My Interview with Kelly Olexa…
March 17, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
Kelly Olexa puts out her “Wednesday WOOT! Factor” on, well, Wednesdays (makes sense – she’s more than just a pretty face 
). Kelly has great energy and a very positive attitude! So when she asked me to be a part of this Wednesday’s WOOT!, I was happy to oblige.
Hey Everyone!! Welcome to today’s Wednesday WOOT! Factor! - sponsored by Sears(R) FitStudio! WOOT! Today I am happy to share an interview with Danny McLarty, another member of our FitStudio team. I have learned a LOT from Danny since connecting with him through our Sears(R) situation– you will also find him contributing on the FitStudio Facebook Page.
DEFINITELY check out his blog and also his great YouTube channel for a boatload of instructional videos!! Holy Wow!! 
YouTube.com/DMcLarty7.
Join us tonight on Twitter at 7:30pm CST for our weekly FitStudio chat!! Follow #FitStudio at just hop on in to gab!!
1. When did you first start working out and why?
I’ve been active in sports all my life, so I guess I was “working out” without even knowing it back when I was 6 or 7. I was obsessed with muscles at a pretty young age. My mom still laughs and says to me; “do you remember when you used to play with your He-Man toys and say; ‘mom, who do you think has bigger muscles, He-Man or Skeletor?’” Ha! As far as when I started lifting weights, that began in high school. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I badly wanted to learn, and really loved it right off the bat!
Read this rest of the interview HERE.
I’ve Lost A Lot of Fat, BUT, I’m weaker. Please help!
March 8, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
The other day, my good friend Matt Brewer sent me the following e-mail:
“Quick questions – I’ve been busting ass in the weight room ever since I was in Las Vegas and continued to do so after my return to Omaha, but when Megan got pregnant I ate whatever she had a craving for and gained an enormous amount of weight. At the same time I was getting stronger and stronger but fatter and fatter. I hate using bench press as a bench mark (like what I did there?) for strength but for this purpose it works: I was repping out 315 x 5 for my last set but my gut was carrying around 220 pounds.
Last summer/fall Megan and I got our crap together and started eating right. I felt that if we are going to raise a healthy kid we might as well start with ourselves and get healthy first to serve as a good example for him. Since then, I’ve lost 45 pounds and am currently weighing in between 174-176 pretty regularly. I incorporate cardio and still do a lot of strength training. I haven’t changed my routine a whole lot; only changed what I was shoveling in my mouth.
One thing I’ve noticed though is my strength has gone down significantly. I’m not starving myself, but I just don’t seem to have that ‘pop’ when pressing weight out. Do you think the significant weight loss has had a direct effect on my strength and if so, how do i get it back without packing on the fatty pounds? I’m just wondering if I need to consume more calories so my body isn’t eating up muscle tissue for energy.
Thoughts? Funny comments? Jokes about my tubbiness?”
My response:
First of all Brewer, I’m glad to hear that you and Megan are now setting a good example for your little one. This out of shape/obesity problem that we have in America, starts with the parents. After all, the parents are the ones that bring the food into the house! Too, kids are very impressionable, so it is important for your son to see you both living a healthy, active lifestyle. Keep it up Megan and Shrew Dog!
And now, to answer your question:
Think about it this way: let’s say that when you were 220 lbs, you were 20% body fat (for the sake of easy math). That means that even know you were carrying 44 pounds of fat, you were also carrying 176 pounds of lean body mass (much of which is muscle). Now, at about 175 lbs, let’s say you are down to 10% body fat. That means that you are carrying about 157 pound of lean body mass. So, even know you are now prettier, healthier, and more athletic, you are not going to be able to lift as much with this reduction in lean body mass. This is why you’ll see many fat powerlifters – they purposely put on as much weight as possible so they can lift as much as possible. Make sense?
So, part of the problem of not being able to lift as much, is just something you’re going to have to deal with. IMO, the pros greatly outweigh the cons. BUT, if you time your carb intake around your workout (peri-workout), you can get that “pop” back that you mentioned you no longer feel. So, eat healthy carbs pre/during/post workout and try to minimize carb intake the rest of the day. You could just eat healthy carbs pre and post-workout with some protein… sweet potatoes + chicken OR rice + grass-fed beef etc. I NEED to eat during my workout, or I lose that “pop.” So, I go with organic raisins + whey protein powder during the workout, or Surge (from t-nation). But you don’t necessarily need this if you feel full of energy with the pre-workout carb + protein meal (which should be eaten 45-60 minutes prior to workout – depending on how BIG of a serving you eat).
