One Man, One Blog

For those that don't know, I was asked to start a fitness blog for The Boston Herald a few months ago. I have also been trying to keep up with this blog as well, and I have obviously failed miserably.

That being said, I have decided that it would be best to focus my attention on ONE blog only. I have been updating my blog on The Boston Herald much more often and feel that it would be in my best interest to not be the guy who has 15 blogs at the same time. Chicks just don't dig that.

Nonetheless, for the time being I will only be updating my blog there. Check it out here:

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Enjoy!

Your Body Hates You

The above statement is one that I like to use often, and is one that I "stole" from Lyle McDonald.

I like to use it whenever someone asks me why it's a bad idea to not eat when trying to lose weight (more specifically fat). I can understand the rationale of some people who feel that the best way to lose weight is to just flat out not eat. It makes complete sense, really. I mean if someone has around 40 lbs of fat to lose, surely the body will just use the excess fat as fuel and burn it off faster than Britney Spears can totally bomb her big "comeback."

Thing is your body hates you and is waaaaaay smarter than you. When you reduce calories too low, the body doesn't realize that you're doing so in order to look good in a bathing suit. It views this drastic drop in caloric intake as you going into starvation mode, and it will do everything in its power to keep that from happening. How?

One word: Leptin

Leptin is a protein based hormone that is made in your fat cells (of all places) and one of its main jobs is to communicate information to your brain (via leptin receptors located on fat cells), such as how much body fat you have and how many calories you're currently taking in per day. The more body fat one has or the more calories he or she is taking in per day, the more leptin that is floating around in the body; and vice versa. It should be noted that caloric intake controls leptin levels a bit more than overall body fat levels.

To make a long (and very complicated) story short, when someone drastically reduces their caloric intake in an attempt to shed body fat, leptin levels can drop as much as 50% within 1-2 days. As a result, the body goes into "panic" mode and sends a signal to your brain that you're starving and will basically go into preservation mode telling your body to starting storing fat (rather than burning it off). Side note: your body will also start burning off muscle, which is the last thing you want it to do. This is why diets that call for a drastic reduction in calories or when someone basically doesn't eat in the hopes of shedding body fat doesn't work in the long run.

Obviously there are many other variables that I could (and should) elaborate on, but the resounding conclusion to take home is that you can not go against millions of years of human evolution and expect to come out the winner when following less than optimal protocols.

So what is one to do?

Well for starters, don't listen to anyone who wears sunglasses indoors. It's dumb and they should not be trusted. Secondly, take dieting breaks every few weeks and bring caloric levels back up to maintenance levels. Doing so will not only keep you sane, but will provide many physiological advantages as well (bringing leptin levels back up to normal). Thirdly, lift weights. What makes muscle, keeps muscle. Don't be lame and lift pink dumbbells for 20 reps or go out and run a marathon everyday (ever notice how those people still kind of look "skinny fat?"). Go to the gym, lift some heavy weights, scare people, and go home.

Q: Hey Tony, I've read your "The Rule of 90%" article and have started incorporating more lifts above 90% into my programming, however I am little perplexed as to when (or if) I should include any cardio during the week (ie: John Berardi's "G-Flux" approach). Do you have any thoughts?

A: First off, I'm glad you liked the article. I've said it before, and I will say it again: if one of your goals is to get strong, you NEED to include more lifts above 90% into your programming. Performing 5x5 will only take you so far. Many intermediate and advanced trainees miss the boat in this regard. For those not familiar with what I am talking about, read the article for crying out loud (wink).

As far as your question pertaining to cardio (I'm just going to assume you're referring to high intensity intervals); absolutely you can include it in your weekly schedule. The key is to just know how to control your CNS (Central Nervous System) intensive training. Training over 90% is pretty taxing on the CNS, as is going out and running sprints on a football field. The objective here is to try to "condense" your CNS intensive training so that you're not running yourself into the ground every week (pun intended).

I'm a firm advocate that most trainees should give themselves at least 1-2 days of complete rest per week. The problem is, most people will train everyday to some degree not realizing that they're stunting their progress from training too much (fatigue will always masks one's true fitness level). I'll give you an example from my own weekly breakdown.

Monday: Lower Body (DE Squat)
Tuesday: OFF
Wednesday: AM: Sprints, PM: Upper Body (ME Bench)
Thursday: Lower Body (ME Squat/Deadlift)
Friday: OFF
Saturday: Upper Body (DE Bench)
Sunday: AM: Sprints

Rather than sprint on Tuesday, I just take that day off and perform a quick AM session on Wednesday because I know the sprints won't necessarily affect my upper body workout later that night. Ideally I should perform my other day of sprints on Friday, but I like to train with my girlfriend on Sundays and we go to the track together and run our sprints (awwwww).

On my OFF days, I still may do some light walking or extra mobility work in the gym, but I do NO CNS intensive training on those days.

If you're just looking to include a few easy sessions of steady state cardio in per week, I see no reason why you couldn't include a brief 15-20 minute "cardio session" after your upper body days.

They?

“They” say that performing fasted state cardio is the best way to shed fat. “They” also say that diets high(er) in protein are going to make your kidneys explode and that squats are bad for your knees . Who are they? I have no idea. Can you please point me in the direction of where “they” are so that I can have a little word with them (ie: drop kick them across the face).

I hate it when people refer to “they.” A past client of mine was adamant that training in the morning on an empty stomach was a sure fire way to burn off a ton of body fat. To quote him, “they said it was the best thing to do to get into shape.” Upon asking him who “they” were, he said, “my coaches back in college………..15 years ago.” Meanwhile this client was 40 lbs overweight, so his approach obviously worked really well for him (pssst: in case you didn’t catch on, I was being sarcastic just then).

Seriously who are “they”? I have an inkling that “they” are the registered dieticians and personal trainers who haven’t picked up a book in over ten years. “They” are also the hundreds of online gurus who have never trained one person in their lives, let alone be able to perform a deep squat without looking like their going to break their back. FYI: just because your post count is over 10,000 on four different forums, doesn’t make you an expert on anything except not having anything better to do; and yes, you're wrong.

Been Awhile

A lot has happened since I last blogged.

1. Went to Vegas (yes, I survived my first plane ride) and dropped $80 gambling. The girlfriend, however, won $800. Needless to say dinner was on her the last few nights we were there.

2. Lost 7 lbs in a week due to moving and getting into an accident while moving. Read: moving sucks donkey balls.

3. Been training a lot of athletes in the new facility, which has been a blast and has taken up the majority of my time obviously.

One of the cool things about the new facility is that we have been having a few people here and there stop by to observe and see how we operate. Last week I was discussing program design with one such person and he asked, "what are some of the main variables you take into consideration when designing a program for an athlete?"

Simple answer: decide what they should NOT be doing, and go from there. A great example would be baseball players. The vast majority do not need to be performing overhead movements, and we tend to exclude any overhead pressing (more specifically any BARBELL pressing) into their programming. We do allow pressing movements, but most entail the use of dumbbells, and with a neutral grip. Barbells lock "us" into a pronated grip, which promotes a bit more internal rotation of the glenohumeral joint. By having our baseball players stick to dumbbells or any bar which allows for a NEUTRAL grip, they're able to get a bit more external rotation, and thus "save" their shoulder.

Certainly there are a plethora of other variables that go into program design, but trying to figure out which movements a certain athlete or client shouldn't be doing will make the job much easier in the long run.

Vegas Baby

Off to Las Vegas this weekend. Word has it that they're taking bets on whether or not I shit myself during take-off.

Side Note: for those that don't know, this will be my very first time on a plane.

Needless to say a good time will be had. And by "good time" what I really mean is..........we'll be doing everything but going to see Celine Dion.

I'm out!

5 Quick Tips to Increase Strength

1. Warning: Captain Obvious suggestion of the day.

Creatine. It still dumbfounds me to think that there are people out there who train on a consistent basis, yet are STILL not taking creatine everyday (and yes, this includes you as well ladies). It's the most researched supplement in human history and it's efficacy has been proven time and time again.

It's safe
It works
It's NOT steroids
You do not need to do a loading phase.

Just take 5 grams of creatine monohydrate (no need to buy the expensive brands) per day in your pre/post training shake or with a high(er) carb meal and that's that. Here's a great article written by Cassandra Forsythe and Jen Heath titled "Creatine for Women."

2. Take your shoes off when you deadlift. I usually see an instant increase in the amount of weight someone can pull when they take their shoes off. Why? Well for starters, by taking your shoes off you're now .5-1.0 inches closer to the ground, which is .5-1.0 LESS distance the bar has to travel. Secondly, by taking your shoes off you're now able to pull through your heels, and as a result recruit more of your glutes and hamstrings to help out. Thirdly, people will automatically think you're badass cause you're training with no shoes on. Unless of course your feet smell like you've been walking through a sewer all day, then that's definitely not cool.

