The next time you go to the local gym, watch how people train…you will learn a lot. I like to watch people workout and try to guess what they are doing and why. Most times, I think I can figure it out. Whether I agree with what they are doing or not, I have been around long enough to guess what they are trying to do.

Most people out there…(you may be one of them) love to train their “mirror muscles.” What are mirror muscles you ask? These are the muscles that you can only see in the mirror. Usually the following make the list: (more…)

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High school kids have been coming up to me for years asking the same old questions… “what should I eat?” “Does this supplement work” and “How do I get big?”  A little over two months ago, two high school athletes both approached me at different times, each asking the same questions. Each wanting to get “big!” Since neither had the time to sign up for continuous training sessions with me, I gave them both what I consider the best source on the market for getting “big” fast. I led each of them to Muscle Gaining Secrets, from Jason Ferruggia.    (more…)

I admit it…I am an Olympic junkie. I used to stay up late to watch the ‘84 games which were held in LA almost 25 years ago, and I have been hooked ever since. I love watching the competition and I have found myself watching even the obscure events like Fencing and Badminton. No matter what the event, the side stories of the athletes competing and the struggles that some have endured are just as fun to watch.

Dara Torres is a 41-year-old swimmer competing in her 5^th Olympic games, with her first being in 1984. Not only is it remarkable that she is going for number 5, but the fact that she is 41-years-old and is a medal favorite is the most remarkable thing. You see, when you are 40 years old, you are not supposed  to be able to compete at that level. When you are over the age of 35, you are considered “old” in Olympic years. Torres seems to be getting better as she gets older and her swimming times prove this. Over the years, her competitive times are decreasing, which means she is getting better and faster. (more…)

I am a firm believer, without a doubt in my mind that the most important thing anyone and everyone can and should work on primarily is strength. You can never go wrong with being stronger. This is not to say that strength training is the only thing you should train. There are way too many trainers out there that work on strength only and never deal with any other fitness factors. (more…)

I was fortunate to travel to Los Angeles this past weekend to see a couple of Eddie Vedder concerts. (If you have never seen Eddie or Pearl Jam in concert, I highly recommend it.) I met up with my good friend Jason Ferruggia of Muscle Gaining Secrets fame. If you don’t know of Jay or his work, check out his site and products, they are top notch. More on that later. (more…)

I am old school when it comes to training. Not all of the education in the world means a whole lot when dealing with the human spirit. As a fitness coach I can monitor heart rate, and breaths per minute and measure someone’s estimated anaerobic threshold, and all of the other “physiological markers” and it really doesn’t tell me much in the grand scheme of things. The majority of people out there will quit mentally way before their body gets to a point of any real danger. I have taken people to their own personal limits, only to discover that there are entire new boundaries that can be and need to be pushed through with a little more work and a lot more mental training. In fact, I have not trained many people that have come close to the real physical breaking point. Some people have suffered muscle cramps, asthma attacks, dizziness, etc…but in the end, all of these people were fine physically and in almost every case, it was other factors that caused these scenarios and not the actual training that was taking place. This is not to say that these people were not trying, or consciously gave up. Rather, these people have yet to learn how to push through the barriers that have caused them to stop. It’s a tricky problem for most. Each time you push through a new barrier, you become more resistant to “quitting” the next time out, while training at that same level. (more…)

One of my favorite exercises for building that ‘upper back’, effectively and efficiently is the Incline Dumbbell Row. (more…)

Who doesn’t want a six-pack? (Abs, not beer…) Maybe not all of you, some people like to just get a “flat stomach” and not six-pack, rock hard abs. Whatever you desire, we can probably agree that most people reading this want a firm, flat stomach of some sort, and if you can get some abs showing, all the better.

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Remember, this is a basic list. There are plenty of other exercises that you can do too. Start with these and move up from there. (more…)

Unstable training came from the ‘rehab’ zone. Back in the 80’s rehab really took off. Physical therapy was becoming more popular, sports teams were hiring Certified athletic trainers, and sports medicine doctors were popping up on every corner. If you had a physical problem, you went to rehab. Therapy became first-rate and research was being done in alarming numbers. Soon enough, the “functional training” era was born. Therapists started introducing new techniques that would change the industry forever. The industry started paying attention and new rehab toys were produced that made rehabilitation not only more effective, but fun too. Balance discs, Bosu Balls, foam pads, etc… were found in every PT clinic and Athletic Training room across Northern America. Soon functional training took on a different identity and was full of activities that encouraged unstable training. (more…)

Jason Ferruggia’s “MUSCLE GAINING SECRETS”

When it comes down to really understanding how to get bigger, how to get stronger, and how to get better, there is no one better-qualified in the business than Jason Ferruggia. In my 17 plus years in this field, I have never met anyone that has better practical experience in changing people’s bodies as Jay does. Whether an athlete, fitness model, average Joe, whatever…Jay can get you where you want to go better than anyone. Bottom line, Jason gets results!

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I sometimes tell this story to my athletes and clients who I think “need to hear it.”

This is not my story; this is a hand-me-down story from my high school wrestling coach which I never forgot.. He tells it better, but I will do my best to get the story, and most importantly the point across. (more…)