CategoriesUncategorized

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: Get-Ups, Conditioning, and Becoming the Expert

WIth Lisa starting the process of studying for her licensure exam on a nightly basis (she’s currently on the home stretch of her post-doctorate Fellowship), it’s given me the opportunity to catch up on some much needed reading.

Of course, like an asstard I made the mistake of starting season three of The Walking Dead the other day which has totally derailed any semblance of productivity during the past 72 hours of my life. While I’ve gotten some reading in (see below), most of my time has been spent doing nothing but watching zombies getting beheaded, blown up, shot, and otherwise pwned in every way possible.

And it’s been glorious.

I’m trying to place a finger on why it is we as a society are so obsessed with zombies. Much like the teenage vampire phase that’s dominated our pop-culture the past five years (Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, Let Me In*), it seems like zombies are enjoying a fair share of the spotlight as well.

Although the “trend” has been around for a lot longer than people think.  Anyone who hasn’t watched Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead or Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later (and the equally impressive, albeit lesser known sequel, 28 Weeks Later starring a pre-Hurt Locker Jeremy Renner) are missing out.

Not to mention we could go waaaaaay back to George Romero’s 1968 classic, Night of the Living Dead, which in many respects was the influence behind Michael Jackson’s seminal 1980’s zombie-fest video Thriller.  Talk about a pop-culture phenomena!

And that’s not it, either.  Right around the corner is Brad Pitt’s long awaited movie, World War Z:

Annnnnnnd, I just destroyed the back of my pants.

That’s going to be awesome!!!!

Whatever it is, I hope the current zombie love-fest doesn’t stop because I’m digging it.

Anyways, you didn’t log on today to talk about zombies.  But if you did, you and I need to hang out more often.  Here’s some stuff to read.

5 Reasons to Love the Turkish Get-Up – Dave Hedges

I’ve been featuring a lot od Dave’s stuff in recent editions of Stuff to Read, and with good reason: the man just makes sense! Like him I won’t sit here and say that the Turkish Get-Up is the end-all/be-all of exercises; it’s not going to make you bulletproof, it (probably) won’t add 100 lbs to your deadlift, and it certainly won’t fix your bed-head (would it hurt to grab a comb by the way, sheesh!).  But there are a bevy of good things that arise from incorporating more get-ups into your life.

Here Dave lists a few which I couldn’t agree more with – especially #2

Conditioning:  You’re Doing It Wrong – Molly Galbraith

The fitness industry is funny – it’s always shifting from one extreme to the other.

1.  One day spinal flexion is okay, the next everyone is shitting a pink dumbbell if someone even mutters the word. For the record:  I used to be one of those people who poo-pood on flexion no matter what, but soon realized that it’s a bit sensationalistic to demonize it entirely.  I mean, it’s part of normal human movement to be able to bend your spine. LOADED flexion is another story entirely.  That’s just dumb.  Stop it.  Stop it right now!  I swear to god I’ll turn this car around!

2. More to the point, back in the 1980’s aerobic training was the flavor of choice.  Everyone was quick to grab their leotard, leggings, and head bands and high-tail it to the next step class faster than Olivia Newtown John could say Lets Get Physical.

Then, somewhere in the mid-90’s, you were given the Scarlet Letter if you were caught running for more than 20 seconds because HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) was the new popular kid in town.  For fat-loss and conditioning, doing more short bursts of work was the key.

While not technically wrong – and definitely a step in the right direction – again, it’s a bit overkill.  It IS still important, even for more explosive based sports like football, track and field, baseball, etc – to have an aerobic base.

In Part One of this article, Molly sheds light on why we shouldn’t turn our backs on aerobic training altogether

Becoming the Expert – Jon Goodman, John Romaniello, Dean Somerset (and Company)

There’s only another few days (till the end of this week, 4/14) to take advantage of the reduced sale price and world wide FREE shipping offer on this superb DVD set.

In a time where becoming a “successful” fitness professional is equal parts knowing your shit and more importantly, being really good at what you do, having an internet presence and possessing the ability to articulate yourself through the written word is climbing the ladder of importance as well.

If you’re a personal trainer or coach and struggling to drum up business or just clueless when it comes to this whole interwebz thing, then this DVD set may be right up your alley.

And did I mentioned there’s free shipping throughout the world?

Note:  there’s free shipping.

* = while this one is good, it’s actually a remake from the 2008 film, Let the Right One In, which I felt was much better.  Just sayin…..

CategoriesUncategorized

5 Mistakes I Made as a Trainer and Coach That You Should Avoid

Here’s a little TG trivia for all of you: it was never my intention to become a personal trainer or strength coach. That wasn’t my game plan at least.  Nope, my game plan, and what I went to school for, was to become a health teacher.

Bachelor’s degree in Health Education, thank you very much.

Well, actually, my real game plan all along was to become a professional baseball player, sign on with the Oakland Athletics, and become an honorary member of The Bash Brothers alongside Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco.

Growing up I had the exact same poster you see to the left hanging on my wall in my bedroom, and I can’t even begin to tell you how many hours I spent outside in my side yard hitting a baseball back and forth pretending to be a Major Leaguer hitting a 3-2 fastball to win game 7 of the World Series.

By my count I think I won roughly 5,974 Game 7s. Not too shabby!

Moreover there wasn’t any point throughout the year where I wasn’t playing a sport or game of some sort.  Wiffleball, basketball, kickball, football, tennis, swimming, cops and robbers, duck-duck-goose, you name it, I played it.

