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Reviewing the PTDC Hybrid Training Seminar: What I Learned (And Stuff)

WHEW…what a weekend! The first annual Personal Trainer Development Center Hybrid Training Seminar was a ginormous success, and a huge kudos goes out to Jon Goodman for pulling it off with flying colors.

I had every intention of writing a review yesterday (Monday), but to be honest my brain was complete mush trying to digest all the information I acquired.  And, there was just a teeny tiny bit of sensory overload having to be “on” all weekend – but it was all WELL worth it, and all I needed was a good 24-hours to allow my brain to chillax.

All told I believe 50+ fitness professionals made their way to Toronto to listen to a bunch of fitness dudes – Jon, myself, Nick Tumminello, Mark Young, Geoff Girvitz, and Dan Trink, respectively – talk about, well, fitness.

Between Saturday and Sunday, there were 13+ hours of “learnin” going on, where an entire bevy of topics were covered ranging from assessment, core training, and marketing with social media, to fat loss training, group training, motivation, and realizing how much of a brick shit house Dan Trink is.

Seriously, I’m generally used to being the gratuitous jacked bald guy in the room, but I think Dan took the Mr. Clean award of the weekend.  Jerk!

All kidding aside, based off the initial feedback given by all the attendees who were there, I’d say this past weekend was the combined equivalent of going to Disney World, winning the lottery, and that immense feeling of relief you get when you’re finally able to pee after holding it in for so long (<— don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about).

Yeah, it was THAT good.

So, rather than write a Tolkien’esq long dissertation on my experiences and everything I learned this past weekend, I decided I’d just approach this as I would one of my “Miscellaneous Mondays” posts.  Which is to say:  random as shit.

1. Although I’ve been flying a lot more frequently within the past year or two due speaking engagements (as well as traveling for pleasure), I still have to say:  I enjoy flying about as much as I enjoy taking a drop kick to the nut sack.  Even more so when find out upon arrival to the airport that the flying death trap I’ll be riding is powered by propellers.

PROPELLERS!!!!!!

Regardless, big props goes out to Porter Airlines for a seamless flight to and from Toronto. Well done ladies and gents.  Well done.

2. Nick Tumminello and I shared the spotlight on Saturday and both held a “pre conference” where we discussed both assessment and core training.  The night prior, Nick and I decided that I should start the whole shindig off and speak first since I was covering the assessment component.

Sitting in the hotel room the morning of, I thought it would be cool to have my own entry music – like Dave Tate.  I remember going to listen to him speak back in 2006 in Syracuse, NY and how he had this awesome video montage playing with AC/DC blaring over the loud speakers as he paced back and forth in front of the crowd with a death stare.

For those who have never seen Dave speak:  he’s kind of an intense dude.

I figured I could do the same, and enter the room while something awesome like Biggie’s “Big Poppa” was warming up the crowd.

Then, after thinking about for seven seconds, I realized I’m not Dave Tate and that it would be dumb.

3. All I have to say about Nick Tumminello – other than being a class act, and one of the more knowledgable fitness professionals out there (my man is wicked smaht) – is that he’s an absolute Jedi when it comes to public speaking.  His enthusiasm and passion for what he does is unparalleled, and I can only hope to be 1/8 the public speaker he is in the future.

Also, if you ever get a chance to listen to him speak about the psoas (yes, the psoas), it will blow…… your…… mind.

4.  During his Hybrid Fat Loss presentation, Nick gave a brilliant definition of what “hybrid training” actually is, courtesy of JC Santana:

“Function vs. Strength, Pilates vs. Bodybuilding, Yoga vs. who knows what. These comparisons are not ever accurate; they are like asking what do you think is best to eat for optimal nutrition; apples or broccoli? Of course, “both” is the right answer. Eating only one or the other, although each is nutritious, leaves one without the nutrition of the other. Bringing this simple example to the world of physical training drives home a very important point. Every training method has its benefits (i.e. nutrition), and combining the most effective training methods (i.e. combining the apple and broccoli) will provide better training than exclusively using any one training method. Now, this may sound logical and sensible to us, but the battles and claims rage on between different training camps.”

In short:  EVERYTHING works.  EVERYTHING is a tool.  The key, then, is to figure out which tool is right for a certain job. No one tool is right for EVERY job.  Yes, I’m talking to you Mr. Kettlebell guru.

4.  According to Nick (and I kinda agree with this): the main difference between a “fat loss” program and a “strength based” program is…….

…….NUTRITION

I love Nick’s explanation he gave.

“What do you do for fat loss?”

Nick:  exercise

“Well, what about if you want to get stronger?”

Nick: exercise

Sure there will be some subtle variabilities in terms of rest time, set/rep schemes, etc, but the main “crux” of the matter – when it comes to FAT LOSS – is nutrition.

5.  Jon Goodman had a million and one brilliant things about mastering social media and using it to your advantage as a fitness professional.  The Cliff Notes version:

  • Don’t be a spammer.  Ie:  don’t cold invite people into your Bootcamp group.  It’s shady, and is an easy way for someone to want to punch you in the throat.
  • Don’t “tag” people in your posts with their permission.
  • In order to be relevant you need:  likes, clicks, shares, and profile views.  ALL will help you.  Not one or the other.
  • As far as monetization is concerned:  one “friend” = $2. I did not know that.
  • Understand that your message will be shared by the already converted.  Cater to them.  If you’re a blogger, write your posts with this in mind.  Don’t write for YOU (although, it’s okay to do so), but write for them!  People want to read what THEY want to read, not what YOU want to read.
  • This picture pretty much sums it all up:

6. Mark Young started off his presentation with an interesting question to all of us”

“How many in this room are in the best shape of their lives?”

For the record:  NO ONE lifted their hand.  Not even Dan Trink that jacked bastard….;o)

Knowing that no on raised their hand, Mark then asked another question:

“How many feel it’s due to a lack of education?”

Listen, we all know that pounding down an entire bag of Doritos before beg or what mounts to taking a bath in a bowl of M&Ms isn’t the best choice for our health.

Why do we do it, when we KNOW better?

