It’s been over 18 months since I’ve announced any IN-PERSON workshops. I’m elated to announce that I am coming to Philadelphia to put on my 1-day Strategic Strength Workshop
*Cue the trumpets*
My friends at Warhorse Barbell Club have agreed to host and I am so pumped.
The event will be in late September and you can take advantage of the early bird rate up until September 1st. For all the details and to register you can go HERE.
Hope to see you there!
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Started with a new high school aged client today. His session included:
– Goblet Squats
– Pallof Presses
– Trap Bar Deadlifts
– Push Ups
– Inverted Rows
– Hip Thrusts
– Sick 90’s Hip Hop Beats.
Key point: AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) is not the same as training to failure. Nevertheless, AMRAP sets can be a very key component to most training programs.
Tony gives you the details on how and why in this short read.
But seriously, for those that celebrate it I hope you’re able to find some joy eating some burgers, setting off some fireworks, or, I don’t know, watching Flight of the Navigator (<– I don’t think 4th of July movies exists, but if there are this should be in the Top 3).1
2. I Started PT Today
For those interested (and following along with #achillesgate2020) I was cleared by my surgeon to start PT and I met up with my man-crush friend/colleague, Dan Pope, of Champion Performance & Physical Therapy located in Waltham, MA.
Dan’s been my “go to” guy for numerous years with several niggles I’ve had here and there – strained adductor, neck kinks, a broken heart, you know, stuff – and I could think of no one better to help me get back on track.
Day 1 was exciting – we worked on swaying side to side, a few step throughs, and me learning to put weight back on my Achilles (while in a boot).
Who knows, next week we’ll live life dangerously and I’ll walk without crutches (and be able to do long division).
I keed, I keed.
I was thrilled to test the waters today and I can’t wait to see what Dan has in store for me in the coming weeks.
3. Oh, hey, have you checked out my newCORE @ Homeplatform yet?
It’s designed so that I can deliver workouts you can perform at home – pants optional – using minimal equipment.
You have two options:
1. Subscribe for FREE and receive one workout per week.
2. Subscribe for $29.00 and receive three workouts per week (in addition to special bonus content).
My hope is that it helps take the thinking out of things and keeps people more accountable to workout more consistently despite not having access to their normal gym.
– Writing thank you notes to your clients.
– Leaving your bad day at home.
– Point out a client’s “wins” before pointing out what they did wrong on an exercise.
The Complete Trainers’ Toolbox is currently on SALE ($100 off the regular price) now through this Sunday. Myself as well as an all-star list of other fitness professionals delve into common topics that will make you a better trainer and help you to grow your fitness business.
But complaining and whining isn’t going to pay the bills. COVID has flipped the health/fitness industry on it’s head and if you’re not adapting you’re not going to survive.
Switching (or adding) online coaching to your repertoire is a smart move. Andrew provides some much needed levity and insight in this fantastic article.
1. I’ll start with a brief #achillesgate2020 update.
I had my first post op with my surgeon earlier this week and, once the faint Cheetos smell dissipated after removing the bandaging I had on for two straight weeks, the doc said everything looked swell.
I was quite shocked at the lack of blood and gore:
Stitches were taken out, rubbing alcohol never felt so lovely, and I was put into a short cast that I’ll be wearing for the next two weeks.
The goal now is not to be an asshat and do anything stupid to risk stretching the Achilles.
I guess that means I won’t be participating in this year’s Hunger Games.
Hitting the gym after a 3+ month “layoff” and then testing your 1RM on everything is akin to turning the ignition on your car on a sub-zero day and immediately revving it from 0-60.
Things may go fine, but the risk/reward is definitely skewed toward the former.
My wife’s, Dr. Lisa Lewis, latest article on Pez Cycling News digs deep(er) into what motivates people to do what they do and how you can stay more consistent with your health/wellness goals.
There’s an Early Bird rate for both of these events, so keep that in mind before you decide to hold off. Dean and I are really excited for this and hope to see you there!
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I had a client who was very much interested in learning the OLY lifts.
I have more experience playing with He-Man action figures than teaching those lifts, so I referred her to another coach here in Boston who could help.
This workshop is designed for fitness professionals – personal trainers, strength & conditioning coaches, physical therapists, etc – to provide both physical & psychological tools to help build your brand, business, and rapport with clients.
Dr. Lewis and I cover a lot of material:
How to increase competency and motivation with your clients.
An overview of both upper and lower extremity assessment to create increased “buy in.”
How to set professional & personal boundaries with clients.
Troubleshooting common lifts such as squats & deadlifts to best fit the needs, ability level, and anatomy of clients.
And more…
CEUs will be available.
