Another lame 2010 list.......

It seems that writing a list or discussing things that occurred, we liked/disliked, or learned in 2010 is the thing to do in the blogging community. I would feel left out if I didn't compile my personal list of random topics regarding 2010.

I assume most people don't want to read some geeky/emotional post, so I'll try to be true to my personality and be as random-sarcastic as possible (with a little professionalism thrown in).

I'll start with my "best of" 2010

Best Blog - tonygentilcore.com Tony has an incredible way of discussing "fitness" related topics in an extremely humorous manner. His personality and knowledge come through in his writing and he is definitely a strength coach who "walks the walk". Some great "glute" pics are thrown it for a little motivation.

Best youtube video - Zach Krych Injury and Comeback. I saw this today on a link posted by Bret Contreras on Facebook. Great motivation to get off your ass and lift some heavy weights.

Best Book (strength training) - 5/3/1 by Jim Wendler. I know this program was released earlier than 2010, but I didn't purchase the book until January. It really is the simplest method to develop pure strength without over thinking things and trying to be fancy.

Best Book (nutrition) - Food Rules by Michael Pollan. A very simple read that could be completed in a couple trips to the toilet. Practical nutrition information that is easy to understand and should be followed by anyone looking to improve their health.

Best website - T-Nation. It was a toss up between T-Nation and Elitefts, but because of the modern web design and articles that focus on being more awesome I had to go with good ole testosterone. The hot chicks on the site also swayed my thinking a little.

Best Magazine - Men's Fitness. I almost puked when I saw "The Situation" on the cover, but some really good articles on getting leaner and stronger by some great authors (without all the dudes in thongs).

Best Supplement- Jack3d by USP labs. After working a long day I need a little kick in the ass so I can dominate in the gym. I like how Jack3d has creatine and beta-alanine and doesn't have a whole lot of fillers. I think the politically correct supplement would be fish oil, but I pretty much consider that a necessity rather than a supplement.

Best "new" piece of equipment - TRX. Gotta love the simplicity of the TRX. It can really be used anywhere and pretty much with every client I work with in come capacity. It has been around for a little while but I just started to use it in June.

Best Beer - Guiness. I've always enjoyed this beer, but for the past few months it really hits the spot!

Best Wine- Stoneleigh Pinot Noir 2009. Really smooth, can be enjoyed with some good food or on its own. I only drink it because of the "health" benefits. yeah right!

Best Drink - Ketel One and Club soda w/lime. Low calorie and easy to sip on.

Best Restaurant- Cecconi's at the SOHO house in South Beach. Great steaks an phenomenal atmosphere.

Best Movie - The Town. From start to finish the acting and story line kept me engaged. With my "adult ADHD" not many movies can keep me intrigued for 2 hours.

Best CD- Eminen - Recovery. I like a lot of music, but most CD's I tend to skip from song to song. Not this one, I just let it play through and get amped up!

Best Concert- Jack Johnson. I've been to some great live shows but probably the best concert I have ever seen. I do love a little Hatebreed and Jay-Z, but I also like some mellow stuff in my down time and seeing Jack Johnson live was amazing.

Best TV show - Entourage. This season started off a little crazy, but the finale made up for the first few episodes. Gotta love that Johnny Drama, best Actor of all time! haha

Best Moment- Me getting engaged. The best moment of my life, until my wedding of course (March 12). Life has gotten better everyday since!

Now for the worst........

Worst TV show - The Biggest Loser. Yelling at and putting down obese people by an uneducated trainer should not be a hit TV show. I think the concept is great. Seeing people lose weight and try to start a healthier life should be appreciated but I cant stand the way the contestants are treated most of the time. To be honest, I've only watch about 20 minutes of the show all season -I didn't want to puke up my dinner.

Worst fitness related debate - Single Leg Training. I agree with both sides, and I think most people do, but this topic should not create friction between strength coaches. I have to say I did enjoy reading articles from very knowledgeable strength coaches regarding their feelings on the subject. Squat and deadlift on one leg or two, it's your call, just as long as you don't do drop sets on the abductor machine.

Worst Fitness Product- The Shake Weight. This is the sign that the apocalypse is coming........

Worst Guy in the Gym - Mr. wifebeater, glove wearing, belt wearing, sunglass wearing, blow out hair cut, jersey shore wanna be, who does curls in the squat rack and flexes afterward. Whatta moron!!!!

Worst Nightclub- Haze at the Aria in Vegas. My fiance and I took a trip to Vegas for my 35th and this club had a shady crowed as well as very poor door service (and we were on the VIP list).

Worst TV network - Bravo. My eyes and ears bleed when my fiance puts on this channel. I can pretty much guarantee my testosterone level drops as well.

So there you have it, my lame 2010 list. All in all, it was an AWESOME year! I'm sure 2011 will be even better, but I still have a day or so to cherish 2010. Have a great New Year!

"Almost" end of the week thoughts....

It's the day before Christmas Eve, so I probably won't post anything tomorrow so I'm going to enlighten you today with some things running though my brain, that I think works...... I hope I don't piss anybody off today. I made a statement last week that I wasn't clear on and I guess someone took it the wrong way. For the record, just because you make a broad statement doesn't necessarily mean you feel that way toward everything in that specific category. It was nice for someone to point out where I messed up, and I want to give that person a "thank you" for helping me clear up what I was trying to get across.

Here are some things that have been on my mind that I feel I need to share:

-Supplements. Are they useful? Yes. Do I take them? Yes. Are they a necessity for getting stronger or getting in better shape? NO. Supplement companies are advertising everywhere and making a fortune off of people trying to enhance performance or get in better shape. There are numerous studies done on the benefits of certain supplements, but safety and necessity are the two things that concern me. Is it safe for someone with heart issues to take a stimulant based fat burner? Is it a necessity for a 55 year old women to take Creatine? Those are some of the things that I saw being sold to members of the commercial gym where I previously worked. Why was this being done? We had supplement goals and some trainers did whatever they could to reach their goal. So to get my point across-, try to properly educate friends, family, and acquaintances that are being persuaded by their trainer or the pencil neck at GNC to buy unnecessary supplements. Purchasing pills and powders to help a trainer reach their supplement goal is not fair to an oblivious client, nor is it ethical of the trainer. So if you can, help someone save some money and a possible health issue by informing them the truth about certain supplements. If you don't know enough about a specific product- don't buy it- research it and the possible side effects and then determine if it is worth the cash. Most of the time, it's not.

-Hill Running. I love it! Of course in South Florida the only hill near me is Mount Trashmore, actually it's called Vista View Park. It is a converted dump/landfill with hills ranging from about 30-70 yards. With the weather being so great right now, it's kinda absurd to exercise indoors all the time. Today I ran 16 40 yard hills and loved every minute of it......

-Holiday Eating. It's that time of the year where all of this delicious food is being forced in front of me and I have no choice but to devour it. Actually, I do have a choice- everyone does. I've been extremely good with my food choices, unlike years past where I ate like a pig for about 2 weeks (and gained about 10lbs). After revamping my diet this past year I have less cravings for crap food and sweets and I really enjoy eating more nutrient based foods. However, tonight I am going to dinner at the SOHO House in South Beach, and I'm gonna have NO restrictions on what I put in my piehole. Unless you have a physique competition coming up, it's possible to come across like a major asshat if you don't let loose a little over the Holiday Weekend. Don't wait til New Years to get back on track, start on Sunday.

