Dear Young Fitness Friends…
December 1, 2011 by danny · 4 Comments
Every one of us that has been in this fitness game for any length of time, started off as a newbie. In our early stages of fitness, we were eager to learn, but had no idea where to start. I was the same way. I loved playing sports as a kid, and as I hit my freshman year in high school, I also started to incorporate lifting weights “here and there.” I loved it from the get-go, but really had no idea what I was doing.
Am I doing this right?
This led me to do some investigating; what are the best exercises? Do I do a set of one exercise, rest and then do the same exercise? Or do two different exercises, alternating back and fourth? Cardio before weights, or the other way around? How many days per week should I lift? What are the best rep ranges? And the more I looked into it, the more confused I got. The “answer” to one question just led to whole new set of questions. But then, things started to change for me. I met a person that greatly influenced me. His name is Cy Willson. He was a guy at the local gym that was known for being very smart, with a very good physique. One day I approached him with a few questions and he was more than happy to help me out. He answered every e-mail that I sent him (100s of e-mails!!!) and even met with me one day to go over a notebook full of questions I had for him.
Cy also new Dr. John Berardi and told me that I should start reading some of his work. So I did – and I learned a ton. Dr. Berardi was also gracious enough to answer many questions that I had and I’ve since attended a few seminars that John has presented in.
I talk more about the coaches that have influenced the most, in THIS POST.
Since I’ve always been so appreciate of people like Cy and John, I feel it’s my duty to “pass it on” to people that are just getting involved in fitness and are a) not sure where to start, and/or b) looking for more information to help them achieve greater results.
With that said, here are seven tips to help the newbies get started on the right path in their fitness journey.
#1) Show Up
What’s a better exercise for your triceps – the close-grip bench press, or overhead tricep extensions? It doesn’t matter at all if you don’t CONSISTENTLY get to the gym. Showing up is the first step and probably the most important step.
#2) Keep A Training Log
It’s hard to know what’s working and what isn’t if you are just “winging it” every time you go to the gym. Having a plan and recording your training sessions can teach you a lot. And just as important, a training log is a huge for motivation. Human nature has us wanting to outdo our previous performance. Lets say that last Monday you totalled 24 chin-ups over the course of 4 sets. Well, when next Monday rolls around and you have 18 total reps going into your final set, believe me, you are going to dig down a little deeper to be able to get 7 reps on that last set (for a total of 25 reps).
One. More. Rep.
#3) Form First
I tell my new clients the golden rule is, FORM FIRST. I don’t want them to worry about adding weight until they’ve mastered form while using a full range of motion. It’s important for new trainees to put their bodies through many, many, many “perfect” reps to be able to get an idea of what the exercise should feel like. Grooving that proper pattern is key. Once this is mastered, there may be a little room for some “body english” from time to time. But for staying healthy and performing optimally over the long haul – form first!
#4) Compound Movements
Exercises that use many muscles at one will get you results much faster than doing isolation exercise after isolation exercise. It will also save you time and set you up for better results down the road. Yes, there DEFINITELY is a time and place for isolation exercises (i.e. bicep curls). But make compound movements (i.e. push-ups, chin-ups, deadlifts, squats) your staple – especially early on in your “career.”
#5) What You Drink Matters!
You can be “money” when it comes to the food that you put in your mouth. But if you are not being equally as strict with what you drink, you may just have to kiss the idea of getting great results, good bye. It’s very easy to guzzle down sugar filled drink after sugar filled drink without even realizing it. So, be careful here. Make water and green tea your staple beverage.
#6) Have Fun
Have fun while you are working out. But just as importantly, enjoy life outside of the weight room (or track, or pool, or pilates studio, or wherever it is that you are working out). I’ve always tried to make sure that I include cheat meals and fun – a few beers here and there, a pepperoni pizza, reese’s pieces, etc., from time to time.
Man I love these things!
But the key is, to get RIGHT BACK ON TRACK and truly treat this kind of behavior as a treat, NOT a staple. Life is too short to be so strict and never enjoy a little fun here and there. But it is also too short to be average. So find that happy medium … work hard, but don’t be afraid to “play” from time-to-time.
#7) Have A Great Support Group
If you are really excited about making fitness a big part of your life, but your closest friends spend the majority of their time playing video games and smoking cigarettes, then chances are it’s just not going to happen for you. There’s nothing like having a good training partner there to help hold you accountable, push you harder than you thought you could be pushed, and someone to enjoy your time with. As I mentioned in #6, if you must have fun. If you hate your experience in the gym, it probably won’t last.
So there you go my newbie fitness peeps – soon to be sexified fitness peeps. My top tips to help you get started. If you’re a veteran in this game and have some other greats tips for the newbies out there, let us see them in the comments section below.