All of this to say I was a very active kid growing up.  “Fitness,” even though I didn’t know any better back then, was always a part of my life.

I got my first weight training set when I was 13 or 14 (Santa dropped it off one Christmas), and I remember setting up shop downstairs in my parent’s basement, slapping the poster on a wooden beam, and religiously following the diagrams with the muscly dude (who wore really short shorts) to a “T” every other day until I entered high school and had access to a real weight room.

All throughout my high school career, I’d stay after school to lift weights for 45-60 minutes and then take the “late” bus home which ended up being another 45-60 minute bus ride.  During that time I’d sit there, usually alone, and day dream about playing college baseball while jamming a softball between my fingers which I ascertained would make it easier to grip a baseball to throw a forkball (which, coincidentally enough, was the go to pitch of Oakland A’s ace, Dave Stewart).

I could easily sit here and go on and on about my high school (and college!) baseball playing days, but I’ll spare you all the details because I don’t want to bore you to tears

Although, there was this one time, at baseball camp……….

KIDDING.

Long story short, I had a few professional tryouts but nothing panned out.  Apparently there wasn’t much of a demand for a 6-1 right-handed pitcher with a mid 80s fastball.  Go figure!

That’s me my senior year at Mercyhurst College (home team) pitching the first game of a double header. And let me just say I looked gooooooood in baseball pants…..;o)

With my playing days caput, I moved back to my homestate of New York and transferred to SUNY Cortland to pursue my degree in Health Education.

I figured that as much as health and fitness was a part of my life, I might as well make it a career.

I did all the course work, even did my student teaching in both a high school and middle school placement.  If you can believe it I actually had to teach Sex Education to a bunch of 7th graders.  I challenge anyone to say the word penis to a group of 13 year olds and not participate in all the giggling.

To this day I’m still amazed that I was able to make it through alive.

Ironically enough, academia wasn’t the road I ended up travelling down. As part of my concentration (Health and Wellness Promotion) I also had to complete an internship that following summer, and luckily for me I found one at a corporate gym just outside Syracuse, NY.

After three months, I had to make a decision:  I could either wear a suit and tie everyday…..or sweatpants.

It was a no-brainer.

That was a little over ten years ago.  Looking back I can tell you I made a crap ton of mistakes when I entered this field. While I thought I was the bees knees and that I knew everything there was to know, I can tell you from experience I was a walking ball of fail.

Don’t get me wrong, I feel I was better than the average trainer, but I’d ve lying if I said I was anything to brag about.  I had my fair share of ups and downs, and if I had to pick which were some of my major mistakes

1.  Trying to Prove to Everyone How Smart I Was

In an effort to showcase to every new (or prospective) client how smart I was, I used every opportunity I could to use big words and talk over them – as if that was going to be the “x-factor” in winning them over.

Reciprocal Inhibition

Synergistic Dominance

Active/Passive Restraints

Accomodating Resistance

Onomatopoeia

Blah blah blah. While I thought I was wowing them with my knowledge base and extensive vocabulary, looking back, all that really happened, much of the time, was coming across douchier than a Jersey Shore reject.

Listen, if you’re working with someone who’s coming to you with chronic low back pain, they could care less about what Dr. McGill says about compressive loading, force vectors, and biomechanical breakdowns.  Well, some may care and actually be interested. And if so, I want to hang out with them.

But 95% of the time, they do not care in the least.  All they care about is whether or not you can help them get out of pain.  Or lose 15 lbs.  Or help them increase their bench press.  Whatever the case may be.

One piece of advice that I’ve always relayed to other trainers (and I only say this through experience) is that if you can’t explain something to a cocktail waitress on a napkin, you’re making it too complicated.

2.  Being Scared S***less to Ask for People’s Money

To be honest: this is still something I struggle with, but through the years I’ve gotten much better at it.

As a new trainer, and especially when I moved to Boston, this was something I really had to work to get better on.  It’s never easy to ask someone for their money, but when you consider that you’re offering a service, and you’re damn good at what you do, you need to recognize that you should be compensated accordingly for your time.

More or less I feel that if you’re a good person, demonstrate that you actually care and are invested in helping someone, and act professional (and don’t try every trick in the book to swindle them), people will more than likely commit.

It’s just the whole conversation of asking for money that I’ve always had a hard time with – especially when I first started out. I’d have 1-2 comped sessions with a new member, and then after their last session the crickets would start chirping, a few tumbleweeds would blow through, and I’d be like, “soooooo, uh, wanna train with me?”

Of course my delivery improved throughout the years as I gained confidence in my abilities, but time and time again, if there’s ONE trait that upcoming trainers say they need to work on, it’s learning to ask for money.

3.  Training People the Way I Wanted to Train Them (Emphasis On “I”)

There’s no secret that I have an affinity for lifting heavy stuff.  I think everyone should place an emphasis on strength and getting stronger, and good things will happen.

Thing is, as a trainer, sometimes, begrudgingly, you have to remember that not everyone’s goal is to deadlift a mack truck.

If someone is paying you good money as their trainer, you have to realize it’s a bit of give and take.  On one end you’re the trainer, the expert, the guy (or girl) who knows WTF they’re talking about.  It’s your job to dictate to your clients what they need to do, not necessarily what they want to do given their goals, health history, and ability level.

