Muscle Gaining Secrets

I've been waiting for the chance to tell you about a new book from Jason Ferruggia.

If you've never read anything from Jason before expect to hear the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Jason's been in the trenches since his early twenties back when he started his own gym. He freely admits that in his early training career he bought into all the B.S. training programs and supplements, tried them all, and then separated the truth from fiction. So when he says that he knows what works and what doesn't, he means it.

His client list alone reads like a who's who of sports and entertainment. These are people whose job depends on either having the right look or performing at the highest level of sports.

Be forewarned. Jason is going to tell it to straight and to the point. He's not one to beat around the bush or be "iffy" on any concept related to muscle growth and strength development.

If your goal is to gain muscle faster than you ever have before, I suggest you get Muscle Gaining Secrets. This book is extremely well-written and easy to apply regardless of your current level of development. I have not doubt it will leave you "chomping at the bit" to go hit the gym to blast through your best training sessions ever.

BTW, Jason is having one helluva sale to celebrate the release of Muscle Gaining Secrets with the addition of some killer bonus materials:

Beginner Blast-off: 25 pounds of muscle in 16 weeks

Develop Freak Strength with Zach Even-esh

Maximum Mass 1: 34 weeks of mass building workouts

Maximum Mass 2: Another 6 months of training programs

The Secrets of Super Strength with Jim Wendler

The Truth about Supplements

High Powered Nutrition Book

The Home Gym Warrior: the 16-Week Dumbbell and Body Weight training program

The Mass Building Shakes Book

Quick Meals for Fast Muscle

How to be Injury-free for Life with Keith Scott

A one month membership to Turbulence Training

A special bonus from Alwyn Cosgrove

Jason's only giving folks 3 days to rack up these bonuses so get Mass Gaining Secrets ASAP.


Bill

Restoration

Restoration describes means by which one is able to return to the previous state. In training, it refers to methods that you may use to recover from your most recent training session in preparation for the next assuming that your goal is a progressive increase in performance or fitness.

While this is a broad and sometimes complex subject with methods including such things as contrast baths/showers, vibration, lasers, accupuncture, etc., in the real world where we have lives, most of these simply don't apply.

Here's a short list of restorative means that have the greatest impact for real people :

1. Planning your training

Most trainees don't consider this a restorative measure, but fluctuations in training intensity, volume, and training means are an essential method to promote adequate recovery and assure consistent progress.

2. Sleep/relaxation

Aside from the actual training program, sleep is probably most essential. In fact, I would say that if you're not getting adequate sleep, no other restorative measure will compensate. In other words, get enough sleep whether you function best on 6 hours or 10 hours a night, find your sweet spot and stick to it.

3. Nutrition

High-frequency (every 2-3 hours), nutrient dense meals will cover the bases for most trainees. Athletes training multiple times per day need to be more concerned with pre-, during, post-training nutrition to assure adequate restoration between sessions.

4. Soft-tissue therapy

Repetitive loading and strain will promote the formation of adhesions and myofascial restrictions eventually leading to altered joint motions and compensations that lead to dysfunction and injury. Regular soft-tissue therapy, and I'm not talking your regular, weekly feel-good massage, but rather methods such as rolfing, ART, foam rolling, and even some intensive stretching sessions each week. Having someone walk all over you is optional.

5. Ice

A little ice goes a long way. Post-training it will reduce and inflammation that was produced. More importantly, when applied to the joints affected by your training session, the lowered joint temperature prevents the breakdown of the protective hyaline cartilage by inhibiting the destructive enzymes that can progressively destroy joint surfaces.

Bill

How hard are you training

Remember that no matter how strong you think you are there's a little Chinese girl warming up with your max.



Bill

They're STILL Everywhere

I saw them again this morning.

I bet you've seen them too.

There's the 40-ish woman with the funny, abbreviated, duck-like gait pattern. The guy whose pushing 50 who looks like he's on the verge of death. The scrawny 20-something newlywed in the oversized t-shirt. And of course, the new Mom pushing Junior in the fancy carriage.

Yep. They're runners.

Every since the "running revolution" in the 70's, countless people have taken to the road in an effort to get in shape because they either read somewhere or someone told them that aerobic exercise is the key to fat loss or that it'll help them live longers.

I don't run.

It's boring.

It makes me all sweaty, my heart races, my breathing quickens, and I get a little queazy in my gut. (BTW, theses are all common symptoms during a heart attack)

My friend ran the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon back in May. 13.1 miles with a scenic view of the Indy 500 track as part of route.

