6/16/2022 Motivation v. Driven
When we offered the "Driven" T-shirt here at EliteFTS, that was for me a MUST have. The shirt says it all. Motivation is the desire, the idea to achieve a specific goal. Drive means you will run right through anything standing in the way of that goal even if that something is yourself. "Motivation gets […]
6/15/2022 The only thing more contagious than a good attitude is a bad...
Attitude, not Amplitude determines your Altitude... Today's Training: Cycle: 28 mins Prowler: 10x80 yards Concept II Row: 5000 meters for time DB Shoulder Crank: 4x10 Combo these moves; Hammer Curl to overhead press. Externally rotate the hands and then do a slow deceleration of the full lateral raise DB Lateral Raise: 4x6x Stupid Heavy. If […]
6/14/2022 Getting Beat v. Quitting
I always wanted to play linebacker in the NFL, but due to genetics, my physical size is about 5'x5', so that just wasn't going to happen. I've always been pretty darn quick with a respectable 40 time and I am fairly strong for a charging Rhinoceros. But that damn height/weight thing has always been a […]
6/13/2022 Those Dang Fat Gripz
Fat Grip and 4orce Grips are two simple tools that will challenge any grip and the muscle in the forearms. We are in a block of them for the next few weeks and they humble everyone. I was at an increment this early morning that I knew everyone would be at later. No, it wasn't […]
6/10/2022 “From the time you take your first breath, you become eligible...
“From the time you take your first breath, you become eligible to die. You also become eligible to find your greatness and become the one warrior” ~David Goggins Today's Training: Cycle: 29 mins Pull-ups/Chin-ups: 50 reps in total Push-ups/Dips: 100 reps EACH The following exercises are to be done Negative Accentuted: DB Curl: 4x8 DB Supine […]
6/9/2022 I Added Another Rule to the Handbook...
At about 1:00 AM this morning, I couldn't get a Kenny Chesney song out of my head. I kept going over the lyrics, over and over, and over. I can't even tell you the name of the tune for my life. So as I lay there wide awake, I decided to get shit done. Heck, […]
6/8/2022 If I were a plastic surgeon...
If I were a plastic surgeon there would be no doubt, 100 percent of the time, I would put a "squeaky toy" in every breast implant. Today's Training: Cycle: 28 mins AirDyne: 10x20-10-20 Dynamic Bench: 10x3 Flat DB Fly: 3x10 Incline Cable Fly: 3x10 Push-ups: 100 reps Ab Wheel: 3x12 Crunches: 100 reps Cycle: 27 […]
6/7/2022 Hey! How Are Those New Year's Resolutions Coming Along?
When I woke up this morning for some reason my mind focused on that question. First thing... I wondered how all those New Year; New YOU people were actually dug in and hammering away at those big dreams? You all remember the rush at the gym come January, yea? How they faded some by the […]
6/6/2022 Fat Grip Deadlift Training (boy how people hate these)
The weakest link in the upper body is the pressure you can exert between the pinky finger and your thumb on the same hand. Years ago, I was the S&C Coach for the inventor of the "Wing T" offense and head coach, Chuck Apap. On a Friday night under the lights in the high desert […]
6/2/2022 Modern-day medicine and doctors treat the disease and not the ...
A couple of years ago my wife was diagnosed with Dilated cardiomyopathy. This was brought on by her constant lightheadedness and the feeling as if she were going to faint every time she stood up. I took her blood pressure and it would normally be on the low side, but this was ridiculous. We went […]
6/2/2022 Motivation Comes From One Place and One Place Only...
I hear all the time how so and so motivates you. You need a certain "playlist" in order to be motivated to train. You need your PRE workout in order to "get up" for your workout so you can kill it. That a certain person "motivates" you to do better. BULLSHIT! All of that EXCITES […]
6/1/2022 Don't Hit the Snooze Button
Two different people who missed yesterday's practices, came to me today and began to explain themselves as to "why" they weren't there. Not the first time I have heard, "I hit the snooze button and fell back to sleep", but BOTH of these people told me the same thing within an hour of each other. […]
5/31/2022 Get Past Your 40%
We all think we are working hard. We all think we are pushing our limits. But the reality of it is, NO YOU'RE NOT! Truth is we pull back on the throttle when we start to feel that discomfort. That level of PAIN that tells us to BACK OFF. That level is about 40%. If […]
5/29/2022 "NO! I'm NOT Natural Nor am I Comfortable"
I was perusing my social media page when a "memory" from a year ago popped up. A YEAR ago and it still holds true. "While shopping at Costco this morning I was asked by a very nice couple if I was "natural". I do believe my answer took them by surprise when I responded, "No! […]
2/27/2022 When I talk to you in the gym and when I don't...
