I just got through this book, and all I can say is WOW! The book is written by Michael Pollan who writes for the NY Times - the book goes through a History of Four Meals and actually describes in detail where the food came from, how the animals were treated, what it tasted like, and what the experience of each meal was like.He literally goes through the entire history of a meal from McDonald’s, to a meal from Whole Foods, to a meal from a farm, to hunting his own food.

One of the main lessons are how big of a problem corn is in our everyday diets. Corn is in everything. Probably about 90% of the foods on grocery store shelves contail corn or some drivative of it  -

• High fructose corn syrup
• Corn flour
• Corn starch
• Buttcrack
• Corn gluten
• Dextrin/maltodextrin,
• Xanthan gum

He describes in detail how the beef and chickens we eat are fed a corn based diet in order to fatten them up. Hmmmm  . . . corn based diet to fatten you up??? . . .

Kellogs wouldn’t do that to us? Right? We trust them too much! . . . right, go ahead eat 2 bowls of Special K a day, lets see what happens ~

Michael Pollan gives a complete and utterly fascinating review of our dependance on corn, and the negative consequences we suffer from it. Here is an eye opening excerpt from the book:

Grain is the closest thing in nature to an industrial commodity: storable, portable, fungible, ever the same today as it was yesterday and will be tomorrow. Since it can be accumulated and traded, grain is a form of wealth. It is a weapon, too, as Earl Butz once had the bad taste to mention in public; the nations with the biggest surpluses of grain have always exerted power over the ones in short supply. Throughout history governments have encouraged their farmers to grow more than enough grain, to protect against famine, to free up labor for other purposes, to improve the trade balance, and generally to augment their own power. George Naylor is not far off when he says the real beneficiary of his crop is not America’s eaters but its military-industrial complex. In an industrial economy, the growing of grain supports the larger economy: the chemical and biotech industries, the oil industry, Detroit, pharmaceuticals (without which they couldn’t keep the animals healthy in CAFOs), agribusiness, and the balance of trade. Growing corn helps drive the very industrial complex that drives it. No wonder the government subsidizes it so lavishly.

You cannot say any of these things about grass. The government writes no subsidy checks to grass farmers. Grass farmers, who buy little in the way of pesticides and fertilizers (none, in the case of Joel Salatin), do little to support agribusiness or the pharmaceutical industry or big oil. A surplus of grass does nothing for a nation’s power or its balance of payments. Grass is not a commodity. What grass farmers grow can’t be easily accumulated, traded, transported, or stored, at least for very long. Its quality is highly variable, different from region to region, season to season, even farm to farm; there is no number 2 hay. Unlike grain, grass can’t be broken down into its constituent molecules and reassembled as value-added processed foods; meat, milk, and fiber is about all you can make out of grass, and the only way to do that is with a living organism, not a machine. Grass farming with skill involves so many variables, and so much local knowledge, that it is difficult to systematize. As faithful to the logic of biology as a carefully grazed pasture is, it meshes poorly with the logic of industry, which has no use for anything it cannot bend to its wheels and bottom line. And, at least for the time being, it is the logic of industry that rules.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying not enjoy some sweet corn on the cob bbq’d on the grill. I am saying that if your diet is extremely high in processed foods, then you have to watch out, learn what is in your food, and where it is coming from. This book will make you ten times more informed as a consumer than you ever imagined, and will completely change the way you look at food.

Give it a read!

Stay strong, and inform yourself,

Joey

Yesterday’s workout was short, I was really pressed for time, but I got it in!

A1 Suitcase Deadlift  - 3×10

B1 SA DB Shoulder Press - 3×10

C1 Dips - 3×10

C2 KB Deck Squat - 3×10

(Just so you know when I write these programs, A1 is the excercise, then when I put A1/A2 that means going to the next excercise with minimum rest. The majority of my programs are total body workouts, who has the time for isolation anyway?)

This workout was challenging, I banged it out in 20 minutes.

The Deck Squats I actually really liked for the flexibility, the explosive component, and the squat movement - I was hating on them at first, but they really catch up to you! The Deck Squat is actually an exercise that is used by the Russian Kettlebell Seniors to teach squat mechanics. But it is fun, and intense!

Check out the video - Deck Squat

I used a 15lb KB for the first two sets. The KB is actually projected forward through the movement to help you get up easier, so it has to be fairly light.

