CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 7/14/17

I’m heading out to Cressey Sports Performance later on today to participate in the 10-year anniversary BBQ. Hard to believe it’s been 10 years since Eric, Pete, and myself opened up shop in the corner of an indoor batting facility in Hudson, MA and that CSP has grown to what it is today.

Even though I am no longer coaching there I wanted to thank everyone for their support of CSP (and by extension) this blog/website. Maybe when I arrive there today they’ll let me rehash Tony’s Techno Tuesdays for old times sake….;o)

Lets get to this week’s stuff to read…

Copyright: urfingus / 123RF Stock Photo

 

CHECK THIS STUFF OUT FIRST

1. Strong Body-Strong Mind – Boston

I’m really excited to announce the Strong Body-Strong Mind Workshop, coming to Boston (finally!) later this summer.

NOTE: Next week the early-bird special ends, so act quickly. Price will jump up to $249. Availability has been capped at 30 seats due to space, and there’s 10 left.

The idea is simple: there’s a corner in the industry that’s underserved….mental skills.

There are a lot of people out there who write about “mindset” and describe themselves as mindset coaches (whatever the heck that means) who, by and large, have zero academic background in that department.

Lisa, SPOILER ALERT: she’s my wife, went to school for that shit.

I went to school to help turn people into badasses.

So, why not combine the two?

Lisa can speak to building competency and discussing how to build the skills to develop rapport with clients. I can speak to getting people bigger, stronger, and faster.

Strong Body-Strong Mind = see you there? Here’s the itinerary1

To purchase you can go HERE.2

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.

UPDATE: We’ve also added Boston into the mix later this year as well. Like, IN Boston. Stayed tuned for details coming soon.

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.

Stuff to Read

A Case for Deadlifting With Chains – Trish DaCosta

Adding chains into your training programs can look intimidating – especially the how? and why? parts of the equation. What’s more, chains are only for advanced lifters, right?

Trish sheds some light and answers all those questions.

I like Trish.

The Simple Pull-Up Progression You Haven’t Tried – Travis Pollen

I read this and immediately wanted to slap myself in the face for not thinking of this myself. Awesome post from Travis here.

Fitness & Failure: Is It Really All Or Nothing? – Ryan Wood

Skipping a workout, hitting up Cold Stone Creamery while on a diet, not crying during an episode of This Is Us….all can be considered failures by some.

The mental gymnastics that goes on in some people’s minds and the all-or-nothing vibe that many gravitate towards when it comes to fitness, that they’re a failure if they don’t do “x” or they’re not as cool, sexy, or worthy because so and so can do “y,” is very common and can stall anyone’s progress.

Lets relax shall we?

Excellent pep-talk from Ryan in this one.

Social Media Shenanigans

Twitter

Instagram

CategoriesFat Loss Nutrition

5 Myths Killing Your Fat Loss Progress

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Boston-based strength coach and trainer, Ryan Wood. Ryan’s made a cameo appearance on this site in the past writing a two-part series on lessons he learned preparing for his first powerlifting meet. You can check those out HERE and HERE.

Switching gears, today he’s discussing lessons learned and myths he avoided in losing 25 lbs. and dropping down to 10% body fat. Like a boss.

28110314 - loosing weight, close up of muscular built man wearing too large jeans isolated on white background

Copyright: rangizzz / 123RF Stock Photo

5 Myths Killing Your Fat Loss Progress

Today I’m going to outline five fitness myths I avoided to lose 25lbs. (I previously wrote a post talking about seven things I learned dropping to 10% body fat which you can read HERE.)

Fitness myths run rampant, and, unfortunately, steer many people in the wrong direction. If fat loss is your goal then follow along closely as I discuss five of the most common fitness myths killing your fat loss progress.

Myth 1- You’ll Lose Strength

A lot of people fear losing strength when they begin a fat loss diet. Common belief says if you cut calories your strength has to suffer.

While you shouldn’t be too concerned about hitting one rep max personal records, you certainly don’t want to risk losing strength.

So what should you do?

