The Many Uses of Bands in a Training Program

March 6, 2012 by danny · 5 Comments 

Last week I mentioned in this blogpost that I’d be putting up a video of me performing many different exercises with the use of bands.  Bands are a great tool to include in your toolbox.  They take up very little space and you can travel with them when vacationing (or while on a business trip).  If you put a TRX strap and some bands in your luggage, you could get a full workout in with no problem.  I got my TRX straps and bands from Perform Better.  Just click on the Perform Better link down and to the right and it’ll take you right to their website.  Put “Superbands” in the search engine… I suggest getting a 1/2″ and 1″ band to get you started.

While the video below doesn’t include every band exercise imaginable, I did include quite a few.  Hopefully it gives you some great ideas.  As you’ll see, the bands can be used to add resistance to an exercise, add assistance to an exercise, or used as a stand-alone…

Superbands

Barbells, dumbbells, TRX Straps, bodyweight, kettlebells, and bands… use them all.  They all can play a beneficial role in your training.  I hope you enjoyed the video.  I’m out…

Making The Most Of The Equipment That You Have Available

February 29, 2012 by danny · 2 Comments 

For those of you that don’t already know, I’m currently training clients out of my basement.  It has actually been working out great!  You really do NOT need a ton of equipment to have many, many exercises to choose from.  Yeah, in the not too distant future, I’m hoping to open my own training studio with more space.  But even then, I plan on only using equipment that gives me the most bang for my buck.  In other words, there is no way that I’m going to buy a piece of equipment that is designed to perform one, and only one exercise.  That just doesn’t make sense, unless you own a big commercial gym and have room for every selectorized piece of equipment under the sun.  And even then, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.  I mean, why would I buy a dip station when I can really only use it for ONE exercise.

With that said, let’s get into another way to perform dips with the equipment I already have available…

I already have 2 barbells and 2 squat racks so there is no need to go out and buy a dip station that would just take up more space unnecessarily.   I purchased these pieces of equipment because the number of exercises available are unlimited.  My clients use the rack and a barbell (or the rackS and barbellS if I’m training multiple clients at once) at pretty much every single session.  So, the point is, if you are thinking about getting a home gym, ONLY get equipment that allows you to perform many different exercises.  Make sure to make efficient use of the space that you have available.

Do you have any “clever” ways of using equipment for multiple exercises (even if not for its intended purpose)?  If you have any questions about what the “essentials” are for a home gym, just leave a question/comment below.

I’ll be making a video showing you the many different uses I get out of bands.  Talk about a big-bang-for-your buck piece of equipment!  Check back in for that video sometime early next week (or maybe even later this week… if the twins take a looooong nap [at the SAME TIME!] and allow me to get put some good video time in).

Until next time…

Exercise of the Week – Band Resisted Chest Press

February 28, 2012 by danny · Leave a Comment 

Bands can be a great tool in a lifting program.  In the video below, you’ll see me using a band to make a standard dumbbell

Superbands

chest press (slight incline chest press, in this case) more difficult.  The band matches the strength curve.  In other words, when the lift becomes easier (the top portion of a chest press), the band stretches which adds tension/load to the exercise so that it is very difficult through the entire range of motion.  This is known as accomodating resistance (a concept that powerlifters have mastered).  Bands can be used in a number of ways.  Me and my clients incorporate bands in one way or another at nearly every lifting session.

I think later on in the week or next week I’ll film a bunch of exercises/ideas for you to check out as far as how to use bands in your program.  I got my bands @ Perform Better.  If you are interested in picking up some bands, just click on the Perform Better link down and to the right of the screen.  Type “superbands” in the search engine and it’ll take you to all the options.  I suggest getting the 1/2″ and 1″ bands to start with. I am using the 1″ inch band in the video below…

Tomorrow I’ll be back with a clever way to make the most out of the equipment that you have available.  If you train at a place that has 2,384 different pieces of equipment, then this post won’t be for you.  Stay away, we don’t want you back!  Kidding, kidding.  But if you are training out of your house (like I currently am), or train at a gym with limited equipment, this exercise/post will be right up your alley.

See you tomorrow…

Nutrition Week – Guest Post by Marci Nevin (Intermittent Fasting)

February 23, 2012 by danny · 5 Comments 

We kicked off “nutrition week” with a great interview with Brian St. Pierre; got a chance to see what Michelle Adam’s food log looked like; and today we finish up with Marci Nevin’s food log.

Marci and I have been good friends for a number of years now.  We also worked together as trainers before I moved from California, back to Illinois.  Marci is one dedicated girl.  And VERY disciplined too.  She is a great cook… especially when it comes to making  goodies.  Whenever we used to have get-togethers, Marci’s treats were always a crowd favorite.  I consider myself a pretty disciplined guy.  But if I’m baking some treats (yeah, like that’s going to happen :) ), I’m GOING TO take a bite or two along the way (like a nice scoop of cookie dough)!  Not Marci.  With no problem, she cooked for all of us and didn’t even take a smidge of this or that.  Ever.

