Evolving....

When I first got involved as a fitness / personal training professional, around 10 years ago, I was only familiar with training football players. Before I ever worked in a "gym" setting, I was an Assistant Football Coach at Flanagan High School, where I helped oversee the Strength and Conditioning program. Everything was focused on developing strength, speed, and power, and hoping those traits carried on to the football field.  At that point in my life I really wanted to pursue a career as a College Strength and Conditioning Coach.

A lot has changed over the years.  After my last season coaching football I really wanted to do something different, but I still wanted to be around weight training and conditioning.  I was approached by a co-worker, at the school where I taught, about personal training part-time.  My first personal training job was at a crappy gym in Pembroke Pines, FL. I wasn't even certified, but because I had a college degree in an exercise related field so I was allowed to train people right away. The gym was poorly run, the money wasn't that good, and I didn't have a whole lot of clients.  I did however love training.

I decided to get ACE certified, thought it would be an easy test, and it was.  I passed without studying and now I was considered a Certified Personal Trainer.  Honestly, that didn't mean crap! I really didn't know what the hell I was doing.  I put clients on machines, counted reps, and discussed eating better and exercising more.  I really feel bad for my first few rounds of clients, I guess I must have looked the part- because the training I was providing was less than average.  I didn't assess movement, I didn't correct imbalances, and I really didn't put together decent programs for my clients.

I realized I need to educated myself better and I began to read and study information on the human body and nutrition.  I decided to get CSCS certified, I figured that you needed a 4 year degree to sit for the exam, so it would be more respected then most of the other certifications.  I studied for the test and I passed the first time. At this point I still didn't consider myself a good trainer. 

After working a couple years at the crap hole, I was approached by the Fitness Manager at a "big name" commercial gym where I would occasionally workout.  I decided to take the job and "buy in" to their way of doing things.  Basically, I was a sales man in a personal trainer shirt.  I had goals for my training revenue and goals for supplement sales. It didn't matter how much clients lost, it's how much they bought. I could have been the WORST trainer in the world, but if my numbers were good, I was GOLD!

Working at "Big Money Fitness" taught me a lot about what is wrong with the profession.  I did, however, progress professionally and became much better at evaluating clients and understanding corrective exercise.
I started to attend conferences, became passionate about reading literature,  and enjoyed searching through "reputable" Internet sites.  My training changed, I broke free from machine based workout and focused mainly on body weight, barbell, and dumbbell movements. My clients got better results.

I stuck it out at "Big Money Fitness" for about 6 years.  I did my own thing as far as programming and training and developed a good relationship with my clients and had a lot of success with helping them achieve their goals. It really wasn't that hard to pick up new clients or make my sales goals.  I did a good job retaining most of my clients and many of  them are still with me to this day.

I started to train people outside of the gym.  I worked at parks with boot camp style workouts and I trained one of my athletes at a local high school preparing him to play college football.   I really enjoyed the intensity that people brought to the workouts outside of the typical "gym" setting.  For my clients to progress, I need to progress.

In order for me get better at training and coaching,  I need to break free of my comfort zone and begin working at a different gym with a more results driven setting.  I started working at Emery Wellness, a small private gym in Weston, FL in June 2010.   From my first day on board I implemented my style of training.  Almost every client from "Big Money Fitness" followed me to my NEW place, even though it was a further drive. I have started working with some new clients and I have heard very positive feedback regarding my style of training.

Over the past 8 months I have become even more passionate about strength development, physical conditioning, and better nutrition.  I stated to connect with people through social media sites, which I used to be totally against.  I have maintained a blog with entries on personal experience, advice, and stories about idiot members and trainers in local gyms.  Youtube is my next step and my first few videos were filmed yesterday.  My fiance is better with technology, so she will be the one getting things edited and uploaded (I also have video of her doing an awesome front squat with 135).