The answer is carbohydrates. Too many people drastically cut carbs when beginning a fat loss diet. This usually results in quick weight loss but also a huge decrease in performance and strength. Carbs are your main energy source and fuel your training sessions. If you’d like to retain as much strength as possible while shedding excess body fat then keep your carbs in your diet for as long as possible.

I believe when fat loss is the primary goal you should train with higher volumes to help retain muscle mass as calories decrease.

Because of this, I suggest aiming to hit new 8-10 rep maxes

The higher volume training will help you preserve muscle, which when you transition back towards building strength, will be imperative for improving your top-end numbers.

Here’s me hitting some sumo deadlifts towards the END of my diet:

 

My best all-time sumo pull is 510lbs which was done at a powerlifting meet after months of prep and peaking.

It’s definitely possible to keep most of your strength, if not improving it slightly, albeit in different rep ranges.

Take home points:

  1. Keep carbs as high as possible to help fuel hard training sessions.
  2. Focus on improving 8-12 rep maxes, not maxing out.
  3. Keep the goal the goal. Don’t worry if you can’t hit your all time best at this exact moment in time. Focus on your fat loss goal if that’s your priority.

Myth 2- You Must Eat Clean And Avoid Certain Foods

The gurus say the only way to get leaner is to eat clean or only eat gluten free, organic, dairy free, or sugar-free .

This is what I think of when I hear ‘clean eating’:

Now, don’t get me wrong, I think eating whole foods the majority of the time is a great way to get leaner and in better shape. It’s what I do *most of the time.

But eating clean 100% of the time is not a requirement for fat loss. Nor is avoiding entire food groups or demonizing certain foods.

Why?

Because I love ice cream too much.

And burgers.

And ice cream. Oh, I said that already.

You can and certainly should be able to enjoy a treat every now and then while still reaching your fat loss goals.

I did it and you can, too.

You just have to be in a calorie deficit, which means you’re consuming fewer calories than you’re burning.

If you’ve got room to spare in the calorie department, enjoy an ice cream. Just make sure you’re still under your calorie allotment for the day.

Remember, calories are your number one fat loss priority. No amount of clean eating will help you get results if you’re consuming 1000 more calories than you should be.

Take home points:

  1. Create an energy deficit by taking away 250-500 calories from your baseline diet.
  2. Eat a balanced diet of whole foods but don’t fear or avoid certain foods because someone tells you to.
  3. Enjoy treats every now and then provided they fit into your calorie goals.

Myth 3- You Have to Diet For A Set Amount of Time

About a week and a half left on my 12-week diet I hit my goal weight and felt pretty good with my physique and the progress I had made.

So I ‘ended’ my diet.

what the what? GIF – wut tinafey 3orock GIFs in wut

Basically, I went from continuing to try to lose any more weight right into a maintenance phase.

You can set goals to diet for 8,10, or 12 weeks but that doesn’t mean you HAVE to diet the entire time.

If you hit your goals early, then by all means, stop the diet and move into a more sustainable diet.

You’re the only one that can determine if you’re happy with your progress and if you should stick out your diet for another couple weeks.

I’m not saying this to give you an excuse to end your diet a month early. I’m simply saying if you’ve put in 8 or 9 weeks and have hit your goal weight OR better yet, feel phenomenal with how you look, then stop your diet.

Dieting is not a sustainable part of fitness. It’s a somewhat brief period of time in the grand scheme of things to help you reach your goals.

Put in the work, be consistent, and end your diet early if you’re happy with where you’re at physically and mentally.

Take home points:

  1. You can end a diet early if you’re happy with where you’re currently at progress wise.
  2. Once you end your diet, slowly add calories back in to stabilize your weight and give yourself some diet ‘relief.’
  3. On the flip side, don’t extend your diet week after week because you aren’t at your final end goal. Sometimes it takes several 10 or 12 week periods to reach your goal. As a point of reference, my progress took about 7 months.

Myth 4- You Must Do Cardio to Lose Fat

I’m not a cardio hater, I promise.

But the truth is, cardio is not the magic to fat loss.

33301123 - sport, fitness, lifestyle, technology and people concept - men exercising on treadmill in gym

Copyright: dolgachov / 123RF Stock Photo

Better yet, it’s 100% not required to lose fat.

Can it help? Of course, it can.

