Joey’s Gym Class

What happened to me?

When I came to I was lying on the ground, my lungs were heaving and gasping for air, my heart had found its way to the back of my throat, and was beating in my ears like a native indian war was about to begin. I felt like I would never catch my breath. My clothes were drenched in sweat, and there was chalk dust everywhere!

The last 8 minutes of my life were a total blur, but here is what I recall -

7:55pm - I realize I need to do some cardio on my off day, and definitely need to keep working on my KB snatches with the 24kg . . . so, let me do that.

7:56pm - Grab the chalk, take out the Big Boy (24kg KB), and decide I am going to man-up and not even refill my water bottle. I am a WARRIOR!!!!!!

7:58pm - I run upstairs and refill my water bottle. (I’m not that crazy!)

7:59pm - Take my shoes off, Doc’s orders, place my feet on either side of the KB and I get set. I had the determination of a Samurai in my eyes, and the heart of a beast!

8:00pm - GRAB AND GO!!!!

***

8:08pm - Im on the floor wheezing and sweating profusely, I think the temperature went up in the gym - (Did someone turn the heat on?) I dont know what time it is, or who was around me. My hands hurt, blood bubbles were building up under the skin of my palms. . . I was still alive.

I know I hit reps of 20, 15, 10, and 5 on each arm. I had to put the bell down after each set, but I made it.

I completed the task for the first time.

Its really an amazing thing, just a couple of months ago, I tried snatching the 24kg, and I said to myself, “There is no way I will be able to do 100 reps of this anytime soon! Its going to take me forever!”

I did it. I accomplished a pysical endeavor that at one point seemed IMPOSSIBLE to me. This same situation goes for women and pullups or pushups, or men going for a 300lb bench press or even a 185lb clean.

Remember this - Practice makes perfect and determination will drive you to victory!

Big special thanks to Dr. Cheng for giving me the motivation to complete this!

Stay strong,

Joey

P.S. Next goal is to get 100reps without putting the bell down!

If you have been a reader of my blog, you know I am not into running for weight loss. Personally, I love the challenge, and there is something truly theraputic to taking a long distance run or bike ride that just seems to clear your head of the daily stresses. However, having someone who is 80lbs overweight and having them pound the pavement for 5 miles 5 days a week is a sure recipe for injury.

Running for weight loss, and running for sport are two COMPLETELY different things. When people run for weight loss, they end up doing more harm than good usually due to improper body mechanics. When people run for the love of the sport - (with the right mechanics) it is a totally different story altogether.

Born to Run by Chris McDougall was one of the most exciting reads of 2009.

Part Competitive Sport Story

Part History book

Part Biomechanical Technique Manual

It tells the thrilling story of a group of ultra-marathoners and follows their journey to compete with a Native Indian running tribe that has an ancient history of running ultra-marathons with the latest state of the art running shoe technology -

Yes, they pretty much ran barefoot. The interesting thing is the fact that members of this ancient tribe had NO INJURIES! Compare that to North Americans who run - the injury rate for runners in North America is a staggering 80%! To pu it literally- 8 out of 10 people who start running will get get injured. Add to that the fact that this statistic has been remained unchanged since the 1960’s!!!! Most of this is due to poor body mechanics, and thick cushioned soles of running sneakers.

What is an Ultramarathon? - These are 50 to 200+ mile races that can last for days. Yes, they really do exist! And yes people are crazy enough to run them.

Ultramarathons make our NY Marathon look like an elementary school recess game!

Runners of this sport are highly dedicated and super competitive. Beyond that, Mcdouggal goes into a lot of the technical aspects of running, and why people get injured, what are the right mechanics, and how to run properly.

The book suggests that if you run barefoot, or close to it, as we evolved to do all those years ago, you don’t get hurt because the flesh of your feet and your joints can’t take the pain. Over years of barefoot running, our ancestors built up adequate tolerance to barefoot running over time, so that they eventually could run for long distances without pain. The addition of fancy-schmancy running shoes allowed turned running into a cardio exercise at the expense of our feet, knees, and backs–which haven’t built up the tolerance to barefoot running because of the running-shoe work-around.

It’s an interesting argument, and a powerful one, I think: if learning to run barefoot comfortably ensures good mechanics, then we cheat ourselves of the bio-mechanical learning process by wearing thick-soled running shoes. It’s a cheat.

