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Fat Loss Forever

Back in the winter of 2009, having nothing better to do than pick the worst time of year to get lean (not many people see your six pack when it’s 15 degrees outside), I took it upon myself to do a little experiment which I appropriately called Tony Gets Sexified.

I’m not going to go into the details here, but little did I know at the time I had inadvertently used a form of intermittent fasting (IF) to help expedite the fat loss process.

You see, at several points throughout the week I’d have “windows” where I’d eat very little which, from a hormonal standpoint, allowed my body to become a fat burning ass kicking machine.

I’d train. Hate life. Fuel my body.  And then repeat the process, giving myself a “cheat” meal on the weekends.

My cheat meal, contrary to most who dream of endless mountains of ice-cream and all-you-can-eat pizza buffets, consisted of 2 lbs of BBQ steak tips, with homemade sweet potato fries and a shit ton of broccoli.  Exciting, I know.

Anyways, it worked. I took my body fat from a fairly consistent 10% year round, to 7-8% in a matter of six weeks, which ain’t too shabby given my starting point.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m NOT an expert on intermittent fasting. The fact that I wasn’t even aware that I had done a pseudo IF experiment on myself back in day should make that abundantly clear.

Still, in the few years since, IF has grown by leaps and bounds in terms of its popularity, and with that in mind, you’d be hard pressed to peruse any fitness blog or website and not see it mentioned in some fashion.

Which is why, today, I’m pleased to introduce John Romaniello’s latest product Fat Loss Forever.

Roman – as he’s more appropriately referred to – has gone out of his way to provide an outstanding product that not only educates, but entertains as well. It edutains!

When was the last time you were told breakfast was NOT the most important meal of the day?

Yeah, that one hurt me too. I heart breakfast. But when you think about it:  our ancestors had to chase down, wrestle, kill, butcher, and cook various small (and large) animals.  They didn’t eat breakfast everyday, and they turned out alright.

Moreover, what’s the deal with ALWAYS being told that you HAVE to eat 5-6 meals per day in order to keep your metabolism up?

Guess what: doing so may be making you fatter.

Fat Loss Forever goes against conventional wisdom, and helps introduce the concept of intermittent fasting in way that’s easy to understand and easy to implement.  But be forewarned: IT IS NOT easy.

You’ll have to do some work along the way.

With that said, Roman was kind enough to answer a few questions I sent his way, so feel free to read the interview below which sheds some light on this very popular topic.

Enjoy!

*** Oh, and since I know a fair share of you won’t make it all the way to the end, on top of the already stellar bonuses that Roman is offering, anyone who purchases Fat Loss Forever from this site and sends a copy of their receipt to my email address – [email protected] – I’ll send you a TG written, Roman approved, FLF strength-based program that will increase your overall level of badassery by at least 156%.

On to the interview!

TG: Roman you’re an NYC native, and I currently live in Boston (and yes, am completely immersed in the sports scene here). The Giants just beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl (again…FML).  This is your chance to gloat. 100 words or less. Go.

John Romaniello:  Ha! No gloating here—was actually rooting for the Pats. As a Jets fan, that’s heretical…but honestly, the last thing I wanted to deal with was Giants fans with an inflated Big Brother complex.

On to next year!

TG:  My apologies. I just assumed everyone in NYC was a Giants fan.  Lets get down to business: If there was ever an app listing what’s “trending” in the fitness industry, intermittent fasting (IF) would be right up there along with LOLz Bosu Ball Fails

Note to Reader:  LOLz BOSU Ball Fails doesn’t exist, but it should.

 1.  Can you provide a Cliff Notes version explaining the premise behind IF?

and

2. Why do you feel it’s gained so much popularity in such a short amount of time? 

Roman: It certainly does seem to be trending.

The premise is simple: IF is essentially alternating structured, pre-determined periods of “not-eating” with periods where you’re allowed to eat.

There are a lot of different styles of IF, the differences between each essentially being the length of the feeding and fasting periods.

IF has a number of benefits, ranging from practical (caloric restriction becomes easy when you are only allowed to eat for a few hours each day) to more physiological (hormonal benefits, including increased secretion of GH).

Each “type” of fasting will allow for each of these, some more than others—but all of them work.

As to why it’s popular recently, that’s simple: once I started talking about it, it became cool 😉

Okay, that’s not true…I can’t back that up.

The real reason it’s reached a tipping point as a result of a few factors: the first is that the research just kept backing it up; that’s a big thing.

More than anything else, it’s really that the “fasting guys” caught the attention of the rest of the industry, and finally forced us to see the truth.

A good example is Brad Pilon, who has been preaching the benefits of fasting for many years.

More recently, Martin Berkhan has been the head of the movement—his clients get incredible results, and Martin isn’t exactly what you’d call a quiet guy; he’s very vocal about his opinions and that he believes his way is the best.

Guys like these catch the attention of magazines with big numbers of followers, and then it just cascades.  We owe those dudes a lot.

TG: Indeed – while they’re not necessarily the pioneers, those two have definitely brought the concept of IF to the forefront.

That said, I know some people reading right now may be under the impression that IF is too radical and that it couldn’t possibly fit into their current lifestyle. What would you say to them?  What are the benefits?  Negatives?  Will it increase their general level of awesomeness?

Roman: I would just say to try it.  Read the research.  Give it a shot.  You really don’t have anything to lose, other than whatever emotional attachment to your particular set of beliefs you have.

The benefits are clear: hormonal optimization, increased satiety.  More than that, you will start to see the difference between “head hunger” and “body hunger” – that is, you’ll realize when you’re actually hungry and stop snacking out of boredom.

The drawbacks are that you might try something new.  This scares the shit out of some people.

Another drawback is that you might be uncomfortable for a little while. Yup. Fasting has the potential to be mildly uncomfortable. This is different from sprinting, deadlifting, squatting, and dieting in general, all of which are incredibly pleasant, right?