Powerlifters like to train people like powerlifters.  Bodybuilders like bodybuilders. Jedis like Jedis.  So on and so forth.  And that’s okay.  In my younger years I used to gravitate towards telling people that they have to get strong, they have to squat, and that they have to avoid body part splits at all costs.

While I still feel that’s the case much of the time, I also know that I turned off a lot of clients back in the day for being so pigheaded.

Just remember:  Yes, you’re the professional.  People are paying YOU for your expertise.  But it’s also important to understand that your goals aren’t necessarily their’s.

4.  Not Networking Sooner

Establishing a close-knitted network of other professionals that you can exchange ideas with, talk shop, and learn from is CRUCIAL.  This is something I completely ignored my first 1-2 years in the industry.

It wasn’t until I started reaching out to other people via email and asked for their advice I certain thing that I felt I was making strides in my career.

Many people don’t know this, but Eric Cressey and I met through the internet.

Now, it’s not like we met on BestFriendStrengthCoachFinder.com or anything, but we always seemed to cross paths on various fitness websites and what not. Before long we corresponded through email, met in person at a group gathering in NYC in 2004, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Going out of your way to reach out to other trainers or coaches or practitioners is a big deal. Asking a local coach if you can stop by to observe one day is pretty much standard practice nowadays.  Most are more than willing to help out, and chances are it’s going to lead to other potential networking opportunities down the road.

Hey, you never know what it could lead to!

5.  Continuing Education Is Kind of a Big Deal

This is something that took me a while to grab onto back in the day.  To me, because I wasn’t making much money out of the gate (and trust me, most trainers don’t), I felt everything was a cost.

Whether it was a book, a DVD, or heading to a seminar or conference, my immediate thought process was “how much is this going to set me back?”

And then I heard Mike Boyle speak on the topic, and he changed my mindset entirely. Instead of viewing things like books and seminars as a cost, you need to view them as an investment!

You’re investing in yourself – and more often than not, what you pick up or learn will end up paying for itself (and then some).  I remember going to see Dr. McGill speak once to the tune of a few hundred dollars, and upon heading back to work, easily picked up 2-3 clients because I was able to articulate some knowledge bombs I learned regarding managing lower back pain.

And since I’m on the topic of continuing education, as it happens, my good friends Jon Goodman, Dean Somerset, and John Romaniello released their killer Becoming the Expert DVD set today.

It stands to reason that a vast majority of people who read this site on a daily basis are trainers or coaches and are either trying to pick up more personal training clients (and struggling to do so) or trying to build their business or brand (and struggling to do so).

Becoming the expert today is more than just book smarts, training knowledge, and good looks (although, that doesn’t hurt….wink).

Having a repertoire of unique skill-sets like the ability to write, creating a reputation online, and finding a niche market are huge selling points and serve as fantastic ways to separate yourself from the masses.

Any edge you can gain is a good thing, and these guys went out of their way to divulge some of the things that helped them succeed in their respective careers.

Jonathan Goodman – Social Media Domination for Fitness Professionals (2hrs)

John Romaniello – Fuck Mediocrity: Kick-Ass, Take Names and Make Money Your Way to World Domination (3hrs)

Dean Somerset – Specialization and the Expert Experience (1hr)

What’s more, there are several 20-30 minute BONUS videos from the likes of Lou Schuler, Neghar Fonooni, and Mark Young, to name a few.

The whole set is on sale for $87 through this week, and that includes FREE SHIPPING anywhere throughout the world.  It doesn’t matter if you live in England or Botswana – there’s no additional cost with shipping.

But that only lasts for THIS WEEK only (ending 4/13).

I don’t think I need to tell you that the information provided is solid, and I really feel this is something that will help a lot of upcoming (and veteran) trainers out there take their business to the next level.

===> Becoming the Expert <=== (Click Me)

CategoriesExercise Technique Program Design Strength Training

Shoulder Training Tips: 6 Coaches Weigh in on Shoulders

This one is short and sweet today. We’re on a very, very tight schedule (spa, tour of the Mets training complex, etc)) and I was warned by Lisa that if she caught me on my computer she’d either Sparta kick me in the chest or force me to listen to nothing but Katy Perry on our way to Miami.

Neither sounds like a great scenario.

*tap, tap, tap, space key, space key, tap, tap, space key, tap, tappidy tap, space key, taparoo*

“Excuse me. But…..What. Are. You. Doing?”

Lisa!  Uh, I didn’t see you there.  I was just, you know, I thought I heard a noise on my computer, and I opened the screen, and, I, uh, just wanted to make sure it was alright. Since I was here I thought I’d go a head and donate to Greenpeace, and maybe look into adopting a baby seal.

Okay, I was checking my emails and writing a quick post.

Honey, why are you stepping closer? HONEY!!!!  NOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Two hours later from a hospital bed:

I was asked a few weeks ago by the editors of T-Nation if I’d be willing to offer some advice on shoulder training.

It turned out awesome and includes solid information from other top-notch coaches like Tim Henriques, Dean Somerset, Bryan Krahn, Ben Bruno, and Dan Trink.

===> Check it out here <===

 

CategoriesCorrective Exercise Product Review Program Design Rehab/Prehab Strength Training

Introducing Spinal Health and Core Training

For those familiar, Muscle Imbalances Revealed has slowly engrained itself as one of the more sought after, consistent, and continuously revered fitness product series out there.

Seemingly, every year (give or take a few months) the man and mastermind behind the scenes, Rick Kaselj, is releasing a new version to the masses.

