My Fat Loss Program
July 18, 2012 by danny · Leave a Comment
For the past four weeks I’ve been performing a program that I wrote up with fat loss in mind. Another way to look at it for an individual that is already lean, this is a program design to help take someone from lean to ripped. Either way, it’ll help a person shed away some unwanted fat.
In this blogpost, I’m not going to get into the specifics about my program. I’ll save that for the next post that I make. Today, I want to talk a bit about program design as it pertains to a “fat loss program.”
Nutrition is King
The training god of the world could write up the “perfect” fat loss program for any of us, but it wouldn’t do us much good if we didn’t pay special attention to our nutrition plan. I mean, I could actually gain fat on a fat loss program if I consume too many calories. Likewise, if I were on a plan designed to add muscle mass, I could actually become skinnier/smaller if I consumed too few calories. So really, the program is only as good as the nutrition plan that goes along with it.
Not too long ago I had a few “fitness pictures” taken so that they could be used when I write for various fitness websites.
To prepare for this “photo shoot,” I did ZERO cardio. All I did was lift hard, and most importantly, tighten up my nutrition in the days leading up to the shoot.
Does the Training Program Even Matter When Trying to Drop Fat???
After reading what I just wrote above, you probably think, “well, if nutrition is THAT important, the only thing that matters is that you eat ‘right.’ Therefore we can perform any training program we want because nutrition is going to be the deciding factor in the results we get anyway.”
I almost agree with that thinking, but not completely. I definitely think adding in some cardio and designing a lifting program that is conducive to fat loss is the ideal route to take. But again, if your nutrition doesn’t compliment your cardio/weight lifting program, you are NOT going to get the results that you want.
Then How Did you Get So Lean for Those Photos?
I can get very lean without performing cardio and/or a lifting program designed for fat loss. This makes me one of the “lucky” ones I guess. But don’t get it twisted, I work my ASS OFF in the weight room, and this goes a long way in one reaching their physique goals. BUT, just so you know, I am also “cursed” when it comes time to adding muscle mass. Another words, I can easily get lean, but have a hard time adding size to my biceps and calves and shoulders, etc, etc. We all have weaknesses when it comes to physique development. It sucks, but it is what it is. All we can do is do our best and not stress too much about it… as excess stress will just lead to more problems.
My Fat Loss Program
For my fitness clients (the non-competitive athletes), I spend the majority of my time designing programs designed to help them lose fat/weight. But for the reasons mentioned above, for my personal programs, I don’t usually write up and perform “fat loss” programs for myself. However, I decided to do something a little different a spend some time training with fat loss in mind. This involved a weight training program with higher overall reps than I am used to; less rest intervals between sets than I am used to; and more overall suckiness than I am used to. 
Most people make the mistake of making their weight training session turn into a cardio session. While my heart was pounding through my chest for much of these workouts, I MADE SURE to also include some heavy, low rep sets to make sure I don’t turn into a weak and skinny looking human being.
GREAT actor! Poorly muscled.
Final Thought
Now, in order to lose fat/weight, you do NOT need to turn into a miserable person that can only eat broccoli and plain chicken breast day-in-day-out. I definitely make sure to enjoy the finer things in life like beer, pizza, and cookie crisp cereal. I just try to make sure that those types of foods are NOT the staple in my nutrition plan. AND, if you are serious about making a “significant” fat loss run, you will probably have to give up those foods for a month or so. I think that is a great thing to do… live a “mostly clean life” (but not to strict) as your way of life, and then from time-to-time go on a ~ 30 day “strict” run.
Anyway, in my next post I’ll include my current “fat loss” training program, so you can see how I set it all up.
I’ll see you then…
The Week That Was: July 1st-7th…
July 9, 2012 by danny · Leave a Comment
I thought I’d take this time to go over some of the highlights of the past week in my life. So, let’s get right to it…
I) For the 4th of July we had some friends invite us over to their lake for some fun. I needed to be near water as this heat wave has been brutal! Here are some pictures…
Capri Foam Rolling her adductors on the beach.
Daxton and I in the water.
Capri "swimming."
