CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 4/21/17

The baby’s asleep, the baby’s asleep!

Okay, I have anywhere from 30-whateverthefuck minutes to get this written. Lets go.

Copyright: wamsler / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Check This Stuff Out First

1) Strong Body-Strong Mind – Toronto

Lisa and I are happy to announce we’re bringing back our Strong Body-Strong Mind workshop.

Last year we had the privilege of presenting together in Austin, TX and London, UK, and we’re elated to be heading to Toronto, Ontario to pick up where we left off.

In a nutshell I speak to a little assessment talk, program design, and breaking down technique on a few common lifts such as the squat, deadlift, get-up, and blindfolded chainsaw juggling, and Lisa speaks to more of the mindset side of the equation and how we can help build better rapport and “buy in” with our clients/athletes.

For more information and to sign up, please go HERE.

2) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Orlando

Our Vancouver shindig in April sold out, but Dean and I have recently announced a stop in Orlando, FL later this year, October 21-22nd at Spark Fitness.

I’ve never been to Orlando. There’s no way in hell I’m visiting Disney World.

You can go HERE for more details and to sign up.

3) MASS – Monthly Applications in Strength Sports

I was sent an advance copy of MASS last week and it’s stellar stuff.

It’s a monthly research review specifically curated for strength and physique athletes, coaches, and enthusiasts. Every issue of MASS is created by Greg Nuckols, Eric Helms, and Mike Zourdos.

I hate reading research. I can think of a number of things I’d rather do – wash my face with broken glass, go to a One Direction concert, talk about my feelings with my wife, so on and so forth. I’m not kidding, I hate it.

This is the perfect way for me to stay on top of the game without making my brain hurt: have other smart people I respect a ton break things down and interpret things for me….;o)

Greg, Eric, and Mike are giving away the first issue FREE. You know, to suck you in. But trust me: it’s worth it (I mean, it’s free). After the fact it will still be a very reasonably priced continuing education resource for all fitness professionals.

Check it out….HERE.

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work

Hip Flexor Tightness: The Most Common Error in Stretching – Dave Tilley

My head hurt from shaking in agreement so much while reading this article. This is something I harp all…the…time with clients/athletes and even when I speak to fitness professionals on the topic.

You (likely) don’t have “tight” hip flexors. And, how you’re stretching them is only feeding the problem in the first place.

If Your Doctor Doesn’t Work Out, It’s Time For a New One – Lee Boyce

I wish this dreamboat was my doctor…..;o)

This is a message I can get behind.

The health/wellness industry is all about being more REACTIVE than PROACTIVE. I get it: much of a doctor’s education is in treating ailments with medicine and not with the iron, and that’s cool. But I’d be remiss not to point out we’d likely get people sustained results by educating and nudging them to workout rather than pop pills.

Thanks for writing this Lee.

Wheat Belly Deception: Understanding Wheat, Insulin, and Fat Loss – Adam Bornstein

It’s one of the most popular books on weight loss. But here’s why Wheat Belly is a stomach full of weight-loss deception.

Social Media Shenanigans

Twitter

Instagram

Always a good day at the office when a client hits a PR. Here’s Shukri hitting 355 lbs, and he makes it look easy. I started working with Shukri three months ago and we had to deconstruct his deadlift. His previous PR was 350 lbs, but in his own words it ” would make your eyes bleed.” He liked to pull conventional, but I switched him to modified Sumo as it allowed him to maintain a more upright torso and didn’t require as much upper back strength, a weak link we’ve been working on. With tweaks in hand, we had to revamp his approach starting at 225 lbs. Every week we focused on doing more work. Weird, linear periodization works…? This PR was a legit PR. Solid technique. The road to 400 is within reach.

A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing rant

Porcelain Post: Results is a Battle of Repetition

NOTE: the term “Porcelain Post” was invented by Brian Patrick Murphy and Pete Dupuis. Without getting into the specifics, it describes a post that can be read in the same time it takes you to go #2.

