I am going to change up how I do my coach logs moving forward. I have been working hard to get my TEAM SKIP YouTube channel active again, and that should be finished and ready to go by the end of May. I am going to use my coach logs to help feed the channel, and for every coach log I do, I will give a basic outline and explanation of what is going to be discussed in that particular video. I will also make the videos available here with a link.
The focus of the channel will primarily be training. I will eventually get into more nutrition at some point, but the main focus will be training. There is good information out there, but there is a lot of horrible information, as well. The “trend” right now on social media is to focus on studies and research-based training information, and I will go on record saying that I am not fond of this trend at all. That is not to say that there isn’t some solid research to back up specific mechanics, training ideology, and exercise selection. However, when I see someone post some stupid angle for a side lateral and then go on to say that this angle is the best for hypertrophy (and it’s some odd angle that only allows a light weight), I’m not listening to that, and I assume most people are more sensical than that.
Research on training has too many variables to be able to narrow down or explain correct mechanics and how each person will respond to specific exercises. This is why I am not going to come at this from a “research” or “study” standpoint. I am instead (gasp) going to rely on my OPINIONS based on my 40 years of training to build a respectable physique with, if not shitty genetics, absolutely mediocre genetics. I think that most people can relate to this because they are in the same position. If you had a genetic predisposition to put on muscle quickly, I doubt you would be reading my articles, and you likely wouldn’t care what I said about hypertrophy training. Speaking just for myself, I would much rather take advice from someone who has walked the walk when it comes to training advice. I haven’t seen very many guys get huge from training after reading studies. The vast majority of people who have put on a lot of muscle do not rely on studies; they rely on experienced information from people who have been there and/or coached people who have been there. If you check the average physique of a guy who tells you that you are doing an exercise wrong, he usually weighs about 170 pounds and isn’t going to be recognized as someone who lifts weight and has a lot of muscle while he is walking down the street.
I also have a history of dealing with injuries, as most of you know. I have personal experience with injuries, coming back from injuries (some quite extensive), and I have experience staying injury-free after injuries, as well. I have a lot of information that I want to share, and even though it’s going to be a big commitment, I feel it’s the right thing to do and it can benefit a lot of people. I do not have any illusions of grandeur; I am not making this commitment with the goal of having 100k followers and making big money on YouTube.
I want to focus on mechanics for specific exercises and “tweaks” for exercises. I will explain these things in depth and provide specific information on how to perform each movement. I also want to get into detailed instruction about the philosophy of HOW to train, the mental components, how to build intensity without simply reaching for more weight to put on the bar, etc. And I want to teach people how to continue to progress with minimal risk of injury.
There is a huge draw for this information in my demographic. I’m 54, and there are a lot of people who are older who train like shit and/or are training relatively well, but they aren’t progressing well. The older demographic—especially those who have trained for decades—tend to have an incredible work ethic, and they typically train too hard, too long, or too frequently. Training is not about how much work you CAN DO in the gym; it’s about how much work you CAN RECOVER from and progress.
Even though the older demographic will likely get the most benefit out of the information I am going to provide, the younger generation can also benefit because if they plan to be in this sport for a long time, the information I will provide can help them to maintain their lifting career by reducing the risk of injury. We have all seen guys who have great physiques who end up running their bodies into the ground to the point where they can no longer train effectively to maintain their physique or even continue to progress. Even at 54, I am still progressing and continuing to improve my physique. If I can do that with mediocre genetics, I believe almost anyone can. They just have to be smart about how they train.
My channel has been around since roughly 2006, but within the last handful of years, I have not focused much on adding content. Instead, I was focused only on social media. I am looking forward to this long-form format of providing information, and I hope that you are interested in it, as well.
I will still be posting coach logs that pertain to my progress in the gym on top of the coach logs about the training videos I’m putting up on my YouTube channel. Whether I get on stage this year or I’m doing a cut or growth phase, I will be detailing my plans, progress, and results, as well.
Look for the TEAM SKIP YouTube channel being revitalized very soon!