Here are a few good reads to get you through another boring work week:
Working Out When You Just Don’t Want To by Dean Somerset
Walking Push Up Slides by Ben Bruno
Training is Like Farming by Mike Boyle
Psychology Trumps Physiology Every Time by Mike Boyle
What To Expect (In the Gym) When You’re Expecting by Tony Gentilcore
Not too long ago I sat down and read Dan John’s Never Let Go for a second time because I enjoyed it so much the first time. Dan John is a legend in strength training, having compiled over 30 years of experience as a strength and conditioning coach.
One of the things I really like about Dan is his ability to keep things simple. With everyone talking about their crazy periodization schemes amongst many other things, Dan simple; become brilliant at the basics and keep adding weight, getting stronger and stronger.
With that being said, I thought it would be good to share my five favorite quotes from Never Let Go, a book that I think anyone with an ounce of interest in fitness needs to read.
If it’s important do it everyday
Pretty straight forward but couldn’t be truer. If your mobility sucks, some mobility work everyday may be a good idea. If your tissue quality sucks, grab your foam roller and roll out a couple of times everyday. If your grades in school suck, study more everyday. If your terribly out of shape, do something to get in better shape everyday. I could keep going, but this can and will apply to almost every area of your life.
Two great principles of strength and conditioning. Everything works. Everything works, but only for so long.
Here is something I feel a lot of people really miss the boat on. Doing 3 sets of 10 reps is great and will work, but at some point its going to stop working and you’ll need to make some changes. Conditioning three times a week might spark some fat loss, but at some point you will stall and will need to make some changes. Everything works for a varying amount of time, but everything stops working at some point.
Look at your goals. Look at your behavior. Does your behavior match your goals?
Brilliant. How many times have your heard someone talk about the goals they have yet you watch their actions and realize they don’t match their goals in any way, shape or form. Goals are great and important if you want to accomplish things, but in order to do something bigger and better than what you currently have, you are going to have to change your behavior to match those goals.
Measure your progress in the weight room one of three ways. 1) Your deadlift max is up. 2) You did more REAL pull ups. 3) Your three jump score increased.
I think the deadlift is a great exercise, especially the trap bar version. Furthermore, if your deadlift number is getting better and better, I will guarantee that you are getting stronger and stronger and developing total body strength. The same goes for pull ups. They are hard. Not many people are great at them. But the thing is, I’ll guarantee that the kid that can do the most pull ups is probably also one of the strongest kids you now, can squat and bench more than most everyone else – its funny how things like that work.
Here’s my ultra-secret diet regime: Follow Mom’s first rule!
• Eat breakfast everyday
• Be sure to eat three meals a day
• If you’re hungry an hour or so after a meal, you didn’t eat enough protein
• Water should be your major beverage
• There’s nothing more fiber can’t cure
Spot on, don’t even need to add anything to this. Eat three to four meals a day and don’t skip breakfast. Focus on protein and drink plenty of water and make sure you get enough fiber – chances are you don’t.
Here are a few good reads to get you through another work week;
15 Static Stretching Mistakes by Eric Cressey
8 More Training and Recovery Tips by Ben Bruno
6 Most Important Training Discoveries by Charles Staley
Conditioning When the Weather Stinks by Jim Wendler
To All the Internet Critics by Mike Boyle
The Curse of Knowledge by Mike Boyle
Bodyweight 300 Challenge & Two Other Sick Workouts by Jason Ferriuggia
About a year ago, May I think it was, I had the opportunity to meet Andrea Hudy, Director of Strength and Conditioning at the University of Kansas, who was extremely nice and gracious spending time talking to me and answering any questions that I had, something that not many ‘big time’ strength coaches are willing to do with younger up and coming strength coaches.
Coach Hudy was the first woman to be the Director at a major Division I University and maybe more impressive is the fact that she is in charge of Men’s Baskebtall at Kansas along with overseeing the entire strength and conditioning program. Hudy was just recently named the 2013 NSCA Strength Coach of the Year and ESPN did a special on her on College Game Day this past Saturday and I thought I would share. Oh, and before taking the position at Kansas, Coach Hudy won seven National Championships at UConn as the strength coach for both Men’s and Women’s Basketball – not too shabby.