Moving onto Marci’s food log… I must admit, when this whole “intermittent fasting” thing started to pick up in popularity, I rolled my eyes a bit.  ”Just another fad,” I told myself.  In time however, I’ve heard many individuals that I really respect (including Marci), report the great success they have had with intermittent fasting.

Marci Nevin

So Marci, let’s get to it.  The floor is yours…

Ive been serious about my training and nutrition going on ten years now, and in that time I’ve experimented with many different dietary protocols to reach my goals. Trying various approaches has definitely taught me that all diets “work”, yet it has also shown me that there are certain ways of eating that just make me feel and perform better. Back in June, I hired a nutrition coach to help me through a slow, muscle gaining phase. After 6 months of eating a balanced diet of carbs, protein and fat with every meal, I was about 12 pounds heavier. Although the plan worked, I noticed that the diet left me feeling sluggish and a little off most of the time, especially after I ate. I began researching some different methods, which lead me to discover a popular new way of eating that is becoming increasingly popular in the fitness industry. Enter intermittent fasting (IF) and carb back loading.

Such methods are on the opposite ends of the spectrum as to what I was doing previously, yet I enjoy this way of eating so much more. IF is simply alternating periods of eating (anywhere from 4-10 hours) with periods of not eating (anywhere from 14-36 plus hours). I typically fast for 14-16 hours. The reason IF works for me is because it allows me to eat more at one sitting (and I LOVE to eat), as well as at times during the day when I’m naturally hungrier. I can wake up at 5:00 a.m. and train my morning clients having had nothing more than coffee, yet I feel energized and mentally sharp. Come 11:00 or so, I start to get hungry. Lucky for me, this is right around the time when I can break my daily “fast”.  The other reason IF fits my life so much better is because it allows me not be so consumed with food. I’ve always loathed having to prepare meals the night before, shovel in cold food in between clients or in the car, and being “that person” who carries meals around wherever I go. Simply put, IF fits my lifestyle. As for the carb back loading, it basically just means that I completely limit my starchy carbs to post -workout and evenings. I could eat my weight in vegetables and really enjoy meals that are comprised of protein, fat and vegetables most of the time. But it’s after my workout that I crave carbs, so this approach allows me to indulge in that craving while still reaching my goals. The concept is a little more in depth and scientific than I described, so if you want to learn more about it, you can do so by clicking Here. (Albeit this is a pretty simplified explanation as well).  And to learn more about IF, you can  click Here.

Training Day


5:30 a.m. – 8: 00 a.m.

  • 2 cups coffee  with almond milk and stevia

11:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.

  • 1 egg, 4 whites, 1 cup broccoli, 1 cup spinach, cooked together in coconut oil
  • 2 pieces turkey bacon (nitrate free), cooked in Ghee
  • 1 Tablespoon almond butter

2:00 p.m -3:00 p.m.

  • 5 oz ground turkey
  • 2 cups vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, zucchini, etc)
  • 2 teaspoons coconut oil
  • Handful of nuts

Veggies

5:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.  Post Workout

  • Whey protein shake (If I feel like it, sometimes I will add fruit to this)
  • White rice (approximately 40 grams of carbs)

8:00 p.m

  • Coconut Pumpkin Pancakes (coconut flour, pumpkin, egg whites, cinnamon, stevia)
  • 3 oz ground turkey or chicken
  • Butternut Squash
  • Vegetables with a little drizzle of olive oil

Non-Training Day

5:30 a.m. – 8: 00 a.m.

  • 2 cups coffee  with almond milk and stevia

11:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.

  • 1 egg, 4 whites, 1 cup broccoli, 1 cup spinach, cooked together in coconut oil
  • 2 pieces turkey bacon (nitrate free), cooked in Ghee
  • 1 Tablespoon almond butter

3:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.

  • Turkey Meatloaf (ground turkey, spices, salsa)
  • Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes (cauliflower, coconut oil, salt, all blended until it resembles mashed potatoes)
  • Zucchini sautéed in coconut oil
  • Handful of nuts

7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

  • 4 oz poached, organic chicken breast
  • 1 whole egg
  • Broccoli Slaw
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil, 2 teaspoons coconut aminos

*I cooked all of this together into a big scramble

  • Green beans, drizzled with olive oil

*Some days I will add a protein shake between my 3rd and 4th meal on non training days. Made with chocolate pea protein, coconut milk and spinach. (And yes, its much better than it sounds)

*As for supplements, I take a minimalist approach. Each day I take fish oil (3 g EPA/DHA), 5000 IU vitamin D, folic acid, vitamin b12, and probiotics.