And if you have any fitness friends looking for a place to start, feel free to share this (and/or hit the like the button below) with them.
You can find me on twitter @DannyMcLarty
MUST HAVE Cookbook For The Fit Food Lover! And a Great Salad Dressing Recipe
June 29, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
Just like you (I’m sure), I LOVE food. Did you know tasty food can also be healthy? Most people associate healthy food with boring, nasty tasting food. Another serving of plain chicken breast and broccoli anyone? This doesn’t have to be the case. There are MANY great tasting foods that are also healthy. In our household, we use Gourmet Nutrition quite a bit. As it says on the cover; “The Cookbook For The Fit Food Lover.” There are 100 recipes in there, and the vast majority of them taste great… except for the recipes that call for tomatoes, celery, or mushrooms. 
I’ve always hated those foods. I wish I didn’t, because they are all healthy. But lucky for me, there are plenty of other great ingredients/recipes throughout this book.
I’ll give you a quick healthy salad dressing to try;
“Balsamic Vinaigrette”
-Extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup
-Balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup
-Shallots (finely diced) 1/4 cup (we like to use garlic in place of the shallots sometimes – your call though)
-Fresh parsley (finely chopped) 1/4 cup
-Salt and pepper, to taste
People quite often make their “healthy” salad, not so healthy because of the dressing. Try the above dressing and you can now MAKE SURE your salad truly is healthy.
I can’t recommend this book enough. If you love to grub, but also need to eat food that tastes great, then Gourmet Nutrition is just what you need!
Recipe of the Week
September 27, 2010 by danny · Leave a Comment
It has been awhile since I have shared a great new recipe for you to try. So I think it is about to give you another one. I’m just sitting here enjoying some football on this hot (in the 90’s today) Sunday afternoon. And my lovely wife asked me if I would like a “Berardi meal” from Dr. John Berardi’s Gourmet Nutrition cookbook. Um, yeah – I’d have to be a fool to turn down this offer. So we flipped open this great book, and decided to to give “Turkey Sausage and Yam Hash Browns” a try. And it did not disappoint! We both LOVED it.
Note from the book – If you’re looking for a great breakfast alternative to eggs, look no further. Complete with lean turkey sausage, carotene-rich yams, and just the right combination of herbs and spices, this meal can serve as a delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Turkey Sausage (170 g) 6 oz
Water 1 cup
Turnip (medium diced) 1/2 cup
Yams medium diced 1 cup
Butter 1 tbsp ***
Fresh garlic (minced) 1 tsp
Cinnamon 1/8 tsp
Salt 1/8 tsp
Pepper 1 pinch
Paprika 1 pinch
*** Per Brian St. Pierre’s recommendation, we go with Pasture Butter by Organic Valley, which we get from Whole Foods.
Instuctions
Cook turkey sausage in large pot of simmering water for 10-20 minutes depending on thickness. Remove from water and then preheat a non-stick pan on medium heat. Lightly coat with spray and then add the turkey sausage. Saute the sausage until lightly browned all around. While the sausage is cooking, preheat a large non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Add water, turnip, and yams. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain water and return to heat. Add butter and saute until nicely browned. Add garlic, cinnamon, salt, pepper and paprika and cook for 1 minute more. Serve turkey sausage and hash browns together on a plate. Serves 1 large or 2 small.
Very tasty, and very healthy.
A few suggestions:
#1) this meal (any meal) tastes especially good if you can get your significant other to make it for you, so choose your partner wisely.
Noooo! C’mon people, Shondra’s cooking skills are not the only reason I married her.
#2) Go out and buy the ingredients for this meal and prepare it before the Bears/Packers game tomorrow night. You won’t be disappointed! Well, hopefully Packer fans will be disappointed, but not because of the taste of this healthy meal.
Powerful Quotes
July 27, 2010 by danny · Leave a Comment
I’ve always loved a good quote. My senior year in high school I taped a handful of my favorites to my locker. I placed them there as little reminders and motivators. While there are 1000’s of great quotes, today I am going to share 5 quotes that have either been with me for years, or quotes that I have recently stumbled upon. Here they are …
-“A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he gets to know something.”—Wilson Mizner
It seems like we (probably me included at times) are so busy telling everyone all the things we “know” to be right, that we forget to shut up, listen and learn. I’m all for people that are willing to share a little of their knowledge and experience with others. In my opinion however, many would be wise to shut their traps so they can listen and learn from others. Out of all the things that I’ve done less than perfect in my time on this planet, one thing I give myself credit for is the fact that I have always listened to what my coaches (sport coaches) and other strength coaches (colleagues – many that are smarter than I) have had to say. I may not always agree with everyone 100% of the time, but I am going to hear what others have to say before I interrupt them and start to tell them why “my way” is right.