To answer that query, Mark made a reference to the excellent book Switch: How to Change When Change Is Hard.

In in it the authors – Chip and Dan Heath – tell the story of the Elephant, Driver, and the Path.

Think of the elephant as your “emotional” brain (I want it and I WANT IT NOW!!!!!!), the driver as your rational brain (no, it’s probably not a good idea to dominate that cheese lover’s pizza right now), and the path, is well, the path.

All freaking day your rational brain (driver) is trying to steer the elephant (emotional) down a certain path.

Think of it this way.  Many of you reading right now are probably trying to shed a few pounds of fat, and in an effort to do so, you brought a kick-ass salad to work with you today.  Hell, you even omitted the croutons.

You’re making an effort to eat healthier, and that should be commended.  Good for you.

Thing is, how many billboards or signs did you pass today telling you to buy the latest snack food?  Moreover, how many times has one of your colleagues brought in a baked good (Oreo mudpie!!!!!!) to share because it’s someone’s b-day or because it’s Wednesday?

And, throwing more salt on the wound, by the time you’re on your way home (after a 13 hour day no less), you’ve been fighting off the elephant for so long, that the idea of going home to grill a chicken breast sounds about as enticing as sandpaper.

You can’t fight will power forever, and the elephant inevitably wins.  You violently turn your steering wheel to the right and  switch lanes – Jason Bourne style – into the Burger King drive-thru.

Sound vaguely familiar?

They key, then, to fixing these horrendous default patters (hitting the fast food joint instead of cooking a homemade meal) is to give your clients another default pattern that will help them become successful.

As an example.  Maybe instead of crushing Bacon Double Whoppers, you could encourage them to go to a “healthier” fast good alternative.  Say, Chipolte Mexican Grill!

At least there they can order a meat salad with a heaping scoop of guacamole, which is a far cry from the heart attack they’re ordering elsewhere.  Annnnnd one!

7.  Another point which I felt Mark nailed on the head was that in order to change behaviors, we can’t inundate our clients with a laundry list of tasks to do.

Rather than telling people that they need to spend half their Sunday going grocery shopping and prepping food, and that they can ONLY eat carbs on even days (and only after training), and that they should use coconut oil when cooking everything, and oh yeah, don’t forget your fish oil, enteric coated!………

…..why not just focus on ONE behavior and see how confident they feel in achieving that goal?

Ask them on a scale of 1-10, how confident he or she feels about heading to the gym twice per week.  If they say anything less than an eight, then it’s too much and you need to re-assess.

Much like how we incrementally increase the weights on a barbell when we try to get someone to a 400 lb deadlift so that we don’t overwhelm them, we also need to incrementally increase “goals” when trying to help someone change a behavior.

8.  Joke of the weekend:

Q: How do you know someone is Paleo?

A:  They’ll tell you.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

9.  Geoff Girvitz, owner of Bang Fitness in Toronto had a profoundly simple, yet profoundly profound statement:

“Get people pain free and moving well.”

When fat loss is the goal, there’s absolutely no need to throw advanced training techniques at people.  Instead of high rep snatches – which I’d argue is borderline criminal anyways – why not implement less ambiguous exercises like Prowler pushes?

10.  As far as periodization in the group training realm is concerned, according to Jeff, that’s a shit show (my words, not his.  Although, I’m sure he’d agree).  When dealing with a population that is already stressed to the bones there is a delicate balance between increasing work capacity and making people feel like they’re going cough up their liver, and overloading the central nervous system.

It’s important to recognize that sometimes you just need to tone it down a bit

11.  To that end, Geoff made everyone in the audience swear an oath that:

Not Every Single Session Must Crush the Bodies and Spirits of My Clients

12.  Lee Boyce and I arm wrestled for the last piece of sushi on Saturday night during the social gathering:

13.  Did I mention Dan Trink was kind of a large human being?  He’s a large human being.  And, quite frankly, one of the most generous and humble human beings I’ve ever met.  Anyone who lives in NYC would be crazy not to seek this guy out to make them a walking wrecking ball.  And, he’s also a programming warlock.  The main knows hows to write brutal (and efficient) fat loss programming.

I’ll just end with saying a HUGE thank you to everyone who attended and who went out of their way to introduce themselves to me.  It was truly an honor to be including in such an amazing event, and I hope to do it again next year (ahem, Jon).

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NEWSFLASH: Cressey Performance Is Taking Over the World

Well, not really.  But we are expanding to a new space within our current building that doubles our size to over 15,000 square feet., which is a step in the right direction.

To say that we’re excited would be an understatement, and while there are a lot of renovations required to make this just the way we want it you can pencil Saturday, August 25th into your calendars for a grand opening.

I’m still keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll have room for a DJ booth for Tony’s Techno Thursdays.

That would be SICK!  Just sayin.

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Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 6/14/12

Before we get to the awesome stuff you should be reading, I just want to take the opportunity to give another quick reminder that there are still a handful of spots available for the PTDC Hybrid Training Seminar going on THIS weekend (6/16-6/17) at Body + Soul Fitness in Toronto, ON.

It’s shaping up to be a very eventful weekend with people traveling from all over Canada and the States to come get their learn on from the likes of myself, Nick Tumminello, Jon Goodman, Mark Young, Dan Trink, and Geoff Girvitz.

If you’re a personal trainer, strength coach, or just someone who plays a fitness professional on tv, I have no doubts that this is going to be an amazing event that’s going to help a lot of people become better at their craft.

Come on, it’s not like you have anything else planned this weekend.  What are you going to do instead? You know damn well you’d rather come listen to me talk about breathing patterns and He-Man than go to the BlueJays game.  Plus, if you’re a dude, I’m basically giving you a fail safe way to snake out of having to go to Bed, Bath & Beyond this weekend with your girlfriend.

It’s a no brainer.

You can either go  listen about how deadlifts will cure just about everything or go argue about which discounted towel sets matches the bathroom decor.  Your call, chief.

Right, see you there.  Fist pump!