Back to Danny…

Awesome, Marci!  Thanks for sharing!  I don’t know if I could ever go the IF route!?!  Although the fact that you save a lot of time NOT having to prepare so many meals, is appealing!  We’ll see, I’ll never say never!

Have any of you tried intermittent fasting?  If so, how did/do you like it?  I’d love to get more feedback on IF.  Feel free to share your experience in the comments section below.  Or, if you are considering IF and have a question for Marci, go ahead and and do so in the comments section.

And Marci, the next time we meet up, PLEASE make me one of your extra special treats!  They are ALWAYS soooo good.  Pretty please? ;)

“Nutrition Week” – Guest Post by Michelle Adams

February 21, 2012 by danny · Leave a Comment 

Let’s keep “nutrition week” rollin’.  In case you missed day 1 of nutrition week, be sure to go back and check out the great information that Brian St. Pierre provides in this interview.

I  thought it would be beneficial for you all to see what a food log looks like from someone other than myself.  I think this will be especially beneficial coming from a females perspective. So I contacted two of my good friends to see if they’d share a day or two for everyone to see.  Luckily Michelle Adams and Marci Nevin were happy to share.

First up, is Michelle Adams.  I met Michelle 5-6 years ago when she sought me out to train her for her first figure show.  I noticed that Michelle REALLY loved the field of fitness so I talked her (with the help of my wife) into giving up her day job to become a trainer.  She agreed and has been going strong ever since.

Michelle Adams

Without further adieu, the floor is yours Michelle…

I’ve been following the foods for my metabolic typing and this seems to be working well for me. I worked with a nutritionist and tested as a protein type. This means I should follow an eating plan that is heavier in protein and fat. I also have a list of specific foods that have a nutrition profile that compliment my bodies’ chemistry. I tend to struggle with being constantly hungry. I also have hypothyroid. After trying numerous eating methods, I realized that cutting starchy carbs only makes me moody, tired, and more hungry. With a few exceptions, I choose whole, clean foods, and always choose organic dairy and meat. I try to eat for optimal health and to support my training. I’m currently following a Nia Shanks workout that is an upper/lower split. I like to train heavy and I do not like cardio. I like to incorporate jump rope and line sprints as interval training. I drink water throughout the day and require at least 7 hours of sleep a night to function at my best. I practice mediation daily, even if it’s just 3 minutes. It’s all part of my personal wellness plan.

Non-training day

Meal 1
Nanogreens green drink
low-fat, plaint greet yogurt with walnuts, sliced banana, cinnamon and stevia
green tea made with 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, water and stevia
supplements: vitamin D3, vitamin C, krill oil, DHEA, astaxanthin
Meal 2
2 hard boiled eggs
apple slices
Meal 3
homemade turkey meatloaf
steamed artichoke hearts with olive oil drizzled on top
Trader Joes fiber cake
green tea made with 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, water and stevia
supplements: multi, vitamin C, krill oil
Meal 4
celery with peanut butter
whey protein in water
Meal 5
grilled chicken breast
steamed cauliflower, carrots, and snow peas with olive oil drizzled on top
supplements: multi mineral, vitamin C
Before bed supplements: Z12, probiotic

Training day

Meal 1
Nanogreens green drink
sprouted wheat english muffin with peanut butter
whey protein in water
green tea made with 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, water and stevia
supplements: vitamin D3, vitamin C, krill oil, DHEA, astaxanthin
Meal 2
lowfat cottage cheese with small serving of banana and almond slivers
Meal 3
scrambled egg whites made in coconut oil
brown rice
steamed asparagus drizzled with olive oil
coffee made with 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, water and stevia
supplements: multi, vitamin C, krill oil
Peri-workout
whey protein in water with creatine
Meal 4
bison burger on a sprouted wheat bun with unsweetened ketchup, mustard, GOOD (it’s the brand) mayonnaise, and red onion
steamed veggies drizzled with olive oil
Meal 5
lowfat, plain greek yogurt with chocolate protein powder and natural peanut butter
supplements: multi mineral, vitamin C
Before bed supplements: Z12, probiotic
Danny’s Notes:
Getting lean and healthy doesn’t need to be complicated.  For example, you don’t need to get tested to find out your “metabolic typing,” like Michelle did.  Michelle has been in the game for quite awhile now, and has tweaked her nutrition plan many times in attempt to find out what works best for her.  With all of her experience, she wanted to give metabolic typing a shot to see what comes of it.  There is still a lot of research that needs to be done.  With the combination of research and real world experience, hopefully we’ll be able to tell how effective (or ineffective) metabolic typing turns out to be.  Maybe I’ll even have an updated interview with Michelle down the line to see what her thoughts are once she gets more time “under her belt” with this whole metabolic typing thing.  For now though, it seems to be working really well for her!
If you have any questions for Michelle regarding her food choices, supplements, or anything else, leave them in the comments section below.  Thanks for your time, Michelle!
To wrap up nutrition week, tomorrow I’ll share Marci Nevin’s food log..  Marci has been going the “intermittent fasting” route.  Find out why she is doing the intermittent fasting thing, and why she has been enjoying it so much.
See you tomorrow! …

