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!