The characters in the story are hilarious and you can really feel where each of them comes from. Mcdouggal’s prose just left me spell bound to the book, by the end I truly wanted to strap on my Vibram Five Fingers, and just run through the trails like a mad man!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever tried running. You will learn a lot from this book, and the story will keep you hooked!

Enjoy!

Stay strong,

Joey

Just so you know, I totally dominated the supermarket today! I went in grabbed a basket and went to town on the produce section!

There was a woman behind me who’s cart looked like Haagan Daaz and Entammans were going out of style.

She was looking at my baskets (and yes, I carried 2 baskets - I was too lazy to get a cart, so I got in some farmers walks while shopping!) like what the hell does this guy eat!

So, I looked at her and answered her shocked expressions with these thoughts in my head -

“Yes, I eat alot of eggs.”

“Yes, I eat a lot of tuna.”

“Yes, I also eat a ton of vegetables.”

“Yes, I do like cookies.”

“No, I dont keep them in the house.”

“No, I dont eat them by the bag . . . anymore.” ; )

“No, this is not part of a New Years resolution.”

“Yes, I do shop like this ALL THE TIME!”

“Now turn around slowly, and PUT THE ICE CREAM BACK! Thank you.”

So here is a peek into my grocery bags - These are things I constantly buy and always have on hand, you know . . . to preserve my sexy!

Joey’s Shopping List:

• 2 Dozen Eggs - these will last a few days, I boil about 10 as soon as I get home and make an egg salad with a little salsa instead of mayo.
• Peppers - Red, yellow, and green, a couple of each. I wash and chop these right away also.
• 1Eggplant
• Tomatoes
• Yellow Squash
• Zucchini
• Celery
• Bunch of Spinach
• Kale
• 4 sweet potatos
• 4 cans of tuna
• 4 bags of tuna - (trying these for the taste test!)
• Black Beans
• Navy Beans
• Kidney Beans
• Garbanzo Beans
• Lemons
• Bag of Oranges
• Fresh spices - Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano
• Shredded Cheese
• Bag of Flaxseed
• Large Chobani Greek Yogurt

And thats it! I don’t consider my shopping over until I come home then wash and chop the veggies as soon as I get there. That way there is no excuse, its probably one of the best habits I developed in 2009.

Plus, hot girls in the supermarket want to hang with you when you shop better.

(Before you ask, yes, girls in my supermarket are figure models who always wear bikinis to shop for produce!)

Back to the story here - With the eggs, I boil about 10 of them, then peel and chop them up. Mix in some chopped veggies and a couple of tablespoons of salsa - and there is a quick breakfast for a couple of days!

As I have always said, if it is in your house, you will eat it. Keep the bad stuff out, and bring good foods in!

I mean after all - your body is pretty much MADE of veggies! -

Stay strong,

Joey

Finally, the end of the year is near! We can look forward to new beginnings, a new year, and a new decade!

What is to happen in the fitness industry in the year to come? What horrible, ineffective trends will finally die off, what new ones are here to stay? Hmmm . . . let me look into my crystal ball . . .

TRENDS THAT BETTER GO AWAY!

1. Tracy Anderson -

She has single-handedly set women back by telling them they should not lift more than 3lb weights and go on super low calorie diets. Her information was touted as truth by so many women just because she trained Madonna, and Gwenyth Paltrow (thin, and thinner?). All she brought to the industry was a super expensive gym membership, and more pink dumbells.

2. Stupid Ab Devices -

Please, no more of these, I kind of want stab myself in the eye repeatedly with a hot fork every time I see one of these commercials. This is just wishful thinking, I doubt they are ever going away. I swear, I believe that an angel loses its wings everytime someones places a huge Ab Lounge, or Ab Blaster 2000 in the middle of their living room.

The Ab Circle, the Ab Bender, the Ab Rocker . . .I could go on forever! People always want the easy way out, the only way to get results that last is good old fashioned hard work.

Get rid of the Ab Circle . . . but uh . . .  keep the model!

3. Fad Diets -

These have been around forever, Atkins, Zone, Warrior, etc. I think that this year people will start learning how to keep it simple. It seems that there is a big push toward cooking healthier at home which is evidenced by many food network stars promoting eating healthier. According to a recent time magazine article, several food network stars have recognized their responsibility to helping keep America healthy.