Nutrition Week – Interview with Brian St. Pierre

February 20, 2012 by danny · 2 Comments 

I’ve labeled this week nutrition week because I have 3 great nutrition posts that will be going up.  Tomorrow and Wednesday a couple of my good friends (and they are trainers) will be sharing their foods logs with us.  This should be great because it will give you a couple of examples of what a healthy day looks like (and ladies, they are both females). As you’ll see, there is definitely more than one way to skin a cat as their current nutrition plans are quite different.  But first up, is an interview I did with nutrition expert Brian St. Pierre. Brian is one of my favorites “nutrition guys” for several reasons:

-He is very smart

-He stays on top of the most current research

-He makes difficult subject matter easy to follow for his readers

-He has worked with many clients in the real world which helps make him a better nutrition coach (in other words, he’s not just and “internet expert”)

With that said, let’s get to the interview…

Brian St. Pierre

Danny McLarty: A number of years ago, “nutrient timing” became THE thing. Many people would say: for us to reach our optimal physique, we need to appropriately time our carbohydrate consumption.  Nowadays, it *seems* to me like many are now saying: at the end of the day, hitting our macro numbers is all that really matters. Where does your opinion fall in this discussion?

Brian St. Pierre: I would say that for the most part your total numbers are a far greater determinant of success than the timing of your macronutrients.  In the hierarchy of importance timing is far below total intake for sure.  Having said that though, there are instances where timing is important.  For example an endurance athlete with multiple events in a 24 hour span would be one example.  In addition this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t employ any type of nutrient timing strategies, it just means that being neurotic about eating immediately before or after you finish training is unnecessary.  It is ok to wait an hour or two as it really won’t make a bit of difference.  If you eat 1-3 hours before training and within 1-2 hours after training, essentially placing your training between two normal meals, then you will be just fine.  While some acute data may support nutrient timing, the longer-term research just has not bore this out.  If you feel your results are better when you eat closer to your training, go for it, it certainly won’t hurt.  It is all about your results, so do what works for you, but in general I just find that keeping it simple brings the greatest long-term bang for your buck.

DM: There are some people out there that don’t handle dairy well.  When these individuals reduce their dairy intake they start to feel better. However, many (particularly females and kids) of them are nervous that the reduction of calcium consumption will lead to bone fractures and other problems. Can you tell us why this (reduction of calcium consumption) should not be a concern? Or should it?

BSP: Well that is certainly a difficult question to answer.  Calcium consumption in the US is quite high, but do keep in mind that vitamin D levels in the US are quite low on average.  Vitamin D’s main job is calcium absorption (among many others), so even if our calcium intake is high, if our vitamin D levels are inadequate it may not be helping.  In addition there are many other elements needed for proper bone health beyond calcium and vitamin D – magnesium, vitamin K, phosphorus, etc.  Beyond that you can get into the need simply for adequate calories and resistance training, but that is beyond the scope of this question.

The point is that just focusing on calcium intake is missing the forest for the trees.  Even if you don’t consume dairy, you can certainly get in adequate calcium from non-dairy milks, leafy greens, almonds, etc. In addition ensuring adequate vitamin D levels will aid in absorbing the calcium you do consume, and it would also be wise to ensure adequate magnesium and vitamin K intake as well.  Add in a quality resistance training program and consumption of maintenance calories and bone fractures should be of little concern.

Resistance Training Has So Many Benefits

(Danny’s Note: To get more great thoughts from Brian on dairy, check out this 3-part series he did …)

Is Dairy Healthy? The Whole Story – Part I

Is Dairy Healthy? The Whole Story – Part 2

Is Dairy Healthy? The Whole Story – Part 3

DM: Some coaches/trainers/nutritionists have different opinions on how to incorporate cheat meals. Some recommend to have a day that they just let loose. Others prefer to have their clients pick ONE cheat meal here and there throughout the course of the week. What approach do you feel works best?

BSP: I personally don’t like cheat days, because people tend to get too wrapped up thinking about those days and all the foods they have been avoiding like a good little boy or girl.  To me it warps perception of food.  I prefer people work in those “cheat” foods or comfort foods here and there as part of their normal intake.  As long as you are keeping your calorie and macronutrient totals in check, having up to 10% of your intake from those foods is a non-issue.

