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If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you may remember that earlier in the year I did a little five week experiment titled Project Tony Gets Sexified. For those that don’t remember, or need a little refresher, click here, here, and here to enter the world of sexy.

Fast forward a few months (not to mention a few trips to Cold Stone Creamery), I’m thinking about starting a new project titled the Dr. Manhattan Project. The premise is simple- take all of the same principles I established in the original experiment:

1. Maintain, if not build upon current strength levels

2. Drop down to roughly 7-8% bodyfat.

3. Improve tissue quality (i.e. practicing what I preach)

While at the same time keeping my body weight above 195 lbs.

Additionally, I’ll also take into account that I’ve been balding since I was 25. Hence, the Dr. Manhattan reference………..only with a lot less wang.

I’ll fill everyone in later today with a quick update on today’s training session. Maybe I’ll make this a weekly blog entry

From Boston.com:

Hollywood actor Eric Bana thinks people who work out have no friends.

The ‘Time Traveler’s Wife’ actor isn’t concerned about having a perfect body because he would rather spend his free time enjoying himself.

He told ‘Access Hollywood’: “Abs are for people with no friends. I don’t do the ab thing. I’ve even had them once, actually, for a film, and they were always covered up. I just said to myself, ‘Well, I’ll just never do that again.’ That was a waste of time. There’s so much more to enjoy in life.”

For those of you who aren’t familiar with who this Eric Bana guy is, he starred in one of the most badass movies of all time, Black Hawk Down– as well as one of the most un-badass movies of all time, Troy. Hint: he’s the guy who’s not Brad Pitt.

It’s interesting that he talks about people wasting their time. I mean, anyone who sat through The Other Boleyn Girl and didn’t have a sudden urge to set their face on fire deserves a gold medal.

What’s more, I have plenty of friends……………………………………………………………………………………………….on Facebook. Who’s laughing now Eric Bana? Hahahahahahahahahaha……hahaha……haha……..ha………*starts sobbing uncontrollably* I suck at life.

Understandably, this article from Time has been making the rounds amongst various blogs, newsletters, websites, etc in the fitness industry the past few days. I’ve had several readers send me a link to the article over the course of the week, and needless to say, I felt compelled to give a little insight on the matter. Which is to say, OMGTHISGUYISANIDIOT.com/(crickets chirping)/Tony, Tony!!!! Put down the chainsaw Tony. Noooooooooooo.biz

One of my favorite quotes:

“Because exercise depletes not just the body’s muscles but the brain’s self-control “muscle” as well, many of us will feel greater entitlement to eat a bag of chips during that lazy time after we get back from the gym. This explains why exercise could make you heavier – or at least why even my wretched four hours of exercise a week aren’t eliminating all my fat. It’s likely that I am more sedentary during my nonexercise hours than I would be if I didn’t exercise with such Puritan fury. If I exercised less, I might feel like walking more instead of hopping into a cab; I might have enough energy to shop for food, cook and then clean instead of ordering a satisfyingly greasy burrito.”

So let me get this straight. Because YOU (the author) lack the will power to not eat greasy burritos after you “train”, you’re only rationale (1+1= I’m a complete moron) conclusion is that you’re fat because you exercise too much? Holy shit call NASA, this guy is onto something.

Surprisingly, there is one valid point the author brings up in the article- namely the mistaken notion that in order to get any exercise, you have to be in the gym. There’s no question that we are less active during our “non-exercise” hours than we used to be- thank you modern technology! Modern man is essentially programmed to believe that the only way to get any exercise is to be in a gym. Case in point- we all have a friend who drives 20 minutes to the gym just to walk on the treadmill.

However, as Eric alluded to in his blog on Friday, there’s no mention of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption or the difference among different types of exercise (steady-state cardio, interval training, resistance training). There isn’t any discussion of visceral versus subcutaneous fat loss. What’s more, there’s no mention of exercise QUALITY vs. QUANTITY. It’s human nature to believe that more is better. I used to fall under this trap back in the day-thinking that spending two hours per day in the gym was what it took to get girls to want to hang out with me. It wasn’t until I made a conscious effort to be more efficient with my time (ditched the body part splits, stopped going for five mile jogs, etc) that my pecs finally started to resemble steel plates.

Likewise, we like to do what’s easy. Given the choice between 60-90 minutes on the Elliptical trainer vs. 30-45 minutes of say…… squats paired with chin-ups, followed by a kettlebell circuit- I’m willing to bet the vast majority of people would pick the former over the latter.