Huh, I guess that was more specific than I thought.

Enjoy.

Results is a Battle of Repetition

You didn’t think I was going to use the word “battle” in a blog post and not figure out someway to finagle a lightsaber reference in there did you?

It’s me we’re talking about here.

So I was listening to THIS interview with Adam Bornstein on The Fitcast the other day and something Adam said resonated with me:

Part II of his commentary was him explaining how his most successful clients (both in person and distance based) – the ones whom he’d use as a walking advertisement for his services – were the ones who stuck with him for a minimum of 1-3 years.

This is not to suggest that those people who only decided to stick around for a month or two (or nine) didn’t receive any benefit or reach their goals in working with Adam. I’m sure many did, because he’s a rock-star coach.

Rather, his message was to demonstrate a hard truth for many to swallow.

It’s the long-game, and consistency with doing the same shit over, and over, and over, and over again that will usually pan out in your favor.

Those people (or clients) who stick to their guns, hold themselves accountable, and make the time to prioritize their health/fitness over the course of many, many weeks/months/better yet, years, are the ones who do very well.

And, honestly, as much as I feel exercise variety is overrated, it’s not even about always doing the monotonous stuff consistently. I do feel learning the basics are important, and taking the time to master them is never a bad thing. The basics should, more often than not, serve as the foundation of any program.

Having said that: I also understand there comes a point and time when some people would rather swallow live bees than perform another Goblet squat.

However, and this is a big however, the more cogent word to focus on in this particular discussion is “stuff.”

Doing “stuff” consistently – whether it’s CrossFit, powerlifting, taking group exercise classes, or pantless Zumba pillow-fighting (<— make it happen Equinox) – and doing it for a very long time, is almost always going to result in some pretty phenomenal things happening.

The key, though, is to START. Stop making excuses, stop reading articles, stop sending emails to fitness pros asking what you should do. Just start. And then, don’t stop. You’ll win the battle.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: 12/4/15

A few housekeeping things to hit on before we dive into this week’s list.

1) A quick reminder that I will be in Frisco, TX on Sunday, December 27th doing a 1-day workshop on “The Athletic Shoulder” at Full Throttle Athletics. I’ll discuss things like upper extremity assessment (static and dynamic), why the term “shoulder impingement” is garbage, how to write effective programs around certain shoulder pathologies, coach up a few exercises, and probably talk about Star Wars. Because, Star Wars.

For more information you can go HERE.

2) Eric and Chris Martinez – AKA: the Dynamic Duo – who have written for this site several times, just released a FREE 2-week mini course directed towards newbies (or those who are inundated with too much information) breaking down everything from training and nutrition mistakes to how build better adherence.

I think you should check it out. Go HERE.

3) Lastly, I made a recent appearance on The Fitcast where Kevin and I spoke about my recent transition from Cressey Sports Performance to doing my own thing in Boston. And Fast 7.

Take a listen HERE.

And now lets get to this week’s list of stuff to read.

Learn to Grind – Mike Tuchscherer

Mike is known as one of the more analytical lifters out there. The guy is super meticulous when it comes to mapping out his training and he’s famous for saying smart things like “what gets measured gets managed.”

In this article he discusses the “grind.” Good? Bad? What does it mean?

So Now Kale is Bad For You? – Adam Bornstein

Kale. Freaking KALE is bad for you? It’s absurd to think, right? Well, apparently some journalist wrote an article on why it’s bad. Or, rather, what we put on kale is bad. But the damage is still done.

Adam thinks it’s a shame (and I concur) that someone would write this, and here’s why.

6 Ways to Healthier Shoulders and a Stronger Bench Press – Jennifer Blake & Jen Sinkler

In anticipation of the release of Unapologetically Strong next week, “the Jens” have been sharing a ton of excellent information this week detailing the ins and outs of the “big 3” and getting women fired up to powerlift!