Stay strong,

Joey

The Nintendo Wii Has been out for quite some time now. I love it as a step to getting people to do something other than extreme couch sitting. BUT, now that it has been a few years, there are actually orthopedic issues that have been arising from using the game system according to a recent New York Times Article - check it out here - More Wii Warriors Are Getting Hurt

Now this is unbelieveable! I always say how the more time passes in the fitness industry, the more old school it becomes. To get in shape (yes this is for both men AND women) you pretty much have to pick up heavy things plenty of times, and work with your bodyweight in short bursts - its that simple! Now people who have been sitting on the couch and decide to pick up a Wii are getting injured  . . . through OVERUSE!

The article states:

Consumers who avoided sedentary video-game systems have flocked to the Wii, which lures users off the couch with a handheld, wireless remote and a selection of familiar, free-swinging games like tennis, boxing and bowling. For some parents, and even grandparents, the games are a way to connect with children on their own turf. The fact that everyone gets a little exercise along the way is an added plus.

“It’s great in the concept that it gets people active and involved,” said Dr. Brian Halpern, a sports medicine physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. “It’s not great in that you get lost in that and are overloading areas that you haven’t worked out in a long time, if ever.”

Dr. Levine said the youngest patient he had treated was 12. Dr. Young, who overworked his core muscles using the Wii Fit, is 32. Dr. Sperling’s patients have included a 22-year-old whose arm swelled to twice its size after a marathon Wii session, and a man in his 60s.

WHATTT??!!!! A 22 year old “overworked his core muscles” playing the Wii???!!! Come on now!!!

You get the idea, if u want to play ball with your friends or your kids, GO OUTSIDE! What is so hard about that?

. . . Well . . . unless she’s playing too -

. . . Then its okay!

Stay strong, Lift Heavy, Go out and enjoy the sunshine New York!

Best Regards,

Joey

This is the first time I am putting up one of my workouts on here. I would like to keep a log to keep myself accountable and so you guys know what Im up to in the gym. Please don’t hesitate to leave me any comments or questions you might have -

Since I pulled my trap a couple of weeks ago, I amfinally ready to begin my workouts again and get into a regular program. I have been doing some light kettlebell work at home, especially shoulder presses.

The pic is of Mike Mahler, a top strength coach who has some very effective kettlebell programs for size and strength. To give you an idea of how much of a beast he is, he regularly uses 70 to 80lb KBs in his workouts!

For the next 4-6 sessions, the program will be pretty basic before I get into anything real heavy, here is what todays workout was -

Warm up - Matrix w/ 15lb DBs

A1 DB Romanian Deadlift    3×10

B1 Single Arm Shoulder Press  3×10

C1 BB Box Front Squat  3×10

D1  Single Arm DB Chest Press  3×10

E1 Standing Cable High X-Pull  3×10

F1 Standing Palloff Press  3×10

Plain and simple, I felt great right after, and will definitely try to hit this again at least once more this week. Those single arm exercises really tax your abs harder than you might think. I didnt really feel the need to do more core work after the workout, but I added in the Palloff press to balance everything out. If you dont know what that is - check here, Palloff Press

This particular core exercise has been one of my recent favorites, people are always amazed to feel their abdominals contract that way! The key is not to rotate AT ALL!

Give it a shot!

Well that is all for today! Everyone be good this weekend!

Stay Strong ,

Joey

Okay, Memorial day is right around the corner, we have like 4 weeks left. This is the big weekend where the weather makes a miraculous change (so we hope!) and it is the official beginning of the summer season. Now if you had a goal to look better and see some of the fat gone from your body, had you started January 1st, like I am sure most of you did, and you were consistent, you should be there already, or at least very close to your goal. Lets say you postponed and waited till March, you should look noticeably different by now, almost there. Is that where you are at???

One of the main components to reaching your goal in a reasonable time or not is your WEEKENDS! You cannot go on an all out binge from Friday to Sunday without it affecting your progress! To get where you ultimately want to be,a  little sacrifice goes a long way.

Go ahead, binge on this!

Below is an excerpt from an article written by T-nation editor Chris Shugart about weekends and their effects on your progress, I could not have put it better myself -

Chris Shugart: Your Weekend Is F*ck*ng Up Your Progress

Years ago, I thought I could train hard and eat clean all week, then hit the buffets on weekends and still make progress. Five steps forward, only two steps back, right?