3. Glute Activation. If your glutes don't fire, the hamstrings and lower back have to do more work when you squat or deadlift. Performing some simple glute activation techniques beforehand will undoubtedly enable you to handle more weight because you will now have more muscle fibers "turned on" to help with the movement. The more muscle fibers and motor units that are turned on, the more weight you will be able to lift.

4. Cut your volume. If you haven't been making any progress in the gym for an extended period of time, it may be time to deload or cutback on your training volume. I've said this on numerous occasions, but FATIGUE WILL ALWAYS MASK ONE's FITNESS. A great analogy I like to use is one that I got from my good friend Eric Cressey. Assume we find your one rep max on the bench press. Now I have you go out and run 10 miles. Do you think after running 10 miles, that you will be able to even come close to your one rep max again? More is NOT better.

5. Rotate Movements. For intermediate and advanced trainees, most would bode will by rotating their main movements more. Try to alternate your squat, deadlift, and bench movements every 1-2 weeks. In doing so, you will keep the body guessing and maybe more importantly, keep your body fresh.

"I don't like cottage cheese."

I hear the above quote a lot.

Young athletes always ask me what they should be eating on a daily basis, and inevitably I will mutter cottage cheese. You would think I was telling them to eat battery acid from a car based upon some of the reactions I get.

I’m going to make this simple: as an athlete you will come to a point in the very near future when you will eat dirt if it meant that it would help you get better in your respective sport. If it means drinking cottage cheese through a straw, then so be it.

The same can be said for those who are just looking to shed some fat and look good naked. The sooner you accept the fact that there are certain “staple” foods that you should be eating everyday, the better off you will be. Ask any person who is already lean, and I can guarantee you (s)he is eating certain foods everyday: cottage cheese, lots of fruits and vegetables, chicken breast, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, lean red meat, mixed nuts, etc. It’s just the way it is. Suck it up buttercup and eat your damn cottage cheese.

Squatting and your Knees

On more than one occasion in the past year, I have overheard other trainers in the various gyms I have worked in and trained mention that they believe squats are bad for the knees. More specifically that "squatting below parallel is bad for the knees."

It's just a bunch of nonsense. So by that rationale, going to the bathroom is "bad?" Most people go below parallel when they go poo. Additionally, I was spending time with my niece (a little over two years old) and nephew (just turned five not too long ago) yesterday and they were able to repeatedly perform a picture perfect squat with no harm to their knees. I don't hear people telling them not to go below parallel.

IMO, what's "bad" for the knees is squatting with a limited range of motion. In this case, I am referring to partial squats (ie: what most people do when you see someone squatting in the gym). Partial squats put ALL the emphasis on the quadriceps and knees, totally neglecting the hamstrings and glutes. To all those people who say that squatting below parallel is bad for the knees, let me ask you a question. Which joint do you think would be able to handle a greater load: the knee or the hip?

Hopefully you answered the latter. By learning to squat the RIGHT way, and with a full ROM, you allow the hips to take more stress OFF the knees, hence saving them. Conversely, I feel that for those people who want full leg development, training with a full ROM only makes sense.

***Side Note: I am NOT referring to powerlifters here, so relax.

In the end I find it comical that many personal trainers will go off on how squatting is so bad for the knees, yet have no issues with using a BOSU ball to teach clients to squat "the right way," which only reinforces atrocious squatting mechanics (ankle eversion, knee valgus, etc) and just makes people weaker in general.

RD's and Protein (again)

Usually when I hear some RD (Retarded Dietician)....haha, did you catch that? I said retarded dietician, instead of registered dietician. Get it? Okay, shut up....I thought it was funny.

Anyways, whenever I hear some RD say something like "I wouldn't want to be your kidneys" in response to the fact that I advocate high(er) protein diets for myself and for my clients, I usually have to fight off the urge to put them in a half nelson and have them cry "uncle, uncle" before I let them go.

I find it comical that certain RD's "know" that high protein diets are dangerous or damaging to the kidneys; especially considering there is absolutely no scientific proof stating otherwise in healthy individuals. So the next time you come across this dilemma here is your retort:

"If you sprain your ankle, it will hurt when you walk; does that mean walking is bad and we should all stop doing it?"

[enter crickets chirping]

***Thank you to Miserere (from the t-nation forums) for that awesome analogy.

Awesomeness....

Totally un-fitness related, but this is awesome. I am so making a workout video out of this.

Prison "Thriller"

Fat Loss Troubleshoot

It's no secret that I like simple. And it's safe to assume that the majority of people who read this blog like simple as well. Losing bodyfat isn't rocket science, yet many people out there make it seem that way.

Leigh Peele has written a superb e-book titled "Fat Loss Troubleshoot" that makes fat loss about as simple as it can be. Everything is covered in this book; from which foods you should be eating for fat loss (and how to shop for them) to how to make a meal plan specific to your own individual needs. She also details which exercises you should be performing to bust through fat, and details what many personal trainers and fitness professionals do WRONG to hurt one's overall metabolism.

More importantly, what I like about Leigh's approach is her practicality. There are no "smoke and mirrors. All in all it's a great product for many first time trainers and/or general public who want simple, yet effective advice on fat loss. Check it out.

Don't Be Scared to Load

Try not to treat your clients as if they're patients. Often times we forget that people NEED a training effect. Sure, corrective exercise is important and is often a necessity. But I don't feel that an entire training session needs to be dedicated to corrective exercise alone; which is a mistake that a lot of trainers make.

More often than not the majority of one's corrective training is going to come from modalities such as foam rolling or dynamic flexibility drills, which can be done in less than ten minutes. If I need to spend a little more time on scapular stability or some glute activation with certain clients, I can usually "sneak" some extra work in between rest periods. So while they are "resting," they're also doing something productive.

I often see a lot of trainers spending 30-35 minutes on "little" things. Sorry, but doing 30 minutes of glute med activation and "core" work is not going to help your client shed those 30 lbs. And repeat after me: "BOSU balls are crap."

Long story short, don't be afraid to load your clients. Getting them stronger will undoubtedly be corrective in nature. This is not to say that there aren't special cases where you have to hold people back, but lets give these people a training effect too.

Busy Busy

Sorry for the long delay in getting another post up, but to say that things are crazy right now would be an understatement. I won't let the "cat out of the bag" (did I actually just use that phrase!?!?!) at the moment, but needless to say....some MAJOR changes are in the works. And by major, what I mean is Cressey Performance Center. Details soon......;o)

On a side note, I went and saw the latest Harry Potter movie last week. I had to go to this one alone because Katlyn (my girlfriend) just started reading book #1 and has never seen any of the movies (lame, I know....no worries, she's now officially hooked and has the HP bug). Needless to say, the movie was fantastic. Very dark and very cool.

Squatting Mishap

This blog is dedicated to a client of mine. As personal trainers, we LOVE to have clients who work hard and are consistent with their training. We also love to have clients who won't let something like ripping their pants while performing a set of Anderson squats get in the way of finishing their training session.

On her second set of Anderson squats, one of my female clients split her pants wide open. I wouldn't be surprised if someone across the gym heard the tear (over the lame John Mayer song playing in the background no less). I couldn't help but laugh my ass off and told her it was a right of passage. She racked the weight and then proceeded to put a towel around her waist and was perfectly content with finishing what I had planned for the day that way. How awesome is that?

Luckily the assistant fitness manager was kind enough to let her borrow a pair of extra pants we had back in the training office, and we finished our session.

I just wanted to give her kudos for being a champ. Not many clients would have a "screw it" attitude and want to train with a towel around their waist for an hour. That just made my day.

Q: In Mike Boyle's last article for T-nation (as well as this article from his site: http://michaelboyle.biz/documents/articles/Is%20Rotation%20Necessary.pdf) he pretty much stated that he has taken all exercises and warm up movements that involve lumbar rotation out of his programs, including scorpions, spinal erector stretches, bent knee twists etc. This has left me feeling a little unsure about how to train my clients, as obviously some of the stuff he doesn't like is stuff that is directly recommended in Magnificent Mobility, which I always use to design my warm up routines. What's your take on the whole deal?

A:

#1. Mike Boyle is one smart dude and probably the most quotable coach ever. The article linked above is a fantastic read. On a side note, I once ate an entire pizza at his house. I rule!

#2. I too use Magnificent Mobility for the bulk of my warm-ups with my own clients. As you well know, this industry is ever evolving and changing (it never stays the same). What was "good" for us at one point (the "low fat" craze in the 80's and 90's), is now "bad" (boy was that retarded). The thing about many fitness products and books that come out, is that information is often outdated within 6-12 months because of new research or data that comes out. This is why there are 2nd, 3rd, even 4th editions on some books.