I love it.

NOTE: you’ll need to provide your email in order to watch the video above. But 1) I promise it’s worth it and 2) “the Jens” aren’t a-holes. They won’t spam you.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 7/3/15

Happy July 4th Weekend everyone!

First up: I wanted to take a few moments to highlight a few things coming up on my speaking itinerary that many of you may be interested in.

1. Elite Training Workshop – Boston

It looks like early bird registration for the Elite Training Workshop here in Boston featuring myself, Mike Reinold (his facility, Champion Physical Therapy & Performance is hosting), Artemis Scantalides, and Ryan Ketchum has been extended. Woo-HOO!

But it’s only lasting through the holiday weekend.

It’s going to be an awesome day for fitness professionals to learn from some of the best minds in the biz. CEUs are available. And I may or may not perform an interpretive dance of “I Believe I Can Fly.”

Click HERE for more information.

2. The Complete Shoulder & Hip Workshop

Dean Somerset and I are excited to announce our end of summer into early fall traveling workshop series: The Complete Shoulder & Hip Training Workshop.

The idea is to discuss and breakdown anything and everything as it relates to shoulders and hips, obviously. Including but not limited to anatomy, assessment, corrective exercise, performance training, programming, etc, in addition to analyzing World of Warcraft strategies. Because, why not?

Like I said, we’re excited about it and we feel everyone who attends will be excited too.

CEU’s will be available for all workshops as well.

EDMONTON (in August, so it won’t be cold as balls).

ST. LOUIS (in September, maybe catch a Cards game?)

CHICAGO (in October, Wrigley. Nuff said.)

Now on to this week’s stuff to read.

Understanding Fasted Cardio and Fat Loss – Adam Bornstein

As with anything – leg extensions, eating ice-cream for breakfast, kitten kisses, watching an episode of Downton Abbey – there’s always a time and place for it. Although, Downton Abbey? Really? I’d rather jump into a live volcano.

The topic of fasted state cardio for fat loss has always been a controversial topic within fitness circles. We could make a case for it, but Adam does a superb job at explaining why it’s not as beneficial as some may think.

Deconstructing the Deadlift – Mark Rippetoe

This one is a doozy. One of the most thorough and all-encompassing articles I’ve read in a while on the biomechanics of the deadlift.

If reading stuff on the deadlift gives you a boner, WARNING, this article is like Viagra.

Our Trip to the Farm: Where Does Your Food Come From? – Ian Fagala

Western and Southern Massachusetts is chock full of farms, so living in a kick-ass city like Boston I’m lucky in that Lisa and I have easy access to various farmer’s markets in and around the area.

We try our best to purchase as much locally sourced food as we can from markets, stores, and even when it comes down to choosing where we’ll eat out for “date night” on Saturday nights.

It never hurts to be more aware of the food you’re eating and where it’s coming from.

Note: since it’s pictured above, I’d highly recommend reading In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. Do it!

 

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 8/1/14

Holey moley can you believe it’s already August!  Where does time fly?

I’d love to sit here and chat about that (and the weather), but I have some laundry to do.  Totally not kidding.

Here’s hoping I can get through the process without ruining one of Lisa’s shirts.

Cotton doesn’t shrink, right?

Enjoy this week’s list.

The Paleo Problem: Examining the Pros and Cons of the Paleo Diet – Brian St. Piere (via Precision Nutrition)

Listen, I’m all for people taking more of an initiative to eat less processed junk and to focus more on whole, natural, nutrient dense, minimally processed foods.

I don’t think anyone could argue with that mentality.

In a lot of ways the Paleo Diet is a perfect fit, given it places a premium on meat, other animal products such as eggs, roots/tubers, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds.

And then there’s Primal “Paleo” which allows things such as dairy, oats, legumes, etc.