Finally, once you start to time your carb (“energy” meals) meals around your workout and your body adjusts to heavy lifting at this reduced body weight, you may just be able to get back to the strength levels that you enjoyed when you were 220 lbs. Keep at it and continue the great work buddy!
The Real “Main Reason” To Workout
March 1, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
If I were to take 3 random people and ask them: “what is the main reason you work out?” If they were being honest, I’d probably get answers that look something like this:
-so I can have washboard abs
-to get BIGGER gunz!
-so I can have a nice booty
I’ll be the first to admit, going to the gym in attempt to improve my physique has motivated me for years – and will probably continue to be the case for years to come. But when we take a step back and think about it, the main reason for working out and eating right, is because it is GREAT for our health. My 59 year old client (we’ll call him “Sam”) came in to train with me a few months back after he went into see his doctor only to find out that he was pre-diabetic. Sam had trained with me about 4 years ago but then took time off only to let himself get out of shape. He had been e-mailing for the past 1.5 years saying that he plans on getting back in to work with me. Well, after the news he received from the doc, it was time for Sam to finally put his foot down and get back to the gym. If Sam would have continued down the path that he had been going, the quality of his life would have greatly changed, and diabetes was inevitable.
He had a follow up appointment with his doctor last week to see if his workouts and improved nutrition would have a positive effect on the numbers for the various tests (glucose levels, cholesterol, etc) that raised so many red flags just 3 months ago. Well, when Sam came into his training session today, I’m thrilled to say that not only are his numbers improved, they are so much better that the doctor said he COULD NOT BELIEVE how much better they look! He told Sam that no meds are needed, and that he just needs to continue down the same path that he has been on! His HDL (good cholesterol) is the best that it has been in years, and he is down 16 pounds. Keep in mind that when Sam came back to see me, it was the holiday season. For most people it’s considered a win just to maintain weight during this time of the year. This makes Sam’s results all the more impressive!
The Secret Sauce
The secret to his success is, that there is no secret. Sam shows up 3 times a week every week to train with me (and his training partners). And he has greatly improved his nutrition. So if there is a secret sauce it is this: consistency + discipline = results. His hard work has paid off and Sam is now the poster-boy of how to fight off diabetes and live a long, healthy life!
FitStudio + Heavy Female Lifting
February 23, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
In case you didn’t know already, I’ve been doing some writing for FitStudio. I am one of the contributors at fitstudio.com and you can find my blogposts right here. So far, here is what they have up;
-Changing Exercises Isn’t Enough - Most people do the same exercises each time they hit the gym. Changing exercises is a good start, but not enough for optimal results.
-Even if fat loss is your MAIN goal, does strength matter? Guess what my answer is… Strength Matters - Part I.
-Obviously strength is very important for sports like football, but what about for endurance sports. Check out my take… Strength Matters - Part II.
Check back in with FITSTUDIO as they will be adding more of my stuff each week!
Just thought I throw this in real quick. My client, Coco, tossed around some heavy weight the other day. This is her doing rack pulls for 205 X 6. She ended up hitting 215 pounds later on in the workout, and made it look pretty easy.
And what do you know? She is lifting some heavy weight and nowhere near BIG and bulky “like a man.” Each week her arms, shoulders, and back are looking more and more “toned.”
What do you say Coco, 225 pounds next week? Sounds about right to me.
Don’t forget, you can follow me on twitter @dannymclarty.
Guest Post; No Pain No Gain?
February 18, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
My boy Jamie V. was nice enough to let me share with you the recent newsletter that he sent out to his bootcamp clients. I think Jamie hit he nail on the head with this one! Nice work Jamie!
Enjoy…
No Pain No Gain?
Trust me, there is a fine line between a trainer structuring a tough workout that is efficient and meaningful,
and one that just beats the living daylights out of you without a clear plan. Soreness is an indicator of
microscopic muscle tears, but is total and utter soreness the ultimate goal? This topic has some debatable
components, but the mindset of the trainer and trainee is where my point rests.