The same can be said about Magnificent Mobility (and Inside/Out for that matter). I know for a fact that both Eric and Mike would exclude "some" of the movements advocated in the dvd (prone scorpions, and bent knee twists come to mind) based off a lot of the new data that exists which say that the lumbar spine should be trained with STABILITY in mind, and not MOBILITY.

That being said, it's STILL one of the best tools out there as far as learning how to properly warm-up. And I wouldn't be at all surprised if we get a MM 2nd edition soon.

#3. And lets remember to not throw the baby out with the bathwater here. I know there are a lot of trainers out there who are now reluctant to have their clients perform cable woodchops or any other movements that include rotation. Personally, I like to make sure that clients are able to PREVENT rotation before I train rotation (healthy dose of planks, Pallof Presses, etc etc). But that's not to say that I don't train rotation to some capacity; I mean come on....it IS a normal part of human movement. It's inevitable.

Cable Woodchops are perfectly fine, so long as the client is rotatating "through the chest" and NOT the lumbar spine. Stretching the lumbar spine is "okay" so long as it fits the needs of the client (someone who has Anterior Pelvic Tilt for example) AND they DO NOT go into HYPER-extension. Big difference. The latter point being one of the main reasons I am not a big fan of yoga.

All in all, certain liberties have to be taken into consideration and it speaks volumes that you're keep up-to-date with current literature and data. We need more trainers like you out there.

Working Out vs. Training

Lets try to differentiate between "working out" and "training."

Someone who "works out"

1. Actually says, "I am going to the gym to workout." This would be followed by
2. Wears gloves and/or complains about getting callouses.
3. Always does what is easy. IE: has done the same routine and looks EXACTLY the same as (s)he did three years ago.
4. Carries their cell phone with them into the gym. Unless you're a brain surgeon and/or Reggie Jackson (who I actually did see in the gym talking on his cell phone, but he's Mr. October and you're not, plus his forearms are the size of Kansas), you can live without your phone for an hour.
5. Carries a newspaper or magazine with them to read in between sets (worse yet: reads a newspaper or magazine DURING a set). Huh, I wonder why you're still fat?
6. Uses the term "I don't want to get big a bulky" whenever anyone mentions squats or deadlifts.
7. Spends 45 minutes training biceps while wearing UnderArmour.
8. Sorry ladies: yoga is not a form of working out. It's a form of crap.
9. Is ecstatic when the new ellipticals arrive.
10. Will never know what it's like to be in shape.

Someone who "trains"

1. Has a purpose and mission each and every day (s)he steps into the gym.
2. Is proud of their callouses and has a pet name for each and every one of them.
3. Is mad when it's NOT squat or deadlift day.
4. Knows there's more to life than three sets of ten. Matter of fact, anything over six reps is considered cardio.
5. Is in and out of the gym in less than 75 minutes.
6. Needs nothing but a power rack and a barbell to kick his or hers' own ass.
7. Doesn't use straps for lat pulldowns
8. Doesn't feel that women and men need to train differently. IE: she doesn't get intimidated by the guys in the free weight area.
9. Brags about their "battle scars" on their shins.
10. Actually looks like they lift weights.

Have bum knees? Want to know how to fix them?

Q: I must first say that I am a complete novice when it comes to fat
loss. I was just wondering if there really is a need to change one's
program for fat loss? I am following the Precision Nutrition guidelines, and keeping
to at least 90% compliance. I'm trying to drop about 5-8lbs of fat to
get myself down to my weight class. (I had been on a rather
aggressive clean bulk, before I knew better).

Anyway I was wondering, is there a need to use a program more focused
on fat loss (assuming I am on a caloric deficit). Or can I
achieve the same effect by staying on my current programming (I'm
currently using a westside-like template), with the same caloric
deficit?

I'm asking this also because I hear a lot that fat loss is achieved
with proper nutrition. But if this is so, then why is there a need
for many experts to develop specific fat-loss programs?

A:

Here's a direct quote from Alwyn Cosgrove:

"There's pretty much nothing that can be done to out-train a crappy diet. You quite simply have to create a caloric deficit while eating enough protein and essential fats. There's no way around this. Several trainers have espoused that the only difference between training for muscle gain and training for fat loss is your diet. I think that's a massive oversimplification, but it does reinforce how important and effective correct nutrition is toward your ultimate goal."

I couldn't agree more with Alwyn (like that's a big surprise). I tell ALL my clients that if fat loss is their goal, they CAN NOT out train a piss poor diet. You HAVE to provide some form of caloric deficit to lose fat. I would say that upwards of 80% of fat loss will be a direct result of your nutrition.

That being said, it IS a massive oversimplication to say that the only difference between training for muscle gain and training for fat loss is one's diet. So what we're trying to say is that a 300 lb powerlifter who needs to lose a bit of fat to make weight (but keep his lifts up) and a 175 lb weekend warrior who's trying to get up to 190 lbs are going to be training the same way, it's just their diet that's different? That's absurd.

All in all, if you're fat, you're fat. Using a more "advanced" program for fat loss will not speed up the fat loss process. I think someone in your situation (who is only looking to lose 5-8 lbs of fat, and has a bit more training experience) something like Alwyn's programs would work. Shoot, I would just throw in a few complexes at the end of your training session or some added med ball circuits/sprints and I am sure you could drop the fat quickly. But yes, nutrition IS fairly important

Get It Done....

As I type this blog, I am literally in the middle of grilling a huge package of chicken breast that I marinated a couple of hours ago. I just got done training and have to leave shortly to catch the train into Boston to go to work. Hold on one sec........................................................

Okay, I'm back. Had to go flip my chicken outside. Smells delicious.

Brie Boyer (ranked 12th overall in the world, and 3rd in the US in the Skeleton) is currently staying at mine and Eric Cressey's apartment this week getting some off-season training done at Excel Sport and Fitness in her attempt to switch over to bobsledding for the next Winter Olympics. I came home last night and walked into our kitchen to see an entire fridge full of fresh vegetables (spinach, tomatoes, onions, peppers, etc), fresh fruit (plums, peaches, apples), a few packages of lean ground turkey/beef, cottage cheese, various mixed nuts, and plethora of other quality food items. Additionally, Brie was nice enough to buy a new fan for our living room. YES!

The point of all of this is that we don't make excuses. We both know how and what we're supposed to eat and we get it done. No questions asked. In talking with Brie last night, she mentioned that one of the first things she did when she came here was to find the local grocery store so that she could get the food she needed to cook and pack each day.

We all make sacrifices. I don't necessarily enjoy spending time every day packing my meals and cooking food ahead of time, but I just accept it as something that needs to be done. Point. Blank. Period.

If you want to take your body to the next level, you MUST learn to accept the fact that you have to prepare for success. Fill your fridge with the proper foods, cook your meat ahead of time so that you save time in the long run, bring meals/snacks with you to work. Suck it up and just do it. If an Olympic athlete who trains everyday, works a part-time job, AND travels can do it......so can you.

Have a Clue...

A word of advice to any personal trainers who happen to read this blog: KNOW YOUR CLIENTS and what they're capable of.

I was watching another trainer last night put her client (also female) through a plyometric workout. Plyometrics for ANY "newbie" is questionable, but this was just brutal. I literally cringed when I saw this trainer have her client perform alternating lunge jumps. Each time the poor girl jumped up in the air and landed, her hip would internally rotate and her knee would cave in x 50 times. I was half expecting to see an ACL injury right then and there. It did not look pretty. Donald Trump dressed in drag would have looked prettier.

I will never understand why some trainers will use advanced training protocols with de-conditioned clients. It just doesn't make sense. We as fitness professionals NEED to know our clients and what they're capable of doing. Someone who is fat doesn't need some advanced fat loss program which includes HIIT and complexes and what not; they just need to freakin move. Advanced programs won't help them shed fat any quicker. Someone who can't even land correctly, doesn't need to be doing advanced plyometric training; they need to strengthen their posterior chain (rack pulls, pull-thru's, lunges, squats, etc), and just get stronger in general. Basics people, basics,

Perform Better in Providence

1. Gray Cook has really impressed me. He has an uncanny ability to take really complex concepts and dumb them down to the point where you’re like “huh…that makes total sense.” He’s also hilarious in a Jeff Foxworthy, “I’m a redneck, but I’m still waaaaaaaaay smarter than you” kind of way.

