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.