But it’s definitely not something you have to do in order to trim up. As long as your diet is in order, you will lose fat doing pretty much anything. I prefer a heavy dose of resistance training combined with a calorie deficit.

Cardio is a tool that can be used to enhance progress but I wouldn’t rely on it as your only form of exercise if you can help it. Check out THIS piece where I discussed why I prefer lifting over cardio for fat loss.

Take home points:

  1. Cardio is not a requirement for fat loss. A calorie deficit is the number one most important. Period.
  2. If you like or enjoy cardio then include it in your programming. Try to have more lifting days than cardio if possible. This will help you retain more lean mass while losing body fat.
  3. Cardio is not magic. Don’t rely on it to make up for a poor diet.

Myth 5- You Shouldn’t Get Hungry If You’re Eating the Right Foods

Yea. I know. It’s crazy to think some people believe that eating the ‘right’ foods will keep them from getting hungry during a diet.

The truth is, if you aren’t getting hungrier the further you get into your diet, your results are probably pretty crappy. Hunger is a fact of dieting. Eating less (calorie wise) is required to lose body fat.

There are no magical foods that will alleviate your hunger when you’re 10 or 11 weeks into a fat loss diet. Sure you can increase food volume by consuming more low-calorie foods like dark green veggies, but hunger is real and very important.

It tells you whether or not you’re headed in the right direction. You should be experiencing hunger as you progress week to week in your diet. At the beginning of your diet, you might not be super hungry. However, every time you make an adjustment to your plan, you will feel hunger rumbling deep down inside your stomach.

Use this as feedback that progress is being made. Don’t get tricked into believing that you shouldn’t get hungry after losing 10, 15 or 20+ pounds. Anyone that says you won’t be hungry during your diet is completely crazy or has never dieted before.

Remember, you won’t starve. Being hungry is completely normal during a diet so try your best to embrace it.

Take home points:

  1. Hunger is a normal part of dieting
  2. While still controlling for calories, eating lower-calorie, volume-dense foods can help with hunger a little bit.
  3. Use hunger as feedback that you are making progress

Wrap Up

If you can avoid these five fitness myths you’ll likely be off to a good start. To help you set up your own fat loss diet, grab your free copy of ’10 Commandments of Fat Loss’ HERE.

Remember that progress, especially fat loss, takes time and lots of hard work. It won’t happen overnight that’s for damn sure.

About the Author

CategoriesMotivational Strength Training

Lessons Learned Preparing For My First Powerlifting Meet – Part II

Today’s guest post comes from one of my good friends, Ryan Wood. Ryan wrote Part One of this series a few weeks go (which you can check out HERE) prior to his first powerlifting meet, which took place two weekends ago.

I thought he did a fantastic job with it, and it ended up getting a lot of positive feedback and was well received because a lot of people who read this blog have contemplated competing down the road.

In Part Two (below), Ryan discusses his first meet and some of the lessons he learned.

Enjoy!

Back on October 11th, I competed in my first ever power lifting meet.  The meet was held in Everett, Massachusetts, right around the corner from Total Performance Sports.

On meet day, I arrived to the rec center around noon to listen to the rules. Jumping the gun on commands was the last thing I wanted to do in my first meet. I was pretty nervous when I got there, and even more so as the actual meet time approached. The morning session was set to finish a little bit early, so I began preparing and lightly warming up for the 2:30 start time.

Luckily my good friend and competitive power lifter himself, Adam Pine, was there to coach me throughout the day. I really can’t thank him enough for his expertise during my first meet.

Note from TG: you can check out Adam (and Jordan Syatt) in their new YouTube video series: The Angry Coaches.

Here they make a plea to fitness professionals to “quit telling your clients they’re broken.”

There’s a lot that goes into having a successful meet, and having someone there to guide me sure took off a ton of pressure. Keeping this in mind, here are some key lessons I learned from my first power lifting meet.

1) Have a Handler

Basically a handler is someone who guides you during meet day. They help with the logistics of the meet and also provide bench press hand-offs.

Note from TG Again (Shit, sorry to hijack your article Ryan!!!!): here’s a quick video I shot at BU Strength and Conditioning on how to properly hand off to someone. Yes, it matters.