-Reading. Lots of great reading this week. T-Nation has a ton of awesome stuff and check out Ben Bruno's good reads for some entertaining blogs and some awesome videos.

-Christmas. If you celebrate it, have a Merry one!

The need to deload

Lifting heavy weights is a great feeling, it's actually a healthy addiction I've developed through the years. Now that I'm 35 I finally realize the need to program a deload week every 3 to 4 weeks of training. What is a deload week? It is a part of a structured training program where you lift "light/moderate" weights and reduce volume so you can physically and mentally recuperate from the stress of hard/heavy training week in and week out. The body can take a lot of punishment, and so can the mind- but your joints and CNS need sometime to regroup or injury and mental burnout can take the place of consistent improvement from your training program.

A deload week is not a week off. You should still focus on quality exercises like squats, chin-ups, deadlifts, and presses- just reduce the weight to roughly 50-60% of your training max and focus on quality movement patterns. If Olympic lifts and plyometrics are staples in your program, this would be the week to reduce the volume and number of jumps. Actually, it would be a great week to really focus on your technique and landing properly. As for sprints, just control the volume and limit the intensity to 70-80% of top speed- your legs and CNS can be negatively effected from a lot of volume and 100% "all out" speed work.

The hardest part of a deload week is actually going lighter with a set of front squats or deadlifts. When the testosterone takes over and you're listening to a little Rage Against the Machine, it might be hard to actually stop loading up the plates and be mentally satisfied with the feeling of lifting mediocre weight. I find this incredibly tough when I'm lifting next to those Jersey Shore rejects doing curls in the squat rack (forced reps), while I'm actually squatting in the squat rack. I just want to turn up the Rage, throw on some plates, get a few hard-ass reps, and give em' the "That's how it's done son" look! I frequently have to remind myself, that's not what this training week is about- I'll just come in next week with a vengeance!!!

After a deload week you will come back into the gym stronger, mentally fresh, and ready to lift. For the past 18 months, I have been following Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program, which has a deload week every 4th week of lifting. I wish I would have understood the importance of a deload week earlier in my training years. Since I've started to train smart and hard I have gotten better results and never felt better. I have progressed with weight each cycle of the program and I am ready to dominate every time I walk through the gym doors. I've also started following Jason Ferruggia's advice on NOT training to failure, and the results have been even better.

Give a deload week a try. Add some exercises in that are not usually a part of your program and have a little fun. Just don't be that guy doing tricep kickbacks while standing on a BOSU ball, then you would just be a moron. For more information on deloading- check out Eric Cressey's product, it's a little more technical then the information presented in this post. Train hard! (and smart).

End of the week thoughts.....

I really love when my brain is firing on all cylinders. The thing is, I can drive myself crazy with evaluating and dissecting tons of beneficial information as well as a few doses of idocracy at its best. As the saying goes "analysis by paralysis", but I do love to learn and I feel there is always room for improvement. However, in some cases I just want to bang my head into a wall when I hear statements that clients or other people in the gym make in regards to health, fitness, and nutrition. Here are some issues and events that occurred this past week that might be a little entertaining and thought provoking, as well as make you a certified fitness genius for reading this blog.

-Why are some people so convinced that yoga will burn body fat and get you in great shape? I hate to hate on any form of exercise (except the kangaroo shoes and the shake weight) but yoga is not the best and only thing someone should do to get in better physical condition. Will you get more flexible from yoga? Yes. Will you develop a little core strength? Probably. Will you burn a ton of calories? No. My favorite rebuttal is "I sweat soooo much during yoga class, I have to burn a lot of calories". The room is freaking 100 degrees! What do you expect! Grrrrr- blood pressures up, take a few deep breaths- okay if you want to do yoga, great- but read this before your next yoga class. Just make sure you perform adequate resistance exercise and get some cardio training or intervals throughout the week. Or just stick to yoga, at least your flat, flabby ass will be flexible.

-A client said to me "We need to do more abs", I said "We do plenty of core work, planks and cable rotations". Then my client responds "We need to do crunches, I still have a belly". My response, "How have you been eating?" The diet was pretty much 70% carbs, 20% fat, and 10% protein- probably around 2500 calories (the client is 130lb female). After shaking my head and making the "puke" face I had to review everything we covered when we discussed nutrition. I got the famous "Oh yeah- I thought I was doing sooooo good too!" Take home point- crunches won't give you a six pack- but bad nutrition can develop a keg.

-I've read some of Tim Ferris's book "The 4 hour Body". Awesome! It puts some members of our medical community in it's place when it comes to outdated and unproven advice on human health and performance. I'm referring to those "Doctors" that give outdated nutrition advice and are obese or those that do not partake in an exercise regimen of their own. To say some "experts" are behind the times when it comes to improving your body and health is an understatement. The most efficient research we can learn from is done by a real person or people, living a real life, not some guinea pigs in a lab in a study that is funded by a company or corporation. I will have a lot more to elaborate on this in future blogs, especially things like the "food pyramid", ya know, the one where people were supposed to eat 6-11 servings of bread, cereal, rice, pasta a day. Was that developed to create the obesity epidemic? Hmmmmm conspiracy theory?

-Have a great weekend.....................

Assessments!!!

After reading Joe Defranco's write-up on assessments (a great read), I really began thinking- How much time should I spend with a new client with assessment/evaluation type stuff??? I've been following the advice of various strength coaches that recommend, as a coach, you should assess everything! From the way a person walks into your facility to the way they perform warm-up/activation drills. Defranco's article is pretty much the exact way I go about assessing a clients movement, and I think people appreciate they are actually getting work done while I am assessing. It's great to see people sweating and actually look like they're training when I'm actually evaluating every movement they make.

Most of the time when when working with client I tend to notice tight hip flexors, poor glute activation, and protracted shoulders. I tend to observe these deviations when a client is going through a dynamic warm-up that is a combination of mobility and flexibility exercise. One of the things that drives me crazy is when someone is in good physical condition, and they can't squat correctly.

I trained a client today for the first time and pretty much every movement appeared to be done correctly, except for the squat. This client was in good physical condition, but when it came time to perform a basic exercise it was rather challenging. One of my favorite tests to assess someones movement pattern when they squat is the doorway squat test (an overhead squat performed in a doorway). If you haven't done so check out Gray Cook's awesome book, Athletic Body in Balance it discusses this test in detail and provides loads of great information . More times than not, people do poorly on this test which can be corrected over a few sessions with the right exercises.

Bring in the case for the Box Squat. "Get those hips back, chest up, get lower!" Yes, the box squat is my exercise of choice to improve this deviated movement pattern. Actually the front squat to a box is the exercise I prefer to introduce to clients who lack depth or have an irregular movement pattern when they squat. It can be performed with a straight bar or a dumbbell, vary similar to a goblet squat, but using a box for coaching ques and depth.

I suggest giving clients "working" assessments, they will actually feel like they are getting something out of the session rather than just being tested on things they probably do poorly, and possibly leaving the session feeling cheated and dissatisfied. From there you can create an individual training program that is based around a clients needs and goals which should be the focus of every personal training session.

17 Days......

Looking at the calendar this time of year three words come to mind- shocking, depressing, and exciting. I know those three words have very different meanings, but all of those things enter my thoughts when I realize that 2010 is coming to an end in 17 days.