Wrong.

For a lot of people, weekends of dietary debauchery undo all the good they’ve done during the week. Eat enough crap, drink enough booze, screw up your sleep habits badly enough, and you’ll all but wipe out the previous five days’ worth of proper eating and hard training.

You might continue to make progress, but it’ll be slow. Over time, body fat starts to creep up, especially for those of us who’re no longer 19 years old, eight feet tall, and bulletproof.

I’m not suggesting that you stay home all weekend, eat celery sticks, and become a really buff hermit. But there are ways to minimize the damage of an active social life.

It’s entirely possible to go out with friends and not get sh*t-faced. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. You can go out to eat at a good restaurant without basting your abs with melted butter. You can even get your ass off the couch and do something active on weekends. For reals! I’ve read studies.

I understand it’s fun to obsess about splits vs. full-body training, or the best time of day to take BCAAs, or the relative merits of steady-state cardio vs. HIIT. But if your weekends are dietary disasters or tsunamis of booze, none of those issues really matters. Whatever you’re doing M-F, you’re undermining it on the days that begin with S.

You can still relax, recharge, and have fun on the weekend without derailing your progress and nullifying all your hard work. I’ve seen it done.

There you have it! Enjoy Saturdays and Sundays, but remember to look your best by Memorial Day -

WATCH YOUR WEEKENDS!

Don’t make me say  that again . . . Im warning you!

Stay Strong,

Joey

I just came back from a TRX seminar and it was definitely an eye opener! This piece of equipment is the cutting edge of the fitness industry. The TRX is a modified version of Olympic rings that have foot cradles to increase the variety of exercises available. What makes it special is the fact that no matter what part of your body you are working, since your body is suspended the entire time, you are working everything all the time! The TRX takes bodyweight training to an entirely new level.

The concept was originally created by a Navy SEAL who was stuck for days with his crew and they had to train to keep their mental state straight. The first TRX was created out of remnants of a parachute, and the rest is history. Up to this day it is a common strength training tool used by the military.

Beyond this, it is easy to learn, and the intensity can be cranked up or turned down real quick! I love the suspended crunches on the TRX.  I have always told my clients to stop doing so many crunches on their backs, crunches will cause more harm than good - just get off the floor and pick up some heavy things! Now the TRX provides direct core training where I will be happy giving this move to my clients because they will feel their abs working hard, and I know all of the other benefits they are getting with the exercise like much needed hip extension, and shoulder stabalization.

Being in the suspended position forces your entire body to work against gravity at various angles. Try doing that on Nautilus equipment! The TRX is truly total body training for the 21st century!

Stay strong,

Joey

Just a quick one today, its been a real busy week! This post will just touch on the kettlebell a little bit to give some information on them, many people see them around the gym and have no idea what they are, or what to do with them, or even how to pick them up!

Remember those Swiss-Army knives? I am sure most of us have had some experience with them while growing up. It was an all in one tool that pretty much had anything you could ever need in case of an emergency. I mean some even had toothpicks and little scissors in them (that never really worked anyway). I used them a lot whenever I would go camping, and they were generally helpful to have. Some people just knew how to use them better than others. Some would only use one or two implements while others knew how to use everything. Of course the more you knew about your Swiss army knife, the more effective you were when you needed it . . . right?

The kettlebell is such a tool to use in the gym. It is not a new tool by any means, it just went to the wayside for a while here in America, while it was used extensively in Russia. If you have ever heard anything about Russian athletes, you know they mean business. Kettlebells have been around for hundreds of years, making old time strongmen build physiques that men today find themselves striving for!

The Kettlebell is a handheld gym – it can be used to produce everything from endurance, to strength and size, to fat loss conditioning, and athletic training. The great thing about the kettlebell is that you really only need one, and you can transition quickly, easy and comfortably from one exercise to the next. The kettlebel is the national sport of Russia and some of the criteria for making this so is that the Russians were looking for a strength tool that was

• Practical and Economical
• Easy to Learn
• For the Masses

Kettlebells provided all of this, you just grab and go! They are easy to learn, and can be used by every population.

The unique handle and shape, with the off center weight allow for many different and unique uses from flexibility to power drills that are just not the same with dumbbells.