Yes this is Rachel Ray!

I hope that this is the year that people learn to keep it simple. Like what I wrote here- 3-Page Nutrition Book

NEW PREDICTIONS for 2010 -

1. Men will FINALLY start training like MEN!

This is the big one, this is the year that men get off the damn machines and pick up some iron. I am tired of seeing guys pump away on machines for dear life as if they are really putting up weight. There is nothing impressive about “racking” a chest press machine. There is nothing impressive about putting all the plates on a leg press and then doing like 10 reps . . . and only going halfway down!

Pick up some big iron and move it around - stop being a pansy, machines are for really deconditioned beginners. If you have been using them your ENTIRE workout carreer, there is something wrong. Work on getting stronger, work on becoming powerful, work on being better!

And of course . . .

2. Vibram Five Fingers

There will be a huge push towards barefoot training. As soon as the weather gets better in NY you will start to see plenty of my favorite shoes around town - dont get freaked out by them! Check out what I wrote when I first got my hands on them - My Funky New Kicks!!!

3. Full Body Training

With the rising popularity of kettlebells and the TRX coming into the mainstream, people now have more options to train. I think we will finally see a movement toward full body training for the average gym goer. There are more tools available that can stimulate many more muscles than the average machine.

I also predict that most machine training will start to decline as people start to realize that their own bodies are the best machines in the world to use. You were born with all the tools to keep yourself healthy, you just have to tap into your abilities.

4. Kettlebell Training

I think that kettlebell training will increase even more so and definitely become way more popular. The TRX comes in as a very close second, but the kettlebell is an old tool that seriously needed to make a comeback. It can be compared to how the old heavier hammers are better than the new lightweight crappy ones. They dont make them like that any more.

One reason kettlebells will grow is their convenience. I have referred to them as the Swiss Army Knife of strength training. They are convenient to carry around, and it will get the job done. I mean if I am looking to get to a 400 lb deadlift, then KBs might not be the best tool to do that with, however heavy KB swings will help me maintain my strength when I cannot use a barbell.

In 2010 we will see a definite increase in KB use, on the other hand, we will also see an increase in KB misuse. There are going to be many out there who claim to be experts in KB training. You must know that the only guys who are doing it right with the PROVEN track record are the RKC’s. I plan to go for my cert later this year, as soon as they come back to the east coast. Pavel is at the top of the game and because he is known as “The Evil Russian” - you just nod and agree.

Those are my predictions for 2010 - may this be the best year EVER!

Stay strong and may 2010 get you stronger,

Joey

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend and that Santa brought you what you wished for!

Now we are back in the groove for the last week of 2009! I love it when the holidays fall on a Thursday or Wednesday, on one hand it provides extra days of festivities and parties, on the other hand, it still is extra days of festivities and parties!

Its Monday, what do you do your first day back at the gym? What is the best way to UNDO what you just did? Did you in fact consume a weeks worth of calories in a few days?

Most people at this point will go into the gym and literally go to war with the treadmill for an hour! Or they will take a number of aerobic classes back to back to back to work off their burned calories. The worst thing you can do . . . is not show up! Some people will literally lose all motivation to do anything this week and then plan to jumpstart it come New Years . . . dont be that person.

Here is your Last Week of 2009 Survival Plan -

Step 1 - Go food shoppoing, buy a ton of veggies. Consume as many vegetables as you possibly can with as many meals as possible. This will help keep your fiber intake high, and then just maybe your body will forgive you for eating the ENTIRE cheesecake!

Step 2 - Basic Training Plan - Super simple concept, 3 sets of 8 reps for every exercise increasing weight on every set. Rest 30-60 sec every set depending on level of difficulty. Do this workout 3x a week.

Shoot for these exercises below

Just so you know - all the 1’s belong together in a circuit and the exercises are performed back to back, likewise with the 2’s!

1A DB Squat

1B DB Bench

1C Seated Row

2A Lat Pulldown

2B DB Overhead Press

Step 3 - Set a distance goal for cardio - instead of beating yourself up for an hour - see how long it takes you to complete 2 miles . . . Hint: It better be between 20-25mins, 18 Minutes if you are a beast!

This whole routine should only take you about 45 mins total. It is simple enough to keep you focused without killing yourself.

For beginners, this plan can will have you seeing results for the next 6 weeks! So this can also be your 2010 Jumpstart Training Plan - I am giving you this as a freebie!