Great time had by all! The water was perfect, and the brats, brownies, and EVERYTHING tasted great. I DID make sure to get in plenty of fruit and some veggies, however. ”Damage control,” I guess you could call it. Which leads to my next point…
II) I continued performing my training program which is geared towards “fat loss,” “get lean,” “get ripped,” or whatever you want to call it. I’ve been working my ass off and it hasn’t been easy (the training program hasn’t been easy, that is). That’s where the damage control comment came from up above as it wouldn’t make sense to go kill it in the weight room only to go out and eat like crap. I’m still going to detail what my “fat loss” program has looked like over the last couple of weeks, so stay tuned (should have it up next week sometime).
III) I went to watch a bunch of my basketball clients play in a tournament yesterday. It’s always fun to see them play 5-on-5 against live competition. I usually only see them working on their skills with no one else around (as in a 1-on-1 session), or with a couple of partners (as in 2-on-1 or a 3-on-1 session). Therefore, it’s hard to evaluate if some of the moves that we work on are “game-ready” yet.
Overall I was happy with the progress that they have been making. Still a lot of work to do, but they’re heading in the right direction!
One of the players (Jake Ryan – 7th-grader) that I’ve been working with played especially well. He had 23 points and they came in a variety of ways… pull-up jumpers; getting all the way to basketball; 9-10 at the FT line; and he had a couple 3’s. More important to me, is the fact that he is taking what he learns in our lessons and “transferring” it over to the game. For example, his head was always up and he did a great job of finding the open man; he changed speed (i.e. hesitation dribble); he “smoothly” changed directions (i.e. crossover dribble/between the legs dribble); AND, I was very happy to see that he combined both the change of direction and change of speed together at the same time (i.e. in the open court he hesitated, and went right in to the crossover). Great job Jake, your hard work is showing!
For a little more advanced version of what I’m talking about, check out how many of these change of direction moves are combined with a change of speed…
Nasty! BTW, the Deron Williams play is my favorite in the video (#2). He’s underrated for his ability to make defenders look like fools!
That’ll wrap things up for now. I hope you all had a great 4th of July week, and that you continue to work hard through the rest of the summer!
Brilliant at the Basics – Episode III – Bulgarian Split Squats AND McKenna’s First Experience at Wrigley (Wrigley vs Fenway)……
June 19, 2012 by danny · 5 Comments
Today’s post is the 3rd and final installment of “brilliant at the basics.” But before we get into that, I want to quickly recap my trip to Wrigley Field this past Friday. If you read episode II of brilliant at the basics, you’ll recall I mentioned that one of my best friend’s was in town from Omaha for his first visit to Wrigley. Now, he’s a BIG Red Sox fan, so I was curious to get his thoughts on Wrigley compared to Fenway Park (a place that I still haven’t been). McKenna had A LOT of good to say about Wrigley in the days to follow his first experience in the ball park. But I’m going to let him recap Wrigley and Fenway’s similarities and differences in the comments section below. Note to McKenna, sorry about the mustard “situation” (you’ll get it when you read McKenna’s summary).
A view from our seats.
If you’ve been to both stadiums, please add your .02 in the comments section below as well. I can’t wait to join McKenna at Fenway the next time the Cubs play there, so I too can compare the two ball parks. I just hope that my first visit there will be Cubs vs Red Sox in the World Series (I know, I know, I won’t be holding my breath!). By the way, at the end of the game, we were waving the W flag! Cubs win! Cubs win!
A lovely sight for Cubs fans!
Brilliant at the Basics
Alrighty then, with that out of the way, let’s get to the last installment of brilliant at the basics. I used the bulgarian split as the exercise of choice to get my point across. But you can apply the points that I make to any exercise in the weight room. Check out the video below…
So, if you have any thoughts about my whole brilliant at the basics series, leave a comment.. And, remember to check out McKenna’s summary of Wrigley vs. Fenway in the comments section below. Is he on the money? Do you have different thoughts? If so, let us hear them…
Brilliant at the Basics – Episode I
June 7, 2012 by danny · Leave a Comment
Strength Coach Mike Boyle recently wrote a really good blogpost. In it, he quoted Coach Dewey Neilsen:” Be Brilliant at the Basics.”
