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Bridging the Gap Between Rehab and Strength and Conditioning

Dean Somerset is like Gandalf.

Except Dean doesn’t own a staff (I think), or fight dragons, have a Hobbit for a BFF, or have an affinity for taking long journeys towards mountains with ominous names.

In fact, Dean isn’t even a wizard!!  So what the hell? Why am I making the connection?

Dean’s a good friend of mine. In addition, as many of you know, he and I have collaborated on several projects together – Muscle Imbalances Revealed – Upper Body, and the Spinal Health and Core Training Seminar – in conjunction with our recent adventures traveling North America (and Europe) conducting our 2-day Excellent Workshop High Five workshop.

As an FYI: we’ll be back in DC next weekend (Oct. 17th), and we’ll also be making a cameo in LA this November.

For info on DC go HERE.

For info on LA go HERE.

Needless to say I’ve spend a lot of time around Dean in the past three or so years – both professionally and as buds.  Professionally speaking, I think it goes without saying we both run on parallel tracks with regards to our approach to training people. Why else would we collaborate on so many projects?

But this isn’t to say we agree on everything. We agree on a lot of stuff, but on the off-chance we don’t, we just settle it with a good ol’ fashioned knife fight.

Kidding.

This is where the comparison with Gandalf comes in.  Dean is smart.  Like, really smart. And I’d be lying if I said that some of the stuff that he’s able to accomplish with people in the gym isn’t short of wizardry.

No matter how many times I listen to him talk, even if it’s something I’ve heard him discuss 47 times, I still walk away dumbfounded with some new nugget of information. This is why I love working with him so much. He always makes me better and pushes me to think outside the box.

Too, he has an uncanny ability to take really complex topics – anatomy, fascial trains, movement assessment, nuclear fission, why it is it takes women F.O.R.E.V.E.R to get ready – and water it down so numbskulls like myself can understand.

He also has a gift for being able to dig deeper on certain topics and not resort to haphazard or arcane answers to people’s questions. He’s able to engage people in a way that’s understandable, relatable, and – not many people can do this – in a way that’s entertaining.

I don’t say all of this to blow sunshine up his ass (although, given that Dean lives in Edmonton and only sees two months of warm weather per year, he can use all the sunshine he can get), but rather just to reiterate that I have a ton of respect for him and the quality of the information he consistently puts out.

To that end, Dean has just put his flagship resource, Post Rehab Essentials 2.0, on sale this week to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving.

This is an EXCELLENT resource for any personal trainer, coach, or fitness enthusiast looking to take his or her assessment and programming skills to the next level. Maybe more importantly, this is a resource that helps bridge the gap between the rehab world and strength and conditioning world.

To save face: This IS NOT something that encourages trainers to diagnose stuff and play physical therapist. There is a scope of practice that needs to be respected. But it does arm them with the tools necessary to assess and write effective, safe programs for the walking wounded, whether it be helping someone deal with lower back pain or programming around a bum shoulder or knee.

Many trainers get stymied or act like a deer in headlights once a client/athlete comes to them with an injury to work around. Post Rehab Essentials 2.o is a great tool to help prevent that from happening in the first place.

Here’s a little taste to wet your palette.  Once it hits your lips………..

—> Post Rehab Essentials 2.0 <—

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The Grind and Investing in Yourself

I love what I do for a living. I know a lot of people can’t say that.

I always make a joke about my career path. When I was finishing up my undergraduate work out of college I came to a metaphorical fork in the road.

In one direction I could take my degree in Health Education and become a high-school health teacher. At the time I had just completed my student teaching requirement and by and large had a positive experience.

Helping to mold and shape young minds had a nice vibe to it. Plus, I had visions of coaching baseball, starting a weightlifting club, and who knows, maybe a book club or a Star Wars aficionado fanboy nerd group where we could dress up in homemade Jedi cloaks and argue over whether or not Han shot first.

In the other direction was a career in fitness. In addition to my major I also had a concentration in Health/Wellness Promotion, and as part of that I was required to participate in an internship the summer after my senior year.

I was lucky enough to find a placement in a corporate fitness center, and spent three months that summer hanging out in a gym. Sure enough, as the intern, I had to do “interny” stuff like get up at the crack-ass to open the gym early, make bulletin boards (not a fav), clean, and wash and fold towels. Lots and lots and lots of towels.

I still have nightmares.

But I also got to lift heavy things and coach people to lift heavy things. And that made up for everything.

When the time came to decide what I wanted to do – health teacher or gym rat? – the choice was pretty easy.

Who wants to wear a tie to work everyday anyways? I certainly didn’t.  Hell, I didn’t even own a tie back then.

I opted to become a certified personal trainer which, above all else, allowed me the luxury of wearing sweatpants to work.  Holla!!!

Sweatpants are about as unglamorous as it gets (nothing some glitter paint can’t fix though), and to be honest, it’s fitting, because a career in fitness can be equally as unglamorous.

Early mornings, cranky clients, unmotivated clients, long days, clients that don’t show up, living out of tupperware containers, trying to find the time to workout yourself, managers more concerned with hitting a quota over quality of services, 7-day work weeks, no paid vacation, “what do you mean I have to wear a collared shirt to work!?!  A COLLARD SHIRT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

As much as I could bitch and whine about how hard things were when I first started, I wouldn’t change a thing.  I truly believe that the trials and tribulations I endured working my way towards a CAREER is what helped me succeed in the long run.

I know a lot of upcoming trainers scoff at the idea of working in a commercial gym setting. “I didn’t go through four years of college to train lonely housewives everyday,” some say. “Point me in the direction of the pro athletes!!!”

I hate to burst your bubble champ, but it doesn’t work like that. It never works like that.