It took him an hour and 20 mintues.

It takes me less than 15 mintues to go 13.1 miles. I take a car like most normal people.

Now I understand that some of you actually like the feeling you get from running, so by all means continue if you like. It will contribute to your health to some degree (keep in mind that your orthopedic health is put at risk from overuse injuries).

My question for you is why you're doing it.

For your health?

Well, there's no magic in running long distances or having high aerobic capacity. When it comes to longevity, it's all about burning calories.

Get this...longshoremen, not known for a lifetime quest in search of the secrets of health, have been shown to be at lower risk of heart attacks than their Harvard-educated, casually exercising counterparts.

How can this be?

Well, the longshoremen burned a helluva lot more calories than the regular exercisers by performing heavy lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling. Not by running.

Well, it's certainly great for fat loss, right?

Intially, maybe, but its contribution to a fat loss program drops off quickly as running-specific fitness increases. If you're running for fat loss, you've probably experienced such a phenomenon where you initially dropped some fat but plateaued quickly.

Why? It's easy to become aerobically fit and the body becomes more efficient very quickly, so you actually use fewer calories to cover the same distances. Fewer calories burned means less or no fat loss AND less contribution to health (there's also some evidence that you'll get fatter).

So what's the best way to lose fat and burn a lot of calories?

To answer, I'll borrow from a program by my friend Alwyn Cosgrove called Real World Fat Loss.

In it Alwyn explains the hierarchy of activities that have been shown in the research literature AND in the real-world for faster, effective fat loss.

Here's the hierarchy of fat loss:

1. Metabolic Resistance Training
2. High Intensity Anaerobic Interval Training
3. High Intensity Aerobic Interval Training
4. Steady State High Intensity Aerobic Training
5. Steady State Low Intensity Aerobic Training

At best, long distance running falls into level 4 which makes it a weak recommendation for fat loss.

Alwyn's wife, Rachel, is an up-n-coming triathlete who must run a great deal to train for her races. Does she then use long distance running as a component of training for her female fat-loss clients?

Nope. It's just not effective.

In fact, proper fat loss training following the hierarchy above will actually increase the number of calories you burn (these calories will come from fat by the way) AFTER you exercise. Alwyn has termed this Afterburn.

So not only will you burn more fat, but you'll increase your health by burning more calories.

Now, like I said, if you like to run, then run. But before you do, decide why you're running. If it's for reasons other than the joy of running, there's a better way.

Bill

P.S. Mike Boyle has a couple articles directed toward running and orthopedic health especially for women. The first is calle Why (Most) Women Shouldn't Run and part 2 is Should Women Run.

Battle of the Diet Plans

I visited my folks over the Father's Day weekend. It's always a bit surreal to visit the ol' home town as it changes.

For instance, my high school now has a soccer team.

Do you know what soccer is good for?

Ruining a perfectly good football field.

Anyway, I had a bit of down time and was flipping through a Consumer Reports magazine which included their run down of which diet books and diet plans were the best.

Personally, I think the whole article was weak.

Reason number 1: The overall rating for all the diet books was exactly the same except for Ultra-Metabolism which scored one notch lower than the rest (note to Consumer Reports: your rating system sucks).

Reason number 2: In the diet plan comparisons, they rated the nutritional analysis of Slim-fast, a sugar-laden drink based program, equivalent to Volumetrics, a food-based eating plan.

My guess is that it wasn't too difficult to achieve the higher level on the nutritional analysis scale seeing as the analysis was based on the 2005 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

By the way, Slim-fast also had the highest drop out rate of all the plans examined. Perhaps it's the starvation component that dieters don't like, eh?

So which one would I recommend?

None of them.

If you really want a nutritional resource to help you lose that strips away all the unnecessary fluff and gets right to the point, you need to check out Your Naked Nutrition Guide by Mike Roussell. It has quickly become one of my and my clients' favorite nutritional resources.

