Overweight Kids, Accountability, and Some Fun
July 20, 2010 by danny · 2 Comments
A have a few great blog posts to share with you today. They all deal with a BIG problem that continues to become a BIGGER problem (puns intended). The problem I am speaking of? Our kids are getting fatter and more unhealthy 
every year. The cause of the problem? Video games, TV, and more processed food. Yes, these are huge problems. But who is buying our kids the video games? Who is bringing all this crappy food home? Who is taking our kids to McDonald’s every week? See where I am getting? Us adults/parents need to step up and take some accountability as well. I could go on and on, but I’ll turn it over to a couple guys that already did a great job of writing about the overweight kid problem/parents needing to step up problem.
In this post, Mark simply tells it like it is. Please parents, don’t get defensive and angry at Mark. Think about what he is saying and think about what we can do to help. We (my wife and I) are far from perfect so I am not saying that we don’t have improvements to make as well. When I read this I immediately brought Carson (9 years old) over to the computer and went over this information with him and Shondra (wife). As she is the one doing most of the “kid” grocery shopping in the house. I think it helped both of them to see this article. And it helped Carson to see the nasty looking picture of what I thought was ice cream. DISGUSTING!!! My favorite quote from the article; (when talking about his daughter) “Granted, she will have the occasional treat like a home baked cookie or piece of candy every so often, but she won’t have a treat every day because a treat per day isn’t a treat, it’s a habit.”
Brian St. Pierre once again hammers home the point that we have a choice. Yes, there is fast food all over the place. Yes, a good amount of the grocery stores are filled with candy and sugar. But we don’t HAVE TO buy it. Be accountable and don’t blame others!
Overdoing It?
I hope you don’t think I am crazy. I still think we should take our kids out for pizza night. Ice cream after a big win for the baseball team? Great! All I am asking, is that this are not the staple. Every night? Every (many) meal? C’mon! Again, the problem is growing, and it’s only getting worse. Let’s all step up as parents and make some changes! 
Fun!
It drives me crazy that Carson can watch the Suite Life of Zack and Cody, WWE, and Sponge Bob for hours on end. It can be like pulling teeth to get him to get outside and spend 10 minutes (yes, just 10 minutes!!!) working on his dribbling skills. I could go on and on (and I have) and tell him what most of us parents do; “Carson, back when I was your age I would get some friends together and spend hours and hours outside… pick up basketball games; tennis ball baseball; swimming at the Rockton Pool; tackle football in the back yard…..” and the list goes on. But, if all I do is pound him with, “you should be more like me” stories, I am just going to end up one frustrated person with no change in sight.
So, how ’bout the option of getting out there and playing with him? This past weekend we spent about 2 hours each day at the pool swimming. We timed eachother to see how fast we could make it from one end of the pool and back. And spent a lot of our time diving for a tennis ball into the pool… always a favorite of mine. Not sure who has more fun at this “game,” me or the kids. 
…
Yep, as a kid I played Mike Tyson’s Punch-out and loved it!
I watched WWF. I ate (and still sometimes eat) reese’s pieces. But let’s make sure our kids are not doing this all day. Make sure they are eating some fruits ‘n veggies, lean protein, and having some fun while playing outside. And remember, the best way to accomplish this may be to get out there and some fun with them!
Schtuff They Said That I Like…
July 14, 2010 by danny · 4 Comments
In my weekly blog reading, I always come across some great info. from my colleagues. So every now and then I’ll share with you some of the information that I really liked. This is information that I want to help spread to as many people as possible, as it can only help more people reach their health and physique goals.
This comes from an interview that Jason Ferruggia did with Chad Waterbury. Chad just came out with a new fat loss book called Body of F.I.R.E. In the interview, Jason Asked Chad; “What are the three biggest mistakes you see people making when trying to lose fat?“ Part of Chad’s answer; ”The first mistake is performing long duration cardio at 
a low intensity. Nothing wastes muscle tissue faster than jogging for an hour. When muscles are forced to continuously contract for 45 minutes or an hour, that energy has to come from somewhere. The body is very stubborn and doesn’t want to use fat for energy because it’s much easier to break down muscle tissue instead. This is why marathon runners are skinny and weak.”