Adam took care of getting my squat rack height set properly, sending in my attempts, telling me when to warm up and giving me cues to focus on.

I was very fortunate to have his guidance because without him I would have been a nervous wreck. Instead, he took care of the details which allowed me to focus on lifting and just enjoying my first meet.

Plus, it’s not like I’m going to argue with a guy who deadlifts 700 lbs….

2) Bring Plenty of Food/Water/Gatorade

This one is pretty self-explanatory but very important.

Power lifting meets are very long and tiring. I showed up for rules at noon and didn’t leave the rec center until 9pm.

Nine hours is a long time, but picking foods you know settle well in your stomach is key.

It’s not a good idea to crush some random exotic food if you don’t usually tolerate it well. Snacks like trail mix, beef jerky, protein bars and shakes, peanut butter sandwiches, water and Gatorade are some good examples to keep you fueled and ready to lift.

The worst thing is to be starving while you’re trying to get amped up for a PR deadlift attempt.

3) Know the Layout of the Meet and the Flights You Are In

Flights are basically what order you are lifting in.

The meet is organized based on weight lifted. Check the order as soon as it’s posted so you can begin to plan when to warm up so that you don’t finish warming up 30 minutes before your first attempt.

Again, I had Adam there to help me time my warmups so I was ready when my name was called.

Once I was finished benching, I still had about 2 hours until deadlifts even started. Since I was in the 2nd flight for deadlifts, I knew I could add another 15-20 minutes to the start time. Adam recommended that I just relax and get a little food in me as I had plenty of time to warmup once the first flight of deadlifts began.

 Photo Credit: Elitefts

Along the same lines as knowing the layout, it’s also important not to go nuts in warmups. Adam suggested I take jumps like I normally would in training when working up closer to my attempts.

Try to do your last warmup about 4-5 minutes before you’re set to lift on the platform.

4) Take PR Attempts Even If They Are Small PR’s

I opened my first meet with a 315 squat. This was easy, as it should have been.

Because it was my first meet, it was recommended to me to open light and show the judges that I could handle the weight

My next attempt was 350 which also felt really great.

My best squat coming into the meet was 365. During my training as the meet approached, I wanted to hit a 385 squat. But things change a little on meet day, and while the 350 felt light, I jumped too much and ended up missing 385 in the hole. Adam suggested I go 375, which would have been a 10lb pr. I decided I wanted to go for 385 but it didn’t pay off.

The lesson I learned from failing on my 3rd squat attempt is this. Take a PR when you have the chance.

For my first meet, I should have listened to Adam. It really didn’t matter whether I squatted 375 or 385 because either weight was a PR since it was my first meet.

Instead of listening to his advice, I told him 385 and ended up being frustrated after missing it. The point is to take a PR even if it’s a small PR.

Honestly 370 probably would have been more realistic but I got greedy and paid the price.

5) Build Weaknesses

The only lift I failed on was my 385lb 3rd attempt on squats.

As you’ll see in the video, I didn’t stay controlled enough on the descent, which caused me to lose tightness in the hole. Once I started up out of the hole, I leaned forward just slightly and was out of position to stand up with the weight. I will specifically need to work on staying more upright, as well as building strength through my erectors, and overall back strength.

I will continue to work on taking it down with more confidence, and staying tighter throughout the entire lift.

Here’s the video of my 385 lb, attempt:

At the end of the day I ended up going 8/9, posting a 1020 total with a 350 squat, 210 bench, and 460 deadlift. I tested my strengths and was able to see my weaknesses as well.

I want to thank everyone that helped me along the way as well as my buddies who were there on meet day to cheer me on! Big thanks to Adam Pine for helping me have a successful first meet!

Here are videos of my successful lifts:

350 Squat

210 Bench – apologies for the grainy video

460 Deadlift -5lb PR

Some Other Great Resources on the Topic

All About Powerlifting – Tim Henriques (this book literally covers everything about powerlifting).

2×4 Strength Program – Bret Contreras (this program is basic and boring. But basic and boring is what works!).

Learn to Squat Seminar – Jordan Syatt (<— he holds world records. You should listen to him).