I first heard him speak last March in Boston, and I was able to catch his lecture on “core” training this past weekend. What was great about the lecture was that it wasn’t really a core training lecture, but rather a lecture on how the deadlift is an invaluable exercise. The “core” runs from the thighs to the scapulae (it’s NOT just the abs), which is an important distinction. A strong core is one that can transfer force through the hips to the shoulders. This is where the deadlift comes in. Cook went through numerous progressions from teaching people a proper hip hinge all the way up to loading them. And one very, very, very important point that he made….people NEED to lift heavy. Thank you!

2. We have one mouth and two eyes and ears for a reason. I was fortunate enough to attend the speaker BBQ Saturday night in Providence with Eric Cressey. Talk about a humbling experience. We arrived and walk into the back pool area and the likes of Mike Boyle, Alwyn Cosgrove, Robb Rogers, Mark Verstegen, Gray Cook, and a plethora of other top names in the industry are walking around. To be able to walk around and sit and listen to these people talk is nothing short of awesome. Keep your mouth shut and listen. Trust me, you’re not that special…..;o)

3. After listening to Mike Boyle speak on Sunday, I am convinced that the majority of people do not need to be running. “You get fit to run, you don’t run to get fit.” Women imparticular probably would be better off not running: wide hips, narrow knees (Q-angle) just spells disaster for most (not all). Personal trainers: if you have limited time with clients, interval training will not only be superior from a fat loss standpoint, but will undoubtedly improve AEROBIC conditioning as well.

4. Jimmy Smith is convinced that all of the world’s problems are due to adrenal fatigue. Fat loss plateaus: adrenal fatigue. Rosie O’Donnell constantly acting like a bitch: adrenal fatigue. El Nino: adrenal fatigue.

5. Slide Boards: probably one of the best pieces of equipment you can use for interval training. They don’t take up a lot of space, they’re great for team training environments, and you’re able to train the adductors/abductors simultaneously. Honorable Mention: AirDyne Bikes.

Fat Loss Pros

I will be the first to admit that I don't know everything (except that Jennifer Garner's first tv appearence was in a made-for-tv movie called Zoya, based off a Danielle Steele novel). While I DO know a thing or two about fat loss, I know that there are some darn knowledgeable people out there who just flat out know their stuff. Basically they make me feel stupid sometimes.

I don't like to endorse every fat loss product that comes out, but my good friend Jen Heath has put together one of the most comprehensive fat loss products I have ever seen; Fat Loss Pros. There are the elite of the elite talking about fat loss. To say that I would pay LOTS of money to hear the likes of Alwyn Cosgrove, Dr. Eric Serrano, Dr. Mauro DiPasquale, Erik Ledin, and Cassandra Forsythe talk about fat loss is an understatement. Matter of fact I HAVE paid a lot of money to hear them speak on several occasions.

All in all, there are 18 interviews from some of the top names in the industry all in one comprehensive package for mere peanuts of what you would normally pay to hear them speak seperately.

Fat Loss Pros is easily one of the most comprehensive fat loss products. Below is a brief synopisis of what each interview entails:

Dr. Eric Serrano

• How food allergies and intolerances negatively impact body composition and what you can do about them
• Why you should NOT avoid eating dietary fat and what certain types of fats actually make you leaner!

Dr Lonnie Lowery

• How to set up your diet and training program so that you can shuttle more of the nutrients you ingest into lean muscle and away from body-fat stores. .
• How to alter the state of your nutrition based on the amount of soreness induced by your training

John Parrillo

• The importance of “building” your metabolism and eating your way to a leaner body
• How some of his female clients are able to get ripped eating as many as 6000 + calories per day
• How to cycle your training and diet to build muscle and burn off body-fat at the same tim e

Roger Riedinger

• How to structure your workouts to ensure you build strength while getting as lean as possible . .
• The importance of getting protein from various sources to ensure the highest protein efficiency
• How to cycle your diet to lose as much fat as possible while keeping your metabolism elevated

Alwyn Cosgrove

• Why doing cardio first thing in the morning is unnecessary and counterproductive.
• How he is able to get his clients lean in record time using only 3 forty-five minute sessions per week without any cardio whatsoever

Scot Abel

• How to dramatically increase the effectiveness of your cardiovascular work with Metabolic enhancement training

• How to avoid suppressing your metabolism through excessive dieting and exercise

Cassandra Forsythe

• Why lower carbohydrate diets actually enhance the building of muscle and strength over time in comparison to higher carb fares
• How to best set up a diet and training scheme to build muscle and lose fat, based on scientific research
• and much more….

Dr. Mauro DiPasquale

• How to optimize hormone levels through your diet
• Why the practice of taking in massive amounts of carbohydrates post-workout is over-rated and unnecessary - How to ensure your glycogen levels are always full
• How you can train your body to become “fat-adapted” so that you can burn more fat 24 hours per day all while staying energized without blood sugar crashes and hunger

Eric Ledin

• How training a high volume of numerous types of women, has given him an edge with this niche

• How to properly periodize low intensity and high-intensity cardio to ensure maximum fat loss without interfering with your strength progression

• Kelli Calabrese

• Learn things you didn’t know about pregnancy! - Why common prescriptions for weight gain during pregnancy are false and what to do about it

• Learn the real reason women have increased appetite prior to her menstrual cycle and what to do about
• Finally, the ins and outs of female training and nutrition though all stages of lif

Don Alessi

• How to determine your hormonal status by analyzing your fat storage patterns
• The “idea” fat storage pattern and how to achieve it through altering your training, nutrition, and supplementation patterns
• How to supplement based on your hormonal statues

Charles Staley

• How to ensure you’re performing quality workouts instead of just going through the motions
• The importance of progressive resistance and progressive workload

Chad Ikei

• What he does that enables many of his athletes to shed massive amounts of body-fat while simultaneously building muscle.

• How identifies any deficiencies in hormonal status

• Discover the periodization schemes Chad uses with his top level professional athletes

Ryan Lee

• The most common myths about exercise

• The importance of level of effort when it comes to burning fat

• How to get in intense fat burning workouts in as little as 4 minutes per day

Krista Scott Dixon

• How to increase the effectiveness of our workouts by choosing exercises that conform to our natural primal movement patterns

• The biggest mistakes people make in their training

• The importance of our own psychology for ensuring permanent results in physique transformation

• How whole foods can be KEY in fat loss results

• Learn the “3 P’s” of female weight training and how they can get you where you want to be

Craig Ballantyne

• The secrets behind his revolutionary Turbulence Training
• How to set up full body fat burning workouts without weights

Paul Chek

• Why it’s essential to eat whole natural proteins if you’re interested in your health
• How to set up a diet based on your unique hereditary metabolic characteristics
• The importance of rotating foods to avoid developing food intolerances and allergies

Chad Waterbury

• Understanding the nervous system and how to best stimulate it
• How to use low rep training for simultaneous fat loss and strength gain
• How to burn up to 300 more calories per day simply by consuming more fat

That seriously only scratches the surface of what these professional offer in this package. Not only that, but there is an AMAZING FREE bonus package included containing training programs, e-books and a special interview on “body fat set point” - which teaches about the body’s “fat storage system” and how we can manipulate it. Again, the benefits of Fat Loss Pros are endless.

Nice Legs?

I got a random e-mail from a female client of mine not too long ago and here's what it said:

"give me an example and/or a picture of a chick with really nice legs. My mind is drawing a blank."

Apparently my client and a friend of hers got into a little bit of friendly disagreement. Consider the fact that my client is a die hard Red Sox fan from South Boston, you DO NOT want to get into a disagreement with her.

Anyways, because my client is uber cool, she commented on how gross Amy Winehouse is. I have no idea who Amy Winehouse is (other than some chick from the UK who likes to smoke and sing country music), but this is the picture that my client's friend sent her saying: "I would kill to have legs that look like this."




What? You want legs that look like wet noodles? I've seen crack whores with nicer legs than this.

So being the nice guy that I am, I dug into my "nice legs" library and sent my client this picture:



This woman actually looks like she eats something and lifts weights (and she obviously has superb fashion sense...love the shoes).

Come on ladies. You have to agree, right?

Does It Ever Just "Click?"

I got an e-mail the other day from another personal trainer asking me if there was ever a point in my career where everything just "clicked" and came together. To quote him:

"For example, my first year = shitty training programs/no confidence, second yr = more understanding of program design, still a little unsure, this year = I feel it's beginning to come together, more confidence in program design, a certain quiet confidence (still humble, though). I think all the best in the business have a constant hunger for knowledge and a quiet confidence about them, they just get "IT", hopefully I'm on the right path for "IT".