It’s not a bad place to start, and “get” why many health conscious people gravitate towards it. But in recent years some people (and organizations) have grown to become very dogmatic with their stance on how to properly follow the Paleo lifestyle.

On one side of the fence you have those who feel Paleo is the ONLY way we should eat and that humans haven’t had enough time to assimilate to a more agricultural/grain based diet.

On the other side of the fence you who have those who feel no one even knows how our Paleolithic ancestors really ate and that their diet not only was much more diverse than we give them credit for, but that the whole idea of “Paleo” differed depending on where in the world one was located.

In any case, I felt this was a baller article written by my boy Brian and I think it would benefit many people to take the time to read it…..objectively.

The Art of the Deload – Adam Bornstein

“How often should I deload” is a question I hear a lot at the gym, right after “how much weight should use?” and “Tony, why are you coaching without a shirt on?”

Loved this post by Adam which helps shed some light on a concept that many people over-complicate.

Lean & Lovely – Neghar Fonooni

I’ve been singing its praises all week, and I’ve been doing so because I truly feel this program goes out of its way to separate itself from the masses.  I love Neghar’s approach to training, as well as the message of self-acceptance and empowerment she portrays.

You only have less than a day (Saturday, August 2) to take advantage of the introductory sale price (50% off!!) for her Lean & Lovely program. Trust me, it’s worth every penny.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 2/7/14

Before we get the ball rolling on the good reads for the week, I wanted to briefly share an email exchange I had with a colleague who happens to a diesel mom to boot.

Q: I wondered what your thoughts are on all of these youth plyo and conditioning classes popping up all over? I’m at my daughter’s dance class and they offer them here. My gut sat in my throat as I watched a 10 year old perform DB overhead presses LA Fitness style with his arms wobbling all over. I swear he was either going to dislocate his shoulder or knock himself out.

Anyway, this is the first time I’ve watched this. I always balked at the Gym Dad who put their sons through shitty workouts, but these are coaches apparently trained to teach these things. These coaches work with kids in off season and in season to condition them for sports. They sponsor most of the games too.

A: Yeah, the whole idea suspect to say the least. I don’t agree with them at all  <—- and I’m being really good in restraining myself here.

Whenever I have a parent ask me about agility/plyo/conditioning training or how I’m going to make their kid faster I just use my trusted Indy 500 analogy, which is this:

If I were to take a Honda Civic and give it a sweet paint job, new wheels, a spoiler, and make it look fast……would you expect it to win the Indy 500?

Um, no. Unless you increase the actual horse power of the engine you’ll have a better shot at punching a Yeti in the face while on riding a Unicorn.

[Okay, I don’t usually use the Yeti and Unicorn reference, but it worked well here.]

Getting stronger is like increasing the horse power. You get stronger (and focus on movement quality), you’re able to generate more force into the ground, and you’re then able to run faster, throw harder, jump higher, and increase your general level of awesome.

Strength is the basis for everything. It’s really, really, REALLY hard to have agility, power, endurance, speed-endurance, or any other “quality” you can think of (invisibility?) without first having a base of strength to “pool” everything from.

All these “speed camps” and youth conditioning classes, in my opinion, are nothing more than a ploy to give the illusion that *something* is being done and to make the parents go “oooooo” and “ahhhhhh.”

And of course, to make money.  I can’t fault the latter point (I guess).  But, come on….does a twelve year old really need to be doing foot work drills?

And what the heck does a “youth conditioning class” even mean?

Tell your kid to go outside a play some pick-up basketball. Play some kick-ball. Climb a tree.  Anything!

Anything outdoors will be a helluva lot more beneficial than some speed camp that makes kids perform those silly cone drills or ladder drills that most aren’t remotely prepared enough to be doing anyways

Plus, you’ll save yourself $99.

Just my two cents.  Which, coincidentally is a lot cheaper.

Do any of you have any thoughts on the matter???  Sound of in the comments section.

