9/20/2023 Challenge Yourself
Challenge yourself and take a risk. You are stronger than you imagine. Today's Training: Shoulder Reliever: Day 6 Ball 4 Cycle AirDyne: 10/10/10 Incline DB Fly: 4x12 DB Supine Tricep Extension: 4x12 Cable Tricep Pushdown: 4x12 Bench: 6x8 Suspended Knees to Elbow: 3x12 4way Neck: 1x15 Blast Strap Row: 50 reps Pushups: 50 reps 45 […]
9/19/2023. Those Days!
There are days it just flows and it feels like you were born to do this, other days it feels like you're marching through the tattered streets of Bagdad. Every day you must choose to show up and see what you've got, and get better or suffer in the pursuit of it. Today's Training: Shoulder […]
9/18/2023. The Process and the Mindset
Your progress training is a frustratingly slow process of small gains. It’s a matter of inching up your weights, your reps, your speed, and your time. It’s a matter of learning to celebrate the small gains as if they were Olympic victories. It means paying your dues in the gym. It means searching for the […]
9/15/2023 WHAT? Me in Shoes???
Anyone that knows me, knows that I've been barefoot for the past 20-some-odd years. Originally it wasn't because I was a "naturalist" or a minimalist, I was flat-out BROKE and couldn't afford to keep changing expensive athletic shoes. So, I opted out of wearing any and it became a "thing" with me. I was barefoot […]
9/14/2023 I Train...
Replace the word "run" with "train" and you get the real gist of this quote as far as I am concerned. “People sometimes sneer at those who run every day, claiming they’ll go to any length to live longer. But don’t think that’s the reason most people run. Most runners run not because they want […]
9/13/2023 Someday...(not Sunday, duh)
Someday you won’t be able to do this. Today is not that day! Today's Training: Shoulder Reliever: Day 1 Ball 4 Cycle C/S Row: 4 RM Chin-ups: 3xAMRAP Barbell Curls: 3x5x HEAVY 4-way neck: 1x15 Blast Strap Row: 50 reps Pushups: 50 reps Suspended Knees to Elbow: 3x12 Fat Bar Dead Hang: 30 seconds Cycle
Be True to Who You Are
I went from a team sports background and preparing for them, to an endurance athlete in the mid 1980s thru 2000. On my way home from the third Ironman, I was waiting for some friends at a place of libations, when I got "moved out of the way" (I weighed a romp'n 165 lbs). I […]
9/12/2023. Don't wait until tomorrow to start
Don't wait until tomorrow to start. Get it done yesterday. You have some gifts that others need. Today's Training: Shoulder Reliever: Day 10 Ball 3 Cycle AirDyne: 15 min Floor Press: 3 RM GRIND out the three reps! Fat Gripz Zig Zag Bar Skull Crusher: 7x8 Single Arm Incline DB Chest Press: 6x10 Face-pulls: 4x15x […]
9/11/2023 The Frustrating Thing About Coaching Dynamic Lifts.
I LOVE Dynamic lifts. The Bench, the Squat, and I include Deadlifts, AND Speed Pulls are easier to actually coach while the loads are still light. The issue is, the loads don't STAY light. We ALL get into ego lifting, even on days that require us to haul the weight up quickly and ballistically. If […]
9/8/2023 1000 Rep Arm Day 18" Arms or Bigger
I don't allow sleeveless shirts in my program. It's just one of those things I started when a high school team I coached came in with tank shirts and the sleeves were used as headbands. I asked the team what was up with that look. They answered that it was a "tradition for seniors". Considering […]
9/7/2023 Dominate and obliterate
Pre-game speech #2 *(that I can remember) Dominate and obliterate the opponent (use the other school's name here), and approach this game with backbone and not wishbone. Today's Training: Shoulder Reliever: Day 6 on Ball #3 Cycle AirDyne: 5 mins steady; 15x10/50 DB Lateral Raise: 4x15 DB Front Raise: 4x15 DB C/S Rear Delt Raise: […]
9/6/2023 When All Else Fails...SQUAT!
The other day I ran sprints. I normally run 10x100 on a Monday but sometimes I get a wild hair and will do something in excess. Like 20x100; barefooted. It was a nice day and I've done a lot more stupid things in my past than this. Anyway, after I finished and about two hours […]
9/5/2023 Don't Show Weakness...
As a Strength and Conditioning Coach for some GREAT Head Coaches over my career they have always let me give a pre-game pep talk to the players before heading out to the field or ice. When we won (which was more often than not, Thank God) I would write down what ever I shared with […]
9/1/2023 Don't wait until tomorrow to start.