I look back when I started in this industry (2002) and I cringe. The funny thing is, I THOUGHT I knew everything there was to know about strength and conditioning back then. Come to find out, I didn't know squat. Literally and figuratively. I was still very much a newbie. My programming sucked my first year in the industry; I am scared to admit that I was the “lets set you up on a machine circuit” guy. I didn’t even know what a deadlift was for crying out loud. Boooooooooo Tony.

To be honest, there are STILL times where I think I am the dumbest person on earth. I can look back as far as six months ago and shake my head in disbelief at some of the stuff I advocated or tried out with my clients. But you learn as you go. Trial and error, right? I mean if Mike Boyle can admit that he is wrong from time to time after 20+ years in the industry, I think anyone who claims they know it all is a pompous asshole.

I think the key to success in this industry is a constant thirst for knowledge. I have said this several times and it bears (or is it bares?) repeating…continuing education is crucial. Read and attend seminars; surround yourself with like minded individuals. If you do this, you WILL succeed.

It’s hard to believe that when I first started, I didn’t even know that places like t-nation.com or various other sites existed. I didn’t know who John Berardi, Alwyn Cosgrove or Mike Boyle were. And I think Eric Cressey was still trying to grow facial hair back then…;o)

Fast forward 5 years.

1. I am now writing for t-nation.com on a regular basis, as well as other various sites.
2. I have been fortunate enough to be asked to contribute to several e-books and manuals.
3. I work at one of the top clubs in the country.
4. And in a “I have kinda made it” moment: John Berardi, Alwyn Cosgrove and Mike Boyle all know who I am. I know this because Alwyn and Mike like to bust my chops about my little infatuation with Jennifer Garner.

The point is, I had a constant thirst for knowledge. I ALWAYS want to better myself as a trainer. I never want to be medicore. In essence, it will take time…but I do feel that everyone will get to the point where things just start to click. BUT, you have to learn from your mistakes as you go.

Quiet confidence….I like that.

Some MoreTomfoolery

This is probably going to be my most random blog entry ever.

1. The Fitcast: we have added a new co-host in Jen Heath

To say that we're excited about having a female voice on the show is an understatement. We have also revamped the format and content of the show and the website. From now on there will be DAILY content on the website in the form of mini-articles/blurbs from all five of us. I will also be keeping a tally of how many guys attempt to get Jen's phone number. FYI fellas, you have a better shot of getting abducted by aliens AND getting struck by lightening than you are in scoring Jen's phone number.

Check out The Fitcast

2. Eric Cressey and I went to a good friend's wedding a few weeks ago and here are some random shots of how we rocked out. Thanks go to Anna and Katlyn for making sure our ties were on correctly.











3. I have the best girlfriend ever, Katlyn. I never thought I would find someone so perfect for me than she is. Not only is she drop dead gorgeous, but she is truely my best friend.

4. Watch "Alpha Dog"......great movie. Sure Justin Timberlake is in it and he plays a ghetto superstar, but he does have some acting chops.

How to warm-up

Q. What's the best way to utilize warm up sets in a program? How many do you do and do you need to do them at the start of each exercise or just for the bigger movements or just for the initial exercises/movement patterns? Also, how do you account for time when working them in? I've read alot of stuff on program design and almost all of it seems to totally ignore the time required for warm up sets and just focus on filling up the hour with working sets. So drawing from your experience, what is the best way to implement warm up sets in a program and especially in a program with tight time restrictions?

A. Lets break this one down piece by piece:

But first lets talk about a general warm-up. Watch most people "warm-up" and you will see them hop on the stationary bike or treadmill for five minutes and then do a few static stretches and they're off on their way. WRONG! This is a very archaic and inefficient way to warm-up.

Hopefully by now, people have caught on to the fact that following a DYNAMIC WARM-UP is far superior and prepares the body for movement to a much greater degree. If you aren't doing dynamic flexibility drills prior to training, you're really doing yourself a disservice.

On to the actual question:

How do you utilize warm-up sets in a program? How many do you do and do you need them at the start of each exercise or just for the bigger movements or just for the initial movement patterns?

***My rule of thumb is to basically use a few (2-4) warm-up sets for the initial exercise of the day. So if a client of mine was squatting, I would have him/her "warm-up" for a few sets to groove the pattern and to prepare the nervous system for the loading that is about to come. The key to warm-up sets is to NOT make them working sets. A lot of people make the mistake of doing 3 sets of 10 for their warm-up sets, and then when they finally get to their working sets, they are already fatigued. Lets use an example. This particular client worked with 185 lbs for 4x6 the last time we did squats.

Bar x whatever (groove the pattern)
95x5
115x3
135x3

The goal is to make each warm-up set progressively heavier to prepare the client for the loads that he/she will be using during their working sets. And there is very little rest in between warm-up sets. Essentially, it should be do the set, rest for the amount of time it takes to switch plates, do the next set, etc. From there, they should be good to go and move on to their working sets. Why it takes some people 20 minutes to warm-up is beyond me.

Since I tend to use mostly full-body routines with the majority of my clients, I may need to throw in a few warm-up sets with some exercises later on, but like I mentioned above it's moreso to "groove the pattern" and prepare the body for heavier loads. And usually by this time, it's just a matter of maybe ONE warm-up set using a light load and then get right to it.

So drawing from your experience, what is the best way to implement warm up sets in a program and especially in a program with tight time restrictions?

Use them mainly for the BIG movements (squat/deadlift/bench variations) and be efficient. Don't pussy-foot around. We're only talking 2-4 sets max here, and they're quick. Even for time restricted clients, warm-up sets ARE necessary. [NOTE: if we're talking about max effort work here, then how we approach warm-up sets is entirely different, but I think most know that already.]

Listen to Your Body

So I was all prepared to put myself through a deadlift session yesterday. I did my foam rolling, dynamic flexibility, and had my iPod set on shuffle (I must say I have a kick ass trance/house playlist). Time to get down to bidness.

I got to my 3rd warm-set (315) and noticed my back just wasn't feeling it. So rather than being a tough guy and continuing on, I just decided to skip the rest and move on to all the other things I had planned. Some light front squats, glute ham raises, reverse lunges, and some pull-throughs.

Moral of the story? I STILL had a great training session and I was able to work around my back not feeling up to par. By next week, I will be feeling great.

Learn to listen to your body. It will save you a lot of frustration in the long run

Wedding Tomfoolery

Nothing really profound today. It's been a few days since my last entry and I figured I should come on and make a cameo appearance on my own blog. Off to a wedding today where I will do one of three things:

1. Bust out my robot (always a hit)
2. Eat my fair share of Italian cookies (my one true weakness). Well, that and cute little puppies.
3. Have a Michael Jackson "dance off" against a complete stranger where I pull off my shirt, grab my bits and berries, and scream at the top of my lungs in victory.

***Oh, who am I kidding? I will inevitably make a jack ass out of myself and do all three.

Needless to say, a fun time will be had. And if I can actually get a video of Eric Cressey eating a piece of cake, someone out there owes me $20.

Side Note: this week's episode of The Fitcast is now up. We discuss artificial sweetners, strategies for better quality sleep (ie: never watch the season finale of Lost right before you go to bed), and our favorite exercises. Check it out!

"I NeverTrain Legs"

I hear this a lot and it fascinates me. I hear this all time from guys who despite the fact that they want to put on some more size AND have ALWAYS struggled to do so, never train their legs.

Helllooooo!?!?!?! 70% of your total muscle mass is BELOW the waist. My girlfriend, knows what I'm talkin about....(wink wink, nudge nudge). What? I have decent sized legs! Get your mind out of the gutter.

I just have no pity for guys who have struggled to reach their physique goals, yet fail to train more than half their body. And please don't use the excuse that you run on the treadmill and that is all you need. It's utter crap, and you deserve a lifetime of watching Ben Affleck movies for saying something so stupid.

Fellas, if you want to put on some mass, you HAVE to train your legs. And no, I am not referring to leg extensions, leg curls, and leg pressess. SQUATS and DEADLIFTS, as well as tons of single leg work. Seriously, quit being a pussy.

End rant

Boston's Rude Awakening

No, I am not referring to the fact that the Celtics only got the 5th pick in this year's draft and as such....are pretty much going to suck for the next few years. Nope, I am referring to something else entirely.

I was contacted by a woman from The Boston Herald last week asking me if I would be interested in blogging for their online site. Apparently they are looking to revamp their online content, as well as doing a quarterly health/fitness "pullout" for the paper every year. As of today, I am blogging for the Herald. Muhahahahahahahaahaha. This is going to be fun telling people they need to lift heavy shit. I already contributed today

The Boston Herald Blog

Insight From the Experts

A few months ago, Mike Robertson asked a bunch of us if we would write a quick sumthin sumthin for a special report he was putting together for his newsletter subscribers. The final product is titled "Insight From the Experts," and includes a plethora of training/nutrition tips from some of the top names in the industry (Eric Cressey, Chad Waterbury, Craig Ballantyne, Mike Roussell, and yours truely, to name a few). 44 pages in fact. FOR FREE! All you need to do is go to www.robertsontrainingsystems.com and sign up for Mike's weekly newsletter (which is a fantastic newsletter by the way) and you will get the special report. And for the record, the title of my contribution is officially the best title ever (Create a Domino Effect of Awesomeness). You know you're intrigued. Go sign up dammit!