In the video below, I elaborate…
I was a guest speaker at a basketball camp today, and this whole brilliant at the basic thing, was the “theme” of my speech. Far too often we are in such a hurry (in sports and/or training) to get to the advanced stuff, but we fail to “master” the basics. So my next few blogposts will be real world examples of getting brilliant at the basics. I’ll include both basketball and fitness examples. First up… push-ups.
The first question to come out of ANY young (male) trainee’s mouth is; “how much ya bench?” Well, I like the bench press, but 95% of these guys can’t even perform a proper push-up yet. So why are they worrying about how much they can max out on on the bench press? I guess it’s in our DNA… in order to become a MAN, you HAVE TO max out on the bench!
I also have some of my young high school guys asking me, “when do we get to bench press with those chains!?!”
While I LOVE that they are excited to try new things here in the weight room, there is no need for those advanced methods just yet. Let’s first learn to master a push-up!
Here are some common push-up errors that I see on a weekly basis…
So, “Be Brilliant at the Basics,” episode I is in the books. Check back in a couple days for some more examples along these lines.
If you have friends that could benefit from this post, please share it with ALL OF THEM!
Off-Season Training for Basketball
June 4, 2012 by danny · Leave a Comment
I put up a similar blogpost a few weeks back. But in case you missed it, here it the “article version.” Powerbasketball.com published THIS ARTICLE that I wrote. The majority of the information comes in the video, so make sure to check that out. Remember, at this time of the year (late spring/early summer), skill development is HUGE!
Now, this boy has some skills!
I’m about to put up a couple blogposts per week with the following theme: Be Brilliant at the Basics. I’ll elaborate soon. So be sure to check back to find out what I’m talking about.
See you then!
Embrace the Process: By Christian Thibaudeau
May 23, 2012 by danny · Leave a Comment
I wanted to share this for you all to see, because I think it is brilliant. Christian Thibaudeau wrote up this piece over at t-nation.com. Below is a copy and paste of Christian’s article…
“Embrace the Process
There are two kinds of people in the gym:
1. Those who are training to get results.
2. Those who are training because they love it.
Who builds the best body in the long run? Those who train because they love it!
I'm sure this guy fell in love with "the fitness game."
Don’t get me wrong, those who train merely to get results will sometimes get short-term results, usually the inevitable “newbie gains.” But they never achieve true, long term success.
Why? Because once you’re past your beginner gains, progressing in physique and strength is hard. If you’re only in it only for the results, they’ll never come fast enough. So when you’re passed that beginner stage and you have to work much harder for your gains, you simply won’t make it far if you don’t love the process.
I’ll be honest with you. If somebody gave me a pill that would stop my strength and body comp progress forever, I’d still train hard and train often because there’s nothing I’d rather do.
When it comes to long-term results, understand that:
1. Progression is never linear. I’ve had guys gain 5-6 pounds of muscle in 10 days then stabilize for six weeks. I’ve had others lose 4 pounds of fat per week for four weeks then only lose a pound per week for two months. I’ve had people increase their strength by 10% over a two-week period then struggle to gain 5 pounds more within the next six weeks. That’s how the body works!
But when that happens, people freak out. They expect the quick gains to last forever. But the truth is that you cannot maintain that rate of gain all the time. On top of that, you never know when that will happen! The only thing you can control is to keep training hard.
2. Because of the non-linear aspect of progression, people who are in it only for the results open themselves up to “solutions” that are actually counterproductive:
A) They change their program too often, thinking that it’s the program that doesn’t work. Changing your program too often only gives you an illusion of progression because of quick neural adaptations; it doesn’t give you more actual muscle gain. And it could very well limit the amount of growth you’re getting in the long run.
B) They get discouraged and turn to anabolic steroids. When I see dozens of teens without much muscle turning to drugs (and often using higher doses than some pro-bodybuilders), it makes me sick. Not so much because of the steroids themselves, but because of the underlying attitude than lead to their usage.
These guys never learn to train and eat properly. They don’t know how to make gains themselves, so they become slaves to anabolic steroids.
C) They stop training altogether because they feel it’s not worth the effort.
The real secret to getting long term progress is:
Fall in love with the process.
Let training become one of your passions. That way you’ll approach every session like it’s a privilege to be there; you’ll be excited and motivated to train hard and, as such, you’ll get more results. It will also bulletproof you to any stagnation period that might come your way. You’ll be able to blast through that and resume your gains afterwards.