Building the Big 3 – Greg Robins (fantastic powerlifting program co-written by Eric Cressey)

About the Author

Ryan Wood is a Certified Personal Trainer through the American Council on Exercise. He interned at Cressey Performance in Hudson, Massachusetts, coaching athletes, professional baseball players, and general population clients for the last several years. He now works as a personal trainer in the Boston area.

He is passionate about about all things lifting and wants to help his clients reach their ultimate goals. He recently began powerlifting and will compete for the first time in October 2014.

You can check out his website HERE or become BFFs with him on Facebook HERE.

CategoriesMotivational Strength Training

Lessons Learned Preparing for My First Powerlifting Meet

Today’s guest post is brought to you by a good friend of mine, Ryan Wood.  I first met Ryan back in 2010 when he came up to Cressey Sports Performance from Virginia as a collegiate baseball player.

In the years since he has played professionally, interned at CSP, and since retiring from baseball has moved to Boston to pursue a career in fitness in addition to spreading his love for the word “BOOOOOM.”

Seriously, I’m not kidding. He’ll scream it every time someone hits a big lift, or whenever he walks into a room, or if it happens to be a Tuesday. It doesn’t matter.

Ryan’s gearing up for his first powerlifting meet in a few weeks and I asked him if he’d be interested in shedding some insight on some of the lessons he’s learned in the process. I really enjoyed what he had to say. And even if you don’t compete or have any interest in competing, I feel much of what he says applies to everyone regardless of their goals.

Enjoy!

At the beginning of 2014, I decided to move on from baseball and jumped right into power lifting. For the longest time, I had a burning desire to train the big 3, and train them hard. I wanted to get stronger, and because of  my competitive nature I had to find something to fill the void from no longer playing baseball; I knew I wanted to “compete” at some point, and powerlifting seemed like the perfect fit.

I was a pitcher for many years so my training wasn’t geared towards getting as strong as humanly possible. Due to the nature of the sport, it wasn’t of tremendous benefit to back squat, barbell bench press, or even conventional deadlift.

Once I retired, it didn’t take long for me to decide to register for my first power lifting meet. I started training right away. In preparation for my upcoming meet October 11th, I’d like to share some lessons I’ve learned along the way.

While I have been strength training consistently for the last 4-5 years, my time spent training for powerlifting is fairly limited. My training was geared towards making me a better baseball player, and much of my time was spent training at Cressey Sports Performance in Hudson, Massachusetts.

With limited experience back squatting, barbell benching, and conventional deadlifting, it was time to get under the bar. A lot.

I’d like to thank Jamie Smith and Greg Robins for helping me prepare for my first meet.

1. Experience is Important

To get better with the Big 3, I needed to get some quality training in.  My competition was many months away so my training began more generalized. I started out doing 50 total reps for each lift.

I can remember starting with 135lbs on squats just to get the patterning down and get more comfortable with the bar on my back. I had done plenty of front squats, cambered bar squats, and safety bar squats, but time spent back squatting was very limited since I began training seriously for baseball.

My goal was simply to get more experience with the competition lifts.

I trained four times a week and the bulk of my training time was spent getting better with squatting, benching, and deadlifting. I started light with these movements and increased the weight steadily during the first few months of my training. If you have limited experience with a certain lift, you have to get experience with that movement or else you won’t get stronger. I soon became more familiar with the competition lifts and steadily increased my weights.

Greg’s Building the Big 3 Plan served as the backbone for much of my training during the initial months.

2. Technique Actually Does Matter

Although I was brand new to the world of powerlifting, I was familiar with how the lifts were done. I learned a lot of technical cues from my time spent at Cressey Sports Performance, surrounding myself with guys that were way stronger than myself.

In the sport of powerlifting, technique plays a major role. An individual can get stronger with poor form, however at a certain point the gains will come to a halt and technique will become the limiting factor.

One thing I learned from the very beginning of my training was that good technique from the get go would be crucial to my success. Creating tension will make or break a solid lift.