Today, top American athletes, police and fire departments, the military, and martial artists are training with kettlebells to stay in top form for their respective professions. With the growing popularity of kettlebells, dedicated kettlebell gyms are starting to root their feet in the over-saturated, fad-laden, frilly fitness industry, while allowing anyone and everyone to get involved. The kettlebell has proven to not be a fad, but a tried, tested and true means of obtaining higher levels of fitness and health.

It has been said that training with a kettlebell is the closest you can get to being in a fight without throwing a punch. When it comes down to it, they are a great tool to add into the mix, learn to use them effectively and you can yield some great results!

Stay strong,

Joey

This training system I personally developed and put together through years of research and experimenting. I will be running a boot camp style body transformation class starting April 22^nd at Synergy Fitness in Franklin Square using my techniques.

Anyone who has worked out for me knows the level of punishment fun and enjoyment I bring to each workout – this boot camp will kick it up another notch!

The class is designed to deliver a unique workout that I am pretty sure most of you have never done before in your life! This is truly a 21^st century approach to burn the fat off your body. I will make sure that this is the ONLY workout that you will need for that day.

I actually take this on as a challenge. I know I can get one person in shape pretty quickly. Now the question is can I get 8-10 people up to that same level? I am looking for warriors, age and sex are not a limitng factor. I need mental toughness, physical aggression and heart.

I will bring my expertise and knowledge, you bring me the motivation and we are going to town, we won’t stop until the changes are made!

Unique features of the boot camp will include:

· Kettlebells – a blast form the past, learn how to use this unique tool to melt the fat right off your body! There are hundreds of different exercises and dynamic movements that are possible with this tool - we will use as many as possible to reach your goals!

· TRX Suspension Training – Developed by a Navy SEAL, this piece of equipment was invented to bring fitness anywhere. It is a new category of exercise that leverages ones own bodyweight and gravity to develop strength, balance, and flexibility simultaneously. The TRX was recently voted “Best Total Body Training Tool” by Men’s Health magazine!

I      Imagine the damage exciting exercises I could do with this! Check out the TRX Trailer Video here!

Now this is going to rock!

· Tons of bodyweight variations that I can deliver to hit your body from every possible angle so you can preserve lean muscle mass and burn fat!

I will only be holding 2 classes 2 times a week Tuesday and Thursday - One AM session at 9 am, and one PM session at around 6:30pm.

I will be posting some more details on the equipment we will use and the class format as time gets nearer.

Space is LIMITED!

Please leave me comments if you have any questions.

Today is a short post, I came across the below on one of the forums, and thought it brought up a great message.

Who doesnt love Dr. Seuss? He wrote the most imaginitive tales with serious life morals that children understood - the mini-tale below is one of his lost works on the world of fitness and exercise (that is my story and I am sticking to it!) -

Enjoy!

Stanley Lifts A Weight

I am Stan.
Stan the man.
Can you lift
the weight I can?

Can you lift it overhead?
Can you lift it with a dead?
Can you lift it with a squat?
Bet I can, and you cannot.

Can you lift it in the air?
Can you lift it anywhere?
Can you lift it, no he shrugs.
I can’t lift it without drugs.

Can you squat front, rear and hacks?
Do you know your one rep max?
Can you do a power clean?
Nope not on a Smith Machine.

Do your lifts impress the girls
Can’t do that with biceps curls.
The ladies just might notice you,
If you don’t lift just like they do.

Is your gym a place to play,
A stop within your busy day
Do you go there to be a jerk,
Or is it where you go to work.

When you go, what do you do?
I hope not just what comes to you.
And while you’re there don’t be a clown,
Lift weights and put that cell phone down.

Do you lift heavy, break a sweat?
‘Cause if you don’t you’re not there yet.
Can you get strong like Stan the man,
With some hard work, of course you can.

If you’re consistent, lifting weights,
And work real hard, and add some plates,
Then you’ll get strong, I know you can,
Like me, I’m Stan, I’m Stan the man.

Have a great Wednesday everyone!

Stay strong,

Joey

Happy Monday everyone! It was a rainy day here in NYC - Its all about April showers right now!

As I was driving to the gym today, I noticed that there are some people out there that are so gung ho about their cardio, the do it in the rain! I know its somewhat empowering, but come on now! They were jogging with such horrible form, it could only be described as “speed limping” -

I never understood why long steady state cardio ever made sense to people. Do you really think you need to be on the treadmill for an HOUR to lose weight???