Macronutrient Breakdown:  Protein – John Romaniello

Roman’s been dropping some major knowledge nuggets this week, breaking down each macronutrient (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) and providing the make-up and benefits of each.

In this post, Roman dissects protein – arguably the most heralded macronutrient, especially within the fitness community.

The Most Faulty Pattern in Fitness Has NOTHING To Do With Movement – Nick Tumminello

Do we draw in or brace?

Will sit-ups make our spines hate us or not?

Ass to grass squats are the ONLY way to squat.  Actually, maybe we should only go to parallel.

Steady state cardio is ideal for fat loss.  Nuh-uh, intervals are.

Which is more intelligent:  Tracy Anderson or a bowling ball? Although, is that really a debate?

The fitness industry is rife with contradictions and petty arguments.  While I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t set in my ways on a few things, it’s amazing how as an industry, we’ll agree on 98% of everything, and then sweat the details on the other 2%.

Here, Nick provides a little insight on a “pattern” he sees repeating itself in the fitness industry every 5-10 years, sometimes to its own detriment .

88:88 – Robin Moore and Friends

I love film.  For me, nothing beats walking down to my local theater and catching a matinee on a rainy Sunday afternoon, or opening up my mailbox to see that square red envelope from Netflix.

I don’t care. It could be anything from a summer popcorn movie starring Will Smith, to more idiosyncratic art house films that make my brain hurt whenever I try to interpret them.

So explain to me again why the man killed his wife and then married his best friend’s toaster oven?

What was that? It was a euphemism on today’s political environment and the corruption that engulfs it?

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh.  Now I get it.  I think.

Anyways, knowing how much of a fan I am, a reader of my blog reached out to me the other day asking if I’d be willing to check out a short film that he and a few of his friends made that was starting to make its way around the festival circuit – including Ridley Scott’s Youtube Festival.

I watched it, and thought it was pretty cool.

Don’t worry, it’s completely safe for work.  No bad words or anything.

See.  Cool, right?  It took them around four months from pre production to post production to make it, and I think it’s awesome that they’re getting some recognition for their work.

Everyone has to start somewhere, right?

Do me a favor and if you liked it, vote for it on the link provided on the actual Youtube page. And if you don’t like, you suck, and you’re banned from this site!

And that’s probably it for this week.  I’ll be heading to Toronto tomorrow, and I doubt I’ll have time to write anything.  I’ll be too busy hyperventilating on the plane.

Have an awesome weekend!

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Miscelleneous Miscellany Monday: Bystander Effect, PTDC Hybrid Training Seminar and Other Stuff

1. Behavioral economist, Dan Ariely, has often referred to the phenomenon known as ‘the bystander effect’ at length in many of his articles, his blog, as well as both of his books – The Upside of Irrationality and Predictably Irrational – which I couldn’t recommend highly enough.

For those unfamiliar, it essentially refers to cases where individuals do not offer any means of help in an emergency situation to the victim when other people are present.

The most famous incident which sheds a little more light on the topic would be that of Kitty Genovese who, back in 1964, was walking back to her apartment in Queens, NYC at 3 AM when she was attacked by a perpetrator.  Despite screaming for over a half an hour for help, no one responded and came to her aid.  What’s worse:  her attacker, after the initial stabbing, fled the scene when he caught the attention of a neighbor, only to return ten minutes later to finish the assault.

As a result, the bystander effect is also commonly referred to as Genovese Syndrome.

I’ve never really experienced this sort of thing firsthand.  I mean, I witnessed a pretty severe case of road rage a few months ago where I saw one motorist get out his truck to punch another motorist (who cut him off) in the face, only speed off once I ran over to see if they guy who got hit was alright.  Other than that, I’ve never really seen the bystander effect in action.

Well holy shit, this changed this past weekend.

I was a bachelor all of last week – Lisa was away touring Napa and Sonoma Valley with her best friend – and I figured what better way to spend my Saturday night than to go see Prometheus, which I had been anticipating for months on end. Directed by Ridley Scott and presumed to be a sorta/kinda prequel to Alien, I was ready to get my space nerd on.

As is the case most of the time when I go to the movies alone, I sat in the very back row, you know, cause I’m a rebel like that.

Anyways, the movie rocked. It had spaceships, people getting their heads torn off, explosions, and robots. What’s not to love?

With about twenty minutes to go, I see a couple about two rows in front of me get up from their seats, and I just assume they’re leaving. Maybe it wasn’t their bag, or they had a late dinner reservation to get to?

Then, without warning, the gentleman just straight up face plants onto the floor. HARD.  At first I just thought he tripped, but after hearing the woman’s reaction, I figured something a little more serious must have happened.

No one moved. I could see a few people in the same row as them kind of look over to see what was happening, but for the most part, people were more concerned with the big screen than the fact that there was an unconscious human being lying on the floor.

Uh, hello?

I get up from my seat and approach the couple, and the man comes to. He’s bleeding from his eye and mouth (he landed on his glasses), but he was coherent and able to speak. I asked if he was alright, and his girlfriend, clearly distraught, allows me to stabilize his head (I wasn’t sure how hard he hit, or even if he hurt his neck, but I figured it was better to be safe than sorry). I asked the couple’s other friend to go inform the theater staff and to call the EMTs.

Meanwhile I just talked to the guy, asked him questions – his name, whether he was dizzy or thirsty, whether or not he had a history of passing out, or if he thought Charlize Theron was a smoke show in that space suit?

Okay, I didn’t ask that.

The movie didn’t stop. People just kept watching, not blinking an eye. Unbelievable!!!!!

Now, in all fairness, and giving people the benefit of the doubt, it was dark (and loud) and I suspect that the majority of patrons had no clue what was going on.

But I found it strikingly surreal that the people in the same row were just going about their business and not offering to see if there was anything else that needed to be done.

Finally, after 15 minutes, the EMTs arrive, and the manager pauses the movie and turns off the lights. “We have a medical emergency people.”

Yeah, no shit Sherlock.

Long story short, the paramedics carried him away and took him to the hospital. The guy did have a slight history of low blood pressure, and he had passed out before. The woman thanked me, repeatedly, and I said it was no problem at all. I was glad to help.