For more advanced people, this plan is great to follow when you are pressed for time, or need to take a break from a current program. I would recommend no more than 2-weeks for more advanced trainees.

FYI - How do you know if you are a beginner? If you had to look up any of the exercises on YouTube - then you are a beginner!

Good luck!

Stay strong,

Joey

Bad news - they found Santa . . .

Just kidding!

Happy Holidays everyone, Merry Christmas and I hope you all get what you wish for!

I love a day that offers the opportunity to be festive, I think we have far too few of these!

I have been so busy working on quite a few projects in my quest to conquer the world, but I will be back and writing soon!

Stay tuned, I have some exciting things happening in 2010!

Enjoy your weekend!

Stay strong,

Joey

Hey everyone, I just got back from my visit to L.A. to study for a weekend with Dr. Mark Cheng, I am more than grateful to have been his pupil, my mind is still soaking in all of the information I learned over the weekend. Its great to have been humbled and have an expert of his caliber just break down your movements and just to be able to have intelligent discussions on life, training, kettlebells, and movement science.

If you do not know who Dr. Cheng is -

He is the chief instructor of Kettlebells Los Angeles.  Dr. Cheng has been enthusiastically pursuing kettlebell training as a means of rehabilitation and health ever since he experienced the successful rehabilitation of his own lower back and shoulder injuries with Russian kettlebells.

No ordinary private trainer, Dr. Cheng brings extensive medical knowledge as a specialist in Chinese medicine orthopedics to each and every one of his clients and students. Always looking to increase his knowledge and understanding of the rehabilitative and prehabilitative applications of kettlebell training and the RKC system. His teaching method reflects an eye towards detail, safety, and constant fun.

He has trained such luminaries as Guro Dan Inosanto, Machado Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s Rigan Machado, and assisted his mentor, Pavel Tsatsouline, with law enforcement and military training. Few, if any, instructors bring the rare mix of martial arts master, physician, and kettlebell instructor to the mix like Dr. Cheng does!

Now on to the exercise - we must have spent the better part of an hour on just this one exercise and really going over it with a fine tooth comb.

The Turkish Get Up -

History

An old exercise that dates back to Turkish wrestling 200 years ago. As a rite of passage, a beginner was not allowed to move on to their next level of training until they were able to lie down next to a heavy (100lb) kettlebell on the floor and gracefully move to a standing position with the weight overhead using total control.

Bringing us 200 years later, if you watch the typical American get up from the floor you do not see beauty or grace, instead you hear the grunts of effort and uncomfortable facial expressions because getting up from the floor has actually become “difficult”. Ever seen Wall-E?

What does this mean for you?

We have lost the freedom of movement and awareness of our bodies and what muscles are supposed to do what. The characters in Wall-E are not too far from the truth for a lot of people! Many people who seek better health are out of touch with themselves physically, they lack the ability to coordinate muscles to perform a task.

I believe that beauty, grace, elegance, symmetry, balance, coordination and strength have a common thread. And in no other exercise is that common thread evident other than the Turkish Get Up.

This exercise will teach you how to find those elements in your body, it will teach you how to move with grace, it will teach you how to find strength where you need it, and use it when you need it.

Benefits - Core Strength, Flexibility, Body Awareness, Coordination, Full Body Strength

The Exercise

I will only post the fist half of the get up here, only because the first half is the section that requires the most learning, and for the professionals its the section where all the good core control and motor learning is going on. After the start position there are only 4 steps -

Cuddle - The Start - lie on your side on the floor with whatever weight you are using next to you.

Roll to Press - roll onto your back, use BOTH hands to press up, then set the opposite arm and leg on the floor.

Press to Elbow - work on pulling your body up to the elbow.

Elbow to Post- get up on your hand to a straight arm T-position

Post to Bridge - raise those hips to the sky!

For a visual, check out this link below, it is a video of Dr. Cheng performing a bottoms up TGU with a 16kg (35lb) Bell!!! Not easy!

Dr. Cheng - Turkish Get Up

The first half ends here, at the high hip bridge -

After holding that position for a few seconds and really working on getting those hips high - Then you come back down to the cuddle, switch sides and go again.