And then, in the comments section below a reader asked Jason; ”
“I know you’ve said in the past Jay that you don’t like mid-range stuff because humans weren’t born to run long distances. Almost all the research articles that I’ve found show the complete opposite. I have no doubt that high-intensity will get you jacked, but is it really because we’re born to do it? Is there something I’m missing?”
And Jason’s response;
“Way back in the hunter gather/ caveman days humans did two things- they walked for long durations going out to gather food and supplies needed to build shelters, and they sprinted after their prey or away from predators who were trying to eat them. They never 
jogged for the sake of jogging or if they were migrating to another region they walked, not jogged.
Yeah, you can run long distances if you want to. But it is the worst form of exercise for your body.”
I couldn’t agree more. You can see that I’ve previously written similar – check it out here and here.
Moral of the story; when getting your cardio in, keep the intensity low (like a 30 minute walk) to help burn some extra calories, contribute to speeding up the recovery process (like after a hard weight training workout), and to help preserve muscle (medium paced jogs are just fast enough/intense enough to actually impede recovery). And perform high intensity cardio, something like the examples I gave in the links I provided just above.
This holds true for non-athletes and athletes alike. So keep it low intensity or high intensity, but avoid medium at all cost.
Get OUT of Your High-Top Shoes!
July 8, 2010 by danny · Leave a Comment
Powerbasketball.com published one of my articles yesterday. It is a subject that many of my colleagues have been speaking about for a couple years now. 
I train a high school basketball team. I go and coach at basketball tourneys in the summer. I see what these athletes wear around school all day, etc. etc. Believe me, the word about proper footwear (optimal footwear) is not getting out to athletes and parents (at least not to basketball players). My hope is that by publishing an article for a basketball website, the good word will spread. Yes this article will benefit anyone - from the lady wearing high-heels to work everyday, to athletes in various sports – but basketball players need this information more than any other population. Please feel free to forward the article along to coaches, parents and b-ballers.
5 Fitness Tips for The Laughing Cow…
July 5, 2010 by danny · Leave a Comment
When the good people from The Laughing Cow asked me to provide them with 5 fitness tips, I was happy to help out. Here is what I came up with…
1) There is no ‘magic trick’ to improving your body; train, eat, sleep, and repeat. Those that are consistent, disciplined, and give everything they have, can bring their health, physique and performance to a new level.
Hesitation Moves on the Basketball Court
June 30, 2010 by danny · 2 Comments
If you want to be a great basketball player, you’ve got to have a complete game. I’ve talked about how to improve your dribbling skills in a previous post. Today I’m here focusing on changing speeds with the basketball. In all sports, those who effectively change speeds have a great advantage. Think of a pitcher with a great fast ball, but does not have a solid off-speed pitch. He won’t last long in the rotation. But give him a good change up, and he he can really pile up the wins. This is also true with a great running back. He must do more than run as fast as possible in a straight line. His ability to stop and start and be deceptive is just as important (if not more important) as his top-end speed. Think Barry Sanders.
Well, when it comes to hoops, it is no different. If you only have average quickness but change speeds well, just like that you become tough to guard – think Steve Nash. If you have good quickness and change speeds well, you become very quick – think Deron Williams. If you have very good quickness and change speeds well, you become unguardable – think Chris Paul and Derrick Rose. So, when working on your game, keep working on those handles. But do NOT forget to change speeds. Here are a few examples of what I am talking about…
Above ^^^ – stop and pop with a hesitation and stop and go to the basket. Next…
In this above video ^^^ – 1 stop and go to the right, 1 to the left, and 1 with a change of direction (between the legs) for a pull up J.
My skills with the video camera/computer are horrible, which is why the last shot got cut off. If Sue (not my mom) is reading this I know she is laughing at me. Sue – shush it! Remember, I’m going to be seeing you at our training session in just a couple hours and if you don’t watch it I will make you do nothing but Bulgarian Splits Squats for 1 hour straight!!!!!! Yeah, that’s what I thought. Anyway, I hope to really improve my computer skills in the months to come… but I just don’t get it. 