I’m like Spiderman, ya know. Everyone gets one.

But seriously. Anyone ever experience something that before? Where literally NO ONE responds? It’s weird.

2.  Not that I needed another reason to take Spike – I’m addicted to the stuff – but I needed a little mental boost yesterday to get myself in “the zone” to bang out my presentations for the PTDC Hybrid Strength Seminar coming up this weekend in Toronto

I was like a presentation writing Jedi I tell you.

I was able to get the meat and potatoes down, and now it’s just a matter of organizing the material – adding in a few videos here, a few Jon Goodman jokes there.  You know, the important stuff.

I’ll just take this opportunity to let everyone know that there’s still a few spots left. If you’ve been on the fence about attending, I assure you, you WILL NOT want to miss this.

Both Nick Tumminello and I will be hosting a pre-seminar (the COREssessment) this Saturday, where we discuss assessment and anything and everything as it relates to core training.

And then on Sunday, it’s the main event with presentations from myself, Nick, Jon Goodman, Mark Young, Dan Trink, and Geoff Girvitz……with an expert panel to follow.

It’s definitely shaping up to be one of the “go to” fitness events in Canada this year, and I can’t even begin to tell you how much of a networking opportunity it’s going to be for those who attend. Sure, you’re going to learn a crap ton, but these types of events are always worth the price of admission when you factor in the networks established with other professionals.

3.  I’m thinking about implementing more video blogs (vlogs) into the mix. Truth be told, they’re more efficient from a time saving standpoint, and my fingers take less of beating.

I was just wondering if there were any topics that people wanted to me cover whether they’re more exercise technique based stuff, programming design, shadow puppet shows, anything???

4.  Check out THIS awesome transformation from one of Bret Contreras’ distance coaching clients.  Wow. Truly inspirational stuff.

What I liked most about Ruth’s story was how she goes into detail about how her transformation not only improved her physical well-being, but her emotional and inner well-being as well – especially with regards to her marriage.

Being kind of banged up right now and not being able to train the way I’d like to, has definitely played mind games with me, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a little down as a result.

Suffice it to say, it was a breath of fresh air to hear someone speak so candidly on both the physical AND mental attributes that come with taking your health into your own hands.

 

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I’m Still Alive…….

But, I just had to go through travel hell for the past 24 hours.  I had every intention of posting up a little sumthin sumthin today, but instead, decided my efforts would be better utilized punching a hole in the wall.  Repeatedly.

Long story short, I spent the better portion of my day traveling back to Boston yesterday sitting on the tarmac and then missing my flight.  Had to spend the night in Toronto, which is ironic considering I’ll be there next weekend for the PTDC Hybrid Training Seminar.

Anyways, it’s good to be home.  I’ll be back on task tomorrow with some new content…..

…….Promise.

Now excuse me while I go swallow a hive of live bees.

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An Inside Look at The Spinal Health and Core Seminar

Hey there peeps! I thought I’d take a little break from my vacation to check in and see what’s going on the world. I see the Celtics have tied the series with the Heat?  Sweet!

As it happens I was able to convince Lisa to let me snake away for a little bit to do a teeny tiny bit of work, and  I’m actually sitting here in a local Starbucks here in Vancouver chilling and sipping on a chai tea as I type this.

Simply put:  Vancouver is an amazing city!  Before I left the States, I had numerous people warn me how beautiful it was and that I was going to have to fight the urge to want to stay. They were right.

We’ve been walking around taking in the sights and sounds, and relishing every second. It’s such an active city.  And clean.  And don’t even get me started about the views.  Stunning! Where else can you trek in the mountains and then be by the water in the same day?

We’re having a blast and it’s going to be rough to leave and head back to Boston tomorrow. Nevertheless, I do have to keep this short, but wanted to give everyone a quick “sneak peek” at the Spinal Health and Core Training seminar I participated in this past weekend in Edmonton – along with Dr. Jeff Cubos, Rick Kaselj, and Dean Somerset, who hit a new deadlift PR while I was training with him on Friday!  I took 5% credit just for the proximity effect.

It was an amazing seminar and I can’t thank everyone enough for the opportunity to be a part of it.

Rick was kind enough to film a small clip during my talk, and as you’ll notice, I was wearing tan khaki pants – so you know shit got real!

And, just an FYI

The entire seminar will be released as a stand alone product later on this year, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

I’m out!  Be back in a few days.

CategoriesStrength Training Uncategorized

Supreme Strength

I’m posting this a little later than usual, I know. But for those who aren’t in the loop, I’ve been traveling all day and have officially touched down in Canada, baby!  Lisa and I have been on the go since 4 AM this morning trekking from Boston to Edmonton, and after taking a few moments to manually unclench my butt cheeks – Note to any new readers out there: I absolutely HATE flying – we’re all checked into the hotel and waiting to meet up with my boy Dean Somerset to get our swole on at his facility.

Later on we’ll be getting together with the rest of the Muscle Imbalances Revealed crew – Rick Kaselj and Dr. Jeff Cubos – for dinner and, depending on how crazy things get, dessert too.  It’s vacation, right!?!!

Tomorrow will be game time, and I’m really looking forward to giving my presentation:  Core and Spine Training – From Assessment to Badass (ß best title, ever).   Likewise, I’m also looking forward to listening to all the other presentations, and am fully prepared to get my mind blown into a million pieces.

Speaking of mind blownage, today I have something really cool for all of you. Two coaches I truly admire – Todd Bumgardner and John Gaglione- have recently released their new training manual, Supreme Strength, to the masses and I thought I’d take the opportunity to introduce everyone to it because, well, I’m cool like that.

I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy sent my way not too long ago, and to say I was thoroughly impressed would be an understatement.  I’ve long been an advocate of telling people that if you want to look like an athlete, you need to train like one.  Supreme Strength fits that bill and then some.  Those familiar with programs like Eric Cressey’s Show and Go will LOVE Supreme Strength because it has many of the same components – getting people strong (and lean, if that’s your bag), addressing postural deficits, movement quality issues, and just providing people will an all-encompassing program – but with a flavor that only Todd and John can provide.

