CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

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

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

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

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

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

Myself included.

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

Totally not kidding.

Alright, lets get to the stuff you should read.

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

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

Well that, and techno Thursdays…..;o)

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

Food Freakshow – Brian St. Pierre

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

Meat grown in test tubes?

Insects as an awesome source of protein?

Cows modified to produce human breast milk?

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

The Truth About The 7-Minute Workout – Adam Bornstein

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

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

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

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

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

CategoriesMiscellaneous Miscellany

Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: “GentilSet” or “SomerCore” Workshop?

1. I’ve got some exciting news to report.  No, Matt Damon isn’t reprising his role as Jason Bourne. No, a group of Victoria Secret models haven’t moved into the vacant apartment upstairs.  And no, unfortunately, Justin Bieber hasn’t fallen into a live volcano.

While all of those things would be pretty awesome, what I have to share today could very well tear a hole into the space-time continuum and alter all of human existence.

Slight exaggerations aside, Dean Somerset and I are tentatively planning an East coast/kinda Northwesternish (like way up north, like where it’s only warm like twelve days out of the year north) coast two-day workshop later this summer and fall.

We’re shooting for a two-day workshop here in Boston later this summer (and again, up in Edmonton, Alberta in the fall) where we’ll target personal trainers, coaches, and fitness enthusiasts and open up Pandora’s Box to discussing everything from assessment to corrective exercise to program design. But more importantly our goal is to make this a very hands-on (non-creepy) workshop where we have minimal lecture and place more of a premium on coaching!

In Dean’s words:  “We want people who attend to leave knowing about what we discussed, not just intellectually, but how to put it into action immediately when they return, and with enough competence to not have to refer back to notes while doing so.”

Like I said, we’re still in the initial planning stages but we’re excited as shit.  Read:  pretty excited.  I mean, Dean can’t contain himself!

That said, I’d still love for people to sound 0ff on this and let us know if there’s enough interest?

Due to space we’re going to keep this pretty exclusive and limit it to like 30-35 people.  Some candles, a little Sade playing in the background, some Femoral Acetabular Impingement talk.  Who knows where it will go…..;o)

Seriously though, who’s in?

More details to follow soon.

2.  Some other cool news.  For only the second time since its release, Eric Cressey is placing his flagship program, Show and Go: High Performance Training to Look, Feel, and Move Better on sale all this week until THIS Saturday (May 20th) at midnight.

Not that I need to sing its praises or anything, but the program is the bees knees.

I’ve seen with my own eyes countless people transform their bodies and make progress in the gym they never thought possible.  So if you’re still one of the few who have balked at trying it out for yourself, at 48% off the normal price you really have no excuse not give it a whirl.

3. As someone who routinely trumpets the message that women should can the Zumba classes and lift heav(ier) things, I’m always trying to relay top-notch, informative, POSITIVE material to the masses to help convey that same tone.

HERE is a fantastic blog post by Dave Hedges on why there’s really no such thing as a “women specific program.”

Fantastic job Dave!

4. And since I recognize that a fair share of women visit this site on a regular basis, here’s a litte Ryan Gosling for you.

I don’t know about you, but that video cracked me up!

5. And finally, keep your eyes peeled for a future TG original piece on BodyBuilding.com. The higher ups reached out to me last week asking if I’d be interested in contributing some content on a monthly basis, and I jumped at the opportunity.

Of course, my one prerequisite was that I’d be able to discuss the importance of getting stronger and that I wasn’t going to write about pec blasting, bicep pulverizing, or any other broscience shenanigans.

To that end, I just submitted my first article to them last night titled Top 3 Squat Mistakes.

Mistake #1:  What You Think is Proper Depth, Ain’t Even Close…….;o)

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.

 

CategoriesUncategorized

Ready to Kickass In the Gym?

I’m back! Yesterday was Labor Day, and for those who don’t live in the US, it’s basically a made up holiday that marks the un-official end to summer (and for the fashion police out there, the end of wearing anything white**).

More importantly, for us Americans, Labor Day serves another, more meaningful purpose.  And that’s to not go into work, baby!