My Experience at the Assessing Movement Conference – Kasey Esser

Recently both Gray Cook and Dr. Stuart McGill sat down to discuss their “differences” in opinion on movement, assessment, and whether or not the second season of House of Cards is going to live up to season one.

This was like the fitness industry’s equivalent of Gandalf and Yoda squaring off.

Kasey was kind enough to send me his review on the weekend, and I thought it was fantastic.  Plus it served as a nice appetizer for when the DVD is available – I can’t freakin wait!

3 Overrated Supplements – Examine.com (via Adam Bornstein)

I really liked this post over on Adam’s site which took to task a handful of supplements that tend to get a lot of press for how beneficial they are, when they’re anything but.

The next time someone asks you your opinion on raspberry ketones (something Dr. Oz made popular) you can refer them to this post.

The Secret to Ab Training – Mike Robertson

Many of Mike’s thoughts on this subject mirror many of the same thoughts we use at Cressey Performance.  As always, Mike drops some knowledge bombs and helps to elucidate on how important EXHALING his to core performance and training.

I know it sounds weird, but it’s definitely worth the read.

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 1/7/14

So remember that post I wrote yesterday detailing the best piece of advice I ever received** which then lead to me discussing WeightTraining.com’s release of their new Workout Tracker app, which then me laying down the ground rules for an opportunity to be entered into a drawing for a free TRX?

Well, I lied.

Kinda.

No, I didn’t lie about crushing raw egg-white protein shakes.  All the cool kids were doing it back in the day.

And no, I didn’t lie about the overall ass-kickery of the new App by WT.com.  It’s been getting glowing reviews thus far!

I actually lied about the cut-off date for your chance to win the TRX.

It’s been extended through TODAY (January 7th).

As a reminder here’s what you have to do:

In order to be entered into the app release giveaway, you must complete the following:

1. Download the FREE WeightTraining.com app or you can go to Apple directly and download it HERE.

2. Log a workout on January 7th (<– THAT’s TODAY!!!!)

3. Tweet your logged workout to @TonyGentilcore1 (Twitter) or Facebook share your workout with the hashtag #TonyGentilcore on January 7th (<– Again, THAT’s TODAY)

Winners will be randomly selected on January 8th!!!!.

BOOM!

And now onto this week’s stuff to read:

Protein: Can You Eat More Than 30 Grams Per Meal? – Tom Nikkola

In a word: Yes.

This is a very common myth and one that makes my insides hurt from laughing so hard.  Sometimes I feel like we don’t give the human body enough credit. That if we somehow haven’t had a morsel of food for more than three hours or if we happen to eat, god-for-bid, a 10 oz steak in one sitting, our body is just going shutdown in a rage of shock, and we’ll start bleeding through eyes.

Relax, people.  The body is a lot smarter than us.

5 Reasons Running May Not Help You Lose Weight – Adam Bornstein

Let me preface this by saying:  that is NOTHING wrong with running.  Well, there is, but I don’t want to get into it here, so save the pitch-forks for next time.

Where things get a bit murky  – and where much of the dichotomy begins – is when people are under the impression that running is an efficient way to lose weight.  Don’t me wrong:  It can be, but there comes a point in time where the amount of effort put forth doesn’t mirror the reward.

My Must List: What I Do Everyday – Nate Green

Nate Green wrote a blog post, Nate Green wrote a blog post, Nate Green wrote a blog post.

Nate Green wrote a blog post!!!!!!!!!!!

He doesn’t write as many blog posts as he used to, but when he does they’re gold.

** = outside of “Dude, go see The Matrix, it’s sick!” (1999, as told from a college teammate), and “Tony, if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times, your fly’s open…..zip up your pants!” (1980-2004, by my Mom)

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: Star Trek, Food Freakshow, 7-Minute Workout, etc

Who’s pumped for a little Star Trek action this weekend!?!?!?!  I know THIS GUY is. It’s funny: I was never really much of a Star Trek fan back in the day, preferring to get my geek fix watching Star Wars over and over and over again.  Sure, Captain Kirk had a way with women, but come on, Luke Skywalker had a freakin lightsaber!