I will be totally blunt with you. People eat like crap and gain poor weight. They hire a trainer and tell them
they want to lose the weight. A trainer beats the sh!t out of them (because that produces fast results
right???). The person hobbles and cusses the trainer for weeks, but thinks he/she knows what they are
doing. A month later everything is back to normal. The person is frustrated, eating poorly again, and the
same trainer is beating the crap out of someone else. The person blames the trainer for not doing their job,
and the trainer blames the person for not being tough enough or committed.
The cycle continues…and continues…and continues…
A boot camper of mine went to a personal trainer and thought she was in good shape. The trainer really
put her through the grinder and she was sore for a looooong period of time. She told me that she “thought”
she was in good shape. I told her that she was, but the trainer structured a workout to beat the living tar out
of her. The workout was not appropriate for her. I asked her if she was still with the trainer. The answer
was no. Now, I am not bashing her trainer, I am just filling you in on my philosophy here.
I will give you some straightforward information. I could take a very high level athlete and make them
vomit. It does not take much for a trainer to evaluate and push you harder beyond the norm, if pummeling
you into MUSH is the goal.
This is a disturbing fitness trend if we want people to LIVE healthy lifestyles
and exercise frequently. People want FAST results from poor eating, and they accept an a*s kicking for it.
I will tell you that what you do in a ONE-day workout is not as important as the cumulative results of a real
program. The REAL goal should be to create a workout plan that is appropriate, has challenges and
progressions, yet encourages the person to continue and strive to keep going. There is a fine line between
tough, and downright too much. A good trainer sees that and makes adjustments. Should the person be
sore from it though? Well, soreness is a side factor, but it is not necessarily the ultimate goal every time.
The trainers goal is to take you to a new level, get you out of your comfort zone, but also keep you
motivated and interested…without living in total pain and discouragement. It is a PLAN, not
PUNISHMENT.
At YOUR boot camps, you will experience some soreness, but my intention is for that soreness to become
more tolerable and evenly distributed. MY goal is to make you work HARD, but also provide a
meaningful opportunity for you to want to continue. If the soreness is not tolerable, adjustments will be
made to help you continue. The ultimate goal of mine, is to make you want to continue your health program, teach you new ways to get results, and do it in a manner that is not discouraging. You still will be pushed, however.
If I turn YOU off, then I have failed you as well. Let’s find YOUR balance of tough and challenging without tipping the scales towards the side of discouragement.
All the Best,
Jamie Vanderheyden
Follow Me On Twitter…
February 13, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
“You never know ’til you try.” For the most part, I like that quote. We can speculate all we want, but until we actually try something, we won’t really know if we would like it or not. I do have a few things I’ve tried in my life that I greatly regret. For example, back in 1989 I decided to root for the Green Bay Packers just one time. I thought, who knows, maybe I’ll actually enjoy the game if I root for these guys. I found out that I hated it, and that doing so ended up to be a very bad idea. As it turned out, rooting for these punks made me so sick that I couldn’t get out of bed for an entire month. Moral of the story; nobody, and I mean nobody should ever root for the Packers!
OK, moving right along. When I first heard about Twitter I thought it sounded like the stupidest waste of time ever. I mean, I don’t care if you …”Just slammed 3 #beers and now I have to pee so badly!” People wasting their lives on their phone/computer tweeting out this crap seems pointless to me. But then my friend Sarah Hoffman told me that I should really get a twitter account. I agreed, and she was nice enough to set it up for me (because setting up my own account is waaaay too complicated for me!).
At first I popped onto twitter very occasionally and didn’t think I’d really get any benefit from it. But a couple weeks ago I decided to be open-minded and start using it more often. And I can honestly now say, that I see the value. It’s a great way to quickly get out information. For me, that means I can link to the blogposts and the articles that I write. It also means that I can get my hands (eyes) on more great info that others tweet. And I can pass on (tweet & retweet etc) great basketball, training, and nutrition info that more people can learn from. So in the end I guess twitter has the possibility of making the world a better place.
Also, a lady and I from Ohio ended up following one-another after we talked smack back and fourth during the Carolina-Duke game the other night. I admit, I started it because “we” were looking very good during the first half. But in the end, she got the last laugh as stupid Duke came back to win. By the way, our smack talk was both good-natured… I can’t stand Internet tough guys/girls that act like they are bad asses over the ‘net! As it turns out, Twitter is a great way to network, meet new people in a fun setting (i.e. the Duke fan and I “going at it” during the game), and get quality info to pass out right away.
In the end, “you never know ’til you try” can go a few ways…
-You try, and don’t like it. At least now you know.