Don't wait until tomorrow to start. Get it done yesterday. You have some gifts that others need. Today's Training: Shoulder Reliever DB Lateral Raise: 4x8 DB Front Raise 4x8 Shrug: 4x8 C/S Rear Delt Raise: 4x8 BB Reverse Grip Curl: 4x8 DB Supine Tricep Extension: 4x12 BB Curl: 4x8 Cable Pushdown: 4x12 Blast Strap Row: […]
8/31/2023 Choose your steps carefully.
Choose your steps carefully and know that what you do, and what you say will have a profound effect on the least likely of individuals. Today's Training: Shoulder Reliever Cycle AirDyne: 10/10/10 (again) Good Mornings: 6 rep Max GHR: 4x12 Hack Squat: 4x6 real slow and bottoming it out. Side Ab Flex over the 45 […]
8/30/2023 Do It Anyway
I was talking this morning to a husband/wife team after they finished about a relative of mine who is going through a "dark" time in their life. I explained, quite neutral, that while they are commiserating about their particular misfortune I choose NOT to participate in the family's "Pity Party". I saw the concern on […]
8/29/2023 You Can't Stand in The Same River Twice.
What the heck does that mean? The water in a river is constantly moving towards the mouth of the river or the ocean. If you're upstream standing in a spot, soon that water goes by you and it's GONE. Just like every single workout you skip or miss because of some lame excuse. You can't […]
8/28/2023. Don’t watch the clock
Do what it does. Keep going! If you're tired, do it tired. If you're not feeling up to it, do it while you aren't feeling up to it. If you're busy, do it while you're busy. Feeling GREAT? Well...no need to comment on this one. Today's Training: Shoulder Reliever Cycle AirDyne: 10 mins legs only; […]
8/25/2023 You Get to Choose From One of Two Menus Every DAY
Every morning you are given two menus to choose from. Menu A gets you up before the alarm rings, and has you attacking the day's objectives with vigor. You snowball throughout the day gaining momentum and accumulating victory after victory. NOTHING can stop you. Menu A callouses your fragility and fortifies your honorable morals and […]
8/24/2023. You Have To Start Somewhere (every damn day)
Not every day do you wake up ready to take the world by storm. Nope! Some days you need a longer warm-up. Perhaps some cold water on the face (better yet, the whole body). On other days, you may even postpone the endeavor to come back the next and tear it up. Just know that […]
8/23/2023 GET UP...
Get up before the alarm. Hell, I haven't used an alarm in almost thirty years. Just GET UP! Get up brush your teeth and splash some cold water on your grill. The toothpaste will rid your mouth of that nighttime stench and the cold water will kick the sleep spores out of your pores. Get […]
8/22/2023 The Rest Is As Important As the Stress
We work hard in my program. No! I mean it!! We work our asses off, and in doing so, I advise people to rest with the same intensity as the workout. Working out is actually catabolic, or in other words, "breaking the muscle or system down". It's when we STOP that the body acclimates to […]
8/21/2023 Choose your steps carefully...
What you do, and what you say will have a profound effect on the least likely of individuals. Today's Training: Shoulder Reliever Cycle AirDyne: 15 mins GHR: 4x15 Shrugs: 4x15 GHR: 4x15 (AGAIN) Medium Band Pull-throughs: 4x15 Dynamic Deadlift: 20x1 Cycle
8/18/2023 “Focus more on the people..."
“Focus more on the people who inspire you than the people who annoy you. You’ll get much further in life” Today's Training: Cycle AirDyne: 15 mins Shrug: 4x10 DB Lateral Raise: 4x10 DB Front Raise: 4x10 Dynamic OHP: 10x3 BB Curl: 4x10 Cable Pushdown: 4x10 DB Concentration Curl: 4x10 DB Supine Tricep Ext. : 4x10 […]
8/17/2023 In a world full of fish be a shark
With the love I have for the beach and ocean, I am constantly reminded of, When you enter the ocean you enter the food chain, and are not always at the top. Same as it is with weight training. It depends on where you train. "If you're the strongest guy in your group, you might […]
8/16/2023 The Pre-Exhaustive Max Effort
If you have noticed over the past few sessions I have switched things up a bit. Instead of getting the main course first and then doing accessory and supplemental work, we have pre-exhausted the movement by doing accessory and supplemental work completed first. Understand, we are not in a competitive mode where we need to […]
7/15/2023 Shoulder Relief
Yep, I bought it. It was guaranteed to alleviate pain in the shoulder after 40 days of use. There's a handle with a short wire "string" attached with four different weighted balls that you use each for ten days before moving up to the next heaviest. There is also a "traction" to be worn at […]
8/14/2023 Yes, It's Hard
Today's workout has a specific order. Follow it as it is written! By the time you get to the RDL, you'll have pre-exhausted the posterior chain sufficiently enough that it won't require a TON of weight. After all, if it were easy everyone would do it. Today's Training: Cycle Prowler: 10x80 yds GHR: 4x12 Suspended […]
8/11/2023 When Discipline Works Over Being Motivated
This morning I felt like I didn't want to cycle to work as I normally do, so I chose to drive my car. I didn't! I rode my bike. This morning I walked into the gym and saw it a mess and felt that I needed to teach the night crew a lesson and not […]
8/10/2023 Grounding? Nah...I Just Couldn't Afford Shoes
I totally dig it when some new guy comes along shouting from the rooftops the virtues of going "Barefoot". Quite frankly, I've been doing it for years as most of my peers can attest, and why? No not because it: I went barefoot because I was so broke at one point in my life I […]
8/9/2023 Listen To The Barbell...