Next…
And in this last video you have Kobe using a hesitation move to make yet another defender look stupid.
Keep working hard on your game and make sure to change speeds on the court.
I hope everyone has a safe and fun 4th of July weekend!
My Current Training Program: Part II
June 24, 2010 by danny · Leave a Comment
Ok, I’m back to finish showing you what my current training program looks like. If you recall from Part I, my main goal right now is to be lean and muscular – since we have entered “beach season.” A side goal is to maintain my strength and size while stripping away a bit of fat. Since I am not eating a ton of extra calories, I am not looking to add a bunch of muscle or bring up lagging body parts. That will be saved for the non-summer months. Here is a recent photo taken of me…
Beware of my two vicious dogs. If you even think about breaking into my house, they will rip your head off. Without further adieu, here is day 3 and 4;
Training Program
Day 3 (This day falls on a Thursday)
A1) Neutral Grip Pull-ups - 3 X 1, 1 X 5 ***
A1) Decline DB Chest Press – 3 X 1, 1 X 7 ***
B1) Rope Pushdowns, Close-Grip Push-ups – 3 X 10 on the pushdowns, and then after the last set of pushdowns, I go right into 1 set of as many reps as possible of close-grip push-ups
B2) Farmer’s Walks – 1 X 50 seconds, 1 X 40 seconds, and 1 X 30 seconds
B3) Face Down (on an incline) reverse flyes (angle of bench set @ about 60 degrees) 3 X 10
Notes*** I do 4 sets of 3 on weeks 2 & 3 for the pull-ups (so, 4 X 3 and 1 X 5). And then on week 4 I go back to the same volume as in week one. I do 4 sets of 5 on the decline press on weeks 2 & 3 (so 4 X 5, 1 X 7) and then on week 4 I go back to the same volume as in week one.
Day 4 (falls on a Saturday)
A1) “Quad” Complex – Barbell Jump Squats X 10, followed immediately by 10 Squats, and finished up with a deep squat holds for as long as possible. I performed 2 sets on week 1. If I could walk and had anything left in my quads I have the option to do 3 sets in weeks 2 & 3. Week 4, back to 2 sets no matter what. (video seen below)
A2) Fillers – anything that is a low level activation drill and/or some extra mobility work (basically to stay productive instead of just sitting there on my butt waiting for the next set to begin).
B1) 1-Leg Back Extensions – 3 X 7/Leg
B2) Lateral Pallof Press – 3 X 5 reps with a 3 second hold on each rep (holding above head)
C) BB Glute Bridge – 2 X 12-15
Wrap Up
So there you have it, my 4-day upper/lower split. I have a higher volume light(er) upper and lower day, and a low(er) volume, heavier day for both the upper and lower body. My cardio is done 1 or 2 days per week. I either do 400 meter “sprints” (soooooo hard) or hill sprints. And most important of all to achieving my goal, is nutrition. If you are having a hard time reaching your physique goal(s), here is a great place to start nutrition-wise. If you are stuck in a rut and need some assistance designing the most effective program for your goals, check out my services page. I’d love to help you reach your goals!
My Current Training Program
June 22, 2010 by danny · Leave a Comment
I thought I’d share my current training program with you today. First of all, here are my goals and a little bit about me;
That’s me from last year’s 4th of July parade. Ok, moving along to more about me…
-It’s summer time so my #1 goal is to look lean and muscular while at the pool.
-With that said, I certainly do not want to become weaker and lose my muscle mass.
-My training (in the weight room) doesn’t change a whole lot (definitely some) while in a “cutting phase.” The main difference for me is to simply add a little more cardio, and to decrease my cals a bit.
-I don’t think it is real smart to do a “specialization” program (like trying to bring up your delts) when calories aren’t as high. I’ll save that for fall and the rest of the non-summer months.
