Back In The Saddle
Do you to realize you have never seen your face in person, just reflections and pictures? Have you ever heard your voice on a recording? Mine sounds different than the way it sounds in my head. I wonder if I LOOK like my photos and reflection, or if I might be better looking than my perception […]
Monday's Are The Best
I'm sure some will remember the Etch A Sketch doodling toy. It had a screen with some magic sand inside, and two knobs at the bottom that would move the arm inside vertically and horizontally by twisting them. When you were done with one spider web drawing, all you had to do was turn it […]
Game Time...Squat "Knockout"
Who doesn't like making things fun by keeping score? We are ALL competitive with each other as well as ourselves. I have the most excellent group of people that train with me. They're usually UP for almost anything. Today we took that competitiveness and turned it into a "Do or Die", an exercise in bifurcation. […]
Deep Thoughts Shared With My Friend Benny
Benny and I were volleying ideas back and forth last night about knowing the ups and downs of what we call...OUR Exsistence. I went into detail about having to know "struggle" in order to understand "victory". Benny came back with telling me that there are some that don't know the struggle. ALL they know is […]
Acquisition vs. Demonstration
Over and over, I keep thinking about what Vincent Dizenzo said weeks ago..."I am now acquiring strength rather than just demonstrating it". From my programming of my own workouts to those of the people that I train, "I am now acquiring strength and conditioning rather than demonstrating it" I am lucky to be able to […]
I Just Saw A Group of Kids Trying To Put Another Kid Into A Dumpster
and this was on my bike ride home from the gym
Bench / Accessory/ and some Be Activated stuff
With in the first two DVD's I received from Douglas Heel's "Be Activated" program, I became reminded of many things I've already learned, already have questioned and stuff I already needed a reminding of how good it is. Unfortunately, for me, the THIRD DVD which is the practical part and how to string together the […]
Hunting Rats, Squatting Sushi, Dead Lifting done Raw 2
and the application of Douglas Heel's "Be-Activated" program as a warm up from what I learned in the first TWO discs. I need disc 3! Dang it, this one was blank.
Back Accessory and Biceps and a Nine Year Old's Dilemma.
(my son's friend...Not the H. He knows the way things will end)
Dynamic Bench and Benny
Years ago, I became friends with the enigma and personality of THE Benny Podda. Benny and I got to be such good friends we actually parleyed it into a "Dog and Pony" show that the great Jim Wendler found amusing for the LONGEST time. Well slap my ass and call me Sally...I get home to […]
"Everything In The Head Is In The Body, Everything In The Body Is I...
A cool quote from Douglas Heel Squat/DL
Accessory Day=Mess With The Head Day
I've been digging the limited sets and using a rep range to determine weight choice on Accessory Day. If I can't perform EIGHT quality reps on a set without maintaining form then the weight is too heavy. If I can do 15 or more reps with great technique, then the weight was too light and […]
Gym Teacher/Exterminator/Mop Operator
If you follow the chronology of my training, you know that I have a beauty of a Black Widow Spider that dwells in my gym space. Everything was going along quite nicely, until I noticed TWO significant issues that needed my attention. 1. The Black Widow had laid plenty of Black Widow eggs through out […]
Don't Be Lazy
Too easy to let others do. Too easy to sidestep responsibility. Too easy to wish for, hope for, pray for...yet to not do. Couple things come to mind right now. I was sitting around the campfire talking to my bud, Plato. I told him...To know and not to do, is simply NOT to know. […]
Squat and Black Widows
Many know that I share my Gym space with Jesse Burdick. Over the years we have pretty much stayed out of each others way. He has his program, and I have mine. Somehow...it WORKS! Although we have the same end game, and product...we differ in our implementation. I respect him, and he respects me. Yea, […]
The Mind Plays it's Games
The new set/rep scheme is working. It EF's with people's heads but it is working. Instead of Rx'ing the sets x reps x weight for many of the accessory exercises, I now give people some choices. They must accomplish TWO sets with a minimum number of 8 reps, else they need to go down in […]
Vincent Dizenzo NAILED it!
My mouth surgery went charmingly yesterday. I was told how bad it was going to hurt and I mentally prepared for the worse. After waking up and downing a Choco-Peanutbutter Jamba Juice, I waited with "baited breath" for my old pal...PAIN. My lower jaw in the front stayed numb for a good part of the […]
Motivation v. Excitation and Mouth Surgery
Interesting Friday. I had to have Osseous Surgery today on my lower jaw (smack in the middle of the gums) this morning at 8:00AM I actually JUST got home. It's kind of involved, not that I would know, because they knock you clean out for it. What seemed like a quick cat nap has now […]
Box Jumps, Prowlers and Proud Dad Moment
Hitting a Dynamic Day with the weight off the back we chose Box Jumps. Work up to a max height of ONE jump. Here's the thing, you get to a height that you THINK..."ummm I'm not sure about this..." STOP! Don't even attempt it this week. Walk away happy knowing that you didn't eat it. […]
I Don't Let My Vocation Dictate My Job
Considering we beat the crap out of the legs yesterday doing conditioning, today's activity didn't seem to suffer at ALL. I can't say enough about the Saturday Morning Squat/Dead Lift Crew. From neophyte to folks that have been with me since the dawn of time, everyone seems to mesh like a well oiled machine. Even […]
Conditioning and Combat Chasis
WHAT a glorious morning!!! I left my house at Zero-Dark-Dark and took the long way to the gym on my bicycle. The air was cool, yet comfortable and I DRESSED perfectly for it. As I hit the "Iron Horse Trail" I also hit that perfect place to be in. Athletes call it the ZONE, Some […]
You Can Do This Workout In The Amount of Time It Takes To Read It.
