…We’re All Still Living in a Never-Ending Dumpster Fire
COVID, COVID, COVID
Insurrections
Inflation
Sex and the City reboots
The incessant parade of awful things seemingly won’t end.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that 2022 will bring all of us a bit more good news and things to look forward to. I know for one I can’t wait to begin traveling again. I had a bit of an amuse bouche earlier in the fall when I was able to jet away and spend five days in London.
I was in introvert heaven. No wife, no kid, and no workshops. It was just me meandering about my favorite place in the world for a handful of days.
Speaking of workshops, however, 2022 looks to be shaping up as a bit of a comeback. I have four events in the coming months:
January:
1. Kabuki Education Week (virtual) – January 9th – 15th – Info & Registration HERE.
2. Coaching Competency Workshop – Saratoga Springs, NY (January 23rd) – Info and registration HERE.
February:
COACHED: Raise the Bar Conference – Orlando, FL – Info & Registration HERE.
March:
Strategic Strength Workshop – Boston, MA (March 19th-20th) – Info & Registration HERE.
And on a somewhat related note, I really, really, really hope to get back on the writing more content train in the coming year.
2021 saw my worst output since this website/blog began and I truly hope to up my game in the coming months. Like everyone else my mind was preoccupied with other “life events” this past year, and while part of me wanted to beat myself up over it…
…I also had to have an honest compromise with myself and realize that other things had to be more of a priority. Family, gym expansion, The Witcher Season 2.
It’s been over two years since I’ve announced any IN-PERSON workshops. I’m elated to announce that Luke Worthington and I will be hosting our popular Strategic Strength Workshop in Boston, Massachusetts this coming March (2022).
*Cue the trumpets*
Shut Up and Take My $$ Tony – Register HERE (1 installment) or HERE(2 installments)
The Deets
The Strategic Strength Workshop is an opportunity for fitness professionals (or those who just like to lift heavy things) to gain better understanding and insight into how we structure assessments and subsequent training programs to help our clients – whether they’re A-list celebrities, professional athletes, or “regular” people – get stronger, move better, and be healthier.
All under the umbrella of taking into account each individual’s unique injury history, goals, ability level, and anatomy.
Topics Covered:
Day 1:
8.30 am – Registration – Tea (for the one British person, Luke) / Coffee (for everyone else)
9.00 am – Introductions
9.00 –10.30 am – Coaching Competency – How to better “match” your coaching style to your clients’.
10.30 – 12.30 pm – Why Do We Assess?
Alternating Segment Model
Kinetic Chains
Active vs. Passive Tissue
Active vs. Passive ROM
Assessment Hierarchy
12.30 – 1.30 pm – Lunch
1.30 – 3.00 pm – Assessing the Shoulder
3.00 – 4.00 pm – Breathing Mechanics
4.00 – 5.00 pm – Coaching Upper Body Movements
Bench Press
Pull-Ups
Shoulder Friendly Shenanigans
Day 2
9.00 – 11.00 am – Assessing the Hip
Anatomy of the Pelvis
What is “neutral”
Pelvic inlets and outlets
Common myths and misconceptions (stop blaming the hamstrings for everything)
11.00 – 12.00 pm – Squat Assessment
12.00 – 1.00 pm – Lunch
1.00 – 3.00 pm – Exercise Continuums
3.00 – 4.00 pm – Coaching the Deadlift & Squat (Finding Your Clients’ Trainable Menu)
4.00 – 5.00 pm – Programming for Strength
5.00 -5.30 pm – Neuromechanics
Date: Saturday, March 19th & Sunday, March 20th, 2022.
Is it to celebrate Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin while studying influenza (this week in 1928)? Or maybe it’s to celebrate the first non-aristocratic, free public school to open in Europe in Frascati, Italy (this week in 1616)?
Or, I don’t know, maybe it’s to celebrate the fact that the #1 movie this week back in 2003 was Robert Rodriguez’s Once Upon a Time in Mexico.
All are as good of a reason to celebrate and to subsequently put stuff on sale as any.
Alas, none of the reasons suggested above are the real reason.