Other fitness and nutrition pros agree:

“Mike Roussell has put together an excellent manual covering the nutrition basics for optimal performance to help you reach your goals faster, safer, and more effectively. This is a great resource that everyone should have on their bookshelf. I have read 100's of different nutrition manuals and books, but Mike's is one of the best that has crossed my desk in a long time. With Mike's sound explanations and user friendly information, nutrition will no longer be a struggle. It's a great tool to have in your arsenal to help you succeed!”
Christopher R. Mohr, PhD, RD, CSSDPresident, Mohr Results, Inc
www.MohrResults.com

“There aren't many nutritional resources out there that when I immediately finish reading, think to myself, ‘wow...I am officially smarter.’ Naked Nutrition is one such resource. Mike Roussell has put together a manual that is full of practical yet up-to-date and proven information that the reader can put to use TODAY, and start seeing results within days. Rest assured that this is no quick fix dieting manual. Mike does a superb job in laying out a detailed format that will guide you to long term success.”
Tony Gentilcore, CSCS www.gentilcoretraining.com

Mike has made such an impression on my buddy Robert Dos Remedios that he asked Mike to provide a chapter on nutrition for his upcoming book.

I've had the opportunity to work with Mike myself and he continues to impress (even if he is a New England Patriots fan) as his work has help several of my client get back on the fat loss track.

You can read more about Your Naked Nutrition Guide here.

Bill

P.S. Slim-fast users can send your hate mail to the New England Patriots in care of Consumer Reports Magazine.

Beyond the Norm

I recently contributed to a little project that Leigh Peele put together.

It's called Beyond the Norm: Advanced Questions for Advanced Trainers and Nutritionists.

Contributors include:

Lou Schuler
Mike Robertson
Jonathan Fass
Alan Aragon
Tony Gentilcore
Geovanni Derice
John Izzo
Jimmy Smith
Robert Dos Remedios
Chris Mohr
Leigh Peele
and Me!

This isn't your typical Q & A and it answers a lot of very specific questions and progression dealing with your post-workout nutrition (not what you think) as well as dealing with hip/pelvic/shoulder issues.

Get from Leigh Peele by signing up for her newsletter.

Bill

Building Young Champions

You may or may not know that I sit on the Board of Directors of the International Youth Conditioning Association (www.iyca.org).

If you've got kids in athletics or work with kids in athletics and you're not involved with the IYCA, it's time to get involved.

My buddy and Executive Director of the IYCA, Brian Grasso, was recently featured in this week's Newsweek. You can read a part of the article at the link below:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19114130/site/newsweek/page/0/

At minimum, every coach, teacher, or parent with athletic children should own a copy of Developmental Essentials: The Foundation Of Youth Conditioning and certainly every coach should be certified as a Youth Conditioning Specialist. You can read a sample of the text at the IYCA website as well.

Bill

P.S. My good friend Alwyn Cosgrove is celebrating his Rebirthday. If you've been holding off on getting his top-selling Afterburn, the Bodyweight Training DVD, or any of his martial arts training programs, now's the time to get them. For the next 24 hours, you get free shipping anywhere in the world.

Hurdle Mobility Drills

When it comes to developing hip mobility, hurdle mobility drills typically fall way short of the intended goal.

Case in point...

I have 5 athletes of varying sizes training together and one set of hurdles set up for step-overs and duck-unders.

(Smart guys don't give it away... just wait for it...let the others catch up)

The assumption must then be that my bigger, taller athletes have much greater general mobility than my smaller, shorter athletes for duck-unders and my shorter athletes have greater hip mobility for step-overs, right?

Wrong.

One size does not fit all, and it usually results in some form of compensation in the lumbar spine and pelvis rather than an increase in hip mobility.

I'm sure you've seen it.

Big guys ducks under the hurdle and it ends up looking like a dog taking a dump in the back yard as he rounds his back to get under the hurdle rather than utilizing hip flexion (that he doesn't have a sufficient quantity of to perform the task correctly in the first place).

The opposite is also true.

Try to step over a hurdle that is too high and the pelvis must be tilted posteriorly to get the foot up high enough for clearance. This also promotes reduced hip extension on the support leg.

For those of you who regularly perform the Functional Movement Screen or a Klatt test you'll see this technique quite often during your assessements of those who lack hip mobility.

Why reinforce bad mobility during training as well as methods that can promote back injury over time?

At best, with the optimum, individualized hurdle height, hip mobility can be reinforced with hurdle mobility drills but not improved.

For that use other effective drills that don't result in injury potentiating technique.

Bill

Max-Out Radio

Mike Roussell and I had a great discussion on the latest edition of Max-Out Radio.

Topics covered:

Overhead lifts
Bench pressing
The 20% Rule
The easy way to use Inside-Out: The Ultimate Upper Body Warm-up
Some of the things I'm doing with training
and more.

Check it out.