-I am really shocked that this year is so close to being over. I take a look back at last New Year's and I feel like it wasn't that long ago- it actually feels like it just occurred. When my week's were starting on Monday and all of a sudden Friday appeared out to nowhere- I knew it would be a fast year. I think the way my life has changed, for the better, I really wish I could have had some portions of this year put in slow motion.

-It's kinda depressing that it's coming to an end, it has definitely been the best year of my life. A lot of wonderful life changing events have taken place. Most importantly, I got engaged- by far the highlight of my year. I also turned 35 which was great considering I don't even feel like I'm 25. My fiance and I lost over 20lbs. each! We changed our way of eating, became extremely dedicated with exercising, and actually developed a much healthier lifestyle. I've done some great trips to Las Vegas, North Carolina (little sisters wedding), and Key West 3 times. I left my job at a commercial gym and started working at a private gym, definitely the best career move I could have made!

-If 2010 was this good, I'm really excited to see what 2011 has in store for me. I actually have some pretty exciting things planed (Wedding= March 12), a few trips, and I really plan on taking my career to a different level. I will take some time over the next few weeks to evaluate the steps I need to take to be a more successful trainer and strength coach and determine what direction I will go with my career.

I think every year I become more passionate about getting better- at everything! I have 17 days left in 2010 to dominate and kick some ass. I want to end this year with a bang! 17 days left of awesome nutrition (except Christmas), about 14 effective/strenuous training sessions, and being the best person I can to the people around me. What are you going to do in the next 17 days to close out the year? Think how you can finish 2010 before you begin to set up your goals for 2011.

End of the week thoughts.........

On Friday I find it tough to be too serious. Throughout the week I feel like I need to educate, motivate, and inspire though my blog entires. On Fridays, I feel like I need to do those things but also be humorous, entertain, and somewhat random because my adult ADHD is kicking in to high gear thinking about the weekend. Especially this weekend because my fiance and I are going to Key West for some much needed R & R (How jealous are you? 75 degrees and sunny).

So I will be somewhat random with my thoughts and musings and hopefully in between the babble there will be something meaningful so reading this is not a waste of time.

-It really comes down to eating less and moving more. That's it. If people ate less and moved more we'd be a healthier society. Okay, okay- you have to eat the right foods and perform the right movements, but one step at a time. Most of our society would be shocked to see how many calories are consumed on a daily basis and what nutrient most of those calories come from (bad fat/ crap carbs). If you haven't done so already check out fitday.com- it can be an eye opening experience.

-Why do people (ass clowns) always perform curls about 2 feet away from the mirror. I hate trying to get a set of dumbbells and some idiot is pretty much making love to himself while doing curls in front of the dumbbell rack. The reasoning = so he can see himself better in the mirror. These fools need a 45lb. plate smack to the head! To read more about this awfulness click here.

-When people ask about losing weight they usually ask, "What can I do to lose this" and grab or point to their gut. I think the answer they want to hear is "Just do crunches and you'll have a 6 pack in no time". Hearing the correct answer "Eat high quality foods, lower your caloric intake, don't eat processed carbs, eat more lean protein, eat more veggies, do compound movements with adequate resistance, introduce interval training, consume the right type of quality fats, get stronger and don't waste your time doing crunches", is not as easy to mentally digest. So of course the end result, they walk on the treadmill for 20 minutes and perform 50 crunches = stay fat.

-Like I said, I'm going to Key West tomorrow. Am I going to eat perfect? Hell no. Am I going to exercise? Yes, kinda. I came to the realization if mainly avoid fried crap, avoid sugary drinks, and don't eat desert my diet doesn't go to complete hell. I will be getting ample amounts of protein because I love seafood, and I have some fruit, nuts, and protein bars for the the hotel room. As far as exercise, we are bringing our bikes and I plan on doing some body weight circuit stuff one of the mornings we are there. If I don't, it's not too big of a deal because I'm gonna dominate the weight room when I get back. I'm really excited to relax a little bit, stroll around Duval street, and hopefully get out on the water for a sunset cruise. Have a great weekend, I know I will!

Funny Story......

I can thank my fiance for this one. She was at the gym lifting yesterday and had an idiot encounter like no other. First of all, my fiance lifts- she doesn't workout. What's the difference? When you lift you squat 135lbs. ass to the ground for reps, when you workout you do tricep extensions standing on a bosu ball. Getting back to the story, she was performing deadlifts, dumbbell chest press, and seated rows (as a compound set). She uses the power/squat rack for deadlifts because it's easier to load and unload the weight. We have 3 racks in the gym, and of course only about 1% of the members actually squat (to depth) or do any form of power movement in these racks. It actually could be considered a curl rack just like at most commercial gyms.

So anyway, this idiot walks up to the rack while my fiance was doing a set of deadlifts, "How many sets do you have left?". She replied, "A few more, what exercise are you doing?" He said "CURLS", shocker, right there you knew he was a major ass clown! Then she went about her business and kept lifting hard. A couple minutes later, major ass clown, walked back up to the rack and asked if she was done yet, she said "I have one more set, but there is an empty rack over there" and he replied (drum roll please) "I LIKE TO USE THIS ONE BECAUSE I LIKE TO LOOK AT MYSELF IN THE MIRROR." She rolled her eyes, shook her head, and make a WTF face.

The best part is, she gives me a text when she got done lifting telling me she had the best story about an idiot at the gym. When she finished telling me the story about this fool, she said "Then I busted out a set of 115 for 5 on deadlifts!" Just one more reason I knew I found the girl of my dreams.......

The difference (Nutrition Edition)

With the holidays right around the corner it's time for parties and other social events that might create some negative choices when it comes to your nutrition. First of all, it is a great time of year to enjoy the company of family and friends. However, this might create a little friction when it comes to eating and drinking the way you are accustomed to. I don't want to sound like a nutrition nazi because I will have a more than a little freedom when it comes to what I eat and drink during this time of year. I will be about 90% compliant with my food choices, and most of the time I actually don't eat desert or fried foods. I do love my mom's Christmas breakfast though, eggs benedict- I eat like 10,000 calories of the stuff!!!

If you are choosing to stay strict with your food choices, it's important not to come across like an A-hole during this time of year. Ya know, when someone say's "It's okay, you're thin, you can have a few cookies and some cake". You don't want to react and say "Well, you're fat, I'm surprised we have any cookies and cake left!" Total A-hole move. Once again the topic will focus on EXCUSES, because we all have them, whether we chose to watch our waistline or be a chunky monkey.

People that are out of shape will make excuses why they deserve to go on a feeding frenzy, or treat themselves to a desert or an extra slice of pizza. Here are some of the excuses I've heard over the years regarding these over eaters:

-"I walked/ran/did spinning this morning, of course I'll have another slice of cheesecake". (I pretty much guarantee that cheesecake has more calories than you burnt during your little exercise routine)

-"I'm going to start the new year with a new diet, it's the BEST diet ever, it's recommended my a doctor and it GUARANTEES results!" (Too bad, the Dr. got paid for the endorsement, doesn't know crap about nutrition and the diet sucks, you might actually gain weight and feel like ass when it's all said and done)

-"I'm bulking, trying to gain some muscle" (You've been bulking for the past 2 years, you're actually ballooning )

-"It's fat-free!" (Probably the dumbest excuse I've ever heard- look at all the chemicals in fat free foods, and most of the time they are loaded with sugar and calories)

-"It really doesn't matter how I eat, I'm not genetically skinny, so I might as well eat what I want to" (Everyone can improve the way they look, but more importantly, improve their health)

Here are some excuses for people on the other side of the fence, the people who try to eat clean at least 90 percent of the time.

