Choose Your Environment Wisely

For the sake of this conversation we're going to be talking about training. But, keep in mind that these principles can be applied to ANY endeavor.

It doesn't matter if you're training for football, hockey, mixed martial arts or strength sports; the environment you train or practice in makes all the difference in the world. If you want to be the best at what you do then why not surround yourself with like minded individuals who have the same desire and intensity that you do??? If you want to be a top conditioned hockey player, go train under Charles Poliquin. If you want to be a top conditioned football player, go train under Elliot Hulse or Joe Defranco. If you want to be an MMA "Endurance Machine" go train under my friend Chris Grayson in Chicago, Illinois. You get the picture.

Two individuals could be training for football using a similar conjugate periodization model. But I'd be willing to bet my lunch money ($10 at Whole Foods)the person with the better environment is going to get quite a bit more out the program than the other guy.

My reason for this post is pretty simple. I am currently home in the Detroit area for the Hollidays and have a chance to train at Ben Knapp's Powr Performance in Westland, Michigan. The place is not very big, but what it's lacking in size compared to nearby commercial gyms it makes up and then some in Attitude and Positive Environment. The couple weeks leading up to coming to Powr Performance I took it somewhat easy knowing that all hell would break loose when I got to the Detroit area.

Eight like minded individuals got together this past saturday for a heavy lifting session at PPerformance. None of us are world class athletes or lifters but we all have a burning desire to get stronger and in better shape. With all of these like minded individuals together you could really throw some fears out of the window of training by yourself or in a commercial gym (not having a spot, not having someone coach you on a lift, d-bags staring at you from the tread mills while reading men's health, etc...) Basically you can "disconnect" yourself from everything you know and focus on the task at hand. I'll let the video do the rest of the talking (these lifts are not ground breaking in the strength sports world but they're personal improvements for everyone involved due to the environment that was created)...


Kevin and Mike here in the video hit squats close to 100lbs more than they've every gotten I believe



(until next time, re-evaluate your goals and ask yourself "am I putting myself in the right environment to reach these goals?" if not do something about it)

Survey Category: Maximal Strength/ Sport Conditioning

Training Log 12-23-2008

Lower body lift: Band resisted dead lifts, anderson front squats, glute-ham raises, sled drags



I'll get better at making these more entertaining as I learn how to use the camera and computer program better.

Video Training Log 12-22-09

I Don't Make This Stuff UP...

I just wanted to display and describe these photos to show you guys/girls that I don't make this blog information up and I'm not some dill-weed who reads a muscle magazine or men's health. I don't have many books since I'm a college student who works at a bar and spends all his money on good food (see older posts). But I believe the books that I have are some of the better resources out there. From Dr. Jonny Bowden to Dr. Verkhoshansky to Tim Ferriss I don't have a lot but I have quality material. Why make stuff up when you can learn from the experts and interpret the information for your own use?



If you read the linked blogs by Chris Grayson and/or Ben Knapp they always make a point that "what gets measured gets improved." I took this advice about two years ago and have a record of every single training session I've put myself or others through. You may not think so, but writing your plan and results down can really take your progress to the next level. If you put a training goal down on paper and formulate a map to get there, you're more likelely to progress at a quicker rate. For instance, if you're supposed to hit a 300lb training bench press in two months according to your plan, you're going to be more apt to do what it takes in those two months to get there. And if the 300lb bench press does not go up then you can look back at your training logs and see what may have prevented you from getting there and fix it in the next training cycle. This could go for other things besides training. Some others that come to mind are: Eating regimen, business notes, finances, and logging which pick up lines work at the bar and which ones don't.



Here's another view of my logs, time for a new binder!


Here we've got another shot of coaching/physiology books and books from a couple of my favorite authors. I highly recommend "The Edge Effect" by Dr. Eric R. Braverman which is about eating and adjusting activity for optimal brain chemistry. I also recommend all books by Dr. Jonny Bowden especially his brand new book "150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy" as this kind of combines a lot of information from his previous books and puts it together in a fashion that is highly applicable to anyone's lifestyle.



Here we've got some physiology text, strength training journals and russian strength training manuals (the base of lots of today's most successful strength training methods, that's why the Soviets kicked everyone's ass in the Olympics for so long)



Books of varius topics of strength, pathophysiology, motivation, brain chemistry, coaching, and "ROMO" NFL linebacker Bill Romanowski's story. It sounds funny but "ROMO" is packed with alot of behind the scenes info on the strength and conditioning scene in the NFL.

