Fitness Magazines – Here Is Why You Want To Work With Me…
January 30, 2012 by danny · 2 Comments
Dear Sir or Madam,
I’m Danny McLarty and I want to you let you know all of the reasons that you want me to write about health and fitness for your audience. I’ve been a Fitness Coach and Strength and Conditioning Coach for about 15 years now. Over the course of my career I’ve trained thousands of clients and helped them reach their health and physique goals. My clientele have come to me with a wide range of goals… fat loss, muscle gain, sports performance, rehab from injury, to prepare for physique shows, to prepare for strength competitions (i.e. powerlifting meet) and to simply feel better. This “in the trenches” experience in addition to the countless hours that I spend studying, attending seminars, and reading fitness articles, books, and journals puts me among the elite when it comes to giving my clients and readers the best opportunity to reach their goals.
I’m a, practice what I preach, kind of individual and definitely take great pride in my personal health and physique. Here are some of my pictures from a post I did on my website just last week; “My Photo Shoot.” I believe staying in great shape helps give a fitness coach and writer credibility. And “living the life” is something that has been in me for years and will be the case for the rest of my life.
I am also a “Basketball Skills Coach,” helping players improve their overall game (with an emphasis on dribbling and shooting). Standing 5′7″ and going up against many players standing well over 6 feet tall had many people questioning me and my game over the years. Me and my family would hear rumblings from others that would say; “yeah, he’s pretty good now, but there is no way that he is going to be able to succeed at the next level.” But whenever that “next level” came around, I continued to succeed. I ended up getting a full ride basketball scholarship and in 2007 was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame. My “story” has inspired many as I’ve proven to them that hard work and dedication can go along way in achieving your dreams.
Finally, I’ve been published in a number of on-line health, fitness, and basketball magazines. My writing experience will help me continue to put out great work and make you proud to have me on your team.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Respectfully,
Danny McLarty
My Photo Shoot
January 23, 2012 by danny · 6 Comments
This past weekend I did a “photo shoot.” Well, kind of. It wasn’t the type of photo shoot where I went in to see a professional photographer and get make-up applied, a spray tan, and air-brushed every which way possible. Although my wife did do a good job of taking the pictures and catering to my needs (she fed me grapes between shots).
Why did I have these pictures taken, you ask? Well, because I’m a trainer and a fitness writer – and a number of times I’ve had different people (for an interview for a website or for an on-line magazine) ask me to send some “fitness pics” over to them to include in the article/interview. I read all the time and when reading another trainer’s article/interview I often see great shots of them working out and/or showing off their physique. When I get asked by an editor to send my pics I start scrabbling/panicking… “Shondra, where did you save that one picture in the computer?!? I can’t find any good ones. What do I do!?!” So, I figured I better get some professional-ish shots done so this is no longer an issue.
Why I’ve Been Hesitant To Do This
I knew I needed to get these pictures done, for the reason I mentioned above. But I’ve been hesitant to get these pictures taken and to post them on my website and all over the Internet. Hesitant? Yes, that’s right. The reason is simple… I don’t want to make it all about me. When I train clients it is about them (both in person and on-line). It’s their time to get in the gym and get work done; their time to work to look better and feel better. But, as people have pointed out to me, “Danny, you need to sell yourself. It’s not ’showing off’ to post a picture without a shirt on. You are just showing people that you practice what you preach. Fitness is your profession.”
And I get that. I’ve had a number of friends/clients say to me over the years; “I always had respect for your knowledge. But it wasn’t until after I saw you without a shirt on, that I realized that I am working with someone that REALLY takes his job and this lifestyle seriously. That motivated me to want to work harder in the gym, eat better in the kitchen, and just take better care of my body/mind.” (Note: I am NOT saying that I have the best physique in the world. But I think I’ve worked hard enough and consistent enough over the years to earn the respect of at least some people).
