Categoriescoaching Program Design

5 Ways To Get Better At Writing Training Programs

I received a message from a young coach the other day asking if I knew of (or used) any tricks to help make writing training programs easier or less time intensive.

Outside of suggesting he build his own time traveling DeLorean, skip a head 5o or so years to clone himself 17 times (and to see if someone possibly cured male pattern baldness1), and then travel back to 2018 with his small army of “hims” to help with the workload, I offered the following suggestions and advice.

Actually, originally, I offered like two sentences, but they were a Pulitzer worthy two sentences.

I figured this was a good topic to expound on and decided to make it into a blog post.

Hope it helps.

Copyright: dolgachov / 123RF Stock Photo

1. Practice Makes Perfect (Kinda)

  • If you want to get better at playing the violin…play the violin.
  • If you want to get better at long division…do long division.
  • If you want to get better at free throws….practice more free throws.
  • If you want to get better at not getting laid…go to Star Trek conventions.

I keed, I keed.

There’s no way to sugar coat this:

“If you want to get better at writing programs…write more programs.”

I have a folder on my desktop labeled Lisa, Don’t Open This Folder Client Programs, and if I opened it right now and actually took the time to count the number of programs in it – which is an amalgamation of my eight years at Cressey Sports Performance in addition to the 2.5 years I’ve been training people out of CORE – I’d garner a guess there’s at least, I don’t know, a kazillion, billion programs in it.

Okay, lets just say it’s a lot.

I am by no means insinuating I’m some program writing maverick and that I’ve got things dialed down to a well-tuned science, but it stands to reason in the 15+ years I’ve been writing training programs, I’ve gotten pretty okay at not sucking at it.

That being said, the sooner you acquiesce to the idea it’s going to take time, practice, and lots of experience on your part in order to get “adequate” yourself, the better off you’ll be.

To answer the question, though: Is there a way to expedite the program writing process?

Well, it depends.

Many factors come into play – one’s training age, injury history, goals, availability of equipment, total training frequency, favorite He-Man character (<– very important), to name a few.

I’d say on average it takes me anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes to write a program.

Moreover:

1. I rarely start from scratch.

I’ve written enough programs and have worked with enough people that I can Spidey-sense similarities and correlations between one client and another. If someone has the same background and/or goals as a previous client of mine I don’t need to re-invent the wheel. I can take someone else’s program, do a little bada-binging and bada-booing (tweaking), and cater it to someone else.

I take pride in writing individual programs for all my clients, but I’m also a realist. Most of the time most people need to be doing the same stuff anyways; at least in the beginning:

  • Less bench pressing.
  • More rows.
  • Better scapular upward rotation.
  • More single leg work and carries.
  • More butt stuff (posterior chain in general).
  • No, deep squats aren’t dangerous.
  • Yes, your knees can go past your toes.
  • No, you can’t have a bicep day. At least not until you can perform a chin-up.
  • If you ask me one more time whether or not you should go keto I’m going to throw my face into a wall.

2. Understand there’s NO SUCH THING AS A PERFECT PROGRAM.

It’s inevitable you’re going to be overzealous with some people or underestimate others, especially with regards to exercise selection.

I don’t think a day goes by where I’m not crossing out things on a program or making minor adjustments, or hell, even overhauling the entire program.

No one is perfect (except Ryan Gosling).

2. Remember: It’s THEIR Program, Not Yours

No quote is more appropriate here than one of Dan John’s classics:

“The goal is to keep the goal, the goal.”

If someone’s goal is to get strong or maybe compete in powerlifting, then, yeah, they should likely focus on the classic barbell lifts.

Write a program that reflects that.

Kipping pull-ups likely aren’t going to get the job done. In fact, kipping pull-ups are never going to get the job done.

Stop it.

Just, stop.

If someone’s goal is to lose a bunch of fat, again, I could make the case strength is still important and that the barbell lifts (which utilize multiple joints and make burning a bunch of calories in a short amount of time a thing) may be of benefit.

But understand there are many methods to get any job done.

Maybe someone would rather jump into a shark’s mouth than touch a barbell.

Blasphemous, I know. But it happens.

If so, don’t be an insufferable dick about it and force feed YOUR preferences over your client’s.2

A glaring example here is when you see bodybuilders training 55 year old female clients like bodybuilders. Yeah dude, I doubt she’s interested in her bicep peak. I mean, maybe. But I doubt it.

Stick to the goals and consider your client’s preferences.

NOTE: Don’t let the latter govern everything, mind you.

This can make writing programs much, much, MUCH more “freeing” and palatable. If someone likes using dumbbells, incorporate more dumbbells. If someone seems to be down with landmine exercises, use more landmine exercises.

Often, the #1 factor for a program’s success is ADHERENCE.

A client/athlete is much more apt to stick to a program when it’s one they enjoy and want to do.

3. Write Programs In Bulk

This is something Eric Cressey brought up recently and it makes a lot of sense. You’re bound to be more efficient and “in the zone” when it comes to writing program when you write them in bulk.

Instead of writing one program here and another one there, sit down, grab a cup of coffee (or tea), put on some of your favorite program writing music (for me it’s Deep House or Norah Jones, don’t judge), and get to work.

I think you’ll find it’ll increase your program writing prowess.

4. Have Someone Audit Your Programs

It’s not lost on me it’s tax season (here in the States anyways) and that using the word “audit” may make some start to hyperventilate into a paper bag.

This is an instance, however, where audit is a good thing.

Asking a colleague to take a peek at some of your programs and to provide some honest feedback is a splendid way to hone and sharpen your skills.

Of course it helps to be someone who can take constructive criticism well. If your default reaction is to get defensive, stomp your feet, and yell “YOU’RE RUINING MY LIFE” when a friend suggests it might not a good idea to program back squats for someone with limited shoulder external rotation and to maybe consider front squats instead, you may want to hold off on this idea.

Conversely, grow up, it’s only going to make you better and to allow you an opportunity to see things from a different lens.

5. When In Doubt, Simplify

The next time you find yourself sitting in front of your computer screen contemplating putting in Close Grip Bench Press cluster sets for your 16 year old high-school athlete with weight releasers utilizing a 5-0-7 tempo while also repeating the alphabet backwards, in Elvish:

  1. Stop
  2. Punch yourself in the pancreas.
  3. Hard.
  4. And remember to just keep things simple.

Believe me, I know how easy it is to be seduced into adding novelty to your client’s programs for the sake of adding novelty…but I assure you most of them do not care and more importantly most do better without it.

The “boring” stuff is almost always going to be the better fit and is likely all most of your clients will need for quite some time.

Seriously, when in doubt….simplify.

And then just coach the shit out of everything.

6. Miscellaneous Pontification

– It would also bode in your favor to actually lift weights.

