Sometimes All You Need Is A Football To The Head
Safety is always a concern in the weight room. More often than not, I am telling people to FOCUS and stop goofing off.
If You’re Hotter Than Me.. Does That Make Me Cooler Than You?
Coaching tip for today: I had to apply this MULTIPLE times this morning. Excuses Are Useless! Three drop sets of the following exercises: Cable rope Tricep Push down DB Curl Supine DB Tricep Extension DB Hammer Curl Dips vs. Multiple Bands Barbell Curl Finally in two sets PUMP as much blood as you can […]
My Brain Has a Mind Of It's Own
MAN! You should have read what I just erased. When I re read it, I took it away with this one thought...WHY would I dump that kind of negativity on people who read my stuff? Why would they want that kind of influence today? It was a rant of very unproductive reasoning behind it. How […]
Tri Valley Blue Devil vs. Santa Clara Blackhawk Hockey
Playing youth sport the way it is suppose to be.
That Special Moment When You Know A Person Is Full Of Sh!t
and you let them dig themselves a deeper hole
If You Can't Do Stuff Outside, Do It In. Excuses Are Useless
If I accept your excuse, it's as bad as me giving you one.
Attitude, Not Amplitude Determines Your Altitude.
As a Strength and Conditioning coach I have found often that I am the Segway between Coaching Staff and Athlete. Seems the unique position is one that WANTS the athlete to succeed beyond everyone's expectations and the Coaches that want to put the BEST players on the Field, Court or Ice. I've been in this […]
Stop Starting Things Tomorrow
I have said, no one actually retires from sports, they get tired of recovering from the pain of the sport. I heard it put this way as well. "Everyone has one more injury, but not everyone has one more recovery". Unfortunately as brilliant as that is, I can't remember which one of my friends said it […]
The Point of Bifurcation (Santa Jo Jordan pictured)
I reached it on Friday. What? The point of bifurcation. You know, "Do or Die". You've read about all the weight room heroes that say things like, "not until they peel my dead cold hands from the steel", or "It isn't over until I'm DONE" After 20 years of rising every morning at 0300, opening […]
Kryptonite!
I have a steadfast rule about feeling ill and training. I call it the 20 minute test. As you go about your warm ups, and into the working sets when you aren't ON TOP of your game...stop and check the symptoms. If you feel no worse for wear, then continue with your session, but don't […]
Life Always Offers You A Second Chance. It's Called "Tomorrow&...
I've always believed I could, so I did. Once the mind conceives an idea, or the imagination takes hold of the possibilities, then the active body goes about succeeding in the endeavor. I say that you first have to see it, in your mind. Then go into ACTIVE mode with reckless abandon and feverish perversion […]
Rocks, Pebbles, and Sand
"At the beginning of a philosophy class at university, the professor stood with some innocuous looking items on his table – an empty mayonnaise jar, some rocks, some pebbles, and some sand. The college students looked on with interest, wondering what the professor was up to and unable to guess what the demonstration was going […]
“Passion” by Derek
" Of course, passion has all kinds of meanings and connotations, but we are focused here on a passion for whatever you endeavor to do. “There is no passion to be found playing small; in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” — Nelson Mandela Passion is […]
Thanksgiving
I enjoy reading and listening to what everyone is thankful for on this holiday. I love to hear how people feel about family, work, training, and interactions. Success in goal achievements and world records. I am particularly thankful for my last breath and the next one I get to take. You see.. my last breath […]
You Don't Need A Reason To Help
On my bike ride home, something happened that I was going to tell the world about. You know...the "this will make you feel good about me story" that you've read? I was going to set up the incident and then tell you how I rode up on my white stallion to save the day […]
Holidecays
Holiday time again! There is one of two moods during them. Either you are into them, or you become decayed by them. Too often, I hear the excuse, "it's the holidays". Whatever the motive is behind that phrase, I know that there is a good one coming. "I'm having extra (fill in your favorite comfort […]
I Keep The Keys To My Happiness Right Here In MY Pocket
Every good thing that has happened in your life, has happened because something changed. Think about that for a minute. I saw a shirt somewhere that said to "Remember Everyone Deployed". I thought that it was a GREAT idea. To do so and as an outward display of it, I decided that I would […]
Be GREAT!
Today, more than any other one this week, the conversation turned to having SELF respect for the job you do. I use the weight room to prove points that can be utilized outside of the gym and in a person's life. I noticed that there was a lack of "Oomph" today in the APPROACH to […]
I Tried Being Reasonable. I Didn't Like It!
4 Way Neck: 1x20x6.0 1. Barbell Curl 2. Cable Tri Push Down 3. DB Curl 4. Supine DB Tri Ext 5. Hammer DB Curl 6. Dips 7. Seated BB Curl 8. C/S Tricep Kick Back 9. Concentration Curl 10. Over head Cable Tricep Ext All exercises 5 sets of 20 reps. Combine an odd […]
Character/Integrity
My son, Hunter plays for two teams during the Hockey season. The Santa Clara Blackhawks is his club and travel team and he also GETS to play for Coach Derek Eisler (who was at one time the Head Coach of the San Jose Sharks of the NHL) on his Elite team for the NorCal Blazers. […]
If You Can't Be Happy, How About Being A Little Less Pissed Off?