-"I'm full, I ate before I got here" (This is usually true- most of the time the lean and mean crew will eat before they leave the house. If you're at a get together with appetizers, just to be social you will probably want to nibble on some veggies, with no dip-of course)

-When asked "Is it boring to eat the same foods all the time?"NO-it's really not boring to eat the same food all the time, and it's definitely not boring to be in great shape all the time either (okay, that sounds kinda cocky, sorry)

-"I really don't feel good when I eat that type of stuff" (This is probably true if you are used to eating clean foods, you don't want bubble guts at a social event)

-"I've never felt better since I've been avoiding those type of foods, I have more energy, I sleep better, and I haven't been sick forever" (Notice how there is no mention of looking sexy so you don't come across as shallow)

-"I don't feel like drinking tonight, I'm driving" (This is probably the most positive excuse I've ever heard- everyone should love a designated driver)

Sometimes people will try to derail you from making a "positive excuse", just remember YOU are going to deal with the aftermath of what you eat and drink, not the person that does the convincing. I wrote a blog about people like that here.

Sample Client Workout

Today I'm going to give you a look at one of my client's workouts. This is a 6am client, she is a 45 year old mother of 3. She is roughly 5'9 130lbs. and has around 18% body fat. I am going to summarize everything and not include warm-up sets.

Dynamic warm-up 10min.
This includes but is not limited to, hip mobility, glute activation, core activation, and a series of exercises such as lunges/squats/jumps to get the heart rate up.

Strength Training 35min.

a1- Front squats (below parallel) 3 sets of 5 - 75/85/95lbs.
a2- Seated Row 3 sets of 12, 60lbs all sets
a3- DB Chest Press 3 sets of 12, 20 lbs all sets

b1- (kneeling) Band Lat Pull down 3 sets of 15
b2-Lunge/one arm shoulder press combo 3 sets of 8 on each side, 15 lb. Dumbbell

c1- RDL (stiff/straight leg deadlifts) whatever ya wanna call them 3 sets of 12, 20 pound dumbbell in each hand.
c2- Valslide leg curls 3 sets of 12

Core work 5 min
Side plank 30 (each side) / Front plank 45 sec. / Med ball slams (12 reps) Back to back exercises 2 total sets

Reasoning- First of all, it's Monday. Nothing starts your week off better then some front squats with a descent weight. I tend to focus on a full body routine, this keeps the client moving without a lot of down time. People who mainly want to improve their health and get lean and are not worried about the numbers game with poundage will benefit more with a total body routine in terms of caloric expenditure. I like to do some body part focus toward the end of every session, today we focused on the hamstrings, a muscle group that most people neglect to train properly.

Sometimes core work is done between sets, or it may be done at the beginning of the workout. I focus more on core stability, such as planks and like to add some cable rotations or med ball work as well. We ran out of time today (she was late) so we did not perform a 5 min metabolic circuit at the end. The program that this client is performing will focus on more "circuit" style workouts since the holidays are around the corner and eating won't be 100% perfect. I will see this client again on Wednesday this week, HEAVY DEADLIFT DAY! I'm sure she'll be happy!

Friday Randomness

Some random things that have been swirling through my head:

1- People spend so much money and time buying new designer clothes to "look better". For people that are overweight it would be better to spend your time and money on fitness and nutrition- then you would look better with your clothes off.

2- With all the information that is out there on nutrition it it amazes me that people still think peanut butter is an excellent source of protein. At 190 calories per serving and with 160 of those coming from fat- it is a good source of fat. It only has about 8 grams of protein.

3- Girls with the best bodies - squat, deadlift, and sprint. All of this BS that women shouldn't lift heavy weight amazes me- I like females who have an "I'll kick your ass" attitude in the gym, it shows they have self-confidence and are mentally strong. Now that's sexy.

4- If you bought a "shake weight" you are a mental midget. I can't get over how stupid some people are.......

5- If you want abs- you need to spend more time looking at your nutrition and less time doing crunches. Once you get you get your nutrition in check, you still shouldn't do crunches you need to burn calories (body weight circuits and interval training)

6- It you had a cookie last night and had a some chips a few days ago, you are NOT trying really hard to lose weight. There is a difference between saying and doing, losers say / winners do.

7- I love the winter (In Florida) everywhere else is too damn cold. I can last for 3 or 4 days in below 40 temps but after 4 years in Iowa 50-60 degrees is about all I can take for a long duration.

8- If they made beer flavored protein powder do you think anyone would try it????

9- Don't train to failure. Check out jasonferruggia.com for more info (This guy is one of the best)

10- Friday Deadlift day! I love that feeling of a good Friday training session and rewarding myself with at protein shake with spinach, blueberries, banana, and chia seeds. Weird, I know.

11- High school football tonight, playoffs, gotta love a competitive atmosphere- Go Cypress!

The difference......(training edition)

Ever wonder what the major difference is between a person who is in great shape compared to a person who is out of shape? Excuses! Both groups of people make excuses, but one group makes excuses why they can't workout. The other group makes excuses to get out of doing "other things" so they can workout. It's really crazy how one group can be so animate about getting out of going to the gym, the other group will do anything they can to get to the gym.

Here are some excuses that "out of shape" people use for not working out:
-I have no time (BS- stop watching reruns of your favorite TV show fatty)
-The gym is too crowded (get outside- you don't need to ask your parents to go to the park)
-Its raining outside (go to the gym, you do have a car, don't you?)
-I'm tired (get real- everyone is tired, but if you get in better shape you'll have more energy)
-It's boring (you are doing the wrong type of exercise - try something different)
-I don't know what to do (Hire a good trainer, it's a small price to pay for better health)

On the opposite end of the spectrum, people in good shape make excuses to get out of other things to get to the gym, or go to a park and exercise. There aren't as many excuses for this group and they will usually make something up on the fly to get out of doing something social to exercise. A matter a fact, one of the only factors that might cause this group to make an excuse is social life, commonly known as happy hour.
Here are some excuses that our lean and mean crew will make to exercise:
-I have to work late (if asked to go out after work)
-I'm not feeling well (again, if asked to go out after work)
-I have too much stuff to do at home (unless your significant other is the one making the social plans)
-I have to help a friend move (I've actually used that one)

On a personal note, I've used so many excuses so I can get to the gym or get outside and exercise that I don't even care what people think anymore. I don't feel normal unless I perform some physical activity at least 4-5 times a week. On Friday's while most of the people I know are excited about happy hour, I'm getting excited about getting to the gym and "owning" a heavy set of deadlifts. I would rather have a great training session performing deadlifts, squats, or cleans than be somewhere I really don't want to be. People might think I am a social midget but I actually do have a pretty F'in fun and entertaining life and have plenty of vacation and social time. I just chose to do it after I push myself to the limit in the gym. Start making excuses for the right reasons, your waistline will thank you.

Wake up people.......

Here's a news flash, that skinny vanilla latte, it ain't making you skinny! Every morning millions of people start their day by going to Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks and getting a beverage, food or both. Even though the food/beverage that you select may be low-fat you're still taking in some serious sugar and artificial ingredients your body doesn't need.