I wouldn’t train the *majority* of my clients this way, (and there would definitely be some modifications if I were training one of my athletes – whose main goal is obviously sports performance) but since I am one of the “lucky” ones, my training doesn’t need to change much in order to lose fat. I put lucky in quotations because I really don’t consider it too lucky that it is fairly easy for me to get a 6-pack. Yes, that part is cool. But believe me, it is not fun to have to eat 42,000 cals by noon every day just to maintain weight. I have to eat 42,000 cals plus eat a camel just to see the scale go up an ounce. All that chewing (and drinking shakes) gets real old, real fast. Alright, with the news and notes out of the way, let’s get to it.
Training Program
Day 1 (this happens to fall on a Monday in this current training block)
A1) Incline DB Press, BB Incline Press - 4 X 8-10 and 1 set of AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) with 135 lbs for the barbell press ***
A2) DB Hammer Curls, Upper 1/2 Chins - 3 X 8-10 and then 1 set of AMRAP of upper 1/2 chins (hang from the bar @ 90 degrees and pull myself up to the bar – keep that range of motion (ROM) the entire time. ***
B1) Lateral Raise, Standing DB Shoulder Press – 3 X 12 and on the last set go right into standing shoulder presses for a set of 10 (this is known as the pre-fatigue method).
B2) X-Pulls (a back exercise) 3 X 10
B3) Quadruped Hip Extension (seen below) for 1 X 15-20/leg and 1-Leg Hip Thrust for 1 X 10-15/leg
Notes *** On weeks 2 and 3 I add a set of Incline DB Presses (so 5 X 8-10) and a set of DB Hammer Curls (so 4 X 8-10). Week 4, go back to the same volume as in week 1. This is mainly an upper body day, but I incorporate some glute work in there because it is always good to remind those glutes how to fire efficiently which will help reduce the chance of hamstring and low back problems (as well as help performance in sports). Even know tomorrow is a leg day, I don’t think a couple body weight lower body exercises will impede tomorrow’s workout. Today was higher volume, and as you’ll see, Thursday’s upper body day will be heavier, lower rep training.
Day 2 (falls on a Tuesday)
A1) Trap Bar Deadlift (seen below) – pick a weight that is a 4-6 rep max (RM) and do as many sets as it takes until I hit 15 reps (yes, this is Chad Waterbury-esque) ***
A2) Fillers – anything that is a low level activation drill and/or some extra mobility work (basically to stay productive instead of just sitting there on my butt waiting for the next set to begin)
B1) BB Bulgarian Split Squat (seen below) (lower 1/3 for 3 “mini-reps” then all the way up = 1 rep) – 3 X 5 ***
B2) Swiss Ball Leg Curl – 3 X 10/Leg
B3) RKC Plank – 1 X 30 seconds, Hanging Knee Raises – 1 X 10 to 15
Notes*** On week’s 2 & 3 I go until I hit 20 reps on the deads, and I perform 4 sets on the bulgarian split squats. Week 4 is back to the same volume as week 1. This is my lower rep leg day and day 4 will be be my higher rep leg day.
Alright, I’ll stop here before this thing gets too long. Be sure to check back in later this week to see what days 3 & 4 look like. I know it’s going to be hard to wait, but please, try not to lose any sleep over it.
Exercise of the Week
June 13, 2010 by danny · Leave a Comment
Today’s exercise of the week is the Lateral Pallof Press. We’ve been using the “regular” Pallof Press with clients for sometime now (I believe I first learned it from Eric Cressey). The original version is a great “anti-rotation” exercise. For those of you that are not familiar with the anti-rotation version (one of the main roles of the core is to resist rotation), here is a video for you…
If this is your first time seeing this version of the Pallof Press, you get a 2 for the price of 1 as far as new exercises to add to your workouts. For those of you that have not seen the Lateral Pallof Press, let’s get to it.
Lateral Pallof Press
I just found out about this exercise about a week ago. I got if from Coach Nick Tumminello. Nick uses a much higher percentage of is brain than I. After watching him go over the Lateral Pallof Press in one of his videos, I thought to myself, “DOH, why didn’t I think of that!?!” (refer to the higher percentage of brain usage above) Anyway, the purpose of this exercise of to prevent lateral flexion (think bending sideways). Your core must fire like crazy to prevent you from bending sideways/getting thrown into the cable.