While I was lame and did head to the facility to coach for a few hours yesterday, I was able to snake out a bit early and spend some of the day chillaxing.

I hope many of you reading were able to do the same.

As it so happens, this marks the time of year when many of our high school and college athletes head back to school and our pro (baseball) guys start trickling in as their respective seasons come to an end.

Starting within the next week or two, many of our minor league baseball players will arrive for their 0ff-season training with the Major League guys following suit not too long after that (depending on how the playoff picture develops).

Suffice it to say it’s a fun time of year for us at the facility because we get to touch base with all the guys who have been training with us for the past few off-seasons; as well as welcome a whole host of new players into the CP family.

To celebrate his favorite time of year (and mine for that matter, outside of my Birthday, or any day I don’t have to do laundry), Eric Cressey has placed his renowned flagship product, Show and Go: High Performance Training to Look, Feel, and Move Better, on sale this week at $50 off the regular price.

Now, rather than play the “hey you should buy this because you’ll increase your general level of awesome” card, I thought I’d provide a few quick insights as to why I feel this is a worthwhile product to consider.

1.  Simply Stated:  It Works

I’ve seen with my own eyes the number of staff, interns, and various CP clients who have followed this program and have seen impressive results.

Too, I’ve witnessed countless emails, stories, and testimonials from people all over the world detailing their accounts of smashing deadlift PRs, obliterating their bench press numbers, dominating their competition on the field, finally living pain free, and jumping buildings in a single bound.

People from all walks of life are kicking ass and taking names on this program, and it’s high time you join the party.

2.  No Stone Left Unturned

You’d be hard pressed to find a more comprehensive program that includes everything from soft tissue quality and mobility work, to strength training, movement quality, and metabolic conditioning than Show and Go.

About the only thing it doesn’t include is a bottle of wine, nunchucks, and batteries.

 

3. Simplicity

Don’t mistaken this to mean that the program itself is easy – that couldn’t be further from the truth!

As with any program, you get out of it what you put into it.

Nonetheless, this program will undoubtedly kick your ass.

Many people are under the assumption that you need a program which uses some advanced algorithm or an eclectic mix of some secret old-school Russian periodization scheme and unicorn tears to get results.

That’s a bit of an extreme example, I know.  But the fact is:  if people would just master the basics and do them CONSISTENTLY, they’d probably see marked improvements in their performance, movement quality, and physique!

Show and Go doesn’t use any smoke and mirrors, fancy pants terminology, or fluff to get the job done.  Quoting Eric himself,  “I coach a ton of people from all walks of life, meaning that this program is based on theories that have been proven “in the trenches.”

And for what it’s worth: in a lot of ways, from a programming standpoint, this is about as close as one can get to training at Cressey Performance without actually stepping foot in the facility.

4. Versatility

One point to consider – and something that can’t be understated – is that you do not need to be an elite athlete to give it a shot!

Eric has had everyone from competitive athletes (professional and recreational), to fitness enthusiasts, to beginners use the program and do VERY well with it.

5.  Convenience.

Sure, you can pay your local personal trainer upwards of $70- $100 per session to take you through some run-of-the-mill, mundane training session, but that’s going to add up after a while.  What’s more, there’s no telling you’ll get the results you want.

With Show and Go, you can follow a program that’s been proven to work time and time again.

Adding to the pot, you’ll also have access to one of the more extensive exercise video databases created for any online program – so you’ll actually SEE how all the movements are supposed to be performed.

If a picture’s worth a thousand words – what’s a video worth?

Anyways, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.  There are a plethora of other reasons to give Show and Go a go (<—- HA, see what I just did there?), but talking about isn’t going to do anyone any favors.  Take action, and see for yourself!

—–> Click Here (That Tickles) <—–

** For the Record:  there’s no excuse, EVER, to wear stone washed jeans. Unless your name is Bon Jovi. Then it’s cool.  But other than that.  Stop it.