October-December Training

After a power lifting meet in September I needed a new training goal since I'm not planning to compete until late spring/ summer 2009. Since I'm becoming OCD with what and when I eat as it relates to human performance and body composition I came up with a goal for this training period. I haven't been in the low single digit body fat range since last september so I figured I'd get back down there WHILE maintaining or increasing my max strength on the big three lifts. Here's a base of the program and the results:

October 2008: 210 lbs at 14 percent body fat
December 5th, 2008: 201 at 7 percent body fat
(according to brozek 7 site skin fold equation done by exercise physiology professor)

Training Protocol:
disclaimer: this training program is not specific to any particular sport, so don't get your panties in a bunch. This was for the sole purpose of recruiting lots of muscle twice per week and training anaerobic glycolysis 2-3 times per week. If you're not familiar with anaerobic glycolysis, you may have experienced it after running a few sprints or playing drop in hockey for the first time in a while and felt some flegmy waste products build up in your throat.

Weekly Split:
Monday: Heavy Bench/ Upper Body Strength
Tuesday: Heavy Squat or Dead Lift/ Lower Body Strength
Wednesday: Off or recovery drills
Thursday: Barbell Complex Workout
Friday: Off or Recovery Drills
Saturday: Full Body Circuit Lift
Sunday: Off for the first few weeks/ DB Complex starting mid November

Sample workouts:
Upper Strength
A1: Bench Press: work up to 3 rep max
A2: Pull Ups: work up to 3 rep max with added weight
B1: Dumbbell Floor Press 4 sets of 4-6 reps
B2: Face Pull: 4 sets of 10-12 reps
C1: Dips: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
C2: Hammer Curl: 3 sets of 8-10 reps

Lower Strength
A: Barbell Back Squat: work up to 1rm
B: Knee high step up: 4 sets of 6 reps
C: Back Raise: 4 sets of 8-10 reps

Barbell Complex sample
A1: over head squat x6
A2: military press x6
A3: good morning x6
A4: high pull x 6
A5: bent over row x6
A6: romanian dead lift x6
done in a row with no rest, used between 85-115 lbs
This did not tap into my recovery much if at all and I usually came out feeling better

Full Body Lift
A1: Squat or Dead Lift Variation x 10-12 reps (heavy as possible)
A2: Weighted Chin Ups 8-10 reps (heavy as possible)
A3: Lunge variation x 8 reps
A4: Standing DB Push Press x 8 reps
I rested between 30-60 seconds between subsequent sets and rested 1-2 minutes between sets. Ten minutes of this will have you breathing harder than a spinning instructor flipping a tire for the first time.

B1: usually a walking lunge or pull through x 10-15 reps
B2: bodyweight chin ups x as many reps as possible
B3: usually a pull through x 10-15 reps
B4: push ups x as many reps as possible

Lifts:
Squat: Maintained a 505lb 3 rep max
Bench: 330 3 rep max (10 lb increase)
Sumo Dead Lift: 510 training max (pulled 507 conventional style in september)

Diet:
The diet was/is pretty much what I've outlined in previous blog posts. My breakfast and first couple meals consist of dark meats, eggs, nuts, oils, cheeses while the meals later in the day consist of lighter colored meats, salad greens, brocolli, greek yogurt, cashew butter, occassional apples and blueberries

sample day:
Breakfast: 10 oz. burger patty, small bowl of cashews, fish oil
Snack between class: Roast Beef, Walnuts, Mozzarella Cheese
Lunch (usually pre workout meal): 4 eggs w/turkey and chopped veggies, fish oil
Post workout drink: 50grams whey concentrate, 30g bcaa/glutamine, 10-20g glycine
Dinner: Turkey or Chicken, large salad
Snack: Greek Yogurt, Cashew Butter, Blueberries (all mixed together w/cinnamon on top)
Last Meal: (i work late at night so I'm up for this usually) chicken or turkey at work with a large plate of broccoli, walnuts or cashews on the side and fish oil capsules.

Not to mention plenty of water ALL day long.

I'll post some pictures next week of the body composisition progress from the training experiment.

Get Fired Up!

I'm not about getting fired up All of the time, but when it's time, it is time. Jim Wendler made a post on Elitefts the other day about albums that you need to train to. That got me thinking about what I would list for this. One of the only things I enjoy as much as training is music. I've got a binder of a few hundred ticket stubs of concerts I've been to since I was 14 years old and have well over a couple grand spent on cd's. I know not everyone has the same musical taste as me and that is fine, this is just what fired ME up.