If you’re in it only for the results, you won’t get them!”
And back to Danny…
Very well said Christian! No matter what it is in life, if you don’t enjoy it, you’re not going to stick with it.
There are many ways to make training more enjoyable. Such as…
-Getting a training partner that you can trust (i.e. Someone that always shows up. Someone that is always there to pick you up).
-Hire a trainer to help hold you accountable and to design a program that fits your needs.
-Find a way to make it more exciting. I think everyone should incorporate weight training into their fitness routine. But if being “cooped-up” inside a gym all summer DOES NOT EXCITE YOU ONE BIT, get outside for part of your training.
Hell, you could get some TRX Straps and take them to the park (seriously) on a nice sunny day.
The main point is that it’s not JUST about results. Yes, I’d be pretty frustrated if my personal workouts led to a flabbier me, and I’m sure you would too. So, results DO matter. But remember, it’s not JUST about the results. EMBRACE THE PROCESS.
My Newest Toy – Chains!
May 15, 2012 by danny · Leave a Comment
When I was a kid I couldn’t sleep the night before Christmas. The thought of Santa and Rudolph up on my roof, about to deliver a bunch of presents, are you kidding me!?! Nothing could be more exciting to a 15 year old 5 year old!
Today, the UPS truck has replaced Santa. Whenever I order a new piece of equipment for my home gym, I’m like a little kid – looking out my window waiting for the UPS truck to deliver my new equipment. The newest arrival? Chains…
In the video above, I’m using them to perform a drop set. But the “main” use of these bad boys is “accommodating resistance.” As I talked about in this blogpost, bands and chains help match the strength curve. They increase the intensity of an exercise by allowing for maximum loading at every point of the range of motion.
Picture doing a bench press. Usually when you lift the bar off your chest, it can be very difficult. But when you get near lockout, the weight actually feels lighter/easier. By adding chains, the top portion of the lift can be just as difficult as the bottom portion of the lift. Here’s an example video…
Notice that when he brings the bar down to his chest, most of the chains are on the ground. Therefore they basically add no weight. But as he approaches lock out (the top of the lift), the majority of the chains are now off the ground, therefore making the top of the lift heavier than the bottom portion of the lift. Voila – the strength curve has been matched.
Chains added to the deadlift.
So, I’m excited to play around with these and incorporate them into my own training, and the training of my clients.
But, the take-home message is (or should be): Never stop being a kid. Find something that excites you in life! Even if it’s as simple as the UPS truck.
Females Lifting And A Little Randomness
May 9, 2012 by danny · 2 Comments
I got a couple of my female clients on video the other day during one of their lifting sessions (sisters, as a matter of fact). I wanted to share this video with y’all for a couple reasons. So let’s get to it…
This first video is of Paige. I taped her doing RDLs for the first time. The reason I think this video is so interesting, is because she keeps her neck neutral (in line with her spine) throughout the set. I’ve been training people for over 10 years and I don’t think I’ve EVER had anyone “instinctively” do this right from the get-go. When doing hip-hinging patterns people usually hyperextend their neck, like this…
Notice how her head is up and NOT aligned with her spine.
Ideally, the individual will “pack” their neck in this situation. Packing is a combo of cervical retrusion and capital flexion. Check out the video that I provide at the bottom of this post. In the video Bret Contreras will elaborate on packing the neck and tell us why we should care about it.
Now, Paige could probably improve that whole capital flexion thing a bit, but overall, her head is neutral throughout.
I usually don’t cue people to pack their neck (or “tuck” their chin) the first time performing lifts such as RDLs. Well, if it’s important, then why don’t you include it, Danny? Good question. And here’s why; I’ve found that giving too many cues when performing “complicated” lifts like RDLs ends up causing more harm than good. In other words, if the individual has too many things to think about when learning a new lift, it can end up turning into paralysis by analysis and they have a hard time even getting into the proper position. I think the most important things to learn at first when performing a lift like the RDL is…
-Learning the hip-hinge pattern
-Bracing the core
-Keeping the shoulder blades retracted/depressed and the spine neutral
That right there is PLENTY to think about right off the bat (for most people, but not for Paige apparently 
).