Bill

Neck Training

Here's a pic I got from Jim "Smitty" Smith from the Diesel Crew.

I find it interesting that so many neglect direct neck training considering how many neck pain patients I see with significant neck muscle weakness.

It's not just for athletes any more.

Now I'm certainly not implying that everyone needs to do their neck training with six 45 pound plates on a regular basis, but most can benefit from some regular neck strength work and including range of motion and mobility training.

Especially women. Women, in general, have smaller neck muscles and heads that may weigh more than men. (No, not because they have bigger brains, but rather because they have more hair...sorry girls). While I don't have hard stats to back this up, I've no doubt that a majority of the overuse and traumatic neck strain patients that I see in my clinics are experienced by women.

Athletes are especially negligent in regard to neck range of motion training in favor of strength work. You'll be hard pressed to find a football player, wrestler, or mixed martial artist who doesn't want more neck strength, but ask them about how they're developing their neck range of motion and you'll often see a puzzled look on their face.

Certainly the strength component is important, but in many cases of neck injury, the injury occurs when the neck is driven to end range of motion and beyond. Just like any other joint, a little flexibility reserve in the neck goes a long way.

Here's some wrap-up thoughts...

1. Train your neck

2. Include range of motion and strength training

3. Improve strength at the end ranges of motion

4. Avoid prolonged, repetitive, or aggressive neck flexion (forward bending)

5. When training the anterior neck musculature, press the tongue to the roof of your mouth

6. Train the neck at various speeds and loads to increase strength and power

7. While some isolation training is acceptable, incorporate neck loading into full body exercises. (but that's another article)

Bill

Painful Eccentric Training for Tendonosis = FUN!

A couple of months ago, I was talking with Bryan Chung, MD, PhD (and a bunch of other letters after his name) from www.evidencebasedfitness.blogspot.com about why eccentric training, particularly painful eccentric training (how fun!!), showed such improvements in subject pain complaints in those with previously painful conditions like patellar tendonosis or achilles tendonosis.

He mentioned that the eccentric contractions obliterated the neomicrocirculation (new capillaries) that entered the tendon and pain reduction resulted.

Pretty cool, eh?

I was reading the new Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy during lunch and came across an article that showed similar findings. With 12 weeks of painful eccentric training came a 45% reduction in paratendon blood flow AND a 48% reduction in pain. No negative effects were found in the paratendinous tissues.

Those of you dealing with painful conditions like patellar tendonosis (your doc may be calling it tendonitis and may very well be wrong...tendonitis usually clears up in a couple weeks, tendonosis doesn't), tennis elbow, golfers elbow, achilles tendonosis, etc., you may want to consider adding 3 sets of 12-15 reps of daily, painful eccentric training to your program.

Yeah, it doesn't sound fun, but there's good evidence that it'll be helpful.

Bill

Inspiration

You already know about my friend, Alwyn Cosgrove, who kicked cancer's ass twice. You can actually read his story in his "cancer diaries" as part of the project LiftStrong (remember all proceeds go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) which includes over 800 pages from the top minds in the fitness and strength and conditioning professions.

Well I've got another one for ya...

My friend Rob "fishrcutb8" Duffield dropped me a line today that made me smile.

He competed in a triathalon to celebrate my birthday on the 27th (okay, it wasn't to celebrate my birthday but this isn't YOUR blog now is it) AND he beat his goal time.

Now that's inspiring!

But get this...

It was his first race since being diagnosed with testicular cancer AND being hit by a truck while riding his bike.

These are both monster comebacks and I'm proud to call both guys friend.

Now what was it you were complaining about today? :)

Bill

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's...well, me.

Today is my birthday.

Not a big deal really, but it's always fun to do something that you wouldn't typically do.

While the Indy 500 was in full swing, we headed downtown to the new Superhero Museum to check it out.

Quite the cool little place. Everything from the Superman serials, early George Reeves costumes, Christopher Reeve's wig (Superman wore a wig??), and Smallville.

The highlights was the Batmobile (Keaton era) and the Bat-boat (Adam West era).

Not a bad deal for $5.

Golf Fitness Assessment

Anthony Renna from www.golffitnessproducts.net recently started a new podcast specifically for golfers interested in taking their game to the next level by increasing their fitness.

Ant interviewed me on the topic of golf fitness assessment and we covered some great stuff.

You can listen to it on iTunes or follow this link:

http://bettergolfwithfitnessblog.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=216875

Enjoy

Bill

Healthy Chocolate Fix

By now you've probably read something about the health benefits of real chocolate.