As you can see in the video, I set up so that the cable is to the side of me. I then set the handle so it is up overhead. Next, I grab it and bring it to my chest area. I then brace my core (squeeze my abs really hard) and push my arms up overhead. The longer I make my arms, the harder the movement. Pick a weight that really challenges you (trust me, if you do these right, you’ll feel your abs/obliques really working), but not a weight so heavy that you can’t keep good form. Good form means to keep your arms long, and your shoulders and hips level throughout. There are a number of different rep options, and you can hold each rep above your head as long as you wish. I usually go with about 5 reps above head, with each rep held for 3 seconds.
The majority (not all) of your “core” training needs will be covered if you incorporate McLarty Rollouts, the Pallof Press variations, and use BIG compound movements in your training. So there you have it. Give Lateral Pallof Presses a shot and you’ll have a stronger, healthier core.
Q & A: The Treadmill
June 7, 2010 by danny · Leave a Comment
Q: Danny, I have lost most of my weight by doing intervals on the treadmill. Since summer is here, I would rather run outside than go to the gym but I am worried the weight will come back because I will be sprinting on my own instead of on a treadmill…make sense? Should I be worried about that, or do you think I will be fine doing intervals outside?
A: I get this, should I run outside or on the treadmill question, quite a bit. While neither is necessarily wrong, I do prefer non-treadmill running. I’d much rather see you run outdoors (or indoors if it is on an indoor track, for example). And here’s why…
The treadmill switches your hams and glutes off. When your foot hits the treadmill, the belt pulls you through. So, the belt does much of the work for you as your leg goes back. Again, taking your hams and glutes out of play. This is a problem for a few reasons;
1) You burn less calories on a treadmill (as opposed to “real” running).
2) The contribution from the quads is still there, so this can lead to an imbalance which can lead to an injury (knees won’t like you). Awhile back I read an article that Strength CoachAlwyn Cosgrove contributed to, and here is what he wrote in regards to this imbalance;
“Walking a mile is about two thousand reps in the sagittal plane at about one and a half to two times your bodyweight. Jogging would be around fifteen hundred total reps at about two to three times your bodyweight.
And since the treadmill switches your hamstring and glutes off — your foot hits the belt and the belt pulls you through — it’s mainly a quad exercise.
So let’s say a client does three miles three times per week for one year (and I’m being conservative).
That’s 6000 reps x 3 days per week x 52 weeks, which equals 936,000 reps of knee extension work. Or 468,000 reps per leg.
Let’s say the load going through with the knee was a measly 100 pounds. That’s 4.6 million pounds of work for the quad with absolutely no hamstring work.
Think of it this way: if you did 400,000 reps of triceps extensions with 100 pounds you’d get four million pounds of volume. If you didn’t balance that out with biceps curls you’d expect the elbow joint to hurt, right? You’re damn straight it would!
So long term walking or running on the treadmill is almost guaranteeing knee pain. And that’s not even the worst part. Since the hamstring is switched off you’re actually burning even less calories than you would if you were to walk on the ground!”
3) The mechanics of running on the treadmill are not the same as “real” running as hip flexion angle increases (affecting the whole hip extensor mechanism) – this will lead to substitution patterns and even further increase your chances of injury (now your knees REALLY, REALLY, REALLY don’t like you).
The Winter
Growing up in Illinois, I know it would be a lot for me to ask you to go run outside when you looking at a negative 23 wind chill. Therefore, I won’t ask you do that (man, I’m too nice). You can get just as good of a cardio workout indoors, without ever stepping on a treadmill. For many people, I prefer “non-traditional” ways to get your cardio in, as I talked in this post. Below is an example from that previous post I made…
When it comes to crappy weather, no excuses!
