October Training Videos Inside – A Look at My Clients and I Getting After It!
October 9, 2012 by danny · Leave a Comment
Hola friends. Today I’m going to share some videos of my clients and I working hard to build stronger, healthier, and more bad ass bodies. So, let’s get to it…
This first video is me getting my cardio in. If you’ve read much of my work, you’ll recall that “traditional cardio” (i.e. jogging on the treadmill) is mind-numbing to me. So I prefer to get my fat loss on in non-traditional ways. Plus, as I often mention, I try to keep my cardio low(er) impact whenever possible. Sure, if you are currently competing in sports like cross country, basketball, and football, high impact is a part of the sport – nothing you can do about it. BUT, if you no longer compete, try to choose exercises that are more joint-friendly. Burn some fat WHILE being nice to your joints… sounds like a win-win to me!
Here, Bryan performs cheated barbell curls to make his gunz look even more gunny! And yes, there IS a time and place to use a little body english on some exercises. As long as it is planned and not the norm. And YES, there is a time and place to perform curls in the squat rack… like when you train at a semi-private training facility when there is no one “in line” waiting to squat.
And here is Bryan’s wife Mandy, performing Rack RDLs with chains. Work those hams and glutes, Mandy!
Joie working her glutes with some hip thrusts…
Amy performing feet elevated push-ups with FULL range of motion…
Me, torturing myself with high rep trap bar deadlifts to finish off my leg session. Torture… nah, more like fun. Yeah, I feel like I’m about to die on those last couple reps, but it builds character. 
Savanna performing ass-to-grass goblet squats. And Chris in the background learning how to goblet squat to the box. Chris has since “graduated” to barbell box squats. She performed them last night for the first and her form was flawless!
Capri and Daxton learning two very important words… “hi Daddy.”
How does this one relate to training? Well, it makes me laugh. And laughter is good for our health. It reduces stress and helps us build a better, healthier body. So, remember to laugh/smile as much as possible on a daily basis!
I think it’s always cool to see what goes on in the walls of different gyms. So, there is your little sneak peak of what’s-a-happenin’ in the walls of my gym.
I’ll try to make this a monthly thing where I include videos of my clients and I killing it!
See you soon…
High Volume Training while “Bulking”
I just started a new training block, as well as a shift in my physique goals. As we say goodbye to summer, having ripped abs is no longer priority numero uno. I made a facebook post last week saying that I am starting “bulking season.” Then, Mark Young yelled at me. What an a-hole, can’t he let me gain weight in peace!?! Just kidding, he didn’t really yell at me. He just stated that he is not a fan of the word ”bulking,” when gaining size becomes a trainees priority. And I can see where he is coming from. This is true because for many people, “bulking” season simply equals an excuse to become fat.
Just because the number on the scale goes up, it doesn’t mean that you are putting on quality weight. Mark said he prefers that it was called “lean mass accretion season.” Ha, that is funny! It is a actually true, as adding lean mass rather than fat mass is what we are looking for. I’m just not so sure that phrase will be one that sweeps the nation anytime soon. Good try though, Mark!
Anyway, I accept that some fat mass will accumulate with my attempt to add muscle this lean mass accretion season (there you go Mark, it’s already catching on). But my main goal is to add muscle without becoming a fat, softy. In going from six pack emphasis to hypertrophy (muscle gain) emphasis, I’m taking a bit of a different approach than I usually do. To gain muscle, we must have a balance of intensity (heavy weight that is close to our 1 rep max) and volume (the amount of reps in a session). But all of the volume in the world is not going to do much for you if you haven’t spent many years under the bar working on your strength. In other words, if I’m going to do a high volume of bench pressing in a session (lets say 8 X 12), but my 1 RM (rep max) is only 95 pounds, I have no right to go to a high volume approach.
The light weight for 96 reps (8 X 12) won’t do a thing for me in attempt to add size to my pecs, shoulders, and triceps. So, if you are newer to training, spend some time (years) getting stronger before you ever think about using a high volume approach in your training.
With the said, my idea of high volume is different than what some others may consider high volume training. My friend and Physique Coach, Dr. Clay Hyght and I have had a number of discussions about the benefits of high volume training. Dr. Clay is convinced that to achieve as much as size as possible, high volume training must be used (or at least incorporated throughout the training year). And I’ve also seen some of the programs written by another Coach that I respect, John Romaniello. I usually have to do a double-take and I say to myself, “wow, that is a HUGE amount of sets/reps!” So, when I wrote up my current program last week, I had to keep telling myself, “more, more, more,” in regards to amount of sets/reps I programmed in for myself. Again, high volume to me is a little different to some of these other successful coaches. But I decided that I’m going to go for it. And all of the calories I am taking in will go along well in turns of helping with recovery.
A few of you have asked me what the program looks like. I don’t want this post to drag on too long, so I’ll be back in a couple days to show what the program entails. Maybe I’ll include a few pictures in a couple weeks as well, so we can see if all these calories and reps are doing me right. Stay tuned…
New Service…
March 24, 2010 by danny · Leave a Comment
Beach Season Is Right Around The Corner!
I want to make everyone aware of the new service I just added. I’m calling it , “The Cook Training Program.” One of the reasons I started this website, was to be able to help as many people as possible reach their health and physique goals. I designed The Cook Training Program with the intention of reaching the masses. It is very affordable for just about anyone.
You choose your main goal. With beach season right around the corner, maybe you are looking to lean out a bit. If so, go with the fat loss program.
If you are one of the “lucky ones,” and are already lean, maybe you are looking to add a little size. If that is the case, go with the muscle gaining program.
To get all of the details, check out this link.