The problem is finding some real dark with a high percentage of cocoa that doesn't taste like crapola.

Well it just so happens that there's a company here in Indianapolis that makes some killer chocolate that is 88% cocoa.

It's also easy to order...

http://www.chocolatebar.com/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=&idproduct=35

Here's some info from their website...

The Health Benefits of Chocolate For the body...

Chocolate contains antioxidants known as flavonoids which help protect against free radicals that cause cell and tissue damage.
Chocolate contains beneficial vitamins and minerals, including copper, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. Contrary to popular belief, chocolate contains minimal caffeine – a fraction of that in a cup of coffee.
70% cocoa or higher dark chocolate has a low glycemic index, meaning a smaller fluctuation in blood glucose and insulin levels than with other sweet foods. Be sure to read labels for other added sugars.
Endangered Species Chocolate is all-natural, meaning it contains no additives like chemical preservatives or artificial coloring and flavoring. Our organic-certified products are made using ingredients with no pesticides, growth hormones or other chemicals, maximizing the benefits of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids.

Heart...

Stearic acid found in cocoa butter has a neutral affect on cholesterol. A portion of chocolate’s fat also comes from oleic acid, a heart-healthy, monounsaturated fat. The antioxidants found in dark chocolate can inhibit plaque formation in the arteries and improve the flexibility of blood vessels.
The darker and purer the chocolate, the more powerful the antioxidants. 70% cocoa or higher dark chocolate contains more antioxidant power than green tea, red wine or blueberries. Endangered Species Chocolate has many dark chocolate selections with 70-88% cocoa content, some containing other heart-friendly foods like berries and nuts.

And soul...

Eating chocolate releases endorphins, the body’s natural “feel-good” chemical.
Chocolate is known as an antidepressant and an aphrodisiac. It contains a phenylethylamine, which can cause feelings similar to being “in love.”
Our own health can be connected to our compassion and generosity toward others. Feel good about indulging in Endangered Species Chocolate knowing that it helps support sustainable forest farming practices and gives back to conservation organizations.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS:
Dairy can interfere with the absorption of antioxidants found in chocolate.
While chocolate has many health benefits, it should be consumed in moderation. Chocolate consumption that causes weight gain negates many of the health values.
This information is in no way intended to be medical advice. If you intend to medicate with chocolate, please consult a doctor first.

NOTE:
At Endangered Species Chocolate we provide gourmet chocolate made with the finest all-natural ingredients. Cacao, the essence of chocolate, is actually a fruit that, when harvested naturally or organically, supports human health (see reverse) as well as the environment. Chocolate products made from natural and organic ingredients with minimal processing have the greatest health benefit, richest flavor and a positive impacton the earth.

Just as important, we see chocolate as a medium to help save species, conserve habitat and honor human life. Our 100% ethically traded cacao beans are shade grown on small, family-owned properties, ensuring the workers and farmers a fair wage and humane working conditions. Choosing Endangered Species Chocolate is one way to support sustainable forest farmland and the species that flourish there. We add to the impact of each bar by contributing 10% of our net profits to organizations whose mission is to help support species, habitat and humanity.

Bill

Yoga STILL Sucks

So much for the body-mind connection myths perpetuated by the yoga fanatics.

In a head to head comparison between an aerobically trained group of senior citizens and a progressive stretching group (all participants were previously untrained), the aerobically trained grandmas showed a 25% greater cognitive improvement than the stretchers.

Now before you yogi's get your panties in a bunch, I think that if you enjoy yoga, by all means, continue to do it...then do something productive.

Source:
Stanley J. Colcombe, Arthur F. Kramer, Kirk I. Erickson, Paige Scalf, Edward McAuley, Neal J. Cohen, Andrew Webb, Gerry J. Jerome, David X. Marquez, and Steriani Elavsky
Cardiovascular fitness, cortical plasticity, and aging, PNAS, Mar 2004; 101: 3316 - 3321.

Bill

Pre-Eating

One of the big challenges when monitoring your food intake, is avoiding overeating and dealing with poor food choices at all the cook-outs, summer pizza parties, and countless social events that go along with the improving weather.



Mike Roussell, author of Your Naked Nutrition Guide, sent me this little gem recently.



Consider Pre-Eating...



