the spot:

I have to say, the #1 best mushrooms I have ever had. The meal reminded me of my favorite Tuscan meal, which my friend Leslie and I shared in Sienna. We devoured our meal! Or, to speak Australian, and to quote Kylie, “You smashed it!”

Then we were off to try and find some flip-flops for Tony. There were none to be found, but we did make it to the Hunter Valley’s Smelly Cheese Shop, where Tony got a personalized cheese sampling!! I felt happy that he could have his very own tasting. Then we made it to Sobels Winery:

Audrey Wilkinson Winery (recommended by Kylie):

And Tulluch Winery, which was nice enough to let me taste some wines just a few minutes before closing at 5:00pm

I was focused on trying the Semillon and Shiraz, since that what the region is known for. However, I discovered Vehrdelo! A Portuguese grape with fruit in the front and easy finish on the back.

We came back to the mini-villa, and I’m happy to say the Transformer-Kardashian-Wooly-Mammoth Spider was gone! Inside, our room was like new. The mosquitos were gone, the daddy long legs in the corner had been removed, and the once mosquito-guts-marked walls were white and flawless. Thanks to Mady and Jayne for fixing it up!

We tried not to fall asleep before heading out to dinner. We weren’t that hungry, thanks to our Tuscan lunch, so we headed to the nearby Harrigans, an Irish spot, where we had a few salads, and I had a Magners.

Kylie said she could “almost guarantee” we would see some kangaroos and wallabies, but so far, nothing! We had our eyes peeled all day and night. We better see one tomorrow! They apparently like to hang out by the tennis court… se we’ll see what we can see on the way to breakfast in the morning.

It’s just a few minutes to 9:00pm, and I’m sure we’ll be asleep by 9:03. I’m also sure I’ll be dreaming of Transformer-Kardashian-Wooly-Mammoth Spiders.

Somewhere on the other side of the world, my dad and brother are reading this and shaking their heads, feeling sorry for Tony that he’ll have to stalk and sleigh any imaginary spiders I may be yelling about in the middle of the night…. Spiders were never my strength.

There’s no Internet here, so you won’t get to read this until we get back to Sydney tomorrow evening… But tomorrow, it’s breakfast, the Hunter Valley Gardens, more wineries, maybe a kangaroo or wallaby, and then back (on the left) to Sydney! Wish us luck J. Love and hugs to all of our friends and family,

Lisa and Tony.

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Because Heavy Things Won’t Lift Themselves Workshop(s). I.e., Tony and Lisa Are Going to Austrailia

Wait, wait, wait! Don’t click away!!!

Most of the people reading this don’t live in Australia and (probably) won’t be interested in the details that follow. Fair enough.

So, in an effort to make up for it – and so that you don’t leave this post empty handed – I wanted to share my latest article on MensHealth.com titled How Low Should You Squat?

Okay, we good? No hard feelings, right? Cool.

With that out of the way…..

I’M GOING TO FREAKIN AUSTRALIA!!!!!!! (<— Nah, Nah, Nah, Naaaaaah)

First: I think it goes without saying I’m really1 excited for this opportunity.

Second: I’ve been hinting at it for a while now and have given some subtle “blurbs” here and there that something was in the works….but now I can FINALLY give everyone the details.

I’ll be giving TWO separate workshops in early March. The first one – a 2-day workshop – in Ballina, NSW on March 7th and 8th; and a second one – a 1-day workshop – in Sydney, NSW on Saturday, March 14th.

Ballina Workshop

When: Saturday and Sunday March 7-8th.

Where: RAW Fitness and Sports Training, Ballina, NSW.

Cost: $299 (AUD) Early Bird, $399 after February 20th.

Contact/Sign-Up: Shannan Maciejewski ([email protected]), or go HERE to sign-up.

This will be a jam packed tw0 days where my objective will be to give the attendees as much of a Cressey Sports Performance experience as possible without actually stepping foot inside the facility.

I’ll be covering assessment, warm-ups, “corrective” exercise, program design, as well as placing a heavy emphasis on coaching the “big 3” (squats, bench press, deadlifts), as well as things like get-ups, swings, and probably bicep curls, because bicep curls are awesome.

In addition, my fiance, Dr. Lisa Lewis, will be in attendance and speaking on more of the “psychology” and behavioral change aspects of personal training and coaching, which is something many fitness professionals gloss over.

Sydney Workshop

When: Saturday, March 14th

Where: iPT, Woolloomooloo, NSW (<— say that 5x fast).

Cost: $199 (AUD) Early Bird, $249 after February 20th.

Contact/Sign-Up: James Garland (James.Garland.rapidpt.com.au), or go HERE to sign-up.

