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.

 

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.

CategoriesUncategorized

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 4/6/12

Two things before we get to the stuff you should be reading:

1.  I’m not going to lie, I kinda want to go see Titanic 3D this weekend. There, I said it. Let the ball busting begin.

I remember when the movie first came out in theaters (SPOILER ALERT:  the ship sinks) – back when I was in college – and being absolutely blown away.  Sure, it had the sappy love story and all that, but the special effects were on point, and well, it did show boob – albeit PG-13 boob.  But boob nonetheless!

Okay, dammit…..you got me.  Yes, I got a little teary eyed when Rose told Jack she’d “never let go.” The first time I saw it (yes, I went twice**), I balled like a little school girl.  The second time, I was on a date, so I was able to hold it together. Sorta.

Whatever.  Don’t play it off like you didn’t get a little emotional during that part, too.

Anyways, I just remember Titanic being one of the more memorable movie experiences – right up there with Grindhouse (easily, the most fun I’ve ever had at the movies), and Avatar (which goes without saying), and I think seeing it in 3D would be kinda cool.  Thing is, I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On without fighting off the urge to jump off a cliff.

If you don’t see a blog here on Monday, you’ll know the answer.

2.  My boy Dean Somerset is holding a sweet sale on his best-selling product Post Rehab Essentials all Easter weekend. I have a lot of respect for Dean, I consider him a good friend, and I think he’s one of the brightest minds in the industry when it comes to assessment and program design, which is why I feel this is a MUST HAVE product for any fitness professional to have at their disposal.

To sweeten the pot, Dean’s added two additional incentives on top of the already stellar content:

  • “Developing Medical Referrals for Fitness Professionals” – 40 minute webinar

For this weekend only, the entire package is on sale for only $99, down from the regular $209.  With the money you save, you could watch Titanic like ten times!

15 Commandments for the 3 Big Lifts – Todd Bumgardner

This article drew me in like a moth to a flame.  With a title as simple, basic, and badass as this, how could it not?  The only way I would have clicked on the link quicker is if the article were titled, “Hey, Tony Gentilcore, Click Here to See Naked Pics of Alicia Keys!”

All kidding aside, this is an excellent piece by Todd which provides some solid tips/cues/advice on how to improve your performance with the big 3 – squats, deadlifts, and bench press.

Love it.

5 Questions with a Girl Gone STRONG: Jen Comas Keck – Trey Potter

Trey continues with his on-going series with the Girls Gone Strong crew, and I think this may be the best of the bunch thus far (no offense to the other ladies

 Choose the Best Breakfast Foods – Men’s Health

I thought this was a pretty neat (yes I just used the word neat) idea by Men’s Health to test the breakfast IQ of its readers.  What’s yours?

Well, don’t just stare at the screen…….take the test and find out!

 

** Okay, I actually went three times.  DON’T JUDGE ME!!!!!!!!!!

CategoriesUncategorized

Post Rehab Essentials

I don’t care if you’re a personal trainer who just started working at the local Gold’s Gym last week, or a seasoned veteran who’s been training people for the past 10-15 years, it’s inevitable that you’re going to be working with the walking wounded at some point in your career.

Everyone  you work with is injured to some degree. While some may walk in on day one with an already pre-existing condition – like an ACL injury or AC joint issue – others may walk in completely asymptomatic and be pain free, yet if you were to take an MRI of their spine, it could very well resemble something coming out of a meat grinder.

Nevertheless, having the ability to work around various injuries and not only help “fix” people but still elicit a training effect in a safe and timely manner, is an invaluable skill for any trainer or coach to possess.

Furthering the point above, those trainers who go out of their way to better themselves and learn to develop a bit more of a corrective exercise background, are the one’s that tend to separate themselves from the masses.

Which brings us to my good friend, Dean Somerset.  Dean just released his latest product, Post Rehab Essentials, which is designed for trainers looking to increase their knowledge of how to work with various injuries in a gym-based or studio setting. Truth be told, there’s a rather large knowledge gap between those who know a whole lot about every aspect of training and those who are looking to get a strong foothold and take a step up from average.

Dean was kind enough to send me an advance copy a few weeks ago and all I have to say is that after viewing it, I wish I could just hop onto Craigslist, do a search for “Flux Capacitor,” and then go back in time for the sole purpose of scissor kicking myself in the face for relying too heavily on what my text books told me.

Suffice it to say, it would have saved me A LOT of time if I had resources like this back then.

To that end, Dean was nice enough to sit down and answer a few questions regarding the fitness industry as well as discuss Post Rehab Essentials.

And, because I know some people won’t even bother to read the interview (tsk, tsk, tsk), here are some important things to consider:

1.  Dean breaks this down into four sections:  Introduction, Upper Extremity, Lower Extremity, and the Spine. He not only discusses some basic anatomy, but also covers assessment as well as programming variables. It’s pretty much one of the most baller products out there geared towards rookie and intermediate trainers.

2.  I think it’s an awesome product that will help a lot of trainers out there become better at what they do. This undoubtedly gets the Tony G seal of approval.

3.  Post Rehab Essentials is on sale only from now until Friday (12/9).  After that, the price increase $60, so be sure to take advantage of the savings while you can.

Okay, I’ll let Dean take over from here.

TG:  Dean, lets cut the formalities, most of the people reading this know who you are, because we’re always creepin on each other’s blogs.  For those who don’t, here’s a quick primer:

Dean’s a personal trainer and exercise physiologist who specializes in post-rehab programming, and being really smart. He likes walks on the beach, and, much like me, has an affinity for obscure Jedi references. Heck, we’re practically the same person – except he likes hockey, and I’m way better looking.