In no particular order:

Pantera- Official Live 101 Proof
Life Of Agony- River Runs Red
Bloodbath- Resurrection Through Carnage
Devil Driver- Self Titled
Fear Factory- Demanufacture
In Flames- Clayman
Snapcase- Progression Through Unlearning
Superjoint Ritual- Use Once And Destroy
Sepultura- Live: Under A Pale Gray Sky
Soilent Green- Confrontation
Tomahawk- Mit Gas
Strapping Young Lad- City
High On Fire- Blessed Black Wings
Dream Theater- Images And Words
Lamb of God- As The Palaces Burn
Anthrax- Stomp 442
Cannibal Corpse- The Wretched Spawn
Gojira- From Mars To Sirius
Machine Head- The More Things Change
Mnemic- Passenger
The Red Chord- Fused Together In Revolving Doors
Seemless- What Have We Become
Sevendsut-Home
Trouble- Manic Frustration

These are just some that came to mind. I'm interested in what you guys like, so if you wouldn't mind post your suggestions in the comments section.

Things to Come...

I plan on putting this blog on steroids within the next couple of weeks as I have a three week break from school. Here's a brief summary of what to expect:

I will either be getting my camera fixed or purchasing a flip cam

-Video training log of what I do week to week
-"Back to Basics" lifting and conditioning series with Mike Coval. This is going to be a series of videos and logs of Mike's progress in strength, conditioning, and body composition from October up to his current progress. Mike's a volunteer strength and conditioning coach with our basketball team (WMU) and has an unquenchable thirst to get stronger.
-A series of questioning authority in America (health policies, big pharma, mainstream fitness, etc...)

If anyone has anything they'd like to see please post or email me at dannya5199@yahoo.com or SCDgaragetraining@gmail.com

Struggling Economy: Putting Good Food On The Backburner?

This video here is what gave me the idea for this brief post. Note: I'm not condemming these people in the video as they admit that what they did is not healthy one bit (i.e. Tang for vitamin C, losing 14lbs in one month without the help of a badass strength coach, etc.)

With the economy the way it is, most everyone is looking for the most affordable ways to survive. I totally agree with this principle for the most part. The one thing I cannot compromise on is; buying nutritionally empty foods just because they are "more affordable." Why would you want to compromise your health in an already stressful financial time period? These piss poor food choices will just add more stress to your body.
As I'm a 2-3 time per week grocery shopper at a local farmer's market and Meijer here in Kalamazoo, Michigan I witness alot of peoples food selections. Not to brag but I'm a full-time college student who works part time as a bar back and door man at a local bar (we have a playmate coming in tonight!!!) and I still find a way to purchase quality foods to put down my throat. If I can do it under these circumstances, I think most people could if they really put a decent effort forth.
If you care about the health of yourself and loved ones, then here's some ideas to help you afford quality foods in a financially tough era (warning: lots of sarcasm, you may feel stupid after reading this):
-Buy the Ford instead of the Hummer!
-Walk or ride a bike instead of driving short distances!
-Buy an elitefts t shirt instead of Affliction!
-Save on a gym membership and set up a garage gym with homemade equipment
(unless you're training under a badass strength coach like Chris Grayson at Grayson Training Systems or Ben Knapp at Power Performance)
-Don't go to the bar 5 nights in a row (for my college peers)
-Don't buy shots for the girls that you're NOT going to get any from anyways (for my college peers again)
-Shave your head instead of buying your metrosexual hair gel!
-Cancel the tanning membership!
-Buy Chuck Taylor's instead of Diesel brand shoes
-Build a garden
-Raise your own cows and chickens
-Punch yourself in the face everytime you want to go get fast food because it's "more affordable"
-Get a better Job!
Those are just a few tips, but i'm sure with applying 1-3 of them you'll see fantastic results!

A short list of "economically practical foods"
Whey Protein Powder (comes out to be about 35 cents per serving!)
Nut Butters
Eggs
Cottage Cheese
Baby Spinach
Carrots
Apples
Oranges
Steel Cut Oats
Olive Oil
-Once again "Real Food" (seems to be an ever occuring theme ehh?)

My point is, your health is alot more important than the kind of car you drive, brand of clothes you wear, or how impressive you are to girls (or guys for you hot ladies that follow my work)... If it's not important to you, its probably pretty important you family and friends. So think about it and let me know this makes sense or if I'm just pissing people off.

No Excuses! Busy as Hell & Getting It Done!

A good friend and former football player of mine, Max Sall is in his freshman season of wrestling at Ohio State (Nice work!). If you know anything about wrestling then you know that there are weight classes and that practices are frequent and grueling.
Max came to me today saying that practice and lifting is "kicking his ass." He would never admit to this during football so this must be for real! He said he is ingesting some bcaa's around training time and his helping him a little bit. He also says he's considering consuming a post workout shake of 15-30 grams of whey protein. His breakfast consist of a "detour" bar, a banana, and some nuts. Other than that he's not eating too much in fear of not making weight. He also say's that he'd like some help eating to maintain energy levels and ultimately his weight class.
I gave Max some simple advice on how to eat properly and fairly inexpensively while competing very hard at wrestling and devoting the rest of his time to classes. Here's a summary of what we decided on, and so far it's working pretty well:

-Nut Butters (cashew, almond, peanut)
-Raw Unsalted Nuts
-whole hard boiled eggs
-Fish Oil
-olive oil
-Organic Honey
-Ezekiel Bread
-Coconut Oil
-Whey protein powder
-Berries
-Greek Yogurt
-baby spinach
-steak
-chicken
-any "free range" meats Max can find locally
-I'd get a "Greens" powder such as Designs for Health's Paleo Greens or Biotest's Superfood to drink with breakfast and dinner to keep your immune system up during the physiologicaly stressful wrestling season since eating tons of veggies won't be too practical.