TG:  Very true. It’s very similar to a phrase I like to throw out there when people question doing something different to they’re unfamiliar with: 

If you continue doing what you’ve always done, you’ll continue getting what you’ve always gotten.

Pigging back on the question above, can you explain what IF isn’t?  Meaning, people are going to see the word “fast” and automatically assume that it’s a starvation method.  Could you elucidate on this fallacy, as well as any other common misconceptions that you’ve come across?

Roman: Ah, that’s a good one.  Mainly, fasting isn’t starving, because, at the end of the day, you’re still going to get roughly the same number of calories you would on any fat loss plan – just all at once.

Let’s say you maintain at 2400 calories, and you’re dieting; maybe you want to take in 1900 calories per day.

In a traditional dieting model, you might have six meals, each with about 320 calories.  You might be hungry after each one.

With IF, you’ll have three meals, each with ~630 calories. You’ll be fuller, longer, and possibly eat less.

You’re eating the same amount of food, just in less time—the extended fasting period giving you more time to be active and productive, as well as the hormonal benefits.

TG:  Well that makes a whole lotta sense.  Sweet!

So, now that you’ve thrown yourself onto the IF train, what makes Fat Loss Forever different from the various predecessors?

Note:  I only ask this because you know you’re going to get some a-hole who’s a Berkhan or Pilon fanboy (and rightfully so) getting his panties all up in a bunch

Roman: Haha, well, far be it from me to deny the right of a fanboy to hate me for impugning the honor of his guru =)

Here’s the deal: again, all credit to Pilon and Berkhan. I’m fans of their stuff. Which is the lead-in to this answer:

My stuff isn’t radically “different” from their stuff because it’s inspired by their stuff—HOWEVER…

It’s different BECAUSE of that as well.

My program takes a look at all of the best and most effective forms of fasting around, and, after much experimentation, creates a synthesis of all of these things.  It takes the best and makes them better.

FLF is the Frankenstein’s monster of fasting—it’s made up of the parts of other programs, and, in the end, is something that is both exceptionally effective and unique to me.

It’s a lot of fun, and Pilon is promoting, so I’d say we’re pretty solid in that regard.

TG: I’d say so!  Lastly, how “adaptable” is it?  For example, there are people on this site who spend a large portion of their day staring at a computer screen and are lucky to get three hours per week to train.  On the flip side, you have those, like me, who are on their feet for a large portion of the day, coaching. How easily can IF, and specifically, FLF, be implemented?

Roman: That’s that best part—all forms of IF are highly adjustable.  FLF is even MORE so.  All you need to do is NOT EAT…then eat.

The program works well for guys like us, who make our own schedules—but also for people whose time is less their own.  We’ve had firefighters and nurses who work 36-hour shifts have success, as well as entrepreneurs and other trainers.

It’s the most moldable nutritional protocol around; certainly moreseo than those that make you eat every few hours.

Plus, you get a cheat day…so right there, you know it’s awesome.

TG: Okay I lied, one last question: How is training “adjusted” when following the FLF protocol?  I know many reading may balk at the idea of training on an empty stomach, or with very little calories in the tank.

Roman: This is pretty individual.  Personally, I like to train in a fasted state.  But—and you’ve known this about me for years—that’s because training with a full tummy makes me get all…pukey.

I have trained truly empty, though; as in, haven’t eaten for 50 hours.

Anyway, this isn’t about me, it’s about other people—and my clients are mixed.  Some love the fasted training. Some find that some BCAAs are enough to give them the energy and have a great training session.

Others seem unwilling to break away from old ideas and just have a snack before training.  And that’s fine.

As long as you follow the bigger rules, eating 30 minutes before your workout won’t derail you =)

TG:  Thanks Roman!  Jets suck!

And there you have it folks. For more information, and to save $50 off the regular price (not to mention having access to a bunch of sweet bonuses), I highly encourage you to check out Fat Loss Forever HERE.

And remember, if you send your receipt to my email address (see above), I’ll send your my special 2-day per week strength-based program that I wrote specifically for this program!!

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Check Out the New Digs!

It’s been a few weeks in the making, and I’ve been talking about it for what seems like forever (and yes, I’m purposely NOT talking about the Pats losing last night), but for those who are regular visitors to this site you probably noticed a few changes when you logged on today.  Whoot! Whoot!

Pretty sweet, huh?

I don’t know about you, but seeing how baller the site looks now, all I can do is keep re-playing the chorus line from Drake’s Fancy over and over in my head:

Go, go, go, go, go, go ‘head
Go, go, go, go, go, go ‘head

Oh, you fancy, huh?
Oh, you fancy, huh?
Oh, you fancy, huh?
Oh, you fancy, huh?

Nail done, hair done
Everything did
Nails done, hair done
Everything did

First, and the most obvious upgrade: that’s me to the right doing my best Mr. Clean impersonation. Granted, I’m not wearing an all white outfit, and I’m definitely not wearing an earring, but I feel the picture is a huge improvement from what I had on the site originally.  A huge thank you goes out to Kim Lloyd for rendering her services and providing all the kick-ass photography – including THIS pic.

Secondly, one of the main points I wanted to hit on was upgrading the social media so that it would be more accessible to the masses.  To that end, you’ll notice a ‘static’ tab to the left that has links to my Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, RSS, and StumbleUpon pages.

HINT:  you should click on them.

In addition, I also added a blog archive that links to every post from the past year categorized by month.  You can still access posts from previous years, too (by clicking the pages buttons at the bottom), but the archive box provides easy access to the past year’s posts.  What’s more, I also added a “Tony’s Favorites” section that links to some of my favs (old and new).

HINT:  you should click on those as well (especially if you’re new to the site).

If you have a real good eye, aesthetically, you may have noticed I had the guys over at Copter Labs get rid of the “grid-like” lines that served as the background to the site.  Now it’s just a solid white background which should make reading a little easier.  You’re welcome.