I worked in a commercial gym setting for FIVE years, and didn’t train my first professional athlete until we opened up Cressey Sports Performance in 2007.

And I always say that it was those five years of working in a commercial gym that helped hone my skills as a trainer and coach. It allowed me the opportunity to work with an entire spectrum of different people ranging from the unmotivated to the highly motivated to the bat-shit crazy.

Becoming a successful coach is just as much about knowing your anatomy, program design, and ability to actually coach, as it is not being an asshole and being able to relate to people.

Going through (and accepting) the grind is something that should be pursued.

Sadly, today, it’s rarely not.

More germane to the point I’m trying to make are those trainers (both rookies and veterans) who have an insatiable sense of entitlement.  One of the best rants I have ever listened to on this topic comes from Derek Woodske.

OMG it’s the best 7:39 rant ever…….

Warning:  NSFW due to colorful (albiet warranted) language.

To mirror Derek’s message: as with any industry, there are many good seeds, but infinitely more that give the rest of us a bad name.

Maybe I’m biased, but to me this is never more apparent than in the fitness industry. There’s a lot of eyewash out there. I live in a bit of a bubble (now) where I’m surrounded by a lot of very smart, passionate coaches who give a shit. We take pride in not only consistently trying to make ourselves better, but holding one another accountable too.

When I travel outside of the bubble I’m often amazed – more like dumbfounded – at what I observe and witness.  Again, to reiterate, they are many, many outstanding trainers out there. But seemingly, they get drowned out by the aforementioned eye wash.

Sometimes I have fight off the urge of throwing my face into a cement wall whenever I watch some personal trainers work with their clients.

More often than not I feel as if the client would get just as good of a training session if he or she flushed their money down the toilet.

Part of that is due to many entering the industry and approaching this as more of a hobby than a career.  That’s fine.  These are the trainers and coaches who putter out within a year or two anyway.

The other part is due to many (not all) trainers unwilling to invest in themselves.  Many take the mentality that once they’re certified, that’s it!!, mission accomplished.  And then unsuspecting people are paying upwards of $80, $90, $100+ per session to be told to stand on a BOSU ball.

Face meet cement wall. Cement wall meet face.

I posted this on my Facebook Wall the other day:

I’m always amazed when trainers complain about how they can’t afford “x” seminar/workshop or that “y” product/service is too expensive (despite the fact either of the two will most likely pay themselves off in the long run). Yet, won’t think twice when the new iPhone comes out.

Priorities!

I’ve always placed a premium on continuing education. Even when I didn’t necessarily have the funds to do so I always made an attempt to attend 3-4 seminars/workshops per year (and I still do!). Moreover, I go out of my way to  buy books and DVDs to further my knowledge base.

1.  These items almost always end up paying for themselves in the long run. I can’t recall how many times I’ve taken one piece of information I learned from a seminar and used it to earn the trust of a prospective client, who would then end up purchasing a package that surpassed what I paid for the seminar in the first place.

2.  What’s more, and many trainers fail to realize this, you can write off a certain percentage of your continuing education on your taxes.  So you’re not really paying “full” price. Stick it to the man!

I guess all I’m trying to say is this: give a shit!  Please.

Well that, and you should totally come to mine and Dean Somerset’s workshop in DC (HERE) or in Los Angeles (HERE).

Also, my good friend, Artemis Scantalides, is holding her I Am Not Afraid to Lift workshop at Iron Body Studios located just outside Boston on November 8th.

There aren’t many female coaches in the industry offering strength workshops and Artemis is one of THE best in the business.  I know.  I’ve been coached by her!

This workshop is open to both women AND men and will be a stellar day of learning, no question.

So there you go trainers.  Get better and build a more successful career or the latest iPhone?

What say you?

Note to Reader: How many of you read the title of the post, saw “The Grind,” and immediately thought I was referring to the 90s dance themed show on MTV starring Eric Nies?

No?  That wasn’t what you were thinking?  Yeah, um, I wasn’t either.  I mean, that’s just lame. Soooooo, whatcha doin today?

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Exercises You Should Be Doing: Barbell Overhead Shrug

One of the main bullet points I hit on last weekend while in London was that many of the same movement distortions and predictable postural imbalances we see in overhead athletes manifest themselves in the general fitness population as well.

Specially, when we take someone with a extensive history of lifting heavy things – a meathead if you will – it’s not altogether uncommon to see a gross extension pattern or excessive anterior pelvic tilt with their posture (you can fit a fist inside the T-L junction) along with a depressed shoulder girdle.

Note:  I place an emphasis on noting I italicized the word “excessive” because there is an acceptable amount of anterior pelvic tilt (natural lordotic curve) in the lumbar spine.

Let all of the above marinate for a while and it’s a recipe for poor ability to upwardly rotate the scapulae.

For an overhead athlete this is crucial.  It’s important to have ample upward rotation so as to prevent wear and tear on the shoulder joint itself (namely: SLAP tears).

And even if your job doesn’t involve throwing a baseball 95 MPH and all you’re concerned with is how “abby” you look, it’s still important to have sufficient scapular upward rotation for general shoulder health.

And let me tell you something, chicks loooooooooooooove them some upward rotation. They go nuts for it.

Okay, not really.

I wrote in much more detail what scapular downward rotation syndrome is, as well as how to go about “correcting” a depressed shoulder HERE.

Hint: it doesn’t include Prozac. We’re not referring to that kind of depression mmm kay.

Give that article a read because I feel it will help elucidate in more detail all of the above, including some of the more introductory drills we utilize at Cressey Sports Performance to address the issue(s).

Today, however, I wanted to cover a more advance drill.