– Refrain from adding things to your programs that you yourself have not tried first.

– Network. Make nicey nice with local coaches and physical therapists.

– The second season of Jessica Jones wasn’t as good as the first. Just sayin.

– Also, not for nothing, but did you not notice I used both words “amalgamation” and
“acquiesce” in this blog post? You didn’t, did you?3

CategoriesMotivational personal training Uncategorized

Is Age Just a Number? Is There a Way To Be Taken Seriously Before 30 In the Fitness Industry?

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Sydney, Australia based strength coach Meer Awny.

There’s a common theme in the fitness industry, especially amongst young and upcoming coaches/trainers, that in order to gain recognition or notoriety there’s some “deep state” secret algorithm that exists:

Social media follows + number of letters you can squeeze next to your name in your bio / (selfie to shirtless pic ratio) x (# of days you brag about either going to CrossFit or how you feel so UHmazing you feel going ketogenic4)

In fact, it’s pretty simple: get good at what you do, be consistent, and consider some of the strategies Meer points out below.

Copyright: bowie15 / 123RF Stock Photo

Is Age Just a Number? Is There a Way To Be Taken Seriously Before 30 In the Fitness Industry?

You’ve graduated with a piece of paper and want to work with athletes.

I mean of course they should work with you, you’re now one of the exclusive 15,000 fresh graduates who have inundated the industry and you…are…important.

But you quickly realise that’s not the case.

The title of “Sports Scientist” doesn’t hold career certainty and so you find yourself working on a gym floor, putting weights away and training general population clients. Now, there should be no shame in being able to apply good coaching principles to a wider audience.

But you also wanted to train the sports stars and get recognition.

With the advent and saturation of social media, it’s easy to feel pressured to have a voice and make a contribution to the field you’re so passionate about.

But often we fail to contextualise and ask how did the person I look up to get to where they are?

Instead of asking the harder questions and actually doing the work, the list of books to read gets larger, and the search for the perfect Instagram filter continues.

That’s not always the answer.

Eventually you come to realise the ‘big names’ in the industry aren’t the same age as you, have a lot more experience, and go out of their way to provide consistent, quality content for free and don’t complain about it.

You just want to be taken seriously despite the “Oh you’ve got plenty of time” diatribes every time you announce you’re a 24-year-old coach.

But what is experience?

We’re told that it’s learning through trial & error and that with more relative experience, through the years, you gain wisdom. And so you vision the day you’re a 35-year-old coach working with all the people you hoped you would from day one.

Age is wisdom, right?

Or is the value of the time spent more important then the time itself?

Here are some ways to add more value to the time you have rather than waiting for the clock to provide you with experience.

1. Volunteer

Get comfortable with this.

If you aren’t willing to give up your time, as precious as it may seem, then things aren’t going to bode well for you. It doesn’t necessarily mean an internship (we’ll get to that), but it does mean being genuine and selfless when it comes to learning and working with people.

This includes taking the time to talk and to have conversations with your athletes and clients.

Remember: To steal a well-known quote from strength & conditioning icon, Mike Boyle:

“Your athletes don’t care about how much you know until they know about how much you care”.

2. Internship/Mentorship

One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was “Find the person that is doing what you want to do and go and learn from that person.”

In 2017 I packed up for five weeks and flew across the world to Denver, Colorado (I’m an Aussie).

In those five weeks I grew new branches on my tree of networks (BTW – I didn’t know what a metaphor was until I was 17), made friends, and had the opportunity to learn from one of the best strength coaches in the field…Loren Landow.

Not to paint a smooth picture, the process in making this happen took time, patience and persistence.

Words can’t describe how much I learned and how indebted I feel for the opportunity. Also, internships allow an opportunity to “ooch,” or to test out and dip your toe into an area or field you’re not too experienced in.

You may feel like you want to work with athletes (or circus performers or pre & postpartum women)…but how do you really know?

An internship offers an opportunity to gain experience, but also a way to get a taste for whether or not you want to be in this field or work with a particular demographic.

3. Networks

The cliché will always stand:

“Who you know is more important than what you know.”

Reading all the books and knowing every muscle insertion and programming variable will not trump the friends you have in the industry.

Act on this by attending conferences, worthwhile seminars, and giving up your time to learn from people who can improve your attributes as a practitioner and more importantly, as a person.

Attendance alone is not enough.

You need to be active in introducing yourself (even if your bio isn’t ‘Hot’), taking emails/phone numbers, asking questions and then following up within two weeks post event.

Getting good at this will open opportunities, and also give you some credibility as a young coach.

4. Patience & Expectations

Setting realistic goals and expectations are important.

Don’t expect to work with world champions in the first year.

But don’t deny that you will eventually.

Put in the work, get good at what you do, be consistent, and it stands to reason people will seek you out.

5. Hobbies & Yourself

Being immersed in the ‘field’ is great.

Know the content and all the science.

But understand that this job involves communication with lots of different people; so being broad in your knowledge will help. Spend time away from reading sport related material, develop new hobbies, read outside of the common ‘self development’ section of the bookstore, and you’ll find a heightened ability to connect with people from all ages and sorts.

A strong mantra to apply daily is:

“How you do anything is how you do everything.”

Constantly show up and make it clear that you care about the people you work with. It shouldn’t be too hard; otherwise you might be in the wrong field. Gary Schofield did a great presentation and used the metaphor of “dogs and monstah’s” (He had a pretty cool Boston accent-almost as cool as Matt Damon”) to describe two types of people (10s mark).

 

The dog needs guidance, treats, and their hand to be held.

The monstah asks ‘What more can I do?’ and gets after it. Time is not irrelevant, and experiences will come with years of effort. That can’t be denied. What you can do is be a monstah and apply some of the mentioned principles to be taken seriously before 30.

About the Author

Meer Awny is a Strength & Conditioning coach & Personal Trainer from Sydney, Australia.

His work is primarily centred on working with combat sport athletes, ranging from amateur levels to national competition, as well as top #10 ranked athletes in the world; across a variety of martial arts.

Meer has travelled the world to better his development of the ‘fighter’ and himself as a coach, and has spent time with multiple UFC fighters and learnt from some of the best combat sport performance coaches in the field.

In his spare time Meer likes to attend coffee tastings, scuba dive, read, cook, travel and continually practice Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and boxing.

You can find Meer on Instagram HERE.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: 3/30/18

Oh, hello.

It’s Friday.

You know the drill.

Copyright: donatas1205 / 123RF Stock Photo

BUT FIRST…CHECK THIS STUFF OUT

1. Coaching Competency: DC

Spots are still available for my Coaching Competency workshop in Sterling, VA in a few weeks.

For $129 you get to hang out with me for seven hours, talk about assessment, program design, deadlifts, and LOLCat memes. This event has been approved for CEUs via the NSCA.