I have never wanted to be complacent with anything in life.  I am taking the steps that I feel are necessary to develop into a better Strength/Fitness Professional.  I have attended NSCA, Perform Better, Hammer Strength, and ECA conferences in the past and I look forward to getting back to more professional development events in the near future. Of course, at this point in my life my wedding and honeymoon are taking financial priority. I wish Perform Better would bring back to some clinics to South Florida to cut down on travel expenses! 

Working a full time job as a teacher and part-time job as a personal trainer /strength coach isn't easy.  There are not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything that I would like, but my time management skills are improving.  I look back at the trainer I once was and compare that to where I am now, all I can say is "Never be completely satisfied with what you once were or where you are now. There is always new things to learn or ways to improve to make you better professionally and the people you train better physically and mentally, that's what this profession is about". 

My hospital story....

FYI, A little random rant is included- I just couldn't leave it out!!!

On Friday's blog I touched on a few thoughts regarding the football players from the University of Iowa that were hospitalized after extremely strenuous conditioning sessions.   The more I look into the situation, I almost drove myself to that point of fatigue after pushing myself to near exhaustion during one of my own workouts.  Obviously I wasn't  training for the upcoming Football season, or any season for that matter, I was just trying to get stronger and in better physical condition.

Last year, around this time I was admitted to the ER after a pretty brutal workout. I was dizzy, disoriented, and felt like I was going to collapse.  I just finished an intense lower body workout followed by sled pulls/pushes and I realized something was wrong. I couldn't see clearly, everything was blurry, and I could put together a complete sentence.

After some time had passed and I didn't start feeling any better, I realized it was probably a smart idea to go to the hospital.  My fiance drove me to the ER and once I was admitted I went through a series of tests including blood work and a CAT scan. All of my vitals (blood pressure, heart rate,etc.) were fine.  When I had my urine tested my BUN levels were extremely high, and I was told there was a possibility of  kidney failure.  I eat healthy, I'm in good shape. What could have caused this?

When I look back at that day, I realize I take full responsibility for being stoopid!  I had around 3 cups of coffee, a diet coke, and maybe 32oz of water- throughout the entire day!!!  I was outside most of the day, sweating and being active with my students, then I hit the gym.  I did Box Jumps, Hang Cleans, Squats, and basically destroyed my lower body with assistance work.  I  went hard, and then with the sled work I went even harder.  I could have made it through the workout and just felt exhausted, no hospital visit needed, but I didn't hydrate properly- it's plain and simple.

Now the interesting part of the story, the advice from the Doctor and Nurse.  I was asked if I took any supplements and I said, "Protein Powder".   I was then informed, Protein shakes will kill me!!!  The conclusion from the "medical experts" was that Protein Powder was the reason that I was dehydrated and could cause my kidneys to EXPLODE. Okay - they didn't say explode, but that's pretty much what the meant.

The best part of it all, the Dr. was about 6 feet tall and maybe 145lbs, had a belly, and looked like he never touched a weight in his life. The nurse looked like Jabba The Hut, smelled like cigarettes, and was extremely arrogant when it came time to give me nutritional guidance.  About this point, the IV's were kicking in and I felt back to normal.  I thought to myself, "Just the two people I want to take advice from when it comes to health and well-being, they both look like crap and probably don't exercise and eat a horrible diet". I get it, I was the one in the ER, and they are the experts. 

The aftermath.  I was told to have more blood work done to insure there were no other health issues.  A couple weeks later the day after another strenuous workout, I got the blood work done.  Everything was fine except my CPK levels.  Once again, it was believed my kidney's were the cause of yet another health issue.  My doctor couldn't understand why everything was fine except that one particular number that was a little high.

As it turns out, I went to see a specialist that determined that my kidney's were fine.  One thing the specialist informed me could have saved me some time and money,  CPK levels can be elevated by strenuous exercise.  If my Doctor would have been a little more knowledgeable and asked me some questions about my exercise regimen , a lot could have explained a lot without additional medical test or appointments.