In my mind it is all about creating health eating habits and patterns, and entire cheat days simply do not do that.  People like to talk about resetting leptin and other hormones after dieting hard as a reason for a cheat day.  I am not a fan of hardcore dieting followed by high-calorie cheat days, even if it works, because it is certainly not setting a long-term eating pattern that someone can follow for life.  It is a temporary fix, like painting over a water stain in your ceiling without fixing the roof.  In the long run it just isn’t going to work.

DM: Quite often when people simply start to “clean up” their eating, total calorie amount falls into place. But for those that handle numbers better, do you have general recommendations as a starting point? (i.e. X amount of calories x BW for those looking to lose fat; X amount of cals x BW for those looking to gain LBM, etc).

BSP: I definitely agree with your first statement, and it is one of the main reasons why my main focus with people is to get them to eat mostly real, whole minimally processed food, as it tends to take care of a lot of other issues indirectly.  However for those are numbers inclined or who are trying to get lean for a particular event where you have to be a little more aggressive then I do have a general recommendation that I mostly stole from Alan Aragon.  I say mostly because I add a little twist.  It is also important to remember that this is just a starting point estimate, some people still need more or less calories than this to meet their goals, but this does fit a good majority of the population.

My recommendation is as follows.  Figure out how many hours you spend training per week.  Then decide if you train at a low, medium or high intensity.  Ok good.  Here we go:

Females:  Goal Bodyweight X (8-10 + the number of hours training per week).  You choose 8 if your training intensity is low, 9 if medium, and 10 if high.

Males: Goal Bodyweight X (9-11 + the number of hours training per week).  You choose 9 if your training intensity is low, 10 if medium, and 11 if high.

This is a good starting point, though there are some caveats.  For every decade over your twenties I tend to take 100 calories off the final number. Try this starting point for a few weeks and see what happens. Don’t like the results, then either add or decrease 200-250kcals per day and see what happens.

I will give a few real life examples. Let’s take a 25 year old male who is training hard to gain some mass and a 52 year old woman training moderately hard to lose some weight.  The guy’s target bodyweight is 200lbs and the woman’s is 150lbs.  They both exercise 5 hours per week.

Woman:    150 X (9+5)= 2100 – 300 (for age) = 1800kcal total per day.

Man:          200 X (11+5) = 3200 total kcal per day.

There are far more complicated formulas, but I don’t find that they are any more accurate than this.

Hope that helps and thanks for having me!

DM: Thanks, Brian!  As usual, great stuff!  To get more outstanding information from Brian, be sure to check out his website over at brianstpierretraining.com.

If you have any questions or comments, be sure to leave them in the comments section below.

Connect on twitter @DannyMcLarty

14 Reasons I’ve Been Able To Keep My Body (Mostly) Healthy

February 15, 2012 by danny · 4 Comments 

I’m 35 years old now, and I’m happy to say that I’ve never had a major injury (outside of a bad car accident when I was about 11 years old).  While I don’t have it down to an exact science, I do feel that I have a pretty good handle on why I’ve been able to stay mostly injury free.  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my share of bumps, bruises, sprained ankles, etc along the way.  But I’ve never had a nagging injury that lasts for an extended period of time.  And I’ve only broken one bone in my body (a bone in my finger my sophomore year in college.  I got called for a charge, but it should have been an And-1!  Damn ref! ;) ).

Here are the cliffs notes reasons of why I think I’ve been fortunate to stay as healthy as I have over the years…

1) I’ve adapted my cardio plan as I’ve gotten older.  Playing basketball is the only high impact cardio that I perform. By the time we hit our 30s, our bodies (assuming we have been active in sports/working out since we were kids) have taken a beating. Performing high volumes of high impact cardio just isn’t worth it to me. There a 1,000,281 effective low impact options available, and those are the options that I plan on sticking with the rest of my life.

2) As you can see in the video above, I keep my cardio as non-repetitive as possible. For example, jumping rope is great, but if I perform 15 minutes of jump rope 3 times per week for 4 weeks, we’re talking 180 minutes (and thousandssssss of reps).  Mixing up the kind of cardio that you perform (battling ropes, jump rope, kettlebell swings, medicine ball slams, box jumps, the prowler etc. etc.) will more evenly distribute the stress throughout the your body and keep you healthier longer.

Yes, I realize there is some impact in the above video, but again, since I’m using a few different exercises, the volume is kept low and for me this = all good.