The real reason is because this week, 40 years ago, in what I can only imagine was a lovely hospital somewhere in even lovelier Canada, Mrs. Somerset gave birth to none other than Dean Somerset – one of my best friends, non-sexual life partner, and long-time work husband.
I’ll refrain from any 40-Year Old Virgin jokes here, but suffice to say I am here to welcome Dean to his fourth decade of life; one more to go until that prostate exam!
(Or, wait, do they do it at 45 now? If so, shit, I only have a few more months left).
Anyway, like I said: All of the products Dean and I have collaborated on over the years are on Sale THIS WEEK ONLY (9/15-9/18) at 40% off their regular price:
Word on the street is that George Lucas (creator of Star Wars) is going to write & direct a romantic comedy as his next project in Hollywood.
Just kidding.
No one wants that.
Can you imagine that? I think a toaster oven could write better dialogue between two romantic interests. Remember the ear wash from Attack of the Clones between Padme and Anakin?:
I mean, who talks like that?……..🤢
In all seriousness, I do have some exciting news.
I’m excited to announce that I will be part of the Raise the Bar Conference. An event focused on the missing links in our industry: Communication, collaboration, connection, behavioral psychology, business & marketing skills, and much more.
And more importantly who? Who will be presenting at this event?
I gotta say: This is undoubtedly one of the most stacked line-ups I have ever seen; even more than the 1990 Oakland Athletics.
The Line-Up
I’m flabbergasted whenever my name gets lumped into the same circle as the bunch above, but there I am. Like a boss (alongside my wife, Dr. Lisa Lewis).
You can attend this event either in person or virtually (albeit, spots are limited in-person). You also have the option of purchasing a direct pass or direct pass + recordings.
The SUPER early bird rate lasts through the end of September so act quickly – HERE.
I’m pumped for this event. Not only because it’ll be my first in person speaking event in almost two years and I’ll have the opportunity to catch up with friends & colleagues I haven’t seen in a long time, but also because you KNOW I’m staying an extra day or two to visit Hollywood Studios.
I told myself I’d never do it; the thought of being around a massive crowd and waiting in long ass lines has never appealed to me.
And that was before a pandemic.
Alas, the opportunity to see Darth Vader in person and to walk around the Millennium Falcon with my 5-year old will be a splendid experience. At the very least they’ll be some potential for me to finally utter the words “I’LL TURN THIS CAR AROUND RIGHT NOW!,” in true vacation dad fashion.
#family.
I truly hope you’ll consider attending this event. I think it’s going to be pretty special. Go HERE for all the details and to register at the Early Bird rate (<— which, again, only lasts through September).
People will perform stupid antics on social media (the latest being the Milk Crate Challenge)
Additionally, if you’re an active person, particularly if you lift weights, unless you’re name is Wolverine, it’s inevitable you’ll (probably) experience pain during exercise.
Maybe your knees will feel a little cranky after a serious squat session or your shoulders will be mad after prioritizing the bench press for several weeks.
What’s more, many people after a hiatus due to injury have to navigate the rehab process, which can be a painful experience and about as fun as sitting on a cactus.
However, if we’re discussing any of the aforementioned scenarios highlighted in the introduction my response is an emphatic “YES!”
Albeit, with some caveats.
If you want to elicit change, you need to move. When we move, we induce something called mechanotransduction, which is just nerd speak for “tissue begins to heal.”
Pain, when DOSED ACCORDINGLY, can be beneficial during exercise. When we push into a little pain there’s generally better short-term results than if not.
Whenever I’m working with a client/athlete experiencing pain during exercise (especially in a rehab setting) I like to use a “pain threshold” scale.
On a scale of 1-10 (1 = no biggie, I got this and a 10 = holy shit, a panther just latched onto my carotid), exercise should hover in the 2-3 realm.
Elaborating further, my friend and colleague, Tim Latham of Back Bay Health in Boston, uses a stoplight analogy when it comes to pain during exercise:
0-3 on the pain scale = green light. GO.