-You try, you like it. Now you know and the quality of your life improves (like me now enjoying Twitter).
-You learn from others that have already tried and you realize that you should never cheer on the Packers. Don’t waste your time trying this one my friends… it’s just not worth it.
You can find me on Twitter right HERE.
My Current Training Block…
February 9, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
It has been awhile since I posted my training routine. I’ve had a few people in person and on facebook recently ask me what my training looks like right now. So I thought it was a good time to share. Those that are familiar with my methods, know that I believe that there are many ways to skin a cat in regards to the best training split to use. Throughout the course of the year, I’ll use a number of different splits… upper/lower split, body part split, full body training, “hybrid” split (i.e. Monday – Full Body, Wednesday – Upper, Thursday – Lower, Saturday – hit a body part or two that I’m trying to bring up). Each split has its potential pros and cons. I don’t seem to respond best to any particular split (as I mentioned in this blogpost with Bret Contreras), so I’ll rotate them in where I see fit (what kind of time I have available due to work/family/coaching obligations; what split fires me up the most to train; what split I haven’t done in awhile, etc). If you have found one that gives you the best results, I suggest you use that split for the majority of the training year.
For the first time in months, I’m using a full body routine. The great thing about full body training, is that it allows you to hit a muscle/movement pattern often throughout the week. As I mentioned above, you could also pick apart a few things about full body training, as you could with any split. But let’s not go there today. The increased frequency in which I am stimulating each muscle group with this program will (hopefully) lead to a sexier me!
Day 1
A1) Hip Thrust 3 X 10-12
A2) Incline Chest Press – DB 3 X 8
B1) Front Squats 3 X 6-8
B2) Mixed Grip Pull-ups 3 X AMRAP (set 1 = a tempo of 211, the rest of the sets = a tempo of 201)
C1) Low Rope Hammer Curls 3 X 15
C2) Band Close-Grip Push-ups 2 X AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible)
D) Seated Lateral Raise 1 Set – do 15-20 reps, take a 10 second and do AMRAP, take another 10 second break and do AMRAP
Day 2
A1) Standing Shoulder Press 3 X 10
A2) 1L (one leg) RDL 3 X 8L (per leg)
B1) TRX Row with ER (external rotation) 4 X 6 (tempo = 2011)
B2) Bulgarian Split Squat, Back Squat 2 X 7L, 1 X 15 (that is, 2 sets of bulgarians and 1 set of back squats)
C1) Hammer Curls 3 X 12
C2) Overhead Tricep Extension 3 X 12
D) Slight Incline Chest Press 1 Set - do 20-25, rest 10 seconds, perform AMRAP, rest 10 seconds and perform AMRAP
Day 3
A1) Barbell Elevated Deadlifts 2 X 3, 1 X 10
A2) Fillers
B1) Seated Cable Chest Press, Seated Cable Chest Fly 2,1 X 10,15 (2 sets of 10 presses followed by 1 set of 15 flyes)
B2) FF, RR Walking Lunges (Forward-Forward, Reverse-Reverse Walking Lunges) 3 X 5/Movement
C1) NG (neutral grip) Seated Cable Rows, Chins 2,1 X 8, AMRAP (2 sets of 8 rows and 1 set of AMRAP chins)
C2) Tricep Pushdowns 1,2 X 20,12 (1 set of 20 and 2 sets of 12)
D1) Ab Wheel Rollouts, Split-Stance Cable Lift 1,1 X 10 (1 set of each for 10 reps)
D2) Reverse Grip EZ Bar Curls 2,1 X 8,12 (sets of 8, 1 set of 12)
Program Notes
-The sets and reps you see are in accordance with week 1. I keep the volume a little lower in week 1 to try to reduce soreness. In the weeks to come I use a bit of cybernetic approach (going by feel) where I up the amount of sets if I am “feeling it.”
-I’ve been toying with hip thrusts for awhile, but haven’t really gone heavy yet because I just purchased my Hampton Thick Bar Pad. This thing makes the lift much more comfortable, as the bar does NOT hurt while digging into your pelvis. As I’m getting a better feel for this exercise, I’ll be going heavier and working in the lower rep ranges soon.
-My main goal is hypertrophy right now.
-I also train my wussy calves, but I usually do them on “off” days. Since my job is in a gym, I usually find a 10-15 minute gap between clients somewhere in the day to hit them 2-3 times per week.