If you are reading this, I want you to know how AWESOME I think you are. Thank you! After all it is the season of Thanksgiving. Dynamic Squat: 8x2x60% GHR: 3x8 1x12x15 1x10x20 1x8x25 Reverse Hyper (STRICT): 3x15 Prowler: 10x40
YOU Are One Of A Kind
"I’ve lived through things I would never have thought I was capable of, and I’m not as afraid as I used to be. The process of wounding wakens us to our strength. It shuffles our values, and the top priority is never what you thought it would be. It’s never about perfection or power. It always […]
The Later I Stay Up The Funnier Things Become
My early gym time is a concern for my son who truly wants to train with me. Unfortunately, 0400 and a 10 year old rarely meet. Something about sleeping and growing. Anyway, Hunter is a pleaser. He never wants to disappoint either his Mom or me. So, when I told April when she asked why […]
Stand Up When You Pee. Zip Your Pants From The Front
I care about the outcome of today. I have my favorite Presidential Candidate as well as local government officials. I have my opinions of Propositions and Proposals. I voted! I don't need to justify to ANYONE the reasons I chose the way I did. But I CHOSE and I will STAND BY those decisions. I […]
Rule #28, and The Wheezing Stops Here
For the record, Rule #28 in my "Book of Life Rules" states, Excuses are useless. During a day, I hear quite a few of them. I listen, but in the back of my head I am saying...If I accept one of these, it's as bad as me giving one. So I listen, and give a […]
My Goal Is To Leave A Positive Influence On Everyone I Meet
Floor Press: Start by adding 10 lbs. Now normally speaking that would mean "Add FIVE pounds to each side of the bar and forget that it is there". That way, you are already ahead of last week's numbers. Well...when you leave it open to interpretation there can be some interesting values to it. Like a […]
What Shall It Be??? Start A Revolution or Take a Nap? Hmmm...
I get asked quite often if I'm "ready to get out of here" when it's getting time to leave. I run around the gym and take care of things that might have been overlooked by MY groups and pick it up and store it away. That's usually the indicator that I'm getting ready. However, I'm […]
I'm OK With Women Who Won't Admit Their Age, Since I Rarely Ac...
From the notes out of my own book, I realized today that I was exhausted. From my 24/7/365 early wake up and last night's late bed time (Post Hockey Dry Land Training and AWFUL commute) I was tired and sore. No amount of water and food helped, so I thought it better to back off […]
Moderation is for Cowards and P@ssies
Sports have often been referred to as a microcosm of society. What goes on in sports, goes on in everyday life and great lessons can be learned. I consider the preparation of sport or the TRAINING to be a MICROCOSM of sports, to some extent. What goes on in sport can be found early on […]
What Do You Say?
Across the country yesterday there were thousands of athletes that won their events and an equal number that didn't. Two of my favorite hockey players happen to have fallen in the second group. I read that Hunter's bud that plays Hockey in Pennsylvania, dropped a Heart Breaker while Hunter's team got beat as well. Sam […]
Do These Shorts Make My Ass Look Big? No! My BIG Ass Makes My Shorts Lo...
Max Effort Floor Press: Added an additional five pounds to start just to have that going for us. Then we worked it up (not counting the five) to our 50% or dynamic weight while doing 5 reps. At that we dropped the reps to three and continued up by adding a chain to each side […]
You Guys Are Like Family To Me. My Dysfunctional Family
It's the same. Every day starts out similarly. My eyes open at 0300 and I will immediately pop out of bed. A delay would be a catastrophe. I'm quite sure I could sleep through my morning nap. But I have places to go, and people to improve. I often think to that Nike commercial that […]
“No, You’re Right.” Said No Woman Ever.
Hey! Yesterday I said I was bored. Yea, I was bored. Nothing exciting to say or write so I'm not going to waste your time with "filler". I appreciate how a few "friends" were rounding up the wagons and offering me words of encouragement. That was nice of you. BUT...I'm the last person that needs […]
Bored
Nothing but some accessory work and Conditioning. Prowler: 12x20 yards My son, Al and I whipped through these pretty darn fast. Mag Bar (4 of them) Lat Pulldown: 2x15x170 Chest Supported Row: I used a bench set up and the American Bar set up. 4 sets of 8 x 135 plus two […]
Oh! I Understand! Loud and Clear!!!
"When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life." […]
I Like To Play The Fall Asleep Card In Awkward Situations. Benefits Of ...
I enjoy the fact that I am now responsible for my son's "Dry land" training. We do a team workout after the two practices during the week, and I get to lead their warm ups Pre Game. The Pre Game warm ups allows me to crawl inside their nine and ten year old heads and […]
Friday…My Second Favorite “F” Word!
I am never one to mix words. I like direct approaches and not wasting another person's time. I've become transparent as I can over the years. Have a question? ASK! I answer the questions as direct as I can without a lot of extra. What I find hard to deal with are in today's age […]
Full Disclosure: I Don’t Actually Know The Back Of My Hand All That Well.