4-5 = yellow light. Proceed with caution and modify ROM, technique, sets/reps, etc
6-10 = red light – stop and revisit at a later time.
Let’s Put This Into Action
Let’s say I have a client who had ACL surgery a few months ago and has been cleared by their doctor and physical therapist to begin more aggressive strength training.
My expectation isn’t that (s)he is going to walk in on Day #1 and feel like a million bucks; there’s going to be some degree of discomfort. However, I am not going to shy away from it and attempt to avoid it at all costs.
Remember: A little pain is okay, if not preferred. It’s imperative to challenge the body. I’d make the argument that a lot of what inhibits or slows down the rehabbing process for many is the threat of UNDERloading.
I.e., doing so little that the body is never forced to adapt to anything.
Tendons, muscles, and bones NEED (appropriate) load in order to heal and come back stronger.
Taking my ACL client through the process I may have them start with a deadlift. So long as their pain stays within the 0-3 range, it’s all systems a go.
If that number jumps to a 4-5 it doesn’t mean we have to omit the exercise altogether. Instead we do the following:
Modify ROM – Elevate the barbell off the ground (less knee flexion)
Modify Tempo – When in doubt, slow down. It’s actually quite profound how effective this simple tweak can be.
Adjust Technique – Play around with foot position or stance to see if something feels more comfortable.
Adjust Volume – Sometimes we’re too overzealous with volume and need to ramp up more slowly.
If the pain threshold at any point falls in the 6-10 range then we know we’ve overstepped our coverage and we need to stop that exercise immediately and regress.
It’s not a perfect system and there’s no doubt an aspect of subjectivity to things, but I hope this helps encourage people to not be deterred if pain is present during exercise.
It can be an important cog in the healing process.
Strategic Strength Workshop Is Coming to Philadelphia
It’s been over 18 months since I’ve announced any IN-PERSON workshops. I’m elated to announce that I am coming to Philadelphia to put on my 1-day Strategic Strength Workshop
My Strategic Strength Workshop is an opportunity for fitness professionals (or those who just like to lift heavy things) to gain better understanding and insight into how I structure assessments and subsequent training programs to help people get stronger, move better, and, I don’t know, arm wrestle a lumberjack (and win!)
Topics Covered Include:
1) Upper & Lower Extremity Assessment – A Deep Dive
2) De-constructing common strength exercises (deadlift, squat, bench press, pull-ups, etc). Namely, why it’s crucial to find the VARIATION that best fits your clients’ goals, injury history, ability level, and anatomy.
3) Finding the Trainable Menu for your clients/athletes. Highlighting what they CAN do, rather than what they cannot.
4) A teeny-tiny dabble into psych skills for fitness professionals that will help improve motivation (and results) with your clients.
5) Top 5 Netflix shows I’ve watched during the pandemic (Lupin = the shit).
UPDATE: After posting this yesterday it was brought to my attention that a Diesel Dad resource already exists! My friend Anders Verner (of Barbell Shrugged) texted me and was like:
“I’ll see you in court.”
Just kidding.
He said,
“Diesel Dad is a rad idea, and I truly hate writing this, but we already created this branding, own the copyrights, Diesel Dad Mentorship, Mastermind Diet, and training programs.”
I was bummed to hear this news and certainly respect the fact that Diesel Dad is already in excellent hands. To that end, Bryan and I are still going to be running a similar program and just need to come up with another appropriate name I suppose:
DadStrong?
DadBuilt?
Brick Shithouse Diesel Motherfucker Club?
Nevertheless, we’d still very much appreciate your feedback (continue reading below).
👇👇👇
My son, Julian, was born just over four years ago.
In his first year of life my workouts had to be modified quite a bit. For starters I was a very sleep deprived dad who couldn’t tell the difference between 7 AM and 7 PM.
I still made training regularly a priority, but gone were the days where I hung my hat on 90 minute gym sessions. I needed to be more efficient with my training.
Get in, get out, go take a nap.
Secondly, the year he was born was also the same year I turned 40.
Now, to offset any eye-rolls heading in my direction: Age is just a number.