This is just human nature I guess. If I were to “hand over my money” to an investor, I wouldn’t be happy if I heard that he has filed for bankruptcy four times in his life so far… not good for business! Likewise, if one is thinking about working with a trainer, they are more likely to do so if they know the trainer practices what (s)he preaches. So, I’ve decided to “put myself out there” a little more. All of this led to my “photo shoot” …
Reminder For Me
I’m usually a pretty strict guy. As I’ve mentioned before, I definitely find time to incorporate some of the finer things in life (beer, pizza, peanut M&M’s), but I like to “pick my spots.” In other words, I try to limit the time in which I subject myself to such foods. However, from time to time I find myself indulging more than I should. But when I set the date with my wife to get these pictures taken, I was money with my eating. It wasn’t very hard to walk by a cookie and NOT grab it. I made extra sure to prepare just the right food in advance. Etc. etc. What I am saying is this; taking photos of yourself is very motivating. I remember reading that John Berardi has often encouraged his clients to schedule a photo shoot because it is such a strong motivator and this will help you achieve your goals that much quicker. Keep this in mind (even if this “photo shoot” is just between you and your husband/wife).
Reminder #2
We are our own worst critic. There were a couple shots that Shondra thought were really good. While my response might of have been something like, “are you kidding me!?! Delete that picture. My 3-year old niece’s triceps look bigger than mine do in this picture!” If channelled in the right way, this can be a good thing… as a motivator to improve. If channelled the wrong way this can be terrible… causing someone to stop altogether and give up. Just remember that’s it’s ok to be hard on yourself, but channel it in the right direction!
So there you go… my photo shoot, the reasons for the shoot, and the power of pictures for motivation.
What event or occasion had you especially strict in order to reach your physique goal(s)? Did use the camera to “help get you there?” If taking pictures didn’t motivate you as well as you thought it would, what has worked better for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below…
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Training, Life, and Stuff…
January 21, 2012 by danny · Leave a Comment
Just a bunch of things creeping through my mind …
-It has been an unbelievably nice winter so far. Many days in the 40s and 50s, and quite a bit of sun. This has made my transition from California back to Illinois quite a bit easier. But the reality of living in the Midwest has hit, and hit hard…
My first time shoveling snow in about 10 years!
It has actually been kind of fun! But the thing I hate, is when these type of conditions last month after month after month. That’s why I’m so glad we had such a nice first part of winter. This greatly shortens the winter season… March is only just over a month away!
-Tony Gentilcore had a really good blogpost the other day. Q and A: My Supplement List. Tony delivers in his usual funny and informative way. The gist of his post is this (as he points out)…
It’s been said supplements are progress enhancers, not progress starters. If your current diet and training program isn’t getting the job done, then taking “x” supplement probably isn’t going to be the answer.
Check out the entire piece – Q and A: My Supplement List
-You want to know what is absolutely unbelievable and ridiculous? Let me tell you; there are about a zillion toys made specifically for babies, and the only things they want to play with are (in no particular order)…
1) My watch
2) The remote control
3) My cell phone
4) All the cables by the TV
5) The dog food in the dog dish
Kids these days! But, it’s hard to get mad at this face…
Capri in her hoodie
-Here’s a powerful picture…
Just a reminder of the power of weight lifting. Lifting can help you add muscle and as you can see, muscle takes up a lot less space than fat! This is why the scale can be deceiving. If person A and person B weigh exactly the same, but person A has more muscle than person B, person A will take up a lot less space (ladies, this means your clothes will fit better!). Now go get your lift on!
-I finished off the last day of my current training block on Thursday. I’ll be starting my new program on Sunday. It’s always exciting to start a new program. I’ll fill you in with some of the particulars in future posts.
I hope everyone has a great weekend. If it’s snowy in your neck of the woods, remember to take er easy on the roads.
Connect with me on twitter.
“Follow Through” when DRIBBLING the Basketball
January 18, 2012 by danny · Leave a Comment
When I work with basketball players I always emphasize the concept of “following through” when dribbling the basketball… kind of like when you you shoot the ball. I could explain more but, it’s easier to do in video…
I haven’t done many basketball posts lately, but I plan on adding more skill related posts in the future. If you are a player or have a son/daughter that plays, make sure you share this video with them… it will go a long way in helping him/her better develop those handles (the good kind of handles 
).
If you have any questions or thoughts, please leave a comment below.
Happy handling!