I will watch carefully at a participant's technique and say nothing. I suppose it's my 1000-yard glare that makes a few people wonder "the heck is he looking at?" that causes them to be a bit uncomfortable or concerned to elicit their question, "WHAT?" To which I will say nothing and leave it at that. […]
5/26/2022 How much do the chains weigh? How much do you get out of the...
I was standing with Ed Coan and Steve Goggins one day at a seminar and I asked them, "What is your take on chains and bands?" They looked at each other, then looked back at me and asked, "What are chains and bands?" I got it. I don't use them much with my groups as […]
5/25/2022 What the Heck is going on with the Prowler progression?
The first day the Prowler showed up on my doorstep over a decade and a half ago, I assumed you would start that bugger off at 90 lbs, and run it no less than 40 yards, and then go up from there as you got into better shape. Well, I'm out running the FREAKING frame […]
5/24/2022 I like Calling EliteFTS.com at 888-854-8806 or 740-845-0987
When people from my gym want to order equipment I ALWAYS tell them to "call the number". Sure, you can go online and put stuff in the "cart" and then use your credit card and check out and then wait until it gets delivered. All neat and orderly and, somewhat what I call, Sanitary. However […]
5/23/2022 "You Have To Be Odd..."
"You have to be odd to be number ONE." ~ Dr. Seuss Today's Training: Bike: 28 mins Prowler: 10x80 yards Deadlift: 5 RM GHR: 4x10 Reverse Hyper: 4x10 Ab Wheel: 4x10 Bike: 26 mins
5/20/2022 No, You Don't HAVE to Do What I'm Doing...
I do my morning training BEFORE I coach so I can 1. Concentrate on the people that I'm training and 2. Get my own work finished in a timely manner so I can concentrate on ME... Often my teams will begin just as I'm finishing up and they will see me do a different exercise […]
5/19/2022 Simple and Effective
Today was GLORIOUS! I remember when writing programs the more I would stick in the day's activity the less the positive outcomes would be. I was riding my bike on the way in when the idea of making it a two to three exercise day and just have at it would be the most fun […]
5/18/2022 My buddy told me he had the body of a Greek God...
My buddy told me he had the body of a Greek God... I had to explain to him that Buddha is NOT Greek. Today's Training: Bike: 27 mins Incline DB Chest Press: 3x8* Front-load the volume. Start with 10 lbs and move up in 10-pound increments until the 8 reps become tough to do. Once […]
2/17/2022 Pop Your Heart Tuesday
I get to the gym earlier than anyone in my program. I dislike it when I roll in on my bike and someone is there waiting for me. It gives me: Time to get my own training in so I can then concentrate on Coaching, and Time to do the opening procedures at my leisure, […]
5/16/2022 Deadlift w/ Double Overhand Grip...
You may ask "why" do I use the double overhand grip in our training? About 10 years ago, I heard that Matt Rhodes keeps all of his college athletes from getting injured doing the deadlift this way. You can never outlift your grip. (That fella is a gosh darn genius). Since many of us aren't […]
5/13/2022 I've figured out an issue that has been troubling me...
...and that is I have way too many really fantastic bad ideas. Today's Training: Bike: 31 mins DB Row: 4x10 Lat Pulldown: 4x10 DB Pullover: 4x12 Blast Strap Row: 200 reps in as few sets as possible DB Curl: 3x8 Cable Rope Push Down: 3x10 DB Hammer Curl: 3x8 DB Supine Tricep Ext:3x10 Reverse Grip […]
5/12/2022 It's Thursday!!!
Everyone knows on Thursdays we squat and punch throats. Good times!!! Today's Training: Bike: 30 mins Prowler: 10x80 yards GHR: 4x10 Box Squat: Dynamic with a twist. 45x10 95x10 135x10 185x10 225x6 250x6 275x6 300x6 315x6 That's 9 total sets that the weight needs to move explosively. If it doesn't then go back to the […]
5/11/2022 Mid May we Need To Be Beach Ready
Although most of my programming is based on the Conjugated Strength Training Protocol, I will say that 90% (or better) come into my program with the desire to look better naked. Come on, REALLY!!! We all want to be able to tear the ass end of a charging Rhino, but we want to do it […]
5/10/2022 Pop Your Heart
Man o man do I love to catch the "Cherry Pickers". You know the ones that pick out which workouts they like so they come in only to find CONDITIONING as the main course of the meal? Ha, Got 'em all. "What? Prowlers again???" Yep, and guess what? You might see it again tomorrow. hahahaha […]
5/9/2022 I was JOKING...
After cleaning the gym for six-plus hours this past Friday, I walked into it on Sunday to do the workout below. What I found pissed me off. When I say I cleaned it, I mean I CLEANED the entire area that I share. From vacuuming to swabbing the deck to putting ALL the weights back […]
5/6/2022 What? Pop Your Heart Friday???
