Training Videos From The Week That Was…
June 12, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
What’s up y’all! Another great training week in the books – below, you’ll see me and my clients putting in work…
First up, Coco hitting 155 X 8 in the deadlift…
Overall, great job by Coco. She is fairly new to deadlifting, so we just have to try to make a couple tweaks…
1) Sometimes, her hips rise slightly before her torso – we want them to go up “as one.”
2) Her neck is extended and I’d like to see it in more of a neutral position (in line with her spine).
Brandon nails 300 X 5 in the trap bar deadlift. He made it look fairly easy… not bad at all for a guy that weighs about 135 pounds!
Another video of one of the guys from the Dougherty Valley Basketball team (along with Brandon from above), Kenrick front squats 220 X 5. He easily has more left in him! But I would like to see him get about an inch lower on a couple of those reps, because he is mobile/stable/strong enough to do so.
I’m not sure why the video of Kenrick repeats itself and shows the set twice.?. My learning disability when it comes to computers once again rears its ugly head! One of these days maybe I’ll even learn how to add music and cool other features to my YouTube videos. Maybe. 
Carson (age 10) headed over to the gym with me today to train. In between my sets, I taught him how to perform the basics; push-ups, static lunges, and TRX Rows. My goal was just to drill home proper form, and not even worry about adding weight yet. He did a great job! His push-up form was really good! …
And finally, this was the finishing leg complex to my workout today…
-Jump Squats X 10, Reverse Lunges X 10 (total), Squats X AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible). I got 16 reps on the squats today, 3 more than last Sunday. Yeah boooyyyeee!
I’ll try to get my camera in the gym as much as possible in the weeks to come and continue to post videos of me and my clients working our ass off! Have a great week and stay tuned for more fun to come.
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…
Should Your Max Always Be Your True Max?
August 23, 2010 by danny · Leave a Comment
The other day I worked up to a 2 rep max (RM) with trap bar deadlifts. After I finished the 2RM, I could have “easily” (ok, not easily, but I certainly left some weight on the table) added more weight and gotten a higher 2 RM for the day. And no, I’m not acting like the typical internet forum hero and making claims that have no truth. Here’s the video for proof…
That is 405 pounds X 2. *** While certainly no world record, it is not bad since I currently weight just under 160 pounds (“bulking season” is just around the corner however ) After I finished rep #2, I felt as if I could have done another 2-3 reps, or done another set and added at least another 20 pounds to the bar and continued working up to my 2 RM for the day. I decided to do neither. At this point in my life, in my opinion, it is not worth it. I’m 34 now, and my main goal is to have a buff, healthy body. If I were to continue working up to a higher weight, only to round my lumbar spine and herniate a disk, I’d be very pissed at myself. If I continued to work up to a heavier weight for the next 4-5 weeks in my program, and hit 450 X 2, or 475 X 1 (or whatever), would I really be healthier and more buff? Maybe, maybe, maybe a touch bigger. Every exercise we do in the weight room has a risk:reward attached to it. Going for a number considerably bigger than 405 X 2 on deadlifts to me, is riskier than what the reward would bring. When doing deads, my goal is to go as heavy as possible while having perfect, or near perfect form on every rep. If you look at the video, I think my form is good for lifting a weight that is more than 2.5 times heavier than I am. But it is not perfect. (And how much sloppier would it get if I were to continue working up to a higher max?) I slightly extend my neck as I lift the bar off the floor. And my hips rise SLIGHTLY before my shoulders but overall, I’m happy with the lift. Certainly much better than many deadlift attempts that you’ll see out there…
Your Goals, Your Call
If you think I’m being a big wuss for not really caring too much about not getting my deadlift up considerably higher, that is fine. And if your goal is to deadlift as much weight as humanly possible, I am completely cool with that. I get it. Lifting heavy weight is definitely an important component to having a muscular body. That is why I have worked up to deadlifting over 400 pounds. But I am not competing in powerlifting and again, adding some lbs to the bar in this lift won’t do a ton to making me more jacked. Even Eric Cressey, a former competitve powerlifter who has a deadlifted over 600 pounds has stated this in an article…
Category 1: Weekend warriors who deadlift to improve functional capacity and correct or prevent imbalances.
Category 2: Athletes who deadlift to improve performance and bulletproof themselves against injury.
Category 3: Powerlifters who deadlift to get better at deadlifting.
Logically, I’m willing to take more chances in category #3 than I am in #2, and certainly #1. Weekend warriors don’t get aggressive loading parameters (singles over 90%). And while athletes might get to pull heavy singles, they only get to do so in a controlled environment (elevated trap bar deadlifts, pulls against chains).
A veteran athlete would blur the line between #1 and #2, and a more resilient up-and-coming athlete would be more of a “true” #2.