If for whatever reason you love to run on the treadmill, I’m not saying that you should never step foot on it again. But for the above reasons, it would be wise for you to use sparingly. And in a perfect world, not use the t-mill at all. After all, who wants to burn less calories per session? Who want to increase their chances of injury (in the long term)? And who wants to jump on a machine that alters running mechanics, further increasing your chances of injury? Not I. One more thing; try to run on a good surface as much as possible. Something like “field turf,” a track, or some grass that is not too bumpy. These options are much easier on the joints than the hard streets and sidewalks. Enough typing, I’m going to go lift and lower heavy things, and then go find a nice hill to sprint up. Multiple times. Now that sounds like some fun, doesn’t it?!?
Celtics vs Lakers
June 1, 2010 by danny · Leave a Comment
A Celtics-Lakers finals, what else could the NBA ask for! The two most storied franchises in the history of the league are once again set to do battle. I’m sure the ratings will be very high for this series. Especially since they played in the 
finals just two years ago. And many of the same players will be going head-to-head (with a few exceptions) again. I like what both of these teams bring to the table in terms of experience, toughness, talent, and chemistry. But obviously, only one team will be able to walk away the championship. It is up in the air, but in my eyes, the winner will be…
Who Will Take The Title?
I’ll get right to it; the Lakers. I’m not a Lakers or a Celtics fan. Since the Celtics got over on the Lakers in ‘08, so I’d like to see the Lakers get it done this time. Why are the Lakers going to win?
-They have the best closer in the game. Yep, they had the best closer last time as well. But the ultimate competitor in the league won’t let his team lose and the players around Kobe will be more prepared this time around. The “other” players…
-Pau Gasol is tougher now. Mentally tougher that is. I heard one of the guys on TNT get asked why he thought Gasol would have a better Finals appearance in ‘10 compared to ‘08. His answer? “Kobe.” In other words, Kobe’s tenacity is contagious. I agree. I see Pau playing with more intensity, and more physicality this time around.
-Human nature is another factor. If you get beat one time, it is human nature to want it juuuuust a touch more the next time you compete against that team. This “phenomenon” will come into play this year.
-Ron Artest, who does some dumb ass things on the court (off the court as well), will be another player that will help neutralize Boston’s toughness and physical play. And I DO think the Celtics are very tough. I have much respect for them. Just because I am going against them, don’t think I have no love for them. But Ron-Ron is a nice addition, especially in a Celtics-Lakers type of series.
-I think the Celtics will miss James Posey a bit. Although nobody can stop Kobe, Posey made him work extremely hard for everything he got.
What Scares Me?
-As good as Rondo was in the Cs ‘08 run, he is that much better now.
-Paul Piece scares me. Like Kobe (almost), PP is one of the best closers in the league. He is just quick enough to get by his opponents and just big enough to shoot over them In other words, he quite often finds a way to get where he wants/needs to get on the court to get the job done.
-Boston’s “D” has been very good. They all work together to make the on-the-ball defender that much better. They take a lot of charges, block shots, and play a physical style of defense.
X-Factors
For the Celtics, Rasheed Wallace could be the X-Factor… for better or worse. For worse - he may not be shooting well, start to get frustrated, and then his famous complaining to the refs, technical foul side could come out. OR, he could 
get hot from 3 and drag one of the Lakers big men away from the basket. That’s all the Celtics need..ANOTHER weapon!
For the Lakers, the X-Factor is Lamar Odom. If he brings his A-Game and is a walking double-double, look out Boston. I think he could make this into a 5-game series if he is focused and hungry. Then again, he may only show his great ability in short stretches, or only 1-2 times per game. Sometimes you won’t hear his named called for minutes at a time when he is on the court. Which Lamar shows up will be very big in determining the winner.
My Final Word
Like I mentioned, I am not a fan of either team. Of course, I’d much rather see the Bulls take it all. I also really wanted to see Steve Nash make it to his first Finals. Since neither of that happened, in my eyes the next best thing is sitting back and watching these two proud franchises go at it again. I would not be shocked if Celtics find a way to get it done. But for the above reasons, I am taking the Lakers in 6.5 games. Ha! Ok, ok, if you won’t let me cop out with 6.5 games, then I’ll say this; L.A. in 6.