It's pretty crazy that this whole ordeal occurred, but I like to think it happened for a reason.  I should have hydrated better, and I definitely should have controlled the volume a little bit in that particular training session.  Every time I look back at the Doctor and Nurse in the ER I can't help but laugh a little bit, I mean lead by example, Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Maybe read a little current research when it comes to nutrition and supplements.

Another thing that I learned is that I need to be conscientious of how my clients and athletes are handling the workouts.  When I deal with athletes I encourage HARD work, but I want a kid to be honest with me on how they are feeling during the workout and how they felt post workout. Feedback is one of the most important factors in regards to proper programming.  Over the years I have learned that how I respond and how the people I train respond from workouts directly relates to the intensity and volume which is prescribed in each program. 

Work hard and push yourself to exceed expectations, just make sure that what you or your clients/athletes are doing serves a purpose and the rewards outweigh the risks.

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

I hope everyone had a great week, I'm sure we are all happy that Friday is here once again.  Time flies - I can't believe we have already gone through the first month of 2011.  The Super Bowl is about a week away which means football season officially comes to an end.  Pretty depressing.

I really had some good things going through my brain this week, maybe because I actually got some sleep last weekend.  Some of my "thoughts" have triggered some events that occurred in my past, which really made me look back at some of the mistakes I've made with my own training and health.

Without further ado here are some random thoughts and events that will hopefully inform or entertain you.....


-Gloves, weight lifting belt, and fanny pack while doing cardio.
-Dude flex off in the Men's locker room.
-Jumping back and fourth on Bosu balls then performing 1/2 rep leg press.
Those were just some things that I saw at my gym this week that almost made me regurgitate my lunch.  I don't know why it seems that the gym is a breeding ground for mental midgets.  When I see things like this I want to give some friendly advice regarding gym attire, etiquette, and training- but in South Florida I'd come off like an A-Hole, because everyone thinks they are the guru of fitness.  Newsflash, you look like a moron!

I'm sure people see me doing exercises like good mornings and probably thinking I'm trying to do squats, or when I do a reverse lunge I can just hear Mr. 35 sets of triceps say "You're stepping in the wrong direction".  I have actually had someone ask me "What are you doing that for?" after a heavy set of deadlifts- My silent response, "To avoid being someone like you"!  

-Blame it on the girl scouts.  Those boxes of cookies were just forced upon you by a 10 year old girl and you just couldn't refuse.  I know the story, but just because you buy 'em doesn't mean you have to eat the whole damn box in one sitting.   Actually, that's why I don't buy them- sometimes I just don't know what moderation means.....
I would like a Somoa or two, but of course that would cost me a $10 dollar fine according to my 6 weeks til marriage penalty plan.

-Football players hospitalized.  Okay, I feel this is a big topic in the Strength and Conditioning community because once everything is all said and done the responsibility is going to fall back on the Strength Coach. 12 or 13 (depending what article you read) University of Iowa football players were hospitalized after going through a series of intense workouts. The condition was called rhabdomyolysis, it is the breakdown of muscle fibers resulting in the release of myoglobin in the blood stream. I'm sure Creatine will be mentioned somewhere along the lines, and one of my clients said to me half joking, "It was probably steroids".

The human body can take a lot of abuse, but once our physical threshold has been surpassed we breakdown.  A summary of the workouts was posted on various websites and it does seem excessive.  Now, I'm not a college strength coach, and I have a lot of respect for strength coaches at the big time college level, but I have to question the exercise protocol.  Where does squatting for 1 minute or 100 reps (based on what I've read) and then pushing a sled 100 yards relate to football conditioning?  Of, course, I don't have the exact program that was performed, but from what I've read it's as if these kids were pushed over the limit.

I'm sure Coach Doyle and his staff have a logical explanation for the style workout they were doing, but to have that many players hospitalized is going to raise some eyebrows. It's important to realize that some athletes will push themselves to the point of exhaustion because they don't want to come across as SOFT.  There are quite a few athletes that neglect proper nutrition and hydration which could be a another factor relating to this medical condition.  