We then came up with a meal plan using these foods that I'm not going to detail as much. We made breakfast, lunch and his two mid meal snacks mostly consisting of protein and fats to keep blood sugar stable and keep Max mentally ready for a grueling practice session. His snack after lunch about 90 minutes before practice I alotted a space for some carboyhdrates such as berries, honey and ezekiel bread. We couple this with some hard boiled eggs, nuts, and greek yogurt. Max makes a branched chain amino acid drink to drink before and during practice. He uses 10 grams before practice, 10 grams during practice and another 15-20 after practice. Max says this has helped sustain his energy levels during these 2-3 hour sweat-a-thons. After practice he'll have a whey protein drink of about 40-50 grams and follow that up with a meal when he gets back to the dorms. This meal he takes down a meat source, a bowl of fruit and some vegetables. He'll then have a protein/fat snack later in the evening before bed.

Max is due to report back to me over the upcoming holliday break. So far he's making his weight class no problem and his energy levels are up. We may go visit BK at Power Performance so we might have some live Max training footage and diet update.
BK is the real deal with the nutrition aspect of things, give his blog a look: http://benknappgaragetraining.blogspot.com

Max isn't letting a hectic lifestyle get in his way, are you?

GROCERY SHOP FOR YOUR GOALS...

This post is somewhat of a response to a lot of questions I get from my friends I attend college with. The thought is that since they have to buy their own groceries that they can't afford to make good choices for health and body composition. This could not be further from the truth. I've managed to keep my fridge relatively full with good choices working a minimum wage job on the weekends and evenings. Now some of my friends have different goals: "get ripped" , "put on mass", "hard-gain", or the crowd favorite "burn fat and build muscle simultaneously." lol

I"ll do my best here to give some examples on how to grocery shop for your particular needs:

"Getting Ripped"
-Protein Sources: Grass Fed Beef, Wild Game, Free Range Poultry/ Eggs, Fish of all sorts, Jerky, Whey Concentrate Powder

-Fat Sources: Fish Oil Liquid or Capsules, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Walnuts, Pecans, Cashews

-Carbohydrate Sources: Green Vegetables of all sorts (my top picks are: KALE, Brocolli, Cuccumbers and baby spinach), carrots and berries for post workout eating
-if you are "Carb-Tolerant" or a "Carbohydrate Type" and manage to stay lean and not get sleepy when eating carbohydrates then here are some other sources to consider at times: -Quinoa,Steel Cut Oats, Sweet Potatos, Wild Rices, Apples, Oranges

-Also consider some drinking water if your tap water sucks at home


For the "Mass Builder"
-I'll assume this guy doesn't necessarily care about his body fat, he should still try to keep his meals mostly protein and fat pre-workout to ensure that he's doesn't become insulin resistant

Protein: same as above, maybe add in some organic cheeses and fage yogurt (BK, 2008) if dairy isn't a problem for you

Fats: same as above, also: natural peanut butter, organic butter/ghee, almond oil, flaxseeds, hemp seed oil, macadamia nut oil, sesame oil, etc.

Carbohydrates: keep the greens flowing, mushrooms, onions, peppers, PUMPKIN, squash, tomatoes, Berries, apples, oranges, bananas, kiwi fruit, Apricots, Melons, Dates, Figs, Grapefruit, Guava, Pineapple, Raisins, Lentils, Kidney Beans, Squash, Sweet Potatos, Oats, Quinoa, Garbanzo Beans, Honey, Waxy Maize Carb Powder for post-exercise, etc...


I'll leave it at this for now and let you use your imagination to piece this information together.

To get a step ahead of the rest of the grocery shoppers, pick up a book by the name of; "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth" by Dr. Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.

The Answer Lies Within

Being in many different training environments throughout the last few years, I always seem to get some random questions from time to time. Most of these questions are asked time and time again by different individuals. I'd like to list and go over some of these FAQ's. The reason being, the answer's end up being very simple. Nine times out of ten, if the individual really thought about it then they would answer their own question. Here we go (in no particular order):

Q1: How do I increase my bench?