Go HERE for full details.

2. Free Meat via ButcherBox

NOTE: This offer ends on the 31st!!!!

ButcherBox may be my most favorite thing outside of kitten cuddles and a Lord of the Rings marathon.

How it works is so simple it’s silly:

  • You go to the site and curate your own box of delicious cuts of meat.
  • It’s delivered to your doorstep.
  • Cook that shit and eat it.

My wife and I have been using the service for a while now and it’s always serves as a monthly highlight.

For a limited time only, all new subscribers to ButcherBox will receive free Filet Mignon AND Bacon AND $10 off their initial order.

All you to do is click THIS link. Fist pumps optional.

3. Even More Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Coming Soon

Dean Somerset and I are currently in the throes of drumming up new content for our staple workshop series.

We’ve presented this workshop all over the world – London, Vancouver, Oslo, Prague, Boston, LA – and even turned it into a popular digital product HERE so everyone can enjoy it.

We’ve already nailed down dates in Slovenia, Houston, and LA this fall (2018) and are also in talks to bring it to Detroit, Philadelphia, Australia, and Singapore in 2019.

If you’re someone who’d like to host this event/participate in a tickle fight please reach out to either Dean or myself.

STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

MASS 2 – Pat Davidson

Pat Davidson made people cry with MASS, his phenomenally popular program he released a few years ago.

MASS 2 will make people weep.

For a limited time only, you can get in on the action at 15% off the regular price if you go HERE and type gentilcore15 in the coupon area at checkout.

100 Reasons to Deadlift – Tyler Read

Dang, I don’t think I could come up with 100 reasons.

Well played, Tyler.

Shark Habits and Pirate Maps – Dan John

Stop complicating things in your life (and gym)…adopt shark habits.

Dan is wise.

Social Medial Shenanigans

Twitter

Instagram

CategoriesMotivational

Lessons In Lifting From a Dad: Year One

My son was born January 31st, 2017.

He’s a few days short of turning 14 months old and I have to say, at the expense of coming across a tad braggadocious, I’m pretty darn proud of myself and my wife: Julian’s happy, healthy, and has only been caught once running around with a pair of scissors.

Kidding.

It was twice.5

Far be it from me to describe every parent’s first year with their first child in the same light, but for us the past 365 days and change can best be described as somewhere between organized chaos and a dumpster fire.

Lack of sleep, colic, blowouts, lack of sleep, breast feeding, lack of sleep, 10 pm “how to swaddle” Google searches, lack of sleep, 11 pm walks in a blizzard (goddam colic!), more blowouts, lack of sleep, he just pissed all over the place, Llama Llama Red Pajama, lack of sleep, what did he just put in his mouth?, scissors, and lack of sleep.

Okay, it wasn’t all that bad. In hindsight Lisa and I did a pretty damn good job.

That said, lifting heavy things was/is probably last on most guys’ minds during this period of time, let alone the notion of actually making progress in the gym.

What follows are some tidbits and insights on what most dads can expect to accomplish on the training side of things in year one.6

Copyright: rudall30 / 123RF Stock Photo

 

I’ll be the first to admit I’m a bit of an outlier here.

I’m going to wax poetic below on how most guys need to pump the brakes with regards to their training and that training will often take a backseat to life (and laundry) once they become a Dad.

However, this past year was arguably one of my best training years in recent memory, highlighted by the fact I finally achieved a long-time goal of hitting a 600 lb deadlift.

40 Years Old + (A Then) 9 Month Old at Home = #humblebrag

To put things into perspective, though:

  1. I work in a gym. I have/had no excuse not to train.
  2. I had a wonderful support system in place.
  3. I did implement much of what I write about below.
  4. I’m pretty awesome.

1. Expectation Management

Lets cut to the chase: The idea of training 5-6x per week needs to be given the kibosh right out of the gate.

Well, you can train that often; it just won’t be good training.

It behooves everyone involved to have some feel and a degree of expectation management in the weeks (if not months) after baby is born. Think less “I’m going to train for my first powerlifting meet while also competing in my first Ultra-marathon while also following a ketogenic diet” and more “lets try to get through 20 minutes without falling asleep in the power rack.”

In short, attaining a minimal effective dose is the name of the game.

For most guys a reasonable goal would be to aim for 2-3x per week of full-body training revolving around the compound lifts

2. What Does Minimal Effective Dose Even Mean?

Basically, it means doing as little work as possible while still creating a training effect.

You don’t have to kill yourself in the gym in order to make or even maintain progress during this time.

For most guys who are stressed and woefully sleep deprived, a reduction in both training volume and intensity is warranted (and wise).

Most will read that and assume they’ll lose all teh gainz; that the diminished training frequency (and loading) will turn them into small, weak, girly men.

Actually, no.

On the contrary I’d make the case those 2-3 training sessions per week can and will be very productive sessions.

Counterintuitively, as an example, it’s rather “easy” to maintain strength levels with a reduction in both training frequency and intensity.

As Dr. Vladmir Issurin notes in his book, Block Periodization, in order to maintain maximal strength, there’s a window of 30 +/- 5 days to work with.

Meaning, regardless of any secondary emphasis you can leave alone and maintain certain qualities for “x” days without much (if any) reduction in performance.

If you’re still not picking up what I’m putting down let me put it like this:

“You don’t have to do a lot of something in order to maintain something.”

When it comes to maintaining strength, the body (or, more specifically the central nervous system) just needs to be nudged or reminded every 30 +/- 5 days that you’re into it and maybe want to make out.

For the sake of brevity, the bulk of my training hovered in the 60-85% range most of last year with some 90-95 percenters peppered in every 3-4 weeks.

That’s pretty much it.

3. Okay, That’s Cool Tony….But I Could Give Two S***ts Jars of Pureed Beef Pilaf and Vegetables About Being Strong.

I can respect that.

I got your back.

I wrote an article a few months back on BodyBuilding.com catered to the newly-minted Dad and it described what I felt would be a highly effective – and reasonable – 2-3x per week training program most could follow without batting an eye.

You can check it out HERE.

What It Highlights

1. EDM (Estimated Daily Max) Sets

I like this concept for a lot of dudes, but especially for sleep deprived ones who feel like a bag of dicks for a lengthy period of time.

Utilizing a bit of auto-regulation in your training and taking into account day-to-day fluctuations in energy and one’s ability to recover is key.

The key advantage to EDM sets is they still allow you to lift some challenging weight…albeit based on how you feel that day.

Here’s an example:

A. Squat Variation – 5 EDM

  • Work up to challenging set of 5. Pretty self-explanatory.

B. Same Squat Variation – 3×3

  • Whatever your 5 EDM ends up being, use the same weight and perform 3×3.

Those nine reps should be crisp, beautiful, relatively fast reps that will make me roughly 65-70% aroused.