With this workshop I’ll be placing a heavy emphasis on assessment (particularly upper extremity) and also speaking to “corrective” exercise strategies and program design around many common shoulder pathologies. And, I’m sure they’ll be some deadlift talk too.

Also, my fiance, Dr. Lisa Lewis, will give a brief presentation on the “psychology” behind training athletes and clients and how we can better create behavioral change.

As we say in Boston “she’s wicked smaht.”

Hope to you see you in a few weeks.

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Add This to the List of Topics You’d Never Thought You’d See On This Site: Mastering the Back Bend For Greater Strength

What’s next? Soy protein recipes?

Note from TG: Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Cincinnati based personal trainer, Collin Messer. It’s on the back bend…which, admittedly, is a topic I never would have considered putting up on this site 3-5 years ago.

I mean, if the topic didn’t revolve around deadlifts, deadlift variations, deadlift technique, or how to marry deadlifts it probably wasn’t going up on my site.

And now what? Have I gone soft posting things with a, GASP, yoga connotation!?!?!?!

To speak candidly, we as a society move like utter crap. With regards to the spine I know some trainers and coaches who avoid any spinal motion like the plague, and to be honest: their clients and athletes aren’t any better for it.

As with anything, what works and what’s a good fit for any one individual depends. For instance, the back bend probably isn’t something I’d use for the bulk of athletes I work with on a day-to-day basis who already live in extension; but I can see how it would be advantageous for the computer guy or office worker who sits in flexion all day.

[Of course, it’s hard to use a blanket statement like that. It’s ALWAYS going to be imperative to take someone through an assessment to figure out what would be an appropriate fit for them and their need and goals.]

Besides, it’s kind of hard to argue with guys like Max Shank, author of Ultimate Athleticism, who’s a proponent of lifting heavy things and yoga and gymnastics and other funky stuff. The man is a beast! And you should check out his book….;o)

Anyways I felt this was an interesting topic and something that would serve as a nice change of pace. Enjoy!

I’m not a big yoga practitioner, but if there is one exercise that I would steal from a yoga class, it’s the back bend. The back bend, or back bridge, is an impressive feat of both strength and mobility. It’s definitely not an exercise you’d see at your everyday gym, but that doesn’t mean it won’t give you an excellent training effect.

There are many benefits to being able to perform a back bend but I’ll highlight three here:

Increased Shoulder Stability/Strength

Similar to a handstand, when you’re in a back bend the majority of your body weight is placed on your shoulders. It takes a lot of effort to fully or even partially support yourself on your hands. The back bend also forces your shoulders into a full range of motion (ROM) overhead.

The combination of full ROM and loading in an unfamiliar pattern creates a big catalyst for building strength and stability. Also, if you are able to do a full back bend then you can incorporate bridge push ups and rotations for even greater strength.

Increased Mobility in the Wrists, Shoulders, Back, and Hips

Nearly everyone can do a standing toe touch to some degree. Clients never have a problem demonstrating spinal flexion. It’s when I ask them to move things the other way and go into spinal extension that things start to look ugly.

Note from TG: this, of course, is contingent on the population of clients you deal with. As I stated above the bulk of athletes I work with – baseball players – LIVE in extension, and often have extension-based back issues (Spondy, end-plate/pars fractures, etc). So for me, I have to be very careful and selective with what drills I place into their programs so that I don’t “feed the dysfunction.” Back bend drills probably wouldn’t be a good fit for them, but fine for others (like the computer guy who sits all day at work). As with anything in this industry, it depends.

The back bend is one exercise that puts the entire spine into extension. It effectively opens up the anterior chain, which can get glued down from too much sitting or bad posture. Your hips will love their newfound range of motion once you loosen up those hip flexors and anterior core muscles.

In addition to increased back and hip mobility, you’ll find an increase in wrist and shoulder mobility too.

As I previously mentioned, the advanced version of the back bend puts your shoulders into a full range of motion overhead. Better shoulder flexion and increased thoracic extension is really going have a lot of carry over into some of your main barbell lifts such as the front squat or overhead press.

Your wrists will also gain some new mobility, but fear not if it is a little too much pressure at first. One work around is to rotate your hands outward so your fingers are pointing away from your head.

It Looks Cool and Might Give You Both Gym Cred and Yoga Cred

Let’s just throw it out there, not everyone can do a back bend. So when you walk into a gym deadlift 4 plates and then drop into a full bridge, you’ll be commanding the respect of both powerlifters and yogis alike.

Warming Up

A word of caution here. The back bend isn’t for everyone. If you don’t have a healthy low back and shoulders then this would be an exercise to skip. No use aggravating or re-injuring yourself just to try a new move.