A: I'll usually respond with some questions:
-Are you bench pressing 1-2 times per week? (usual answer is every monday & hit 3 sets of 8-10 reps then do 2 flye exercises) I then tell them that 3 sets of 8-10 reps may cause their chest to get bigger in size, but it won't have much of an affect on maximal strength. I tell them they need to be performing some lower reps (under 5) to increase maximal strength and I get a blank stare. Read this post on the proper methods and percentage ranges for strength development: http://strengthcoachdan.blogspot.com/2008/11/methods-of-madness-basics-of-building.html
-The second thing I ask is: Are you performing a pulling exercise for every pushing exercise you perform? The usual answer is no. I'll recommend they do some pull ups, face pulls, lat pulldowns between sets of pressing. I get a blank stare. If you're antagonist (opposite) muscles are underdeveloped compared to the agonist, how are you going to be as stable and strong as you could be otherwise?

Pretty simple thoughts, Right?

Q2: I've really been going at it for a long time (fat loss) and I just can't seem to see my abs yet, what should I do?

A: I start by asking their current training methods and dietary protocols. What do these look like 99% of the time:
-Lighter weight/ higher repetition lifting with a "bodypart or two" per day
-45-60 minutes of steady state aerobics
-High protein, Moderate Carbohydrates, No Fats
-Stimulant based fat burning pill

What are the problems here?
-The lifting sessions aren't doing much to stimulate the metabolism with such a small demand on the muscles and there's really not much effect on heart rate since rest periods usually aren't taken into consideration.
-Steady state aerobics have been written off by almost everyone in the fitness industry. I will say there is time and a place for this type of work (recovery work, endurance athlete, and maybe very serious pre-contestbodybuilders because these guys will take anything to the extreme). But with all of the research and real world proof of higher intensity cardio, shouldn't this be the obvious answer?
What in the heck did humans do before treadmills and elipticals (if i'm not mistaken hasn't obesity and annual occurence of heart attacks gone up since these machines have come out????) Go outside and Sprint, Pace Run, Drag a sled, flip a tire, swing a sledgehammer, jump rope, you could think of a million different activities that will kick your ass more than reading Muscle & Fitness on a treadmill while you're in the "fat burning zone."

-Most people in the United States are not carbohydrate tolerant, as pointed out by Charles Poliquin. With the horrible food pyramid we have in the U.S. we've got these people trying to lose fat while INCREASING their intake of breads, cereals, etc... Now they are some great carbohydrate sources out there but let's be honest, do we really need them in the excess that the food pyramid recommends? NO, so I tell these people first to watch the types of carbs they're eating (1. vegetables, 2. fruits 3. quinoa, ezekiel products, steel cut oats, wild rice) then I'll tell them to limit the amounts and the times (breakfast, post workout)... The people I deal with usually are fine with their protein intake, but I do recommend to them to lower the carbs a bit and add in some fattier meats such as steak, bison, dark meat chicken, and eat their eggs WHOLE. Then I'll usually recommend they ditch the "no/low fat" idea. Items such as fish oils, olive oil, coconut oil, raw nuts, butter are some things I recommend they add in. oh yeah and I don't care how much water they say they drink...DRINK MORE H2o

-I'll usually tell these people that the stimulants will keep their stress hormones up and keep them from leaning out to their fullest. I'll usually recommend they switch to some green tea pre training or use a different product such as Venom by ALRI

Don't think these fat loss methods work? Well let me re-assure you...
check out the posted images




These turned out to be longer than I originally planned... I'll be back with some more FAQ's at a later time. Until then, get motivated and do work!

Anaerobic Glycolysis (Conditioning) Workout

Here's some footage from a conditioning workout that I conducted in October. I'll perform these for fun and body composition purposes when I am not close to a power lifting competition. These types of circuit conditioning workouts are great for fat loss, athletes needing to build anaerobic work capacity (as my friend Chris Grayson would say "Endurance Machines"), or anyone looking for a fun and challenging means of exercise. enjoy



If you're ever in the Kalamazoo, Michigan area and are interested in these, look me up...

Methods of Madness: Basics of Building Strength

This is nothing new or innovative by any means. I'd just like to shed some light on the three methods of building strength specifically for those who are new to strength training or new to "non-bodybuilding magazine" type training. These methods have been explained broadly and in very great detail by the likes of Louie Simmons, Charles Poliquin, and all of the great Russian Coaches who brought the conjugate system to the U.S. Let's get to the main course:

The first method of strength development is the Maximal Effort Method
This includes loads that are 90-100% of your one rep maximum effort. So if your max bench press is 300lbs, any repetitions between 270-300lbs wouuld be considered "max effort."