Pre-Eat when going out – Birthday parties, cocktail hour at your wife’s friend’s house, dinner at your parents all these occasions can wreak havoc on a well thought out meal plan. This is why proper Damage Control is important. So what can you do? Pre-Eat. Heading to a sugar laden social event on an empty stomach is a bad idea. And if you’re thinking “But I have great willpower” stop, why test yourself. Proper pre-eating will put a little food in your stomach, curb your hunger, and slow the digestion of whatever foods you do end up eating when you go out.

One of my favorite pre-eats is a medium sized apple and one ounce of low fat cheddar cheese. Apples have fiber, a low glycemic index, and have been shown to curb appetite. The cheese contains protein and fat both of which will increase your satiety (make you feel fuller) and slow the digestion of any other foods you eat.

So next time you find yourself headed to an unexpected social event run damage control and pre-eat.
________________

Bill

Perform Better Chicago Day 3

Fully recovered from the previous evenings festivities (thanks again to Chris Poirier for his hospitality and John Hall for the ride back to the hotel), Day 3 started off strong with Gray Cook of the Functional Movement Screen fame.

His topic was safer strength with a focus on progressions to mastering the deadlift which he felt was one of the most important lower body/posterior chain/core exercises. I don't think too many people will disagree with that.

His driving home point, was to maintain your ability to perform a deep squat (a la FMS), but your loading should come primarily from deadlift variations. This would include single leg and double leg variations. He also included some self-testing for stability which is included on his video on the same topic. Oh, and don't forget to breath like a crocodile.

Todd Wright, head of strength and conditioning for University of Texas Basketball, was up next.

Apparently, UT was having quite a few injuries so Todd went to work to find out why. Seems they had a number of ankle mobility and foot issues especially in their best athletes. Todd showed some really great slow-mo video of his guys in action which really lets you appreciate what such gifted human beings can do that many of us can't. In one case, he showed Kevin Durant jump off of an ankle that inverted so severely that for most it would have resulted in a fractured ankle. The injury took Kevin out of the game for some retaping, and he returned to finish the game and missed one day of practice.

Todd also showed some cool before and after gait video showing how improving ankle mobility improved the gait pattern and relieved pain elsewhere such as the back. Todd obviously does a great job with his team, and while I wouldn't agree on everything he presented, overall is was definitely worth listening.

The Evolution of an Athlete was the presented by Eric Cressey. While I'd communicated with Eric via email in the past. We didn't get to meet until this weekend. He's your typical muscle-head powerlifter with a big gut and even bigger anterior pelvic tilt (this isn't really true...it's an inside joke). Eric's one of the up-n-comers in the strength conditioning field who's way to smart for his age.

His talk outlined how an athlete's training should progress based on his knowledge base, self-awareness, and his training age. A word to the wise. Most of you are training at least one level too high for your optimal progress.

I also stole an exercise from Eric called the Paloff press (which I believe he borrowed...don't worry, I'm sure it'll end up in one of Eric's t-nation articles).

Like I said it was great to talk with Eric a bit, and we were able to have a couple of really solid discussions that were as interesting as some of the formal presentations.

I'm not sure, but he may have a future in the strength/conditioning/fitenss field. :)

The champion enters the ring last. That must be why Alwyn Cosgrove spoke last on the last day of the Summit (the champ entering the ring thing was Alwyn's line).

Not only has the guy made cancer his bitch on two occasions, but he gives a top-notch presentation.

Case in point. I was privleged to see this presentation before anyone in the general public had ever seen. I've seen him present it before. And I'd watch it again if presented the opportunity.

Mike Robertson was sitting one row behind me. He's seen it before. Get the picture?

A quick synopsis of the Real World Fat Loss presentation...

Everything you've been told in the popular media about how to lose fat is WRONG.

It's not even supported in the peer-reviewed research.

The father of aerobics, Kenneth Cooper, said it was wrong.

Alwyn has real-world research from over 16 years of running 200-300 clients through their training on a weekly basis.

He's got the before and after photos to prove that it works.

BTW his method is available in the form of his product called Afterburn.

We then said our good-byes and headed our separate ways.

I got some directions from the hotel as to how to get to the interstate only to find that all the on-ramps were closed for construction. You'd think since the on-ramp was only a couple blocks away that the concierge would have had a clue. Had it not been for my inherited, uncanny sense of direction, I'd still be driving around Chicago looking for I-90.

Anyway, congrats to Chris Poirier and the Perform Better staff for an outstanding Summit.

Bill

Perform Better Chicago Day 2

I started day 2 with the Gray Institute presentation.