With that said, if your back and shoulders are healthy, then by all means give it a shot!

Start with some general movement just to get things loosened and warmed up. From there we’ll do some more specific warm ups for the hips and and shoulders. For the hips, I love this flow based warm up that Tony posted not too long ago.

 

For the shoulders you just want to make sure that you get them warmed up, moved through a full range of motion, and ready to receive load. It doesn’t need to be too complicated, this circuit should work well:

  • Shoulder Circles x6 each direction
  • Scapular Wall Slides x6
  • Yoga Push Ups x6
  • Band Pull Aparts x6
  • Repeat 3 times through

You should be good to go now.

If you’re able to perform the advanced version of the back bend then this is the place I would work in some of the easier variations to warm the specific movement up. If you’re still on a beginner or intermediate version then just start there.

The Back Bend Progressions

Beginner Variations

The two beginner back bend variations are the glute bridge and the table top bridge. The glute bridge will be the easiest since you don’t need to use your arms to support yourself. Once you’re comfortable with the hip extension demonstrated in the glute bridge then move on to the table top bridge. That’s where you’ll start supporting yourself with your arms.

 

Intermediate Variations

The two intermediate variations are the supported neck bridge and the low bridge.

With the supported neck bridge, the goal is to keep as much weight as possible on your hands so they get used to the load. You’re just keeping your head in contact with the ground to make it a little easier.

The low bridge will place more weight on your arms but you’ll need less hip and back mobility to pull it off. To summarize, if your shoulders are weak then choose the supported neck bridge, and if you’re missing hips/back mobility then start with the low bridge.

 

Advanced Variations

Congratulations grasshopper, you’re now ready for the full back bend. If you’re comfortable in the low bridge then it’s as simple as pushing up a little higher. Try to keep your weight evenly distributed between your feet and your hands.

Once you have the full variation down you can incorporate it into your training in a few different ways.

First, I would do isometrics, holding the back bend at the top position for 20-60 seconds. You can also do back bend pushups. This is simply pressing up to the top then lowering back down to the ground. Try to be controlled here and don’t collapse.

 

After a while, you’ll have the strength and mobility of a “Supple Leopard” and you can do my favorite, rotations into a high bridge.

For these, start in a squat and place your hand as far back as you can reach without falling. As you rotate back your hand will spin on the ground. Once you’re halfway through put your other hand down to balance and rotate out through the other side. It will take some practice to get the necessary “feel” for the exercise but hang in there.

 

There you have it, start practicing and enjoy the benefit of your hips, low back, and shoulders all getting stronger and more mobile. Oh, and don’t be surprised if you do a high rep set of back bend pushups or rotations and start breathing like you just sprinted a hill.

About the Author

Collin Messer is a Personal Trainer at MesserFit Strength and Conditioning in Lebanon, OH. He primarily works with younger athletes and weekend warriors. When he’s not crushing deadlifts or back bends he’s writing at CollinMesser.com about all things life and fitness.

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8 Non-Fitness Books Every Fitness Professional Should Read

Make no mistake: I stole the idea for today’s blog post from my buddy Dean Somerset who, yesterday, wrote a fantastic post titled 9 Non-Fitness Books Every Fitness Professional Should Read.

He bragged about not making his list a list of ten, and that nine was way cooler. Well, I beg to differ. Eight is what the cool kids are doing nowadays.

My list is a mish-mash of business books, personal development, as well as classic literature. I know many of my colleagues would agree when I say that some of the most successful people in the fitness industry (and I’d make the argument any industry) are those who are avid readers.

Not only are they avid readers, but they’re multifarious readers..ranging in tastes from the aforementioned personal development and classic literature to basic non-fiction and even comic books!

Furthermore, speaking personally (and as a self-described introvert) I oftentimes crave times when I can be alone within four walls, relax with a cup of tea with my cat, Dagny, nearby and read.

Really, I swear, I’m not 77 years old.

In addition, the more I read the more it helps me write. Profound, I know!

Every book I’ve read on the topic of writing has always highlighted the fact that if you’re going to be a remotely competent writer (much less one that has an audience)….it’s in your best interests to read, if for no other reason than to immerse yourself into someone else’s way of pacing, sentence structure, and flow.

And of course, good prose is just straight up sexy.

Having said all that, as Dean alluded to in his post, the books I’m recommending aren’t so much for their prowess in helping you figure out a way to work four hours a week while raking in a six-figure income, but more so for their commentary on experiences, values, organization, behavior, psychology, and how to fight crime with one hand tied behind your back.

In no particular order:

1. Decisive – Chip and Dan Heath

Chip and Dan Heath have written a number of books I recommend to people – Switch and Made to Stick are other favorites – but Decisive, their most recent, tops my “Heath list.”