Here's an example of a max effort squat workout that I performed at Chris Grayson's facility (GTS Performance) back in August: (don't use these as an example for box squats, as I was just using the box to gauge depth)



Next you have the Dynamic Effort Method. In general this is where you lift a submaximal weight as fast as you possibly can. You'll find some individuals who use percentages as low 40% (usually more advanced trainees that have higher maxes) and some individuals who will go as high as 70% (mostly beginners and sometimes intermediate trainees). On average you'll usually find people are using between 50-60%. Dave Tate recommends starting at 50% and moving this as fast as you can and then move up in small weight increments until your bar speed slows down. You would then use the higher percentage for your dynamic effort training. For lower body movements shoot for something like 8 sets of 2 reps with rather short rest periods and for upper body movements 8 sets of 3 with rather short rest periods as well. You'll see lots of experienced lifters and athletes with chains or bands on the bar to accomodate resistance as well. Let's not worry about this as a beginner, just put some weight on the bar and get it MOVING!

Last, we've got the Repetition Method. To somewhat quote former Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Dennis Green: "This is what you think it is" (I know not the same, but same idea). This is simply lifting a sub-maximal weight for reps. What kind of reps? you pick: 6-8, 8-10, 12-15, etc... They all have their place (hypertrophy, endurance, recovery, etc.)

here's a video example of some Dynamic Effort Box Squats and some Repetition Method work with Good Mornings and Glute Ham Raises:



Most programs forget the max effort and dynamic effort method and only focus on the repetion method. These are all meant to work together to compliment each other and build complete strength. See if you can piece together how to add these into your program and watch your strength and enjoyment of training go through the roof!

Interview with Strength/Boxing Coach Rob Pilger of Old Skool Fight Sports and Fitness Academy in Columbus, Ohio

1.) What is your educational background?

I took the formal route for a minute getting a semester of college in but since I was paying my own way I thought learning from the experts would be the better choice. It was. I'm a CHEK Level II Practitoner, PICP Level I therory and Technical. This is a Charles Poliquin certification program. RTS theory, this is a course of biomechanics offered by Tom Purvis. I think its an excellent course. I continue to learn a lot from Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell, I see Lou every week as his gym is 10 minutes from mine and he trains at my gym as well. Louie is just not all powerlifting he has a lot of brilliant training ideas and methods. I have interned and taken seminars from the the best of in the field, Mike Boyle, Joe De Franco, Elite FTS, Eric Serrano, Charles Staley, Alwyn Cosgrove, John Berrardi, to name a few. I continue to network with many of these names and more as quite a few have become my friends. I'm also a Level II USA Boxing Coach.

2.)Do you hold any certifications?

AIFE Personal Trainer ( Big deal! ) CHEK Practitoner Level II, PICP Level I Theory and Technical, RTS Technical, USA Boxing II Coach.

3.)What made you want to switch sides from boxer to strength coach?

I didn't enjoy the bullshit buisness side of boxing, it took all the enjoyment out of it. It was a GREAT experience though. The big reason to is that a lot of fighters don't come close to fullfilling their true potential due to the lack of strength training. Strength training is frowned upon in boxing but those in the know that many fighters can greatly enhance their potential and careers by gaining many strength qualities that are left undeveloped in them. This is my goal, passion, and mission to rid this myth and demonstrate with results on why strength training is needed for success in all fighters careers.

4.)Could you see yourself having any other profession?

Within the boxing industry yes. Manager will soon become another title for me as will comitator down the line as well. I'm a true hybrid coach. Mastering all that I am at the same time too.

5.)What would you say your training philosophy is?

I'm a coach that has MANY tools to use depending on the goal or situation. I have learned and always will continue to do so, many training tolls and systems. So i don't follow one system, I just use what tools the goal calls for. This allows me to truly be a successful coach.

6.) What type of tests and/or assessments do you perform on new clients?

I use assessment skills that I leanrned from my CHEK training and RTS. Postural assessments, flexibility rom ( active and dynamic ), core strength, movement assessments, and lifestyle. I have been trained to assess spinal curatures as well, Also advanced assessment for people suffering back pain.

7.)What do you think is the most important attribute to being a strength coach is?

Having an open mind to learn and listen to many sources. being an intuitive coach ( having the ability to change thins on the fly ) communication and listening skills, having discipline, owning and demonstrating great assessment skills as the athletes program will only be as good as the assessment. Of course walking the walk while talking the talk, alsws putting yourself in the athletes shoes and understanding what he is experiencing and living and coming from and dealing with in his life. life style factors and mindset are sorely overlooked.

8.)What are the main things most athletes programs are usually missing?

Stability, flexibility, mobility, these is often left out as strength and power are developed way too soon. Real and optimal core strength too along with proper movement skills. Life style/eating considerations. This is HUGE as the program and success of the athlete will flow off of this. This is really the most important.

9.)How much time do invest into improving yourself as a coach?