Barbell Overhead Shrug

It’s always funny whenever I mention during an assessment that someone lacks upward rotation and that we need to work on some upper trap recruitment and/or development.

They assume I’m going to program a healthy dose of barbell shrugs into the mix and that they’ll finally, finally be able to put their Bane mask to good use.

Not so fast you Tom Hardy wannabe.

Performing traditional barbell shrugs – where you hold the barbell at waist height and then “shrug” the barbell up with your upper traps – only feeds into the dysfunction (and may very well make things worse!).

What the what!?!??!!

How is that possible?

Well, think about it.  When you shrug the barbell with your upper traps – and you do so with a heavy load – what does the barbell do on the way back down?  It pulls you back into more shoulder depression.

Not to mention the scapulae aren’t moving to any high degree and there’s no upward rotation entering the picture.

The barbell overhead shrug IS NOT my first choice to address upward rotation. I much prefer to start with drills like forearm wall slides, bottoms-up KB carries, TRX Ys, or a whole litany of other drills which target the upper traps (< — all of which can be viewed in the article linked to above).

However, assuming one has been incorporating those drills for a tick, has decent anterior core stiffness, and is able to get their arms above their head without any major compensations (forward head posture, hyperextension of the lumbar spine), I really like the barbell overhead shrug.

Here we’re able to place the scapulae in a more upwardly rotated position and then we can perform the same “shrug” pattern in a way that will target the upper traps in a more functional manner.

In this case: helping to address lack of upward rotation. Regular barbell shrugs are fine, and will undoubtedly help build some traps. But if someone is in significant downward rotation/shoulder depression, overhead shrugs will more often than not be a better fit.

Key Coaching Cues:  You’ll want to take a wider-than-you-think grip on these, and at the same time, while you do want to sort of “set” the shoulder blades you want to be careful not to yank down too aggressively and allow the lats to turn (and pull you into extension & depression).

Squeeze your glutes, brace your abs, and don’t allow the rib cage to flare out.  From there simply “shrug” the barbell and hold for a 1-2s count at the top. Then CONTROL it back down to the starting position.

If you find that you’re slipping into lumbar extension and you feel it too much in your back, try reverting to a staggered stance and see if that helps.

Shoot for 8-12 reps.

I like to include this drill as part of an extended warm-up or as part of a “prehab” finisher towards the end of a training session.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

 

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Where I Am

I spent a lot of time alone as a kid.

Part of it was due to my personality. I’m an introvert through and through.

Part of it was because I was the middle child. My sister is six years older than me and when we were younger she was more into Rick Springfield, denim, and The Outsiders than hanging out with me playing with GI Joe and He-Man action figures. Once she went off to college it was pretty much me and my younger brother to keep each other occupied.

My brother is five years younger than me, and once I was older into my tweens and then teenage years I was more into sports, baseball cards, and Mariah Carey than hanging out with him. “LEAVE ME ALONE RT, I”M LISTENING TO DREAMLOVER. GOD!!!!! MOOOOOOOM.”

But I have to say, the biggest reason for spending so much time alone was because I grew up in a very rural area.  Like, no traffic light in my hometown rural. Like, you have to drive ten minutes to get to the nearest grocery store rural. Like, there’s a good 1/2-1 mile gap between houses rural.

It wasn’t like I could just walk across the street and knock on the Smith’s front door and ask them if little Timmy could come out to play some wiffle ball. There was nothing across the street except a massive corn field.

Warning:  you can imagine how much of a mindf*** this was when I watched Children of the Corn back in the day. Not smart. Not smart at all.

So yeah, I spent a lot of time alone as a kid playing any and all kinds of sports in my back and side yard. And like most young boys I had dreams of playing professional baseball.

That didn’t happen.

I did, however, make it further than 99.99% of the athletes from my hometown did, and had the honor of earning a scholarship and the luxury of playing baseball for four years in college (with a sprinkling of a few professional tryouts).

I know it’s coming across a certain way, but I don’t say any of this to give off a melancholy vibe or to play the role of Debbie Downer.

I say all of this because as I sit here typing these words, I can’t believe how far I’ve come.

As I type these words, these very words, right now, I’m sitting in a Starbucks in the heart of London.

London!!!

Don’t believe me?  Here’s a picture of me pretending to make a call in one of their famous red, street pay phones (that still work!):

Sadly, it wasn’t a secret entry way to the Ministry of Magic.*

And here’s a picture I took of the first double decker bus I saw once I stepped out of Paddington Station:

I know, I’m such a tourist.

Right this instant I’m across the street from Tower Hill (and the Tower of London) waiting for it to open. I was a little early so decided to make a pit-stop in Starbucks to get my caffeine fix, snake some Wi-Fi and to do a little writing.

I didn’t have a game plan to what I wanted to write, so this is what’s coming out.

1. This city is amazing! I wish I had more than 36 hours to be a tourist, but starting tomorrow and for the rest of the weekend Dean and I will be talking to 30 or so coaches and trainers from around Europe on anything and everything to become a better trainer and coach.

2. It’s quite nice to accidentally bump into someone on the Tube and they say, “sorry mate!” instead of being given a look of death or challenged to a knife fight if the same thing happened in Boston.

3. If you would have told me twelve years ago, when I first started in this industry, that I’d be in London for a speaking engagement where people from the UK, Italy, Poland, and Spain would be paying to come listen to me, Tony Gentilcore, the kid who grew up in Central Middle-of-Nowhere New York, collected Mark McGwire baseball cards, wore white high-top shoes, and brought a yo-yo to school with him cause he thought it was cool (yes, true story) , if you would have told me all that, and kept a straight face…….I would have laughed.  And probably punched you in the face for being an a-hole.