Above all, if you look to the right – underneath my biceps – you’ll see a section titled Get All the Updates.

Which, to put it another way, means……….

Someone Got a Newsletter!!!!

This is dedicated to Eric Cressey, Kevin Neeld, Jim Smith, and many others who have been hounding me to step into the 21st Century for the past year.

Pigs are now flying.

I’d be very appreciative if you signed up for it. I promise I won’t spam you and stuff.  Instead, for now, I’ll just send updates of what’s going on: schedule of speaking engagements, articles of mine that are published elsewhere, weekly blog reviews, what I had for dinner last night, you know, important things.

And that’s about it. In an ideal world, I’d somehow figure out a way to make it so that a Velociraptor would jump out and rip the page in half with its claws each time someone clicked on a page.  But I was told that that would have been a bit over the top.  A guy can dream, right?

Nonetheless, I hope you like the changes and would love to hear your thoughts and opinions. Feedback welcome.

PS:  Seriously, sign up for my newsletter. Before I cry.

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Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 2/3/12

I’m sitting here with my fingers crossed as I write this post because there are going to be some minor changes to the site shortly.

I know I’ve been talking about this for months now, but I’ve been working with my web designer, Jason Lengstorf and the crew over at Copter Labs, to give the site a little bit of a Bazinga factor – or face-lift, if you will – and if all goes according to plan you should all see the finished product at some point today.

OMGIJUSTPEEDMYSELFALITTLE.

NOTE:  It’s official, the new updates are live.

That said, while I sit here and wait, here are some great reads to check out from this past week.

The Pull-Up Manifesto – Todd Bumgardner

Todd’s a fellow contributor to t-nation.com, and an awesome strength coach/strong man competitor located near State College, PA. Having met Todd in person last year when he and his girlfriend came to CP for a few days, and exchanging emails with him routinely (we talk shop and argue about who’s more diesel:  Megatron or Soundwave?), he’s definitely someone I’ve become a huge fan of.

About two weeks ago, he sent me a preview of his Pull-Up Manifesto, which accordingly, I read in one sitting while hanging out at Panera on a Friday night (I know, party central).

In a word – awesome.  You should read it.

All you have to do is sign up for Todd’s newsletter (located on the right of his site) and you get it FREE.

The “Boring But Big” 3-Month Challenge – Jim Wendler

Arguably one of Wendler’s best articles, which is saying a lot.  Never to bullshit anyone, here, Jim outlines a basic – albeit very effective – program that will, you know, get you big-n-stuff.

Eat Like a Predator, Not Like Prey – J. Stanton

One of my clients sent this article to me after reading how Lisa and I are currently going through our own ‘Paleo’ experiment, and I have to say, it was refreshing considering how much people tend to get their panties up in a bunch arguing over semantics.

Less dogmatic, I like how this article allows a little more freedom compared to its predecessors.  Butter is allowed!  What what!  He also advocates supplements like vitamin D and fish oil. Hey, I like this guy – great minds think alike.

He also mentions that people should go out of their way to “play” and lift heavy things. I’m down with that.

A very informative and entertaining read that breaks everything down in an easy to follow format.  It ain’t rocket science people……Weight Watchers isn’t food.

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Upcoming Speaking Engagement

Earlier this month, much like everyone else in the free world, I made a few resolutions that, so far, I’ve been able to not suck at.

Operation Hydration is still in full swing.  I’ve been crushing water like it’s my job, and it’s really made a difference in how I feel on a day-to-day basis. Granted I pee a lot more – and I absolutely HATE getting up in the middle of the night – but that minor nuisance is well worth it considering I’m walking around less lethargic and just feel like a new person overall.

NOTE:  For those interested, I just take my body weight and divide that by half, and that’s how many ounces of water I shoot for. Whatever I drink over that is just a bonus.

On a more professional level, I also mentioned how I was going to try to do more speaking engagements this year. As it stands now, I have a handful that are in the works for later on this summer and fall, but I’ll elaborate on those at another time when I have all the details. More relevant to the near future though, I’ll be speaking at a local Boston Sports Club in mid-February.

The event will be held on Tuesday, February 21st at 2:30 PM at the Downtown Crossing BSC. My talk is going to be catered towards personal trainers and it’s tentatively titled 10 Traits of an Effective Fitness Professional. I know, it’s a lame title. I may opt to go with something more Gentilcoreian, like, Stop Doing Stupid Shit.

I don’t know, I’ll keep working on it.

Nevertheless, I plan on discussing several topics, but serving as the meat and potatoes will namely be assessment and program design.  And maybe a teeny tiny bit on why I’d rather set my face on fire than include any unstable surface training into the mix.

The idea is to keep this a more manageable and “intimate” setting, so spots are limited (I believe the cap is between 16-20, and as of today, ten are already confirmed). If you’re a local trainer in Boston, and you happen to have a few hours free that afternoon, it might be well worth your time to come down and listen.

The talk is going to be roughly 90-120 minutes, and I’m pretty sure there’s going to be a smoke machine and laser show as part of the introduction (only a slight exaggeration).

For more information, please contact Peter Humer at:  [email protected].

Hope to see you there!

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The Deload Week and Why YOU Should Use It

Today’s guest post comes from Jeff Barnett, and it’s on the importance of deload weeks which is something I feel is relevant to EVERY person reading this post who trains on a consistent basis.

For more info on Jeff, check out his sites HERE and HERE.

Recently at my facility, I’ve been getting a lot of questions from my athletes regarding deload weeks.  Specifically, what is a deload week and how they can incorporate it into their training?

A deload week is simply a week spent recovering from exercise. Rest is not just a break from going to the gym. It’s an absolutely essential part of training! We are all familiar with rest days. Why not extend the concept further to a rest week? After all, your body has no respect for how long you think it should take to recover.