All Things Pull-Ups
January 12, 2012 by danny · 2 Comments
The other day I did a blogpost featuring “All Things TRX” – well today I’m back at it with all things pull-ups. Pull-ups are a great exercise that works the back, biceps, core, and gripping muscles. Check out the video below with some “normal” and unique variations that many of you probably haven’t tried yet. (NOTE: I FINALLY learned how to insert music into my videos… thanks to Dane for showing me how!)
And if you are someone that is on the fence – close, but can’t QUITE get that first chin-up, the video below should help you out.
Make 2012 the year that you get your first chin-up! And for those of you that are more advanced, you now have more options in your pull-up toolbox!
Now that I have babies, pull-ups have more than one meaning!
Remember, you can find me on twitter @DannyMcLarty – connect with me so we can talk fitness, sports, antiquing, and politics (yeah right, there’s a better chance that you’ll find me talking about antiques than get me to talk politics!).
All Things TRX
January 6, 2012 by danny · 4 Comments
When I moved back to Illinois and started training people out of my home, one of the first things I did was purchase a TRX Suspension Trainer. I’m really glad I did this, because when you are working in a small area, you want to maximize the space you have with minimal equipment. And you can get a ton done with TRX straps. I’ve also seen a number of trainers (and “general fitness enthusiasts”) talk about how handy TRX straps are when traveling – just pop it in your suitcase and you can get a workout in ANYWHERE.
Eric Cressey getting his TRX on while on his honeymoon!
If you train at your house or own a gym, you definitely need to include the TRX Suspension Trainer in your toolbox!
While there are many, many exercises to choose from, I decided to film some of my favorite for you to check out and include in your training programs going forward.
Please note: when I learned now to insert words into my youtube videos in 2011, that was a BIG deal for me. BUT, I still haven’t learned how to add music. Recently, my brother-in-law (Tom) tried to teach me how to do it over the phone. But my computer/technology learning disability was too strong for his good directions. However, in 2012 I will learn this near impossible task! For now though, no music. You’ll just have to enjoy watching me train… because that is VERY enjoyable, right? Right! …
What are some of your favorite TRX exercises? If you haven’t used a TRX yet and are interested in getting one, just click on this link and type in TRX Suspension Training Pro Pack in the search engine.
Happy Training!
Warning: Sexy Picture Inside
January 3, 2012 by danny · Leave a Comment
While I was living in California for the past 7.5 years, I missed a bunch of fun family/friend get-togethers. Fun times such as the annual “Moustache Bowl Game Party.” Now that I’m back in Illinois I got to participate in this party and all the coolness that goes with rocking an 80s ’stache. I must warn you, in the picture below you will be witnessing some EXTRA sexy facial hair. I’m just saying, prepare yourself. Ready? Ok, here you go…
Me, my brothers, & B. Leit showing off our moustaches.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, don’t be jealous. We wore those ’staches well, and looked damn sexy! Yeah right, I think each one of our wives just about puked when they saw us like this.
Well, this is supposed to be a training/nutrition/basketball website, so I guess I better leave you with a little information along those lines. Let’s see, what can I come up with? Oh, how ’bout this; remember to make time for fun and to not take yourself too seriously… otherwise stress will add up. And when that happens, achieving your health and physique goals becomes that much harder.
Have a good one everyone. I hope you enjoyed the “lovely” picture. 
P.S. Should I shave it or “let it ride” for a few more days?
Last Workout of 2011…
January 1, 2012 by danny · Leave a Comment
With 2012 just hours away, I thought I’d end ‘11 on a good note. For those of you that know me, it may surprise you that my last workout of the year was, wait for it, wait for it… a cardio session! In attempt to achieve my health and physique goals, I rely mostly on nutrition and weight training, with the occasional (VERY occasional) cardio session thrown in from time to time. I will say however… don’t tell me that weight training can’t have a cardio-like effect! Ever try 20-rep squats with as much weight as you can handle?!? I rest my case.
Anyway, overall my conditioning is pretty piss-poor right now, so in 2012 I VOW to increase my cardio from once every two months, to once every month. Just kidding (but not really).