I tend to prefer Starbucks, that's where I get my Grande Black Coffee, yes- I need my caffeine. I usually stop there 2 to 3 times a week, and almost every time I see someone order something that is not "calorie appropriate" for the type of physical stature that they posses. 9 times out of 10 I witness someone obese ordering a cupcake, muffin, or cookie with their skinny latte, and they think they are on the right track.

Now I don't want to sound like an arrogant bastard, but come on, you don't need to be eating and drinking 500 calories of garbage for breakfast. I do feel bad for these people because they might think what they are eating/drinking is "okay" for them or they might not even care about being overweight- but to me its unacceptable.

Little changes in someones daily routine can lead them to a healthier, happier, and more energetic life. Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts have all of their nutrition facts online, and some locations even have a hard copy on the wall or a pamphlet for distribution. Take a look at what you are putting in your system first thing in the morning. If it's a meal loaded with sugar, filled with process carbohydrates, and contaminated with artificial chemicals- it's time for a healthy change.

Are You SERIOUS?????

Working out in South Florida is an interesting experience. I have trained at quite a few commercial gyms and not a day goes by that I don't ask myself "Are you serious?" I don't know if we have more idiots that populate gyms and fitness centers here, rather then other areas, but I'm willing to bet that we are pretty close to the top. When I've lifted during traveling it's usually at a strength and conditioning conference so most of the attendees pretty much have their head on straight and have a clue on weight training etiquette. The majority of my lifting does take place in South Florida at local/commercial gyms and some of the stuff I see makes me want to stab myself in the eye with a dull lead pencil! Here's a short list of the absurdity:

1- Training with sunglasses on. I mean, come on, what the hell are these people thinking. I've seen dudes that look like they are auditioning for the next Jersey Shore performing endless sets of tricep kickbacks while wearing their designer sunglasses. I know it's sunny in Fort Lauderdale, but dude, you are inside! What makes it worse is when these idiots are wearing bandannas or stocking caps and skin tight tank tops.

2- Throwing weights down so hard it sounds like an earthquake. Okay, I get it "You're Strong". Honestly to throw your 80 pound dumbbells down (not that heavy dude, by the way) and stand up, give a double fist pump and then look around to make sure everybody see's you??? Ugggg- I just want to vomit just thinking about it! Want to impress people, do a full depth front squat with 315, or deadlift 5 plates for reps, your partner assisted shoulder press doesn't cut it! What I find crazy is when these idiots throw their weights down it's always during an upper body movement - because they don't train their legs and if they do, they fall into #3.

3- Loading up the leg press with 10 plates on each side and grunting like you are giving birth. First of all, the leg press- do a squat you sissy! What makes it worse is when these idiots are wearing knee wraps and doing 1/4 reps. In all honesty, my fiance can squat more than these fools. You will never see a leg press competition, Why? Because it's not an adequate indicator of real strength.

4-Wearing all your "gear" while training. I love to see those fools with their knee wraps, belt, gloves, elbow sleeves, and wrist wraps on performing and intense set of cable curls. Unless you are powerlifter or training near maximum effort on a squat or deadlift, you can leave the belt at home. For you those fools that think they need a belt because they "have a bad back"- read a book by Stuart McGill, it will blow your mind.

5- Here is one for the ladies- sports bras, tube tops, and spandex- if you have a muffin top, don't even think about it! I don't think this topic need any elaboration.

Hope you enjoyed the list. Next time you're in the gym I guarantee you'll see one of these morons, just remember they are there for your amusement- enjoy a good laugh while your getting in better shape.

Back to Reality.......

The first Monday back after a Holiday break is usually something that we all dread. It's time to get back to work, to a regular exercise routine, and back on track with your diet. Today should be a stepping stone to improving yourself physically and mentally before the next holiday break (which is roughly 4 weeks away). How are you going to do that? Are your lifting days planned out and structured? Did you grocery shopping and prepare some of your meals for the week? Well it's time to devise a plan should start today! If your like me, your "binge" eating lasted for more than your Thanksgiving meal, and probably more than you want to admit. There is no use looking back at those extra calories that you put in your system, it's time to get a positive mindset and get some achievable results in these next 3-4 weeks.

To get started, you should have a goal of how many workouts you are going to get in from now the new year. December 31st is about 5 weeks away, with Christmas about 4 weeks away. If you have a goal of 20 workouts between now and New Year's you are on the right track. That is an average of 4 a week, which doesn't seem too far fetched. Make sure you get at least 3 resistance days in per week, and perform some interval training after lifting at least 2 of those days. Your best bet is total body workouts and changing your rep ranges and exercises often. If you can get some extra cardio in for additional calorie burning, go ahead- just make sure your resistance training takes priority.

As far as nutrition goes, if you stick to the 90% rule you should be fine. Basically if you eat perfect 90% of the time, and have a "slip-up" 10% of the time you should be okay. So if you eat 5 times a day, 7 days a week that gives you 35 meals for the week. That will allow you around 3, maybe 4 "slip-ups" a week. NO MORE! Now, a "slip-up" isn't an all out binge. It's more like going out for dinner and having some flatbread as an appetizer or fulfilling your sweet tooth and having a cookie for desert. If you really add up the calories from 3-4 "slip-ups" it should not exceed 100-300 calories per meal and about 500-700 per week. If you can go the whole week with only 1 or 2 'slip-ups"- more power to ya! They are there for social events, work luncheons, and a little holiday sanity.

Hope you have already begun mentally planning how you are going to end 2010 in a successful way, and you should be off to a good start this morning. I have already written up my lifting program for the month and ate 2 perfect meals and it's only 9:30am. Now is the time to challenge yourself, finish this year better than you finished last year, think about looking good and feeling great on New Year's Eve.

The sweat before the feast....

Yesterday I discussed some nutritional strategies that will help fight the dreaded weight gain that comes with the holidays. Today I want to talk about some exercise suggestions that will kick start that metabolism into high gear. You need to workout Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday- but perform different routines then you normally do on those days. The key is to not miss a workout. I know Thursday has the Macy's Parade in the morning, football at mid-day, and Stuff-yo-face-feel-like-crap time during late afternoon. The workouts won't ruin your day or take up too much time, they will actually improve your overall mood and energy levels. I will begin with the Wednesday workout and follow-up tomorrow with Thursday and Fridays routine.

Wednesday. Begin with a dynamic warm-up for upper and lower body (about 10 min). Once you are warmed up you will perform these exercises, in order for 1o reps, no rest between exercises, and 1 minute rest between each round- you will do three rounds.
-front squats (comfortable weight for 10 reps)
-push-ups (or clap push-ups if you are more advanced)
-reverse lunges (alternate legs-10 on each/20 total)
-seated rows (or TRX rows)
-jump squats
-dumbbell curl to shoulder press (both arms at same time, keep elbows in/thumbs up)

Once you are done, get on any cardio equipment (treadmill, bike, stepmill, or elliptical) and perform intervals. 60 seconds medium pace/30 seconds as fast or as hard as you can go. Those 30 seconds should be exhausting, to the point you couldn't last for 5 more seconds. The 60 second portion should be enough to keep your heart rate up, but allow you time to catch your breath.

Tomorrow I will give you some examples of workouts to perform on Thursday and Friday. Even though its holiday time, it's no excuse turn into a lazy sack of turd. 30-45 minutes or exercise a day, at the most is not too much to ask-You will be thankful on Monday.

It comes down to balance......