If I had to equate it to anything, it’s basically like the Fast and Furious franchise where we can expect a new(er) and more badass upgrade of some sorts every so often. Except in this case there’s no tricked up cars, high-speed chases, hot chicks (bummer), or cheesy Vin Diesel dialogue (even more of a bummer).

High-octane gear head talk aside, some of you may recall a little trip I took to Canada last summer where I went alllllllllllll the way up to Edmonton to “party” with my Muscle Imbalances Revealed Upper Body alumni Rick Kaselj, Dean Somerset, and Dr. Jeff Cubos.

And by “party” what I really mean is the four of us decided to combine our collective minds, go all Professor X on the world, and set up an epic 2-day seminar all dedicated to a multi-disciplinary approach to core training and keeping spines bullet proof.

We video’d the entire thing in all of our high-definition glory (I even shaved!) and have finally made it available for everyone.

===> Spinal Health and Core Training Seminar <===

Outside of being completely freaked out by the fact that it was still daylight at ten o’clock at night, it was an awesome two days where everyone involved – the presenters as well as the 15+ attendees – had the rare opportunity of learning from four high-quality, uber smart, and unwittingly handsome professionals with varying backgrounds and expertise.

Rick has extensive experience working with and dealing with a wide array of injured clientele, and is a straight up Jedi when it comes to assessment and understanding how to program around injury.

Dean, too, has a plethora of knowledge with regards to rehab, assessment, and working with the general public. He also broke a deadlifting PR that weekend with me just standing in his presence.  True story.

Dr. Jeff is a chiropractor and manual therapist with tons of experience working with elite athletes. His knowledge base with regards to corrective exercise, posture, and the newly minted “it topic” in the industry, breathing patterns, is second to none.

And then, you know, there’s me.

Because I don’t want to leave anyone hanging, I felt it only fair to give a sneak peak into each person’s presentation so that everyone on the fence would have a general idea of the material and topics covered:

Me Discussing Assessment

Dean Discussing Assessment as Well

Dr. Jeff Discussing the Importance of Self Mobilizations Drills

Note:  This is a clip from the actual finalized product!  HD baby!!!!

Rick Discussing Parameters Writing Programs Around Pain

And there you have it!  That should give everyone a sense of what to expect.  And remember, there’s roughly TWELVE hours worth of this stuff – including more “hands-on” lecture, some talk on breathing patterns and how that effects core function as well as posture, exercise technique, programming, and there may even be some shadow puppets thrown in the mix for good measure.

Okay, I’m kidding on that last one. Needless to say there was no stone left un-turned, and I really feel this is something that can (and will) help a lot of trainers and coaches out there stay on top of their game.

And the general public shouldn’t feel left out in the cold either.  This is a very “user friendly” product for all the general fitness enthusiasts who may be reading as well.

I’ll finish by saying that I’m often asked what I feel differentiates the “good” trainers and coaches from the bad ones, and what – if anything – I feel separates the masses.

While I could sit here and come up with some arbitrary rationale as to why bald trainers and coaches are far superior compared to those who are more “follicly” endowed (you know, cause I’m kinda bald), the real truth is that those who tend to be more successful and have a long shelf-life are those who don’t view continuing education as burden, or more to the point……as a “cost.”

I’ve always used the mantra that even if I only learn ONE thing from any DVD or book, and it leads to me picking up ONE client, it essentially paid for itself.

It was a goal of ours to make this product as easily “accessible” as possible (while still being profitable enough to satiate my impending beef jerky addiction).  To that end, Spinal Health and Core Training is on sale NOW (2/12) through this Friday (2/15) for $97 (. Which is a steal given the amount of information provided, and the fact that you’ll see videos of me from when I had hair.  I mean come on: That’s worth the price alone.

After this week the price climbs to it’s regular price of $197. So get it while the gettin is good….;o)

===> Spinal Health and Core Training <===

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 2/7/13

Okay, before I jump into this week’s list of stuff to read, I had to share THIS video I came across on the homepage of Yahoo! this morning.

Basically it’s a video of a Miami based teenager – who’s incarcerated for drug possession – acting very flippant (in every sense of the word) with the judge sentencing her.

Not amused with her shenanigans, the judge hands her the smack-down and doubles her fine (the reaction is priceless), and then, sentences her to 30-days in county jail.  BOOM!

I think Miami should give this guy a ticker-tape parade, the key to the city, or name a street after him or something. A free ticket to an all-you-can-eat-buffet?  Anything!

The man is a hero.

You Have To Workout To Get a Workout – Hamilton Nolan

Those who enjoy my writing style and sometimes “tough love” approach will appreciate this article by Hamilton.

I’m sorry, but “going for a walk” is not working out.  Nor is going to the gym to casually putter away on the elliptical while watching The Real Housewives of Whogivesashit (or where ever the current season is filming).

You actually have to strain a little bit, and maybe even break a sweat!  I know, weird.

But trust me:  it’s for you’re own good.  If you need a little motivation, this column may be exactly what you (or a friend, or a family member, or a colleague) needs.

Stretching Doesn’t Work – Dean Somerset

You know those cute hamstring or hip flexor stretches you do prior to each training session (and sometimes afterwards too)?

Yeah, they’re probably a waste of time.

In fact, if I had to make a list of things that are more worth your time, I’d go with (in no particular order):

– Talking about your feelings with your significant other.