Alright, there’s your sneak peak of my current training block. I definitely put thought into making sure I am balancing things out to keep myself healthy and strong. But even more important then what the “paper” tells you about a program, is the effort that goes into each session. And I always give it my all!
How Many Times Can I Deadlift My Body Weight? …
January 29, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
I just finished a training program (“training block”) on Thursday and will be starting a new one on Monday. So, for whatever reason I became curious as to how many times I could deadlift my body weight. I thought with this little break between programs, that today would be the day to try. I’ve never really done high rep deads (never above 15), so I honestly had no idea what I could get. I was thinking that I could get 35 maybe 40, and possibly even a touch over 40.
I decided to make a post about my upcoming test on facebook to see what others thought I would get. The range I received from my FB friends was anywhere between 35 and 54. Actually my friend Matt Brewer predicted 642 reps. But #1) he’s not very bright, and #2) he’s high on life right now because his Steelers are playing in the Superbowl. Therefore, he really doesn’t know what he’s saying on any topic in life right now. My buddy Jamie Connelly even came up with a formula that looked like this…
“35 is my number. I had to think about it in terms of elasticity, fatique, etc. Everyone is different, but you are in excellent shape. I factored with each lift, it is increasing those factors above by 5% on avg. So 5% of 165lbs = 8.25lbs…8.25lbs * X(#of lifts) = Xlbs + 165 starting weight means the last lift should feel like 471lbs. Lets see how close I am with my BS math ”
As you see, he did say “my BS math” (with a smiley face). So I think he was just messing around with this formula, but who knows, maybe he was onto something.?. Now, lets get to the test…
I finished training the high school team in the weight room earlier today, and luckily I had a few of the guys hang around afterwards. One person to tape, the other to cheer me on. And the results…
So there it is, 56 reps with 165 pounds. Not easy! Actually it was exhausting. 56 was definitely more than I thought I would get. But, as I started to get closer to the highest prediction from FB (54 reps), I thought to myself; I have to beat that – c’mon, I can get 55! Then, as you heard in the background, Coach Dwayne Norfleet yelled out, “55!” So of course, I had to beat that! So 56 it is.
Surprises
I figured either my, not-so-strong grip, or low back endurance (or lack of) would be the limiting factor. But, I’m happy to say that neither really came into play, as far as holding me back. My grip did slip just a touch, but I was able to quickly re-grip and continue on. And I didn’t feel my low back at all. There was a HYOOGE burn in my hams and glutes though! Which was perfect, as a properly performed DL will hammer the hammies and booty.
A couple reminders, plus something that I learned today…
Reminder # 1: Setting the bar high is very important. If the number of the top prediction from my friends was 38, who knows, maybe I only get 39 reps.?. But when 55 became the number to beat, there was no way that I was not going to beat it!
Reminder #2: High reps on compounds movements (you know, chin-ups, squats, push-up, deadlifts, etc), are brutal! Whoever said that weight training doesn’t give you a cardio-like effect, was smoking something. Try to do any compound lifts (especially involving the legs) for 20 + reps and tell me your heart doesn’t feel like it is about to bust right through your chest (as long you choose the appropriate weight)!
What I learned: My new deodorant is NOT working very well. Actually, it’s not working at all! I apologize to anyone that walked in my path after this test. It’s already time for a new purchase!
To my friends who made the predictions, and to my friends that pushed me – muchos gracias! (I think I spelled that right? But I don’t speak or spell Spanish muy good)
And Nick Erbe, you didn’t know there was a prize, but you win for closest prediction! Congratulations, you win um, um, a drink on me! How ’bout that? And Brewer, I’m just kidding, you are very intelligent young man. Go Steelers
Peace…
To The Parents and Athletes That I Work With…
January 19, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
I’ve gone over the importance of nutrition with my clients/athletes many times over the years. But this particular post is intended for the basketball players that I coach/train at Dougherty Valley High School. After a recent conversation that I had with a few of the players I realize our, “the importance of nutrition,” conversations just aren’t sinking in. Parents, I know each and every one of your kids clean up their room the very first time that you tell them to. But for some reason they haven’t applied the nutrition information, even though we’ve talked about it a number of times… go figure!
For the record, the majority of our players need to add strength AND size. So this blog post is geared to those goals, rather than the “fat loss” clients I train (although some of the principles will apply to anyone, regardless of their goals).