The "old wise tale" say's that most Americans gain 5-10lbs. from Thanksgiving to the new year. Whether that's true or not really doesn't matter. Mainly because if you are exercising and eating right, you are doing better then most Americans. However, with the holidays coming up it is almost impossible to stay on track with extremely clean eating. Exercise on the other hand can be accomplished whether you want to admit it or not. The key is to balance out the working out and negative eating so you can actually make progress during the time of year where most people take a few steps back.

To be completely blunt, there is no reason that this weekend you have to eat bad from Thursday to Sunday. No reason at all. Save your caloric surplus for Thursday afternoon and that's it- no more! Now that we have that out of the way let's talk about how to eat leading up to Thursday. Starting today reduce your calories by about 100-200 per day. Keep the protein the same, but cut out some carbs first, and then some fat. Something as simple as cutting out some fruit (normally I don't recommend this- its only temporary) or cutting out a serving of nuts. If you feel hungry add in non-caloric veggies such as cucumber, lettuce, spinach, mushrooms, peppers to your meals where acceptable (salads, omelets , wraps).

On to Thursday, my first suggestion is to eat a high protein, high fat breakfast. Something like red meat or eggs and a serving of nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews). After that meal eat every 2-3 hours and have green fibrous veggies and lean protein (chicken and broccoli, or asparagus) Don't drink anything but water, unsweetened green tea, or black coffee.

Around 3, 4, or 5pm- whatever time the eating begins, enjoy yourself. But do so in a systematic manner. Eat protein first, followed by veggies, then indulge in the stuffing-sweet potato pie- or whatever else is loaded with "non-ab getting" calories. Chances are you will probably eat less of the bad stuff if you fill up on protein and veggies first. If you have appetizers even better, a lot of times their will be a vegetable tray- just avoid the dip or dressing. If you drink alcohol- avoid the calorie mixes, stick with club soda. Chose wine over beer, and light beer over regular beer. If you have desert and coffee, drink the coffee first then eat desert. The caffeine might reduce your appetite.

Hopefully by this point, you enjoyed stuffing your face, and maybe you feel a little bloated and disgusting. Now would be a good time to go for an evening walk and let your food digest. Have nothing but water for the rest of the night. I will discuss some exercise tips tomorrow that will help burn some more calories during this time of gluttony.

Random football thoughts.....

One of my favorite things about the weekends during the fall is college football. The atmosphere and competitiveness that surrounds college football is like no other in sports (at least in my opinion). When I look at my life now I really wouldn't be where if I am today without the game of football. Now that I think about it, I honestly don't know what I'd be doing for a living if I wasn't involved in football throughout my life.

I started lifting weights in high school to improve myself on the football field. Ever since then I have been in love with the "iron game". Lifting with teammates and pushing each other to our physical limit helped developed a passion to train and coach people to achieve a wide range of fitness goals. I have people that I train that are athletes working to develop peak power output and I have people that I train that are over 60 and could care less about how much weight they lift. But, it all goes back to football, that's where this passion began.

I realized that through physical conditioning not only do you improve your body but you also improve your mind and your outlook on life. I know its tough to relate training a 45 year old mother of 3 to an athlete performing heavy hang cleans with a room full of sweaty yelling teammates. If you look at it from my perspective, there is a definite relation. Everyone who goes to the gym or enters weight room wants to get better. They want to get stronger, get learner, improve the condition of their cardiovascular system, or develop more self-esteem- the list goes on forever.

That's why I got into this profession. To make people, better. I look back at the days of doing hill sprints in full pads in nowhereville, Iowa and I really do miss it. Pushing yourself to be in the best physical condition of anyone at your position is something I always took pride in. I also look what I am doing today and I wouldn't trade it for another profession in the world. There are so many ways I can improve myself professionally, it really comes down to dedication and hard work, the same things that improved my ability as an athlete. What I did on the football field, in the weight room, running up and down hills, made me into the type of trainer and coach that I am today.

I always want to get better, whether it's in nutrition, strength training, or business/client relations- I want to improve. I also want my clients/athletes to get better- if they don't improve, I feel like I've failed. If I don't get better I also feel like I've failed. Its about pushing yourself to your limits, over coming adversity, and striving for excellence- all things I learned on the football field.

I also love going to CANES games. This weekend UM plays Virginia Tech and I can't wait! Throwing some meat on the grill and hanging with my dad and some friends before the game are times that are irreplaceable. Walking into the stadium and getting ready for the game to start still give me goose bumps. When kick off comes, all of the physical preparation, the long hours in the weight room, the days of running endless sprints in the summer heat, are forgotten. It's time to buckle up your chin strap and play! May the best team win- GO CANES!

A fast buck in fitness.....

Yesterday I was contacted by an old co-worker and was asked to become a part of the "greatest and most cutting edge" development in the fitness/weight loss industry. I was told that I could actually get paid designing nutrition programs for people (really dumb ass- I could probably get paid for training people as well....). The great part is I would come in as an "executive" and once I had a few of my clients buy into the program and become "distributors", they would be working for me.

This "ground breaking" development is a computer based nutrition/diet program, where "a computer does all the work". All clients have to do is choose what diet they want and their goals and a computer will tell them everything they need to do to get their results. Oh yeah, people will be sent text messages when they should eat. So, if you're in a business meeting and you get a text from this program, tell your boss "Sorry, I have to leave, I got a text that told me I need to go eat chicken and broccoli". Are you for real???? Once I heard the statement "People aren't gonna lose money on this, all they have to lose is weight", I had to start laughing. This is f'in ridiculous I told myself, but I had to keep listening, the guy wouldn't shut up.

The best part of the conversation was when I was informed that in 3 weeks I would be driving around town in a "black beamer" (sorry, but I'm a truck guy). Of course, I finally had to cut this conversation (sales call) off, I had a client waiting. I could not help thinking how I just wasted 20 minutes of time listening to this garbage. The fitness industry is full of gimmicks, idiots, and schemes designed to make a fast buck and people are desperate so the believe in this crap. Getting people to follow a nutritional/diet plan is not that simple. A lot of time, thought, and consideration needs to occur before you can actually determine what a person should be eating to achieve their goals. NOT just clicking on a few icons on a computer screen!

I really wish situations like this didn't occur. It really makes me feel bad for all those people buying it to this stuff, literally, and waisting a lot of money. The best part of it all is when I got home and turned on the TV, I saw a commercial for the "Shake Weight", I'm just glad I didn't throw my remote against the wall! Hopefully through educated, professional personal trainers and strength coaches people can achieve a healthier life without falling for this type of stuff.

Super Size Me

The other night I re-watched the movie "Super Size Me". It's a documentary about a guy, Morgan Spurlock, who decides to eat nothing but McDonald's for 30 days. During this time he weighed-in on a weekly basis, had blood work done, and was under strict medical supervision. Obviously he gained a ton of weight and his blood work results were to say the least, unhealthy.

This movie was made years ago. The fast food industry is still thriving. There is something wrong with this picture. We have full control to avoid making fast food a staple in our diets, but some people chose to put that garbage in their mouth's and in the mouth's of their children. It was disturbing for me to watch someone consume McDonald's for 3o days and encounter all of these , pretty much well known, negative health effects. What is more disturbing is that the movie was done to prove a point, to show America you need to avoid this crap, but every morning when I drive by McDonald's the drive-thru and parking lot are packed, by personal choice.