“Yeah, right dude.” I would have said.  “What’s next, telling me Arnold Schwarzenegger is gonna star in a movie where he becomes pregnant or that he becomes Governor of California? Pffffft, whatever.”

But here I am. That’s exactly what’s happening. I’m in London. And I feel so lucky.

I guess all I want to say is thanks, everyone.  THANK YOU for reading this blog, thank you for reading my articles, thanks to those who I get to work with and train on a daily basis, and thank you for the endless support.

Or maybe I should say cheers!?!

* = hopefully some Harry Potter fans got that reference.

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Is Running Natural?

Note from TG: Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Mike Sheridan, a nutrition researcher, trainer, and author of the book Eat Meat and Stop Jogging.

That’s about as manly of a title for a book as I’ve ever seen. The only way it could be even manlier is if it said:

He-Man Says to Eat Meat and Stop Jogging.

My immaturity aside, I’ve long been a proponent of the saying “you need to get fit to run, not run to get fit.”

I understand why many people gravitate towards long-distance, steady-state cardio. There’s no equipment involved – all you need is a straight line and a pair of shoes (shirt and pants optional) – and pretty much anyone can do it.

Thing is:  running – especially long-distance, repetitive running – can be a joint killer if one is not properly prepared for the additional stress.  In addition, many people are programmed into thinking that jogging (and “cardio” in general) is the key to a lean, healthy body.

While it can most certainly enter the equation – I do feel it’s an often overprescribed and over-rated mode of exercise outside of actually being an endurance athlete.

More to the point:  it should be a component of one’s overall fitness plan, not the sole approach.

Nevertheless I like to think of myself as a middle-of-the-road kind of guy and hate using monikers such as everyone, never, and always.

Everything has a time and place – except maybe Crocs – running included.

That said I do lean more towards the camp which favors either walking or short bursts of sprinting and avoiding “stuff in the middle.” And, of course, lifting heavy stuff.

I enjoyed this piece by Mike and I hope you do too.

Is Running Natural?

Depends what you consider running.  The one for speed or the one for distance?

Based on the prevalence of marathons and triathlons, and the number of visible joggers in most neighborhoods, you’re likely thinking distance.  Moderate intensity running appears to be the most common form of exercise, but does that mean its natural?

The reason most of us start jogging is because that’s what we think is necessary to burn calories and lose weight.  Sadly, our sedentary, inactive, technologically driven jobs and lifestyles, and tendency to select high-carb, sugar-loaded foods, has given us the false impression that we need to eat less and exercise more.

Apparently our fatness is because of a lack of fitness (and an abundance of foodness!)

Don’t get me wrong, we all need to move more; but the question of ‘how’ is critical.  Instead of getting scientific, lets look at two simple questions that provide considerable insight into how we should be moving:

  1. What was our daily activity like in the past?  When we were hunter-gatherers.
  2. How did we move before we were taught how to move? When we were kids.

Prior to the agricultural revolution, we actually had to go out and get our food.  The cows weren’t in the barn, they were roaming the countryside.  The berries weren’t at the grocery store, they were out in the wild.  And you didn’t drive somewhere to eat, you gathered fruits and vegetables on your walk…as you looked for animals to hunt!

The biggest difference between then and now is that they moved frequently at a slow pace,[I] and we don’t. Many are surprised to learn that most hunter-gatherers walked more than six miles per day.  Any exercise outside of that was infrequent, and usually consisted of acute bouts of highly intense movement in order to survive.

Hunter-gatherers didn’t run for 20 miles at 70% intensity to escape a hungry wolf, they ran for 20 seconds at 110% intensity to escape a hungry wolf.

There was obviously some lifting, climbing, carrying, and building involved as well, but generally speaking their daily walking combined with a diet composed of animal protein, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fruit is what produced this physique:

Our ancestors would probably laugh watching us run for hours to ‘burn calories.’ Back then, energy was conserved, and you either walked to get somewhere, or you ran really fast to get away from something.

Even when organized hunting developed, hunter-gatherers relied on their brains and other resources to track and trap animals (not chase them around for 3hrs!).  Recent findings provide evidence that the earliest form of human was not designed to run long distances because the conical shape of the ribcage made it difficult for them to swing their arms.[II]

The same conclusion is reached when looking at early childhood movement prior to instruction from parents and coaches.  If you take a look at children playing in a park with no constraints, you’ll notice that they run and play with intensity for short bursts, and follow it up with ample recovery before running again.

If you don’t feel like observing it yourself (or you don’t want to look like a creep), science did it for you in a 1995 study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.  Researchers found that children playing didn’t move consistently at a constant speed, they unknowingly exercised in intervals.[III]

Most kids have to be taught how to jog – instinctively they feel more comfortable walking or running fast.

Ask any rehabilitation specialist (physio, chiro, masseuse) and they’ll tell you how detrimental chronic repetitive movements can be on muscles, joints, bone, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.

During the time of writing this article there’s a Dr. Scholls commercial with celebrity trainer, Dolvett Quince.  The commercial is about ‘clients missing workouts because of injuries.’ Interestingly, all three problems he mentions are related to running:

 Shin splints, plantar fasciitis, and runners knee.

Note from TG:  Listen, no one is saying (and I think Mike will agree) that going out for a jog here and there is going to steal all your gainz or turn you into a Christian Bale’s character from The Machinist overnight.

Moreover, no one is saying that jogging doesn’t have any health benefits – it most certainly does! And honestly, if jogging is something you like to do and enjoy….by all means jog to your hearts content.

But please don’t continue to espouse on all it’s “benefits” when you’re the one always hurt and paying for your physical therapists or chiro’s Porsche.

