This workout is one hell of a challenge. I took this concept from Craig Ballantyne who runs Turbulence Training. He has got a ton of great information, he is the one who has killed steady state cardio and has brought interval training to the mainstream.

If you do not know what that is, or you are still running for an hour on the treadmill daily - then maybe you should wake up and look around you. Those same people trudging along on the treadmill a YEAR ago will more than likely look exactly the same today.

I digress. As many of you know, I will be leaving to Puerto Rico on Friday afternoon . . . finally a chance to sit in the sun, swim at the beach, and lie in my hammock for hours!

In the meantime, I will leave you guys with the Bodyweight 350 -

This is 350 reps of pure fat burning delight! This workout is to be finished within 30 minutes - TOTAL! This challenge should be done once a week for 4-6 weeks to supplement any strength training program.

Take the challenge and post your times!

Bodyweight 350

45 Prisoner Squats - Hands behind the head

40 Push Ups

20 Jumps

20 Stability Ball Leg Curls

40 Stability Ball Jackknives -see pic below:

40 Step ups

10 Pull ups*

40 Forward Lunges

40 Close Grip Push ups

20 Inverted Rows - see pic below:

40 Squats

15 Chin ups*

Finish w/ a 1-mile run

* If you cannot do pull ups at all, then substitute them with the inverted rows. BUT if you can complete at least 3 pull ups, then do the actual pull ups and just break it up into sets of 2 or 3 reps until the required number is completed.

Enjoy!

Stay Strong,

Joey

Every house must be built on a solid foundation in order to stand strong. Any edifice will crumble in a short time if it is built on a weak foundation. Which house will stand stronger, one built on a rock, or one built on the sand?

Building the body you want is a process, and is very similar to building a house in that your principles, or your base must be solid. Many people fail at their nutrition plans because they lack the fundamentals to a solid program.

Any nutrition program should start with the following five fundamentals:
1. Eat Breakfast!
It truly is the most important meal, and it will set you up with energy for the rest of your day.

2. Drink Water!
The human body is designed to drink only water, natural fruit juices are fine, but the majority of your fluid intake should be water. It is a pure drink with 0 calories that your body needs to function optimally.

3. Get in healthy snacks between meals!
Snacking will keep your mind focused between meals. A great example is eating an apple an hour or so before going out to a restaurant, Then you will stay away from the consuming the whole left side of the menu.

4.Eat Real whole foods!
The majority of your diet should not be coming out of a box or a package. Your foods should be all natural real wholesome foods with no additives. Keep it real, keep it healthy and you will be on your way to a helathy body.

5. Plan your meals!
Think of your day in advance, think about what snacks to bring with you, think about what you should order. The more planning you do, the more likely you will stay on track!

Any nutrition program should start with these 5 fundamental rules. Once these rules become a habit, then you will be ready to tweak your diet further to reach your goals!

Stay Strong,

Joey

Check out this video of Jeff Martone - He performs a Turkish get up with an an actual human . . . no, really!

Turkish Get Up With Wife

***Do NOT try this at home! ***

This is an excellent exercise that most people really need to be doing. It has a ton of benefits, especially for beginners new to Kettlebell training.

I will go into more detail on it in a later post.

Until then, lets hope its not another rainy day in NYC tomorrow!

Stay strong,

Joey

Over the last couple of rainy days, I was at Hofstra University earning my Olympic Weightlifting Coach certification. Needless to say I learned a TON of techniques and information on how to teach the olympic lifts professionally. This certification was geared towards strength coaches and personal trainers to teach the Olympic lifts (O-lifts) for sports performance, but also to help non-athletes as well.

First of all, you must be wondering what are the Olympic Lifts??? Pretty much they consist of any movement that involves picking up a heavy barbell off the floor and either bringing it to shoulder height or putting it over your head. . . .much easier than it sounds.  The lifts involve the Power Clean, the Clean and Jerk, and the Power Snatch.

Many health professionals think that the O-lifts are way too technical and difficult to teach and therefore do not do them. . . or teach them. Granted that the lifts are not common in health clubs, because they are perceived to be so difficult, but they do look pretty bad ass when done correctly.

These should be taught to more people, but you have to know how to teach them.

Next question - Why the Olympic Lifts?

Most of my clients both athletes and non-athletes have been doing some form of cleans or snatches for quite some time, and the results have been nothing short of phenomenal. There is something to be said about being able to gracefully lift a heavy bar with control from the floor to an overhead position within 2 seconds.