2. Embrace Your Meathead

There’s a lot to be said about utilizing more isolation, bodybuilding type exercises to keep guys motivated to train, improve their ability to recover, and to help maintain training economy.

This can be as simple as tossing in a little “gun show” work at the end of a session in order to feel a pump.

Here’s a favorite (stolen from the guys over at The Strength House):

  • DB Hammer Curls x eight reps, rest 15s, repeat for six minutes.

You can also utilize Density Sets. Here, all you’ll do is set a timer for 8-12 minutes, pair two exercises together (or maybe a circuit of 3-4), and do as much work as possible during that time.

Lower Body Example:

  • DB Goblet Step-Ups x 8/leg
    Cable Pull-Through x 10
    Foam Roller Bodysaw x 10

 

Upper Body Example

  • DB Bench Press x 8
    TRX Row x 12
    Upper Cut a Grizzly Bear x2/side

The permutations are endless and what you choose is dependent on goals, what hurts, what doesn’t, and equipment availability. The bigger picture to appreciate, though, is that something is better than nothing.

And your workouts don’t have to be marathon sessions. You can get quite a bit done in 30 minutes.

3. Sub-Maximal Training Works, Trust Me

Even when a baby isn’t thrown into the mix, sub-maximal training (60-85% of 1RM) is something that should be stressed more often.

You need to build strength, not test it.

What’s more, hanging out in this range won’t beat up the joints as much

4. You May Think It’s Lame…But Walking Will Prevent You From Wanting To Kill People

Baby can’t sleep? Go for a walk.

Baby is aimlessly meandering around whining? Go for a walk.

The Price is Right just ended? Go for a walk.

Going for walks is what keeps parents sane. Exercise doesn’t have to be in the form of lifting things. Walking is actually a very underutilized modality and something I did often with my little guy.

I’d put him in the stroller, put on a podcast, and walk around the neighborhood.

It served as an easy way to get out of the apartment and to get my Zone 2 work in.7

In addition my walks spawned the #popupjulian phenomenon, which initially started as a way for Lisa to keep tabs on us when she went back to work after maternity leave.  During my walks I’d send Lisa videos of Julian “popping up” around Boston.

Caffe Nero

Lee’s Burgers

BU Strength & Conditioning

#popupjulian makes a cameo at @terrierstrength. Recruiting class of 2040.

A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

Go for walks.

A lot of them.

5. Teamwork & Asking For Help

My wife is the shit.

Training is every bit as important to her as it is me…so it wasn’t a hard “sell” to ask her to take over watching Julian so that I could go train; and vice versa.

We were (and are) a team.

Teamwork is vital during this time. Sacrifices and compromises are par for the course.

“Sure, babe, you can go have drinks with the girls…for a small fee of 37 foot massages.“

Moreover, and this is something Eric Cressey wrote about when he was a new father, many guys will balk at the notion of asking for or taking help as if it’s a strike to their ego to do so.

To that I say, “bull to the shit.”

Someone offers to watch your kid for a few hours so you can have a date night? Take it. Emphatically.

Hire someone to write your programs. That’s what I did.

It’s okay to ask for help and/or to delegate tasks when needed. I mean, shoot, Batman had Alfred.

Even he didn’t do things all alone.

6. You’re Going to Fail…and That’s Normal

Sometimes you’re going to have a case of the “Eff Its” and not want to train. And that’s okay.

Sometimes you’ll prefer to order a pizza. And that’s okay too.

My friend, colleague, and new(ish) Dad himself, Bryan Krahn, put things into perspective:

You’re going to fail.

You’re going to be less than perfect.

That’s okay.

Welcome to the club.

CategoriesInterview Program Design

Even More Becoming a Brick Shit House

Pat Davidson is the best interview on the internet.

He developed one of the most badass training programs in recent memory – MASS – a few years ago, and the interview(s) he and I did – Becoming a Brick Shit House HERE and HERE – were the most popular in this site’s history.

Well, he’s back. This time to discuss his sequel…MASS 2.

If you want to skip the foreplay and get straight to business…you can click THIS link to purchase. However, I’d encourage you to read the interview because you’ll want to punch through a brick wall after the fact. That, and there’s a special offer at the end for a discounted price only available to reader’s of this site.

Lets get to it.

Copyright: spotpoint74 / 123RF Stock Photo

Even More Becoming a Brick Shit House

TG: Okay, obvious question: What’s different in MASS 2?  The original MASS program was a beast. I know many coaches and people who followed it with great success. What’s different about MASS 2?

How much (more) will it make people hate life?

Who’s the target demographic?

PD: What’s different about MASS 2? MASS 1 was my version of writing the most stupid program I possibly could. It was originally written for an intern at Men’s Health who had never lifted weights before and wanted to put on as much mass as possible in 16 weeks.

I wasn’t going to be able to coach this intern on a day to day basis, but I knew I would have to give him feedback. To be able to give him more accurate feedback, I started doing the program with him. I put the video of a couple workouts on social media and people started asking about them. I sent the program to some prominent coaches in our field, and they started doing the program, and they started posting videos.

Men’s Health was going to do a story on the intern, because he gained a ton of muscle on the program and they were going to name it best new program of the year.

I figured I could make some money out of the situation, so I turned the program into a book, and the MASS concept was born. The book got out into the world, and people started to have great results from it. I had to really start thinking about why the program was so effective for so many people.

My conclusion was that it made people do more mechanical work in less time than they were doing before, so it was an overload, and that the game like structure of the workouts was incredibly motivating for people and made them increase their effort.

The other major factor is that it forced people to be more consistent with their lifestyle factors. The workouts were so hard and punishing that people ate better food, more of it, got more sleep, drank less alcohol, etc, simply to reduce the punishment of the workouts…physiology drives behavior.

MASS 1 features the same workout four days a week for four straight weeks. Like I said, it’s kind of moronic…don’t get me wrong, there’s some brilliance in the simplicity, but it’s also wicked dumb too.

To me MASS 2 is real deal training. It’s the kind of program I would write for myself (it is what I write for myself).

MASS 2 takes lessons learned from MASS 1, and then flips the script on you a little bit, because rather than doing the same workout four days per week, there are four different workouts on the four training days each week.

MASS 2 uses a heavy day, a light day, and a moderate weight day kind of approach, and therefore trains different physiological pathways associated with strength, power, and hypertrophy. There are no easy days in MASS 2, rather different kinds of suck thrown at you across the week.

So in some ways, MASS 2 might not make you hate life as much as MASS 1, because you’ll have some variation and novelty across your weeks, but you’ll re-appreciate the way that shit can be served to you in slightly different stylings.

What’s the shit du jour?

It’s the shit of the day. Great, I’ll have that. That is MASS 2 in a nutshell.

