A New Year means... Newbies and LOTs of really, really bad things going on. http://youtu.be/hFmTP1ZIuZw Read the last 5 gym atrocities I went over here...... Here's a few more things that are not good, and by that I mean completely suck...like, a lot.: Jacked Up Thing 6: The 2-Minute Stretch the Calves and Hamstrings Warmup If the totality of your warm-up is 3 minutes of these: You Suck..... It takes waaaay more than that to get the body ready to move, and be loaded after a day of keyboard pounding. If you're not taking the time to warm-up … [Read more...]
Doing it Better: Elbows Flared Edition
December 6, 2012 by
Here's a secret: Just about every guy (and girl) gets into working out because they want to look better. This has been the truth since forever... At the heart of it all: We all want to get laid We want to get laid by good-looking people. We believe that being "in shape" gives us the best chance of this occurring. So if you're like me and about a gazillion other red-blooded, testosterone driven teenage boys out there you decide to start lifting weights. Eventually, after a few weeks, months, years maybe of aimlessly doing whatever..... i.e. 3 days a week of benches, incline benches, dumbbell flys, biceps curls and a set of leg extensions just for … [Read more...]
F.A.Q’s
November 20, 2012 by
Quick answers to some of the most common questions I get asked. Q. Weights or Cardio first? A. If you must do both in the same session....Weights (most of the time) Q. Do Squats Hurt your knees? A. Performed correctly, NO. Q. Are Deadlifts bad for your back? A. Performed correctly NO. Like this...... http://youtu.be/P0ySblouCKs you know the answer...... Q. Squats or Deadlifts? A. Why Choose? Q. Are bench presses bad for your shoulders?. A. Performed correctly, No. See a trend here? Q. Should I overhead press? A. Probably not. B.A. (Better Answer): You probably don't have the scapular stability, and … [Read more...]
Dude, do you do protein?
October 30, 2012 by
Hell yeah, I do protein! I do carbs too.....and fats like a boss. However, I only dabble in vitamins and minerals. Yeah, see protein its a macronutrient and you need it for that thing called life, if your eating a hamburger...you're doing protein I guess. But I get what people mean and yes, I do use a protein supplement and a few other supplements for that matter. Supplements can be of real benefit if and only IF you have your nutrition in check. No supplements in the world, except those of a pharmaceutical nature, will do a whole lot for you if you're living off food that comes from a drive up window or from a microwaveable box. When breakfast consists … [Read more...]
26 in the Books….Now What? Random Thoughts.
October 24, 2012 by
After i wrote the last two I thought about some things I should go over. Some Thoughts: About "Lifting Weights": It's called STRENGTH training.... Too many runners do stuff like this: thinking that it's useful... It's not..... It's stupid and worthless and might be making you slower. If you're training for marathons you probably don't have time and energy to waste on worthless exercises. Strength is about FORCE PRODUCTION and nothing else. This guy wins over all of your self-proclaimed running Yoda's. F=MA...it really is that simple. Make a muscle that is capable of producing and absorbing more force. Things like squats, lunges, deadlifts, … [Read more...]
26 in the Books….. Now What? Part 1
October 16, 2012 by
Take a Break...... Seriously do (almost) nothing... Last Saturday was the Baltimore Running Festival....known to most of us as the Baltimore Marathon and a LOT of people participated in some form. If you're already a runner or in pretty good shape and just did a leg of the team relay you're OK to get back to training, but if you did the half or whole marathon you should do yourself a favor and take some downtime. I know runners don't like to hear that because they live in some irrational, fear- based alternate universe (don't we all) where after 6 months of intensive training, taking the next 4 weeks off from running, notice I said "running" NOT all activity, … [Read more...]
STOP DOING THIS!! “Balance Training Edition”
October 4, 2012 by
You're not a bear and It's not the F-ing circus. So why are you standing on top of a ball like one? http://youtu.be/K108CfHW2_4 "Cause it's balance training" That's what everyone says even though it's completely stupid...... Balance, the type used in the real world, occurs on a stable (usually) flat surface. So how in the hell is standing on an inflatable disc training balance? Quite simply.....it's not... Well, that's not entirely true. Standing on inflatable balls and discs will make you better at..... Standing on inflatable balls and disks.....because we know that balance (like most skills) is skill specific. So you'll be gravy when walking through … [Read more...]
What’s the Deal With the Clown Shoes? and Why You May Want a Pair…..
October 2, 2012 by
We've all seen these guys at the gym ...... For those of you who are not up to date on the latest fitness meets pop culture trends of the minute those are the Vibram Five Fingers... Get it? 5 toes, they're each separated, like fingers in a glove only it's on your foot...get it? They've become very popular in the last 2 years or so to the point where now I see people come to the gym for the first time EVER IN THEIR LIVES with Vibrams on. I'm guessing this has a lot to do with 2 things which have seemingly acted synergistically in this time frame. Born To Run by Christopher McDougall It's a national bestseller about the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico. … [Read more...]