I absolutely LOVE this intro during the movie "Inglorious Basterds" "My name is Lt. Aldo Raine and I'm putting together a special team, and I need me eight soldiers. Eight Jewish-American soldiers. Now, y'all might've heard rumors about the armada happening soon. Well, we'll be leaving a little earlier. We're gonna be dropped into France, […]
Curls, Hugs, and Kisses and Thanks to the Barbell Brigade in L.A. Califo...
After two days of carnage, I needed to give the troops a reprieve. Therefore I went ahead and scheduled an "active recovery" day. Light weight Prowler was top on the list. 10x40 yards to get the blood to wash out the bye products of yesterday's leg assault. Then time for some Combat Chassis focus. Knees […]
What Makes You Happy?
What makes you happy? That's a tougher question to answer than it is to ask. Try it on someone. If they are unsure, what does that say? What if they don't have an answer? Now for the kicker...if the thing(s) that make you happy are true, then why don't we invest more time into those […]
Experience Is What You Get When You Didn't Get What You Wanted
There are those days that you have to say..."FUCK IT", and then just go for it. I get it, that it's Monday! I get it, that you didn't have enough weekend! I get it, that you have gotten to the end of your rope living a life of meaningless mediocrity! I get it that you […]
If You Tell The Truth You Never Have To Remember Anything
Saturday is set aside for Hunter and I to train together. Because he's 10 years old, the set up is a bit different. We also need to consider the rest of his day which consists among other things a hockey game this evening. There is a lot of baloney about kids and resting before a […]
If The View Sucks, Change The Perception.
Today I brought into focus the "HOW to verbalize what you want". The moment I tell a person what NOT to do, they go and do it. (face palm) If only I tell a person what I WANT them to do, and leave the other stuff out, I get what I ask for. If I […]
Bonus SPRINTS
Bonus!!! My boy says to me after roller blading home from school..."Dad, we need to do a few 100 yard sprints". Boo YA! Out the door and onto the field. Warm up 100 yard sprints: 5x100 Cool down. Quivering hamstrings.
LMAO? I Hate It When I'm Laughing and My Ass Falls Off
Wednesday! Smack dab in the middle of the week. What things need addressed? What things are we lacking? Where are our weaknesses showing up? What things haven't we visited in a while? These are a few of the daily questions I remind myself of when I put together the objectives of the day all while […]
Being A Horse's Ass Isn't A Bad Thing
"Stimulate don't annihilate." That's a quote from bodybuilder Lee Haney that I took from Vincent Dizenzo's training log this morning. I've talked about the acquisition of strength and not the demonstration of it in the gym, especially on Dynamic day. Everyone wants to increase the weight from the percentages, everyone wants to train HARDER. Unfortunately in […]
Sometimes I Like It When I Get The "Silent Treatment" : )
Saturday's a a low key everyone have at it day. I run ONE session and it's mostly for my son's benefit. He said a while ago that it was OK for others to train in his time. I let that get away and decided it was more important for HE and I to train together. […]
In All My Relationships, I Make Sure I'm The Crazy One
Reminder, in my gym, regardless of their weight, ALL bars weigh 45 pounds. So figure it in if you want the true weight. Note, Here you see Eunice with 250 pounds. That's assuming her bar is 45 pounds. But it's the Texas Squat Bar: https://www.elitefts.com/texas-squat-bar.html Today's workout: Hex Bar Dead Lifts https://www.elitefts.com/rackable-trap-bar.html Work up to 405 […]
The Fastest Way To Grab Someones Attention Is To No Longer Want It.
Escalating Prowler Density: 2x40 yards x Frame 2x40yards x Frame +50 lbs. 2x40 yards x Frame +90 lbs. 2x 40 yards x Frame + 140 lbs 2x40 yards x Frame + 180 lbs. Dynamic Bench: 8x3x225 Over Head Press: 8x3x145
If You Fail Often On First Attempts...Sky Diving Should Be Avoided
I was talking with some of my early morning participant about technology and stuff, when one announced that I was on Instant gram. To which I replied..."WHAT? Nooooo... I don't know how. I mean I didn't sign up for anything nor do I have a camera phone". They said..."No coach, you have people already 'following' […]
Everyone Is A Damn Fool For At Least 5 Minutes A day; Wisdom Consists Of...
Everyone knows that I have a list of rules. I have been asked to compile them for the masses, but I prefer to keep them in my head. The more you hang around me, the more you get exposed to them. Rule #20 is Never say "Sorry" Think about it, if you did or said […]
I Ordered Both A Chicken and AN Egg From Amazon. I'll Let You Know...
This cool picture was done by the incredibly talented Dustin George. Dustin on more than one occasion has taken a simple photo and turn it into "Artwork". When he sends me these things, I just look at them in AWE and think how incredibly blessed I am to be surrounded by great talents that I […]
Reaching Under The Couch or Bed for Something Is The Closest I'll E...
Friday was a blast. No real PR's but a nice heavy weight on our backs squatting and dead lifts in the hand. But a wonderful STEAK dinner was called for. That combined with a ceviche type salad dressing made for the other side of spectacular meal that I made. We got to bed kind of […]