I’m not one of those people who feels that just because you turn a certain age that that automatically means you have to completely overhaul your workouts or training approach. I mean, granted, at 40 I wasn’t disillusioning myself into thinking I’d be jumping off any top ropes like Randy Macho-Man Savage or sprinting down the track like the T-1000.
However, I also wasn’t going to be reaching for the walking stick any time soon. I still had aspirations of training fairly aggressively.
As it happened, that year ended up being one of the best and most productive training years of my life. I was consistent, stayed healthy, kept my body composition in check, and was finally able to hit my goal of a 600 lb deadlift:
Furthermore, in the years since, I’ve been able to maintain (most of) my strength as well as bolster my admittedly childish goal of being the most diesel looking dad at my kid’s daycare.
It sounds silly, but I know there are many, many dads over 40 out there who are interested in the same thing.
They recognize they’re not 25 anymore.
However, they still want to get after it in the gym.
They’re also strapped for time.
Yet, they still want to look and be strong.
About a month after Julian was born the phrase “Diesel Dad” popped into my head. I thought to myself, “that’s a killer alliteration.” But more importantly that it was a baller idea, and in a rare occurrence of proactiveness I did a domain search and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was available to purchase.
I bought it thinking that maybe, at some point down the road, I’d put it to use.
That Time Is Now
My good friend and colleague, Bryan Krahn, and I have been tossing around the idea of putting together a program for Jason Bourne wannabe’s dads for a number of years now. I mean, we both became dads at relatively the same time and we’re both, at this point, approaching our mid-40’s.
(And, not coincidentally, we are both still pretty diesel).
We’re living, breathing, epitomes of our target market.
All that said, while we have a good idea of what we want to accomplish with the program, we’d be remiss not to do our due diligence and ask, specifically, what do YOU, dear future diesel dad want?
A Little Help?
If you’re a dad (or mom) who’s 35+ and interested in a program that will help you get stronger, satiate your inner meathead, help navigate around common injuries, and take into account that your time is valuable…
…can you help us out?
Can you take a few minutes to complete THIS questionnaire?
It’ll help Bryan and I figure out what Diesel Dad can and should be, as well as possibly highlight things we haven’t thought of yet.
Like, do we include a litany of dad jokes? Steak recipes? Nunchuck training?
Help us, help you.
Go HERE (👈 seriously, it’ll be immensely appreciated)
Admittedly, I can understand why some of you reading might be thinking to yourselves “ooooookay, Tony.”
It’s quite an inane thing to announce.
I mean, people join commercial gyms all the time. Much like they brush their teeth in the morning, make a grilled cheese sandwich or, I don’t know, shop at The Gap.
People do shit.
What’s the big deal?
Well, nothing. But you made it this far so you may as well keep reading…;o)
1990 (or 91)
That was the year it started.
I was 13 and that was the year Mariah Carey dominated my bedroom walls I got my first weight set. You know, one of those sets that was always on sale at K-Mart and came with a bench, a barbell, and cement weights covered in plastic.
I loved that weight set and Mr. Random Black & White Male Model On a Poster Who, In Hindsight, Wore Shorts That Were Way Too Short became my mentor.
I followed that poster to a “T” and, along with my Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco rookie cards, it became one of my most prized possessions.
Soon I entered high-school and was then old enough to be allowed to use the weight room, located in the basement of the school itself and quite literally a dungeon. By then shows like Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, In Living Color, and Martin were dominating my cultural landscape, along with baseball, and the idea of playing it at the collegiate level.
Also, not for nothing: Salma Hayek entered my life.
I spent just about every day after school between my sophomore and senior years lifting weights in that dungeon. It had one of those universal gyms complete with a chest and shoulder press station, pulldown, leg press, leg extension/curl, and dip station. There was also a squat rack (if I had access to a time machine I’d go back and tell myself to start using it sooner), a few barbells, and a smattering of weight plates that were rusty enough to have required a yearly tetanus shot
I have fond memories of that dungeon.
It’s where I benched pressed 135 lb (the BIG WHEELS) for the first time. It’s also where I got stapled by 135 lbs for the first time when I attempted a second rep.