My friends also know that I RARELY, RARELY, RARELY, perform “traditional” cardio. The thought of getting on a treadmill or going out for a boring jog excites me about as much as the thought of changing ANOTHER one of my babies diapers!!!
Daxton looks like he left a "Dax special" in the back of his pants... again!
Actually, I dont’ even come close to performing traditional cardio “rarely.” More like, never. I literally haven’t done a treadmill or straight line jog for more than 400 meters in over 10 years.
With that said, here’s what I put together for today’s cardio session…
And on to 2012 we go. This upcoming year (and every year going forward), make sure to hustle, bring the enthusiasm and passion, and do so with a positive attitude. If you can consistently do that, there is money to be had, lives to positively impact (including your own), and good times ahead.
Thanks for reading my blog/website this year! I look forward to sharing 2012 with you all!
2011: The Year That Was…
December 21, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
Once again, the end of the year is already here! It’s time to reflect on what we did, what we are proud of, and what we could do better going forward. As a reminder, when you sit down to write your resolutions, focus on your behaviors rather than your goals. For example, if you want to lose 10 pounds by February 14th, write down the behaviors that will help get you there…
1) I will eat 6 + servings of fruits and VEGGIES per day.
2) I will train with weights 3 times per week and get 2 additional cardio sessions in.
3) I will eat (pick your vice) only 1 time per week – max.
Focusing on your behaviors will give you the road map to reach your goals.
2011
2011 was a BIG year for me… life changing! Let’s take a look at some of the bigger events that stood out – both training and non-training.
-In January me and my friend’s Marci and Jason flew down to Arizona for some fun and some education. Marci and I visited Bret Contreras and his garage gym. It was great and we picked up a lot of great information from Bret! I reviewed our time with Bret, here… My Visit With Bret Contreras.
-My favorite interview of the year was the one I did with Jen Comas Keck. She’s one bad ass girl! You can read more about it here… Girl Gone Strong.
-As 2011 kept moving on, Shondra went from pregnant, to VERY PREGNANT!
You'd think there was two in there!
-The BIGGEST day of my life happened on May 27th, 2011 (at 8:02 and 8:03 a.m. – in case you were wondering ) …
-This was a fun little interview I did with the Rockford Register Star.
-I continued my work, writing for FitStudio.
-I became a FitFluential Ambassador. Chief Execute Officer and Founder, Kelly Olexa asked for a blog post directed to those new to fitness. This is what I came up with … Dear Young Fitness Friends.
-I had to say goodbye to a my good friends in California.
Good times. Good friends.
-Although it was hard, I was excited to head back “home” and get our babies closer to family.
The reason we came back to Illinois!
-Da Bears looked great early on. Then Jay Cutler got hurt. Then Da Bears started stinking up the joint. Then I cried.
-Da Bulls showed A LOT of promise and I’m excited about their future. D. Rose is a stud and he just signed a contract extension. I smiled.
-The Cubs picked up Theo Epstein, which has many of us Cub fans really excited. BUT, we are still the Cubs – so I only half smiled.
-After arriving in Illinois, I started training people out of my basement, continued training clients on-line, and have been busy giving basketball lessons and clinics. I continue to add equipment to the basement, but here is what it looked like early on…
-My most “controversial” post/video of the year came when I posted a YouTube video, giving the reasons that I am not a fan of distance running (for most). Check out the video for my more in depth reasoning for this. But the short of it is; running is very high impact and very repetitive. So, the main point is, EXCESSIVE running is what I am not a fan of. However, “excessive,” may actually be less than you think…
I came across this article yesterday called, “America’s Scariest Fitness Trends.” Check out fitness trend #2, as Rachel Cosgrove talks about some of things I mention in the above video.
Below is just one (of an infinite amount of options) example of how to more evenly spread the joint stress throughout the entire body when getting your cardio in. Did I Beat My Previous Time?
-You know that I have to sneak in some basketball. Here’s another basketball article that I wrote for iHoops… “5 Intermediate Strength Training Lifts for Basketball Players”
-I’ve been so busy with life, babies, etc, that I haven’t played much b-ball lately. But I’m back in a league and starting to play a little more again. As I talk about in this post, My Body Is A Mess, I was not smart – the first time coming back to play, I ended up playing on back-to-back days and my body/blisters hated me all week…
My poor blisters!