I’ll admit, though, I often caught glimpses of Star Trek: The Next Generation on tv and thought Capt. Jean Luc Picard was pretty bad ass. But alas, he was no Han Solo.

Suffice it to say once I heard (back in 2008) that the nerd of all nerds, JJ Abrams, was going to helm the next reboot of Star Trek I was intrigued.  To me Abrams can do no wrong, and like the baller that he is – he delivered.

His re-envisioning of Star Trek – updating the characters (albeit maintaining the quirks and inside jokes of the old series) along with all the mind-blowing special effects – really revitalized a dying franchise and won over a treasure trove of new fans.

Myself included.

I’m sure at some point this weekend Lisa and I will be making a cameo appearance at the cinemaplex.  The only question remains is whether or not she’ll allow me to wear my Spock ears to the showing?

Totally not kidding.

Alright, lets get to the stuff you should read.

Oh, before I get into that I want to remind everyone that you only have until TOMORROW (Saturday, May 18th) to take advantage of the sale (48% off the regular price) that Eric Cressey has placed on his renowned program, Show and Go:  High Performance Training to Look, Feel, and Move Better.

If you’re in a training rut, in a programming flux, or are just kinda going through the motions, this program is about as close as you can get to training at Cressey Performance without actually training there.

Well that, and techno Thursdays…..;o)

Okay, for real this time – here’s some stuff you should read:

Food Freakshow – Brian St. Pierre

Here’s a very interesting piece written by former CP coach, Brian St. Pierre, on the current state of affairs of our food – as well as what’s in store for the future.

Meat grown in test tubes?

Insects as an awesome source of protein?

Cows modified to produce human breast milk?

Surprisingly, this is NOT science-fiction, but things that are actually happening or going to happen.

The Truth About The 7-Minute Workout – Adam Bornstein

This was an EXCELLENT rebuttal/dose of reality written by Adam (with a supporting role by Brad Schoenfeld) on the shadiness behind the current “research” regarding the 7-Minute Workout craze that’s currently making its way through the mainstream media.

By now many of you have undoubtedly heard on the news or in the magazines that all you need to do is “workout” seven minutes a day in order to attain the body (and health) you’ve always wanted.

Adam and Brad peel back the stupid and let it be known that there’s a litany of flaws with this so-called “study,” and that all it takes is a little common sense to smell the BS.

“All I Do is Teach People to Pick Up Heavy Things” (Yeah Right:  You’re Doing So Much More Than That) – Dr. Justin Rabinowitz

In this article the good Doc uses a nice parallel between the book The Power of Habit (which I’d HIGHLY recommend to everyone) and how what we do as fitness professionals has far more reaching benefits than just teaching them to exercise properly.

CategoriesMiscellaneous Miscellany

Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: Engineering the Alpha and Yet Another Red Meat Scare (sigh)

UPDATE:  The post below was written roughly four hours prior to the horrible events that happened in Boston today.

Just wanted to say thank you to all who reached out via email and social media to check in on me. I am okay (I was actually at CP when everything happened). Had a few friends in the vicinity of the blast(s) and they’re okay, thankfully. I just made it home (in Boston), and suffice it to say it’s utter chaos here.
My prayers go out to all affected, and I hope whoever is behind this senseless act is brought to justice soon.

For the record

1. Today’s a pretty cool day for a variety of reasons. For starters, and this really only applies to those who live in the Boston area, today is Patriots Day where the entire city enters a state of batshitcraziness and plays hosts to the Boston Marathon.

In roughly five hours when whichever Kenyan is favored to win finally hits the homestretch down Boylston St. towards the finish line, the rest of the 20,000+ pack of runners will be cruising/jogging/shuffling/limping past my apartment in the same direction.  In every sense, it’s a sea of people and it’s impressive to watch.