“The most important shot is the next one.” – my Dad
This quote from my dad has gone through my head above a billion times since he first said it to me. He first said it, reminding me that the last few shots I took don’t mean anything anymore. Even if I miss 4 straight, all that matters now is the next shot I take. This is true in so many aspects of life. If we mess up, move on, because there is nothing that we can do about it now. It is time to move on and give our next shot our best attempt.
“Consistency not novelty is the secret to uncommon results.”- Dr. John Berardi
Now, I don’t think JB is the creator of this quote (I could be wrong), but he is the first person I heard say it (write it). We need to stop searching for the magic potion and realize that good old fashion hard work and discipline are where it’s at. How ’bout we stop believing those stupid infomercials that promise us 6-pack abs in 14 seconds or less. “The ‘Rock and Go Exerciser’ now only $200! We promise if you buy our product, you’ll have the booty, and man of your dreams”…
“If you are so smart, why do you need my credit card?” – Jim Rome
I’ve heard Jim Rome say this numerous times when talking about the “expert” gamblers. They are notorious for telling 
the radio listeners that “all you have to do is give us your credit card information, and we’ll guarantee you a 14-0 week. And don’t forget the college football play of the year!” Huh? If you could go 14-0 every week, why don’t you just go ahead and place the bets for yourself and not ask me for my cc number? Snakes! Good call Romey!
“Life is a game of adjustments.” - my Dad
Poppa McLarty makes it in again! If your man keeps beating you to the right, force him left. If you are getting Cs and Ds in school - study more. Get a tutor. Hang out with smart chicks. You can’t seem to lose any weight? Maybe doughnuts every morning for breakfast should be replaced with pastured eggs, old-fashioned oatmeal, and some organic blue berries. You’re a Green Bay Packers fan and your life sucks? Stop rooting for the Packers. You get the point – make the necessary adjustments in life and you’re life will be more awesome.
It’s very easy to motivate me. All you have to do is send me a motivating quote or picture, and you’ll see me sprinting to the squat rack. I hope these quotes motivate you, make you think a bit, and help make you do good stuff. Man, how did I not include that powerful quote in my high school locker? … “help make you do good stuff.” That’s deep man, deep.
Recipe of the Week
February 27, 2010 by danny · Leave a Comment
I’ve got a great recipe for you this week. In a previous post, I mentioned a great cookbook for the health minded individual. As a reminder, the book is called Gourmet Nutrition. My wife and I make 1-2 delicious recipes from this book every week. Lately, I’ve been going to town on “Baked Chicken Strips.” I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to eat “regular” chicken again. Seriously, I’m lovin’ this recipe. It tastes like you are cheating, but you’re not. It’s healthy, and that good!
Baked Chicken Strips
Ingredients
- Boneles skinless chicken breast (cut into 1/2 inch strips, 170 g) 6 oz -Salt 2 pinches -Pepper 1 pinch -Paprika 1 pinch -Omega-3 egg 1 -Water 2 tbsp -Coarse whole wheat breadcrumbs 1/4 cup -Grated coconut 1/4 cup -Olive oil cooking spray ******I’ve actually found that spreading the cookie sheet with organic extra virgin coconut oil actually makes the recipe taste even better. Plus, coconut oil handles heat really well, and we now do the majority of our cooking with it.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Season chicken evenly with salt, pepper and paprika. Add the egg and water to a mixing bowl, whisk together well and set aside. Mix the breadcrumbs and coconut together in a separate mixing bowl and set aside. Dip the chicken in the egg and toss until coated completely. Remove and allow excess to drip off for 1 or 2 seconds and then place directly into the breadcrumbs/coconut mixture. Roll until nicely coated. Lightly coat a cookie sheet with spray (or use the coconut oil that I mentioned above) and place the strips onto the tray and then into the oven. Bake until golden brown or cooked through (about 15 minutes). You can remove the largest strip and cut it in half to check doneness.
There you go, give “Baked Chicken Breasts” a try. Believe me, you won’t even notice that you are eating healthy. For more great recipes, I can’t say enough good things about Gourmet Nutrition!
10 Habits to Healthy Eating
February 22, 2010 by danny · 4 Comments
Since DannyMcLarty.com went live a few weeks ago, I’ve received a handful of nutrition questions from a number of readers. They want to know why I keep mentioning the importance of nutrition, but have not given any nutrition information yet. Good question. And my answer? I’m only one person and I can only handle so much at any given time. So get off my back! No, I’m just kiddin’. I’m happy to help you out.