Jim Carrey Dumb And Dumber GIF from Jimcarrey GIFs

The demographic that MASS 2 is written for is two fold in my mind. It’s for strength coaches, intelligent trainers, and exercise aficionados, but it’s also for regular people who want to learn the truth about things.

MASS 2 is written for those amongst us who are not cowards.

The weak like to skim the surface of topics in life. They like to read blurbs and watch two minute selfie videos on social media. Cowards don’t dig their heels into the ground and try hard when things get difficult.

They want CLIFF notes on everything.

Thankfully the world also has other people in it who are tough, resilient, and truly appreciate depth and challenge. They want the whole story, and the deeper the rabbit hole goes, the more excited they get about the dig. I wrote MASS 2 for this latter group, because very few people in fitness are writing books for them. There’s plenty of crap that regurgitates the same superficial shit that’s been around forever, and basically I want to light that stuff on fire and then put it out with a nice long piss.

That flaming piss is MASS 2.

TG: What have you added or taken out compared to the first iteration? Why?

^^ This pic shows Pat actually is a very lovely person ^^

PD: One of the most obvious things that I added to this book is that I tell the reader some of my own life story. I talk about coming from a lineage of drunks and drug addicts, and personally being a recovering alcoholic and drug addict.I also talked some about being fired from Springfield College. Those experiences are part of my identity, and they’re elements that bring a lot of shame to me when I think about myself.

At the same time though, those two experiences have been powerful lessons for me to learn some much greater truths about myself. I’ve learned that I’m immature, arrogant, thin skinned, low in self esteem, resentful, and self destructive. At the same time I’ve learned that I can face uncomfortable truths, learn my tendencies and habits, and actually change my persona and behaviors with disciplined deliberate practice.

I’ve also learned that you can reframe what some would consider character flaws into strengths. Drug addicts are in fact the most goal directed amongst us. They want one thing and one thing only, and they usually do whatever it takes to acquire that thing. When you’re a recovering drug addict and you take that same capability and aim it at other things, there’s nothing you can’t acquire.

The other obvious difference is that MASS 1 was thematically inspired by Rocky IV. MASS 2, the sequel uses the greatest action movie sequel as its muse, Terminator 2.

Let’s face it, if you’re going to write a sequel to a badass book involving a Stallone movie, the only way you can follow that up is by channeling Arnold.

MASS 2 is bigger, badder, and stronger than the OG book. In my opinion, everything about the sequel is better than the original…the program, the content of the book, and the writing style.

TG: I know you like to go into the weeds as it relates to program design…..what do you feel are the most common mistakes most coaches make when it comes to writing programs? 

PD: In this day and age, it’s actually criminal to not include something about, Start with the Why, in your response to your approach to things in life in 49 out of the 50 states (sorry Tennessee).

If you don’t include something from this book in a fitness based answer, you’re ostracized from the fitness world, and on your way into exile you get tarred and feathered, the shame bell nun walks you out of town, and even your mother throws rocks at you while you trudge head down and cry to the rhythm of Celine Dione’s, My Heart Will Go On.

via GIPHY

Essentially most coaches don’t explain why they’re asking you to do something.

If you don’t tell people why something is important, they don’t believe in the concept. Belief will drive effort, and effort will drive physical performances that will cause the body to change.

What I just said doesn’t mean you can throw a shit program on paper, and then tell a magical story about it, and that will work. I think those of us who love training and science will work harder to learn better information, try those approaches out in our own training, and discover what really works, and why it works.

Those same people are usually so passionate that they want to tell other people about what they’ve learned. So I see great story telling about program design and actual knowledge about training science as being a symbiotic relationship that creates a positive feedback loop.

Great science ultimately ends in an explanation of the mechanisms.

The mechanisms of how things work is usually the most interesting part of the story…and those mechanisms are usually complicated, deep, and intertwined with other systems and stories. Great stories have multiple dimensions to them, often times come full circle, leave you with cliff hangers, make you want more, seamlessly weave a common thread throughout the plot, stretch your ability to question your previous assumptions, and inspire you to take action.

To me program design is story telling, and I get people to reach for the stars because they want to after the story affects them.

How many coaches do you know that try to explain everything to the people they work with?

I’ve definitely seen some do it, and they’re usually the great ones. There’s nothing else they want to do more than talk training. They’re excited about it, and if you let them, they’ll never stop passionately explaining every detail of what they think about the things they’re doing.

That’s how I felt meeting Rusty Jones. That’s how I felt hearing Al Vermeil talk. Those guys weren’t spring chickens at those points in time, but they had more energy and passion than 99% of 20 year olds I’ve met.

Something else that people make mistakes on is that they pick shit exercises or put things in a bad order.

Here’s a list of things that I think make something shit in no particular order.

  1.  The TRX is involved.
  2.  It’s a complex with light dumbbells.
  3.  There’s a band around your knees and no barbell is in sight.
  4.  Your first movement of the day is an isolation exercise for arms.
  5.  The heaviest thing you did involved a cable.
  6.  More exercises in your training day used a band than bars or dumbbells.
  7.  You spent more than two minutes using a PVC pipe.
  8.  The Viper (aka, the weak man’s log) made an appearance.
  9. At some point you did super man’s.
  10. The BOSU was stood upon.

Finally if you write a program and don’t physically try it, I really worry about that thing. I personally don’t put anything out into the world that I don’t test on myself. At some point I’ll probably get too old and fat to self test, but hopefully that isn’t until I’m 80 or something.

15% Off MASS 2

If you made it this far you can’t tell me you’re still on the fence and unconvinced to give this program a shot.

You should be salivating.

Well, if not, and you need a little more incentive, how’s 15% off the original price sound?

I wish I could sit here and say I did something cool like beat Pat in an arm wrestling match to finagle such a deal, but all I really did was ask.

All you have to do is go HERE and then type in gentilcore15 where it asks for the coupon code, and Sha-ZAM you get 15% off.

Happy (but not really) lifting.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: 3/23/18

Oh, hello.

It’s Friday.

You know the drill.

Copyright: wamsler / 123RF Stock Photo

BUT FIRST…(STUFF TO CHECK OUT AND OTHER TIDBITS CURATED TO MAKE YOU A BETTER COACH OR HUMAN)

1. Coaching Competency: DC – Early Bird Rate Ending

The Early Bird rate for my Coaching Competency workshop in the DC area ends THIS weekend (3/25).

For $99 you get to hang out with me for seven hours and talk about assessment, program design, deadlifts, and LOLCat memes. Price increases to $129 after this weekend.

Go HERE for full details.

2. Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coaching Certification

Registration for this highly competitive certification opens on April 4th. However, I’ve got some good, nay, fucking amazing news.

I’ve negotiated some awesome perks for you:

  • Early access to enroll on April 3rd (24 hrs before they open to the public), increasing your chances of getting in.