Looking at the medical records of most Cardio Kings, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they’re consistently nursing injuries.  All of these conditions are because of the stress and impact from chronic cardio sessions.  And it’s the reason running shoe companies, like Nike, bring in trillions of dollars selling you pillows and cushions for your feet.

Other than musculoskeletal damage, continuous and prolonged exercise conflicts with our natural fight or flight response to stress.[IV]  Usually when there’s a threat to homeostasis (stress), our heart beat accelerates, blood vessels constrict, and we secrete adrenal hormones (corticosteroids), so that our brain and muscles have the necessary energy and blood flow to ensure we survive.

A beneficial adaptation for short periods of time, but when experienced chronically the body produces excess stress hormones (cortisol), and other important functions and systems must take a backseat (like digestion, reproduction, and immune function) as our muscles and brain take priority.

Excess corticosteroids are linked to heart disease,[V] poor reproductive health,[VI] and decreased immunity.[VII]

The irony in the term ‘stress fracture’ is almost laughable, when you understand the excess cortisol and oxidative stress attributable to chronic cardio.

Unfortunately, many that select running (the long duration kind) as their predominant form of exercise tend to seek more miles and higher speeds, which further damages muscle and bone, increases stress, and raises one’s risk of degenerative disease and early death.[VIII]

So What is Natural?

Obviously, we can’t mimic the exact daily regimen of the hunter-gatherer, but we can all take 30min or more per day to go for a walk.[IX]

It may not be 5+ miles/day, but it drastically lowers our risk of the common diseases affecting North Americans. Walking lowers cortisol, decreases inflammation, lowers blood pressure and triglycerides, improves cognitive function, and increases lifespan; with no muscle loss, hormone disruption, or potential for injury.[X]

Aside from daily walking, the exercise regimen that’s most in line with our genetics is functional strength training.  We can match the physical labor of our forefathers by lifting, pressing, pulling, carrying, and squatting a few times per week.  Sprinkling in the occasional ‘run for your life’ sprint every once in a while doesn’t hurt either.

The problem with most North Americans is that they attempt to make up for crappy eating habits and an inactive day with lengthy moderate intensity cardio sessions.  All these 3-hour bike rides and 10 mile jogs lead to is an increased appetite (for sugar!), elevated stress levels, muscle mass loss, free radical accumulation, decreased immunity, and chronic inflammation.[XI]

The time and effort wasted is not the sad part, it’s that this weight management strategy shows little improvement in body composition (muscle-to-fat),[XII] and the additional stress and overconsumption of sugar[XIII] to ‘fuel workouts’ actually increases belly fat.

Ironically, losing belly fat is the reason most start jogging or doing cardio to begin with.

We shouldn’t be running marathons, or taking part in the high-mileage, high-frequency training that goes with it, because we’re not designed to consistently handle that kind of stress.

Although it’s common for endurance fanatics to cite examples of long distance running in some of the earliest-known hunter-gatherer tribes that we descended from, this was not frequent.

Note from TG:  Born to Run is still one of the most interesting books I’ve read in recent years.

For example, the San People, or Bushmen, of the Kalahari Desert are known for their persistent tracking and hunting techniques to catch larger prey like antelope.  However, it’s clear that this was a rare occurrence.  The San People did a fair amount of trapping and practiced a variety of less labor-intensive hunting techniques.[XIV]

Furthermore, as you can see from this video,[XV] the tracking involves mostly walking, with only one tribesman taking part in the long-distance running portion.

I think it’s fair to say that the Bushmen doing the running wasn’t the same every month, and if it was the same, that would mean 99.9% of the tribe did no running.  Likewise, one could assume that a successful hunt would mean adequate food for some time.  Suggesting that these runs were very infrequent.

I don’t doubt that marathons, triathlons, and ultra-endurance events are possible, but that doesn’t mean they’re plausible.

Just because we have the hamstrings and Achilles tendon to run, and are equipped with the unique ability to sweat and release heat so we can go far, doesn’t mean we should.  When it comes to survival, we’re capable of staying awake for days, going without food for weeks, and running for extremely long distances until an animal tires, but that doesn’t mean we should turn these practices into habits.

I believe this quote from Dr. Mark J. Smith sums it up quite well:

“While the endurance athlete has a need to maintain a high sub-maximal intensity for long periods to be successful, the vast majority of athletes, and certainly humans in general, have no need for this type of activity.”[XVI]

About the Author

Mike Sheridan has been advising on nutrition and fitness for nearly a decade. He developed an obsession for research early in his career as he noticed the immense gap between the scientific evidence and the message to the public. 

 “I know conventional wisdom is not working for you, because it’s not working for anyone! The first step in rescuing your health is understanding why everyone else believes and follows the nutrition and training recommendations that have unfortunately become common knowledge.”

 Mike has helped a tremendous amount of people lose the fat and keep it off without counting calories, doing cardio, or sacrificing their health. His success is due in large part to his philosophy that ‘Transformation Starts With Education;’ not just showing his clients what to do, but teaching them why.

You can check out his book Eat Meat and Stop Jogging on Amazon.com, as well as peruse his website EatMeatandStopJogging.com.

References

[I] http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0064580

[II] http://www.sciencemag.org/content/340/6129/1234598

[III] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7564970

[IV]Cordain, L., Gotshall, R. W., and Eaton, S. B. 1998. Physical activity, energy expenditure and fitness: an evolutionary perspective. International Journal of Sports Medicine 19:328-335.

[V] http://www.google.ca/#q=Adverse+effects+of+corticosteroids+on+the+cardiovascular+system.+Can+J+Cardiol.+2000

[VI] Loucks, A. B. 2001. Physical health of the female athlete: observations, effects, and causes of reproductive disorders. Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology, 26: S176-85.

