Bret Really Likes Big Butts.... The guy's tagline is "The Glute Guy"... He's popularized what is probably the best Glute-centric exercise, the Hip Thrust and it's variations (dumbbell, single leg, barbell). Word to the wise: If you're going to do Barbell Hip Thrusts, buy an Airex Pad or a Tampon Thick Bar Pad, your hips will thank you. He's previously written a 675 page book dedicated solely to the azzz....so obviously he has a lot to say about butts. Which is kinda awesome since the Glutes are the (arguably) the most important muscles of the body, for every-body... "the single nagging issue that prevents you from running like a well-oiled machine is … [Read more...]
Book Review: The Healthy Bodybuilder & Powerlifter
June 17, 2013 by
Dying to Win? Common misconception "normal people" have about bodybuilding and powerlifting: These activities are "good" for your health. Common misconception "normal people" have about bodybuilders and (some) powerlifters: They're the picture of perfect health. Basically it goes something like this: "Those guys are in such great shape, they workout all the time how could they have any health issues?" Here's how: "Bodybuilding is an extreme sport; it involves pushing human capacity to its absolute limit. As an extreme sport bodybuilding carries with it a certain amount of risk." - The Healthy Bodybuilder Both are extreme sports. One … [Read more...]
Book Review: The Charlie Francis Training System
May 7, 2013 by
Charlie Francis reached the peak of his coaching career when his athlete won a gold medal in the 100 meters at the 1988 Summer Olympics. THE single most highly regarded achievement in the world of sports among physical preparation coaches. Why? Cause everybody runs...and the guy who wins the 100 at the Olympics is, THE FASTEST MAN IN THE WORLD and that sh@t matters. Problem was that athlete was Ben Johnson.....yeah, THAT, Ben Johnson. The one who got disqualified for steroid use. So now you're all like, "How is he so great? His athletes used steroids and steroids are evil tools of cheaters. Righteous, virgin athletes like Lance Armstrong, Arnold … [Read more...]
Book Review: Why Zebras Don’t get Ulcers
December 11, 2012 by
This book has little to do with training..... and.. EVERYTHING to do with training. Virtually every very successful person in my field (training, exercise, paid for push-ups) lists this as one of the best/ most influential books to read. Now i know why. Why Zebras Don't get Ulcers is about the stress response and how it affects our bodies. Most of the book deals with chronic disease and how stress opens the door for disease to take hold. The take home point of the book is that: "the things we all find stressful- traffic jams, money, worries, overwork, the anxieties of relationships. Few of them are "real" in the sense that the zebra or lion would … [Read more...]
Book Review: Easy Strength
September 10, 2012 by
I'm a REALLY big nerd. When most people go on vacation they do a whole lot of nothing and when they do read something it's usually not "industry related". I'm guessing the economists of the world are not on the beach going, "WOW, this expose on the European debt crisis is just fascinating".......then again they are economist....bad example, my bad. (I kid, I kid) That said isn't that the whole reason people go on vacation in the first place to get away from work? Well as I said, I'm a nerd so I do things like read issues of the Strength and Conditioning Journal and books about training to "get away from work". My latest entry into nerd-dom lead me to, Easy … [Read more...]
Book Review: Advances in Functional Training
March 8, 2012 by
Damn you Kindle your portability and way cheaper books! Damn You..... Actually, it's really awesome. After I finished Never let Go by Dan John, review (which was picked up and put out on Dan John's email blast) here, I picked up Mike Boyle's latest book Advance in Functional Training. It's the third book Mike Boyle has put out and it is BY FAR the best. The first book Functional Training for Sports was one of the very first books on training I ever bought and at the time a seminal "pick up and apply" book in the field. You could buy the book read it in a couple of days, understand or at least apply the concepts and you would be better off than most of the people … [Read more...]
Book Review: Never Let Go- I read that sh*t
February 22, 2012 by
A client got me a Kindle for Christmas and I must say this thing is an impressive little device. Any who, when Dan Johns book Never Let Go became a Kindle freebie a couple of weeks ago I snatched it up. (It's $10 now, but still worth it). Now this bad boy is long, 418 pages but it's a really easy read and every article/ story is really good. They're mostly reprinted, old articles, from T-nation.com, in fact I had already read most of them but after reading them again I'm reminded of how easy it is to forget things we "know". Here's a quick synopsis of the book: Learn and do the basics: Squat, deadlift, clean, bench...you know the stuff they judge to be … [Read more...]
Shelby Starnes is a Pussy…but being jacked is cool.
January 9, 2011 by
Yeah, he might be jacked: and yeah, he might have an encyclopedic knowledge of nutrition, be on the Q&A and have a log at EliteFTS.som...and yeah, he might help people get in sick shape super fast: and be really f-ing strong (just read the log).....but he's still a pussy. Here's the proof, (in regards to lat pulldowns), "I always wear straps. If that makes me a pussy, that is fine."- Lean Gain Principles pg. 33 ....proof positive Mr. Starnes you are a total puss...now turn in your man-card... Personal note: Shelby, please don't find me and pummel the shit out of me. K? Thanks. Shelby and Steve Colescott teamed up to write the Lean Gain … [Read more...]