– Watching the Lord of the Rings Trilogy (while standing on a BOSU ball).

– Watching a Tracy Anderson interview and then spontaneously throwing up a little bit in your mouth.

– Watching this video of a monkey eating its own poo

Initiating the Squat: Making the Distinction Between Hip Flexion and Lumbar Hyper-extension – Jordan Syatt

I thought this was a bang-on job by former CP intern/coach, Jordan Syatt, explaining this often confusing concept on cleaning up one’s squatting technique.

It’s a very subtle differentiation, but something that many people make the mistake of doing, oftentimes leading to injury.

Check it out and show Jordan some love!

The guys owns a 3x bodyweight deadlift, so he knows what he’s talking about.

CategoriesCorrective Exercise Rehab/Prehab

Introduction to Spinal Health and Core Training

Some of you may recall I took a little trip out to Edmonton, Alberta back in June to take part in the Spinal Health and Core Training seminar alongside my fellow cohorts Rick Kaselj, Dean Somerset, and Dr. Jeff Cubos.

While I’d like to sit here and state that what transpired was a Hangover inspired two-day extravaganza of hookers, cocaine, tigers, and babies wearing oversized sunglasses, what really transpired was completely not that.

Nope, our Wolfpack was all about program design, corrective exercise, assessment, and anything and everything that you can think of as it pertains to core training and spinal health.

Okay, maybe there was a tiger involved……but that was Dean’s idea, not mine.

All kidding aside, it was an amazing weekend and everyone who attended walked away with a gulf of information.  Lucky for you we taped the entire thing and plan on releasing it as a product in the very near future.  And by “very soon,” I’m talking about within the next few weeks.

To wet everyone’s palette, Rick K. is releasing a series of “sneak peeks,” and for those interested below is a quick 22-minute clip of my presentation.

And there’s A LOT more where that come from. I ended up speaking for close to three and half hours that day (how, I have no idea), and Dr. Cubos finished off with another three hours himself.

Day 2 revolved around Rick and Dean, and while I had to take off for Vancouver that day for a friend’s wedding, I heard it was equally as informative and awesome.

Like I said, we’ll be divulging more information on the actual release within the next few weeks, so keep your eyes and ears peeled.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work Uncategorized

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: Zombies!, Pull-Ups, and the best Warm-Up Article EVER

Wait a second – my alarm went off this morning.  I don’t think I’m dreaming.

*looks out window*

Volcanoes aren’t erupting, the streets aren’t flooded with molten lava, and from what I can tell, everything seems business as usual.

The Mayanpocalypsearmeggedonacaust didn’t happen.  We’re all still here!!!!!!

High Five!

But be weary my friends – we’re still not out of the woods yet.  The day is still young, and you never know when s*** is going to hit the fan.

If things do get real, and you’re forced to fight for your life, whether it be killing a grizzly bear with your nunchucks for your next meal, protecting your family from evil doers, or I don’t know, something less “doom and gloom” like clicking “next” whenever your Pandora station plays a Coldplay song……are you prepared?

Are you in enough ass-kicking shape to do what you need to do to get s*** done? Can you – WILL YOU – survive if you had to go all Snake Plissken on people’s asses?

Well just in case, earlier this week my boy, John Romaniello, released his latest training program:

Zombie Apocalypse Survival Workout

I know some reading are going to dismiss this product due to the “less than serious” premise. To that I say:

1.  Relax!  Don’t take yourself so seriously.

AND

2.  There’s actually a legitimate rationale behind it.

John, along with every other well-known fitness professional I know, routinely gets questions asking his opinion on CrossFit (myself included).

It’s a touchy topic to say the least, and something that has caused a rift between strength coaches, personal trainers, and fitness enthusiasts alike.

On one end of the spectrum you have those who swear by it, and literally eat, drink, breath, and LIVE by CrossFit.

On the other, you have those who loathe it, think it’s a fad, and that it’s hopefully going away.  Like, soon.

Well, it’s not going away.  And while I’ll be the first to admit that I too have my qualms with CrossFit, I also understand that it’s getting people excited to exercise, and there’s a lot to be said for that. How can I possibly poo-poo on that?

Like John I feel the idea of CrossFit is sound – it’s just that its execution is flawed.

To his credit John has been attending at least one CrossFit class a week for the past few months to try to get a better understanding and feel for what the culture is like.

And, not surprisingly, he’s mentioned several times that there are great coaches and absolutely terrible coaches.

The great coaches – and by extension, the most successful CF boxes – understand that it comes down to sound programming.  They take the time to properly coach their clients and use appropriate exercise progressions (and more importantly, regressions) to “guide” them through.

By contrast, the terrible coaches – and unfortunately this seems to be the rule rather than the exception – focus solely on the workouts. How can we completely obliterate our athletes/clients and make them hate life?  How can we – fingers crossed! – make them cough up their spleen?

The latter is what I 100% disagree with, and what I feel gives CrossFit its bad rap.

So what did Roman do?  He started taking CrossFit classes to see if he could fix it.

To quote the man himself:

“I thought to myself, “what if you took the idea of CrossFit–the idea of non-
specification,the idea of having a high level of general proficiency across the
board, and applied intelligent programming–with a classic Roman twist–to
that idea…what would you get?”

It’s a good question, and one worth exploring. So that’s what I did.

What I wound up with was the Zombie Apocalypse Survival Workout. 