It's common see new and some experienced trainers brag about how they made their clients or athletes puke or were so sore they couldn't walk for a week.  Hell, when I first started coaching/training I was one of those guys.  I've learned a lot over the years in regards to training threshold someone can endure and I would rather have a productive session that a beat down session any day.  Get something out of your training, push your self to the limit, but don't exceed the limit.

Have an awesome weekend.

Getting down to business.......

I just gave myself a swift kick in the ass and decided I need to get focused, kick up the intensity, and take IT to the next level. What the hell am I talking about?  First of all with my physical goals, I really need to keep my diet on track a little bit more if I'm going to achieve extreme leanness.  I've been really good about 90% of the time, which under normal circumstances would be okay.  However, my wedding will be here in 45 days and I've gotta look my best on the biggest day of my life! 

What I have decided to do is make up a penalty system based on "cheating".  If I eat or drink something that is not applicable to helping me get more awesome, I have to pay a $$$ fine.  The fines range anywhere from 5-10 bucks, but they can add up quickly and paying cash will definitely make me more accountable for what I eat and drink.  For instance, if I eat some chips, pasta, and drink a beer- I owe $25 to my "penalty box".  I have allowed myself ONE cheat meal every 2 weeks which will suffice for my former fat boy cravings.

Now on to the professional side of things. I can thank Bret Contreras for serving me a harsh plate of reality and possibly throwing a BS flag in my face. I respect Bret for his knowledge, the information he puts out, and more importantly, a strength coach who practices what he preaches.  Here is an excerpt from Bret's blog:

My bullshit meter goes through the roof when a coach or trainer doesn’t have a Youtube page, or if I click on their Youtube page and all I see is bodyweight push ups, bodyweight inverted rows, bodyweight lunges, and bodyweight hip thrusts.
The first word in strength coach and strength & conditioning is “strength.”  If you can’t get your athletes strong with good form then I don’t think you’re good at what you do. You might fool the layperson with your fancy talk but the strength coaches who are bulletproofing their athletes and increasing power production know better.
As I’ve already mentioned, many individuals don’t want to take science into account these days, but there’s a large body of literature in support of strength for injury prevention and improved performance purposes.

I try to educate myself the best I can in regards to the human body and nutrition (in all of my free time, haha).  I have been a little behind the times when it comes to technology.  Starting a Facebook page was something I realize I needed to do so I am able to network with some of the top coaches in the industry.  I recently started a twitter page, which I hardly use, but I do see the point with connecting with knowledgeable professionals through a variety of applications.

I realize the next step is a youtube page.  Yes- I am more than little late in regards to the internet age of training.  I really do suck at any and all forms of technology.  I am slowly getting better. I also think videos of myself, my clients, and hopefully my fiance (if she'll let me) will shed some light to what type of workouts my clients go through and also show that I'm a trainer/coach who does walk the walk.

Videos of my clients who range from athletes to business men/women to housewives will be interesting for people to watch and hopefully learn from.  It will be motivation for me as well, my clients better use proper form and an adequate weight so I don't get my ass handed me in the comments section of the blog.  I also need to make sure the videos of me are a little more impressive than a 315lb. deadlift.   If I don't show some sort to reputable strength I might as well hide behind my keyboard like some Internet trolling geek. 

I plan of having some videos up and running within the next 3 weeks.  Be Patient.  If I do something that represents me professionally I want it to be done right.  So stay tuned, I plan on becoming a much better writer, lifter, and trainer/coach - hopefully you will be along for the ride.  Thanks for reading.....

"They Say".........

Whenever I get into a conversation about weight loss or general health almost 99% of the time someone brings up "THEY SAY___________".  Some examples:
-They say red wine is good for you.
-They say to eat dark chocolate.
-They say to exercise on an empty stomach.
-They say not to lift heavy weights.
-They say pilates creates long lean muscles.
-They say you should build a "cardio base" before you lift weights.