You see, both have an uncanny ability to think outside the box and provide a unique training experience that, not only gets results, but actually TEACHES people along the way.

I asked Todd if he’d be willing to sit down and answer a few questions to give everyone a little more insight.  Enjoy!

TG: Hey Todd, thanks for taking time out of your day to answer a few questions. You know the drill, this is the part where you’re supposed to tell me all about yourself. Care to give my readers a Cliff Notes version of who you are, what you’re about, and why I should never, ever, pick a fight with you?

Todd: You deserve the thanks, my friend! I appreciate the opportunity.

Wow, though, what should people know about me? Well, I’m a 6’0” balding ginger, an innovative high-fiver and I have a rib tattoo. I’m also a strength coach based in Central Pennsylvania, a co-founder of Beyond Strength Performance and avid lifter. I train clients at a small, invitation only powerlifting gym in Bellefonte, PA. I can also listen to John Mayer and Lamb of God during the same car ride and I’m completely comfortable with it.

Note from TG:  Well played sir.  Well played.  I can relate because I spend the better part of my days listening to Metallica, Linkin Park, and Rage Against the Machine, but as soon as I get into my car I’ll tone it down with a little Norah Jones action.

* hands in man card *

I started working as a strength coach while I was still in college. I was 21 and green behind the ears. My first gig was with the women’s lacrosse team and they owned me for about three months. Thirty chatty females vs. one unsure gym hermit is a recipe for domination. But I learned some valuable lessons and got hooked on coaching. By the time we were done working together they won a league championship. It was a pretty cool thing to be a part of.

Since then I’ve earned my Master’s in Exercise Science, helped a lot of people get stronger, benched 405 and started dating one of the best female rugby players in the country (oh, shit shout out to Annie Z!).

From a coaching standpoint, though, my main emphases are strength and clean movement. Oh, and proper celebration. If you crush a big weight you have to have celebration go-to’s. I like the jumping top-gun high five.

TG: You and John Gaglione (the other co-creator of Supreme Strength) are well known for thinking outside the box and are constantly coming up with new and innovative exercises and ways to train. Do you two have some sort of secret underground laboratory where you all stroke your evil strength coach beards? What gives?

Todd: Beards, Tony. Beards are the answer. We really just focus on creating beard equity and it seems to carry us along.

Seriously, though. It’s cool to be known for something—especially since I didn’t realize it!

John is just a great coach. The dude can teach anyone to do anything. I’ve seen him turn a mangled squat into a work of art. It’s very impressive. Necessity has given him a great set of innovative tools.

We’ve each also had the opportunity to work under awesome coaches. John and Zach Even-Esh are tight, and James “Smitty” Smith has really taken me under his wing. They are two of the most innovative coaches in the game—it’s tough not to catch their paradigm breaking bug.

I also just think about training all of the time. It rarely leaves my brain, so I think of cool ways to apply basic concepts. So I write stuff down in my journal and try it out when I get to the gym. If it works I’ll apply it where I can.

TG:  What persuaded both you and John to develop Supreme Strength, and how is it different from any other program out there someone can purchase off the internet?

Todd: It all started with a conversation.

I was helping out Smitty and Joe DeFranco at their first AMPED/POWER seminar, John was there—he and I got to talking.

We found out that we do things pretty much the same way—teach movement, preach strength and then practice what we preach. Right after that we fist pumped and decided we needed to create something awesome, something with depth, and something based on what we’ve seen work for a lot of folks.

Most of all we wanted to create a resource, and I think that’s what sets Supreme Strength apart from other internet programs. Rather than just jotting down some sets and reps and sending a chap on his way, we worked hard to create something bigger. We created a strength system. We explain the why and demonstrate the how. You’re also given the means to modify when necessary. It’s more than a program. It’s a great reference.

TG:  First things first:  I also want to give a shout out to Smitty.  The man is, well, the MAN.  Absolutely amazing coach and one of the most humble (and giving) human beings that exist.  He ranks right up there on my man-crush list with Jason Bourne and The Rock.

Back on task: One thing I noticed while looking over the program is the emphasis on the basics.  I absolutely love that approach.  Can you explain to everyone reading why they’re not that special and why they should listen to you?

Todd: It’s simple, man. We know WE aren’t that special.

I know, that may not sound compelling. But, if you think about it for a minute, it makes sense.

I heard a great quote once. It goes something like ‘a person that doesn’t make mistakes is unlikely to make anything.’ That’s definitely true for the strength and conditioning world.

I’ve been lifting for fourteen years and I still manage to mess something up every day—I’ve never gone through a session and done everything perfectly. I’ve gotten really good at a few things, but I haven’t perfected anything. I’m still busting my ass to achieve basic perfection. I think that’s where people miss the point and they jump ship too soon.

The basics will always work—strive to be great at them. It’s a point that I repeat constantly to myself. I think people miss this fact because they want something sexy. It’s not a bad thing, just a little misguided.

Mainly, I think people hold a misguided view of the basics. A lot of guys and gals think that basic movements can only be applied one way, when, in truth, there are thousands of ways to use basic movements and train to be great at them.

It’s like dance moves. Everyone wants to hit sick hip-hop moves before they get down the basic shuffle steps and they end up doing the Carlton dance. You can live with the shuffle steps for years. It’s how I keep my white boy dance prowess.

TG:  NAILED IT!  Well stated, and couldn’t agree more.

For the hell of it:  what are your top five programming faux pas mistakes that people make while training for strength?

Todd: Ah, the mistakes question. This is like an interview rite of passage. I’m psyched to answer this one! Not necessarily because I like to be negative, but I feel like this is my jump into the club. Here goes!

1.  Dismissing Autoregulation: No one can predict what they are going to feel like three weeks in advance, it’s silly to assume so. Programming so strictly that switching things up for a day implores waves of guilt is counterproductive.

I’ve heard great coaches say that the best programs are those that are sustainable. If an athlete or coach can’t autoregulate, their program is as sustainable as a Kardashian marriage. At the very least use the RPE scale.