For more information – including full itinerary and to register – you can go HERE.
2. Coaching Competency – Dublin, Ireland
This is happening Sunday, September 8, 2019 (Early Bird rate in effect)
So what happens when a room full of Irish(w0)men find out I’m not much of a drinker?…;o)
Whether you get paid to tell people to lift heavy things or you just like to lift heavy things yourself, in this 1-day workshop you’ll get the opportunity to listen to me talk about my how I approach assessment and gain a better understanding of how I “match” the exercises I prescribe to better fit the needs, ability level, and more importantly, the anatomy of each individual I work work.
In short, this workshop looks at the “umbrella theme” of my coaching philosophy.
For more information – including itinerary and how to register – go HERE.
3. Strategic Strength Workshop – London, England
This is happening the weekend of September 14-15th, 2019 (Early Bird rate in effect).
Luke Worthington and I have presented this workshop twice. Once in London last year and again this past June in Boston.
We’re bringing it back to London this Fall, my most favorite place in the world.
This two-day workshop is designed to arm fitness professionals with all the tools they’ll need to hone their assessment skills and to make their clients/athletes a bunch of bonafide, resilient, strength training Terminators.
Combined Luke and I have ~40 years of coaching experience (or one Dan John) and bring different perspectives and skill-sets to the table; Luke peels back the onion on PRI (Postural Restoration Institute) concepts and assessment, while I go into detail breaking down movement and how to better “match” the exercises we prescribe to our clients.
For more information – including itinerary and how to register – you can go HERE.
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I say this facetiously (kinda), but if you really want to “shop” for a personal trainer and can’t figure out who to hire and who’s worth the money, ask them to name 3 out of the 4 rotator cuff muscles.
Melbourne, Australia: July 19-21st and Melbourne Strength & Conditioning. (<— Includes bonus “Psych Skills for Fitness Pros” pre-workshop with Dr. Lisa Lewis).
This will be the only time Dr. Lisa Lewis and I will be presenting this workshop together in 2019. In previous years we’ve presented it in Boston, London, Toronto, Bonn (Germany), and Austin, TX.
This 1-day workshop is targeted towards fitness professionals and digs a little deeper into what really “bogs” them down and stresses them out….
…their clients!
ClickTHIS link for more details on topics covered as well as date/cost/location.
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After ensuring you’re ACTUALLY in a caloric deficit, consistent, adequate amounts of sleep = (likely) the best “nudger” of fat loss there is.
Before you reach for that detox tea that will set your anus on fire, consider going to bed instead?
In this episode, Dr. Lewis and host Kim Schlag discuss spotting, stopping, and reframing negative thinking, along with a potpourri of other psychological topics.
Great listen for fitness pros and fitness enthusiasts alike.
NOTE: If you prefer not to listen to this episode on iTunes you can go HERE.
NOTE: Early Bird rate for this event is $100 OFF the regular price and the deadline is only a few weeks away.
Luke and I did this workshop last summer in London and figured it’s only fair to bring it State side.
Combined we have 30+ years of coaching experience (I.e., one Mike Boyle or Dan John) and this workshop will be two days where we uncover every nook and cranny as it relates to how we assess our clients/athletes and how we best prepare them for the rigors of every day life/sport.
This will be a unique opportunity for people to learn from myself, but especially Luke, who is one of the best and brightest coaches I know. This will be his first time teaching in the States.
For more information and to register you can go HERE.
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STOP telling your clients/athletes:
– They’re broken.
– They’re dysfunctional.
– They need to be fixed.
INSTEAD:
– Focus on what they CAN do.
– Show them there’s work to be done, but be emphatic on showing them success.
– Use more positive verbiage.
– Don’t do kipping pullups
It’s no secret that a well-balanced meal (typically, not always) contains the “big 3″….protein, carbohydrates, and fat. But how much of each should you eat? More importantly, how do you take all three and go about conjuring up a meal that doesn’t taste like cardboard box sprinkled with sawdust?
Thankfully the people over at Precision Nutrition made a nifty infographic to make things easier.
The Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint is finally coming to Boston. Not “fake” Boston, either, on the outskirts of the North or South shore, and we end up calling it a Boston workshop.
No, this sumbitch is going to be IN Boston, at AMP Fitness located near Government Center in the heart of the city.
This shindig goes down the weekend of November 11th and the early bird rate is currently in effect. Hope to see you there. And by “there” I meanHERE.
This article was my pick for “article that gave me the biggest nerd boner of the week.”
I’ve long championed the notion that far too many people stretch their hip flexors thinking they’re tight, when the exact opposite is true. As a matter of blunt fact: most people would be better off swallow a Matchbox car whole than stretch their hip flexors.