People can chose what they want to do with themselves. Eat what you want, drink what you want, and sit on your ass as long as you want. What kills me is when these habits are passed on to children. I have 250 sixth graders throughout the day, some active, some obese. Is it their fault? When I walk thorough the cafeteria, with around 600 kids, and I see packed lunches that are loaded with unhealthy calories, I wonder what were these parents thinking??? When I get to school in the morning and I see the same students with McDonald's cups every morning (who are obese, by the way) I feel like I should talk to the parent about better food choices. But that wouldn't be right, right? I might hurt someone's feelings and in our society it's more important to "not offend" somebody than improve someone's health.

I realize I'm not the only one who feels this way. There are many people who chose to eat and have their children eat nutritious foods. I applaud these people for not giving in to the easy way out. Cooking breakfast, packing a quality lunch, and making a healthy dinner takes time and preparation. The good thing is that time will be repaid in the amount of "healthy years" you and your children will enjoy in life. Take 30 days of your life and eat quality, nutritious, prepared at home food- you will feel such a positive difference both physically and mentally. You were only given one body, take care of it and it will take care of you.

For more fact on fast food check out this link: DON'T EAT IT!

Joe Kenn's Research

I was fortunate to meet Joe Kenn at a Hammer Strength Coaches Clinic Last March. If you are in the strength and conditioning field or even the personal training field, Joe Kenn should be one person that you take his advice to heart. Joe operates Big House Power and speaks at several clinics/conferences throughout the country. If you get a chance to see him speak, don't pass it up. He is extremely motivational and puts stuff in perspective when it comes down to getting stronger and in better physical condition.

You may be asking yourself, so what's your point? Well, I've been reviewing a lot of the information that I have gathered over the years from clinics/conferences and other literature and Joe's one hour lecture made just about more sense then any other piece of training advice. When It comes down to it, it's about the basics, the foundation. However, some people have "research" that leads you toward other methods of training. Kenn's quote "I AM THE RESEARCH", has been repeatedly running through my mind as I train my clients and work with my students.

There is research out there that can prove everybody wrong and everybody right. So many people love to quote research and focus on a group of individuals that lost 2.3 lbs of body fat vs. 4.2 lbs of body fat doing intervals on a bike vs. intervals on a treadmill. What does this really tell us? I know some research, test studies, and statistics are vital to the strength and conditioning field. When it comes down to it, if we are getting positive results with our athletes and clients, isn't that research.

I've done research on myself pretty much my entire "training" life. Over the past year, I was a little more specific. I decided to documented my own training and my nutrition plan. I know what set and rep scheme is best of for me to gain strength, to put on size, and to lose body fat. I know what foods I should eat to stay lean or to put on a little size. I know certain foods are not right for me, even though they are though of as "healthy". I know what to do in terms of interval training, complexes, or cardio to get the results I want. Isn't that research. More importantly, I know that most of the research I conducted on myself can be manipulated to fit different individuals and passed on to the people that I train and they can get the results that they want.

I really had a great time meeting Coach Kenn and discussing effective ways to make athletes/clients stronger and logical and effective methods of progression. I will continue to do my "research" and focus on doing what is worthwhile and reject what is useless. I will also look at studies and statistics on various topics which might influence me to implement changes or validate what I am currently doing in terms of training and nutrition. All in all, conduct your research and determine what will bring the best results to your athletes and clients- that is what it all comes down to anyway.....

Begin Positive.......

It's Monday. The beginning to a new week and a day that most people dread. Instead of thinking about all of the negative things that come along with Monday's, tasks that need to be done, waking up to the alarm clock for another 4 days, and having to go to work or school for an entire week. Think about all of the great things that can be accomplished this week. Look at Monday as a positive beginning to making your life better than its ever been. Try to focus on things that you can do physically, nutritionally, and socially/professionally. Here are some ideas;

Physically- Don't miss a workout this week (actually, that should be a given). Set a physical goal you would like to achieve this week. Try to add weight to a couple compound lifts, do more reps than you normally do, perform a few more sprints than normal, rest less between each sprint, the list goes on and on..... Or you can change things up. If you normally back squat, perform a front squat, instead of a conventional deadlift- perform a sumo or snatch grip deadlift. Whatever you chose to do different, look at it as an improvement. Get in the mindset of getting physically better this week today, and by Friday you will have surpassed your expectations.

Nutritionally- Don't eat anything that you shouldn't (okay, another given). Plan your meals in advance so there is no room for error. If you haven't done so, make sure you have your food shopping done for the week and a few days of food prepared. Try to add a new healthy food to your diet, switch your normal meals up (eggs for dinner???), or try a new recipe to a food you are currently eating. If you make it until Friday without a slip up in your nutritional plan, you will feel more energized and have better outlook on life in time for the weekend.

Socially/Professionally- Smile at a stranger. Hold the door for someone. If someone holds the door for you say "Thank You". Little things can make a big difference in the way you carry yourself throughout the day. Reach out to an old friend you haven't talked to in a while. Make a new friend by striking up a conversation with someone you normally see but haven't exchanged words. Think about way's to make your job more enjoyable. What can you do to make your place of employment better? Think about the good things pertaining to your job each morning this week and go into work with a better attitude, you will accomplish more and the day will go by faster.

This was just a thought going through my mind while I was on my way to work at 5:10am. I've got my mindset right. I'm gonna dominate this week, good things are gonna happen, and everyday is going to be better. I am already off to a good start! What great things are you going to do this week?

Mistakes.....

As much as I hate to admit it, I've made a lot of mistakes as a personal trainer/strength coach. Actually, I'm proud to admit the things I've done wrong or could have done better. I've learned from each mistake and I have become a better trainer and my clients and athletes have had much better results. The more I thought about the mistakes I've made, the longer the list seemed to get. I thought to myself, "man, I sucked at this when I first started!" I'm gonna list and describe a few of the mistake I've made and trust me, there have been many more, and there will be many more, but that's how I will get better.

1- Not focusing on continuing education. I know I mentioned the importance of this several times and I will keep repeating myself, I feel continuing education is that important. Once you attend a seminar or conference you will be influenced to keep gaining knowledge in the fitness field. Buying and reading books is almost just as addicting. I've spent a lot of money at amazon.com on books relating to movement, nutrition, and strength training as well as some books on business and relationships. I really wish I would have done this during my first year as a trainer, I could have been so much better at client relations, writing programs, and discussing nutrition with clients.

2-Having a one track mind. Steady state cardio is out - you need to do intervals. Doing exercises on the stability ball is the only way to activate the core. There is no need to perform static stretching. Carbs are bad. You should always train until failure. Those are just some things that I read or heard and I took that advice and ran with it 100% , and didn't look back. Now that I'm older and wiser I realize there are "many ways to skin a cat". I think just about everything has its place, and too many trainers rule things out completely or add thing in without clearly thinking on what is best for the client or the situation. Don't rule everything out and don't think the newest thing is the best thing. Oh yeah, and research can prove whatever you want it to prove, you just have to find the right research.

3-Reading/Buying Muscle and Fitness type magazines. If I had saved all that money instead of wasting it on bodybuilding magazines, I would have my own gym by now. I wasted a lot of time following "bodybuilding" routines and getting wrapped up in the Joe Weider philosophy. Being in great shape should focus on movement, not just getting the "pump". Following these routines that involved 6 different exercises for chest was really useless when trying to improve the way the body should function. A side from that, the steroid influenced physiques really were not realistic to obtain. The worst part is, I had some of my early clients follow those routines. (I can't believe I wasn't fired).