2. Not Prioritizing Movement: I see a lot of programs that prescribe lifts but don’t prioritize movement. You want someone to deadlift? Great, but how will they get into the best starting position? How will they train a clean pattern?

I understand that strength is built with big weights, but it’s solidified with clean movement. Every good strength program should start with a movement preparation phase to groove, or re-groove, patterns and prepare for heavy loading.

3. Not Prescribing Active Rest: I know if I’m not told what to do sometimes, I’ll stare at the wall and think about chicken wings. By knowing my own shortcomings, I make sure that I keep my clients moving between sets by using mobility fillers. I learned a lot about fillers from you and Mr. Cressey.

Back to the rest period—I think it’s the most misused variable in training—I don’t see the point in just moving aimlessly about between sets. This is a great time to work on weaknesses, improve movement and prepare to boost performance during subsequent sets.

4. Forgetting Relative Strength:  Unless a person happens to be a super-heavy weight powerlifter or strongman, relative strength is important. Squatting 500 pounds is great and all, but if it you have to put 40 pounds on to do it your performance is going to suffer.

That’s why body weight training is so important. Exercises like pull-ups are a great relative strength barometer. If the big lifts go up, but pull-up performance declines, there’s a good chance a gent is running slower and jumping lower. Even for the 9-to-5er, maintaining athleticism and body composition while gaining strength is important for longevity.

5. Not Teaching Tightness: Ok, so I know this is more of a coaching point than a programming point, but I think it’s too often missed on. Tightness and tension are so important for strength, but so few coaches are harping on it.

Before anyone picks up a bar, they need to be taught what tension feels like. They need to know how to set their grip aggressively, how to use air to create pressure and they need to know how to brace. Unless a trainee is constantly working to master tightness, they aren’t training as safely as they should be and they are missing out big strength gains.

TG:  Thanks Todd!  Awesome interview, and I hope it gives everyone reading a little kick in the pants to check out the manual.  I really do feel it’s top notch and will help a lot of people.  For more information, where can people learn more about you and your products.

Todd:  Thanks TG, always a pleasure to talk some shop.  The best way to reach me is to check out my website HERE, and, of course, check out……….

—–> Supreme Strength <—–

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Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: Holiday Weekend Edition

I’ve sequestered myself in academic quarantine for the better portion of the week getting my presentation ready for next weekend’s Spinal Health and Core Training seminar up in Edmonton (Canada) alongside the likes of Rick Kaselj, Dean Somerset, and Dr. Jeff Cubos.  Unfortunately, Megatron had a scheduling conflict.

I’m pretty excited – and maybe a teeny tiny bit nervous (I’m hyperventilating into a brown paper bag as I write this) – to have the opportunity to speak on some of the ways we go about handling spinal issues and core training with our athletes and general population clients at Cressey Performance.

My presentation is tentatively called Addressing the Core:  From Assessment to Badass. It’s either that or Your Back Hates You:  Here’s Why.  I don’t know, I’m still working with a few things, but I’m definitely leaning towards the former.

For those curious, in a nutshell I’m approaching this as a massive brain dump and plan on discussing everything from breathing patterns to squat and deadlift progressions (and a few things in between).  Hell I might even throw in a shadow puppet show for good measure.

Nevertheless, between now and next Friday I’m going to try my best to stay on top of putting up some blogs, but don’t hate me if I end up slacking in that department.  Like I said, I’m in academic quarantine mode, and I’m pretty much counting on doing nothing but reading, writing, and working on this presentation between now and then.

Oh look, Baywatch is on!!!!!

10 Hidden Expenses in Opening Your Own Strength and Conditioning Facility – Pete Dupuis

Pistol Pete makes his literary debut and goes into depth on what some of the “hidden” costs entailed when we started Cressey Performance.  Some are old, some are new……either way, it hopefully helps sheds some light to those contemplating opening their own facility.

The Truth About Cleansing and Fasting – Brad Pillon

With intermittent fasting all the rage right now, I felt this was a concise (and well researched) explanation by Brad on the merits of fasting and why those colon cleanse products that taste like sandpaper dipped in cancer are pretty much a waste of time (and money).

While I’m far from an expert on the topic, I will say that I have been toying with the concept here and there and think there’s a lot of validity to it.

For those looking for a bit more information on fasting and how to implement it into your schedule, check out John Romaniello’s Fat Loss Forever.

High School Strength Coaches: Don’t Make This Mistake – The Angry Coach

Don’t train high school kids like they’re adults

That’s the quote that summarizes this article, and I couldn’t agree more.

Many coaches (I did it too, back in the day) are quick to revert to smoke and mirrors when it comes to training their younger athletes, either for the “cool” factor or to try to impress the parents.  Look ma!  Chains!!!!!!!!!!

Listen, teaching a young athlete how to perform a proper lunge or push-up is going to be way more beneficial to his or her athletic performance than those silly agility ladders.  Above all, while focusing on strength should be paramount in terms of priorities (seriously, put those speed cones away), I’d also make the argument that taking the time to actually COACH your athletes ranks even higher.

I can’t even tell how many times I’ve had a high school kid walk into the facility boasting about his 405 lb squat, only to get STAPLED by 185 lbs because I forced him to actually squat to depth.

In any case, this was an awesome piece and I highly encourage you to check it out, and more importantly, forward it to your local high school strength coach.

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The Perfect Warm-Up?

When most people think of what a well-rounded, bullet proof program encompasses, many will undoubtedly think of optimal set/rep schemes, rest intervals, what exercises to include (and in what order), and, of course, how many days per week they should train given their goals.

Admittedly, all of the above components are important things to consider, and rightfully deserve their time under the program design microscope.  It’s interesting, though, that the last – and arguably the most important – thing to enter the discussion, is the first thing that most trainees tend to dismiss altogether:  the warm-up.

Yeah yeah yeah – I get it. You’re busy, and warming is up is about as exciting as watching NASCAR. Truth be told, we all know we should warm-up, but for most of us (namely, you), the warm-up is usually nothing more than an afterthought; or, something we half heartedly do because our 8th grade gym teacher told us we had to.