It isn’t that people are exercising too much and it’s making them fat. Rather, it’s more likely they’re mode of exercise is woefully inefficient, as well as not nearly challenging enough. Not to mention they’re making piss-poor food choices. Weird how that works. Accountability is a bitch.

Suffice it to say, it’s disheartening that mainstream media such as Time continue to publish rubbish like this. If anything, this article does nothing but set the industry back twenty years and allow people to make lame excuses as to why they’re still fat. I challenge you to read the article for yourself and see if you can get through the first few paragraphs without wanting to staple your eyelids shut or throwing your face through your computer screen. Good luck!

I suck today, and don’t really have anything in particular to write about. Although I just finished training my bi-weekly female training group no less than five minutes ago, and have decided that I’m going to start a “Female Training Group Quote of the Day.” Today’s entry comes from Judy:

“My legs hurt so bad, I have goosebumps”

Not really sure whether this even makes sense, but it’s quote worthy nonetheless

Side Note: I can’t even tell you the quote from earlier in the week, because I think it’s illegal in 17 states*. Lets just say that Tammy has a poo-poo mouth, and if I were her mother, I’d wash her mouth out with soap……………………twice.

To their credit, the ladies have been doing very well since starting a little over four weeks ago. All told, we’re now just starting to hit our stride, growing more and more confident each week with everything I’m throwing their way. What’s more, as you can imagine, it’s been awesome to see the progress they’ve made already. Granted, they’d rather eat rat poison than push the sled, but such is life. I could just as easily have them walk on the treadmill for twenty minutes like most trainers, but you know, I actually want them to get better. Besides, my day isn’t complete until one of them calls me an a-hole.

Keep up the great work ladies. And to those who may be interested in finding out more information, click here, and here.

In other news, I want to say congratulations to my little brother, RT, who finally proposed to his girlfriend of eight years, Rayann. It seems like only yesterday that he literally pushed me through his bedroom wall when I wouldn’t let him play with my Thunder Punch He-Man, and we both destroyed the back of our pants once we realized that our parents were going to kill us. And by “kill us,” I mean send us to bed with no dinner, and “I swear to god if I catch you playing your Nintendo I will run over it with my car,” kill us. Ah, the Hallmark memories.

Have an awesome weekend everyone.

I’ve had several emails in the past few days telling me that the blog has been acting batty. After posting Monday’s blog, an error message started to appear along the lines of ~ (WTFTHEINTERNETSUCKS) ~ Apparently the issue is not a Boston Herald issue. Rather, it’s totally the internet’s fault. I’ve had people who use Internet Explorer write me, as well as those who use Firefox- and to no avail, both have been affected. Fun fact: there’s another Tony Gentilcore out there who’s a programmer for Firefox. For the record, I’m way cooler. And have a six pack. I win.

In lieu of this debacle, I’ve decided I’m suing the other Tony Gentilcore for being pretty much the worst programmer ever, and I’m asking for a kajillion, billion dollars and/or a 1983 Donruss Willie McGee rookie card. No one messes with my blog traffic and gets away with it dammit!

In any case, it’s been a while since I’ve had an Exercise You Should Be Doing post up- here’s hoping that this actually works.

What Is It: DB Waiter Walk

Who Did I Steal It From: Originally, I learned about this particular exercise from Gray Cook in his Secrets of the Shoulder dvd. Likewise, Dan John talks about this exercise extensively in his book, Never Let Go.

What Does It Do: Teaches trainees to learn to “pack” their shoulder (glenohumeral) joint into the scapulae, providing more shoulder/thoracic stability when pressing objects over their head. You’ll notice that when I lift the DB over my head I’m not shrugging it- instead, I “pack” my shoulder back through a mechanism Gray Cook calls irradiation. In short: crush DB with your hand = sends signal to the rotator cuff to “turn on.” How’s that for simplicity? That’s what I like to call physiology people.

Furthermore, this is also a fantastic way to train the core musculature, as well as unilateral hip stability due to the asymmetrical nature of the exercise.

Key Coaching Cues: Outside of packing the shoulder, the trainee must do his/her best to stand as erect as possible throughout the duration of the exercise. Which is to say- chest tall, no tilting to either side, etc.