In a nutshell, as humans, outside of sticking our fingers into an electrical socket (read: don’t do it) we’re fairly biased and irrational when it comes to making decisions. We seek out information that supports us and downplay information that doesn’t.

This book is a wonderful and insightful look into what drives us to make the decisions we make.

2. The War of Art – Steven Pressfield

A writer’s worst enemy is a cat who constantly walks across their keyboard procrastination. In this book, which you can read within 90 minutes, Mr. Pressfield discusses strategies on defeating procrastination and giving it a massive wedgie.

3. The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck

I’ve told this story before. Here’s the Cliff Notes version.

The year was 2003. My then girlfriend broke up with me and moved out. I was crushed and needed to find something to fill the time and to somehow block the incessant inner-dialogue, images and thoughts I was having of her banging other dudes with her new found singledome.

By happenstance I came across a list online titled The Modern Library List of Top 100 Novels and decided I was going to spend that summer reading as many books off that list as possible.

I started with Catcher in the Rye and didn’t look back until I crossed off 10-15 books in a matter of four months. For the record, I lasted seven pages through Ulysses before I wanted to toss my face against a cement wall.

The Grapes of Wrath was one of the first books I tackled off that list and has always resonated with me as one of the most powerful pieces of literature I’ve ever read. That ending still gives me goosebumps.

4. The Power of Habit  – Charles Duhigg

Just as much a book on life as it is improving your business savviness, this book was a game changer when I first read it a few years ago.

As a coach it only makes sense that I’m comfortable with anatomy, physiology, components of nutrition and how to work on someone’s technique with any particular exercise or movement.

What many trainers and coaches fail to understand, though, is that half the battle when trying to get someone to buy into (and thus changing) a habit is more psychological and trying to figure out what barriers – physical, mental, societal, socioeconomic, etc – prevent them from doing so in the first place.

5. Quiet – Susan Cain

I’ve mentioned this book several times throughout this blog in recent years, and it’s one of the best books I’ve read on the topic, ever.

Even if you don’t consider yourself an introvert (Newsflash: we’re all introverted/extroverted to some capacity), I’d still highly recommend reading this book. You undoubtedly have a friend, colleague, family member or significant other who’s more on the introvert side of the scale, and this book will, without question, help you better understand where they’re coming from and how you can better improve your relationship(s) with him or her.

6. The Art of Non-Conformity – Chris Guillebeau

I received the recommendation to read this book a few years back from Nate Green. And when Nate Green says to read a book, I’m going to listen.

Long story short: if the man is bringing you down and you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired of the predictable, oftentimes mundaneness of the 9-5 office job or being told that you have to do this and that you have to that….this book will open up your eyes.

7. The Power of Less – Leo Babauta

Do you really need to check your inbox 47 times per day?

Do you find yourself randomly washing the dishes when you should be doing some work?

This book helps with the clutter and noise of modern life. Productivity never looked so simple!

8. On Writing Well – William Zinsser

This book is pretty much THE book on how to write, and write well. Whether you’re a fitness writer, someone who writes about sports, cooking, or, I don’t know, Space-Zombie historical fiction2, this book well give you the building blocks to not suck.

And even if you don’t see yourself as a “writer” per se, in this day and age where much of our communication is done through email, it’s still a valuable book to pick up so that you’re better able to articulate yourself. Believe me: nothing says “douche” more than writing a sentence that includes the phrase “UR” in it.

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Registration Open For the 2nd Annual SUNY Cortland Strength & Conditioning Symposium

“Just when I thought I was out…..they pull me back in!!”

So said Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) in The Godfather III.

For those unfamiliar with the film (I’ll give you pass for not watching III, it sucks. But you should throw your face into a wall, HARD, for ignoring The Godfather I and II. That’s like movie blasphemy!), Michael tries to change his ways and attempts to turn new leaf and legitimatize his businesses and restore his good name. As the story goes, the people around him don’t seem to agree with his thought process and pull him back into the crime family.

Poor Michael.

And it’s with that I want to highlight I’m coming back to my roots….State University of New York (SUNY) Cortland for the 2nd Annual Strength & Conditioning Symposium this March.

They’re pulling me back in!

I don’t mean to imply an FML mentality that I’m heading back to Cortland. I’m always ecstatic (and more importantly, honored) to be invited back to my Alma mater to speak to the student body and general public.

I mean, what’s cooler than that….save for a double rainbow, 2 for 1 burrito giveaways at Chipotle, or having your own hovercraft?