At least an hour a day mainly 2 hours per day. This is my enjoyment as well.

10.)How far does the "knowledge" take you before experience becomes the limiting factor?

Experience is everything. You gain knowledge from experience. Certainly you want to study what you do but you have to do what you stuy at the same time!

My Own Training Sessions

I've finally kicked it into gear this week training wise. Since the meet I did in September, I took about a week off and eased back into the training with a real low-moderate volume of work and a moderate intensity. Things are starting to pick back up with my goals of increasing my lifts (squat, bench, dead lift) and getting my work capacity (conditioning) up a bit as I'm a bit sluggish as of late. Here's a glimpse:

Tuesday Upper Body Workout:
A: Bench Press: worked up (45lbs, 135, 185, 245 x 3, 275x3, 305x6)
-as you can see I'm easing back into things with the intensity
B1: Incline Dumbbell Bench Presses: 4 sets of 8 with 110lbs rested: 30 seconds
B2: Seated Dumbbell Cleans: 4 sets of 8 reps with 30lbs rested: 60 seconds
C1: Close Grip Push Up: 4x12 rested 30 seconds
C2: Cable Face Pull: 4x12 rested 30 seconds
(in the next upper body workout i'll increase the pulling work and decrease the pushing)

Thursday Lower Body Workout
A: Barbell Back Squat: worked up (in 45lb increments) to 360x 3, 415x 3, and 465x3-5, used full rest periods
B: Rack Dead Lift from knee level: 4x6 w/405lbs rested 2 minutes
C: Dumbbell Split Squat: 3 sets of 8 reps rested 90 seconds
D1: Cable Pull Through: 3x10 rested 30 seconds
D2: Reverse Crunch: 3x12 rested 30 seconds

nothing special here, just slowly getting into some heavier weights and starting to push it on the assistance and auxillary exercises. I'll be playing with the sets/reps/ and rest periods on the auxillary exercises to work on bringing up my level of conditioning or work capacity. you'll also see one or two short conditioning or "extra" workouts in the logs as well.

Four Daily Steps To Eating Correctly

1.when you wake up look at the clock... you have 20 minutes to get something in your system... start by consuming some cold water because you're usually mildly dehydrated upon waking... make sure your meal includes 1.)animal protein 2.) fats (the brain is made of fats & needs fats to begin optimal daily functioning) 3.) fiber, from first option -green vegetables 2nd -fruits 3rd option -grains if your skinfold readings in the Sub-Scapular region and Supra-Illiac region permit you to do so (according to Charles Poliquins Biosignature Modulation)

2. continue this meal combination every 2-3 hours... your body is like a fire, put logs on the fire frequently to keep it going. protein then fats then fiber (choose the source in aforementioned order, grains Maaaybe if you're one lean or active bastard i.e. Chris Pronger, Reggie Bush, not Joe Fratboy)

3. if you plan on training or participating in some sort of sport or even plan on going to a rock show & getting into a mosh pit then apply the following -have a meal 60 minutes before hand (this could mean a meal of steak, avocado, and cucumbers, or as simple as an apple & a bowl of nuts if time is limited- consume 10 grams of bcaas before training & 10 grams either during or after for numerous reasons. consume your bodyweight x about .25 in grams of protein, so if you're 200 lbs have 50 grams post workout (def doesn't have to be exact, but try and get it somewhere around this recommendation)-build up in dosage of glutamine using the same principle as the protein (Chris Grayson, 2007)

4. continue consuming your normal food combinations about an hour after your prescribed post workout drink & continue your meal combinations every 2-3 hours that you're up for the day

I hope this helps, maybe i'll post a list of some good food choices for meal combinations at a later time...

265 lbs- 200 and Ripped! A brief outline of how...

December '06 & January '07
meal 1: 3 whole omega-3 eggs/ 3 whites, 1 apple,
1/4 cup blueberries
meal 2: shake (2 scoops blend protein, fish oil, greens powder) (in ice water)
meal 3 (pre-workout meal): 8 oz. grass fed sirloin/ 1/4 cup almonds/ green veggies
meal 4 (post w/o shake): 50 grams whey/50 grams glutamine/ 20 grams glycine
meal 5: 8 oz. hormone free chicken large serving of greens topped with other veggies (peppers, mushrooms, etc.)
meal 6: usually same as 5 20-45 grams of fish oil per day

February '07- April '07
meal 1: 3 whole omega-3 eggs, 3 whites, 3 oz. turkey breast, various veggies, sometimes 1 apple meal 2: shake (2 scoops blend protein, fish oil, greens supplement)
meal 3: 8 oz grass fed sirloin, 1/4 cup nuts, lots of greens
meal 4 (post w/o): 50 grams whey/ 50 grams glutamine, 20 grams glycine
meal 5: 8 oz chicken/ greens
meal 6: 8 oz. chicken or fish/ greens