I already had a good idea what to expect being familiar with Gary Gray's approach. The word functional is used heavily throughout. They also use terms such as tranformational zones which if you know what the stretch-shortening cycle is (eccentric to isometric to concentric) then you have an understanding of what they mean.

They also promote the use of drivers which is their term for using movements of distal body parts or movements performed away from the targeted body part to elicit activation of certain muscle groups.

Example: if you want to fire the right glutes, step forward with the right foot, shift your pelvis to the right, and reach up and over to the left with your right arm.

The ultimate goal is to activate without isolating the hip much like during functional activities. Makes sense but unless you plan to devote a long period of study into their methods, I think there's easier ways to approach it. (someone call Gray Cook)

One point I respectfully disagree with is that we must train at the extreme joint angles such as those that bring the ACL under maximum tension (closed-chain pronation, knee valgus, and hip internal rotation). Their theory is that if you can train the body at these joint angle then the athlete, having already been exposed to the angle, will be able to recover from it and actually prevent the ACL injury in the first place.

Well, it's virtually impossible to expose an athlete to all possible angles, postures, and body positions they'd be exposed to during competition. Better to actually practice their sport. Doing exercises as slow speeds and light loads, even if the joint angles are the same as the sport, is not the same as doing them at high speeds and high loads.

Still, if you want to see how the entire body "functions" during movement, Gary Gray's stuff is worth a look.

More McGill and superstiffness. This was an expansion of how the superstiffness is applied in sport and training. He showed the Bruce Lee one inch punch as an example of how force is created centrally in the trunk muscles and then displayed with a low amplitude, high force movement. Dr. McGill asked the audience if anyone was applying this concept in other ways. How 'bout oscillatory isometrics, drop training??

Went to see Sue Falsone from Athlete's Performance. I want to see how the integrated all their therapy and training. Quite the set up from what I could tell. The audience pulled her off track a bit with questions about insurance coverage, but it was still good to see how they integrated the different aspects of their business.

Caught a few minutes of Mike Boyle's Advance Program Design talk. You should have his DVD set on the same topic. Wha??? You don't? Get it.

Al Vermeil was next. Here's the only strength coach with world championship in 2 major professional sports. One (actually several) with the San Francisco 49'ers (He's up there talking about working with Bill and then you realize he's talking about Bill Walsh) and the other with the Chicago Bulls. I'd have paid to hear him just talk about working with Micheal Jordan for an hour.

He didn't, but instead reviewed Mark Comerfords' approach to spinal stability. This approach is the polar opposite to Dr. McGill's. Where Dr. McGill would tell you that which muscle is more important will depend on the activity, the approach that Coach Vermeil presented falls into the inner unit (TVA, multifidus, diaphragm, pelvic floor) vs. the outer unit (abs, erectors, etc.).

He's personal friends with Comerford and Hodges and he used this approach to help his wife with a long-term back problem. Makes sense that he should feel strongly about this approach.

Ryan Lee wrapped up the day. There is no one that has done more to improve the business lives of personal trainers and strength coaches. He presented on how to create unlimited passive income streams. I've seen it before but it was great to hear it again. He was also kind enough to plug my (and Mike Robertson's) DVD (available at www.inside-out-warm-up.com). The thing about what Ryan has to offer is that it's not BS theory. There are too many real-world examples of trainers that he has helped become more successful.

Post Summit activities...

Beers with Mike Boyle, Alwyn Cosgrove, Chris Poirier, Eric Cressey, Mike Robertson, Annette Lang, Nancy from Noblesville (right down the street from my house), and a host of others. Then off to dinner and drinks.

Side note: Spent a good portion of the evening talking to Rob Pilger of www.pilgerstrainingsystems.com. I dont' think there's anyone who knows more about boxing than Rob. He knows boxing and he knows how to train. He mentioned that he's got a series of training DVD's coming soon. I'm buyin'.

One more day to go!

Bill

Perform Better Chicago

I attended the Perform Better Functional Training Summit in Chicago last weekend. To say that Chris Poirier and his staff at Perform Better pulled off a great event is an understatement. I predict that this tour will become the standard in the fitness and sports training industry.

Here's a quickie rundown (keep in mind that I couldn't see all the speakers as they ran 2 lectures and 2 hands-on sessions simultaneously and I'm doing this from memory)...