[VII] http://www.evolocus.com/Textbooks/Selye1952.pdf

[VIII] http://www.t-nation.com/training/cardio-kills

[IX] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23559628

[X] (a) http://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/22648342/abstract/Moderate_Intensity_Running_Causes_Intervertebral_Disc_Compression_in_Young_Adults. (b) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1758297

[XI]http://www.t-nation.com/training/cardiokills

[XII]http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/37/5/e95.extract#

[XIII] 1990. Utilization of fatty acids during exercise. In Biochemistry of Exercise VII, ed. A. W. Taylor et al., 319-28. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

[XIV] http://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_bushmen.html

[XV] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=826HMLoiE_o

[XVI] https://gao.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2013/07/Sprint-Interval-Training.pdf

CategoriesUncategorized

The Women’s Fitness Summit

Way back in May I made the trek out to Kansas City, Missouri* to take part in The Fitness Summit.

It’s an annual gathering of both fitness professionals and fitness enthusiasts which has seemingly grown in popularity year in and year out, and has earned the reputation as one of the “go to” fitness events of the year.

I was lucky enough to not only be invited out this past Spring, but to be one of the speakers – alongside other industry big wigs such as Bret Contreras, Alan Aragon, Dr. Brad Shoenfeld, Bryan Krahn, Mike T.Nelson, Dave Dellanave, Dr. Spencer Nadolsky, Roland and Galina Denzel, as well as Dr. Cassandra Forsythe.

It was an amazing experience and you can read all about it HERE.

As it happened, due to the popularity of her presentation (and the friendly back-and-forth debate which ensued), I remember Cassandra (Forsythe) toying with the idea of organizing a Women’s Fitness Summit down the road.

Well that day has come.

Cassandra will be the first one to tell you she’s no “man hater,” but she felt there was a unique need for a conference dedicated solely towards women and female specific topics.

In short:  she recognizes that women and women’s topics are grossly under-represented in the fitness industry.  I couldn’t agree more.

While I’m a dude and immediately gravitate towards visions of pajama pillow fights and Dirty Dancing dialogue whenever I hear about a group of women getting together under one roof – Sorry! It’s in my DNA! – I can assure you that that won’t be the case here.

Instead, what’s going to happen is that a group of highly educated and highly respected women in the fitness industry are going to get together and talk about female-specific topics.  Such as:

  • Athletic Amenorrhea (losing your period)
  • Urinary Incontinence (no, you shouldn’t pee your pants when you exercise)
  • Specific Training Needs and Wants of Women
  • How to Train and Inspire Your Female Clients Correctly
  • Pregnancy Training
  • Exercise and Training for Menopause
  • Influence of the Menstrual Cycle on Exercise & Nutrition
  • Training Requirements of Female Endurance Athletes
  • And more…

And, no BOYS are allowed!!!!

Pffft, whatever……;o)

WHO?

Women fitness enthusiasts and fitness professionals. Slated speakers include:  Dr. Cassandra Forsythe, Molly Galbraith, Dr.Brooke Kalanick, Dr. Susan Kleiner, Julia Ladewski, Jen Sinkler, Marni Sumbal, Elsbeth Vaino, Joy Victoria, and Ann Wendel.

WHAT?

The first and only fitness summit specifically for women by women

WHERE?

ARC Performance

710 Arogosy Parkway

Riverside, MO 64150

Hotel:  Group rate of $109/night available at the Courtyard by Marriot Briarclif.

The summit venue is a 5-10 minute drive from the hotel.

Need a roommate?  Find a friend our Facebook Fan Page HERE.

WHEN?

Friday, September 26th – Sunday, September, 28th

–       Friday Night Social (optional)

–       Saturday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

o   Group Saturday Night (optional)

–       Sunday, 9:00 am – Noon

WHY?

It’s time for women to hear and learn the right way to train their bodies for their goals.  Plus, it’s a wonderful chance to meet the women experts who are transforming the industry!

You’ll get to meet the right women to admire and respect.  Forget about movie stars and media “experts.”  It’s time to discover new “heroes” that understand you and actually look out for your best interests.

You’ll discover how to lead a healthy and fit lifestyle while still being an outstanding wife, mother, and friend.  You DO NOT have to be a Super Woman to stay fit and healthy while still fitting everything else in.  You DO NOT have to compromise your marriage, family or your own personal health to get the body you want and deserve.

It’s time for you and all women to feel understood, empowered, confident and beautiful in their own skin – cellulite, stretch marks, and all!  😉

Cost and Registration (<— Click Me)

 

* = Yep, that’s right, Missouri.  I bet you thought Kansas City was in Kansas, right?  Well, technically, there is a Kansas City in Kansas, but that’s not the Kansas City I’m referring to. I’m talking about the Kansas City in Missouri.  

Confused yet?  What were we talking about again?

Oh yeah, pillow fights! 

CategoriesUncategorized

Register Now for the 3rd Annual Cressey Sports Performance Fall Seminar!

I’m psyched to announce that on Sunday, September 28, we’ll be hosting our third annual fall seminar at Cressey Sports Performance. 

As was the case with our extremely popular fall event over the past two years, this event will showcase both the great staff we’re fortunate to have as part of our team.  Also like last year, we want to make this an affordable event for everyone and create a great forum for industry professionals and fitness enthusiasts alike to interact, exchange ideas, and learn.

Here are the presentation topics:

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: A “New” Diagnosis for the Same Old Problems – Presented by Eric Cressey

More and more individuals – both athletes and non-athletes alike – are being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome. In this presentation, Eric will explain what it is, how it’s treated, and – most importantly – what fitness professionals and rehabilitation specialists can do to prevent it from occurring in the first place.