Dr. Sarah Duvall takes things to the next level in this article, especially as it relates to women and postpartum issues – via pelvic floor/diaphragm – that may arise or never be dealt with, even years after the fact.
1o Keys to a Big Bench Press: Parts I and II – Tony Bonvechio
Tony is one of the best bench pressers I know. It actually pisses me off how good he is at bench pressing.
You know what, never mind, I fucking hate his guts because he’s so good at it.
In all seriousness there aren’t many coaches I’d trust more to turn someone into a bench pressing Wolverine than Tony. Read this two-part article above and then go check out his new manual, Bench Press Like a Beast, which is available now at a very, very, very affordable price.
It’s been quite the week, huh? While I’d like to sit here and espouse a plethora of nuanced commentary on the unfortunate, and, quite frankly, sickening events of this past week here in the U.S., I feel all I can really add to the conversation is this admittedly un-nuanced soundbite:
There’s only less than three weeks left to take advantage of the Early Bird rate for Dean Somerset and I’s workshop in Orlando, at Spark Fitness, the weekend of October 21st.
I’ve never been to Orlando. I bet it’s going to be beautiful in October. Yet, there’s no way in hell I’m visiting Disney World.5
HEADS UP: We’ve also added Boston into the mix later this year. Not Burlington Boston or Beverly Boston, two cities that are lovely, albeit not (that) close to Boston.
No, this is IN Boston. In the heart of the city Boston, at AMP Fitness.
Early bird rate is in effect now and if you’re super eager to sign-up you can go HERE.
2) Elite Fitness & Performance Summit– Chicago
I’ll be in Chicago this September alongside some other phenomenal speakers for the Elite Fitness & Performance Summit. The cast includes:
Nick Tumminello
Mark Fisher (if I have to follow him on stage I’m going to be pissed)
Josh Henkin
Nick Berry
Molly Galbraith
Krista Scott-Dixon
Ryan Ketchum
And many, many more. It’s one of the most action-packed fitness events of the year, so be sure to reserve your seat ASAP. You can go HERE to do so.
3) Appearance on The Strength House Podcast
It was great to catch up with old friends Greg Robins and Tony Bonvechio. I think I am officially the smallest & weakest guest they have ever had…;o)
A common practice is giving near maximal effort on every….single….exercise. I love when people want to work that hard, but that mentality can also be as detrimental as it can be helpful.
Here’s John with a nice, rational piece explaining why “precision” and doing exercises correctly is vital for short and long-term success.
I think I like Erica’s writing because much of the time it mirrors my tone and I can appreciate a good “bang my head against a wall” joke and references to dragons.
But, too, I think she makes a lot of sense and I respect the advice she gives.
People tend to over-think things and are always after what’s “best” or “optimal”
Newsflash: it all works.
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Stop using assessments to show people how broken they are. Use it as an opportunity to demonstrate to them success.
Save over $300 off registration with the Early Bird rate for I Am Not Afraid To Lift® – THE RETREAT with Artemis Scantalides, Julia Ladewski, and (my wife) Dr. Lisa Lewis on May 5-7, 2017 at the Arizona Grand Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona.
Designed BY women FOR women this weekend retreat is sure to be a treat (<– HA, get it?) covering anything and everything with regards to lifting things (bodyweight, kettlebells, barbells), nutrition, and mindset training.
I’ll be there too, albeit on Daddy Day Care duty with a then 4-month old. Any dudes wanna hang out? Anyways, it’s going to be an amazing weekend and a lovely opportunity to surround yourself with other positive, powerful, intelligent, and unabashedly strong women.
Dean Somerset and I will be in Vancouver, BC, Canada the weekend of April 1-2nd, 2017 putting on your flagship workshop.
It may be the only time we’re on the west coast of North America all year so whether you have to hop on a plane, drive a few hours, or take a hovercraft….get there.
Go HERE for more info and to take advantage of the EARLY BIRD rate.
3. Push, Pull, Legs Podcast
In case you missed it earlier this week I made a cameo appearance on the Push Pull Legs Podcast.
I had the pleasure of being asked to contribute to this article that was featured on T-Nation earlier this week. Having a little trouble motivating yourself to get to the gym? Know someone who feels the same way? Slide this article on their desk or pin it to their door. They’ll get the message.
Don’t worry: this won’t be your typical slap on the wrist article reminding you to do your warm-ups. And it won’t cause you to toss your face into a brick wall from sheer boredom (you know, cause most articles on the topic are boring as shit).
Tony’s a legit coach. Listen to him.
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An underrated component of being a good coach? Greeting your client/athlete when they walk in the door. Acknowledgement for the win.