Anyways, Dean, tell us a little bit about the driving force behind Post Rehab Essentials. 

DS:  The whole program came about when I had 32 medical professionals referring me business a few years ago, and wound up at a point where I literally couldn’t take on any more business without training 4 or 5 people at once, and that was something the insurance providers and the referring professionals got pissed about.

As a result, I began to look for other trainers to off-load some clients in order to keep business flowing, but I wanted to make sure they had the right skillset to work with these people. No sit and reach testing or max rep pushups here, I wanted to have people who could look at a client and determine why their rotator cuff was getting all beat to hell.

 

As I’m sure you can attest, these kinds of trainers are few and far between, so I had to build a program that would cover the basics to up the games of those who would be working for me, coving all the major injuries you would see in a gym setting: rotator cuff tears, ACL reconstructions, disc herniations, and a few dozen others.

Once I began teaching the trainers what to do and what to look for, they also wanted to have some pre-made programs they could use with their clients (and even themselves) to help get the ball rolling. This was an idea that also piqued interest with a few doctors and insurance providers, so having the standardized plans in place helped actually build more business. Plus, it meant if a client came in with a rotator cuff issue, I could hand them to anyone and they would get a safe program that would help them out.

TG:  That’s awesome, and just goes to show how establishing a solid network of other fitness professionals can be a powerful thing.

Would you agree that the gap between the personal training side of things and physical therapy side of things is closing?  In my opinion the gap is smaller than we think, but it’s a dangerous line to walk because we now have plenty of personal trainers out there thinking they’re capable of diagnosing things because they read a book or two on the topic.  What are your thoughts?

DS: I totally agree that the gap is getting smaller, but I need to preface that a little more. The gap is getting smaller AT THE TOP of the fitness industry, and seems to be getting wider at the bottom, where the entry-level certifications are pumping out trainers with little to no experience with injuries whatsoever.

As a result, I’ve seen trainers telling clients with some obvious structural issues to “push through it” when performing overhead press and weighted crunches. Serious spin kicks needed in those situations.

At the same time, you’re absolutely right when trainers feel they can diagnose after reading Sahrmann or McGill for a weekend. The funny thing is that I’ve specialized in injury post-rehab for the better part of a decade, worked with dozens of doctors, physios and chiropractors in their clinics, observed multiple surgeries, and had my training programs picked over by some of the best minds in rehab, and I don’t even diagnose.

Sure, I can tell a lot about someone by looking at them, but there are some really specific red flags that I look for to see if going to keep training with me or go back for more treatment. I may know in the back of my mind that the person in front of me is presenting with all the right symptoms for a specific diagnosis, but I want to make sure I’m right before I decide on anything, otherwise my wrong move may wind up causing some big issues. I always want to have two sets of eyes looking at a client to make sure, and every other trainer should do the same.

TG: What do you feel are the key components for success in this industry?  More to the point, what can incoming (and current) trainers do to better set themselves up for long-term success.

The biggest advice I could get for any trainer is simple: Get better results for your clients, and get better results for more clients. Knowing how to help a client lose 5 pounds is great, but if you can help them lose 50 pounds, they’ll pay closer attention. Likewise, if you can help them lose 50 pounds, increase their strength, make their back not hurt anymore, and reduce their odds of having a total knee replacement (or helping them do all this after they’ve had a knee replacement) can make or break your ability to have someone open their wallet to get you to help them. The more problems you solve, and the better you solve them, the more in demand you will become.

 

The next piece is to make yourself a specialist in SOMETHING. I hd a client a few years ago who was a young lawyer, and he was all excited when he got his first actual business card, which read on the back “Specializing in marital law, business law, tax law, criminal defence, civil rights, andreal estate.” This means he didn’t specialize in anything at all.

He was a generalist. You shouldn’t be a generalist, because when someone needs something really bad, they want the best at what they do. They’re going to come to you, because you are the best at what you do (hopefully). Whether it’s preparing for a figure contest, getting baseball players ready to throw heat, or helping someone fix their wonky knees, make it your goal to have something account for 80% of your business.

TG: Great insight, Dean.  I couldn’t agree more.  And lastly, if you could, can you give my readers the 5 minute elevator pitch – or in this case, the 500 word pitch – as to what Post Rehab Essentials brings to the table?  Basically, how will this make trainers more awesome?

DS:  Knowledge is power, and this is never more resonant than in fitness.

The trainers who spend the most time learning from as many different sources as possible tend to make the most money, and tend to have the best reputations as fitness professionals. I’m also a big believer in quality, usable content that you don’t have to have a PhD in biomechanics to understand, so I made this product cut to the chase, show why specific injuries happen, how to assess for them, and what to do with the info you get from your assessments.

This is a quick reference guide to help you solve more of your clients problems than ever before, which makes you a better trainer at the end of the day, and as a result make more money and have a greater impact on the quality of your clients lives.

If that’s not enough, consider this: more than one third of asymptomatic people walking the streets would show a partial or full thickness rotator cuff tear on MRI, especially if they’re over 60. More than half of those asymptomatic people also had disc bulges, some at more than one level. What this means is that whether you want to work with injured clients or not, you already are, so not knowing what to do about it will be the fastest way to put yourself out of business.

If that’s not enough, I’m also going to show you a thousand different ways to make your workouts better, more effective, and way more pimp than you ever thought possible.

TG:  Awesome stuff Dean.  Thanks for your time! 

====> Post Rehab Essentials <====