So, good instincts Paige. Nice work!
Lil’ Sis
Now, I can’t include a video of Paige without including a video of her younger sister, Paityn. Here is Paityn performing 155 pounds on the rack pull for reps…
Later in this session, she hit an easy 165 pounds. She could have done a lot more but I always like to be certain a newbie (her 2nd time performing rack pulls) is completely comfortable with the lift before REALLY loading it. I used to train Coco in California. She worked up to a 300 pound rack pull before I moved back to Illinois…
You better watch your back Coco, because Paityn is coming after you!
Ut oh, I hear the twins starting to stir. Time to go change some diapers, wipe some booggers, and other AWESOME stuff like that!
But before I go, here is Bret’s video talking about neck packing. If you are a lifter, make sure to check out this helpful video…
Motivation…
May 7, 2012 by danny · Leave a Comment
If you’re in a rut or just need a little pick-me-up, hopefully this helps…
-As I stated in this blog post, I’m currently working around an injury. No need to stop training when injured (in 99% of the cases). There is always something you can do. Stop the excuses!
-Just Do It!
-Physiques that make your realize you can always do better…
Guys…
Ladies…
-“Commitment leads to action. Action brings your dream closer.”
Marcia Wieder
-THE key ingredient while training is HARD WORK! …
-“The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses – behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.” – Muhammad Ali
Now go make it happen …
Working Around An Injury
May 1, 2012 by danny · Leave a Comment
If you missed my post from the other day (Saying Goodbye To My First True Love), you know that I tore a muscle in my calf. Yeah, it sucks. But I’m not going to hang my head and sit around on my butt. There is still PLENTY of work that can be done in the weight room. Here is my leg training session from yesterday…
Despite being limited in exercise selection, I still was able to get a few things in … 1-Leg Hip Thrust for my glutes; Ski Squats for my quads; 1-Leg RDLs for my left leg – I tried 2-Leg Swiss Ball leg curls and 1-Leg RDLs for my right leg (the side that I tore my calf), but those both bothered it so I decided it was smart to be patient and not force it. And then I finished up with the battling rope for my cardio.
Nothing special, and not exactly my usual exercise selection, but there is no way that I’ll allow myself a major set-back from this injury.
Ouch!!!
Finding A Way
There is always a way to get something in. I really believe those that are happiest with their physiques are the ones that avoid big set-backs. I’m nowhere near perfect, but I’ve NEVER had a bad month of training. Maybe a few days, but I’m always sure to get right back on track. Does one of these scenarios sound like you…
-You’ve been working out consistently for a number of months and you’re feeling and looking good. Then you take a vacation, do no working out, but swear to yourself that you’ll get back on track once you get back home. But before you know it, 2 months have gone by and you STILL haven’t touched a weight or gotten a cardio session in.
–You’ve been working out consistently for a number of months and you’re feeling and looking good. Then you get sick and miss a week of training. You’re excited to get back to training once you feel better. But when the time comes around you just can’t quite find the motivation to start back up. A year has passed, you still haven’t gotten back into it, and you feel like a piece of poop.
-You suffer an injury and promise yourself that once you’re healthy you are going to come back better than ever. But you missed a bunch of workout sessions while injured, and this has now turned into a habit. You never get back on track!
Remember, it’s not how you respond when things are going well, it’s how you respond to adversity that counts.
In the case of getting injured, there really is a ton that can still be done. Getting hurt has taken me on a bit of a detour. I completed four weeks of my chest specialization training block and was about to start up weeks 5-8 (that would take me to late May, then the plan is going to be getting “beach ready” … you know, get as lean as possible for the summer). But I’m adjusting on the fly. I now plan on doing weeks 5-8 of my chest program next week. And will have to continue to tinker with my leg workouts as the injury heals.
We can always find a way! Even in tough times, make sure to get at least a little somin’ somin’ in, in order to avoid BIG set-backs. I mean even something like 3-4 sets of push-ups + 3-4 sets of a lunge variation 2-3 times per week (come on, that’ll take you ~15 minutes to complete!). THEN, when life settles down, you won’t be starting from such a big deficit.
Get er done!