YEP! Rember folks, it's strength AND conditioning. After a pretty rugged week of training that I knew EVERYONE was going to be sore, it was time to race the ticker and get some blood flow back into those gears Bike: Commute: 30 mins AirDyne: 10 Tabata's 20-10-20 Concept II Row: 10x20/40 Sprints: 15x40 yards @75% […]
5/5/2022 When you Carry the Weight of the World...
When you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, SQUAT that shit. Life has its ups and downs. Everyone knows that. I like to call them squats! Today's Training: No Bike today...I had to drive my Vanborgini then get it SMOG tested (which is a California rip off) and the gas tank filled...(well, […]
5/4/2022 I Like Seeing People Happy...
I love it when you see a person walking by with a smile on their face. You know something happened and they are remembering what it was... Maybe they got a cute little text. Maybe they got laid. Maybe they just killed a man. You'll never know... But they are HAPPY Today's Training: Bike: Commuter: […]
5/3/2022 If you suck at something...
I hear often "I hate these...(name anything)". Well, the chances the reason you hate something is that you suck at doing them and thus, they are not that fun for you. HOWEVER, if you DID them and got better at doing them, then they wouldn't be so awful anymore. Really, the things you are bad […]
5/2/2022 The First Step in Change...
To make changes of any sort, you must first recognize and be aware of your own bullshit. Quit lying to yourself!!! Today was a great day regardless of how some of my people came into the gym today. "I'm tired", "I didn't get any sleep", "I don't FEEEEL like pushing the Prowler". Oh yea? Go […]
4/29/2022 The Silencer Workout
I emphasized the deceleration of the muscle or the "negative" movement in today's workout. To do a proper negative rep I have the athlete hold and let down or lengthen the muscle without any loaded concentric contraction. For example, a negative chin is done with a box height that when standing on it, the athlete's […]
4/28/2022 If it Terrifies you...
I have always figured that if something terrifies me at the same time amazes me, then THAT is something I need to pursue relentlessly with feverish perversion. Today's Training: Bike: Commute: 30 mins Dynamic Effort Squat: 10x2x55% Dynamic Deadlift: 15x1x55% GHR: 4x10 Fwd Stepping Lunge w/ knee touch: 4x10 Hip Extension: 100 consecutive non-stop reps […]
4/27/2022 For the Love of God...Overgrip
I can't tell you how hard it is to get people to maximize their grip while doing ANY bar work of any kind. I can bark until I'm blue in the face...Grip the bar harder than necessary. Create the TENSION that is needed to move weight FAST. Look...If your hands don't put marks into the […]
Day 5 of the dreaded Covid
Most of you know that I came home last Thursday to a family that tested positive for Covid. They looked like hell and sounded worse. FAK! How can the vaccinated get this thing? So, to be safe, I tested and came up POSITIVE as well. The difficult thing here is for me to understand, I […]
4/21/2022 Covid?
Seems my wife brought home the flu the other day and exposed us all to it. She feels horrible. So I took the home test and both my son and I tested +. The weird thing is??? I don't feel bad at all. I have the sniffles but I thought that was more from the […]
4/20/2022 I Have Been Around the Strongest
I have been around some of the strongest people in the world. A five-hundred-pound bench is quite common amongst many of my peers. Heck, I have seen 1000 lbs go up on a multi-ply bench press and it is quite impressive. Today we were benching and I was still getting a charge out of some […]
4/19/2022 Pop Your Heart Tuesday
A day dedicated to conditioning... Today's Training: Daily Mobility Warm-up Concept II Row: 5000 meters for time AirDyne: Tabata: 10x20-10-20 Dun
4/18/2022 I did this Yesterday...
Yesterday was Easter Sunday. I slept in (until 5:00 AM) and then woke my family to wish them all a "Happy Easter". Now considering that my household is Jewish, this becomes quite funny. Regardless, being the only Christian in the house, I decided that it would be fitting to Push the Prowler in recognition of […]
4/15/2022 Practice an unnecessary hyper grip
I like to create tension. No, not that kind that you get with all the drama but the tension that is used to create more muscle innervation. To do that, one of the easiest methods I find helpful is to "over-grip." or "choke the shit out of..." every bar that you hold. We could use […]
4/14/2022 Trying to Understand some People...