A recent conversation I had with a couple of the players after one of our weight training sessions;
Me: So, what did you have for breakfast this morning?
Player: Nothing
Me: What!!!???!!! And what about you?
Different Player: Nothing.
Me: Are you kidding me!?! What is the most important thing to getting bigger and stronger?
Them: Food.
Me: I’m not sure what to think.?. You know the answer, which is a good thing, but that means you are consciously deciding not to eat the way you need to, to achieve your goals?
Player: Well, I was tired when I got up, and I didn’t have time and blah, blah, blah, blah, blee.
Me: Well, I have similar goals as most of you players – to gain size and strength. Do you know what I typically have by 11 a.m. every day (which was about the time of our conversation)? It looks something like this…
-7 a.m. – a bowl of oatmeal with berries + protein powder + almond butter (plus a fish oil capsule + 1000 I.U.s of vitamin-D)
-10 a.m. – a serving of sweet potatoes + grass-fed beef + veggies + an apple (or similar)
Right when I finish this lifting session, I’m going to go home and eat again. Then, I do the same thing every few hours throughout the course of the day. And here we are at 11 a.m. and you haven’t even had one bite to eat. Add to that the fact that you just practiced for 2 hours running up and down the court. Then we lifted after practice, and now here we are (a few of the guys stayed in the weight room after our lifting session to talk - and support me while I showed them how it’s done, with my lifting session) . All of this while on an empty stomach?!!!!!!!? I’d rather put a fire out with my face than to go through all of that without a single bite of food in my body! And you wonder why you are having a hard time gaining weight?
Player: I know coach, I know. I eat breakfast sometimes. I’ll try to do it every morning for now on. But what about during school? How am I going to eat every few hours when I have class all day?
End conversation.
After reading the above conversation you can see it is pretty clear that these athlete’s nutrition is sub-par, to say the least. I’ve found this to be true across the board with high school athletes (with rare exception). But I can hear it already; “not my kid, he eats so much it is not even funny!” Well, a couple big meals and a bunch of missed meals throughout the day is not even close to enough. Especially when he is running up and down the court for a couple hours nearly every single day. The players are always saying this to me; “geez Coach, you’re eating again?! Every time I see you, you are eating something!” Well yes, when you have a hard time gaining weight (and even maintaining weight), you have to go OUT OF YOUR WAY to get enough calories in.
Since the bar is currently so low, I’m not asking for perfect nutrition. I’m just looking for baby-steps. So here is what I want…
Carbohydrates List
Whole wheat pasta, rice, quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), whole grain bread, any potatoes (red potatoes, sweet potatoes etc), organic milk, almond milk, yogurt (preferably Greek Yogurt)
Protein List
Grass-Fed Beef, Chicken, Fish, Eggs, Turkey (not processed deli meat), Quality Protein Powder
Fats
Fats that come from the animals you eat, nuts (not just peanuts), fish oils, flax oil, extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil (great to cook with), natural peanut butter, almond butter
While the above is not an exhaustive list, it still gives you plenty of options. I try to do most of my shopping at Whole Foods or Trader Joes (not as expensive as Whole Foods) so that the majority of my food is hormone free, organic etc. If you are new to this whole “improve your nutrition thing,” just make sure your kids are consistently getting foods from the above list, and worry about the organic/free-range stuff later.
So, what I want you to do at each meal…
-pick one food the carbohydrate list and eat it at each meal
-pick a food from the protein list and eat it at each meal
-incorporate healthy fats whenever you can throughout the day.
-drink a “ton” of water
-include at LEAST 2-3 servings of fruit per day, and 2-3 serving of veggies per day
Follow this most of the time and allow yourself “cheat meals” from time to time. You know, pizza and stuff like that. This is acceptable, as long as it is not the staple.
We don’t need to make it any more complicated than this. I’m hoping that the parents (after all, you’re the one that is going to be buying the food) and players will both read this post and work together to ensure better nutrition, which will go a long way to a healthier, more successful athlete/person.
The recipe for a stronger, more explosive athlete = hard work in the weight room + consuming a lot of high quality calories all day every day. Let’s make sure we do NOT leave any ingredients out of this recipe!
*** Just make sure not to leave the bottle in your locker over the weekend. The soccer/football client that I mentioned above did that only to return to school on Monday to a locker full of ants. EVERYWHERE!