I arrived Thursday night and while checking out the venue I ran into (almost literally) my good buddy Jean-Paul Francoeur from JP Fitness. With "Kaiser" from the JP Fitness forum as our guide we toured the city and saw the sites (including the giant bean at Millenium Park...freaky) and dined on Chicago-style deep dish pizza (Note to Mike Roussell...it had spinach in it so it was safe to eat, right?).

On to the PB Summit...

Thomas Plummer may have been the perfect choice to start things off.

He's an energetic, pulls-no-punches type of speaker. If it's on his mind, he'll say it. In a very short time, he laid out the basic foundation for building your fitness business. This guy has literally been in every gym in the country and knows what makes your fitness business successful or what will cause it to fail.

A note to personal trainers everywhere...

Lose the earrings, cover your tattoo, wear a collared shirt and nice shorts or pants. It's time to step it up and be a professional. Clients are not interested in being bodybuilders...they want to have fun and will pay big money for it.

Stuart McGill was first up after lunch. I was really looking forward to hearing him and he didn't disappoint. Dr. McGill has tested them all from the highest level of athlete to Joe and Jane Schmoe. Where others theorize, he has direct laboratory results to support his recommendations. The underlying theme is to create what he calls "superstiffness" by effectively utilizing co-contraction of all the abdominals.

Other gems:
If you think you can contract the transversus abdominis and multifidus in isolation...dream on. Don't waste your time.

The hip airplane is one of the best ways to get the glutes to fire.

Groove the motor pattern (this was in reference to retraining the squat)

Great athletes have the ability to turn-on and turn-off muscles quickly which make for efficient and effective performance. This is trainable by the way.

Bill Parisi of Parisi Speed Schools ROCKED THE HOUSE!!

By far the most energetic of all the speakers, Bill talked about how to effectively network and build your sphere of influence. His just happens to include a guy named Phil Simms, Super Bowl quarterback and now TV commentator.

I also related to Bill because he, like me, was a javelin thrower and a linebacker in college although after a brief discussion I found he was a much better thrower than I was.

There's no way I can express the impact Bill has as a speaker in this blog.

Let's put it this way...he talked 30+ minutes over his time. No one wanted him to stop and no one left early.

His passion and enthusiasm for what he does with kids and his athletes is obvious.

Oh, and one attendee walked off with $100 of Bill's money for increasing his vertical jump by about a foot in about 30 seconds (it wasn't me). :)

I didn't get a chance to see Robb Rogers (who I found out happens to live in the same area as I do) talk about Muscle Activation Techniques, but I have seen his video on the topic which is quite good. Regardless, I was able to socialize with him a bit. Robb's "been there and done that" for a couple of decades in the strength and conditioning field and is not only a tremedous resource of training info, but a class act to boot.

I missed Diane Vives' talk too, but I sat next to her at dinner Saturday night. She's a very cool gal who also works her ass off. She's also trains some hardcore bodybuilders in a hardcore training facility that most women would be afraid to even walk by. The girl knows her stuff.

Lee Taft was there as well showing off his low box training which if you haven't seen, you'd think Lee was in his 20's. The guy hasn't lost a step and his explosiveness is unbelievable. Lee's been a friend of mine for a few years and his Lee Taft Speed Academy is growing like a weed in upstate New York mainly because the guy is one of the best in the business. He never stops working. At Friday night's social, you could see Lee answering questions and doing demos all night.

Speaking of the social Friday night...

THE GUITAR PLAYER WAS TOO LOUD!!!

Aside from that, Chris Poirier's hospitality and generosity are endless and he deserves many thanks for bringing so many folks in the industry together.

I had a chance to catch up with Ryan Lee (you still owe me a consult for fixing your neck at the first Ryan Lee Bootcamp;)). Ryan has a million projects going at once as usual and has a new baby on the way (that makes 3). He's living in Jupiter, Florida these days as his new nutrition and supplement company for trainers (Prograde Nutrition) explodes onto the scene.

Also hung with Mike Robertson, Mike Dodd, and assorted others.

Special mention: Never say you don't have time.

Angela from Crown Point, IN told her story over drinks. She's a Mom of 4 who home schools her kids AND runs a thriving fitness business geared toward women training for weight loss. Ladies and gents...you now have no excuses.

Special Mention #2: Graham Dean from www.dominateathletic.com came all the way to Chicago from South Africa. He's a very sharp guy, and I have no doubt that he will quickly become the go-to guy in all of South Africa not to mention that my network has now gotten a lot bigger.

A good start for Day 1.

Day 2 is coming...

Bill