If any strength coaches out there think they have obstacles that are too big to overcome, look at Coach Hudy. A woman is dominating a man’s profession to the point where she is being acknowledged as the best in the country – pretty impressive.
Anyone that knows me knows that I am always reading something, whether it be related to strength and conditioning or related to personal development. I recently took the time to read Goals by Brian Tracy and wanted to share with you his 12 Steps to Set and Achieve Any Goal.
#1 – Have a Desire: What Do You Really Want?
#2 – Believe That Your Goal is Achievable
#3 – Write Your Goal Down
#4 – Determine Your Starting Point
#5 – Determine Why You Want It
#6 – Set a Deadline
#7 – Identify the Obstacles in Your Way
#8 – Determine the Additional Knowledge and Skills You Need
#9 – Determine the People Whose Help You Will Need
#10 – Make a Plan: Put It All Together
#11 – Visualize Your Goal Continually
#12 – Never Give Up
For anyone looking to pick up Goals, which I highly recommend, you can get it on Amazon for a very cheap and reasonable price.
Here are a few good reads to get you through another work week;
8 Blast Strap Exercises for Serious Upper Body Muscle by Ben Bruno
7 Ways to Get Strong Outside the Sagittal Plane by Eric Cressey
When to Specialize by Mike Boyle
A Logical Argument Against the Tracy Anderson Method by Dean Somerset
Smart Overhead Pressing by Dean Somerset
Exercises You Should Be Doing: Box Jumps by Tony Gentilcore
Training Percentages Made Simple by Jordan Syatt
Instructional Youtube Videos by Bret Contreras
4 Ways to Write Faster Programs by Mike Robertson
“I don’t have time to be healthy.”
That is one of the most used and abused statements that strength coaches and personal trainers hear over and over again. It may the one of the universal excuses that people use when they don’t reach their goals of getting into better shape or the reason they don’t even try to get into shape.
But in my eyes, it’s just that – an excuse.
I am fully aware that there are many people who are busier than I am, but I like to feel that I am relatively busy. Between classes and everything that comes along with that, working at UNH, being a USA Hockey Official, and someone who tries to have a social life, I find time to make time to be healthy. Oh, and I make it a priority to read an hour a day on something related to strength and conditioning or personal development.
How do I go about making sure to find time to work out and make healthy food choices? To be honest, it’s all about planning ahead. Every night before I go to bed I try to figure out what my next day is going to look like. Look at what team responsibilities I may have at UNH, what hockey games I may have to officiate, and depending on the time of the year I may have to take classes into account as well.
Once I figure those things out, the first thing I do is plan where I am going to find time to work out. I make it a priority to find time and I also recognize how much time I am going to have to work out which allows me to plan ahead for the workout itself. Let me repeat that, I make it a priority.
The next thing I do is figure out when I am going to have a chance to grab something to eat – which is basically the most important thing in my life since I am a fat kid at heart. Am I going to have time to make breakfast? Will I have time to run to a store and grab something healthy to eat at any point? Should I throw together a couple of protein shakes to get me through the day? These are all things I ask myself going when planning the day ahead.
When it comes down to it, I make it a priority to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Am I perfect? Nope. Do I eat crappy foods from time to time and miss workouts? Yup. For the most part though, I make healthy food choices and make it a priority to workout 4-5 times a week, consistently, week to week and month to month.
Anyone can maintain a healthy lifestyle but you have to be willing to hold yourself accountable and make it a priority. You only have one body, treat it accordingly.
Here are a few good reads to get you through another work week;
Why We Are the Even Weaker Sex by Tony Gentilcore
Progression the Push Up by Scott Hansen
3 Experts – 5 Optimal Training Programs by Bret Contrereas
8 Things I Learned in 2012 by Eric Cressey
The 5 Key Principles by Dan John