Because really, when you strip away the fun and silliness, that’s what ZAW 
really is: my take on CrossFit. It’s CrossFit, Roman style, with all of the issues 
with programming fixed.”

Fittingly, today is the last day of the sale, so if you’re interested you better hurry.  The walking dead could be right around the corner……;o)

6 Coaches Weigh in on Pull-Ups – 6 Coaches, Duh!

Along with Bret Contreras, Ben Bruno, Dean Somerset, Tim Henriques, and Dan Trink, I was asked to contribute to this awesome pull-up article that was put up on T-Nation yesterday.

If we were a boy band, we’d totally be the most diesel boy band ever.

I’d be the shy one.

Warm-Up – Mike Robertson

The title says it all.

I wrote a blog post a while back titled The Perfect Warm-Up?  It was nothing revolutionary, but it cemented my thoughts on what I felt the purpose of a proper warm-up is, and then I offered a different spin on it.

Well, in THIS article – which should be titled The FOR REAL Perfect Warm-Up – Mike breaks everything down from what the warm-up should accomplish for each segment of the body to providing videos of all of his favorite drills.  This is a MUST read.

 

CategoriesProduct Review

Gift Ideas For the Fitness Fanatic

Tis the season!

Well, I guess technically the season started a while ago having witnessed the first Christmas themed commercial a few days before Halloween, and thinking to myself, “wow, really?????  This early???”

But alas, like most people, now that we’re well past Thanksgiving and Christmas (or whatever respective holiday you choose to celebrate: Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, He-Man’s b-day) is right around the corner, it’s time to put our game faces on.

As is customary in my family, when everyone’s home for Thanksgiving my mom literally forces us to sit down and make our respective list of gift ideas. In no certain order mine consisted of:

  • World Peace.
  • For Nickleback to never release another album ever again.
  • For my upstairs neighbors to NOT decide that 2AM seems like as good as time as any to reorganize their apartment and move around their furniture.
  • Socks.
  • Red Ryder BB Gun.
  • The Batmobile.

You know, nothing fancy.

In reality, however, my list generally consists of books I want to check out, some DVDs, maybe a few dress shirts, and definitely not socks.

Not everyone is as easy to shop for as me, though.

*cough cough, X-Box, cough cough*

But given this is a fitness site and you’re presumably reading it because you (and those close to you) dig lifting heavy stuff (or making fun of Tracy Anderson), what’s better than to give the gift of fitness, health, and well-being?

Okay, a movie quality Chewbacca mask is right up there too, but that goes without saying.

With that said, the following are some fitness themed gift ideas for the fitness minded individual in your life.  Some are things that I’ve recommended before, but there are a fair number of new ideas as well.

I hope this helps.  And if it doesn’t, you can always go the underwear route.  But that’s kinda lame.

1.  TRX Suspension Trainer 

This is one of those repeat gift ideas, but I find that this is perfect for those who want to get in shape (or do something) yet either don’t have time for the gym or just don’t want to deal with the hassle of dealing with pushy salesmen, shady trainers, crowds, lots of grunting and groaning, and people who wear way too much cologne.

In other words:  everything about a commercial gym.

The TRX is a very versatile piece of equipment that can be used at home or even as a nice alternative to those who do a lot of travelling and can’t always hit the gym.

For those looking to save a little money, however, I also recommend that Jungle Gym.

2. Heart Rate Monitor

Stealing a quote from Joel Jamieson, who’s really brought the whole concept of heart rate variability to the forefront in recent times:

A high quality heart rate monitor will help you get the most out of your conditioning work because it can help keep your heart rate in the right training ranges while also providing invaluable feedback so you can determine if your program is working the way it should be or not. Without this sort of objective feedback and information, a lot of your training becomes nothing more than guesswork.

Where I find the most value in using a heart rate monitor is managing your rest intervals during circuit training.

Using predetermined work:rest ratios is fine – and a great starting point for most individuals – but may be detrimental for some in that it can be either too aggressive or not enough.

With regards to the former point, some people take longer to recover when performing high intensity training.  An effective approach is to let your heart rate return to 130-140bpm before repeating an interval. This helps make sure you’ve recovered enough and are ready to push yourself to the max.

Conversely, some people recover faster than others, and if this is the case, you’re doing yourself a major disservice if you stick to preordained work:rest ratios.

Using a heart monitor takes the guess work out and allows people the luxury of optimizing their training.

I actually got one for Lisa for her Birthday not too long ago and she loves it!

NOTE:  I’m indifferent as far as which one to use:  the one that wraps around your chest, or the one that wraps around your forearm/wrist.  I guess it just comes down ti personal preference.  I don’t know if one is more effective than the other.  Maybe someone else can chime in?

3.  150 Healthiest Foods on Earth

Speaking of Lisa, I bought this book for her three Christmases ago, and it’s arguably still the best present I’ve ever got her.

To this day it’s not uncommon for either of us to reference the book for new food ideas or to serve as a refresher as to why grass fed beef is a better option or what it is about curcumin that makes it so healthy.

In all honestly, the entire book is chock full of nutritional information.

Likewise, I believe she and I have given this book as a gift for family members or friends no less than five times, and it’s always been a huge hit.

4. REPboards

So you’re at the gym and your program calls for board presses.  It’s already a pain in the ass enough to ask some random person to offer a handoff (which is an art in of itself), let alone to ask yet another person to come along and hold the boards in place.