Don’t get me wrong, O-lifts are technical, and take time to perfect. But the learning process is where you will see results in balance, coordination, body awareness, muscle size and strength, and fat loss.

My athletes regularly perform cleans and snatches where appropriate and generally get up to some pretty decent weight. For my non-athletes, they learn the clean and snatch enough to perform complexes with the barbell that melts the fat right off their bodies.

Next question - Are they dangerous???

Actually not! There was a study done of sports and injury rates, and Olympic Weightlifting has the lowest injury rates out of almost every sport! You just have to learn to miss the weight, and drop the bar when you do not have the lift. As long as you lift conservatively, you do not have to worry.

Coach Dan John, the Yoda of the strength coaches, always says that if you ever drive without a seat belt, or smoke cigarettes, don’t tell me that putting a barbell over your head is dangerous!

The certification was a great experience that definitely helped a lot in understanding the O-lifts better. Funny thing was that there were about 5 Crossfit members in attendance, among all the strength coaches and personal trainers. It was a good thing to see them there and shows that there are crossfitters who take a step in the right direction and want to learn their lifts properly.

The only problem I have with Crossfit are their high rep O-lifts - technique will break down eventually. Conservatively speaking, O-lifts shouldn’t go over 5 reps. I might have people go as high as 8 reps in one set, but thats about it. After that, they forget about technique, and focus on finishing the reps.

Some Crossfit workouts call for 20 reps of an O-lift per set. When it comes to Olympic Lifting, thats a little bit TOO demanding on all your bodies systems. Granted that is what Crossfit is about, but I would not want to be caught failing with some decent weight over my head for any reason EVER!

I am not against Crossfit, most of their style is based off of gymnastics type training, kettlebell swings, and Olympic lifting.

I will continue to teach these lifts to my clients even when they look at me like “You want me to do what??? With that????” LOL!

From the ground up baby!

Stay strong,

Joey

I just recieved this info from Dr. Chris Mohr, a nutrition expert based in Louisville, Kentucky. He has got a great approach to nutrition by keeping it really basic and really simple. He is really straight to the point on what he wrote below, and he just makes total sense. Enjoy!

As weight loss experts, we often say “everything in moderation.”

But is that really true…

…or is moderation just an easy to way rationalize eating and exercise behaviors that won’t lead to permanent fat loss success?

3 foods you should never eat.  As a whole, we can use that term “moderation.”  But there are 3 foods that your body would be much happier without.  And you may be shocked …

Let’s delve into each of these a bit.

Breakfast - yes, it’s the most important meal of the day and any hope of losing fat come to a screeching halt without it.

But breakfast cereals are JUNK!  Well, 99% of them are.  I don’t care if the name is “Smart Start, Healthy Heart, Fat Loss Deluxe” - read the ingredient labels.  Here’s a food label of “Kellogs Smart Start Antioxidant” Cereal with 14 grams of sugar per serving…how is THAT going to give you a healthy heart?  Frosted Flakes has less sugar per serving (and that’s not a good choice either).

Instead, try this: 2 whole eggs, 2 egg whites, a handful of your favorite veggies (spinach, zucchini, squash, onions, etc) mixed into an omelete.  Add a sprouted grain English muffin on the side and you’re good to go.

Smoothies are next on the hit list of foods to avoid.

Although the Smoothie King website has specific smoothies for “Super Natural Mornings” - there ain’t nothin’ natural about starting your day with 108 grams of sugar and nearly 500 calories. To make it even worse, that is the SMALLEST size offered (just 20 oz).

JUST SAY NO!!

You want a real smoothie?  Make your own - add 1 cup plain, non fat yogurt, fresh fruit of your choice, and a bit of cottage cheese (or whey protein) for a protein boost…voila, a truly healthy smoothie.

And last but not least, 100 calorie snack packs.

“But Mohr,” you say, “those are great for portion control.”

An apple is portion control for less calories and more nutrients.

A banana is portion control for less calories and more nutrients.

An orange is portion control for less calories and more nutrients.

Should I go on?

A small package of refined junky sugar is just, well, a smaller package of refined, junky sugar.  Don’t fall for the marketing scam!

You can lose fat and eat the best foods in the world without relying on supplements, packaged junk, or marketing gimmicks!

There you have it - some great information!

Stick to real food and watch your body change. One of my rules is to never eat anything that comes in a box or a package. If it had to be processed, its not real.