Below is a short article from one of the top coaches in the country Steve Maxwell that fully explains why aerobics is such a poor option -

10 Reasons Why I Don’t Do Aerobics

By Steve Maxwell

I spend my days at a corporate gym. It’s a sweet gig and a temporary livelihood.

One morning, while observing a female member endlessly running the treadmill-to-nowhere-fast, I realized I see the same people returning day after day, iPods silently blaring or, worse, mindlessly captivated by one of the ten wall-mounted television screens, while grinding away on those steppers and treadmills.

The drudgery of their Sisyphean tasks compels their attempts to lose self-awareness by inundating themselves with external stimuli. Often, their bodies reflect this lack of self-awareness in skewed gaits and other imbalances.

These same people come in religiously to get the feel-good fix, believing somehow their mindless, movement addiction is in some way benefiting them. Interestingly, they stay fat, show no progress, and sometimes even get fatter, especially after holidays. Most of these people are loathe to touch a weight, much less engage in any kind of productive strength-training. You see this same phenomenon in gyms all over the country.

Some will say, “Well, some exercise is better than none,”

But I say, if you’re going to spend the time, why not produce something worthwhile?

Here are ten reasons why I don’t do aerobic exercise:

But first, what is aerobic exercise? Any steady state locomotion elevating the heart rate into the zone for twenty minutes or more. The zone is determined by formulas based on age and resting heart rate.

Now, ten reasons why it not only doesn’t work but is a poor use of exercise time:

1. Oxidative Stress
Which causes a breakdown of tissues. It also predisposes one to cancer and heart attack.

2. Elevated cortisol production
Which causes a breakdown of muscle tissue and increases fat storage or depot fat. People do aerobics to alleviate stress yet end up creating more stress.

3. Lowered testosterone and HGH levels
For men, aerobics are a form of chemical castration. Low T-levels are associated with lowered libido, depression, anxiety, increased body fat and decreased muscle tissue. This contributes to muscle-wasting and lowers the basal metabolic rate.

4. Increased appetite and a tendency toward binge eating patterns
Aerobic exercise makes people hungry!

5. Excessive Muscular Fatigue
Making it difficult to do other more productive forms of activity. Aerobics creates muscular weakness.

6. Conversion of fast-twitch muscle fibers to slow-twitch
The loss of fast-twitch muscle fibers contributes to aging and the loss of explosive power and speed. People become slower and slower.

7. Burns a relatively small amount of calories vs. the time spent
One large meal completely offsets the pitiful amount of calories burned in an hour aerobics session.

8. Overuse injuries to the feet, ankles, and knees from excessive, continual force transmitted throughout the body
This is exacerbated by over-engineered running shoes which cushion the feet in such a way to create a neural amnesia.

9. Shortening i.e., deformation, of the muscle tissue from repetitive mid-range (partial range) movements
This creates inflexibility, immobility, and muscle imbalances. Besides being tight, the bodies postural alignment becomes compromised. Aerobics create tight, inflexible bodies that are in chronic pain.

10. Adrenal burnout
A consequence of the “feel good” neurotransmitters which also stimulate the release of adrenaline. Adrenaline is the fight or flight hormone. Excessive adrenaline creates an addictive response and people going routinely for the so called “high” of running end up with adrenal burnout, e.g., chronic fatigue and depression.

Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the father of aerobic exercise (and the person who coined the term) completely recanted his assertions regarding aerobic exercise. After observing a disproportionate number of his aerobic-enthusiast friends die of cancer and heart disease, he reversed his ideas on the benefits of excessive aerobic exercise. He now claims anything in excess of 20 minutes has greatly diminishing returns. In fact, he’s now an advocate of scientific weight training.

Now a final note- the issue is that people do WAYYYYY too much steady state cardio. Its not that steady state is the worse thing ever, its just not to be done 4-5 days a week at every workout.

I try and get at least 1-2 hours a week of something like a long bike ride, or a long run and thats it. It is good for you mentally, it gets your body in a good rhythm. There is something about steady state cardio that people do enjoy, and that is fine.

Just do not use it as your main weight loss tool!

Enjoy an hour or so a week of an activity you enjoy. But whatever you do, PLEASE don’t be this guy -

Thank you!

Stay strong,

Joey