Only reality matters: how long does your body actually need for recovery? Consistent training eventually builds a deficit that cannot be repaid in a single rest day. A deload week is a chance for your body to recover from that deficit. The deload week allows your body to catch up – to repair connective tissue and restore testosterone/cortisol ratios. Muscle can recover more quickly than connective tissue. A deload week keeps tendons and ligaments healthy. If you chronically develop tendonitis, then scheduled deload weeks are definitely part of the solution.

Here’s the disconnect: You don’t get stronger by exercising!

You get stronger by recovering from exercise. This simple concept forms the basis of exercise physiology. Hans Selye first described it in 1936. Countless professionals like Zatsiorsky, Rippetoe, and Kilgore have expanded it further. The basic theory goes like this:

1. Provide a stimulus to an organism (exercise)

2. Remove the stimulus (rest)

3. The organism adapts to better handle the stimulus (Next time you can deadlift 375 lbs instead of 370 lbs). This is called supercompensation.

We all recognize the importance of Step #1. We all recognize the fun of Step #3. But Step #2 often goes neglected, even though it’s equally critical.

What happens when you neglect Step #2 and you never remove the stimulus (you continue to exercise constantly)? Seyle actually studied that too. The organism dies. Now everyone will stop exercising before they die, but the point is that a never-ending stimulus (unceasing exercise) doesn’t make you better. It makes you worse. It digs your body into a hole that keeps getting deeper. This is overtraining.

I first read about deload weeks from Jim Wendler in his short and violent book, 5/3/1. His program advocates training at precise percentages in four-week cycles. The first three weeks of each cycle are heavy and the last week is a deload week.

Note from TG:  We use a similar approach at Cressey Performance as well, albeit we modify training stress a bit differently.

Week 1 – High Volume
Week 2 – Medium Volume
Week 3 – VERY High Volume
Week 4 – Deload/eat lots of dead animal flesh

The deload week uses three sets of five reps for each exercise at 40-60% of 1RM – very few reps and very light loads. The intent is to preserve the neuromuscular pathways of lifting without actually breaking down muscle (the usual intent of strength training).

Top CrossFit competitor Blair Morrison also uses deload weeks. Morrison trains 1-on/1-off for 3 weeks and then takes a week of recovery. His training days include up to three workouts. Morrison says, “I can go really hard in all those workouts because I know I have the next day as a rest day.”

How can you incorporate a deload week into your training? Simple. Every few weeks of training, take a week off. I have adopted the 3/1 ratio that Wendler and Morrison prescribe, and I recommend it. You still take your normal rest days during your training weeks, but when your training weeks are over, take a full week of dedicated recovery.

Schedule your deload week in advance, and stick to it. And when it arrives, remember that allowing your body to recover is more important than the fun of jumping into another workout. You are not wussing out—you are making yourself stronger!

Now, some caveats.

First, I don’t suggest complete rest for the whole week. I suggest a couple active recovery workouts, a couple thorough mobility sessions, and yes, some straight-up rest. Active recovery means you are working, but not at an intensity that is breaking down muscle or challenging you metabolically. One of my favorite recovery WODs is rowing 2000 meters on the Concept 2.

Rowing is low impact and involves almost your entire body. I can also precisely monitor my pace to ensure I keep the intensity low. Jim Wendler’s prescription is also excellent. Three sets of five reps of back squat and shoulder press at 50% 1RM with 2-3 minutes rest between sets is also a great recovery workout.

You could also use Yoga (at low intensity), lacrosse ball and foam roller work, joint mobility work, and deep tissue massage as recovery tools during your deload week. Of a seven day week, you want 3-4 complete rest days and 3-4 recovery and mobility sessions. Have a plan for your deload week, but listen to your body. That’s what the deload week is all about.

Note from TG:  HERE is a post I did a while back on active recovery that may provide some ideas of what to do.

Next, a deload week is not an excuse to derail your nutrition. On the contrary, sticking to your nutrition plan is even more important during your deload week. Keeping your normal gym schedule while just performing recovery and mobility workouts can help keep your routine intact. Routine helps most athletes stick to their nutrition plan. Your body is repairing itself. You need to provide it all the quality fuel it needs to complete the repairs, along with plenty of sleep every night. Recovery is not just the absence of training; it is a critical part of the training process!

Why should you consider working deload weeks into your training schedule? You will become stronger, faster. You’ll suffer fewer chronic injuries. You’ll be less prone to burning out.  You’ll be an overall better athlete. Try it.

DO IT!!

Resources:

“A Syndrome Produced by Diverse Nocuous Agents” – 1936 article by Hans Selye from The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences

Kraemer, William J.; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M. (2006). Science and Practice of Strength Training, Second Edition.

Rippetoe, Mark (2009), Practical Programming for Strength Training

Wendler, Jim (19 August 2011), 5/3/1: The Simplest and Most Effective Training System to Increase Raw Strength

 

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Coaching Etiquette: The Grey Area of the Commercial Gym Setting

I’m lucky that I live in a strength and conditioning bubble that allows me the ability (and luxury) to control pretty much everything around me.  With the exception of the music – which is a never ending battle of techno vs. rap vs. country vs. metal vs. Katy Perry my ears are bleeding – as a coach and part-owner of my own facility I have a large say in the everyday shenanigans (for lack of a better term) that goes down.

Between myself, the other two coaches (Eric Cressey and Chris Howard), and our interns, every warm-up drill, every sprint drill, every exercise, every set and rep, EVERY PROGRAM is supervised – meticulously. While I don’t want to sound like I’m blowing sunshine up our own ass – although that’s exactly what I’m doing – seemingly, we’re doing something right, and I like to think we’re doing our part in cementing proper exercise habits and techniques along the way.

One of the best compliments we can receive as a staff is when other fitness professionals stop by to observe and they go out of their way to commend us on how well coached our athletes and clients are.

It happens all the time.  And I’m proud of that fact.