Note: If you play a sport, you will have to perform high impact, high repetitive activities. It’s the nature of the beast.  Which leads me to…

3) My volume of playing basketball has GREATLY decreased over the last 5 or so years. If you add up all the minutes that my knees, ankles, hips, and low back have spent POUNDING the pavement and the hard wood, the number would be REALLY high! Even know I still want to be good at basketball, it’s more important to me to NOT ALWAYS be hurting. I play in a league once a week right now (and I’ll occasionally add a pick-up game throughout the course of the week). Anyway, after every game (the next day in particular) it hurts me to just walk, sit, stand, and pick weeds out of the neighbors yards (something I do in my spare time.  That and I bus my own tables at restaurants. What can I say, I’m pretty awesome).

Now, I’d like to play more. But at what cost? I’d be a 42 year old dad that couldn’t go out and play tag with his kids if I were still playing hoops everyday.  No thanks. Playing once per week is enough for me to get my b-ball fix. As we get older, we need to pick our battles and see the big picture.

4) I perform soft-tissue work everyday. I basically stopped playing hoops in my late 20s due to the fact that I couldn’t even bend down 2 inches without my knees SCREAMING at me.  Then I invented the foam roller (yep, invented… another awesome thing about me) and it has changed my life.

Unfortunately, my foam rolling sessions are not as sexy as this guys.

I bring the roller to literally every basketball game that I play in and roll for a few minutes before tip-off, quite often during half time, and then again immediately following the game.  I also use the roller (and a lacrosse ball) before every lifting session (particularly on leg day).  This allowed me to get back in the game and greatly reduce the aches and pains that I was experiencing (though, this has NOT eliminated the aches by any stretch).

I’ve spent some time talking about my achy knees.  If you also have “knee-issues,” check out this blogpost for some quick tips…

Are Your Knees Always Sore?

5) I work on quad/hip flexibility/mobility. Years ago (before I was a trainer), someone told me to stretch my hammies to help with my achy knees. I did. I didn’t help. But with all the reading I do, I came across some great information that suggested I (people with knees pain) stretch my quads/hips to help with the pain.  This, along with the other tips I’ve given has helped out greatly (again, in the, “Are Your Knees Always Sore” post, I elaborate).

6) I’m conscious about not sitting for extended periods of time.

Try to go no more than 15 minutes of sitting in the same position.  Get up. Fidget. Move. Change positions. My ADD/impatience/immaturity/”antsyness” helps me in this regard.  But if you hit adulthood a long time ago and don’t share my kid-like qualities, be sure to move around as much as possible.  It can be done (if you have an office job) and your back will thank you.

7) My program design takes posture/imbalances into consideration. Any good training program should provide balance.  For example, even if you are the typical guy and want pecs so BIG that you make Dolly Parton look flat-chested, you should still perform a ton of work to strengthen the muscles around your scapular.  This is a accomplished with exercises like row variations, scapular stability exercises (like the supine no money with band, exercise) and rotator cuff exercises.  Do more of this kind of stuff and less bench pressing.  You’re shoulders with thank you in the long run.

8) I avoid going to failure too often. Believe me, I work my ass off in the weight room. All focus. As much bar speed as possible. Trying to outdo previous training sessions whenever possible.  BUT, I pick my spots when it comes to letting my form break down. I rarely miss a rep.  When bar speed slows, I stop the set (although I must admit, this isn’t always the case when the juices get flowing).  This will help prevent burnout and keep you going strong for years to come.

9) Week one of a new program is “intro week.” This is something that I’ve been doing with my training over the last few years and I’m glad that I made the switch.  When we start a new program, we change up the exercises, the reps, the sets, etc.  This change alone will bring soreness to our muscles.  So if you make week 1 of your program a higher volume week, you’re sure to be limping around for days.  This is why I to ease into week 1 of my program.  It limits (but doesn’t prevent) soreness so that I’m feeling good going into week 2… rather than always working from a “deficit.”

10) I take deload weeks. The last week of every program that I’m on, I make sure to drop the volume and stay even a little further from failure than usual.  Once again, this will keep you going strong much longer in your training “career.”  It’s also a great psychological break.  This doesn’t mean that you should be a wuss on deload week.  It just means that some adjustments are needed and these adjustments will serve you well for long-term success. If you are a newbie, don’t worry about deloading and “over thinking.”  Just get in the damn weight room consistently, and try to use a balanced program.

11) I avoid advanced training methods like drop-sets, the “post-fatigue method,” etc. Well, that isn’t exactly true.  These methods can be beneficial to a trainee, but if used too often they can once again lead to stagnation/burn out.  Use these methods sparingly.

12) I try to avoid being “too extreme.” Like I mentioned above, I get after it when working out.  But I see some guys (and maybe some girls too) that kick their own ass so hard at every session, that they are basically a walking injury.  It’s almost like they brag about the injuries that they have obtained through weight lifting; “bro, I have torn my pec, my left hamstring, my right calf, my supraspinatus, strained both quads, my groin, my left knee clicks every time I walk and I can barely bend my right elbow anymore.  But that’s what it takes to get your goals, dude!”  Really?  No, it doesn’t! Smart training and restoration methods can go a loooong way in preventing this from happening.  I love to set a new PR (personal record).  But at this point in my life, adding another 5 pounds to my deadlift is not top priority. If it is yours (and you do not compete in powerlifting), more power to you.  But don’t say that I didn’t worn you.