I totally agree with him on the 100 Calorie snack packs, they are just a smaller bag of sugar. People just use them as a cop out to feel better for eating the same junk. If im eating cookies, Im eating COOKIES! (Man, I love cookies!)

I eat well 80-90% of the time just so I can enjoy what I want and know that I wont be heading downhill because of it. And is anyone ever really satisfied with ONE 100-calorie pack??? Who are you kidding???

Stay strong,

Joey

It is about that time to put up another recipe -You have to cook good to look good! Most people that are in shape do their own cooking, and do not rely on convenience foods daily.

I started cooking more often recently, and I have 2 simple rules when it comes to finding recipes -

1. They must be absolutely delicious

2. They must be extremely easy

I am a total klutz in the kitchen, but I try. I really do need a Fisher-Price “My First Cookbook”! I am not by any means Emeril Lagasse, but if an easy recipe makes me feel very close to being “The Next Food Network Star”, I am all over it!

Check this easy recipe out from the NY Times -

Asparagus Salad With Hard-Boiled Eggs

A classic Italian salad, there are many versions of this dish. Sometimes the asparagus are not cut up, just topped with chopped hard-boiled eggs and vinaigrette. I like to cut them into pieces and toss everything together.

1 pound asparagus

2 hard-boiled eggs

2 tablespoons champagne vinegar or sherry vinegar, or 1 tablespoon each fresh lemon juice and vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons capers, rinsed and chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or a mixture of parsley, chives and tarragon

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Snap the woody ends off the asparagus. Steam forfive minutes. Refresh with ice-cold water, then drain and dry on paper towels. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

2. Cut the boiled eggs in half, mince the yolks and whites separately, and season with salt and pepper

3. In a salad bowl, whisk together the vinegar (or lemon juice and vinegar) and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the asparagus, capers and herbs, and toss together. Add the chopped egg yolks and whites, then toss together again and serve.

Yield: Serves four

Advance preparation: You can have all of the ingredients prepared hours before serving, but don’t toss them together until ready to serve.

Looks good! Try it out - let me know what you think!

Stay Strong,

Joey

Now this is impressive - I have never EVER seens anyone handle a kettlebell like this!

Check this link out - Kettlebell Queen

This woman is using a 53lb Kettlebell for her performance . . . talk about STRENGTH!

Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor . . .

Stay Strong,

Joey

Try this bodyweight circuit blast, I just performed it at home on my break, today was supposed to be an “off” day, but Im going on vacation in like three weeks and am getting in as much as possible!

This hammock has my name all over it!

Anyway, this workout smoked me!

Bodyweight Blast 2.0
a)  Jump Squats - 12 reps
b) Alternating Split Jumps - 6 reps each leg
c) Close Grip Pushups - 15-20 reps
d) Single-leg Deadlifts (bodyweight) - 12 reps each leg
e) Bodyweight speed squats - 20 reps
f) Wide-grip Pushups - wide grip - 15-20 reps

Perform one round for a finisher to any workout, or perform 3 rounds as fast as possible for a complete high-intensity workout!

The split jumps are a creeper -check out this video to se what they look like -  Alternating Split Jump- the key with ANY jumping exercise you must make sure you land softly and with control . . . like a ninja!

The Single Leg Deadlifts (links to video) I really enjoy, people do not use this exercise enough, it teaches coordination and balance as well as strengthening all the muscles on the back of the leg. Just make sure the toes of the back leg point towards the floor and not out towards the wall, this is a common error with this exercise. (Even the guy in the video messes up with the toe pointing outward!)

Try this out, let me know what you think!

Stay strong,

Joey

I admire people who work hard to get what they want. I hate it when people give excuses and whine and complain every step along the way. There is really only one way to achieve anything in your life - hard work.

Will Smith is a man who has worked extremely hard to be where he is today - I mean he went from rapping in the 80’s to the Fresh Prince in the 90’s, to Men in Black, Malcom X, and saving the world in multiple movies throughout the last 15 years! AND then he marries Jada Pinkett!

This man deserves an award! Beyond that - he is always in pretty good shape no matter what - his work ethic is incredible, below is a quote from him that illustrates how motivated he is -

“I will NOT be outworked. Period… You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me, you might be sexier than me, you might be all of those things. You got it on me in nine categories. But if we get on the treadmill together, there’s two things:  Either you’re getting off first, or I’m gonna die. It’s really that simple.”

-Will Smith, on his work ethic

If most of us did ANYTHING in our lives with that mentality, we too would would be extremely successful -

Get your mindset right!

Stay Strong,

Joey