Another Strike Against Low Protein Diets....

So I am currently reading "Girth Control," by Alan Aragon and came across an interesting piece of data.

"It's important to note that inadequate protein intake is also detrimental to bone; intake at the RDA level (0.8g/kg/d) and below (which many people, particularily women ingest) has been shown to elevate serum parathyroid hormone (PTH), an indicator of the mobilization of calcium and phosphorous from bone."

***Kerstetter, JE, et al. A threshold for low-protein diet induced elevations in parathyroid hormone. American Journal of Clininal Nutrition. 2000; 72:168-73

I won't be the first to note that the RDA has missed the boat (repeatedly) in regards to their dietary recommendations, and protein is no exception. The first thing people need to realize is that most of the RDA's recommendations are to prevent deficiency (ie: to stave off death). I, along with many of my colleagues have long been an advocate of high(er) protein diets. Especially for those who are athletes or who live "active" lifestyles.

This is why I can't stand it when I come across registered dieticians and their radical claims that high(er) protein diets are dangerous. There has yet to be ANY evidence that high(er) protein diets cause harm to healthy individuals. Yet we have numerous studies (such as the one above) which show that low(er) protein diets CAN be harmful; particularily to women in regards to their vulnerability to osteoporosis.

Bulletproof Knees

If you're familiar with Mike Robertson's work (or even if you're not), I can tell you that there aren't many people out there in the fitness industry who has consistently provide us with as much quality information and products as Mike has. Bulletproof Knees is no exception.

If you're like me, you don't necessarily jump at the idea of reading a 800 page text book on anatomy (although the pictures are really pretty). With Bulletproof Knees, Mike has taken all the scientific research AND his real world "in the trenches" experiences (ie: Mike actually lifts weights and doesn't JUST write books) and has written a manual that is practical, straight forward, and will undoubtedly be a great reference for personal trainers and weekend warriors alike. As someone who has suffered from chronic knee issues in the past, I can say without wavering that I wish I had this manual three years ago. I would have saved a lot of time, money, and frustration.

I love sled dragging...

And by "love" what I really mean is, "I'd rather drink a bucket of my own vomit." Which is fitting, because that's what I feel like doing (vomiting) everytime I finish dragging the sled.

In all seriousness though, sled dragging has got to rank right up there with watching a Golden Girls marathon or eating a bowl of brussell sprouts. Heck, I would even go as far to say that repeat viewings of Brokeback Mountain would be better.

In case you haven't picked up on my sarcasm....I hate sled dragging.

[Side Note: I really don't hate them, but dammit they kick the crap out of me sometimes.]

And just so I actually write something that is somewhat useful: if you're a guy and can't perform at least 5 solid pull-ups, then you shouldn't be dedicating an entire training day to arms. Instead, you should be concentrating on getting stronger (or losing some weight)! Spending 45-60 minutes doing nothing but isolation bicep curls or any other of a dozen bicep movements designed to get your "peak" won't do jack squat as far as getting rid of that belly. Nor will it get you stronger. And no matter how tight of an Underarmour shirt you wear, you still look like a tool.

Random Thought Monday

Just some random thoughts:

1. People NEED to eat breakfast. It's called BREAKfast for a reason. Your body has gone 6-10 hours without feeding, and needs nutrients first thing in the AM. And to all of those people who claim they don't have time to make breakfast in the morning, I call bullshit. Heating up a bowl of oatmeal with berries takes all of 2 minutes to make. A protein shake with a banana and peanut buter takes even less. Quit making excuses and eat your damn breakfast.

2. Jen Heath is one cool chick. Check her out on this week's Fitcast. Some great content in regards to women and training. [Read: ladies........you all should be squatting].

3. I think post-training drinks such as Surge or anything similiar are great, but should NOT be utilized by pure endomorphic bodytypes or anyone trying to shed a TON of fat. I just don't like the idea of such high glycemic loads being ingested. Instead, stick to whey protein shakes and a banana post-training.

4. Any trainer who has their client squatting on a BOSU ball should be karate chopped across the throat.

5. And speaking of personal trainers, what's up with asking a client what they want to do today? It's shouldn't be up to the client what they do in any particular session, it's up to YOU. Have a plan.

6. If more people put more time and effort into squatting, deadlifting, and single leg work, and LESS time into doing cute little abdominal exercises, we would have waaaaaay more people happier with their mid-section.

7. Here's a knowledge bomb from Jen Heath: Women....you CAN and will get a leaner and more athletic looking body, you're just going to weigh more. The sooner you learn to accept that and STOP using scale weight as your only source of gauging progress, the better off you will be.

8. Also from Jen Heath:

Note to pregnant women. DO NOT use the excuse of "I am eating for two" as an excuse to go all Kirstie Alley and eat everything in sight. It's soooo overated Pregnant women only need an additional 300 kcals per day to promote growth and provide ample nutrients for the fetus. To put this into context, 300 kcals equates to 3 tablespoons of peanut butter per day, or 1 cup of oatmeal. That's it.

Fillers and Corrective Training

People need corrective training, that's no secret. For most, all they need is a healthy dose of foam rolling and dynamic flexibility and they're all set. Those two things alone will work wonders as far as fixing many of the postural issues that most people encounter.

That being said, I still don't understand why personal trainers will spend a great portion of a training hour with clients doing nothing but cute, little corrective training exercises or balance training. Getting your clients STRONGER will undoubtedely be corrective in nature. [This is NOT to say that there aren't special circumstances where corrective training is of paramount importance].

The Law of Repetitive Motion, as popularized by Eric Cressey and Mike Robertson explains why getting your clients stronger WILL be corrective.

I=NF/AR

I=Injury
N=# of repetitions that exacerbate the problem
F= Force of each repetition
A=Amplitude (range of motion)
R=Rest

Getting your client stronger will minimize "F" (repetitive stress will seem less challenging to the body.

Someone's knee hurts? Strengthen their posterior chain and get their glutes to start firing. BAM: no more knee pain.

Additionally, people NEED a training stimulus. Call me crazy, but I am willing to bet that if your client lost 20 lbs of fat, he/she would probably feel better and have better structural balance overall. Spending 45 minutes doing nothing but balancing on an Airex pad or performing a circuit of rotator cuff exercises won't help in that regard.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for corrective training modalities. But like I said above, a healthy dose of foam rolling and dynamic mobility at the start of a training session will shake loose most imbalances. This takes all of 10 minutes to complete. Not to mention you can save a lot of "wasted" time by doing corrective training in between sets. I like to throw in extra sets of scapular push-ups or terminal knee extensions or banded external rotations while my clients rest. That way, while we're discussing last night's episode of Lost, they are still doing something productive.

Examples:

A1. Front Squat
A2. Seated Row
***Filler: Scapular Push-ups while resting

A1. Bench Press
A2. Walking Lunges
***Filler: Behind the Neck Pull-Aparts

Your Naked Nutrition Guide

My good friend Mike Roussell announced the realease if his new manual "Your Naked Nutrition Guide" today and I couldn't be happier. Why? Because this is one of the most comprehensive nutrition manuals I have ever come across, and to be honest....it's going to make my job infinitely easier in dealing with clients and their nutritional whoas.

TG: What was one of the main reasons why you wrote Your Naked Nutrition Guide?

MR: I created it because 1. I know it works and can help people and 2. There is so much bad nutrition information out there. Despite all the nutritional information available today there was a void when it comes to practical information that people can use to get results.

The manual has been unofficially in the works for years, probably ever since I got into nutrition. I found that every time I would start working with a new person I was reinventing the wheel so to speak in regards to answers the same questions, outlining the same strategies, etc. With this manual I just poured out all the practical, results driven nutrition principles that I use and have used with clients. In Your Naked Nutrition Guide you will find the exact steps that I use with people to improve their health and change their bodies. Basically by putting all this information into a manual I can impact many more people’s health and body composition than if I were do try to help as many people as possible though face to face interactions.

TG: What do you feel separates your manual from the rest?

MR: The amazing cover!