13) Luck. I been pretty lucky. Who knows, tomorrow I could step out of my car and onto a sheet of ice, fall down and break my wrist.  Thus far, that hasn’t happened. Let’s hope this luck continues.

13) Like I said, I read/study a lot.  This added brain power has definitely helped. I used to sprain my ankles quite a bit on the basketball court.  Then I found about ways to strengthen my ankles and I haven’t turned my ankle in I don’t know how many years.  How do we strengthen our ankles to help avoid injury (both ankle and knee injuries).  Well, I think this article says it best… “Get Out of Your High-Top Shoes.”  The point is, keep learning and good things quite often happen.

14) What we did “back in the day” can affect how we feel today.

Good set-up kid. Just make sure NOT to round your back!

If you’ve spent the last 8 years sitting 8 hours per day, don’t come crying to me; “Danny, I did what you said. I’ve GREATLY reduced my sitting over the last 3 days and my back STILL hurts!” I’m sorry, but it’s going to take A LOT longer to “undo” all the damage that you created.

Here’s another example. I’m currently training a guy by the name of Rich. Rich was a good athlete back in high school… a big, strong guy.  He used to bench about 350 pounds.  That’s all well ‘n good. But when I have Rich performing rotator cuff exercises, 5 pounds is hard for him.  So here we have a guy that used to bench 350, but using the external rotators of his rotator cuff to lift 5 pounds is difficult?  Oops, looks like there was an imbalance in his high school lifting program! As mentioned above, not enough rowing, scapular stability work and rotator cuff work.  No wonder his shoulders hurt!!!  If this sounds like you, it does NOT mean all hope is lost.  It just means that you have to be patient, as it takes time.  And the synergistic affects of all the above have to be in place (i.e. including some rotator cuff work can help, but not if the person continues to bench press 3 days per week, sits with a rounded back all day, and never performs a row).

Alright, there’s my list of 14.  I’m sure I could sit here and think of a few more reasons that I’ve stayed relatively healthy. But all that sitting won’t help anyone.

On last week’s blogpost you may remember that I have some great nutrition information coming this week.  Well, it’s on the way…. but I’ve decided to make NEXT week “nutrition week.”  The Brian St. Pierre interview is in, as are my (lady) friend’s food logs.  So I’ll be sharing all of that next week.  See you then!

If you have any injury-prevention tips that have worked well for you, please share them in the comments section below. Like I said, I love to learn!

Basketball, Training, Nutrition, Life…

February 7, 2012 by danny · 2 Comments 

How we go…

1) I’m playing in a basketball league on Monday nights (35 and older league – that feels weird to say!).  Last night was the first round of the playoffs (we have the #1 seed, just sayin’) and we were told the game started at 7:30.  Well, it actually started at 7:00.  So the refs said if you don’t start in 2 minutes you must forfeit.  We had 3 guys there and another one of our players just happened to come watch… he recently tore his achilles tendon and was in a boot.  The rules state that you must start the game with 4 players, so he walked out on the court in his street clothes for the tip and just stood there ’til the first dead ball, then walked back into the bleachers to watch.  So that put us at 3 vs 5 for the first 5 minutes of the game until our 4th and 5th players showed up.

Our strategy?  Dribble around and stall as much as possible until the other guys arrived.  And it worked great!  By the time they showed up, we were only down 6-3 (and that counts the 2 point technical foul we got right off the bat as our player with the achilles injury was not in “proper uniform”).  We ended up getting the W, but it was much closer than the rest of the games.

Championship game in two weeks – I’ll let you know the outcome…

2) In a blogpost that I made the other day, I mention that I performed Bret Contreras’s,”The Sexy Challenge.”  It went well and I actually wasn’t as sore as I thought I’d be… until day 2’s DOMS set in!  I mentioned that I like to perform a challenge like this from time to time, but if done too frequently it can lead to set-backs.  I performed the challenge last Thursday and my training program had me scheduled to do legs that Saturday (2 days after the challenge).  Yeah right!  My hammies were killing me so I flip-flopped a day in my program and did upper body on that Saturday instead.  Sunday came around and I was still very sore.  So, I FINALLY got that leg day in yesterday (Monday).  This is exactly why I’m not a fan of doing this kind of “test” or “challenge” more than 2-3 times per year… it ends up messing with your program design and throws everything off for awhile (and has you limping around for days).  I’m still glad I did it, but again, I won’t be doing anything like this for quite some time.