Which, of course, is why I’m getting the hell out of dodge. I’m in no way interested in dealing with the logistical nightmare of weaving my way through the maze of one-way streets, detours, and porta-potty roadblocks and will be leaving to head to the facility before the madness starts.

Good luck, though, to all the runners.

Secondly, today is a pretty cool day because Man 2.0: Engineering the Alpha Male, the long awaited fitness and lifestyle book written by both of my good buddies John Romaniello and Adam Bornstein is finally hitting the bookshelves today.  Everywhere!

I couldn’t be happier for these two guys.  Sure, they’re both friends and it only makes sense that I’d support them in any way I can. Speaking freely, however: these two consistently put out fantastic content, and more importantly I know how much time and work went into writing this book, and after previewing an advance copy, I can honestly tell you this is going to be a game changer.

I mean, for starters, the Governator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger, wrote the foreword.  Like, whoa!

But more to the point, I just feel this is a baller book that every guy should own.  Not only is it chock full of information on how to transform your body into a specimen that women will crave and guys will envy, but it’s also a book that’s going to help transform yourself into the best version of YOU possible – from all facets of life.

Everything from having six-pack abs to improving your sex life to understanding why wearing white past labor day is a major feux pas.

Okay, maybe not so much the last point, but consider that a freebie on my end…..;o)

Like I said it’s not only a fitness book, but a lifestyle book, too.

Anyways, I have a quick favor to ask. Rather than hightailing it to the nearest Barnes and Noble or opening up a different window to log onto Amazon to order the book, I want you to order it through the book’s official website.

Why?

Simple: Roman his offering a TON of high value bonuses for ordering the book—bonuses that you can ONLY get by ordering through the site.

So, if you’re down with getting about $100-300 in extra value in addition to a soon-to-be New York Times bestseller, pick it up at the site HERE.

Roman’s a good dude, and he didn’t have to go out of his way to provide all the additional bonuses.  So lets show my friend some love and help get this book on the best seller list!

2.  There’s a new “study” (and I use that word lightly in this instance) making its rounds around the interwebz and mainstream media that was sent my way a couple of days ago which stated – again, even though it’s been debunked more times than I can count – red meat is a main factor in the incidence of heart disease.

For those curious, the study I’m referring to is THIS one (which was featured in the New York Times no less) where the researchers, at this point clutching at straws, pointed the finger at Carnitine (a compound found in red meat, and not coincidentally is found in every cell in your body, and plays a critical role in energy production. And when I say critical, I really do mean critical. It transports fatty acids into the “engines” of your cells – the mitochondria – so they can be oxidized to produce energy.) as the main a-hole in promoting heart disease.

I don’t claim to be a “nutrition guy,” so I’d be lying if I said I was able to interpret the actual data presented.  That said, I do have an uncanny ability to smell bullshit, and as soon as I read this story I was gagging in it.

I reached out to several colleagues of mine to ask their opinion and to see if my assumptions were correct.  And they were. Pretty much all of them pointed me in the direction of Anthony Colpo.

I HIGHLY encourage everyone to read THIS review by Anthony himself where he breaks down the actual “research,” and essentially makes the people and organizations behind this study come across like a bunch of doucheholes.  Which they are.

Big time!

I’d really like to have a better understanding on how “studies” like this actually get released.  Seemingly these are well-educated people running these things, and anyone with common sense (and an internet connection) would recognize that the whole red meat/cholesterol and heart disease connection has been refuted time and time and time again.

What’s more, while I recognize that we live in a world where 24/7 news is the norm and all these outlets have time (and pages) to fill, how much culpability should be directed towards the journalists who continue to regurgitate this crap?

From the sounds of it, it seems like I can take a piece of paper and type all these fancy words on it, make all these grandios assertions like putting butter on your toast will give you Ebola, then slap some glitter paint on that bad boy and BAM: I’m published.