The whole “pull me back in” comment was more so for the abysmal weather I’ll inevitably be battling when I return. Winters in Boston aren’t a cake walk by any stretch; winters in central NY suck donkey balls.

Adding to that, the symposium is a week after I come back from Australia.

NOTE TO ANY AUSSIES READING: Stay tuned for information (s00n) on two workshops I’ll be conducting in March – in Ballina and Sydney, respectively.

Nevertheless, I couldn’t be more excited to come back. Last year’s event was amazing (speakers included myself, Dr. Mike Roussell, John Gaglione, Lou Schuler, and Dr. Cassandra Forsythe), and this year’s event is no less amazinglier (<—- I just made up a word).

Time and Location: Saturday, March 28th, 2015 in Park Center on the campus of SUNY Cortland.

Presenters and Topics:

8:30 – 9:30 am: Registration & introductory remarks

10 – 11:00 am: Mark Fisher, You Can’t Have a Culture Withoyt a Cult (Just Kidding…Sort Of…)

In this talk, Mark will discuss the strategies used to catapult MFF’s growth in under three years. Attendees will learn the importance of having a clear mission and vision in the creation of a business. The art of cultivating and leading a growing team of engaged employees will be addressed. And lastly, there will be a thorough discussion of actionable takeaways on how to create thriving culture in any sized fitness business. From a personal trainer without a space to a multi-million dollar organization with a dedicated facility in the competitive NYC market, MFF’s unconventional approach to fitness and business will be enlightening to trainers of all backgrounds and career aspirations.

11-12:00 pm: Nick Tumminello, Secrets of Single Leg Training.

Go beyond basic single leg squats and single leg deadlifts to discover the best single leg exercises for building a stronger, well-balanced, better-looking, high-performance lower-body!! From this workshop, you’ll learn how to improve the exercises you’re currently using along with plenty of new, innovative single leg exercises. Plus, this workshop will also reveal the truth about Pistol squats and discuss knee friendly training option for building a stronger legs with bad knees!

12 – 2 pm: Lunch (<—- copious amounts of dead animal flesh will be consumed).

2 – 3 pm: John Gaglione, Hands On Weight Training Session.

John’s a strong mofo, we should all listen to him.

3 – 4 pm: Joy Victoria, I’m not sure what Joy’s going to discuss, but I have to assume 1) it will deal with something pertaining to female fitness and how the mainstream media sucks and 2) every person in attendance will have a crush on her.

4 – 5 pm, Tony Gentilcore, Assessing and Programming for the Athletic Population.

In his presentation Tony Gentilcore will discuss program design and some of the umbrella themes to consider when working with athletes. Specifically he’ll discuss the crucial role of assessment and then show some universal “rules” to follow with regards to designing a well balanced, efficient, and more importantly safe program that produces results.

5 – 6 pm, Roundtable discussion with speakers.

Cost: Are you sitting down? Are you ready for this?  This whole shebang only costs $40 for students and $60 for fitness professionals and the general public. That’s it.

You can click HERE for sign up information (scroll all the way to the bottom of the document), or email Justin Kompf at [email protected] for additional details.

Students (or anyone for that matter)

I don’t want to hear any whining or complaining that $40-$60 is too much to pay for a day long seminar.

First off: shut up. You spend more in one night at The Dark Horse (<— local Cortland bar) or whatever watering hole you hang out at, so don’t play that card. It’s dumb.

Secondly: Any other seminar with this many high-quality speakers would normally cost 4x the amount (if not more). This is an incredible opportunity to come listen to world renowned strength coaches and fitness professionals share their knowledge, expertise, and insights…in freakin CORTLAND, NY!!!!!!  This doesn’t happen all too often. So whether you’re in Cortland, Ithaca, NYC, Toronto, Buffalo, Syracuse, or anywhere within 50-300 miles make it happen!

It’s going to be awesome.

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Best Posts of 2014 – Guest Posts

Heeeellllo everybody! As you can tell I took a few days off from posting anything due to the Holiday (and because I was in insulin coma from all the cookies I’ve been eating). But I’m back!

I for one had an amazing time. Lisa and I went out to a killer steak dinner Christmas Eve, loaded up on some eggnog and cheese (and cookies) later that night, and seemingly had the city to ourselves. It’s sooooo quiet during this time of year.

We woke up early yesterday to start the shenanigans. We opened our stockings, exchanged gifts, and as par for the course I went all Nintendo 64.

 

We hung out, went to go see The Imitation Game (starring Benedict Cumberbatch3, and continued to eat about as non-Paleo as possible throughout the day. Nevertheless, I feel rested and ready to charge into 2015.