Here are some key technical points I learned for each lift:

Squat

Photo Credit: Alastair Montgomery

  • Find a bar position that suits your squatting style. I have been experimenting with bar positioning and have seem to found that a slightly higher bar position works best for me.
  • Get tight and stay tight. Drive your upper back and chin back into the bar and fill your belly with air. Keep this tension during the entire squat.
  • Do not worry about “sitting” back so much if you are a raw lifter. Think more in terms of unlocking the hips by pressing the glutes back slightly and then squatting between your knees.

Bench

  • Get as tight as possible through your entire body.
  • Drive your upper back into the bench.
  • Bar speed is important. When I first started benching, I brought the bar down to my chest way too slow. In doing so, I became fatigued by the time I went to press off the chest. Try bringing the bar down with good tempo but not dropping the bar onto the chest.
  • Stay up the entire time. Driving the lats up and keeping the sternum as high as possible will not only shorten the distance the bar has to travel, but will also allow you to press more weight.

Deadlift

Photo Credit: Chris Phillips

  • Get your air before you pull. Some like to get their air twice, others prefer once. Do what works for you. Think about putting air into your abdomen, sides, and lower back.
  • Pull the slack out of the bar and get your chest up. Try to get your shoulders over the bar whether you pull sumo or conventional.
  • Start pulling back as soon as you break the ground. This will create tension in the glutes and hamstrings which will make the lift much smoother and connected.

3. Follow a Plan

My training partners, Jamie and Greg, introduced me to Block Periodization. There are many different programs designed for building maximum strength but Block Periodization is the one they believe in and utilize themselves.

Note from TG:  Triphasic Training by Cal Dietz is a nice introduction to the “idea” of block periodization.

Sticking to a plan is critical to staying healthy while continuing to get stronger in the gym. With block training, there are periods of heavier loading and volume, and times with less volume and lighter percentages.

With this type of training, I was able to hit my percentages during each block, which I feel will help set me up to be successful at my first meet.

Following a plan will keep you honest and keep your ego in check.

Greg Robins always tells me to work on building my strength instead of constantly testing my strength. During the last few months, I have been working on building strength so that I can test it come meet day.

4. Have a Mentor/Coach

Without Jamie and Greg’s coaching and programming, I would have been completely lost trying to prepare for my first meet.

As I progressed with my training, Jamie took over programming for me and set me up with a block periodization plan to help me  prepare. Having someone to help you along the way is crucial.

Jamie gave me cues to help me with proper technique week in and week out. I took his advice seriously because I knew that it would help me immensely in the long run.

With benching in particular, doing pause reps were very important for me. Jamie stressed the importance of doing pause reps because this ensured that I was staying tight and keeping my sternum up throughout the lift.  He recognized a weakness in my technique, kept me honest, gave me feedback and coaching, and I’m all the better for it.

Moreover, a mentor and coach is also a great support system. As weights start getting heavier, having a coach to guide you with cues during a set is priceless. I’ve been fortunate enough to train with Jamie and Greg and have learned many invaluable pieces of information from them both.

5. Build Strength, Don’t Test It

Photo Credit: Greatist

Building strength takes time.

Sometimes several months go by before your strength can come to fruition. With the way my training was set up, I was able to increase my strength over the course of months with the intent of peaking for my upcoming meet. Work on hitting your numbers during training. Do not miss reps.

The preparation I went through was not designed so that I could set gym PRs. It was designed for me to peak on the platform.

I’m looking forward to competing for the first time. I can’t wait for the adrenaline to rush through my body as I step onto the platform. Getting stronger is a hell of a lot of fun, and displaying that strength will be the real test.

Some Other Great Resources on the Topic

All About Powerlifting – Tim Henriques (this book literally covers everything about powerlifting).

2×4 Strength Program – Bret Contreras (this program is basic and boring. But basic and boring is what works!).

Learn to Squat Seminar – Jordan Syatt (<— he holds world records. You should listen to him).

About the Author

 

Ryan Wood is a Certified Personal Trainer through the American Council on Exercise. He interned at Cressey Performance in Hudson, Massachusetts, coaching athletes, professional baseball players, and general population clients for the last several years. He now works as a personal trainer in the Boston area.

He is passionate about about all things lifting and wants to help his clients reach their ultimate goals. He recently began powerlifting and will compete for the first time in October 2014.

You can check out his website HERE or become BFFs with him on Facebook HERE.