Top 10 Body Transformation Lessons

Precision Nutrition recently posted a great article about Body Transformation. A "Top 10" List accompanied the article. I'm a big fan of lists/charts, and wanted to share it with you here:

1. Realize that exercise alone doesn’t work.
2. Find a big motivator.
3. Find something to lose.
4. Choose proof over theory.
5. Do one small thing every day.
6. Make your commitments a little too easy.
7. Find someone to answer to.
8. Focus on behaviors, not outcomes.
9. Let your coach track the results.
10. Get a support network.

Words to Live By!

And remember — it doesn’t matter what you eat or how you exercise between Christmas and New Years. It matters how you eat and exercise between New Year’s and Christmas!

2011 PC Conditioning MVP client

This past week I was thrilled to crown my 2011 PC Conditioning MVP. It's something I've never done in the past, but after brainstorming one day this past summer about ways to reward clients, I thought this would be an interesting thing to implement. The winner this year received a gift certificate to a local restaurant.

What are the characteristics of my MVP for 2011, you ask? It's simple. He/she...

• Arrives early and stays late when need be
• Rarely/never complains
• Is constantly positive
• Loves to train and embraces temporary moments of discomfort
• Never gives up
• Trusts me when I push them each session
• Does EVERYTHING- and then some- I tell them to BETWEEN sessions
• Tracks their exercise and nutrition progress in a journal
• Surrounds themselves with positive influences
• Eats a well-balanced diet with plenty of good fats and lean protein
• Utilizes rest and recovery (sleep, soft tissue work, etc...) effectively

Awesome Home Workout

Chin-up bar, a couple Kettlebells/Dumbbells, and a desire to work hard is all you need.

Message from Jay Robb

I was reading a recent newsletter I receive from Jay Robb, the individual whose company produces the only protein powder I use and recommend to my clients. He spoke about the hustle and bustle of the holidays and I really liked what he had to say. Allow me to share it with you below:

The holiday season to me is about peace on earth. I am not sure how we got to the point where Santa is the main character, it is better to receive than give, and slowing down is not an option. Perhaps I am an odd bird, but peace on earth during the holidays means more “quiet time” not more “shopping time”. And if non-stop shopping, decorating, and partying aren’t enough, when we do have quiet time, we often spend it in front of the TV or at the movie theater watching someone else’s creation instead of experiencing the joy of the present moment.

So what would make this the perfect holiday season? To me, the answer is always, “slow down, do less, give more, and be aware.” As humans, our minds are bottomless pits for “stuff, pleasure, and excitement.” The mind will never be satisfied. Unless you can control your thoughts, your thoughts will control you. The easiest way to control your thoughts is to meditate daily. Twenty minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the evening is ideal to turn down the mind chatter and turn up the peace and quiet. It may seem that I always oversimplify things, but the answer to most of life’s problems can be discovered in silence.

Happy holidays!

May the “hurry of the holidays” NOT be with you...

9 Things Young Athletes Need to Master

Strength and Conditioning Coach Julia Ladewski recently wrote a piece for Elite FTS discussing simple things kids should be able to do, yet most high school freshmen lack the ability to do. Check them out here:

1. Body Weight Squat – The squat is one of the most basic movements for body awareness and strength. It is also a precursor to other movements like jumping, hopping and bounding. Toddlers just learning to walk and pick things up off the ground start off doing a perfect squat and somewhere along the way, we mess it up.
2. Skipping – This is a basic fundamental motor pattern that should be mastered. It teaches opposite arm and leg relationship and takes a bit of coordination. Not to mention, the basic movements needed for running, like staying on the balls of the feet and proper arm mechanics.
3. Pushups – While this is on every Dad’s list of “Things To Make Your Son Do Every Day To Stay Ahead Of The Game” it can easily get out of control if not done properly. I’ve seen many kids who say they do pushups every night, yet they are done poorly. Whether you start with plank holds or incline pushups or any variation, young athletes need to learn body position.
4. Chin-ups/Flex Arm Hang – Apparently this is part of most kids’ Presidential Fitness Test…yet when I ask kids how often they practice them in P.E. class, they say never. Hmm…that’s another conversation for another day. Again, there are a million ways to help kids learn to do a chin-up or flex arm hang, but I think we can all agree that it’s a fundamental skill (mastering your body weight) that all kids should have.
5. Jump Rope – I’m surprised at the amount of kids that don’t know how to jump rope. Rocky would be ashamed of us.
6. Hip Hinge – Hinging the hips, while keeping the spine in alignment, is extremely difficult for most young athletes to understand. Most just bend forward at the waist, rounding the back. This is a key position for teaching them to create spinal stability.
7. Lunge/Split Squat – Another basic movement that not only builds into more difficult strength moves, but can be a great movement screen as well.
8. Landing – Learning how to stick a landing position and absorb the forces through the body are another key thing to teach young athletes. They need to know how to keep their posture in the right position (not letting their chest flop to the floor), and have a soft landing.
9. Jumping and Hopping – While many coaches would argue that a kid should know how to land before they can jump any higher (and I do agree), basic jumping skills should be mastered. Again, timing of the arms with the legs and overall body control. And with hopping, again, I’m surprised that most kids don’t have the body control and strength to hop on one foot.