First of all, who the hell are THEY?  People take some of the stuff they hear far to literal and hardly every research or look further into what THEY SAY.  Most of the general public can be brainwashed by overhearing something on TV or from a conversation between a group of people who may or may not know what they're talking about.

They could be a doctor or group of doctors. One of my favorite things I've heard is "They say not to take over the counter Fish Oil because its not regulated by the FDA, take the Rx version instead".  Why do they say that? Is it because their pharmaceutical rep takes them out to nice dinners and promotes their Rx brand?  Or do they know from experience or personal practice on whether their is a difference between the two product besides price. 

Do THEY workout?  Are THEY in shape?  Do THEY eat right?  Before I take advice from anybody I want to take a look at what type of life THEY live.  You might have a Doctorate or Master's Degree but if you look like crap, don't eat right, and are as week as an Olsen twin, why should I listen to you when it comes to eating right and working out.

Here a few things that "I" say, if you care to listen to me.
-I say to eat more green veggies throughout the day
-I say to do more resistance training and focus on getting stronger.
-I say to only allow yourself one "cheat" meal a week MAX!
-I say to incorporate interval training in your program.
-I say to eat lean protein with each meal.
-I say you will NOT get lean chugging beers and sipping on frozen drinks during the weekends (or weekdays)
-I say stop bashing others on the internet and get to the gym and better yourself.
-I say to avoid fried food and heavily processed carbs (chicken wings, french fries, BREAD, gluten loaded    pasta, bagels, etc.)
-I say to drink more water / don't drink fruit juice, soda, and those damn 1,000 calorie coffees!  
-I say to stop listening to what THEY say and research information for yourself, get a little more educated in the areas of exercise and nutrition and make a decision based on what you know.  Not what THEY say.

I've mentioned before, I'm not the WORLD"S BEST TRAINER, or the most knowledgeable person on nutrition.  I try to read and research information before I put it into practice toward myself or my clients.  There is a lot of misinformation out there, and a lot of what THEY SAY is extremely vague.  Take some time and become more knowledgeable regarding your body. YES, you have time- turn off the damn TV, get off the couch, and start exercising your mind.  One day people may listen to what YOU have to say........

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

Once again we made it through another week.  I had Monday off from school because of MLK day which was nice, but the week was still exhausting.  My weekend looks pretty good, a few clients tomorrow morning, and of course, I need to do some type of workout to keep myself on the pursuit of leanness.

I have a stocked fridge and some food ready to grill so my eating will be on track, although I will enjoy a good Saturday night out. I decided to go ahead and buy Heat tickets, hopefully they start playing better and the Big 3 are all back from injury.

This afternoon I have a great training session lined up for myself, I'm ready to move some pounds. I love lifting on a Friday!  It's great to end the week by beating myself up with some heavy weight and then devaouring a nice steak for dinner. 

Anyway, it's time for the end of the week thoughts, a random collection of things that have been running through my brain.......

-Is walking for 5 minutes on the treadmill a good idea of a warm-up?  Better yet, is paying someone to stand there and talk to you while you warm-up necessary? Hell No!  I see it all the time, people hire a personal trainer and of course, "5 min on the treadmill" is the regular protocol to begin a session.  It just bugs me when I see people paying good money for BAD service.  There are so many more effective ways to get the body ready for exercise, and they actually require a trainer to work- and that's what they are getting paid to do!

-P90X and Crossfit.  I have seen sooooo many articles and blog posts about these two topics and it seems they are either loved or HATED!   I really have strong feelings about  what forms of exercise are best for specific goals, but I really don't want to jump on the bandwagon of bashing or endorsing these two programs.  Let's just say that I'm glad some people are motivated to get in better physical condition.  If you happen to try one of these programs and get injured, don't get noticeable results, or give up and quit- It obviously wasn't the right program for you.