  • A huge discount (up to 33% off the regular price).

This is without question one of the best certifications any fitness professional can possess, offering incredible value and helps to separate you from the masses.

Go HERE for more info.

3. Even More Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Coming Soon

Dean Somerset and I are currently in the throes of drumming up new content for our staple workshop series.

We’ve presented this workshop all over the world – London, Vancouver, Oslo, Prague, Boston, LA – and even turned it into a popular digital product HERE so everyone can enjoy it.

We’ve already nailed down dates in Slovenia, Houston, and LA this fall (2018) and are also in talks to bring it to Detroit, Philadelphia, Australia, and Singapore in 2019.

If you’re someone who’d like to host this event/participate in a tickle fight please reach out to either Dean or myself.

4. Cobra Kai – This Looks Fucking Awesome

 

I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I watched The Karate Kid when I was, well, a kid.8

I am PUMPED for this. I am 65% aroused.

Shout out to my boy, Chad Landers, who helped prep star (and 1980’s Movie Douchebag 1st Team All-Star) William Zabka, for this role.

STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

Set Point Theory: Does Your Body Defend Against Fat Loss? – Brad Dieter

Brad’s one of the rare nutrition peeps I listen to.9

He doesn’t seem to have an “agenda” other than to go out his way to use science to back up his rationale for everything.

I dig that.

I think you’ll dig this article.

Can Food Have Negative Calories? – Examine.com

Examine.com = dick puncher of nutritional fallacies and pipe dreams.

My Favorite 3-Part Turkish Get-Up 1 Minute Video Tutorial – Artemis Scantalides

Artemis is responsible for MY get-up and how I coach it to my athletes/clients. She’s the shit. You need to listen to her.

Social Media Shenanigans

Twitter

Instagram

Here’s a fantastic push-up variation I got from @smittydiesel that’s super challenging: Renegade Push-up. One of the advantages of push-ups and why I like them so much is their versatility and how seamlessly they can be progressed and regressed. Here I take away a base of support (an arm) and try to hold a 3-point position without allowing my torso or hips to rotate. This is a killer core challenge, and to be honest I’m gonna throw myself under the bus a little bit and say I should have tried to hold the elbow tap a liiiiitle bit longer. I kinda rush things in an effort to get to a more stable position. This is an exercise where slowing things down is paramount its effectiveness. Any sort of mild elevation will work here: and aerobics stepper, setting up the bar in a Smith Machine to the lowest setting, or anything similar. Also, totally cool to alternate which hand comes up; feel free to experiment.

A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Renegade Push-Up

Push-ups are an underrated exercise.

Meatheads scoff at the notion of adding them to their programs. “Too easy,” most will say. “Not not going to make me pecy enough.”

Athletes roll their eyes at them. “Not going to get me to the show, bro,” they’ll retort.

Au contraire I say.

Copyright: davidoff205020 / 123RF Stock Photo

Do Your Fucking Push-Ups

Yeah, that’s right.

For starters, I can tell you without hesitation that in my 15+ years working with athletes, general population, and the occasional wizard, it’s a rare find when someone shows up on Day #1 and can impress me with their push-up prowess.

Most of the time I end up watching something like this:

Which makes me do stuff like this:

SIDE NOTE: This is also how I react when my wife tells me to make the bed in the morning.

Suffice it to say, the push-up – or rather, someone’s ability to do one without making me go batshit crazy – provides me with a lot of information.

Sure, it gives insight on their upper body strength. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg and not really what I’m after. More importantly it provides valuable data with regards to someone’s lumbo-pelvic-hip control/stability and their ability to 1) maintain a good position and 2) to do so once motion comes into play and fatigue sets in.

Secondly, I’m a firm believer that push-ups are one of the keys to healthy shoulders. On one end of the spectrum it’s standard procedure to cue trainees to lock the shoulder blades in place – retract and depress – during basic strength movements like the bench press, squat, and deadlift.10

In short: In order to “protect” the shoulder and to move appreciable weight you have to be dialed in with scapulae positioning.

 

And on the other end of the spectrum we take everything I just said and toss it out the window.

Unlike the bench press, push-ups are a closed-chain movement (hands don’t move).

As much time as we spend cuing people to “glue” the shoulder blades in place – especially during bench pressing variations – it’s equally as vital to allow them to experience moving around the ribcage (protraction) and gaining access to their full range of motion.

That’s what the shoulder blades are designed to do….

…to move.

I have a simple approach with most of my lifters:

1. Lock those fuckers down when lifting heavy things.

2. However, do your push-ups. Those shoulder blades need to move.

To that end, one of the other advantages of push-ups is that they can be done anywhere and there’s no shortage of iterations to regress or progress them according to someone’s ability level.

Here’s a variation I think will pique some interest.

Renegade Push-Up

 

Who Did I Steal It From? – The one and only Jim “Smitty” Smith of Diesel Strength & Conditioning.

What Does It Do? – Here I take away a base of support (an arm) and try to hold a 3-point position without allowing my torso or hips to rotate.

This is a killer core/rotary challenge.

Key Coaching Cues – I’m gonna throw myself under the bus a little and say I should have held my elbow tap a tad longer in the video above. I rush things in an effort to get in a more stable position and not make out with the floor.

The idea here is to keep a controlled tempo.

No rushing.

Slowing things down is paramount to the effectiveness of this exercise.

Any sort of mild elevation will work here: an aerobics stepper, the bar set at the lowest position on a Smith Machine, a medicine ball (if you really want to up the ante), or anything similar.

Feel free to alternate which hand comes off the ground.

Aim for 5-8 repetitions per side.

CategoriesFemale Training

How To Maintain Your Back Squat During Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be an arduous and delicate time in a woman’s life. To be a bit more colloquial…shit goes down.

Shit goes down hard.

I’m a firm advocate of strength training during pregnancy. It’s a great way to keep the body healthy and strong during those nine months, and to (hopefully) expedite the recovery process once the little one arrives.

There’s a small sentiment out there that exists where women are told strength training is  bad or altogether dangerous during this time, and that it should be avoided at all costs.

Lifting weights during pregnancy dangerous? No.

Lifting weighs during pregnancy different? Yes.

Today’s guest post by Pre and Postnatal Exercise Specialist, Terrell Baldock, helps to shed some light on the issue.

Squats!

Copyright: viacheslavmaksimov / 123RF Stock Photo

How To Maintain Your Back Squat During Pregnancy

If you’ve been lifting for a while, you know the back squat is essential to any strength training program.

But What If You’re Pregnant?

Squatting will become a way of life in motherhood and you will need all of the squat training you can get during pregnancy. Squats are mostly known for their work in the lower body but they’re fantastic as full body movement as well.

A few years back, “I would have said absolutely no, there is no way you should be back-squatting during pregnancy.”