 

CategoriesUncategorized

Show and Go on Sale (Like WHOA)

Oh yes ladies and gents, you read that correctly:  Eric Cressey’s best selling product, Show and Go:  High Performance Training To Look, Feel, and Move Better is on sale from now until midnight Friday, October 28, for 50% off the original price.  For those mathematically challenged, that’s half off.  If you don’t believe me, just click HERE.

See, I told you.

Now, for some, you may be wondering to yourself “why?”  Well, why not?  Why is the sky blue?  Why is water wet?  Why do people listen to Coldplay?  Okay, that’s actually a really good question.  But, outside of that, don’t ask questions, just go with it!

Eric will tell you it’s because the World Series is kicking into high-gear, and he just wants to tell people how much he appreciates their support and readership.  Both are undoubtedly great reasons.  I say it’s because my 35th birthday is right around the corner (ahem, November 30th), and he’s just jealous that I have less hair than he does.

Okay, that’s wishful thinking on my part.  In actuality, and this is something that he and I have discussed on numerous occasions,  Show and Go is about as close as you can get to experiencing Cressey Performance without actually setting foot inside the facility itself.  In short, if you can’t train at a gym with some attitude, you can at least bring the attitude to your gym!

More to the point, though, is the fact that, as someone who’s been BFF with EC for quite some time (not to mention we’re business partners), I know how much time and effort he puts into writing his programs.  All told, he spent roughly a full year tweaking the entire program before he actually released it the first time through.

And, speaking frankly, the bulk of programs you’ll find on the internet are utter garbage.  In a time where any joker with a laptop and digital camera can claim himself to be a world renown coach, and as such, a program writing ninja, talk is cheap.   How many of those same gurus actually train ANYONE in person – let alone upwards of 70+ professional athletes during one off-season?

Trust me:  I’ve seen my fair share of these so-called “programs,” and to say that a ham sandwich could come up with something better would be an understatement.

Moreover, almost unequivocally, I can say that I have yet to hear about anyone NOT making drastic improvements in their strength, athletic performance, movement quality, and/or physique completing Show and Go in its entirety.  Literally, Eric has hundreds (if not thousands) of emails and testimonials to back it up.   How many of the aforementioned internet gurus can claim that?

Summing up, Eric has some pretty sweet bonuses in store for those who act quickly (namely, a free LIVE Q and A for those who purchase within the first 24 hours), so be sure to take advantage as soon as you can.

To help sweeten the deal, however, I’m going to toss in some incentive too.

For starters you need to purchase Show and Go HERE.

Secondly, email your receipt to [email protected], and I’ll enter you into a drawing to win one of the following:

  • A copy of Muscle Imbalances Revealed – Upper Body ($147 value)
  • A 5×7 autographed picture of me (Priceless).  Shirtless option (even more priceless).
  • One month of distance coaching ($279 value)

Who’s that winning?  It’s you, that’s who!

CategoriesUncategorized

Do This, Not That

Note:  the post below links to my latest article on livestrong.com.

Whether your goal is to lose a few extra pounds, increase your bench press, train for a marathon, or just look and feel better, the gym — and more specifically, the part that holds all the dumbbells, barbells and other cool, shiny stuff — is a great place to start.

Countless people already hit the weights on a daily basis, though some may be doing more harm than good. There’s no such thing as a contraindicated exercise, just contraindicated exercisers. Put another way, and using a common example, not everyone can or should walk into the gym on day one, put a bar on the floor and deadlift it. Too many factors — training history, injury history, mobility and postural deficits — come into play that can affect the safety of the move, let alone its effectiveness.

Continue reading HERE for more awesomeness….

Also, on a quick aside:  Eric Cressey turns 30 years old today – which means I’m no longer the only staff member who can remember how cool it was, back in the day, to show up on the first day of school dressed up like Don Johnson from Miami Vice.   So money.

Anyways, to celebrate his official entry into male pattern baldness, he’s running a sweet sale on Show and Go:  High Performance Training to Look, Feel, and Move Better this weekend.

 

From NOW until this Sunday (May 22nd) at midnight, you can purchase Show and Go for $50 off the regular price.  And, since the world is apparently ending tomorrow, if you want to get jacked and hella strong, do it quickly.