-If you made a New Year's resolution dealing with health and fitness, are you still on the right track?  Right now we are 3 weeks into 2011.  21 days is a significant time frame to see some physical changes, improvements in conditioning, and some strength gains- if you've been sticking with a reputable program.  The reason why I'm bringing this up is, I've already seen a reduction in the number of people that workout at my gym.  How are some people so weak willed an lazy? Actually it is better for me, less of a crowd=more productive workouts! So keep being lazy......

-Off topic. Yesterday, 2 Miami-Dade Police Officers were killed the line of duty.  Both Officers have children that attend my school.  It is extremely sad that there are some people in our society that have such little regard for human life.  Now two teenagers, who are great students, will go through their lives without one of their  parents because of an evil act of violence. In this situation you have 2 Officers doing their job and their lives were cut short by an armed fugitive with nothing to lose. My take home point- You never know what tomorrow may bring.  Live your life to the fullest.  Tell your loved ones how you feel.  Create a positive lasting impression to all of  those around you.  Life is too short, every morning is a new chance to create a better day than yesterday, be thankful you have that opportunity.

-Have a "lively, loving, and fun" weekend!

What I did on Wedneday..........

I know that I may get some flack for this because my lifting might not be hardcore enough, the weights might not be heavy enough, or you might think that I made up these numbers- Oh well, at least I'm still bringing some intensity at 35 years old.  My goal is to get better at something everyday, I might not be entering any powerlifting meets, but I always have to compete with myself- and I want to be better today than I was yesterday! 

Before I get into my Wednesday workout, I'll describe my current program.  I am lifting 3 days a week, Monday-Wednesday-Friday.  I have my wedding coming up March 12 so my goal for the next 7-8 weeks is to get as lean as possible without losing too much strength. Actually to be more specific (190 lbs, 8% bodyfat- skinfold, and not lose ANY strength).  Physiologically it's almost impossible to drop weight and increase strength.

I am following Wendler's 5/3/1 program, and my lifting takes about 45 minutes each session.  Monday is my "Squat day"  and "Shoulder Press" with some vertical pulling and core stability work.  Wednesday is "Bench Press", basically a heavy pressing day with some retraction work for the rhomboids and some pull-ups.  Friday is my "Hang Clean" and "Deadlift" day with heavy horizontal pulling and Posterior Chain work.

Here is my Wednesday session:

-Dynamic warm up (a combination of stuff from Joe DeFranco, Eric Cressey, Mike Robertson, and anyone else who deals with training athletes.  Here is a sample of some stuff from DeFranco.
-Bench Press ("3" week) 215x3 245x3 275x3 one back off set 225 x 10
-Incline DB press / Wide grip pull-ups    80lbs x 10reps  / 5 pull-ups  (4 supersets)
-Dips 4 sets of 12 / Face Pulls 4 sets of 12
-Band pullaparts 2 sets of 15 / DB shrugs 2 sets of 12
-Metabolic Circuit (30 seconds on, 30 seconds off- 12 min)  Push-ups, Squats, Jump Rope, Med Ball slams

That's it! About 45 minutes of pure enjoyment in the gym.

A few things.... I know 5 chin-ups is lame,  but I am doing them more for "active recovery" between pressing. I really don't rest a whole lot in between exercises and I honestly talk to NO ONE in the gym while I'm lifting.  My work gym is different then my lifting gym, and my lifting gym doesn't have a lot of members who I would want to strike up a conversation.  Not that I'm an A-hole, but the wannabe Jersey Shore cast isn't my type of crowd.  Better for me, I'm in and out!

Next week is my "1" week with 5/3/1 and after that I'll Deload and decide if I want to switch things up a little bit for the 5 week countdown to the big day.  I read something that motivated me to keep pursing strength gains by Jason Ferruggia, it is definitely worth a read.  Most of the leaning up process is through diet and cardio/interval training, there is no reason to let your strength go down the toilet.