"The barbell teaches you a different lesson. The barbell holds the opportunities of getting stronger, change your body, and build resolve. BUT (and this is the important part) the barbell doesn't give a shit about you. You pick it up and it gives you positive, life-changing results, or you don't, and gives you NOTHING. The […]
7/8/2023 Therapy is nice
Years and years ago, when I played high school football, I had an offensive coordinator who never used foul language. I mean this guy refused to curse at all. On this particular afternoon at practice, we were running a play where I got the ball (I played running back on offense) and the line had […]
7/7/2023 Be You and Be OK With It!
Take a LOT of chances. No matter where you end up it always ends where you are supposed to be. The mistakes from those chances are what make you who you are. You learn and grow from each decision you make, whether good or poor. It is ALL worth it!!! Today's Training: Cycle: Commute Deadlift: […]
7/6/2023. Sunrise Ride
Up before the sun and hit'n the trails, my son Hunter and I went for a fat-burning ride. Fat burning? YES! We weren't going our normal "Tour de France" pace. No, no, no...didn't want to dig into those glycolytic stores, we wanted to burn from the current fat deposits that are crying to be used. […]
7/5/2023 Do You Want a SICK Pump?
and more... But if you want a really sick pump try mixing 3 grams of salt in 30 oz of water and drink it slowly about 30 to 45 minutes prior to working out. It won't only boost the blood volume and circulation, it will also dilate the arteries. HUGE GAINZ!!! "Stand back, he/she might […]
7/4/2023 Progress!
Progress should be the aim of EVERY workout and not perfection. I don't ask people to reach their peak on a daily basis. No, no, no... I ask for a 5% increase somewhere in every session. By looking for perfection the chances of failure are far greater and THAT leads to quitting on the goal. […]
8/3/2023 Fit F#cks vs. Fit Fat F#ck
This morning's discussion topic while training with my training partners was the value of proper nutrition. I explained how I thought a good protein intake was a nice big piece of steak instead of a shake. That turned into total calorie intake per day, which brought me to saying that we all know people who […]
7/2/2023 The Best...
Today's Training: Cycle: Commute AirDyne: 15 minutes upper body only Incline DB Chest Press: 4x10 at a slow tempo. 4:0:5 Dynamic Bench: 10x3 Flat DB Fly: 3x33 Cable Tricep Pushdown: 3x33 Dips: 3x33 Cycle: Commute
8/1/2023 Strength Is A Product of Struggles
If you don't struggle or feel a bit uncomfortable every day, then you aren't getting stronger or better. Running hurts, Good Lifting heavy is painful, Good Cycling is tedious, Good Lifting fast is mind-numbing, Good I'm tired...of what? Good and my feet hurt GREAT! (from kicking ass) Today's Training: Cycle: Commute Row: 18 mins Wide […]
7/31/2023. Intellectuals solve problems...
"Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them." Albert Einstein I've got a few things coming up that I need to prevent. I hate to leave posts that hang like this, but I can't go into details yet. Just know, I already have a solution and I only need to see if it's "doable". Stay tuned. More […]
7/28/2023 Upside Down Breathing
Ian Jackson wrote a book years ago entitled, "Upside Down Breath Play" or "Zooming" as the technique is affectionately called. Essentially, As Jackson used to explain, "Instead of just sucking air in and letting it out, try pushing the air out then let it back in." Try this, take a big huge breath of air. […]
7/27/2023 The Dual Purpose of Training Dynamically.
The human organism is a goal-seeking machine. It will do whatever it needs to do in order to accomplish the objective. If that objective is moving BIG weight, then the body will do whatever it takes to fill that need, even at the expense of compensating the mechanics or the technique of a lift. However, […]
7/26/2023 The Basics Work If You Work the Basics
I keep researching the BEST strength and conditioning programs in the nation. Year after year, I keep coming up with the Best TEAMS usually have the best S&C programs, and what is it about those programs? They work the BASIC principles of Strength and Conditioning until the athletes become proficient in all areas of the […]
7/25/2023 My Shoulders Hurt All The Time
Because I'm noticing a constant "BURN" on both my shoulders I wonder if anyone else on my team does as well, so I am adding a few warm-up exercises based on some "therapy" gadgets I've seen recently. Holding the arms out to each side, do tiny arm circles from the shoulders (of course) both clockwise, […]
7/24/2023 "Napalm Son. Nothing Else In The World Smells Like That...