On that note I’d like to continue the theme of the week and highlight some more posts from this past year. Today I’d like to share with you again some of the best GUEST POSTS from 2014. I’m very fortunate in that I have a lot of people reach out and ask me if they can write for the site from time to time. 1) I love when I can help introduce other people’s name and work to the masses and more selfishly 2) I love it even more when I get a day off from writing…;o)

An Open Letter to Everyone Who Has Told Women “Don’t Get Too Muscular” – Sophia Herbst

This was easily THE….MOST….VISITED post EVER in the history of my site. People flocked to this post for many reasons. Most because it’s an awesome post with an awesome message. And some because they missed the entire point of the post and wanted to write some disparaging words in the comments section.

Whatever the case, it was a post with a powerful message and people had something to say.

Carbohydrate Rotation Revamped – Jonathan Acosta

I love carbs like the next person. In this article Jonathan breaks down a neat “rotation” approach that isn’t rocket science and resembles more of a PRACTICAL approach to dieting.

I like it.

Finding Your Niche As a Trainer or Coach – Michael Anderson\

There are a lot of trainers and coaches out there. Speaking personally, I think if you’re good at what you do, give a shit, and get people results, people will seek out your services.

But there is something to be said about picking a niche to help separate you from the masses. In this article Michael discusses how to go about doing that.

Fitness Marketing to Females: Don’t Be a Victim! – Kelsey Reed

Guys are supposed to get ripped and yoked and women are supposed to get “firm,” “toned,” and “sexy” right? How the mainstream media portrays and markets to women when it comes to fitness is a travesty at best and deplorable at worst.

In this fantastic article Kelsey sheds some light on a VERY important topic.

Recovering Your Metabolism: Do You Need to Increase or Decrease Your Calories? Part I and Part II – Lucas Serwinski

I don’t post nearly as much nutritional based content as I should. Luckily I have people like Lucas who are more than willing to pick up the slack and post some really insightful and thought out information like this article.

A Woman’s Journey of Strength: How Lifting Changed My Life Forever – Neghar Fonooni

As you can tell by now, I get quite a few passionate, intelligent, and strong women coming onto the site to discuss female specific topics. And I love it.

Here, Neghar, a good friend, discusses how lifting weights changed her life for the better. A fantastic message to any woman who’s been told weight training is “only what guys do.”

Thank You!

Thanks to everyone who went out of their way to write such fantastic content for the site. This wasn’t even all of the guest post! I’m lucky to have so many awesome fitness friends.

Here’s to more of the same in 2015.

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Best Posts of 2014 (Tony’s Picks)

So yesterday I highlighted the best posts of 2014 as dictated by the internet, web traffic, and views. I have to admit: you all have impeccable taste! But what else is new: It goes without saying given you visit this site on a daily basis….;o)

Today I wanted to highlight MY picks for the best posts of 2014. You know, because, f-you internet! (And because it’s all about me, me, me, me, me, me, and ME!!)

That, and they’re all Batman approved.

Indeed a handful of the ones highlighted yesterday would have made today’s list, but I didn’t want to repeat myself. Instead I wanted to showcase some of the articles I’ve written that may have fallen through the cracks or were overlooked. Granted everything I write is Pulitzer worthy4, but here’s a refresher.

The Start of “Us”

Lisa is my best friend. Yep, it’s a cliche to say…but it’s true. She and I got engaged this past September and I wrote a little sumthin to celebrate the occasion.

It’s not remotely fitness related, but neither is 12% of the content on this blog.

Stretch the Tight

Stretching (in the traditional sense) has a time and place. It serves a purpose and is undoubtedly an important piece of the puzzle for many people.

That said, too many fitness professionals default to the mindset that a lack of ROM is due to short or stiff muscles. I’d argue the opposite.

How Deep Down the Rabbit Hole Do We Really Need To Go?

Why do we make things more complicated than they have to be?  To sound smart? To make ourselves feel better? Because we feel it’s “just the way things are?”

Especially with regards to assessment and the new “it” thing in the industry….BREATHING. How far outside our scope of practice should personal trainers and coaches go?

What We’re Really Saying When We Discuss Breathing

In conjunction with the previous article, here’s a bit more with regards to “breathing.”

What the Princess Bride Can Teach You About Dealing With Critics

We all have our critics. Sometimes we’re our own worst critic! But in general some people in our lives – or more likely on the interwebz – will always be haters.

Learning how to deal with criticism is an often important lesson in the fitness industry.

Why the Box Squat Is Overrated

Yep, I just went there. Before you grab the pitchforks and storm the castle, though, just read the article and hear me out.

Extension Based Back Pain is a B****. And What To Do About It

Flexion based back pain gets all the love. It wins Homecoming King every year, is the starting Quarterback, is voted best looking and most likely to succeed, and to add insult to injury, has impeccable hair and style. Ohhhhh, everyone loves flexion based back pain.