3) My wife just landed a very good as the General Manager at Mario Tricoci (hair salon for those of you that don’t keep up on these sort of things :) ).  I’ll still be able to train clients in the morning out of my basement, give basketball lessons on the weekends, continue my social media obligations, and write training programs for my on-line clients.  BUT, I’ll be putting in a larger amount of time as “Mr. Mom” until we get day care ‘n all that figured out.

Going to be fun hanging with the twins, but if my hair is completely grey the next time you see me, now you know why!

4) Football is over, so it’s time for basketball to take center-stage.  Let’s hope Deng can stay healthy, Rip can GET healthy, and D. Rose keeps on killlin’ it!  I can’t wait for that Chicago-Miami rematch!!!

5) I’ve got some GREAT nutrition information to share with you all next week.  A few times I’ve given you a sample day of what my eating looks like.  Well, I thought it would be cool and beneficial to see a couple other examples from other people.  My good friends Marci Nevin and Michelle Adams agreed to share a food log of what they eat for a day.  It will be great for females to see what a couple other VERY healthy and very fit chicks eat while attempting to reach their health and physique goals!

And finally, I’ll be posting a nutrition interview that I did with Brian St. Pierre (one of my favorite “nutrition guys”).

So make sure you don’t miss all this great content – be sure to pop in next week to check it out.

Until next time…

Bret Contreras Has Issued, “The Sexy Challenge”

February 2, 2012 by danny · Leave a Comment 

Bret Contreras made up “The Sexy Challenge” earlier this week and then filmed himself performing the challenge.  He posted it on his website and challenged his readers to give it a go to see how many reps they could achieve.  I’m all for a challenge, so I’m going to be doing this later tonight.  I know it’s going to be hard, and that I’m going to be sore for dayssss – which is why I’m not a fan of performing these types of challenges too often as they can end up messing with your regular training, thus leading to a set-back.  For example, last year I did sumo deadlifts for as many reps as possible and my adductors, glutes, and hamstrings were VERY sore for about 3 days.

But as long you pick your spots and only do these kind of challenges on the rare occasion, they can be a lot of fun without any negative consequences.  So what is the Sexy Challenge?  I’ll let Bret tell you …

-Bodyweight Front Squats X AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible)

-Bodyweight RDLs X AMRAP

-Bpdyweight Incline BB Press X AMRAP (females use 1/2 of your BW for this test)

-Bodyweight Hip Thrusts X AMRAP

-Chin-Ups X AMRAP

-Perform (and film – for proof!) as many reps as possible and they must be completed within 1 hour.

I’m looking forward to the challenge.  I’ll film later on this evening and post my results tomorrow.  I’ll post it below on this same page so be sure to check back to see what my number is.  I’m predicting over 100.   We shall see…

——————————————————————————————————————————————-

Alright, I’m back today with the results.  In case you missed it yesterday, above I explained what the sexy challenge is all about.  Yesterday evening I performed it, and here is what went down…

Notes

Front Squats – I was pretty happy with my number (16).  But quad/leg strength/endurance was definitely NOT the limiting factor. I rarely, if ever perform higher rep front squats. What stopped me from achieving more than 16 reps was the fact that it started to become very hard to keep my wrists in the extended position.  And it was tough to keep my elbow high for that long of a period, thus the bar started to fall forward a bit.

RDLs - I figured I wouldn’t need clips because of the fact that I’ve done these a million times and keeping the bar horizontal would pose no problem… so I thought!  I actually think that the plate starting sliding a bit when I unracked the bar off of the pins.  And then from there, it slid more and more until it was at the very edge of the barbell.  While 50 is still a pretty good number, I definitely had a bunch left in me.

Incline Press - Nothing of huge note here.  13 reps, not bad.

Hip Thrusts – I was happy with 28 reps. As I noted in the video, it was ALL booty and NO hamstring.  This a good thing as quite off people use too much hamstring and low back when trying to activate their gluteal muscles.

Chin-Ups - About a year ago I tested myself to see how many chins I could get, and I got 22.  That was in a fresh state, so I was pretty happy to get 20 reps after performing the other 4 exercises.

Overall, I’m pretty happy with 127 reps, but I really wish that RDL gaffe wouldn’t have happened.  Damn!  Oh well.  It was a good challenge by Mr. Contreras and in a weird way, it was fun!  I won’t be doing another challenge like this for a few months I’m sure (for the reason mentioned above), but whatever challenge I pick… bring it!!! :)

Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy the Superbowl!  I’m not sure which way to go, but will you all do me a favor and root for heads on the coin toss?  I’d appreciate the good vibes.  Of course, I’m rooting for heads because I bet on that every year… for entertainment purposes only! ;)

Connect on twitter – @DannyMcLarty

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