"I love the smell of napalm in the morning. It smells like VICTORY" ~ Col. William Kilgore Everyone knows that quote, but the clincher for me was when he turned to the young soldiers around him while he was in his squat position and then says remorsefully, "One day this war is going to end." […]
7/21/2023 July's 1000 Rep Arm Routine. Procrastination
You can sit on an idea, or a responsibility and say, "I'll get to it later". You can put your training on until after you get whatever HAS to be more important than you, over with. You can wish and want; want and wish BUT... Remember this...It wasn't raining when Noah built the Arc. Today's […]
7/20/2023 Happiness vs. Success
Success is getting what you want; Happiness is wanting what you get! See how easy that is? Today's Training: Run: 3.1 easy miles Cycle: Commute Squat: 4 Rep Max GHR: 4x12 Hack Squat: 4 Rep Max Ab Wheel: 4x12 Cycle: Commute
7/19/2023 We've Gotten Too Smart For Our Own Good
I was reading one of my favorite EliteFTS Coach's posts on the internet yesterday where he stated "The older I get the less I feel I know", and that triggered me into one of my unmedicated tirades. There seems to be an abundance of super mega-minded Exercise Specialists that can detail the fuck out of […]
7/18/2023 "If It's To Be..."
You've heard it, "If it's to be, it's up to me". Never has a statement been so true. When things need to get done you can take the bull by the horns and direct it or you can wait for someone to take charge (and that could be a very long time). I adopted a […]
7/17/2023 Do You Want to Lose Fat?
What a stupid question. YES, everyone wants to lose fat, so how do we do it without losing the muscle we put on while "bulking"? I'm not going to go into all the detail but IF you want to lose fat that is stored in your body without losing the "gains", AND you don't have […]
7/14/2023 Your Impact On Others Is Bigger Than You Think.
Someone still laughs at the funny thing you might have said. Someone still smiles at the compliment you gave them. Someone quietly admires you and the way you get things done. That bit of advice you gave someone, changed their life. The support you offered made that person's day. Your opinion has made others think […]
7/13/2023 When All Else Fails
When all else fails, gain fire superiority, move towards the path of the enemy guns, and DESTROY everything in your path. Lift heavy! Eat well! Sleep soundly, and Choose violence! Today's Training: Cycle: Commute Belt Squat: 4x10 Leg Press: 4x10 Leg Extension: 4x10 12" Box Step Ups: 4x10 (I used a SSB Yoke Bar to […]
7/12/2023 Today's Benching Cue...
SPREAD the bar! The one thing I harped on the most today was for the lifter to "Spread the BAR" or Pull the bar apart! By doing this, the emphasis is no longer strictly a pectoral move. On the contrary, we want the bar to leave the chest via the upper back muscles. So the […]
7/11/2023 Don't Be Afraid
I had this conversation with one of my introverted athletes this morning about being ok with who he is. Over the last few weeks, I noticed this young man didn't have the same old snap to his step. His line of sight had gone from out on the horizon to about four inches in front […]
7/10/2023. You Don't Have To Train...
Over the past two weeks, I have heard or read some lifters were "feeling their age". They had complaints about aching joints, low energy, bad backs, awful knees, and overall depression, all of which caused a state of "I don't want to train." I totally understand where they are coming from. It is hard to […]
7/7/2023 When You Fail
When you fail, and man o man will you ever if you are attempting something great, remember that it is nothing more than a moment in time that you can revise your overall game plan. Today's Training: Cycle: Commute Dynamic OHP: 10x3 DB Lateral Raise: 4x15 DB Front Raise: 4x15 Rear Delt Destroyer: 1x60-40-20x 36-28-18 […]
7/6/2023 Starve Your Distractions
"Starve your distractions and feed your focus" Today's Training: Cycle: Commute Dynamic Squat: 10x2 Leg Press: 3x15; 1x20 Leg Extension: 3x15; 1x20 GHR: 3x15; 1x20 Pull-up: 2 Push-up: 12 Chin-up: 2 Dips: 12 Dead Hang: 75 seconds Cycle: Commute Run: Sprints; 10x50 yds
7/5/2023 How Many Things Can You Learn In ONE Training Session?
I was coaching a fellow today who happens to be a Strength Coach at one of the private high schools in my area and we were on the subject of what it takes to teach someone a skill and how to go about doing it. I was telling him that first of all, you need […]
6/29/2023 I Have Never Lost a Game...
In all the years I've played sports, I have NEVER lost a game. I've run out of time but I have never lost. I have said to teams that I had coached after my playing days were over that very same statement. Some of the players got it, others it became lost. What I was […]