Monday, May 30, 2011

More on Success


  • "Coaches that believe they have clients that can succeed will have clients that believe they can succeed"
  • "If we are not choosing, we are just surviving or existing"
  • "Aspire to provide clarity and to teach not only about fitness and sport, but life"
  • "Seek criticism to improve personal skills"
  • "Set and then make your own goals public"

Successful Tips/Quotes


Here are a few of my favorite tips/quotes from a lecture I attended last year given by Thomas Plummer:
  • A simple definition of success: You live the life you create for yourself
  • Many people falter because they can't define the big goal. Know what you want as the next step. The next step is not the last step
  • Project your life ahead at least three years at a time
  • Questions for your three-year projection:
  • Would I be happier working for someone else or myself?
  • Where do I want to live?
  • How much would I like to make?
  • Am I working in a job or is this a career path?
  • How much would I like to make?
  • Is what I am doing now getting in the way of the life I want?
  • Is what you're doing now a step to somewhere else?

Sunday, May 29, 2011

About Greatness

I picked up the following quote from Coach Dave Jack at last summer's Perform Better Summit in Providence, Rhode Island:
"Good coaches do GREAT things inconsistently. GREAT coaches are good people who consistently do good things- and GREAT things more often."

What Song Are You Listening To?

With music being my absolute favorite thing in life, I always find myself curious what people are listening to when I see them with their iPods. Whether it be at the gym, out walking, etc... I always find myself wanting to know what people are listening to. I remember recently I had this super jacked guy at the gym walk past me and he was pumping old school Michael Jackson ("Beat It") in his headphones. Good times.

Ring Chin-ups


Here's what motivated me to get in my training session today.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Happy Memorial Day!


Memorial Day is, in my opinion, the beginning of summer. Nothing beats a good cookout with family and friends. I've had a few clients and friends lately email me about ways they can make this year's cookout one that encompasses more healthy options. Many of them were shocked to hear my response that I gave many of their choices a thumbs up. As I said to them, it's not always what you eat, it's how it's prepared.

First off, we all know grilling is one of the healthier ways to prepare our meals, followed by baking and broiling. My only caveat is to watch how high the flames get and how well you cook any meats you serve. Cooking at high cause a release of chemicals which have drawn a lot of attention in print media.Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs) form when food is cooked at high temperatures, and they’re linked to cancer. In terms of HCA, the worst part of the meat is the blackened section, which is why you should always avoid charring your meat, and never eat blackened sections.

That being said, there are plenty of healthy items you can enjoy this summer on the grille. The following is a general list to follow:
  • Flip your burgers often as this will help cut down on HCAs.

  • Fill a jug with water, ice, and sliced lemons, then fill yourself up with more water than calorie filled beer and soda.

  • For something different, try grilling fruit, like apples, peaches, and pears.

In addition, now is the prime season for some delicious fresh fruits and veggies. Current in--season selections" include the following:

  • asparagus

  • spinach

  • peas

  • coconut

  • Florida strawberries

Happy grilling and keep in touch :-)

Thursday, May 26, 2011

3-Day Perform Better Functional Training Summit

Every summer I head down to Providence, RI for 3 days for what I consider to be the absolute best conference the fitness industry has to offer. I love looking through the brochure and selecting which speakers I am going to see and the exciting topics they will lecture on. The beauty of this 3-day "Functional Training Summit" is the fact that every 75 minutes there are 4 different choices to pick from (either of 2 lectures or either of 2 hands-on sessions). I typically prefer the majority of my time in the lecture setting, although it is nice to mix in some hands-on stuff to not only practice new exercises, but to stay loose after sitting through the lectures.

I've got my itinerary all mapped out as to who I am going to see and what they will be discussing. It's a great time to also catch up with people throughout the country you don't usually get to see in person, whether they are mentors, friends, colleagues, or a combination of all three. Fortunately, the event isn't far from Boston, which makes the commute relatively easy. That being said, I hate long rides and will once again be staying in a hotel near the seminar.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

More Great Feedback from Another Bride-to-Be

I recently finished training a bride-to-be for her wedding later this month. She worked extremely hard for me and I know she's going to make her husband a very happy man. Our training capped off this past week with a series of events I called the "Olympics" where I put the bride-to-be against one of her bridesmaids, who I also train. I tested my 2 clients in a bike contest (fastest 2-mile time), squat endurance test, and a push-up test amongst other events. Both ladies did fantastic. The bride-to-be was kind enough to share the following words with me in a thank you card following our last session together:

"Dear Paul- Thank you so much for helping me to get in shape for my wedding and for training me the past two years. I have really appreciated your expertise, humor, and broad health-related knowledge."
-Amanda G. [Belmont, MA]

I look forward to working with many more brides in the future to get them ready to look their best on the most important day of their lives!