Oh, and here are a couple updated pictures of Capri and Daxton…
And we had a pretty good deadliftingsession the other day. They struggled with gripping the kettlebell and with mastering the hip hinge, but I think they’ll get it soon enough.
There is a whole lot more that I could include, but I don’t want to make this too long. In 2012 I look forward to helping you all with your health, performance, and physique goals. I look forward to continue spending time with my family and friends. And I look forward to ATTACKING my fitness goals as well! Remember to write down a few of the BEHAVIORS that will lead you to your goals!
Speaking of behaviors and goals, what are yours in 2012? Let me hear them.
My Body Is a Mess!
December 14, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
My bod is absolutely killing me. I did something earlier in the week that wasn’t very smart. I hadn’t played full court basketball in about 2 months. I have a group of friend’s that get together for pick up ball on Sunday mornings. Well, I’m usually giving basketball lessons on Sunday mornings. But I received a call from one of my b-ball clients saying that he was sick and unable to make it to our lesson. This opened up a time for me to get to the gym for some pick-up hoops.
My friend Aaron Sullivan opened up the gym for us and I got to see some friends that hadn’t seen in awhile. Everyone lined up for a free throw. First 5 to make their free throw was on one team, the second 5 to make their free throw was on the second team. I ended up being on the team of my long time friend’s Mark Beachey and Jim Ryan. My friend Jeb Blomquist and another guy that I didn’t know was on our team as well. The “rules” were the usual … you win, you stay on the court. Well, we won every game and ended up playing about 7 games. Great, I hadn’t played in forever, and on my first time back I ended up playing 7 games. It was great to play with my old buddies again, but believe me when I tell you that my knees, and hip flexors, hamstrings, low back, etc etc. we’re very sore the next day. And then maybe the worst part – the blisters on my feet were terrible! And this is only the half of it…
The next day I get a call from my friend, “Shinny.” He has been calling me for weeks to get me to play on his team (in a league) on Monday nights. I’ve repeatedly turned him down as I’ve been busy with work and the twins. But this time Shinny really gave it to me; “C’mon Danny, we need you! We may only have 4 guys and we’re playing one of the best teams in the leauge!” So I gave into him and drove down to Byron for the game. I knew I was in trouble when my blisters were killing me while getting in warm-up shots and while doing some dribbling before the game started. Long story short, I played the whole game (except for the couple minutes) and my right knee and my BLISTERS WERE KILLING ME. We won the game easily and it was a lot of fun to play with Shinny and my college coach, Carl Armato. But as I was driving home I was thinking, “what the heck was I thinking!?! Why’d I play on back to back nights after not playing in months!!!???!!!” Here is a picture of what my bloodied socks looked like when I took my basketball shoes off…
Bloody (and dirty) socks - my poor feet/blisters!!!
When I woke up on Tuesday morning, I could barely walk. The joints/muscles that I mentioned above were now hurting X 2.
Anyway, all of this brings me to my point; when you are hurting, doing nothing and just sitting on the couch all day to “rest and recover” is one of the worst things that you can do. I talked more about this in an older post I made on this topic in THIS POST. I actually brought a foam roller with me to the game and rolled before the game, at half time, and immediately after the game. After the 45 minute drive home from the game, I rolled again, and iced my knees. The next day I performed a bunch of light “active recovery drills.” When I lived in California I filmed an example of this…
Above, you see
-Goblet Squats
-Push-ups
-RDL/Bent Over Row (hybrid)
-Wall Hip Flexor Mobilizations (to address my tight quads)
-Hip Thrusts
-Reverse Lunge with Twist
So, moral of the story – don’t be dumb like me and out of nowhere perform an intense, high impact activity on BACK-TO-BACK days when you haven’t done that activity in months!
Second moral – when are really sore, INCLUDE ACTIVE RECOVERY EXERCISES to get the body moving and blood flowing. It will speed up the recovery process much faster than plopping on the couch all day, waiting for the pain to go away.
Do you have any favorite recovery methods after taking a beating from a tough training session(s)/game? Let me hear them…