I like to go for distance if possible. So I’ll have clients walk 30-40 yds with one arm, switch, and walk back. However, I realize most people don’t have an indoor sprint track to use, so you could also go for time as well. Start with 20 seconds and work your way up to 30-45 seconds per arm. Two to three sets should suffice, at the end of a training session.

Now someone get me Jim “THE HAMMER” Shapiro (Syracuse’s finest) on the phone. Tony Gentilcore has a world of hurt comin his way.

Q: Hey Tony. I was hoping you could give me some advice on how to get into training athletes. I’ve thought about getting into personal training for a while now, and while I think I’d love it, I also think I’d hate training fat out of shape housewives who don’t want to work. I just never want to be one of “those” trainers. I’d love to train with people who have a desire to improve themselves, and to help them reach their goals, all while making a living at it. Anything from formal education to certifications, etc would be very helpful. Thanks

I don’t know if it’s something in the water, but it seems I can’t go a week without someone emailing me asking how (s)he can get into the fitness industry. For the record, I’m more than willing to help and offer some insight- elated in most cases! In fact, I’m often humbled that anyone would turn to me for such sage advice. I mean lets be honest, I can’t even decide on which Jessica I’d let date me (Alba or Biel), let alone offer career advice to complete strangers.

Nevertheless, whenever I get these sort of emails, I try my best to point them in the right direction. Which is to say, I generally tell them to steer clear of the following:

• Muscle rags
• Tracy Anderson
• Anything and everything dealing with The Biggest Loser
• BOSU balls
• Smith machines
• Any diet Oprah endorses
• The Bender Ball
• Personal trainers who still use body-part splits
• Anyone who uses the term “functional training” as a selling point
• Oh, and gonorrhea.

All kidding aside (hint: I’m not really kidding), as much as I’d like to help out the young lad above, I have to admit that this particular email rubbed me the wrong way. It’s apparent to me that many new trainers coming into the industry have an overwhelming sense of entitlement. Whether it’s complaining about working long hours, or thinking that they don’t actually have to train people (but can make their money writing lame e-books instead), it often amazes me how naive these trainers can be.

I remember listening to Mike Boyle speak once, and he told a story of an intern showing up on day one and asking when he would be able to train Mike’s professional athletes. Hahahahahahahaha. Riiiiigggghhhtttt. Who wants to bet that that same intern was stuck teaching twelve year olds how to foam roll for an entire month?

I want to train athletes, not fat, out-of-shape housewives who don’t want to work.

Let me ask you this:

1. What are the three external rotators of the rotator cuff?

2. Which is the only hip flexor that functions above 90 degrees of hip flexion?

3. You have a baseball player with GIRD (Gleno-humeral Internal Rotation Deficit), how are you going to fix it? Furthermore, what is the significance of testing GIRD in the first place?

4. You have a basketball player with a chronic case of anterior knee pain- what “red flags” are you going to look for?

5. What are the three main functions of the rectus abdominis? I’ll give you the easy one- trunk flexion.

6. What energy system is primarily being utilized during bouts of exercise that last under 20 seconds?

7. Which is not an actual muscle: quadratus lumborum, rhomzipidus, lumbricalis, plantaris, serratus anterior, or the longissimus? The picture below shows one of them- can you name it?

8. Can you explain to the average person why there is no such thing as a “fat burning zone?”

9. Someone comes to you with lower back pain- how can you tell whether it’s flexion based or extension based?

10. If you have bills to pay, are you really going to deny clients- even the so called fat, out-of-shape housewives whom you presume won’t work?

11. Honorable mention: How can one man (i.e- me) have all the answers to life’s biggest questions? Such as How much would would a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?*

Honestly, if you can’t answer any of the questions above, you have no business training anyone, let alone athletes. And lets drop the sense of entitlement. I mean, I could sit here and say how much I want to train the New England Patriot Cheerleaders, but it’s probably never going to happen. Freakin restraining order!

I’m not saying it’s wrong for you to want to train athletes-I think that’s awesome, and a great goal to shoot for. But it stands to reason you’re going to have to “earn your stripes,” and work with a wide variety of clientele in the meantime. Who’s to say that working with out-of-shape housewives is a bad thing? Some of my best clients are housewives. Besides, I can think of just as many athletes with piss poor work ethics as all the housewives you claim aren’t worth your time.

However, because I don’t want this post to be completly devoid of anything useful, here’s what I would suggest:

1. Read, and read often. Check out mine and Eric’s recommended resources pages- you’ll find plenty of stuff to read that will make you better. Side Note: the link to my page will take you to my very incomplete new website that will hopefully be done in 1-2 weeks.