My Visit With Bret Contreras
January 13, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
My friends Marci Nevin, Jason Curtis, Anthony Truck, and I headed down to Arizona a couple days ago for a couple reasons;
1) To watch Marci’s favorite team play in the National Championship Game (Anthony is a former Duck football player himself, so he loves Oregon as well). We went to an “Oregon bar” in Scottsdale to root on the Ducks. Well, they cheered on the Ducks but I quietly (I cheered in my head) cheered on Auburn, as a Tiger victory would win me some money in an office pool. I never thought I’d say this, War Eagle! And the more important reason for the trip to Arizona…
2) To get a visit in with Bret Contreras before he makes the move to New Zealand. For those of you who don’t know the “Glute Guy,” let me introduce him;
Bret is a trainer that has taken the industry by storm over the past year. He has a very popular blog and probably knows more about the glutes than any other person in the world. But, he is definitely more than just a Glute Guy. His knowledge is deep and he gets his clients results, plain and simple. Here is a picture of Bret’s clients, Karli, Katie, and Kellie…
Marci and I had the chance to talk shop with Bret and have him coach us through a few new(er) exercises for a few hours. But when you have so much to talk about, that 3 hours goes by way too fast. With that said, we still got a lot out of our visit, and it was definitely worth the trip! Below is a summary of the “highlights” (at least in my eyes) of our time with Bret in his garage gym (aka, BCSC). I’ll paraphrase (in red) what he had to say to Marci and myself. And at times, I’ll add my 2 cents …
-Which is the best way to train? Is it full body, an upper/lower split, or a body part split? None of these necessarily. Each person responds differently to training. You have to experiment to find out which is best for you. For example, if I don’t hit a muscle group/movement often (i.e. with full body training), I get weaker. But my training partner is just the opposite. He definitely gets his best results while hitting each body part one time per week (i.e. body part split).
Danny’s note: I feel that with all the different splits I’ve tried over the years, that no particular split has gotten me considerably better results than the other. For this reason, over the course of a training year, I incorporate all three “types” (full body, upper/lower, and body part split).
-When it comes to females however, I prefer full body training for the majority. They recover quicker and most likely detrain quicker. Therefore hitting a muscle/movement frequently is probably best for the majority of females (to read Bret’s thoughts on training females in more detail, check out this blog post - http://bretcontreras.com/2010/10/training-women/).
-Simply getting people stronger (in a smart, progressive manner) is not only great for athletic performance and physique enhancement, it can be very powerful in preventing injury. Awhile back, my buddy told me that he was scheduled to have back surgery in two weeks. So I asked him, ‘why haven’t you come in to see me!?!’ He decided to give it a shot and not only were we able to avoid him having this surgery, he now has ZERO back pain!
Danny’s Note: While there are a million examples of how strengthening the entire body can help prevent injury, here are a couple common that I see: Running one mile is essentially 1500 repetitions (in the same repetitive fashion) at two to five times your body weight (depending on your speed). Do you think strengthening the muscles around the hips, knees, and ankles will provide those joints some extra support to help with all of this pounding? I sure do! Another example: people that have weak glutes will call on the syngerists to perform a task (i.e. sprinting). If the glutes are not doing their job, the hamstrings will have to work overtime which could lead to a hamstring injury (this is called synergistic dominance). Getting the glutes stronger will often spare the back, which I suspect is one reason that Bret’s friend no longer has any back pain. Ahh, the power of the glutes!
-People seem to be forgetting about muscles. I know the nervous system is important, but lets not devalue the importance of our muscles.
-Band Hip Rotations…
Danny’s note: Bret went over this exercise with Marci and I. It is great because it works the hip external rotators (including the glute max as an external rotator). Marci and I also noted how much we felt it in our core. Talk about a big-bang-for-your-buck movement!
-Quite often, we set the bar way too low. Danny, if I look at you and think, ‘hey, you look like a 225 bench presser, then that is probably all that I’m going to get out of you.’ I expect big things from my clients, which has been very helpful in getting them great results!
Danny’s note: I wasn’t sure if Bret really thought I was a 225 pound bench presser. So after he finished making his point, I quickly chimed in, “by the way, my bench is 300!” Marci and Bret thought it was funny that it was important for me to let him know that me maxing ONLY 225 pounds was NOT TRUE!