Very Impressive Relative Strength Here

Can you limit your sitting & sleeping to 23.5 hours/day?

Fresh versus Frozen

The debate continues about which is better for you, fresh produce or frozen? Personally, I tend to stick to not just what is more affordable, but what is in-season. The other thing to factor in is transit time (how close are you to the source of the farming). For example, I'd rather choose fresh local blueberries than those that have had to sit on a truck for a week coming in from across the country.

Many people assume that fresh is healthier, while I disagree because flash-frozen veggies are frozen right on the spot to help preserve their nutrients. 1 cup of frozen broccoli, for example, has nearly TWICE the protein and fiber that fresh broccoli does. It has also has TWICE as much iron and slightly more Vitamin C.

Long story short, frozen produce is a fine choice. Choose local fresh when in-season and frozen when it's out of season.

Nice work by Jen Comas Keck today

Now THIS is how a woman needs to train!

Interesting Picture

Brian Regan- Funny Stuff!

Fat Loss Through Hill Sprints

Jen Comas Keck wrote an article on Fat Loss last fall that I thoroughly enjoyed. Check it out here: http://www.jencomaskeck.com/2010/10/fat-loss-through-hill-sprints.html

Girls Gone Strong

While I don't "specialize" in any particular area of fitness, strength & conditioning, etc..., I do admittedly have the most passion for getting more females into strength training. Finally, more and more of them are grasping the ideology that women can be strong AND sexy. We're at a point in time where muscle tone is a beautiful thing. While some women still fear they will "look like a bodybuilder" if they strength train, they're now understanding this isn't the case.

There's a group of women whose work I've been following for a while online. They call themselves "Girls Gone Strong," and they epitomize what happens when you combine beauty, brains, and intelligence. Check out their videos above. And yes, I'll admit I have a big crush on a few of them (Alli McKee, Marianne Kane, & Jen Comas Keck).

Holiday Food Coma

Fantastic article from the Wall Street Journal last week discussing the theories behind why we get sleepy after a big meal. Check it out here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204517204577046772508688922.html

Classic Video!

Dietary Strategies to Kick a Cold of Flu: Dr. Mercola

Raw, grass-fed organic milk, and/or high-quality whey protein	Fermented foods such as raw kefir, kimchee, miso, pickles, sauerkraut	Raw, organic eggs from pastured chickens	Grass-fed beef	Coconuts and coconut oil
	Organic vegetables	Garlic. Ideally consumed raw and crushed just before eating	Turmeric, oregano, cinnamon, cloves	Mushrooms, especially Reishi, Shiitake, and Maitake

More Advice for Achieving Great Glutes

After working with hundreds of women over the years, I've received a lot of questions about how to achieve the "perfect butt." Whether it's looking good on the beach or simply looking great in your favorite pair of jeans, it's interesting (sad) to see so many people (men and women) choose the wrong exercises to perfect the backside. Enough with the excessive cardio already! The answer is STRENGTH TRAINING.

I was reading an article over the weekend where various female strength and conditioning experts were interviewed and asked to name their top choices for glute exercises. Check out what they had to say here: http://bretcontreras.com/2011/11/favorite-glute-exercises-from-the-fittest-females/

My Favorite Unilateral Lower Body Strength Training Exercise

"Rear-Foot Elevated Split Squats (RFESS)" remain my favorite lower body single-leg exercise. They can be performed in a variety of ways. They improve single leg strength, balance, and power. My colleague Ben Bruno wrote a fantastic article for T-Nation I want to share with you: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/bulgarian_split_squats

The 50 Commandments of Commercial Gym Etiquette

Bret Contreras wrote a really good piece recently titled "The 50 Commendments of Gym Etiquette." Check them out here:

1. Thou shalt re-rack dumbbells and plates and return equipment to where it belongs
2. Thou shalt not eat, talk on cell phones, text, or read while in the weight room
3. Thou shalt respect other individuals’ space and maintain adequate distance from other lifters while they’re lifting
4. Thou shalt not bump into a lifter or their barbell while they’re exercising
5. Thou shalt maintain adequate distance from the dumbbell rack when using the dumbbells to allow others to obtain or re-rack their dumbbells
6. Thou shalt not drop thy weights
7. Thou shalt attempt to a reasonable degree to not hog equipment during busier times when others are waiting for it
8. Thou shalt not claim the platform, squat rack, or both sides of the cable column for more than 20 minutes during peak gym hours
9. Thou shalt not use in-demand equipment such as squat racks, platforms, and bench presses for performing isolation exercises that can be performed elsewhere
10. Thou shalt not claim multiple units of equipment for supersets, tri-sets, or giant sets during peak gym hours if equipment is limited
11. Thou shalt offer individuals waiting for equipment to work in whenever convenient and appropriate
12. Thou shalt return weights and adjustments to previous settings when another lifter allows thou to work in with them
13. Thou shalt not talk excessively to others in between sets when others are waiting for the equipment
14. Thou shalt not utilize busy walkways to engage in exercises such as walking barbell lunges or farmer’s walks during peak business hours
15. Thou shalt maintain adequate personal hygiene; taking showers regularly, washing thy clothes, and wearing deodorant
16. Thou shalt wipe away thy sweat off of equipment
17. Thou shalt be reasonable and wait for equipment if it’s in use; refraining from appearing overly impatient and intimidating while the lifter is exercising
18. Thou shalt not engage in complex/contrast training methods during peak gym hours if space does not permit
19. Thou shalt not grunt excessively or scream while training
20. Thou shalt wear appropriate clothing while training and ensure that shorts are long enough to conceal private parts
21. Thou shalt not talk to others in the middle of their sets of heavy exercise
22. Thou shalt never tell a joke or attempt to make a lifter laugh immediately prior to or during a set of exercise
23. Thou shalt maintain an appropriate level of seriousness while training while avoiding either extremes of the “seriousness-continuum”
24. Thou shalt attempt to learn the basics of spotting technique in a myriad of exercises and do thy best to provide a proper spot to individuals when asked
25. Thou shalt not abuse your spotting privileges and shalt not require a spot for a majority of thy sets, nor shalt thou attempt a lift that is way too heavy for thy capabilities and over-rely on thy spotter, nor shalt thou ask an individual for a spot if they don’t appear well-versed in spotting techniques
26. Thou shalt inform your spotter how thy like to be spotted; letting them know if thou want a lift-off, how many repetitions thy hope to perform, whether thou want help with forced repetitions, and/or whether thou want them to barely assist you with one extra rep
27. Thou shalt not shadow-box or throw air-strikes in between sets
28. Thou shalt not stand in the mirror-path or walk through a lifter’s mirror-path when the lifter is in the middle of a heavy set and is using the mirror to watch their form
29. Though shalt ask around to confirm if equipment is not in use when arriving at a piece of equipment that is abandoned yet loaded with weights
30. Thou shalt avoid performing crazy exercises during peak hours that require excessive space or the use of many pieces of equipment and shalt try to the best of thy abilities to find a suitable alternatives
31. Thou shalt not flex thy muscles excessively or pose in front of the mirror
32. Thou shalt ask experienced lifters for advice during opportune moments but shalt not abuse this privilege
33. Thou shalt not traverse the gym ponying-up unsolicited advice to other lifters
34. Thou shalt not lie to others about how much weight thy hoisted back in the day and attempt to “one-up” other lifters
35. Thou shalt not flirt excessively with other lifters regardless of gender
36. Thou shalt control thy temper and attempt to maintain a positive demeanor
37. Thou shalt not crank thy neck laterally to watch form in the mirror from the side view while lifting
38. Thou shalt understand how to position thyself symmetrically while using a barbell and shalt use the bar spacings to assist with such symmetry
39. Thou shalt use chalk if necessary but shalt take precautions to avoid making a mess
40. Thou shalt not fill up your entire water bottle when others are waiting for the drinking fountain
41. Thou shalt not place a giant gym bag where gym-goers traverse during peak gym hours
42. Thou shalt not hog cardio equipment and should attempt to complete thy session within 30 minutes during peak gym hours
43. Thou shalt not believe that thy method of training is far superior to everyone else’s , nor shalt thou shun all other methods simply because they don’t coincide with your goals and preferences
44. Thou shalt place plates onto barbells with the smooth sides facing outwards and the carved part facing inwards; thereby respecting tradition and paying homage to our iron hoisting ancestors
45. Thou shalt attempt to use the same brand, color, and size of plates if possible on each side of the barbell and try to maintain symmetry; thereby respecting tradition and paying homage to our iron hoisting ancestors
46. Thou shalt attempt to work together and cooperate with other lifters; using common sense, having common courtesy, and respecting others
47. Thou shalt be reliable, punctual, encouraging, and supportive to thy training partner if thy choose to obtain one
48. Thou shalt attempt to train during non-peak hours if thou find thyself frustrated with the commandments listed above or are following a “needy” program such as GVT
49. Thou shalt attempt to learn proper exercise form and should avoid going too heavy for thy abilities, and shalt know common form mistakes such as turning lateral raises into shoulder external rotation movements, rolling the shoulders while shrugging, heaving excessively during curls, doing quarter squats, round back deadlifts, bouncing the bar off the chest when benching, half range benching, and upright bent over rows
50. Thou shalt understand the basics of program design; and if attempting to be athletic thou must perform mostly compound free-weight movements, maintain a balance between pushing and pulling for the upper and lower bodies, and refraining from ignoring work for the posterior chain, single leg stability, and rotary core