According to Eric’s categories of deadlifting, at this point in my lifting “career,” I put myself in category #1, merging with category #2, as my competitive juices get flowing sometimes and I can’t help but “really going for it!” But I’m certainly not willing to go into category number 3 just to add a few pounds to the bar.
Other Lifts
There are plenty of other lifts out there where going ALL OUT with weight carries a much smaller risk. And on those lifts I often work up to a true max (and have my clients do the same), whether that means a 1 RM, 8 RM, or any other rep range that I am working in. For example, the other day I worked up to a 1 RM with chin-ups. I hit 100 lbs X 1…
Later on in that same training session I did some hammer curls…
If I ended up picking a weight that had me falling a little short on that chin-up (missing a lift – rarely, if ever a goal), I think my injury status would still = healthy. Same thing with exercises like curls.
Moral of the Story
I hope you don’t think I am saying that you should not try to get stronger in certain lifts, like the deadlift. Getting a big(ger) deadlift will do wonders for your physique. But with certain lifts, I want you to ask yourself how important it is to really go for a true max. While in other exercises, pushing it to a true max is probably worth it. Only you can answer the importance of what category you put each lift in within your training goals. As I get older, I get smarter and am comfortable of knowing when to hold back a touch, and when to completely go for it.
*** Like I mentioned, 405 X 2 is not a world record. But it is a world record for the most weight ever lifted while listening to John Mayer. What the hell was that!?!
Amazingly Sad – Cubbies!
August 13, 2010 by danny · Leave a Comment
For Carson’s 10th birthday yesterday, we went to the Cubs/Giants game in SF. My wife’s b-day gift to him 
was a meet ‘n greet with the Cubs player while being served lunch. I made 3 rounds through the buffet, thank you very much . Sean Marshall turned out to be the player that we got to meet and hang out with. He did a great job during the Q & A with all the Cubs fans… the majority flew in from Chicago for the event. We also received a tour of AT&T Park. The tour guide was excellent and he gave us many interesting tidbits about how AT&T came to be, as well as some great stories about this beautiful ballpark. If you’ve never been, I highly suggest you make the trip at some point in your life. The only field I like more, is Wrigley. Although I still haven’t been to Fenway as that stadium may bump AT&T to 3rd on my list.
I obviously love going to watch the Cubs when they come into town. But I wanted to punch every Giants fan in the face last night. Every time the Cubs scored a run, us Cubs fans would get up and cheer, like any fan would do for their team. And Cubs fans (like Red Sox and Yankees fans) travel really well. We were all over the stadium last night dressed in our Blue. But whenever we got up to support our Cubbies, the Giants fans would yell at us; “SIT DOWN CUBS FANS! YOU HAVEN’T WON IN 102 YEARS. 102 YEARS, 102 YEARS, 102 YEARS!” Again, I wanted to punch them in the face, but damn it, they were right. So all I could do was cry a little bit inside (I couldn’t show it on the outside of course) and act like they weren’t bothering me. It was torcher. But I guess sometimes I like a little torcher. I’ve been on a little torcher kick this week. My new training program has Anderson Squats in it…
Those feel like torcher while doing them. My new program also has Trap Bar Deadlifts. I start off working up to a max double, followed by 2 higher rep sets…
Deadlifts can feel like tourcher. Especially when you do the higher rep sets.
I also went to the dentist and as it turned out, they had to numb my mouth. It took much longer for my mouth to regain any feeling than I had anticipated. I couldn’t eat or drink anything (including a protein shake) ’til after 2 p.m. and I hadn’t eaten since 8 a.m. Yes, that was tourcher for me. But much more so for the people around me. If I don’t get food in me every couple hours, I start to resemble a tired, cranky 4-year old girl. No wonder my wife rushed out of the house when I got home after my dentist appointment. Good call Shondra, I don’t blame you!
With all that said, nothing torchered me more than typing the below numbers…
1908 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010.
Now that was torcherous. And it took waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long to type!
I colored some noteable years;
-1915 – this is the year my Grandpa was born. 2006 was the year this great man died. He NEVER got to see the Cubs win a World Series ring. Are you kidding me? That’s really messed up!!!
-1945 – this is the last time the Cubs played in the World Series.
1976 – this is the year I was born. I’ve lived 34 years without seeing a championship from the Cubs. This pales in comparison to my Grandpa’s experience, but it’s still too damn long!
But here’s what I am thinking; Something has to reverse the billy goat curse. We need 10 (or more) people to type into their computer, every year from 1908-2010 as I did above. It may or may not help to color-code a few personal meaninful years – I’m not sure about that part yet. There has been just over 10 decades (hence the reason we NEED at least 10 people to follow through with this de-cursing) since we last won that ring. We do this, and we WILL be getting that World Series Ring really soon here. C’mon Cubbies fans, step up and help out. We can do it!
I can’t wait ’til next year!!! …