May '06- June 22nd '06
started out at 205lbs/ 7-8% bf
2 gallons of water per day
m1: 8oz sirloin/ 1/4 cup nuts/ Greens
m2: 6 oz sirloin/ greens
m3: post shake (50g whey/50g glutamine/50 grams Vitargo powder
m4: 8 oz chicken/greens
m5: 6-8 oz. fish (salmon, tilapia, mahi mahi)/ greens
m6: 6 oz fish/ greens
every 5th night i ate a carb dinner to replace glycogen and pleasure my mind which consisted of: -lean protein source -1 large sweet potato w/cinnamon -1 cup steel ground oats -2 apples

The final week of the show i kept my diet the same just manipulated some sodium and water and started my carb re-feed friday night before the show and continued all day during the contest (competed June 21st, 2007)

Mid June-August 6th- stuck to the same basic principles but ate as much as I wanted at all of my meals. I had two cheats per week instead of one (I made sure to start the cheats with the oats, sweet potatos and fruits).

I started my next contest prep the same day I started coaching my football team for doubles, I figured it would be great motivation as I could train balls to the wall in a stripped down weight room with some high school kids who love to get fired up
-Added in sled dragging & tire flipping in the morning every other day-2 strength sessions in the beginning of the week-2 density training sessions later in the week

diet
m1: 8 oz. of red meat, fish oil, greens
m2: same for the most part
m3: usually post workout drink
m4-6: chicken or fish, greens, fish oil
every 5th day I had the refeed during the 2nd half of the day focusing on wild rices, sweet potatos, oats, milk, and other various items
water loaded/depleted week of the showkept diet the same week of the show except for I fat loaded instead of carb loaded the morning of the show & ended up looking waaayyy leaner.

Main supplements used (since most people think these are more important than the food you put into your body! hah)
-Magnesium Glycinate
-Zinc Supreme
-Twice Daily Multi
-Liquid Fish Oil
(All by Designs For Health, the highest quality pharmaceutical grade supplements)

I initially lost a lot of weight in 2006 when I was 265lbs on a traditional body building diet (lean proteins/ complex carbs) and this got me down to about 210 lbs. I ate "bulked up" until December of 2007 by eating the traditional body building foods (egg whites, oatmeal, tuna). This got me nowhere but 25% body fat. I was back up to 245lbs and ticked off.
I seeked the help of Ben Knapp and Chris Grayson (http://chrisgrayson.blogspot.com) and these guys opened my eyes to eating correctly. The human body is made out of essential amino acids and essential fatty acids (notice I didn't say essential sugar molecules). So as you can see I focused my efforts on eating quality red meats, fatty fish and fish oils, raw nuts, avocados, etc. and ate smart carbohydrates such as cucumbers, baby spinach, brocolli, apples, oranges at times, sweet potatos post workout, waxy maize post workout, blueberries, etc... The commonality between all of these foods is that they're what humans are made to eat, not a packet of maple brown sugar oatmeal or reduced fat enriched chocolate soy milk.
So keep it simple with your diet. Drink MORE water, eat quality meats, nuts, oils, and vegetables. Do this full tilt and get back to me in two weeks! I dare ya!

That's it for now, maybe i'll post a sample training week from this time period at a later time...

DO WORK

Training Session: October 15th, 2008

A good friend of mine was in town for the day today and wanted to get a workout in. He's a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marines, so i figured he'd be up for something a little bit more challenging than a treadmill and some e-z bar curls (note the sarcasm). Anyways, here's what he did:

Warm Up:
-Warrior Lunges x 6 per leg
-Lateral Squats x 6 per side
-Walking Spiderman x 6 per side
-Cradle Walk x 6 per side
-High Knees 10 yds
-Bear Crawl 10 yds
-30 yard build up runs x 4

Segment 1:
A1: Backwards/ Forwards (alternate each set) Sled Drag w/ 140lbs on grass x 20 yards rest: 0
A2: Burpees x 8 reps rest: 0
A3: Bear Crawl x 20 yds back to start line rest: 0
A4: 20lb Med Ball Slam x 10 reps rest: 3 minutes
-Each set came out to take between 40-55 seconds

Segment 2:
A: Plate Pincher Walks(Farmers walks done holding onto a 45lb olympic plate in each hand)
-He went as far as he could in a ten minute period, breaking as needed to re-grip
-Ended up breaking six times in the ten minute period
(If you're looking to get your conditioning up along with your grip/ upper back strength, these are a phenominal exercise)


That's it for my first post, I'll have some more interesting stuff to post shortly along with some videos. For now check out my youtube page: www.youtube.com/strengthcoachdan