That’s pretty much how it works, right?

CategoriesUncategorized

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: Getting Abs, Strength Tips, and Training Women

The past few days have been full of information on my end.  Cressey Performance has been playing host to the Cressey Performance Elite Baseball Mentorship for the past three days, and it’s been unbelievable the amount of knowledge bombs Eric Cressey, Eric Schoenberg, and Matt Blake have been sharing with the over 30 people who have travelled from all over the country – New England, New York, Texas, Seattle, to name a few – to attend.

Sunday was entirely lecture based where the crew discussed much of the lame status quo in the baseball community regarding its often archaic through process with regards to “arm care” and how to train baseball players in general.

In short:  the system is broken what with teams “accepting” that injury is just part of the process.  One stat that really jumped out at me was the fact that injuries in 2011 cost clubs $487 million – or about $16 million PER TEAM – in lost revenue.

Sadly, teams are more prone to spend exorbitant amounts of benjamins on facilities, equipment, and the like, yet skimp out when it comes to spending any amount of money on proper, up-to-date, and relavent rehab.  Or even more proactive, preventative measures for that matter.

Too, the crew spent a lot of time discussing common injuries (and their mechanisms) on Sunday.  One line that I absolutely LOVED was when Eric Schoenberg noted:

If you throw with JUST your arm, than do an “arm care” program!

Essentially, Eric noted that if you’re only working on a “shoulder/arm care” program, you’re missing the whole picture.  It’s a garbage term.

Take for example that anterior core drills can actually be considered an “arm care” program.  I  mean, if one lacks appropriate core stiffness to elevate their arms over their head (which is kind of important for a baseball player to do), and their lats are stiffer than a 2×4, what’s the likelihood their shoulder is going to flip them the middle finger at some point?

Some food for thought, no?

In addition, program design and strength training considerations were discussed.  Like how one would go about managing a strength training program for a pitcher who’s “lax” as opposed to one who’s “stiff.”

And, Matt Blake spent a fair amount of time breaking down pitching mechanics and what he often looks for when tweaking guys’ deliveries.

In short, after attending on Sunday (and Monday where assessment and corrective exercise was heavily discussed) I’m pretty sure if I was at a carnival and walked past one of those “fast pitch” thingamajigs, I’d sit 90MPH, easy.

Needless to say there was a crap ton (ie: a lot) of information shared, and I definitely have a few posts lined up in my head that I write up which I think many of you will enjoy and find beneficial (even if your goal isn’t to throw a 12-6 curveball and make a batter destroy the back of his pants).

Okay, with that out of the way, lets get to this week’s list of Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work:

The Men’s Health Big Book: Getting Abs – Adam Bornstein

Since it’s now officially 2013, and many people are hightailing it to their respective local gyms in droves, I figured it was fitting to point people in the direction of a brand spankin new book that I, along with many of my fitness industry friends – Adam Bornstein, Mike Robertson, John Romaniello, James Smith, Chris Mohr, Nick Tumminello, and many others contributed to.

If you want abs, this is your ticket.

And even if you don’t want abs (or you already have them), this book is chock full of ideas and insights to help you get in the best shape possible.

Be the Man You Would Want Your Sister to Train With – Chad Landers

I thought this was a fantastic article dealing with some of the minor (albeit profound) subtleties that come with training women.

Chad hits the nail on the head with this one, and I highly recommend this to ANY trainers out there who may be reading.

Seriously, don’t skip this one.

4 Strength Training Tips You Won’t Find in Books – Jim Smith

This was an absolute gem written by Smitty (as if that’s any surprise).  I particularly like tip #3:  Not Everyone Can Be a Powerlifter. Or, for that matter, should train like one.

And that’s this week’s list.

On that note, please feel free to share or send me any articles or links to articles you like!  I’m always looking for new material to read, and could always use some new “ammo” for this series.  Either share them below to shoot me an email.

Thanks!