Okay seriously…Your Naked Nutrition Guide definitely isn’t like other manuals out there for several reasons. I dedicate a whole section to planning and goal setting. This isn’t theoretical stuff but how to practically map out your plan so that you reach your goals much faster than you would otherwise. In the manual there is also a supplement section. I created the “Supplement Pyramid” where I separated supplements into Basics, Performance Enhancers, and Experimental. I outline what supplements fall under what categories, when you should take them, what to look for when buying them, and how much you should take. Another area is the Naked Nutrition Serving System. Counting calories is a miserable thing to do and definitely a waste of your time. With this serving system, I have outlined when and how much food to eat. You just pick the foods you like. There are several chapters dedicated to creating your own meal plans and manipulating them depending on your goals. Those are probably the top three areas where Your Naked Nutrition Guide separates itself from the rest.

TG: What can people expect when they buy your manual?

MR: Results. Really, this manual is all about results. Or did you mean what else is included content wise? In regards to content you get everything I just talked about plus a section on the importance of using multiple units of measure to track progress, what measures to use, and how often to use them. There are also chapters on Nutrient Timing and an in-depth look at the 6 Pillars of Nutrition – my foundational nutritional strategies. There are meal plan templates, recommend food lists, goal setting templates, charts outlining how many servings of each type of food you should eat depending on your caloric intake and desired macronutrient ratios. You get the point…a lot of practical content.

New Trainer? A little advice....

While at John Berardi's "G-Flux" seminar this past weekend at Excel Sport and Fitness, I was approached by a soon-to-be personal trainer and he asked me how he, as a new trainer in the industry could pick up new clients. Here's my Cliff Notes version of what I told him.

1. As scary as it sounds you don't necessarily HAVE to be certified to train people. Matter of fact, Eric Cressey was telling me the other day that a friend of his e-mailed him and told him that he got his dog certified as a personal trainer through some online course. No, I am not kidding. But needless to say, getting certified through a reputable organization such as the NSCA, ACSM, or NASM would be a step in the right direction and will undoubtedly help you get your foot in the door. Most gyms will require that you are certified (but some don't) and if you're lucky you can find a gym that will help pay for your certification and other continuing education opportunities.

2. Most gyms will offer 1-2 complimentary sessions to all new members who join the gym. If so, this is a great opportunity to showcase your skillz. This is my blog, so if I want to use a z at the end of skillz, I will dammit. Generally speaking if I have two sessions with a prospective client, I am pretty confident that my expertise and knowledge base will be enough to "sell" myself to them. The key is to just be amicable and get them to talk about themselves. ALWAYS, and I mean always ask questions. The only ones that are off-limits are the following:

*"Oh wow, when are you expecting your baby?" If she is in fact not pregnant, you're going to feel like an asshat.

*"What's your favorite Ben Affleck movie?" This is actually a trick question, as there is no such thing as a good Ben Affleck movie (okay, Good Will Hunting aside).

In all seriousness, you want to ask as many questions as possible. What are your goals? What has prevented you from achieving your goals? Tell me about your knee injury? How many kids do you have? Do you have a hot daughter? Kidding.

People want to talk about themselves, and the more info you get from them, the more likely you are to build a repoire with them and make them a client.

3. Show them something they have never done before. People are always looking for the next unique abdominal exercise. If you're able to show them something they have never done or see before, they will be more likely to think that you have more tricks up your sleeve.

4. This tip is actually something I got from Alwyn Cosgrove and is one that I have found invaluable when starting off at a new club. Simply put: EXPOSURE. The more members see you, the more likely you are to pick them up as clients. When starting off at a new club, make it a point to introduce yourself to 10 new people a day. Just smile and say hi. "My name is [your name here] and I am one of the new trainers here at the club. If you have any questions about the equipment or any particular exercise feel free to ask me." Or just simply offer to show someone a new exercise or correct their form. Don't go right into your sales pitch and ask them if they are interested in personal training. Instead, just correct them and say it was great to meet them. Trust me, if they ever do think about purchasing some training, they will seek you out.

Also, another great idea would be to offer a mini-session to one person a day. Basically spend a good 15-20 minutes and take someone through a small circuit of exercises. Again, it's all about exposure. Maybe even offer to do a group abdominal class for 10 minutes one day. People love their ab classes and you will easily get 15-20 people to attend. Mention that you're one of the new trainers and I guarantee one of them will approach you for training eventually.

Another great idea for picking up clients would be to organize clinics. Maybe a squat clinic or a "how to" class on proper bench press form.

At the end of the day however, I have always found that the best way to get new clients is to make the ones you DO have a walking billboard for your services. Nothing trumps word of mouth, and if your current clients are getting results then the rest will soon follow. That being said, please please please make it a point to read and attend seminars. Continuing education is paramount in this industry and if you're not willing to better yourself as a trainer then you are doomed to fail.

A Small Rant on the Industry

Last weekend The Fitcast's main topic was "Is the fitness industry getting better?" Unfortunately I wasn't able to take part in the fun, but I wanted to give a few insights here.

Exhibit A:

John Berardi is coming into Boston this weekend. His first trip to the east coast in a little over three years. Outside of the fact that I have a slight "man-crush" on him, I have been looking forward to this weekend because John was actually one of the first authors I started to read way back in the day when I started out in this industry. To say that he has been an influence on me and how I discuss nutrition with my clients is an understatement.

A few weeks ago, I mentioned to a bunch of other trainers that I work with that JB was coming into town for a two-day seminar and that they would get a discount for attending. Guess how many are coming out of 60+ trainers? ZERO. Granted, this also happens to be one of the weekends that many of the trainers are going through MAT training (Muscle Activation Techniques) at the club where I work, so they obviously have a legitimate reason for not going. However, that still leaves 40-45 trainers who seem to have other plans. One trainer in particular said to me, "What do we get for going? Do we get a goodie bag or anything for showing up?" Um, how bout the fact that you get two full days with one of the world's reknowned sports nutritionists!?!?!?!

So now we have gotten to the point where the only way to get personal trainers to further educate themselves and to make themselves better is to bribe them with "goodies?"

This, in my opinion is one major reason why I feel that the industry is getting worse. Now, that's not to say that there aren't thousands of personal trainers out there who go out of their way to attend seminars or read books and try their best to stay on top of things. But I think it's fair to say that that is far from the norm. I just think it's rather dumbfounding that more trainers aren't going to this seminar, given the fact that it's going to be a FANTASTIC weekend to network with some of the top names in the industry: Eric Cressey, Cassandra Forsythe, Jimmy Smith, John Sullivan, Carl Valle, Todd Hamer, and Mike Boyle just to name a few.

I think the industry needs a swift kick in the nuts. That's what I think.

Sneaky Bastards

I was in the grocery store yesterday and I needed to buy some bread (whole wheat of course). I just so happened to look at the ingredients of the majority of the brands that were on the shelf and I was quite surprised to see that high fructose corn syrup was listed rather high on many of the lists. Sometimes as high as second! It amazes me how sneaky food companies can be. Many people buy whole wheat or whole grain breads thinking they are making a healthy choice, when it fact all they are buying is flour with high fructose corn syrup and food coloring. Yummy! [FYI: that was sarcasm].

If I had to make a list of the most sneaky bastards ever, it would llook like this:

1. Food Companies
2. Ben Affleck (why Jennifer.......why?)
3. George Bush (come on...this one is easy).

In short, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make sure you look at the ingredients before you purchase your bread. While it may say "whole wheat" or "whole grain," you still need to play it safe and take a look at what's actually in there

Fish Oil Potency

It's no secret that fish oil should be a staple in EVERYONE's diet (read: this means YOU). Normally I am not a big fan of advocating supplements to the public, but there are a handful of "supplements" that I don't necessarily consider supplements. [Did that make sense?]. Rather, I consider them to be crucial components of a healthy diet: multi-vitamin, protein powder, and fish oil. I also consider Lindsay Lohan to be a talentless ho-bag with the brain capacity of a three year old. Seriously, if aliens were to ever come down to Earth and happen to abduct her to perform human experiments, they would probably find a teddy bear where her brain should be. But that's beside the point.

Back to fish oil.....

If you're not taking your fish oil for the health benefits alone (and believe me there are literally hundreds), please kindly click the power button on your computer right now and buy some for crying out loud. However be careful of which brand you buy. As my friend Mike Roussell has pointed out in his new manual Your Naked Nutrition Guide, when purchasing fish oil, it's important that you buy a PURE and POTENT product.

I agree with him 100% and often recommend that people don't buy a fish oil supplement that isn't atleast 50% pure. To determine the purity of your fish oil simply divide the amount of combined EPA and DHA by the total amount of fat in the product. Most fish oil products you will find in your local grocery store contain 0.18 g of EPA and 0.12 g of DHA per 1 gram capsule.