2. Find a mentor or someone who offers internships. I can’t stress enough how important it is that you observe as many professionals as possible- particularly ones who have the same philosophy as yourself. Additionally, most college strength and conditioning programs are more than willing to allow you to come in and observe for a day. My only piece of advice here is that you have two ears, two eyes, and one mouth. Use them in that order. As well, show up looking like a professional. Showing up un-shaven, with a Budlight t-shirt on isn’t going to bode in your favor when trying to make a good first impression.

3. Work with as many different people as possible. It might not be as “sexy” to train the overweight lawyer who complains everytime you make him squat, but the value you’ll get from interacting with a wide variety of clientele will only make you a better trainer in the long run. Being a personal trainer is just as much about being a “people person” as it is getting your clients results. Half the time, people just want someone to hang out with and to listen to them talk about their kids.

4. Attend as many seminars and conferences as you can. Perform Better travels all throughout the country and is easily a cut above the rest in regards to the quality of presenters they have. While dropping upwards of $200-$300 for a conference seems daunting, you can’t think of it as an expense. Rather, it’s an investment- in yourself.

5. Did I mention you need to read?

6. Stop being an a-hole. You’re not that special. Put the time in, and good things will happen.

* Answer= Magic!

During my 35-40 minute drive (both ways) to work everyday, if I’m not getting my Louie DeVito on, I’m usually listening to one of my favorite talk radio stations- 96.9 WTKK, Boston’s Talk Evolution. In particular, I often listen to Michele McPhee and her Outrage of the Day. Granted she hasn’t updated her blog in a while (you can easily find her on Facebook, however), but every night Michele will do what can only be described as passing a kidney stone while she goes off on whatever she’s outraged about that day.

Similarly, I too have instances during the week where I’m outraged. Accept in my case, I tend to have an uncontrollable urge to throw a chainsaw at someone’s head for saying, writing, or doing something stupid.

You know, stuff like this:

Is it me, or is that guy’s ACL crying? Nope, that’s just my soul.

Anyways, I started the Morning Cup of Vomiting in My Mouth as a tribute to McPhee’s Outrage of the Day. It’s been a while since the last installment, so lets get right to it.

A friend of mine (Joey Taraborelli, a strength coach located near Providence, Rhode Island) sent me this link to an article last week. Long story short, a woman approached him to see if he would be willing to go over her strength training schedule as she prepares for her first half-marathon. She handed Joey the article (linked above), and needless to say, he was awestruck at how awful the information was. To quote him:

After you pee your pants laughing, you might want to include this as a blog next week about all these runners getting atrocious advice from these so-called “strength training for runners” experts.

In the article’s defense, it is a bit outdated (circa 2000), and the author does touch upon some valid points that I completely agree with. Specifically:

1. Runners need to improve their speed- that is to say, it’s not about who can go the longest; it’s about who can finish the race the fastest.

2. Runners should incorporate strength training as part of their routine- I’ve actually done two interviews on this topic, HERE and HERE.

Um, that’s about it. The rest of the article, sadly, just goes on to perpetuate many of the common exercise myths that one would expect to hear from an article sub-titled All You Need For Strength is a Can of Soup.

Some of my favorites:

• Low weight, high reps so you don’t get big and bulky. Of course, because adding muscle is so easy- especially when you’re running upwards of 20-30 miles per week.

• “The worst mistake you can make while lifting is holding your breath.” Really? Ever heard of the Valsalva maneuver? Granted, I recognize the target audience for this article aren’t going to be doing max effort deadlifts any time soon, but this is an awfully broad blanket statement to make. That’s like me saying “any woman who’s name starts with Tracy and ends with Anderson is a dirty pirate hooker.” Except in this case, it’s completely true.

• How is it that five out of the six “spectacular strength exercises for runners” focus on the upper body? Correct me if I’m wrong, but runners run with their legs, right?

• Moreover, the row variation shown in the article is just laughable. Seriously, W to the TF.

• And do I really have to explain, again, why I’m not a fan of crunches?

I’m sure I could go through again and pick out 22 more things that are equally vomit worthy, but I don’t want to beat a horse while it’s down. Besides, I have like ten minutes before athletes are going to walk through the door, and I have a protein shake to drink. PROTEIN!!!! On that note, have an awesome weekend everyone!