1996
In 1996, while home for summer break after my freshman year of college, I was punched in the face (in a good way) by the welcome surprise that a commercial gym had opened up in my hometown.
My hometown didn’t have a fast food joint (or a traffic light), but it now had a gym.
I was beyond the moon.
It wasn’t perfect, but it came with all bells and whistles I had never had access to prior…
Two squat racks (at this point, still not a fan. Dammit Tony!)
A litany of selectorized machines
More weight plates than I could count
And even the token old-timer meathead who, much to my mother’s gasp, told me to put raw eggs into my protein shakes
It was glorious.
It was mine.
And then…
2002-2021
In 2002 I became a fitness professional.
For the first five years of my career every workout took place in a menagerie of gyms I was employed by, except for the one year Eric Cressey & I drove to Stratford, CT 2x per week to train at South Side Barbell (a powerlifting gym) amongst giants.
That gym doesn’t exist anymore, but it was one of the best training years of my life.
Then, in 2007 I helped co-found Cressey Sports Performance and ever since I’ve lived in this peculiar strength & conditioning bubble where people perform full-ROM pull-ups, are more inclined to squat on Monday than bench press, and shrug it off as no big deal whenever someone deadlifts 405 lbs for reps.
It’s been 25+ years since I’ve paid for a gym membership because I’ve either worked in one or “owned” one.
For the past 15 months, however, I’ve been sequestered in my own 500 sq. ft. studio.
It gets the job done and I have everything I need to fulfill my training goals:
✅ Keys to the door.
✅ Ample weights.
✅ Specialty bars.
✅ Power Rack
✅ Sick hip hop beats.
That said, I’d be remiss if I didn’t confess I’m sometimes bummed I don’t have access to certain types of equipment.
That, and as a writer always looking for fodder to write about, selfishly, meandering about a commercial gym has always provided me a bevy of content.
It’s the ultimate anecdote to writer’s block…😂
That said, I hit a tipping point recently and came to the conclusion I needed a change of scenery; even if only 1-2x per week.
Now, it’s not lost on me I’m complaining about something many would have killed to have access to the past year, but working out where I work has been getting monotonous and boring.
I needed a change of pace. A break. A separation of church & state if you will.
After doing a bit of reconnaissance I ended up joining a neighborhood commercial gym this week, and so far it’s been a splendid experience and a welcome jolt to my training.
Granted, I don’t miss the incessant “peacocking” of dudes walking around or the perplexed looks I’ve received whenever I ask someone if I can jump in on a piece of equipment.
Based on some reactions you’d think I asked them what their favorite protein powder was in Klingon.
Relax.
I’m only going to take 30 seconds and then you can do your 47th set of seated rows.
Regardless, thus far the benefits have far outweighed the drawbacks. A different vibe was definitely needed and it’s offered a chance to disconnect and just focus on my training.
Plus, I never thought I’d be so smitten to see a pec deck.
A few weeks ago I was invited by my good friend and colleague, Justice Williams, a trans body positive activist (and one hell of a coach and human being), to participate in a conversation on masculinity & the fitness industry with his Fitness4AllBodies community.
I was very interested in just listening, because as a straight, white, cis male there’s myriad of things I don’t have to worry about and, quite frankly, take for granted.
Moreover, as a part of what Justice refers to as the Fitness Industrial Complex, without litigating the past, there’s a handful of things I’ve said, written, and done (with zero intention to purposely denigrate or cause malice to anyone), that, as I came to realize as I listened in, did just that.
By no means was it a “point all our fingers at Tony” party. Rather, it was a much needed wake-up call on my end that I can do better, and I was appreciative for everyone’s insights and calls for action.
The fitness industry is a wonderful community filled with a cornucopia of well intentioned, positive, and open-minded individuals. However, as is the case with any community, is rife with ignorance and its own array of imperfections.
I encourage anyone reading to absorb what Justice has to say below and to consider lending him your attention and participating in some of his upcoming courses (one of which is highlighted below).