Spend some time learning this portion first, then you can work your way up to standing. Start with your own bodyweight, and be very conservative with the weight as you begin to load it. Work on transitioning smoothly, remember we are looking for balance, elegance, and symmetry - these elements take patience and practice to develop.

Get to work!

Stay strong,

Joey

The fall and winter seasons are a time that bring old buddies and families together to feast in warm places till their bellies are full and to argue, dispute, and discuss football. A sport that is woven into the fabric of this country. So much work goes into each team, and the game is the culmination of tons of hard work from the coaches and coordinators and athletic training staff - everyone pitches in to get the team into the best possible shape to win. The team themselves train and practice for hours upon hours to perfect the game.

Sometimes, your team loses. This year two local teams lost big games and had no one to blame but themselves, the Giants lost a huge Thanksgiving game, and now they have to see where it fell apart. Below is an interesting statement I got from Coach Beach, the head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Hofstra University after the team lost the game that would have landed them a playoff position.

These are some motivating words indeed that will help you in sport, and in life.

Hold The Rope

Every year a team wins the WIAA Division 1 Football State Championship. Every year a team wins the WIAA Division 2 Football State Championship. Every year a team wins the WIAA Division 3 Football State Championship. Every year a team wins the WIAA Division 4 Football State Championship.

All of these teams have one thing in common. No matter how tough the training, school, or life in general, they did one thing together - they held the rope.

What is holding the rope? Imagine that you are hanging from the edge of a cliffwith twenty thousand feet below you. The only thing between you and  afallt o your death is is a rope with the person(s) of your choice on the other end. Who would you trust to hold the rope so you could climb to safety? Who would you know who would overcome the fear of being pulled over themselves? Who do you know who would let the rope scar their hands and still not let go? How many people could you count on who would withstand burning pain and watch blood drip from their hands for you?

The next time you are with the team, look around and ask yourself; Who could I trust to hold the rope? Who could I count on to overcome th pain for me? When you look at every member on this football teamand say to yourself, they would all hold the rope. We are all destined to play for a conference championship, or possibly a state championship. You see, the team that holds the rope when the going gets tough wins. When the last minute of the game arrives and the score is close and fatigue and pain have set in, tell your teammates to hold the rope, overcome the pain and hold the rope for you. Then ask them to hold it for you.

Every year there are winners and losers in every sport. Every year the winners overcome the fear of failure and the threat of physical pain and hold the rope while the losers plunge to their death. If you prepare well by listening, learning, an providing effort when your coaches and teammates ask for it, and most importantly - HOLD THE ROPE - our team will be successful. In order for a team to win, and to win consistently, each member must choose to commit totally to each other and the teams goals. When you are asked to run, DO IT. When you are asked to lift weights with intensity, DO IT. When you are asked to eat and rest, DO IT. When you are asked to compete, DO IT and DO IT with total COMMITMENT.

Never let go of your commitment and intensity towards success. Always overcome, and always HOLD THE ROPE!

******

In life, in training, as in football, hold the rope for success, and dont let go when the going gets tough, there is much more at stake than you think!

Stay strong,

Joey

Wow, I just realized I have been writing this blog for one whole year already! Its as if time just flew by!

I would like to send a special thanks to all my readers and fans all around the world who read what I have to say. Also, to all of my clients for their suggestions and ideas of things to write about, and some that stay on my ass when I start to slack on my writing! They really keep me going strong, thanks to all of them!

I started this in order to bring across my point of view on fitness and health. Every time I write I try my best to get the truth out there and clear up any myths that confuse people. Most information out there is completely horrible and just guides people in the wrong direction, I always try to clear up the myths based on my experiences and what I see that works.

Things like -

Sweating to the Oldies -

Any Product endorsed by Tony Little, like the Gazelle -

Or even the amazing AB LOUNGE -

- Im just kidding - you must know that NONE of that stuff really works. . . well, except maybe “Sweatin to the Oldies!” LOL!

I hope you all find this blog entertaining and informative, I will keep it fresh for all of you -

So stay tuned - there is a lot more new content coming up soon!

Thanks again!

Stay strong,

Joey

I was home eating my Frosted Flakes Oatmeal and Berries =) - when this infomercial comes up on TV  . . .

The Hawaii Chair

Really?!?!?!?! Is somebody really selling this????

I dont really have much to say on this topic, but I think I know what some people are getting for Christmas!!!!!  ; )

LOL!

Stay strong,

Joey