People squat to proper depth; their deadlifts don’t make my spine start hyperventilating; they know how to perform a push-up correctly; they know that a chin-up really means sternum-up; there’s absolutely no cell phones allowed on the gym floor; and there’s certainly no curling in the squat rack.  Unless your last name rhymes with Smeshshmentilore. In that case, it’s totally pimp.

Like I said, I live in a pretty sweet bubble where I can control things, and people, more often than not, do things right….and get strong and swole to boot.

And then, I go to a commercial gym, and I’m immediately reminded how much I want to throw an ax into my face.

Now, before I continue, let me just say that I’ve been trying to make more of a concerted effort to stop drinking the haterade.

Busting on commercial gyms is easy, and in a lot of ways played out. It serves no purpose than to feed the fire and make me come across as kind of douchey.  Besides, not all commercial gyms are created equal, and I know of plenty who do it right (ahem, Dean Somerset), actually take some pride in their craft, and go out of their way to actually help their members and demonstrate that they care for their well-being.  In my experience, however, those are few and far between.

Because I live in the city, I have easy access to numerous commercial gyms.  As such, on the off chance that I don’t go into CP on any given day – like this past Tuesday for instance – it makes it convenient to still get a lift in.

It’s inevitable that I’m going to see stupid stuff while I’m there.  I’m prepared for that.  There’s the woman who hangs upside down off the bars and then proceeds to perform some sort of core training/circus act. There’s the guy performing 1-legged DB lateral raises – off a BOSU ball.  And there’s the two meat-heads performing 57 variations of chest presses.

As a coach I can’t help myself but observe. It’s ingrained in me. Still, I realize that (most) people don’t know any better, and in any event, at least they’re doing something. I just shrug it off, turn up my iPod, and move on with my life.

It’s when I watch some of the trainers in action that I get furious. Half the time, I feel as if the client would be better off taking their money and flushing it down the toilet.

Almost always, technique is just AWFUL! I don’t care who you are, or how many letters you have next to your name, if your client is deadlifting with a rounded back, and you don’t correct it,  you lose all credibility in my eyes.

I watched one trainer actually demonstrate with a rounded back, and then proceed to allow his client to do the same. Encouraging him along the way.

Moreover, I watched a female trainer take her female client through an entire session using nothing heavier than a ten lb dumbbell. Jesus, I’m willing ot bet the woman’s purse is heavier than ten lbs!

Really?  10 lbs?

I don’t know, maybe they were training for the National Paper Weight Carrying championship.  Specificity, right?

Or what about this exchange I overhead from a female TRAINER getting trained from her male counterpart.

Dude Trainer (putting her on the Smith Machine to perform RDLs):  Okay, so now we’re going to target the medial hamstring.

***I have no idea how performing RDLs in the Smith Machine somehow targets the medial hamstring. Whatever.

Female Trainer:  okay, so what are we going to do after this?

Dude Trainer:  Walking lunges

Female Trainer:  You mean, with weight?

Unbelievable. I wanted nothing more than to turn around and scream…….”YES, with weight!!”

But I didn’t, of course.  It wasn’t my place to do so.

When I got home that afternoon, I posted a ‘status’ update on my Facebook Wall describing the above exchange, and someone responded with:

How do you feel about critiquing people? Especially because of your expertise in the field?

To which I replied:

I don’t offer ANY unsolicited advice when I train at commercial gyms. I get asked questions all the time, and when that happens, I’m all for giving my opinion. Of course, as a coach, I can’t help but observe (and shake my head sometimes), but I’d NEVER go out of my way to openly chastise someone. Especially another trainer.

This isn’t to say I’ve never helped someone out. On numerous occasions I’ve been approached by other patrons, and was more than willing to offer some insight or words of encouragement.  Several times, I’ve actually coached people through their deadlifts or squats.  But then again, they asked.  It’s not like I walked up to them with an “holier than thou” attitude and started drilling them.

Sure, there’s ways to be subtle, especially if it looks like someone is going to break their back in half……

But it brings up an interesting conversation:  what’s crossing the line?

When is it acceptable to step in and offer unsolicited advice?  For me, it’s a VERY grey area, and something that’s more or less a case-by-case scenario.

What are you thoughts?  I’d be interested in hearing them.

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Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 1/26/12

If there was ever a feature on which topics were currently “trending” on all of the hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of health and fitness blogs out on the interwebz, I’m sure Intermittent Fasting would be right up there on that list.

The topic, it seems, is like catnip lately.

I’m not even going to attempt to explain what it is (what?  No breakfast!!? No.  Noooooo), who it’s for (I’ll tell you who it’s NOT for.  Guys who weigh 150 lbs soaking wet, trying to look like Brad Pitt from Fight Club), or whether or not I feel it’s beneficial (sure, it has its moments).  What I am going to do, however, is point you in the direction of someone who can break it down, as it’s a rather complicated (and just a tad bit controversial) topic that many people need to be more well informed about.

The 5 Diet Rules You Must Break – John Romaniello

I had mentioned this FREE report earlier in the week, but felt it got lost in the shuffle, so I wanted to give it a little love here where more people would have access to it. Many of you who read this blog are very familiar with John and his work, so it’s not like I’m coming out of left field here when I say I’m a fan.

And since intermittent fasting is such a hot topic as of late, I figured if you’re going to read about it, you might as well get your information from someone who’s hella smart, knows the science behind it, has actually done it himself (and coached numerous people through it), and is a Lord of the Rings nerd, which obviously has nothing to do with anything.

Did I mention it’s free? (it’s free).

What I’m Thankful For in 2011 – Matt Kramer

For those who like a “feel good” story, this one is right up your alley.  Matt, pictured above with his guitar and mullhawk (half mullet, half mohawk), is in his fourth off-season with us at Cressey Performance, starting as a catching prospect for the Atlanta Braves, getting released, then interning with us, then working his way back with the Boston Red Sox as pitching prospect.