5 Mental Benefits of Exercise

  • Reduces stress & anxiety
  • Improves mood
  • Increases self-esteem
  • Improves energy levels

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

3 Training & Nutrition Mistakes for Women to Avoid

I was recently reading an interview with one of my "Internet Crushes," Neghar Fonooni. In the interview, Neghar was asked what were the top 3 training and nutrition mistakes made my women. She had the following to say:

1. A lack of heavy strength training with a gradual overload. A lot of ladies I encounter are afraid to pick up anything over 10 pounds. I had a woman come into my Kettlebell class afraid to dead lift a 12kg Kettlebell. When I asked her how heavy her child was, whom I am sure she picks up regularly, she had an “aha” moment.

2. Long, minimally intense cardio sessions. All the women I see on the elliptical machines at the gyms I have worked at look exactly the same as they did a year ago. I’m not sure what deters them from interval training. Maybe it’s too hard? Maybe it’s because they’ll sweat a lot and not be able to read a magazine while doing it? Nevertheless, it’s more effective.

3. Excessively restrictive diets and fad diets. The best nutritional program is the one you will stick to and will fuel your body in the most holistic manner. 1000 calorie diets and grapefruit and cookie diets are not sustainable and will not serve your body. Instead, they will steal from it and leave you feeling weak and depleted.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Why Can't They All Be Like Mike?

I was reading a basketball blog recently and the author discussed a book he recommends to his players about Michael Jordan. In it, a story was told about how Phil Jackson used to hold an annual meeting with his players the night before training camp. He would go around to each player asking what their individual goals for the season were. Michael Jordan was always the last one to speak and he always had the same thing to share with his teammates:

“I have no individual goals. We play for one reason and that’s to win the title. Practice is more important than the games, and I will practice when I’m hurt, when 95 percent of the players in this league would sit out. I expect all of you to do the same thing. You will follow my lead.”

In terms of handling a defeat, Jordan said, “Accept a loss as a learning experience and never point fingers at your teammates.”

What is "Healthy Eating?"


I just read an outstanding article from
Precision Nutrition, my nutrition affiliate company. It discusses what exactly healthy eating is. The article concludes with a nice top 10 summary. Check out the first 5 here:
  1. Healthy eating isn’t perfection. It’s doing your best with what you have.
  2. Healthy eating isn’t calorie expertise. It’s paying attention to your body’s natural hunger and fullness cues.
  3. Healthy eating isn’t science overload. It’s keeping things simple, following basic principles, and using common sense.
  4. Healthy eating isn’t an escape from boredom. It’s just what our body needs to stay healthy — no more and no less.
  5. Healthy eating isn’t always delici-gasmic. It tastes good, but not too good.
Check out the remaining 5, and the rest of the article, by clicking the following link:

A GREAT movie too many people have not seen yet

More proof that females can lift HEAVY weights and still look feminine

How about a 225 lb. Barbell Stiff-Legged Deadlift (SLDL).

Monday, May 09, 2011

Solid Val Slide Complexes

One of the best bang for your buck pieces of equipment money can buy. I'm about to purchase a 2nd pair to keep at the gym.

Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Combatting Inflammation

Avoiding inflammation has always been a hot topic in the nutrition world. There are many ways to reduce inflammation by making proper nutrition choices. In her recent book "Go Green, Get Lean," Kate Geagan suggests some specific anti-inflammatory foods to reduce inflammation. They are as follows:
  • Omega-3 fats
  • Blueberries
  • Cherries
  • Pomegranates
  • Beets
  • Red Cabbage
  • Green Tea
  • Ginger

Chasing Perfection

"Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence"

-Vince Lombardi

Monday, May 02, 2011

Your best ASSets covered in my next edition

<span class=
I re-read an article written by one of my mentors this week and forgot how much I LOVED it. It talks a bit about the infamous "glutes" (butt muscles). This remains, and always will remain, one of the areas people (more often women, I find) wish to improve as far as aesthetics goes. I've decided to write the intro. of my next newsletter all about this very topic. I'll make sure to mention a couple of my favorite exercises that will help improve the both the function and aesthetics of the glutes. That's code for: I'll teach the ladies how to add a little curve should they care to resemble Mrs. Tom Brady :-)