Even if you are one of the rare few who actually performs a warm-up, chances are it entails a few arm circles here, a couple of hamstring stretches there, a couple of minutes on the treadmill, maybe a fist pump, and you’re off to the bench press.  Sound familiar?

Yeah I Thought So

Much like you wouldn’t walk out to your car in the middle of winter and take it from 0-60 MPH on the highway and expect it to run optimally, the same can be said about your body.

Moreover, when’s the last time you actually felt good?  I mean reeeeally good?  Can you remember the last time your lower back didn’t feel stiff, or your knees didn’t ache every time you attempted a squat?

Better yet, when was the last time you consistently made appreciable progress in the gym?

The question, then, is what should a warm-up do, and more importantly, what should it look like?

While not an exhaustive list, a good warm-up will (or should) provide the following:

– Increased body temperature.

– Improve joint lubrication.

– Engage the nervous system to a greater degree.

– Improve extensibility/flexibility of muscles.

– Groove movement patterns.

– And, better prepare you for a back alley fight against a pack of ninjas.  You know, just in case.

More specifically, given that many of us spend an inordinate amount of time hunched over in front of a computer on a daily basis, the warm-up should target the areas of the body which tend to be most problematic:  namely, the glutes, hips, thoracic spine, shoulders, and core, to name a few.

Standing in one place, holding a stretch for 30 seconds does nothing in terms of preparing you for the more dynamic nature of what you’ll be doing in the weight room.

We need to take the warm up more seriously and view it not as a necessary evil, but something that will undoubtedly help you not only feel better, but lead to unparalleled performance in the gym.

Carry Your Ass Off

Giving full disclosure, I didn’t come up with this idea on my own. Dan John was the first to really bring carry variations into the limelight, and more to the point, utilizing them as part of an extended warm-up.

As far as bang-for-your-training-buck exercises are concerned, you’d be hard pressed to trump carries.

For those looking for proof, it’s in the pudding:

  • When performed unilaterally, they’re a fantastic way to train core stability – specifically anti-lateral flexion.  But even when performed bilaterally, they’re still an awesome “core” exercise.
  • They obviously help improve grip strength.  Taking it a step further, however, they do an amazing job of “activating” the rotator cuff through a process called irradiation.  In non-geek speak, all this means is that when you squeeze something with a death grip, the RC turns on, and as a result the shoulder “packs” itself.  In a sense, carry variations are a great exercise for those with chronic shoulder issues.
  • Farmer carries do an amazing job at challenging hip stability – especially when performed unilaterally (one arm at a time).
  • They condition the shit out of you. The next time someone asks you whether or not weight training has any cardiovascular benefit, have him or her do a few rounds of carries for 50-75 yds.
  • Without question, carries are also a great way to get a “yolked up” back.  For those dudes looking to build some traps, farmer carries can help.
  • And lets just state the obvious:  they do a superb job of increasing one’s overall sense of badassessey.

To that end, here’s the actual warm-up I’ve been following for the past few weeks.  After a thorough foam rolling session, I’ll head over to the turf and alternate between a carry variation paired with a specific dynamic drill.

A few things to note:

1. When performing ANY carry variation, it’s important to think to yourself, “spine tall, shoulders back.”  In addition, there should be as little deviation as possible in terms of leaning to one side or the other.  The objective is to stay in as much of a straight line as possible – if you compensate in any way, you’re using too heavy of a load.  Also, since this is part of a WARM-UP, you shouldn’t be too aggressive with the loading anyways.  Just focus on perfect technique.

2.  In case you’re wondering, yes, I’m wearing a t-shirt of a lumberjack punching a grizzly bear in the face in all of the carry videos.  I’m not going to go so far as to say that it’s the most awesome t-shirt in the history of the world. But, it pretty much is.

A1. Suitcase Carry (35-40 yds/per arm)

A2.  Wall Hip Flexor Mobilization (x8/leg)

B1. Racked Carry (35-40 yds/per arm)

B2. Half Kneeling Adductor Dips (x8/leg)

C1. Waiter Carry (35-40 yds/per arm)

Note:  be sure to maintain a neutral wrist position on this one, and to “set” the scapulae (you shouldn’t be shrugging the weight).

C2. Rocking SUMO Squat Mobilization (x10)

D1.  Crossbody Carry (35-40 yds/per side)

Note:  Hold the heavier KB (or DB) like a suitcase, and the lighter weight above your head.  Like the waiter walk above, be sure to maintain a neutral wrist position.

D2. Scapular Wall Slides (x10)

E1.  Goblet Carry (35-40 yds)

Note:  having the load anterior to the body really helps to activate the anterior core musculature which has both an anti-flexion, and anti-extension component.

Anti-extension in the sense that it’s really hard to OVER arch the lumbar spine with the anterior load.

E2.  Supine Bridge with Reach (x8/side)

Note:  be sure to maintain hip extension throughout, and yes, that’s Eric Cressey riding a foam roll horse across the screen.  HEE-HAW.

F1. Heartbeat Carry (35-40 yds)

F2. Yoga Push-Up Complex (x5/side)

And there you have it.  Is it really the perfect warm-up*?  Tough to say, but it’s a far step above what most people are doing. As I mentioned above, this is pretty much the exact warm-up I’ve been doing for the past couple of weeks and I’m loving it. Try it out yourself and let me know your thoughts!

* = yes**

** = because I said so.

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7 Simple Ways to Become a Better Coach

The other day while sitting through a staff meeting, we were discussing the incoming intern class and how we want to approach this summer’s staff in-service schedule.

Every week one of the staff members sits down with the interns to talk about “stuff.” This can range from anything from exercise technique to troubleshooting program design to why listening to techno during a squat session increases one’s testosterone levels by roughly 317%.

Give or take a couple of percentage points.

In an effort to “open up” the discussion, we often ask the interns what they would like to see covered.   Almost always, they’ll want to discuss assessment straight away.