I fucking hate flexion based back pain.

NOTE: the above is completely satirical. Both flexion and extension based back pain suck donkey balls. I just feel extension often takes a back seat to flexion, and it’s important to understand that many, many people deal with former.

“Luxury” Problems vs. Real Problems

Are you fat? Can’t do a push-up? Can’t perform a deadlift without pissing off your spine? Well, maybe you should ACTUALLY address the real issues and not spin your wheels.

Rethinking Percentage Based Training

I flip flop on a lot of things. Percentage based training is something I go back and forth on all the time.

An Open Letter To (New) Fitness Professionals

This is dedicated to those fitness professionals whose sense of entitlement rivals Mt. Everest.

Confessions of an Introverted Strength Coach: Part One and Part Two

As an introvert through and through…..this 2-part series was something that was easy to write and something I feel a lot of people appreciated.

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Best Posts of 2014

Tis the Holiday Season, and as such since it’s the end of the year (and my desire to write new content is on par with wanting to wash my face with broken glass) I like to take this time to reflect on things and post a handful of “round-up” articles highlighting the best of 2014.

Take a seat and let Uncle Tony tell you a story.

2014 kicked some major ass for TG.com. I had close to 1.2 million people visit this site from all over the world which is 1) astounding to me and 2) just about the same number of people who watched the new Star Wars teaser trailer within the first hour of its release.

So, basically, people love me as much as Star Wars. The numbers don’t lie!

Not only that, but the site went through a significant re-design/face lift this past Fall – to rave reviews – and I have every expectation that 2015 will be every bit as successful. 2 million visits or bust!

In any case, as this week and the next progress I’ll be sharing some highlights from this past year as well as writing a little sumthin, sumthin on what I learned in the last 365 days. Don’t worry: I’ll try not to get too wishy-washy. I’m not one to talk about my feelings, but when I do it’s Oscar speech worthy….;o)

On that note today I’d like to highlight the most popular posts from this past year based off of web traffic and total hits.

A Response to Anyone Who Feels Deadlifts Are Destroying Everyone’s Spine

It all started with a comment left on my site which read:

“Your arrogance and writing style makes for an unpleasant reading experience.”

I was like, “OH NO YOU DIDN’T!?!??!” And then Bret Contreras and I went to town.  Enjoy.

What’s Wrong With Female Fitness?

Oh, not too much. Other than many (not all) women are programmed to think that lifting a weight heavier than their purse will mean they’ll grow an Adam’s apple, and that Jen Selter -who’s claim to fame is an InstaGram account where she does nothing but showcase her badonkadonk, literally – is considered a fitness authority.

How to Get Stronger

There are many means to accomplish any goal. Getting stronger is no different.

Still I think this is an area where most trainees tend to make things more complicated than they have to be. Many try to make it rocket science, when in reality it’s just a matter of memorizing your multiplication tables.

Simple is often what works, and what works long-term.

Sam Bennett Can’t Do a Pull-Up? He’ll Be Just Fine

For those who don’t know who Sam Bennett is – he was highly touted amateur hockey prospect who was drafted into the NHL earlier this year.  I think he was drafted within the first three picks, if not the top pick overall.

During his combine it came out that he couldn’t perform one…single…pullup. And the internet pretty much had a massive conniption and started stomping its feet on the ground.

This post was my response.

The Tenets of Fat Loss

An often highly debated topic, I decided to throw myself into the fire and discuss some of what I feel makes for a well-rounded “fat loss” approach.

Newsflash: People Lifted Weights Before CrossFit

There was a time where I was unabashedly a CrossFit basher. I’ve toned it down a lot in recent years. There’s still much about I disagree with, but I’d be an a-hole if I didn’t recognize all the good it’s done for the fitness industry. Especially with regards to getting more barbells into people’s hands.

That said, a week doesn’t go by where, when someone finds out what I do for a living, they say something like “that’s CrossFit, right?”

Um, no.

Should You Use Straps When Deadlifting?

This is the most recent article of the bunch that made the list. I wrote this one only weeks ago, but it quickly climbed the ladder and become one of the most popular of the year.

Thanks to EVERYONE for all their support and for making 2014 the most visited year yet on TG.com!!

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Inside the Athletic Grind

Gotta keep this one short and sweet today. I had the opportunity to appear on the Inside the Athletic Grind Podcast earlier this week as a guest.

Nick Merich, one of the Editors-in-Chief, was a former athlete who trained at Cressey Sports Performance and his experience training with us a few summers ago inspired him to start the Inside the Athletic Grind website (and podcast).