0.18+0.12=0.3 grams of total omega-3's (EPA/DHA combined)

0.3/1g (of fat per capsule)=.3 or 30%

Essentially most fish oil supplements found in local drug stores or grocery stores are 30% pure. They're cheap, but they are potentially loaded with mercury, toxins, and other contaminants. You will have to pay a little more for 50% pure fish oil products, but it's soooo worth it. As an added bonus, the purer the product is, the less likely you are to experience any fishy after taste or burps.

Static Contraction Training

Holy smokes! I didn't realize it has been so long since my last blog post. I have received a few e-mails from people asking me why I have been such a lazy nimrod, and it dawned on me that there are people out there who actually want to hear what I have to say. Weird....;o)

In any case, I got an e-mail from a past client of mine not too long ago and he asked me what my thoughts were on static contraction training. He sited this link:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/sisco6.htm


Static contraction training: I have heard of it before, and it's basically a glorified form of isometric training. Isometric meaning: no change. Concentric is the shortening of the muscle. Eccentric is the lengthening of a muscle. Isometric refers to "no change" in muscle (kind of like pushing against a wall). You're contracting the muscle and providing tension, but there is no change as far as shortening or lenghening.

Isometric training does have it's advantages: (excerpt from an article I wrote awhile ago)

Essentially, there are several key theories (key word: theories) behind implementing isometric holds into a program:

1. Maximum Recruitment of Muscle Fibers: teaches the CNS to fire ALL muscle fibers.
2. Increased Strength at Weak ROM's: albeit there is only a 15-25% carryover to other ROM's.
3. Injury Reduction: little to no wear and tear on the joints.
4. Increased Tension: Time Under Tension is one of the key determinates of hypertrophy.
5. Mental Toughness: isometrics are mentally challenging and aren't for the faint of heart.

In short, it's a great way to "teach" the nervous system what it feels like to hold heavy loads, and it allows for max recruitment of muscle fibers. On an aside, there is also a 15 degree carryover in terms of ROM trained. So, while isometric training DOES NOT help to improve increased strength over a full range of motion (ROM), it does increase strength in the ROM in which you are training (in addition to 15 degrees above and below the trained ROM). So it's a great way to help train past sticking points.

In my opinion, it does have merit and can (and should) be used sparingly. I am reluctant to base someone's entire training approach to static contraction training, but it's a nice little "kick in the pants" and provides a different training stimulus for someone who has hit a plateau.

If one were to use it, I would use it ONCE per week in the form of bench lock outs or squat stands using a load that is around 110-130% above one's 1RM for that particular lift for 2-3 sets total for about 10 seconds each. I think anything above that is a bit retarded (and I know there are some people who advocate 150%+).

Like I alluded to above, I think one of the main advantages to isometric training (from a performance standpoint) is the fact that it's so CNS intensive and teaches the body to know what it feels like to hold heavy weights. But please, don't fall prey to the claims that it will produce unparalled muscle growth and make girls want to jump your bones. It's a nice little change of pace and certainly a viable tool to use, nothing more.

The "New" Fitcast

I've been fortunate enough to be a part of The Fitcast twice. Once I filled in as an emergency replacement, where I made podcast history for the most "non-masculine" introduction ever.

I co-hosted a few weeks ago and totally redeemed myself. Here

Starting this week, I will be a permanent co-host on The Fitcast, along with Kevin Larrabee, Jimmy Smith, and Keith Scott. Kevin started The Fitcast a little over a year ago and it has grown into one of the most popular fitness related podcasts on the internet. To say I am excited for this opportunity is an understatement. Each week, we'll have a roundtable approach to the show where we dicuss anything fitness and nutrition related as well continue to have some of the most prominent people in the industry as guests. And I'll obviously take a few shots at Ben Affleck to boot.

So be sure to check in with The Fitcast website each and every week. You'll learn a thing or two.

No Excuses

I'm going to cut right to the chase. I just started training a 60 year old woman about 5 weeks ago. Upon first meeting with me, she made it a point in telling me that she was in fact...a 60 year old woman and that "I am not expecting miracles." Long story short, when we met for the first time, she was making excuses as to why she felt she could never get into better shape.

Well, 5 weeks later, she is down a little over 10 lbs and has lost two percent body fat. She's doing rack pulls, step-ups, push-ups, rows, DB presses, and best of all......she is NEVER late for a session and is one of the hardest working clients I have right now. Essentially, she's kicking ass.......did I mention she is 60? In five weeks, she has gone from someone who questioned whether or not she should even be in the gym to someone who is "hooked."

Listen, don't be that person who makes excuses. If you walk into a gym for the first time with a defeated attitude.....well, I can only expect that you will fail. I won't stand for it with my clients and nor should you from yourself. Have faith in yourself and give yourself some credit for peets sake!

All in all, I just wanted to bring light to the fact that CONSISTENCY and DEDICATION (and an awesome trainer....yay me) can go a loooong ways as far as progress is concerned. Don't make excuses. It's lame.

Also, on a totally unrelated note: my new favorite "thing" is canned pumpkin. Lately, I have been using it as a post-training meal and it's just scrumptious. Only 9 grams of carbs (4 of which are fiber) per serving. Add some vanilla Metabolic Drive to it and 1/2 cup of oatmeal and you have yourself a high protein, complex carb/high fiber snack.

Another Study Which Showcases How HIIT Makes Steady State Cardio Its Bitch

BELOW is a summary and overview of the 8-second fat loss study, the FEM trial, and the Optimal Fat Loss program at UNSW (my comments afterwards)

Steve Boutcher PhD, FACSM
Director of Fat Loss Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW 28/1/2007

***Thank you MariAnne Anderson for forwarding this particular study to me

1. 8-second fat loss study. Forty five women aged 20 years with a BMI of 23.5 kg/m2 were randomly assigned to a high intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) condition, a steady state exercise (SSE) condition, or a control condition. Body fat was assessed by DEXA, pre and post after the 15 week program. Blood was taken before and after to examine possible changes in cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, insulin, c-reactive protein, glucose, adiponectin, leptin, and cortisol. The HIIE program consisted of an 8-second sprint immediately followed by 12 seconds as slow as possible pedaling. Women performed this continuously so that they completed 60 sprints in the 20-minute exercise bout. There were three exercise sessions per week; 45 overall. Women started the HIIE condition for only 5 minutes the first week and then built up the number of minutes and intensity of sprint. Intensity was assessed through a maximal oxygen uptake test performed previously so that the workload at an respiratory exchange ratio (RER) of .93 was used for each individual woman. This equated to about 90% of flat out sprinting for most women. All women were completing the 20 minutes of HIIE within 6 sessions (2 weeks). Most women performed at a pedaling rate of 100-120 at a resistance of .5 to 1 kg. The SSE consisted of three 40-minute continuous stationary bike exercise at 60% of peak oxygen uptake. Both conditions had a 5-minute warm-up and a 5-minute cool-down. RESULTS: SSE women increased body fat slightly by .5 kg whereas HIIE lost 2.5 kg. The women who lost the least fat in the HIIE group were the leanest with an average BMI of below 20 kg/m2. When these women were removed average fat lost for the rest of the women was 3.9 kg. Two women in the group lost between 8-9 kg of fat. The fat loss in the HIIE was disproportionate with the women losing more fat off their legs than their arms. HIIE women also lost significant fat from their abdomen which suggests that this type of exercise may be particularly successful with men. HIIE women decreased fasting insulin by 31% and SSE women by 8%. Both exercise groups increased their aerobic fitness; the SSE by 19%, and surprisingly, the HIIE group by 26%. Blood lipids did not change (all were normal at pretest) and we haven’t finished analyzing other blood variables yet. In summary, HIIE women lost about three times more fat doing about half the exercise. HIIE also had a dramatic effect on fasting insulin levels. This research was one study in Gail Trapp’s PhD program recently completed at UNSW. If you are considering trying this type of program it would be beneficial to touch bases with an accredited EP (Exercise Physiologist) to check out your suitability. You should also check it out with your GP if you have any risk factors (e.g., on any medication) or health problems.

My Comments:

How many of these studies do we need to do before a light bulb goes off in people's heads and they realize that FOR FAT LOSS (Read: I am NOT denying the heart health benefits of steady state cardio) high(er) intensity cardio reigns supreme? The above study showcased that the HIIE group did HALF the work, yet lost THREE TIMES more bodyfat!

What makes this all the more relevant is the fact that 90% of the people you see in the gym everyday performing 60 minute cardio sessions ARE there for fat loss purposes, yet they are totally missing the boat. Lets be honest, very few people head to gym with the goal of improving their heart health. They want to look good naked. This is especially true now that the warmer weather is approaching here in New England.

In short.....WAKE UP! Stop performing endless hours of steady state cardio.