Not that this is a bad thing, of course.  Assessment is an important component of what we do, and it’s undoubtedly a key factor in terms of molding an individual’s training career. But lets be honest: for most incoming trainers, at least in my eyes, it’s more crucial to learn how to actually coach before we start discussing the variables behind femoral acetabular impingement.

Having the ability to coach someone through a proper push-up or trap bar deadlift – at least in the beginning stages – is far more important to me from a mentoring standpoint than having the ability to discern whether or not someone has ample ankle dorsiflexion.

To that end, today I have a guest post from another former Cressey Performance intern – now strength coach – Dave Rak (AKA:  Rak City) who, after discussing this topic with him the other day, decided to write a post on it.  Enjoy/Yankees suck!

7 Simple Ways to Become a Better Coach

Strength & conditioning is an amazing career field.  We get to go to work everyday and positively impact peoples lives by getting them healthier, stronger, and eventually turning them into unstoppable finely tuned killing machines.  Basically, its the greatest job in the world (well the guy who takes pictures of hot chicks for Sports Illustrated has sweet job too, but I digress).

The unique things about strength & conditioning is that it’s an ever evolving field where we are constantly learning and trying to get better at our profession.  There are thousands of books, DVDs, seminars, and conferences dedicated to continuing education.  What was the last book you read, DVD you watched, or conference you attended about?

I’ll take a wild guess and say it was about training, anatomy, or something along those lines.  Let me ask you another question, when was the last time you read a book, watched a DVD, or went to a conference that was dedicated strictly to the art of coaching?

If you can’t answer this question put down the book on training for a second and go read some coaching books.  I’m not saying don’t educate yourself on exercise science and training but find a proper balance between your strength training education and your coaching education.

Don’t forget our job title is strength & conditioning COACH (I used capital letters there so you know it’s kind of a big deal).  Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the science of strength training that we neglect the fact that we are still coaches and we have to deal with our athletes in a practical setting.

You can have all the knowledge in the world, but if you can’t coach yourself out of a wet paper bag then what good is that knowledge?  Bottom line, you have to be able to flat out coach, if you can’t, then all those seminars and certifications won’t do you and your athletes any good.  Here are 7 simple ways to improve your coaching.

1. Observe Other Coaches

Working at Boston University I’ve had the opportunity to observe our varsity coaches during practices and I am grateful because it’s given me the opportunity to learn a lot from observing so many different coaching styles.

Just go to a practice and bring a note book.  Forget about the athletes for a second and watch the coaches carefully.  When I observed our men’s basketball coach I left with two pages of notes, and that was just from one short practice.  Pay attention to how other coaches cue their athletes, how they gain and keep their athletes attention, even how they change their tone of voice in certain situations.  You can learn a lot from closely observing others.

2. Remember It Is About More Than Just Strength Training

As a coach you can interact with hundreds of athletes everyday.  You will have an impact on these athletes lives whether you realize it or not.  Are you going to make a positive impact or a negative impact?

If I can help an athlete feel better about themselves, gain confidence, and instill some positive character traits as a result of my coaching then I did my job.  To me that is just as important as increasing their physical ability.  Nothing is more satisfying then an athlete giving you a card or emailing you to thank you for influencing their life in a positive way.

Note from TG:  It’s as Mike Boyle has famously said:  no one cares how much you know, till they know how much you care.

3. Videotape Yourself Coaching

This is an exercise I performed in one of my graduate classes at BU and found it very helpful.  Have someone video tape you when you coach so you can see how you are perceived by others.

Watch yourself carefully, you may be surprised with what you see.  Ask yourself, do I look angry when I coach? What does my body language say? Do I look nervous or confident? Do I have a strong presence and command the room, or do I blend in with my athletes? Do my biceps look big in this shirt? How do my athletes see me?  Getting feedback on your coaching “etiquette” will be a huge factor on improving how you actually coach.

4. Don’t Be One Dimensional/Know Your Athletes

Some athletes need to be yelled at and will respond well to authoritative coaching, while others will shut down.  Know what way is best to interact with your players.  Do they respond better to verbal cues or visual cues, what motivates them?

How will you get the most out of your athletes when they walk into the weight room exhausted from a long practice and difficult day at school?  This is the art of coaching.  A good coach knows his team and is able to use many different coaching styles throughout a session to get the most out of their athletes.

5. Read More Coaching Related Material

At the end of the day you’re a coach, and to be an effective strength & conditioning coach you need to find a healthy balance between reading material as it relates to program design and making better athletes as well as reading books that will hone your coaching skills. By learning more about the art of coaching you’ll be able to compliment your exercise science knowledge and become a well rounded coach.

Recommend reading:

My Losing Season– it’s a great book that basically shows you what not to do as a coach.

The Skillful Teacher: Building Your Teaching Skills – this book is full of attention getting moves, learning principles, and numerous learning models that can easily be implemented in your coaching.

Understanding Sports Coaching: The Social, Cultural, and Pedagogical Foundations of Coaching Practice 2nd Edition – the title says it all, nuff’ said.

6. Get Out There And Coach!

The best way to become a better coach is to actually coach and learn from your experiences.  The more experience you accumulate the better you will become.

 7. Give Back

This is something every coach needs to do.  You do not become a better coach by yourself.  Yes, you put the effort into becoming better, but don’t forget about the coach that let you into their practice so you could observe and learn.

This is an example of giving back.

I have been mentored by several great coaches and I would not be where I am at today without them.  Guess what? My mentors where mentored by someone when they where younger, too.

Pay it forward.  When you make it as a coach and are approached by

Author’s Bio

David Rak is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA (CSCS).  He is currently a Graduate Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach at Boston University pursuing his Master’s Degree in Coaching.  Dave oversees Wrestling, Women’s Golf, and Women’s Novice Rowing and also assists with Men’s Basketball and Men’s Soccer.  He received his Bachelor’s in Exercise Science at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and completed internships at Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning and Cressey Performance.  Upon his completion of his internship at MBSC, he continued to work part time at Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning for 2 and a half years while he finished his undergraduate degree.  This summer Dave will be interning with the South Carolina Gamecocks Football team before returning to Boston University for his final year as a Graduate Assistant.  Dave can be reached at [email protected].