Both are about inspiring the athlete and entrepreneur on their path to greatness. Why do some athletes and entrepreneurs succeed without much effort (or grind for that matter)? Why do others fail? Is failing even that bad of a thing?

I’d argue not.

More often than not it’s our failures in every day life, business, and athletics that help us learn and to come back stronger; to drop kick adversity in the face if you will.

Inside the Athletic Grind encourages self-development, inspires athletes of all levels, and helps them embrace the “grind” we all live by.

This was one my favorite interviews I’ve ever done. It’s more conversational and  we hit on a wide variety of topics. Everything from my journey as a lowly college student to recognized strength coach to my own mistakes and walls I had to hurdle to make it to the point where I am today. And I promise, no mentions of my cat. I think.

—> Listen HERE <—

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Welcome to the New TonyGentilcore.com!

Why heeeeeeeello there! Sorry I’ve been out of the loop this week as far as writing prowess is concerned, but as you may or may not know, I’ve been up to a few things.

For starters, as I type these very words I’m en route to Washington, DC for mine and Dean Somerset’s Excellent High Five Workshop hosted by Underground Athlete in Sterling, VA.

We’re expecting a group of 25-30 coaches and trainers this weekend who will have a front row seat to whatever it is Dean and I feel like talking about for two days.

Assessment, corrective exercise – what it is (coaching correct movement) and what it is not (99.7% of the stuff involving a BOSU ball) – program design, coaching up some popular exercises (deadlift, squat, swings, get-ups), breaking down the latest season of Top Chef, it’s all fair game.

We always look forward to these events and we’re both just as excited to learn from all the various coaches who are going to be in attendance as they are to learn from us.

Second, and most obvious of all, HOLY SHIT look at the new digs!!!!!!

I gave a few minor hints that some aesthetic changes would be happening to the site sooner or later, and well, here you go.

1. Giving credit where it’s due: hats off to the people over at Copter Labs for doing yet another amazing job with everything. I worked with them four years ago when I wanted to step up my game with this website, and when it came time to up the ante again and take things to G6 status, it was an easy choice to elicit their expertise.

And it’s on that note I wanted to take a few moments today to provide some “house warming” introductions.

Gone is the ginormous picture cemented on the home page of me in the prototypical I’m-a-badass-strength-coach-with-my-arms-folded-in-front-of-me-look-at-my-biceps-LOOK-AT-THEM!!!! stance.

Gone

No one really wants to look at my ugly mug, especially me. Instead, I opted for more subtle and candid pictures of me coaching, as well as a few of me being me.

2. Contrary to the previous site, there’s now a homepage where people can peruse the services I have to offer, products I produce (and like), as well as sign up for my newsletter.

Subtle Hint —> You should sign up for my newsletter!! <— Subtle Hint

You can do so right on the Home Page.

3. When you sign up for the newsletter, you’ll immediately receive my Pick Things Up PDF, a 20-page ebook containing musings and miscellany on deadlifts.

In addition, in the days after you sign up, you’ll also be privy to a 10-minute video I filmed on deadlifting technique, as well as an offer to purchase Month #1 of my Pick Things Up deadlift specialization program on WeightTraining.com.

And in case you’re wondering: I’m not an asshat.  I won’t spam you relentlessly, and I promise that my newsletter will (mostly) be used to update you on me (cause it’s all about me), provide additional unique content, and to appraise you to how many many days on Star Wars Episode VII comes out.

4. Just like the previous site, there’s an extensive Resources page that highlights all the websites, books, DVDs, and other resources I heart.

5. Different from the original site is a separate area where I’m going to write more “Off-Topic” content – appropriately titled “Miscellany.” I know I tend to go off on non-fitness tangents on the regular blog, but in this new area I’ll do that and then some.

Sometimes I get tired of writing about fitness and would rather talk about movies, restaurants Lisa and I visit, travel, old school 90210 episodes, or I don’t know, my cat.

Either way, this area will serve as a sort of experiment on my end and will be something I hope you will enjoy as well. Check it out HERE.

And that’s it. I’d love to hear any feedback you’d have to offer. Like the new look? Hate it? Wish I would just shut down the site, sell all my personal belongings, travel the world aimlessly, fight bad-doers, and meditate like David Carradine in Kung-Fu?

Well maybe I will!!!!  You never listen to me anyways, it’s like I don’t even exist!!! You’re ruining my life!!!

***Slams door***

Update (10 minutes later): Remember a few minutes ago when I yelled at you, and slammed the door in your face back? I was just hangry. I ate some eggs and now I feel better. You know I love you, right? Hugs?

But seriously, I’d love to hear what you think of the new site.