Desired Feats of Manliness: The Roots of Performative Masculinity
Looking back at history gives us a deeper understanding of the convention and showmanship of manliness. We can’t escape the roots of how we attained these ideas, perspectives, and behaviors of masculinity. It is the desire of wanting to be valued and coveted in this theater we call life.
In this brief essay, I’d like to explore the performative nature of manliness and how these ideas and toxic values are maintained within the Fitness Industrial Complex.
By understanding that the ideas deemed valuable about masculinity have been socially constructed throughout time, it shows us that these ideas are not innate, yet malleable, and can be changed.
Mens’ ideas about aesthetics, strength, and what it means to be a man comes from the 19th century “Physical Culture” performances that erupted in England.
These performances ranged from weightlifting, wrestling or boxing at local clubs to incredible feats of strength like bending bars and metal pans, as well as lifting carts at the vaudeville strongman shows.
This performative masculinity became the desire of men and these shows the propaganda of masculinity.
Judith Butler, writer, activist philosopher, theorized on gender performativity and explains to us how…
“…gender is a social construct, a set of behaviors in everyday life that define and comply with how we perceive these social norms.”
During this time, idolizing masculinity (or manliness) spread like wild fire and soon became akin to what it meant to be “close to God and what it meant to be in his image.”
Some of the performers became huge celebrities, like Eugene Sandow, who, recognized as the father of bodybuilding, changed the ideal image of what a man’s body should look because he was deemed beautifully perfect and godlike from his symmetric aesthetics and power.
These ideas have become cemented norms within the Fitness Industrial Complex.
What is the Fitness Industrial Complex?
The Fitness Industrial Complex defines and maintains power over our bodies through the lens of privilege. These mainstream ideas teach us what it means to be fit and well in our bodies…
…determined, predominately, by race, gender, identity, ability, and body shape.
These mainstream ideas reinforce stereotypes about the identities and bodies of BIPOC, Queer, poor, and communities with disabilities.
“The Fitness Industrial Complex is maintained by private companies that gain huge profits from diet and fitness culture as well as the propaganda it spreads about health and wellness; increasing influence of athletic bodies and sports; and eliminating any social dissent to prevailing ideas about bodies, health, and wellness that illuminate our true experience of the industry.
Within the fitness industry we reinforce these ideas that have become the norms within a global society.
These ideas are valued within the fitness industry and is what we as men (and masculine identified individuals) should all achieve. It is the desire of wanting to be valued and coveted in this theater we call life.
The Fitness Industrial Complex helps us to see the ways that performative masculinity limits information about the ways that we conform and maintain these toxic ideas.
We have to understand the problem if we are to truly change the toxic ideas that we hold about ourselves and others. Let’s all take our bodies back and reframe the ways that we see masculinity in relationship to ourselves and others.
Reframing Masculinity & Gym Culture
This 3-week course will dig deeper into the journey through performative manliness, the history and construction of masculinity, and how fitness is both a product and agent of producing specific forms of masculinity.
Remember, this is not just a course for cisgender men! We all internalize and reenact dominant ideologies of power, which in a white supremacist patriarchal society includes hegemonic forms of masculinity.
This cohort will take place from May 12-26th and will be capped at twenty participants, so please help us get to know you, your background, and what you hope to get out of this course in our time together.
Justice Roe Williams (he/him) is a Certified Personal Trainer, head coach at Kettlebell Justice, founder of The Queer Gym Pop Up and BodyImage4Justice, and Executive Director of Fitness4AllBodies.
He is a trans body positive activist and has been actively creating safe spaces for queer and trans bodies in fitness in the Boston area since 2013. Williams actively advocates for fitness being for everyone and the importance of trainers and fitness professionals using their status as gatekeepers to “act as a shield” to protect their clients and create safe, affirming practices and spaces.
A key component of his work has been working with people of all backgrounds to address and dismantle toxic masculinity and how it operates within white supremacist patriarchal culture—particularly in fitness. His work has been featured in Refinery29, Good Housekeeping, NPR, PinkNews, and Boston Neighborhood Network News.
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Shut Up and Take My $$ Tony – Register 