4-Working at a commercial gym for 8 years. When I think of all the bad habits I picked up from training at a commercial gym, I really want to kick myself in the head. The gym itself is basically a "sales and marketing" compound. Everything that is done that looks like the goal is to get the clients/members in better condition is sales driven. I'm all for making money, but at what expense. I once saw a trainer sell a 60 year old women Muscle Milk and Creatine so he could make his supplement goal. We were given "cookie cutter" routines to follow that involved machine based circuits which could create more muscular imbalances to the already posture challenged client. I have been through several fitness managers at commercial gyms, and they should all read my #1 mistake. None of them attended a seminar that wasn't put on my the gym we worked for, and they thought they knew all........ I wish would have found a private gym earlier in my training years. I work with great people and we are driven through client success.

5-Not assessing and analyzing client movement. A lot of people have movement deficiencies, not understanding way to evaluate them or correct them is a big problem. We are dealing with peoples health, they should not hurt or injure themselves when going through a workout. I am a big fan of Gray Cook and Eric Cressey when it comes to advice on what to look for and how to progress when analyzing a clients movements.

Those are just some things that I think were mistakes that I could have avoided during my first years as a personal trainer/strength coach. In Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers, he focuses on the 10,000 hour rule. Basically devoting 10,000 productive hours of time to be truly successful at any endeavor. I think I'm getting there. Everyday I am one step closer to getting better at what I do, and making and learning from my mistakes is just part of the process.

Veterens Day

Today I have the day off from school, which is much needed after the lockdown situation we had in Broward County yesterday. I was able to work longer at the gym this morning and train a few clients I haven't seen in a while. It's great to see people that put fourth the effort to physically change and improve their health and physiques. Around 10 years ago on my day's off from school I would cancel my clients, go out the night before until around 2am, recover most of the day, not go lift, eat like crap, and then feel like a sack of turd. How times have changed..........I figured today I would give a little description on how I spend my time on a day off, well kinda.

The thing is, I really enjoy working. I feel I have the best and most rewarding jobs I could possibly have. Once I am done work today, I will unofficially still be working. The rest of my day I will practice what I preach and I spend a lot of time reading and continuing my education. I'm going to go grocery shopping for grassfed beef, organic chicken, almonds, cashews, eggs, broccoli, lean ground turkey and organic apples. A little later today I will grill the meats, steam my veggies, and pack my food for tomorrow.

Around mid-afternoon I'll go to a park near my house and do one of my "sprint" workouts. Probably run some 100's and 60's, pretty much the routine I mentioned in this post. I will spend a good amount of time warming up (form running/hip mobility) and take full advantage of the beautiful weather. Since I began implementing sprint workouts into my program, I feel rejuvenated. It's kind of hard to explain but getting outside and running fast (well, trying to) is a lot of fun for me.

I will try to get some reading in today as well. I would like to finish a book that really has kept me entertained, Talent is Overrated. It's a great book on methods of success and it focuses on the theory of "deliberate practice". This is something I will elaborate in the future, it's an interesting topic that puts a lot of things in perspective. I will also catch up on some of my favorite blogs (see right) and go to a couple of my favorite websites TMuscle and Elitefts and read some cutting edge information, training logs, and some Q&A forums.

I know it doesn't seem like an exciting day, but it is my ideal Thursday off. If I can do what I love for a living and get better at what I do for a living by doing the things I love, my life is pretty damn good! I'll also get to spend some time with my fiance which make everything even better......

On a side note, a BIG thanks to everyone who has or is serving in the US armed forces- your hard work is truly appreciated.

Haters! (I hate that word, Negative People.....)

Everywhere you go in life and everything you do, you are going to encounter negative people. There are some people that will always tell you that you can't do something or achieve certain things. There are some people that will question the reasons that you want to better yourself, your health, and your relationships. When trying to get in better physical condition, people love to make negative comments or try to persuade you to make unhealthy food choices or question the reasons you go to the gym or go to a hill to do sprints when you could be doing something "more fun". For me, pushing myself to physical exhaustion is fun! (ok, I'm a little crazy). Now back to the topic....

Dave Tate touched on this subject and I found it almost humorous because it occurs in my life and many other peoples lives who are trying to get leaner, stronger, or healthier. Tate spoke of a group dinner which he went to a restaurant with some friends and when it came time to order he was criticized for ordering a healthy meal, something like grilled chicken and broccoli. His friends made negative comments trying to justify their lack of disciple and make themselves feel better. Meanwhile his friends ordered chicken wings, cheeseburgers, onion rings, and fries. Of course, they probably were all overweight and some of them probably could be mistaken for an attraction at Sea World. I've been it this situation numerous times and I don't get it, wtf? Just cause I'm trying to eat a healthy, clean, "leanness" promoting meal I "need to live a little" "I am ridiculous", "I am vain/shallow" and "I need to let loose".

There are plenty of times in my life where I let go and enjoy a few meals that aren't even remotely healthy. I was in Vegas for my 35th and I had pretty much every type of food that I don't normally eat. I had a great time and it was great to "let loose" but at the same time I knew when I got home I would go back to my "normal" way of eating. There is a time and place for "cheat meals". Just because it's the weekend and it's football season, it doesn't make sense to eat like crap Saturday and Sunday so I can feel like crap on Monday.

You will encounter negative people everywhere you look. Take the grocery store for instance, people have actually made comments about the food I have in my shopping cart. A person questioned why I was buying "free range organic eggs", basically I was told that I was wasting my money and regular eggs are just as healthy. Sorry, didn't know you were my financial advisor.....

As far as your personal achievements go, don't expect a complement or a congratulations from the negative people in your life. If you get a promotion, get a raise, or decide to take on other endeavors in your career path, don't expect anything positive from these people. If you get in better physical shape and achieve your weight loss goals, yeah the negative people will take notice, but don't plan on getting a compliment!

I made some choices in my life that require a lot of dedication. I am very passionate about getting stronger and staying lean. I would prefer not to let my body fat get over 10% while maintaining, what I feel, is an adequate level of strength. Since last January, my fiance and I have lost between 20-30lbs, have gotten physically and mentally stronger, and we have had fun in the process. We are in this thing together and we encourage each other to make better food choices and we hit the gym to train together when we can, even though our schedules are extremely busy. Why do we do this? Because our best years are in front of us, we realize that we have never felt better and our outlook in life has never been more positive. One of the reasons people might be negative toward your achievements is because their best years are behind them.

Negative people will try to make themselves feel better by trying to make you eat worse and exercise less. Just remember "nothing tastes as good as being in great shape feels". Make choices that will effect your life in a positive way. Eat the right foods, go to the gym, exercise outside, do the opposite of what the negative people in your life do on a daily basis. If you are doing something that is beneficial for your health, your relationships, and your happiness, don't let any body or anything stand in the way of what you are trying to accomplish. Be positive, be dedicated, and every now and then-live a little and let your guard down- you deserve to have a little fun.

If we take closer look on what's important to us we should focus on the positive things in life. Be passionate about what makes you happy and don't let negative individuals bring you down. When I start my day, I know what is important for me to accomplish and the things i need to do that will make my life better. At the end of the day, when I look in mirror, I understand that I am the way I am because, to me I feel that "average is just unacceptable!"