A Harvard graduate, Matt’s wicked smaht and a hell of a writer, and better still, just an awesome human being.

What a Rejected Article Looks Like, and Why Your Thoracic Extensions and Hip Flexor Stretches Are Wrong – Anthony Mychal

I just started reading some of Anthony’s stuff over on t-nation.com recently, and as it happened, I also started perusing his blog because I’m a stalker like that. I came across this post, and felt it was applicable to many people reading given you’re all stiffer than a 2×4 anyways. Needless to say, I think Anthony has a lot of great things to say, and I think many of you will appreciate his style given it’s very similar to mine.

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Shatterproof Your Spine

In an industry that’s inundated with movers and shakers promoting their watered down products, it’s always refreshing to have the opportunity to promote something I feel will help a lot of people. Back in 2009 (maybe it was 2010), fellow colleague John Izzo asked if I’d be willing to watch his DVD, Shatterproof Spine.

As the name suggests, it covers the spine (more specifically, lower back pain) and highlights a workshop that John did with a number of trainers at the facility he used to manage back in the day.

Note:  he now OWNS his own facility.

What I liked best was that John mixed the perfect formula of science/research and combined it with the perfect blend of practical knowledge into an easy to follow, easy to assimilate format.  Truth be told, he left no stone unturned covering topics such as assessment, corrective exercise for for low back health, proper posture positioning, understanding the role of fatigue as it relates to core strengthening, and much much more.

All told, I loved it, and it’s consistently one of the more popular DVDs that’s “borrowed” out of our Cressey Performance Resource Library.

Thing is, you can’t purchase the DVD anymore – it’s sold out (which should tell you something).  As such, John has decided to re-release Shatterproof Spine as an instant download, so you can watch it anywhere at any time.

Reciprocally, while the product alone is outstanding, John has “sweetened” the pot by also including a couple of  incentives:

5 Practical Drills to Identify Low Back Pain Sufferers – The book is complete with some applicable drills that John uses with his general population clients to help better understand which direction to take his programming, and also serves as a nice adjunct to his screening process.

Eye of the Trainer – Video download along the same lines of using certain exercises as observational assessments and helping trainers plan accordingly with their exercise programs.

Combined, this is a fantastic resource for any personal trainer out there looking to take his or her craft to the next level, and separate themselves from the masses.

To that end, I wanted to share an interview I did with John highlighting the release of Shatterproof Spine. In an industry that is notorious for less than exemplary practices, John is one of the rare few who “gets it,” and is recognized as one of the leaders in personal training standards.

Enjoy!

TG: John, lets get the particulars out of the way.  For those who may not be familiar with you or your work, can you give my readers the Cliff Notes version?  Where are you located? What’s your background? What’s the main demographic that you work with?  Do you like walks on the beach?

John Izzo:  Thanks for having me Tony. Here is the gist of Izzo…I am a personal trainer located in Manchester, CT about 15 minutes away from Hartford. Years ago, I thought I wanted to be a strength coach….so I focused my attention on young athletes in a commerical gym setting. Didn’t work out. Being inside a commerical gym, every kid that called himself an “Athlete” wanted to train like a bodybuilder.

Sooner than later, I was getting more and more general population clients walking up to me looking for directions to their goals: better health, losing fat, and getting stronger. They were seeing what I was doing with many of the younger guys and thought that I can help them out. Well….I was able to and soon over  90% of my clientele were “normal” Joe’s and Jane’s looking for better function. Training younger athletes started to dwindle down and I turned my attention to helping people improve everyday performance. This was back around 2002. Around 2007, I came to the realization that I was a personal trainer–not a strength coach

Through the years, I found myself in management running the day to day operations; outfitting facilities, and balancing budgets. Thinking I can turn my back on personal training and make more money in management, I found out that I was wrong. Managing others is a bitch. You try to get everyone on  the same page–same thought process as yours–but its never easy. As a gym manger, you are listening to people bitch and moan about changing channels on the TVs; music volume, someones hygiene on the treadmill, or trainers having sex outside. (Yes, that is a true story and guess who was the one that had to knock on the car window?)

TG:  Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh snap. BOM CHICKA BOM BOM.  Okay, sorry.  You were saying……

JI: Anyways….my love to train others soon won. I returned back to full-time training in 2008. I opened my own facility in 2010 and it is mainly a one-on-one private training studio. I do teach group strength classes, but my love shines in one on one. That is where I feel I am a coach.

TG: Even though you and I have never met, we’ve exchanged several emails throughout the years, and I’m always amazed at just how “real” you are, never hesitating to call BS on anyone or anything. This is your chance to sound off.  You and I both know that the fitness industry can be a circus – at best.  What are some of the things, as of late, that really get your goat?

JI:  Oh boy…are trying to get me in trouble…? The truth is, its not that I enjoy calling BS on anyone, I just feel that any good, honest adult should. I truly have a love for what I do, what you do, and what many fit pro’s do. I feel sometimes the industry is tainted with people that don’t belong here.  I ‘ll put it to you this way…I know you are a big movie buff. Remember that scene in “Behind Enemy Lines” with Owen Wilson? That is one of my Top 10 best movies, BTW.

Anyway, remember the scene when the evil admiral was dead-against the US Marines going in to save Owen Wilson? Remember when the Marine captain was going over the Intel with his team on the deck and then the admiral showed up with some “French troops”? The admiral stated that the French troops “would be going in for the extraction”. Those guys didn’t belong there! Those guys had ZERO attachment to our guy down behind enemy lines! They didn’t care about our man. They were not going to give 110% effort, because there was no passion for Owen Wilson!

Well, that’s how I feel about alot of the guys that turn personal trainers’ attention away from serving the client and make them focus on making money. They don’t belong in our industry. They know what they are doing. They are feeding on a fear or scarcity that young, under-developed trainers have. And to me, they continue to hurt the industry—not help it.