But I’ve come around a bit since then.

Instead of omitting exercises like the barbell back-squat all together, making modifications and learning how to safely execute a barbell back-squat is far more important.

The barbell back squat is fantastic to do during your pregnancy, but you will need to monitor your pelvic floor for any downward pressure as well as your overall stability.

You may also notice your “butt wink” creeping in. This is typically because as your belly is growing, additional weight is being placed onto the pelvic floor.

As a result, your hip flexors, adductors, and abductors tend to become tight and take on more work, plus your glutes become inactive due to the shift in your alignment.

In this article, I’m going to give you strategies to not only maintain your squat, but keep you back-squatting throughout your entire pregnancy.

Your Core

As your belly grows, your abdomen will begin the separation process known as Diastasis Recti. This is completely normal and there is nothing to fear, but you can minimize the effects and keep your hips more stable.

Diastasis Recti is classified as the unnatural separation of your left and right rectus muscles. This process is different for every woman, but research shows that 100% of women will have diastasis recti by their 35th week of pregnancy (Mota et al 2014).

Yes, you can still train your core during pregnancy, but this looks a little different than traditional core training methods. Personally, I like anti-rotation exercises like the Half-Kneeling Pallof Press because it provides both hip and core stability which is perfect for your entire pregnancy.

 

Many people commonly think of their core as the “six-pack” abdominal muscles, but it’s a bit more involved. Your “deep core system” is made up of your diaphragm, pelvic floor, multifidus, and your transversus abdominis and they need to work synergistically along with the glutes to provide a stable foundation for all of your movements patterns.

So if you happen to notice some coning, or tenting in your abdomen during your back-squat, you’ll need to address your lifting strategy.

Hip Mobility

Your hips can become tight to compensate for the weight of your growing baby. And this is a biggie for your squat pattern because that “butt wink” will be a result.

Not to worry my friend. If you see that “butt wink” it may not the end of your back-squatting days.

 

In this video, I’m 26-weeks pregnant and back-squatting 70 lbs in the 12 to 15 rep range. As I go into the eccentric part of the squat, you can see the “butt wink” almost right away.

Note From TG: To toss my keen coaching eye into the foray – and this is NOT to call out Terrell in any way, shape, or form – if you watch how she sets up to squat you’ll notice she starts with an aggressive arch (or anterior pelvic tilt) which means she’s likely running out of hip flexion “room” sooner than she normally has access to. As a result the lumbar spine is going to compensate by going into lumbar flexion (butt wink).

The “fix” may be to cue her to start with a little more posterior pelvic tilt first and then to squat with her hips more underneath her. Or, I can just STFU and recognize she’s 26 weeks pregnant and understand that things are a bit wonky at the moment….;o)

At 26-weeks in my most recent pregnancy, I had a “butt wink” in my back squat almost immediately. This is a good indication that I was dealing with muscle tightness in my hips.

At this point, I switched up my strategy by using goblet and sumo squats with kettlebells or dumbbells as well as incorporating soft tissue release of my hips, quads, hamstrings, glutes, abductors, and adductors.

To be perfectly honest, when I switched up my strategy, I had no intention of improving my back squat. I wanted to begin preparing my pelvis for childbirth by releasing the tightness, which is critical when it comes to labour and delivery.

Note From TG: Viola! Goblet Squat = more of an anterior load = anterior core turns on = posterior tilt = Tony does need to STFU.

However, at 33-weeks pregnant, I attempted a back squat and something pretty cool happened.

After down-training for several weeks, my squat improved. Same load, same rep rage and there was a significant difference in my squatting pattern.

Goodbye butt wink!

 

This means, you may not have to give up your back squat at all.

But if you notice your hips rolling under during your back-squat, it would be a great time to add some release work into your fitness regime.

Using a foam roller to roll out your hips and glutes are a great way to release the tightness. It may not feel good, so remember to breathe.

 

Your Breathing

A proper breathing technique can help to balance out the pressure in your core which will ultimately provide better protection to your core and pelvic floor. When you have a core and pelvic floor that is functioning well, you will have a strong and healthy foundation for all movement pattern including your back squat.

The breathing technique that you want to master along with your squat is a diaphragmatic breath with a light pelvic floor engagement or “kegel”.

  • On the eccentric phase or on your way down, inhale deeply through your nose making sure you have good expansion through your rib cage.
  • On the bottom of your squat, you’re going to begin your exhale through your mouth like your blowing through a straw, engage your pelvic floor, and then press yourself up. Julie Wiebe calls this “blow before you go” because this signals your brain to engage your core and pelvic floor naturally if your core system is functioning properly.

And there’s a lot more information in my Barbell Training For Pregnancy: Your 3 Step Guide For Maximizing Performance During and After Pregnancy.

It features simple and actionable steps to maximize your core and pelvic floor function, improve performance, and most importantly, avoid the complications that can arise from postnatal exercising.

Click here to access your free guide today.

Your Alignment

As your pregnancy progresses, you may find your pelvis starting to anteriorly tilt. Now, you want to nip this in the bud in your first trimester or as soon as possible because this can affect how you squat.

Not only that, but your alignment affects your breathing and your coordination.

Ideally, you need to maintain a neutral posture.

This means your ribs stacked over your hips. This keeps the diaphragm seated directly above the pelvic floor allowing it to work with the multifidus and the transversus abdominis together as a team. A neutral pelvic position will optimize the availability to the pelvic floor making it easier to for the pelvic floor to work in unison with the rest of the system. 

You know what else your alignment does?

It keeps your deep core system including your pelvic floor functioning optimally, helping to manage the intra-abdominal pressure. However, if you’re feeling downward pressure in your pelvis and your alignment is spot-on, it may be time to make modifications.

Here’s how to stand in neutral alignment in your back squat.

  • Stand with your legs just outside hip width apart (or a narrower stance if that’s where you’re comfortable) and toes angled at about 15 degrees and knees slightly bent
  • Squeeze your shoulder blades together, you don’t want the bar sitting on bone. It won’t feel good!
  • Stack your ribs over your hips and make sure that your pelvis is in neutral position and not anteriorly tilted.

Load and Range Of Motion

Generally speaking, you can continue to use the same load you were using before pregnancy during the first trimester and early into your second trimester (if you’re feeling up for it, of course!).

However, when your belly begins to grow, you will need to monitor your squat for pressure on your pelvic floor and range of motion.

It’s best at this point to lighten the load.

Let’s say you’re working in the 8-10 rep range. Drop the weight to where you can lift 15 reps comfortably.

The goal isn’t to work to fatigue.

If you find that you feel pressure in the pelvic floor after lightening the load, decrease your range of motion so that you don’t come down as far. If that still isn’t helping with the pressure, it’s time to modify.