Darth Maul vs. Darth Vader: Who’s the More “Darthy” Darth?Making Bad Movement Better – Presented by Tony Gentilcore

Tony will cover the most common technique flaws he sees on a daily basis, outlining both coaching cues and programming strategies one can utilize to improve exercise technique – namely the “Big 3” (squat, bench press, deadlift). He’ll also cover progressions and regressions, and when to apply them.

Paleo: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly – Presented by Brian St. Pierre

Paleo: possibly the most hyped nutritional approach to come along since Atkins. This, of course, begs the question: do the results match the hype?

Is it right for everybody? Do we really need to avoid dairy, legumes and grains to achieve optimal health? Do all clients need to take their nutrition to this level?

In this presentation, Brian explores the pros and the cons, the insights and the fallacies of the Paleo movement. And, he’ll discuss the accumulated wisdom from coaching over 30,000 individuals, and what that teaches us about which nutritional camp to which should really “belong.”

Trigger Points 101:  – Presented by Chris Howard

In this presentation, massage therapist Chris Howard will discuss what trigger points are, why they develop, where you’ll find them, and – of course – how to get rid of them! He’ll pay special attention to how certain trigger points commonly line up with certain issues clients face, and how soft tissue work can play an integral in improving movement quality while preventing and elimination symptoms.

How Bad Do You Want It? – Presented by Greg Robins

In this presentation, Greg will discuss the factors that govern how individuals stick to (or abandon) their training and nutrition goals. He’ll introduce real strategies to help people make changes by focusing on the most important variable: themselves.

Who Rocks a Pink Shirt Better: A Discussion Tony vs Andrew. Finding the Training Potential in Injury – Presented by Andrew Zomberg

Don’t let a setback set you or your clients back in the weight room. Injuries happen, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t still achieve a great training effect. Andrew will discuss the most common injuries/conditions individuals encounter, and how the fitness professional can aid in sustaining a training stimulus during the recovery phase. This will include exercise selection tips, coaching cue recommendations, and programming examples.

Location:

Cressey Sports Performance
577 Main St.
Suite 310
Hudson, MA 01749

Cost:

Early Bird Regular Rate – $129.99 (Regular Rate of $149.99 after August 28th)
Early Bird Student Rate (must have student ID at door) – $99.99  (Regular Rate of $129.99 after August 28th)

Date/Time:

Sunday, September 28, 2014
Registration 8:30AM
Seminar 9AM-5PM

Continuing Education:

0.6 NSCA CEUs pending (six contact hours)

Click Here to Sign-up (Regular)

or

Click Here to Sign-up (Students)

We’re really excited about this event, and would love to have you join us! However, space is limited and each seminar we’ve hosted in the past has sold out quickly, so don’t delay on signing up!

If you have additional questions, please direct them to [email protected]. Looking forward to seeing you there!

CategoriesMiscellaneous Miscellany Uncategorized

Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: Catching Up

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unfortunately, not some raunchy reality tv show

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Safe Upper Body Exercises for Baseball Players

Essential Mobility Drills for Baseball Players

How to Keep Your Shoulders Strong and Healthy

The Best Two Lower Body Exercises for Baseball Players

The Best Plyo Exercises for Baseball Players

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

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

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

– 6 Flame Out capsules

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

– And, boom goes the dynamite.

CategoriesUncategorized

What I Do on Vacation (Hint: I Don’t Worry About Exercise)

Fitness is a part of my life. It always has been, and it always will be. I’m just as obsessed with the next person about staying on task, being consistent, and not missing any lifts.

I can count on one hand the total number of times I’ve skipped a scheduled training session.  Once was because I felt like I was infected with Ebola. Once was because of a massive snow storm which laid the smack down on us, and forced us to stay home for a few days (which then served as the impetus for me to buy a set of kettlebells).  And once was because a friend of mine dragged me to a second showing of The Two Towers.  Whatever.  Don’t judge me.

As I’m typing these words, I’m overlooking the ocean and beach (see pic to the left), and the last thing I’m worrying about is that I’ve only exercised once in the past four days.  That is, unless you consider walking to and from my beach chair to water to pee as exercise.  If that’s case I’ve been crushing it all week. Like a champ.

You see, I look at vacation as, you know, vacation. Weird, I know.  Sure, Lisa and I try our best to implement and encourage as much “damage control” as possible:

1.  We raided Trader Joe’s before we left and brought a stash of nuts, beef jerky, oatmeal, LaraBars, and a bunch of other things that, I think, are TSA approved.

2.  We’re staying in a room that has a kitchen, and the resort we’re staying at has a fresh market, so we’re more than able to cook our own healthy meals when we want.  We don’t necessarily have to eat out every meal.

3.  Moreover, as any fitness couple would do, we’ve “visited” the gym here at the resort once or twice.  I say “visited” (in quotations) because each time we’ve gone it’s been nothing hardcore or extraordinary. We both move around a little, break a sweat, high-five, and then leave.

Here’s Lisa hitting up some easy deadlifts as part of a circuit we were doing.  And yes, I took over the stereo.  Holla!

By and large, however, our vacation has been more about reading, relaxing, going for a few walks on the beach, and, WARNING TO ALL PALEO NAZIS READING (put on your ear muffs), eating our fair share of fajitas and quesadillas. I.e., gluten!

I’m often asked what my advice would be for people who are traveling and would like to still stay “healthy” and  to workout and stay while away.

For starters, going on vacation IS HEALTHY!!  Just getting out of our monotonous, humdrum, everyday routines, and going away, is one of the best thing we can do for our mental (and physical) health, and I’d encourage people to do it more often.