When I first got into training about 10 years ago, there was an expert that I really followed. His name was John Berardi. Nowadays, we call him Dr. John Berardi. He still influences me today. Dr. Berardi has a great knack for taking complex nutrition information, and dumbing it down for not so smart people, like myself. (And, he has a great cookbook that can take healthy, usually boring recipes, and make them taste great!) Since most of you reading this website do not have an advanced degree in nutrient biochemistry, I thought it would be appropriate to start off with the basics. After all, the basics will go a long in way in getting you on the right path towards your goals. Down the line we’ll talk more about specifics. But for now, get these habits down (I first learned these habits from Dr. Berardi) and I know you’ll be happy with the results.
10 Nutrition Habits
1) Eat every 2-3 hours – no matter what.
This doesn’t always have to be a full meal, but you should be eating at least a snack every few hours. Now, if you are like many people out there, you probably only eat 2-3 times per day. If this sounds like you, then don’t worry about going from 2 meals to 7 meals right away. Gradually progress to more frequent feedings. (i.e. eat every ~4 hours)
2) Ingest complete, lean protein each time you eat.
A protein source should be eaten at each meal. (meal/snack) You should be eating an animal, or an animal source at each meal. If you are a vegetarian, you still need still to consume a complete non-animal source every time you eat.
3) Ingest vegetables every time you eat.
You heard that right. Every time you sit down for a meal, make sure to have a veggie represented. You can throw in some fruit from time to time as well. But don’t skip the veggies!
4) If want to eat a carbohydrate that’s not a fruit or a vegetable (this includes things like things rice, pasta, potatoes, quinoa, etc), you can – but you’ll need to save it until after you’ve exercised.
Although the carbs mentioned above are staples in most American diets, so are heart disease, cancer and diabetes. There’s a correlation there. Back in the 80’s, most “experts” recommended a low fat, high carb diet. By the late 80’s and early 90’s, we saw diabetes skyrocket in our country. But these carbs are tolerated much better by the body after a good, hard workout. So, if you want your carbs, you’ve got to earn them. Unless you just worked out, stick with protein, fruits and veggies.
5) A good percentage of your diet must come from fat. Just be sure it’s the right kind.
There are 3 types of fat – saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Eating all three in a healthy balance can dramatically improve your body composition and overall health. Your saturated fat should come from animal products. Even a little (a little means a little!) butter here and there is ok. Plus, coconut oil is healthy for you, and great for cooking! Your monounsaturated fat should come from mixed nuts, olives, and olive oil. And your polyunsaturated fat should come from flaxseed and fish oil.
6) Drink only calorie free beverages
Water and green tea are your best choices. Drop the fruit juice, pop, and if I can’t talk you into completely ditching alcohol, make sure you are at least reducing it.
7) Focus on whole foods
Most of your dietary intake should come from whole foods. There are a few times where supplement drinks and shakes are useful. But most of the time, stick with whole, largely unprocessed foods.
8) Have 10% foods.
When you read rules 1-7, you said forget this, it’s not worth it. Didn’t you? Don’t lie. Well, I have good news for you. You get to cheat 10% of the time. There is really no difference between being perfect 100% of the time, and 90% of the time. So you might as well live a little and get a few cheats in. That means you can have a few adult beverages, a piece of cheescake for dessert, or that BIG fat slice of pepparoni pizza, and still reach your goals. Just make sure that when you add up your meals at the end of the week, that you are truly 90% complient. (6 meals times 7 = 42. If you cheat 10% of the time, you must follow all of the rules for at least 38 of those 42 meals)
9) Plan Ahead
This may be the most important rule of them all. As the saying goes; fail to plan, plan to fail. Cook in bulk, store it and take it to work with you the next day. Stock your house with a few days worth of lean protein, fruits, veggies, and healthy fats. We’re all very busy, and without proper planning, you can kiss the other habits goodbye!
10) Balance daily food choices with healthy variety.
All healthy foods have reasons that they are healthy. It may be that they are loaded with antioxidants, like organic blueberries. Or that there are a ton of healthy omega-3 fatty acids in the food, like fresh water salmon. So make sure that you are changing up your food a bit and not always eating the same thing over and over again. Another serving and chicken and broccoli tonight? Nooooo!!!!! Mix it up, it doesn’t have to be so boring.
Conclusion
If you are serious about your health and fitness then please, please don’t put your nutrition on the back burner. Get these 10 nutrition habits down! And remember, healthy eating does NOT have to be bland. I can’t tell you how many great recipes my wife and I have made, (mainly my wife 
) using the Gourmet Nutrition cookbook that I mentioned above. I got this for Christmas last year, maybe the best present of my life! Happy eating…