Trying to understand some people is like trying to pick up a turd by the clean end. Today's Training: Bike Commute: 28 mins Prowler: 10x80 yards Then to make sure everyone was keeping their own records by logging into their own notebooks I wrote on my Whiteboard..."Same workout as Monday" It was easy for those […]
4/13/2022 I am not very good at "multi-tasking"
I'm one of those guys that have to turn down the car radio to look for an address. If I try to do more than two things at the same time (as in super setting) then I'm not going to get ANYTHING done. About the only thing I can do fairly well is pissing people […]
4/12/2022 Pop Your Heart Tuesday
Today's Training: Bike: Commute: 28 mins Prowler: 10x80 yds Superman: 20 Prone Scorpion: 10 to each side Push-ups: 20 Cat/Camel: 10 Fire Hydrant Knee Circle: 10 to each side Stretcher Pull-ups: 8x1 AirDyne: 10x15/45 Option one of the three: Graded Treadmill Walk Versa-Climber Row
4/8/2022 Slow Twitch/Fast Twitch
Because there are four dyes that are used to determine muscle fiber (I think there might be more if we had more dyes) the training I do focuses on each during some part of our training. Fast Twitch Glycolytic, Slow Twitch Glycolytic, Fast Twitch Oxidative, and Slow Twitch Oxidative are the four I know of […]
4/7/2022 People that Pronounce the word...
People who pronounce the word "vase" like "voz" make me want to punch them in the foz. Yesterday I made a statement that I was amazed at anyone near my age that doesn't suffer from either a shoulder issue or a hip issue that has played sport as a younger person and trained their asses […]
4/6/2022 Dance Like No One is Watching?
I danced like no one was watching. I like to dance. Problem was that someone WAS watching and they thought I was having a seizure, and that fucker called an ambulance. Today's Training: Bike: Commute: 27 mins Prowler: 10x80 yards Row: 12 mins Cat/Camel: 10 Supermans: 20 Prone Scorpions: 15 each side Push-ups: 15 Stretcher […]
4/5/2022 Pop Your Heart Tuesday
Overheard at the office today: "I like our conditioning days better on Wedensday." My response? (reaching into my pocket to see if I have any 'cares' to give).."NO" Bike: Commute: 27 mins Supermans: 20 Prone Scorpions: 15 to each side Foam Roller Abs: 15/30 Pull-up stretch: 7x1 Cat/Camels: 10 Push-ups: 12 Charlie Sits:30 seconds Prowler: […]
4/4/2022 Deadlifts were once called the "health lift"
Years ago, as in the 1800s, there was a medical doctor that would go to the "gymnasium" to work out. The gyms back then had all kinds of ropes, rings, high bars, or gymnastic types of apparatus. The pegboards and dowel rod racks along with a few boxing types of exercises would round out the […]
4/1/2022 I LOVE April Fools Day and a 1000 rep arm routine!!!
I get a wild hair every now and again, and on the bike ride in today, I said to myself that I'd jump off the bike, open the gate to the outer compound, grab a Prowler, and have at it. No procrastination, no delay, just GO! Once a month we do 1000 reps for just […]
3/31/2022 Throat Punch Thursday
Today's Training: Bike: Commute: 27 mins Supermans: 20 Prone Scorpions: 15 to each side Push-ups: 10 Stretch Pull-ups: 6x1 Squat: 7x7x +10 lbs RDL: 7x7x +10 lbs GHR: Negative Accentuated: 4x10 super slow on the way down Calf Raise: 100 reps Ab Crunch: 100 reps Bike Commute: 29 mins
3/30/2022 Yea it's heavy. That's why we call it weight!
At this point in this training cycle, we have raised the weight on the main lifts by 60 lbs except for the overhead press which has been raised by 30 lbs. So YES, it is getting heavy. Stay with it as we switch to MY version of the 6-4-2 next week. Today's Training: Bike: Commute: […]
3/29/2022 Pop Your Heart Tuesday
I have a friend who has struggled with his weight for YEARS! When I say, "I have BIG friends", I am not speaking of the fellas that you grew up with that are 220 lbs. I am speaking of B I G friends!!! 6'5" and taller and weighing closer to 350 lbs on up. Anyway, […]
3/28/2022 It wouldn't be me if I didn't...
If I didn't get comfortable with the uncomfortable, it would be me and I couldn't give anyone a rash of crap that I am notorious for. Man the fuck up and git er done! It hardly EVER rains here in California. As a matter of fact, we are in the middle of another drought and […]
3/25/2022 Forearm Plank
How to do it: Rest your forearms on the floor, with your elbows directly underneath your shoulders and hands facing forward so that your arms are parallel. Extend your legs out behind you and rest your toes on the floor. Your body should form one straight line from your shoulders to your heels. Squeeze your […]
3/24/2022 I hate it when the voices in my head go silent...
...I never know what those fuckers are planning. Today's Training: Bike: Commute: 25 mins Supermans: 20 reps Prone Scorpions: 3x5 to each side Pull-ups/Chin-ups w/ hang stretch at the beginning and end of EACH rep: 5x1 of each Squat: 8x8x +10 lbs more than last week RDL: 8x8x +10 lbs more than last week GHR: […]