But more to the point, here’s something I shared on TravelStrong.net recently:

To read the whole article, go HERE.

Depending on the length (lets just say for shits and giggles a week), it may not be a bad idea for most people to view vacation as a “built in” deload week. Chances are most people have been busting their butts in the gym for months on end and haven’t had much of a break anyways.

Who’s to say that vacation can’t be, you know, a freakin vacation! Let loose!

Now, this doesn’t mean you have to live at the all-you-can-eat-buffet the entire time, or that you shouldn’t make an effort to move around just a little bit (even if it’s to move from one side of the pool to the next).

I know when I travel I like to stay at resorts or hotels that have a gym. Of course, this can be hit or miss as some resort’s definition of a gym is a pair of mis-matched dumbbells, a treadmill, a few mats, and a rubber duckey.

For the most part, hotels and resorts recognize that a fair portion of their visitors live a healthy and active lifestyle and most make a concerted effort to provide a reasonably well-stocked gym. If this is the case, great! While you probably won’t be able to deadlift heavy, it stands to reason you will be able move around a little bit.

And even if they don’t have a gym, who’s to say that you can’t do other “active” things: sprint on the beach, play tennis, go hiking, swim, etc.

The point is this: I like to treat vacation as vacation. It’s not the end of the world if you can’t perform your 5/3/1 training session at the spa. Most likely it will be the best thing for your body to take a few days off.

However, I understand that that is a tough pill to swallow for many people – myself included.

I have to move around in some fashion. So try to make plans to stay at a hotel or resort that has access to a gym; or at the very least, try to think outside the box and understand that exercise doesn’t ALWAYS have to be in the gym.

In the end, it’s okay to turn it off.

$10 says taking 3-5 days off and not touching a weight will do your body (particularly your joints) good. Besides, if you take some precautions, maybe purposely overreach (i.e., kick the shit out of yourself) the week before leaving, those few days off from training will serve as a perfect way to supercompensate and come back even stronger.

But what it really comes down to is this…. Relax.  You earned it.

CategoriesUncategorized

Note to Fitness Professionals: This is How NOT to Market Yourself

On an almost daily basis I receive emails from people asking me to promote their website or pimp their product.

On one hand I’m honored that some people think highly enough of me that they’re willing to reach out, stroke my ego a bit (Tony, you’re so smart and handsome), and ask for help.

Plus, you know, free stuff!

I’m not going to lie:  90% of the time whatever it is someone’s selling or marketing – whether it’s a website, blog, or product – it’s garbage and has no relevance to me or my audience.  I once had someone contact me asking if I’d be interested in trying out their new vegetarian, soy-based, meat-like product, and if I liked it, would I be willing to write about it on my blog?

Clearly they didn’t read my site and were just fishing all the popular fitness blogs to see if they could get any bites.

It may have very well been the best tasting and highest quality whateverthef*** on the market, easily digestible, increasing protein synthesis by 177%, and making people shit rainbows and cinnamon.  But definitely not a good fit for me or my site considering all the dead animal flesh I eat.

Flipping the script, however, every now and then I’ll receive an email from someone where I’ll be intrigued by what they have to offer.

Clear Tea would be one example.

In this case, the individual sent me an email that wasn’t a “canned” template, actually mentioned that they were a fan of my work, even referenced a few posts where I mentioned my love of tea, and then offered to send me a few samples to try if I was interested.

In fact, the heading of Greg’s (the owner of Opportuniteas, which is such a baller name by the way) initial email to me read:  “I love your articles, want free tea?”

He then opened the dialogue by saying, “I hope things are amazing with you.  Your articles have helped my deadlift immensely…….”

It was personalized, it was professional, it was non-douchy.

As a result, he and I have kept in touch, I (and Lisa) love ClearTea and use it every day and have told friends and family about it, and I was more than willing to write up a testimonial for his website.

Unfortunately, in the world of networking and marketing that’s the exception and not the rule.

Lets go back and explore, in my experience, the “norm,” and how NOT to reach out to others and come across as someone destined to mediocrity.

All new and incoming fitness professionals pay attention.

Last week I received an email from a guy named Hazel asking me if I’d be interested in writing about his website.  Mind you, I’ve never heard of Hazel, never interacted with him, never read anything he’s written, never seen him coach, never laid eyes on him.

For all I know, Hazel could be some 50 lb overweight housewife catfishing me.

Nevertheless, his approach was to open with:

“I came across your site and find it full of useful information about fitness.”

Ahh, can you smell the mass email?

He then went on to ask if I’d be interested in blogging about his new website he designed which offers free content to guys looking to add muscle.

He was also gracious enough to inform me that I could easily link to his site!!!

Needless to say I deleted the email, chalked it up to someone who just doesn’t “get it,” and moved on with my life.

A few days later I saw my buddy, JC Deen, post this up on his Facebook Wall:

Note:  I blocked out Hazel’s website with the giant arrow.

Hahahahahahahaha.  I knew it was a mass email!  The dude sent the EXACT same message to JC (and John Romaniello) and I have to imagine dozens (if not hundreds) of other fitness professionals with popular websites and blogs.

People, this is how NOT to market or make a name for yourself.

As Lou Schuler has repeatedly noted:  “when the fitness industry is ready for you, it will find you.”

Many don’t want to hear the truth, but it takes years of hard work and consistency to gain an audience. Or, if you’re an attractive female with a badonkadonk (and an affinity to play Spiderman in your free time), all you need is an Instagram account.

You don’t do so by sending out “canned” mass emails to everyone with a .com next to their name and expect them to jump on board. Come on!  At least buy them dinner first or something.

Maybe Hazel will prove me wrong and his website will catch on.  But I doubt it.