TG: Okay, lets talk Shatterproof Spine. What was the impetus behind making this product?

JI: Around 2008, I was working with alot of golfers (still do). Alot of these guys were working at the investment firms, private business, or playing bridge all day and then wanted to hit the course. Well, many of them were having major back pain and it was affecting their swing.

If you can’t swing, you can’t play golf. If you suck at golf, no one is going to ask you to meet them for 8:30am tee off.

So, I went to work researching Dr. Stuart McGill and Shirley Sahrmann’s books. The info I found was fascinating and once I put it to practice with my golfers, they began to tell me how their backs felt better. As a trainer, you have to realize that everyone knows someone that has some sort of low back pain. Some people hide it, some people disregard it, and some people take medicine or have surgery for it.

The job of the trainer is to help people alleviate the symptoms of low back pain and restore optimal function. When it came time for me to teach a workshop for new trainers, I put together a slide-show that would encompass everything I had learned from the authors, along with my own findings–including videos with my golfers. The participants in the workshop were amazed at how much help they can provide (as trainers) to their clients simply by designing exercise programs more carefully and utilizing the drills in the video.

TG: On that front,  what do you feel are the biggest mistakes trainers and coaches make with regards to working with clients who suffer from acute or chronic lower back pain?

JI: Mistake #1: Trainers ignore client’s complaints of low back pain. Personal trainers tend to ignore the small, subtle comments people make about low back pain and continue on with a strength training program. Or they tend to think a plank will fix everything. These trainers need to research more about mechanical low back pain and possibly learn the benefits of massage therapy, ART, and corrective exercise.

Mistake #2: Trainers shy away from giving clients challenging workouts because of low back issues. It is a double edged sword. New trainers–especially–tend to give clients very subtle, boring isometric exercises or tubing exercise that really make a client want to gag and leave

 

Truth is, most people that suffer from low back pain are probably overweight, sedentary, and lack adequate core strength. Trainers tend to be “too careful” because they don’t know how to approach and design an exercise program that can include drills to strengthen the core and relieve low back tightness, improve hip mobility, and add flexibility. Hence, they do nothing and the client gets nothing.

TG:  Great points on both fronts John.  Elevator Pitch:  who will benefit most from this product?

JI: Shatterproof Spine, Eye of the Trainer, and 5 Practical Drills eBook are really designed with the personal trainer or strength coach in mind. That’s not to say that your average exerciser can’t benefit from the drills demonstrated in the hands-on portion of the workshop.

TG:  Thanks John.  For those interested in more information on John (and his products), visit his site HERE. In addition, for those interested in Shatterproof Spine, what are you waiting for GO!!!

—-> Shatterproof Spine <—-

 
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CP Badass Video of the Week

In an effort to increase our web presence (and take over the world), we’ve been making more of a concerted effort to take daily videos of clients getting their lift on at the facility and then posting them up on either our respective websites (CresseyPerformance.com, EricCressey.com, or TonyGentilcore.com) as well as CP’s Twitter account.

HINT:  you should follow us.  We’re kinda cool

A few weeks ago I shared a video of high school junior, Becca, crushing a set of barbell bridges with 405 lbs, and making every guy within a two mile radius question his manhood.

It was awesome, and the cool part was that I got feedback as far away as Japan where a strength coach showed that video to his track athletes in an effort to motivate them and demonstrate how weak they are.

In keeping with the “girls can lift heavy things, too” theme, today I want to share a video of CP client, Whitney G performing a set of ONE-HAND CHIN-UPS.

This is Whitney’s second off-season training at Cressey Performance.  I say “off-season” because her husband, Tim, who plays in the Cincinnati Reds organization, also trains with us, and is the main impetus behind Whitney coming to CP as well.

Long story short, Whitney loves to be challenged, and it’s always fun to write her programs because:

1.  She’s loves to train, and has really embraced the lifestyle since coming to CP.
2. I can pretty much program anything I want with her. Which is to say, we both get a chuckle out of making Tim feel inferior.  Although, to be fair, Whitney can’t throw 95 MPH.

………I think.

Anyways, she shows up everyday with Tim and trains right alongside 25-30 other professional baseball players – easily holding her own. She’s a huge fan of Jamie Eason, and as such, has been toying around with the possibility of competing in a figure show down the road. For a visual reference, this is Jamie Eason.

Almost daily, Whitney will spout off some random fact about Jamie – to the extent that we now have a running joke around the facility of WWJD (What Would Jamie Do?) –  and then, without breaking a sweat, walk over and crush a set of deadlifts like it ain’t no thang.

I’d argue, however, that the exercise that she excels at the best are chin-up variations. In fact, it’s because of Whitney that many of our other female clients have vowed to improve their chin-up prowess.

1-Hand Chin-Up Pwnage

Whaaaaaaaaaat.  How cool is that?

About the only thing that would be more badass, is if Whitney repelled from a Stealth bomber and scissor kicked a pirate in the throat.

Giving full disclosure: Whitney does have an extensive background in gymnastics, competing until the age of 17 while growing up in Georgia, but that doesn’t negate the fact that she’s doing a set of chin-ups with one freaking arm!!!!

Pretty impressive if you ask me.

Also, FREE stuff below…………

The 5 Diet Rules You Must Break

My good buddy John Romaniello just released a FREE 31-page report detailing some of his thoughts on the incredibly controversial topic of intermittent fasting.

Speaking truthfully, I’ve never done it, but I know a lot of good friends and colleagues who have (and have done really well with it).

Here, John helps to dispel many of the myths and misconceptions surrounding the topic, and did I mention it’s FREE?  Well, it is. For more information, click below:

—–> HERE <—–

 

 

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Miscellaneous Miscellaneous Monday: 1/23/12

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve written one of my miscellaneous posts, so I figured this would be the perfect way to start what I hope will be a full week of blogging.