If you train at a powerlifting gym it’s one thing – it’s part of the regular rigmarole and scheme of things to spot one another and to be “board bitch” on occasion.

At a commercial gym, though, things can get dicey.

Sure you can use your own boards and place them underneath your shirt and hope they stay in place, or you can even use a mini-band and wrap that around them, but nothing is guaranteed and it’s often a cumbersome cluster****.

A few weeks ago I was sent a complimentary set of REPboards to try out, and gave them a go.

They’re a handy little tool that takes all the cumbersomeness (is that a word????) out of the picture and allows one to utilize 1,2,3, and 4 board presses without all the fanfare.

Personally I don’t have a lot of need for them given where I train, but for those who don’t have the luxury of a training crew, these are a great alternative.

5. The Dark Knight Rises

Granted this has absolutely nothing to do with fitness, but it’s Batman, and Batman is awesome.

Actually Tom Hardy (who plays Bane) is pretty diesel in this movie, and Anne Hathaway (who plays Catwoman) is pretty flexible and stuff (and kicks several people in the face), so it does have a slightly fitness feel to it.

What’s more important is that your boyfriend already has the first two movies in the trilogy (Batman Begins and The Dark Knight) in his DVD collection, so you might as well do him a favor and complete the collection.

DO IT!!!!!!

6. Show and Go

Written by my good friend (and business partner, Eric Cressey), Show and Go is a comprehensive FOUR-MONTH training program that’s about as close as you can get to training at Cressey Performance without actually stepping through the doors.

Rather than wasting $597 (or however much it costs to buy “x” number of sessions with your local schmocal personal trainer), why not spend infinitely less and actually get your loved one a program that will actually yield results?

Note:  Show and Go is definitely geared towards the more intermediate/advanced trainee, so I wouldn’t look into this product for someone who doesn’t have a lot of experience under the bar.  In that case, hiring a personal trainer – if that’s the avenue you were going to take anyways – to show them the ropes would be the right path to take.

7. Post Rehab Essentials

For the more nerdtastic fitness enthusiasts in your life (those who want to geek out on anatomy, assessment, corrective exercise, programming, Dean Somserset’s sultry voice), I can’t recommend this one enough.

I really feel this is a “must-have” product that any coach or trainer should have in their fitness library – especially if they’re someone who works with a lot of banged up clients (which basically means everyone).

In fact I used many of the tests and exercises Dean discusses as part of my own rehab a few months ago when I was dealing with some lower back funkiness.

Dean talked me through a few months of programming and I was back to tip top shape in no time flat.

8. New Rules of Lifting (Series)

I’ve mentioned this in the past, but I can’t thank Lou Schuler, Alwyn Cosgrove, and by extension, Cassandra Forsythe (who helped pen the female version) enough for writing these books, as they have saved my fingers from doing a lot of typing.

In a time where people are inundated with an avalanche of information when it comes to fitness, and seemingly more confused than ever, this series is the one that I ALWAYS divert people towards for information that they NEED to hear as well as to help set them on the right path towards success.

The New Rules of Lifting

The New  Rules of Lifting for Women

The New Rules of Lifting for Abs

The New Rules of Lifting for Life

And that’s about it.  I know I could probably list a few more books, gadgets (and movies), but I know people are probably stressed tot he gills and don’t need more lists to read or check off.  Hope I was able to help somewhat.

Happy shopping/Don’t kill anyone.

 

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: Women CAN Do Pull-Ups, Make a Difference, and Programming Order

Okay before we get to this week’s list of stuff you should be reading, I have a few minor house cleaning tasks to take care of.

First: for those who missed it, yesterday I challenged everyone and their mom to a deadlifting battle, and so far the turn out has been awesome.  My goal was to get at least 100 people signed up, and as of the writing of this blog post (9:13 AM) there are a total of 45.  Sooooo, we’re almost half way there.  Not bad considering it’s only been one day – but I feel we can do better.

Much, much better.

Come on people this is for bragging rights, not to mention FREE swag and delicious dead animal flesh.  Or, to put it more succinctly……….

STEAKS!!!!

If nothing else, you can look at it as a new challenge or as something different to do for a week.  Or, for some, at least temporarily, just another way to make your spine flip you the bird.

Whatever the case may be, it’s going to be a epic.  For more info (including rules, etc) go HERE.  Pretty please, with dark chocolate covered (organic) cherries on top???????

Secondly:  who else is pumped to go see Flight this weekend????? I for one, cannot wait. Denzel’s the man, and I’m really excited to finally see director, Robert Zemeckis, make his way back to live action film.  After directing hits like Forrest Gump and Cast Away, he ventured into live-action animation  – The Polar Express, Beowulf, A Christmal Carol – and while they were all stellar in their own right (except maybe for The Polar Express – the animation was kind of creepy) I’m still excited to see what the end result will be from him and Denzel teaming up.

Anyways, I’ll be sure to give a quick review on Monday.

Make a Difference – Dan John

I’d argue that no one in the fitness industry – or anywhere, for that matter – has a way with words and can make any topic a “life lesson” more so than Dan John.

This was an absolutely phenomenal article and I encourage EVERYONE to read it.

If you don’t a kitten will die.

Can Women Pull Their Own Weight – Pete McCall

Last week an article written by worst reporter ever Tara Parker-Pope in the NY Times titled Why Women Can’t Do Pull-Ups (link to the original article appears in the link above) made huge tidal waves in the fitness community for its woefully generalistic, chastising, and downright faulty conclusive remarks concerning a recent research study looking into women’s ability to perform pull-ups.