Listen To Your Body

This is the most important step to any movement during your pregnancy. If you feel overexerted, fatigued, dizzy, faint, or you need extra support in your belly, it’s best to lighten the load or swap your barbell for kettlebells or dumbbells.

 

Additionally, pay attention to your pelvic floor. If you’re feeling bulging, heaviness, pain or pressure, or leak a little–or a lot, it’s time to modify. If it doesn’t feel quite right, don’t do it.

Seeing a pelvic health physical therapist (pelvic health physiotherapist if you’re in Canada), is a great defense in your prenatal and postpartum training. They can get an internal perspective of how your pelvic floor is functioning, look for any pelvic organ prolapse, and give you the best possible guidance when it comes to prenatal training when it comes to your pelvic floor.

When troubleshooting your back-squat (pregnant or not) make sure you start off unloaded to train the squatting pattern properly along with all of the strategies listed.

First and foremost is safety.

I suggest not training alone and working or consulting with a coach who is trained in prenatal and postnatal exercise. Pregnancy isn’t the time to set personal records and egos need to be set aside. How you train during pregnancy matters in maximizing your postpartum performance, maintaining a well balanced pelvic floor, and keeping you injury free.

About the Author

Terrell Baldock is a Prenatal and Postnatal Exercise Specialist in London, Ontario, Canada. She specializes in working with women with core and pelvic floor dysfunctions and prepares them for the demands of pregnancy, birth and postpartum recovery.

With over a decade of coaching experience, she trusted by Maternity Doctors and Pelvic Floor Physiotherapists as well as a regular speaker at the University Of Western Ontario.

If you have questions about training during pregnancy, feel free to reach out on Facebook, Instagram, or check out her website.

Categoriescontinuing education

Last Chance Early Bird Rate For DC Workshop

I’m coming to our nation’s capital.

Well, close enough anyways.

On Saturday, April 21st I’ll be putting on my Coaching Competency Workshop at Beyond Strength Performance located in Sterling, VA.

I’m using the opportunity to post on my blog today because I’M THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN THE WORLD this week (ending on 3/25) will be your last chance to attend at the Early Bird rate of $99.

I can’t tango, I have zero nunchuck skills, and I haven’t the faintest idea how to make a flambeau dessert.

However, I do  know how to coach people in the weight room. And I know how to coach coaches on how to be better coaches.

See…here’s a picture of me coaching:

Coaching Competency Workshop

This will be an immersive and interactive day where I peel back the onion as it relates to my approach to the following topics:

  • Assessment – Upper and lower extremity
  • Program Design
  • Exercise Technique
  • Making Killer LOLCat Memes

When: Saturday, April 21, 2018

Where: Beyond Strength Performance (Chris Merritt & Todd Bumgardner’s joint) located in Sterling, VA.

Time: 11:30 am – 6:30 pm

Cost: $99 (Early Bird), $129 (After 3/25)

Itinerary

11 am: Registration

11:30 am: Welcome and Review of the Day

11:45 am: Roles of a Coach, Characteristics of “Good” and “Bad” Coach, Personal Coaching Philosophy

1:00 pm: Upper Extremity Assessment – Shoulder. Discuss anatomy, common screens used to ascertain shoulder health/performance.

2:00 pm: Hands-on Upper Extremity Correctives – shoulder friendly strength training.

3:30 pm:  Lower Extremity Assessment – Hips. Discuss anatomy, common screens used to ascertain hip health/performance, hands-on correctives.

5:00 pm:  Hip Hinge, Squat, Program Design.

6:30 pm: Wrap-up, CEUs, Go get a burger.

Register

You can go HERE to sign-up and register. Subject to spontaneous hugs in person.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: 3/16/18

Oh, hello.

I’m in NYC!

I flew down here yesterday from Boston courtesy of Equinox. I’ll be doing two separate workshops for a bunch of their trainers talking about shoulder assessment and how to turn their clients into a bunch of bench pressing and chin-upping T-1000’s.

I still wanted to make sure I got this week’s list up for your reading pleasure, though.

I got your back.

Copyright: gregorylee / 123RF Stock Photo

BUT FIRST…(STUFF TO CHECK OUT AND OTHER TIDBITS CURATED TO MAKE YOU A BETTER COACH OR HUMAN)

1. I’m Everywhere In 2018

I’ve got a bevy of speaking engagements lined up for 2018, and next week begins the madness.

I’ll be in NYC speaking at a few Equinox locations on March 16th and 17th, and from there on out I’ve got a place to be at least one weekend every month for the foreseeable future.

It’s a nice feeling to be in demand.

I’d encourage you to click the link above or THIS one for more details/insights into where I’ll be and when.

Events Just Around the Corner

  • Spurling Spring Seminar – Kennebunk, ME: April 14th
  • Coaching Competency Workshop – Sterling, VA: April 21st
  • The Fitness Summit – Kansas City, MO: May 4-5th (Dean Somerset and I are doing a special 4-hour PRE-CON for this event).

2. Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coaching Certification

Registration for this highly competitive certification opens on April 4th. However, I’ve got some good, nay, fucking amazing news.

I’ve negotiated some awesome perks for you:

  • Early access to enroll on April 3rd (24 hrs before they open to the public), increasing your chances of getting in.

  • A huge discount (up to 33% off the regular price).

This is without question one of the best certifications any fitness professional can possess, offering incredible value and helps to separate you from the masses.

Go HERE for more info.

3. Even More Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Coming Soon

Dean Somerset and I are currently in the throes of drumming up new content for our staple workshop series.

We’ve presented this workshop all over the world – London, Vancouver, Oslo, Prague, Boston, LA – and even turned it into a popular digital product HERE so everyone can enjoy it.

We’ve already nailed down dates in Slovenia, Houston, and LA this fall (2018) and are also in talks to bring it to Detroit, Philadelphia, Australia, and Singapore in 2019.

If you’re someone who’d like to host this event/participate in a tickle fight please reach out to either Dean or myself.

STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

4 Action Steps to Combat Negative Thinking – Dr. Lisa Lewis

Not that I’m biased or anything (my wife wrote this article for Mark Fisher Fitness), but this is the greatest article on the topic of how to punch negative self talk in the dick that’s ever been written.

4 Ways To Improve Your Hip Flexion – Ashleigh Kast

Hip flexion is kinda like the evil red-headed step child of hip mobility. For some reason it always seems to get a bad rap.

As Ashleigh states in this article:

“That’s the action of pulling your knees to your chest with a neutral spine. You need to be able to put your hips in flexion while under load, with structural integrity, at the bottom of your squat or top of your hinge.”

We need hip flexion.

Here’s how you’re going to do it.

Gym Owner Musings #10 – Pete Dupuis

Pete’s stuff is always required reading.

Social Media Shenanigans

Twitter

Instagram