1. It’s no secret that I heart movies. I’ve always joked that if I were ever independently wealthy, all I would do is train, finance my own gourmet omelet restaurant/bowling center, and hang out with Matt Damon and give each other high-fives while we watch movies – like, all the time.

There are only a few shows on television that I like to watch:  The Daily Show, the Red Sox (when it’s baseball season), Top Chef, and House Hunters.  Namely, with regards to the latter, Lisa and I just like to have fake arguments with the couple’s that are on the show.

I mean, how asinine is it that someone walks into a room, and can’t look past the color of paint on the walls?

Anyways, I don’t watch a lot of tv, and would much rather walk down to the theater and catch a movie.

In the past few weeks alone, we’ve seen Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (awesome), The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (I read the books AND watched the original foreign films, too, but the American version was like whoa); Sherlock Holmes (first one was better); A Dangerous Method (Keira Knightely shows her boobies); Melancholia (Kirsten Dunst also shows her boobies, but it was the worst movie I’ve ever seen); The Descendants (good, but overrated); and lastly, Haywire, which Lisa and I saw yesterday.

I’ve been anxiously waiting for this movie to come out since I first saw the trailer back in November. Directed by one of my favs, Steven Soderbergh – of Erin Brockovich and Ocean’s 11,12,&13 fame – and starring Gina Carano – of MMA, she can totally kick your ass fame – Haywire, in simplest terms, is basically the female equivalent of the Jason Bourne films.

While Carano won’t be winning any Best Actress awards anytime soon, she more than held her own, and it was clear, from the start, that the film was all about showcasing her fighting skills.

What I liked best was that the movie wasn’t enhanced with silly sound effects or over-the-top music during the fight scenes. Instead, it was raw, unadulterated, awesomeness.

What was interesting, and this was something that Lisa brought up on our walk back home, was that Carano’s physique was covered up.  There was no doubt that the film makers showcased Carano’s, um, assets. But you couldn’t help but think that they were purposely holding back and blatantly covering up her pecs, shoulders, and upper back throughout. Possibly to make her seem more feminine?

Either way, like I said, it was great to see a (believable) female character kick some ass. I get so tired of watching female characters who weigh like 87 lbs toss around dudes three times their size like a paperweights.  Conversely, Carano looks the part. And she ain’t too shabby on the eyes either.

All in all, when you combine the action, writing, directing, as well as the supporting cast (Michael Fassbender, Michael Douglass, Antonio Banderas, Obi Wan Kenobi Ewan McGregor), it was definitely worth seeing.

I gave the movie a solid B.

2.  Speaking of strong female characters, HERE is an awesome interview done with MariAnne Kane from the Girls Gone Strong crew.

I LOVE what these women are doing for the industry. Guys have always had the likes of Arnold, Ronnie Coleman, Dave Tate, and numerous others to look up to. Now, thanks to Girls Gone Strong, women have someone to look up to for inspiration. And it’s a beautiful thing.

3.  Here’s a question that I received in the mail the other day:

Q: Tony is it ok to switch from doing regular deadlifts and do deficit deadlifts as a different variation for training deadlifts?  What are the benefits of doing deficit deadlifts… do they still work the same muscle groups ?

A: It’s definitely okay to switch from “regular” deadlifts to deficit deadlifts.  While there are a few benefits, the main one to consider is that deficit deadlifts help to increase the ROM, which for those who are slow off the ground, can bode in their favor.

In short, when you return back to standard height, the weight should feel lighter.

The key thing to remember, though, is that you DO NOT need a huge deficit to perform these.  Anything from 1-4 inches is plenty.  Placing a plate underneath each foot should suffice for most.

Additionally, and maybe even more important, is that deficit deadlifts aren’t something you’ll want to include in your programming for a prolonged period of time – ESPECIALLY if your technique isn’t up to par.

As noted previously, you’re going to increase the ROM of the movement which by default, will make it more challenging.  And hence, maybe more deleterious to the spine (if done incorrectly).

Having said that, even if you’re technique is flawless, I’d still be reluctant to do this for more than 3-4 weeks at a time.  Honestly, four weeks is pushing it in my eyes.

 To that end, deficit deadlifts are a worthwhile variation to include in your programming – I just wouldn’t use them exclusively for a long period of time.

4.  On January 2nd my girlfriend, Lisa, started a little experiment on herself. She’s always been interested in nutrition and the effects that certain foods can have on the body. After doing a little research and talking to a few people, she picked up The Paleo Diet.

 

It really resonated with her (she read the entire book in a day), and so, she decided she’d give it a try for 60 days.

Now, I understand that there are a lot of detractors out there who will chime in and say something along the lines of “Tony, Tony, Tony…..you do realize that we have no idea what our Paleolithic ancestors ate, and it’s all based on speculation and not fact, right?”

Indeed, I do. Who cares!?! I also realize they didn’t eat Dunkin Donuts for breakfast.  To each his own.

Nonetheless, it’s not like Lisa cowers into the fetal position every time she encounters a carb.  She has her allotted “off” meals on the weekends.  But all told, she’s been following the diet verbatim, focusing her efforts on lean meats (beef, buffalo, chicken, ground turkey,etc), tons of greens and various fruits, and limiting her salt and sugar intake.

After three weeks, she feels amazing! She’s more energetic and it takes her waaaaaaay longer to get pissed off whenever I leave dirty clothes on the couch.  It’s a win-win if you ask me.

Being the supportive boyfriend that I am, I’m doing a Paleo’ish type diet, too.  Albeit, I’m still allowing myself more wiggle room like oatmeal, sweet potatoes, yogurt, Ezekiel bread, and grass fed dragon.

So far, I really like it, and it definitely supports my lifestyle.  I can’t say for sure whether or not I’ll follow it long-term, but for now, it seems to be working.

I’ll keep everyone posted.

5.  And lastly, sitting sucks.  Read THIS article if you don’t believe me.