-Let me show you two what my life is like. Come take a look in my bedroom. You see ALL OF those bodybuilding magazines on the floor by my bed? I’m always reading bodybuilding mags. We can learn a ton from this group! Too many coaches/trainers dismiss the methods of bodybuilders. I think that is a huge mistake. Believe me, I also learn from the powerlifters, olympic lifters, and athletes. But we can take a little something from each group and use it to optimize the training of our clients, and for our own training. The key is to know how and when to implement these different methods.
-Over the years, I’ve read a ton of bodybuilding magazines. When I hear over and over and over again that the pump has been very important to them in achieving unbelievable results, there HAS TO BE something to it.
Danny’s Note: In my opinion, to achieve optimal results, a lot of it comes to how you interpret information. And more importantly, how you apply this information. If I had three guys tell me their opinion on “da pump,” it may sound like this.
Person 1 – “The pump is everything. If you don’t go to the gym and achieve a BIG pump, then you’re wasting your time!”
Person 2 – “The pump doesn’t mean anything. Getting stronger is all you need to achieve size.”
Person 3 – “To achieve maximum hypertrophy (muscle size), it is important to get stronger. But it is also important to get a good pump. This combination will yield optimal results.”
Person 1 and 2 are only speaking in half-truths. While person 3 “gets it.” He/she knows how to interpret and APPLY information! I like person #3 and would like to play dodge ball with him (I don’t know, first thing that came to mind).
-Too many people in this field get so emotional with training. If you and I disagree on something, that is ok. I’ll still have no problem hanging out with you. I’ve seen people that literally hate someone because they disagree with them on something regarding training. Ridiculous!
-Trainers/coaches need to “palpate” their clients glutes. How else are we going to know if they are getting them firing the way we want? I’m not saying that we should molest them, but get in there and push into their glutes to see if they are firing during various exercises.
-Static assessments are important and can give us some indications. But watching them move is way more powerful.
Danny here again: There was more to this visit, but above are some of the things that stood out to me. I want to reiterate, the above is me paraphrasing what I took from our conversation. Bret, if I misrepresented you in any way, feel free to call my glutes soft and squishy on your website – although we all know that is NOT true.
What Else?
Bret talked to us quite a bit about crunches and sit-ups and how he believes that they are being thrown under the bus a bit. The research of Stuart McGill has made many of us stop (or greatly reduce) performing crunches/sit-ups. For the most part Bret doesn’t buy into the research but admits that a lot more research needs to be done. I played devil’s advocate with him and said something like; “since we all sit way too much (with rounded-back posture and shortened hip flexors) crunches just reinforce that poor posture. And as McGill has pointed out, it seems we have a fixed number of flexion/extension cycles on the lumbar spine before we herniate a disc (although this thought process may be flawed since this study was done on dead animals that do NOT have the recuperate abilities that us live humans have), I prefer to error on the side of caution and strengthen the rectus in other ways” (i.e. ab wheel rollouts). Bret said that he wouldn’t blame a person for thinking this way and has no problem with that. This is one thing that I really like about Bret; he is open-minded enough to listen to many different ideas and is not married to one philosophy.
Since crunches/sit-ups were one of the first topics Bret brought up, I got the impression that he is passionate about this subject. So stay tuned to get his thoughts in future blog posts on his ’site.
Bret’s client, professional baseball pitcher Steve Hammond came into train while we were there. While he was training I took a video of him doing a single-leg hip thrust. It was his first time trying it. His first comment was that he felt the “up leg” (this is supposed to be the non-working leg) working quite a bit (too much). But after getting the hang of it he started to rip off reps while fully activating the working glute (the down leg). Here is the video…
Repping out 225 on his first day of trying these is not bad. Especially considering that there are many people that can’t do one single leg body weight rep properly!
Marci and I both got a chance to try Bret’s invention – the Skorcher! It is great for putting you in proper position to really activate those glutes! Plus, with the deep stretch that it allows at the bottom of the movement, you can really feel your hammies firing. For some reason, I didn’t get tape of Marci and I using the Skorcher. But am I happy to say that I got 445 pounds for 10 reps! (or was it just single leg body weight reps that I did – can’t remember)
For those you that haven’t seen the Skorcher in action, here you go…
Well, that will just about rap it up. Thanks again Bret for letting us invade your garage. I’ve learned a ton from you and look forward to continue learning from you! In true Bret Contreras fashion, I’ll close with a picture of his favorite girl on his website. Enjoy…
This post is brought to you by Sears Fit Club.