Hell, that title read took longer.
Dead Lift, Squats and All Night Coughing Spasms
Hmmm, since Christmas,I've been in a constant battle with a cough that originates in the upper chest and throat area. Kind of a come and go thing, but GEESH...since Christmas? Well, I'm convinced that I need to go see someone TODAY! It's kept me awake for the last three nights in coughing spasms. I've tried […]
Hula B@@BS
Our weight room has a language all of it's own. Not a day goes by that someone doesn't say something that I need to write down so as not to forget. Today as we discussed how a skinny person couldn't HELP to show abdominals, a FAT person can't help to have "boobs". A description came up […]
No Need to Elaborate
I have been accused of being blatantly honest as well as direct, more than once. I figure, "why beat around the bush?" Example, there are a ton of Graduation Parties coming up in the next few weeks, along with the normal summer social calendar, mixed with my work calendar and sport camps. There isn't a […]
There Is Something About Squats
When asked in the past..."what do you do for your arms?" or "what does your program look like for shoulders and back?" I have always answered ...SQUAT. Then I thump my chest with two fists and add...MILK TOO! Out of all the different training sessions we do, Dynamic Squat just might be my favorite. They […]
Rule #1...We Don't Talk About Fight Club
I'm closing in on starting the youth program for next week. I've already determined how the first practice is going to unfold. Based on the cluster F that happened this past lacrosse season, I am going to lay down the rules to the PARENTS in the first two minutes. "Happy that their son is […]
Blistering Hot Day and I Like IT A LOT
Hot day here. I think we might even top 100 degrees. I absolutely LOVE it when it gets blistering hot. Everyone heads indoors for air conditioning and I will head OUT. Usually the feeling of being this alone is reserved for my 4:00 AM bike ride into the gym, but there is an eeriness to […]
Games in the Forest
As a coach and a Dad...I am very happy to say that my son is getting influenced by some really great roll models. We lost to the top seed L.A. Kings in the second overtime shootout and didn't advance to the Championship Game last weekend. It was a ONE Second heartbreaker. I shared the Head […]
Back in The Saddle
Bat Wing wide pulldowns: 5x15x130 Medium Bat Wing Pull down: 5x12x130 Supinated Medium Bat Wing Pull down: 5x10x130 Dips:2x50 reps BB Reverse Curl:5x10 Dips: 2x50 reps BB Curl: 5x10 Dips: 2x50 DB Wall Curl: 5x10 Tricep Zig Zag bar Cable Push down: 5x12 4 way neck: 1x15x6.0 Pull up totals=3404 Push Up totals=4481 Dip Totals-5833 […]
Quick workout to Sit in Traffic
Hunter and I are on our way to the Spring Hockey tournament in Los Angeles. THIS will be an epic ride. Dynamic Bench: 6x5x50% Incline Fly: 5x15 Flat Fly: 5x15 DB Lateral Raise: 5x15 DB Front Raise: 5x15 Shrugs: 5x10x HEAVY
Squat and ROAD TRIP
Hunter missed going to Minnesota to play hockey with the Northern California Elite Team, Bay Area Blazers because of his appendix a few weeks ago. This Memorial Weekend he makes the second leg of the trip by playing against Arizona's and Southern California area teams. Let's consider this, Memorial Weekend, Los Angeles/Anaheim/Long Beach California Traffic […]
Now THIS is Confusing.
This one is not so simple: Bench: Work up to a hard 5 reps pushing off pins set one inch off the chest. Once you have gotten to that number. Set ANOTHER set of pins to STOP the bar just before lock out. Here is where you will do the first set of 8 second […]
Stay'n Home
I have always been a fan of "Old School" R&B when it comes to music. I have also been a fan of "groove'n to the music" that comes on any particular station ESPECIALLY Old School R and B. It's rhythm and it's bass reach my SOUL. I use Pandora in the gym and yesterday was […]
Squat and Swing
Sticking with trying to do the least in order to gain the most. DEEP Squat. Wearing only a belt. That was interesting. You should have seen the look on all the people wondering why we trained NEKKID. (KIDDING) You guys know what I mean... Worked up 495 for 1. (you know I don't count […]
WHAT?
Training the back without the use of a good grip is hard. A while ago, I did some damage to my forearm by curling a stupid amount of weight. So much, that every time I flex my elbow, I irritate the snot out of it again. Consider what you do to train the back. Aside […]
Open Saturday Squat/Dead Lift
If you have been following and participating in doing my training log, you'll know that we have a TON of Prowler work completed at this point. You'll also know that we have done a couple simple yet severe Squat/DL sessions. Looking at this band of marauders I determined that we needed a rest from Conditioning,..(TODAY). […]
Squat and Prowler
That's IT! Squat: Work up to a three rep max -Drop 10% and do 8 reps -Drop another 10% and do as many reps as you can. +10 is better than -10 Prowler: 8x40 Pull up totals=2854 Push Up totals=3331 Dip Totals-4483 Prowler Totals: 14,120 yards