My boy Dean Somerset also wrote a “Tara Parker-Pope just got PWNED” recant HERE, but I thought this piece also hit the nail on the head.

Strength and Aerobic Training in the Same Session – Does the Order Matter – Patrick Ward

Which comes first:  the chicken or the egg?  Me vomiting a little bit in my mouth or listening to anything Tracy Anderson has to say?  Lifting heavy things or performing conditioning or aerobic work?

With regards to the latter, as is the case most of the time, it’s going to depend. But if you’re going to do both in one session, Patrick Ward has some interesting (and enlightening) things to say.

CategoriesMiscellaneous Miscellany

Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: No Easy Day, Organic Debate, and Other “Stuff”

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve done one of these, and I figured it was appropriate given that, you know, it’s Monday.

Lets get to it:

1.  Just a reminder that the Greatist Workout of the Day (GWODs for those who are uninitiated),  are kicking into high gear.  Both Dan Trink and I are the two coaches behind the (current) programming, and word on the street is that people are LOVING the results they’re getting.

As I discussed in the past, the premise behind GWOD is to provide high-quality programming for those individuals looking for a more “structured,” scientifically (and REAL WORLD) based, progressive, and safe routine that any fitness enthusiast – whether a newbie or seasoned veteran – can follow.

And, of course, GWODs are designed to increase one’s level of awesome by roughly 549%.  Give or take a couple percentage points.

The best part:  it’s completely FREE.

2.  Also as a reminder:  registration is still open for the 1st Annual Cressey Performance Fall Seminar.

According to the latest numbers, well over 100+ people have signed up, and we’re still six weeks away from the actual event!

Needless to say, we’re expecting a huge turn-out, and it’s looking as if this is going to be an event where not only are people going to get knowledge bombs thrown at them left and right, but the networking opportunities are going to be off the hook.

Spots are filling up fast, and we will have to cap the space at some point, sooooooooo…………

What are you waiting for?

3.  I absolutely LOVE articles or posts where people go off on rants. A recent one I read titled, Comparing To Apples To Apples: A Rant  was an absolute PWN-fest on the debate between organic vs. conventional food.

Just to give you an idea of the pwnage that’s involved, here’s a little taste:

Now, unless you’re the kind of person who goes to Whole Foods and buys a bag of “Organic Gummy Bears”  because he/she honestly thinks that she’s getting a “health benefit” from consuming these “organic” sugar bombs, you already know that organic food isn’t “healthier” than conventional. You don’t eat organic because you think that the health fairies have blessed your apples with magical nutrients; you eat organic because you don’t want the anti-health fairies (i.e. conventional farmers) to poison you with pesticides, hormones, or genetically modified bullsh*t (literally or figuratively).

AWESOME!

4.  Okay I need a small favor from all of you.  Lisa and I are already in “Lets-Get-The-Hell-Out-Of-Dodge-Why-Do-We-Live-In-The-Northeast-I-Hate-Winter-Please-Kill-Me” mode, and planning our end of March vacation.

And we haven’t even seen the first snow flake yet!

I’ve never been on an all inclusive vacation, and that’s the route we’re leaning towards the more we think about it.  I really like the idea of showing up at the resort and just tossing my wallet in the safe and not thinking about it the rest of the time there.

Well that, and Lisa feeding me grapes……;o)

Having said that, we’re still up in air as far as WHERE to go.  Should we shoot for Mexico?  The Dominican Republic?  Pandora (you know, from Avatar?).

I’d be stoked to hear any and all suggestions.  All I know is that we want clear blue water, lots of beach, and an all-you-can-eat omelet station.

That’s not too much to ask, right?

5. A client of mine sent this spoof video to me the other day, and I thought it was hysterical.

For those who train at commercial gyms, you’ll definitely appreciate this one.  Classic.

6.  I just finished the book No Easy Day last week, and all I have to say is I’m a raging pussy.

Here I was complaining about a headache last week and how it affected my workout, and this guy is out on deployment for ten straight years kicking ass and taking names.

Note:  for those living under a rock, I’m referring to the book written by one of the Navy SEALs involved in the raid that killed a certain terrorist who’s name starts with O and ends with “is now dead.”

I know there’s a lot of debate over whether or not the book should have been written in the first place, and the author – Mark Owen (not his real name) – is under a lot of heat as to what his intentions were for even doing so.

I don’t want to get into that.

All I’ll add is that it’s a phenomenal read, makes you appreciate the sacrifices that so many people make to fight for our freedoms, and that a large portion of the proceeds of the book goes towards charities that help wounded soldiers.

For what it’s worth, I give this one two solid thumbs up and can’t recommend it enough.

7.  Ever get pissed at those people who curl in the squat rack?  Well, here’s the perfect response:

OMGTHISISTHEBESTTHINGEVER

8.  And finally, my boy Dean Somerset is turning 31 today (which is 43 in Canadian years), and in celebration of this epic event he’s placing his best selling product, Post Rehab Essentials, on sale for $31 off the regular price.

I think it goes without saying that Dean knows his stuff, and he’s someone whom I trust immensely.  What’s more, PRE is a resource that I constantly refer back to with regards to assessment and program design (especially when working with injured athletes/clients), and I think it’s an invaluable tool for any trainer or coach to have at their disposal.

Plus, Dean is a handsome man, so there’s that too.