Joey’s Gym Class

I came just came across this quote, and just had to share it! -

Learn to push past your limits. Make yourself 1% BETTER everyday!

As true in life as it is in lifting.

Stay strong,

Joey

Summer is right around the corner, and NYC has been teased with a variety of warm days interspersed with cool spring days. However you look at it, the weather is better. The gym is packed with people getting ready to show off for summer time! If you have slacked all winter, and you still have the upper body development of an 8 year old soccer player - now is your time!

To all the guys who have been doing “Curls for Girls” and still haven’t seen any changes - this one is for you!

I just came across this blog post from Jason Ferruggia - he is known for having his guys gain muscle freakishly fast! He has done this consistently over the last 20 years at Renegade Strength and Conditioning in New Jersey - and he has the clientele and high-level athletes he trains to prove it.

When he speaks on anything regarding gaining muscle, he is usually right. Follow the three tips he outlines below and don’t be surprised see if you start to get more attention this summer from the opposite sex!

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I just got home from a four day weekend down in South Beach where I
got some much needed R&R. Being on the beach always allows me some
time to think clearly and come up with great new ideas. And of
course, one of the things I think about most is training and
nutrition.

How could you not think about fitness when you’re surrounded by so
many tanned, chiseled bodies? Many of whom also happen to be topless
and wearing thongs… Well, I suppose your thoughts could drift in
other directions at the sight of a Vida Guerra look a like strutting
by in a g-string. But that’s another topic for another day.

Today I’m going to share 3 unusual tips for a bigger chest and arms
that you may not have heard before…

- If you suffer from slouched posture and your shoulders are rounded
forward (from sitting at a computer all day) you often end up with
tight pecs that won’t grow no matter what they do. This is one of
the rare cases where I might recommend an isolation exercise. After
your main pressing exercise, try doing one 10-15 rep set of
bodyweight flyes, on rings or straps, getting a deep stretch in your
chest. Immediately after the set, stretch your pecs intensely for
30-60 seconds. Also, be sure to include some face pulls and band
pull aparts in your program to strengthen your upper back muscles
and even out any imbalances.

- When doing curls of any sort start the lift by curling your wrists
first. I forgot about this for a while but was reminded of it after
a recent exchange with the first Mr. Olympia, Larry Scott, who was a
big proponent of this technique and had the guns to show for it.
When you do this you engage the forearms and get a stronger
contraction from your biceps. You also shorten the lever arm which
allows you to use more weight. Basically you get more bang for your
buck out of the exercise.

- The best triceps building exercises in existence are close grip
bench press variations and dips. But from time to time some
isolation work can be beneficial; especially for advanced lifters
(beginners should stick with the first two exercises) and guys with
bad shoulders who can’t press or dip. In this case you are left with
extensions and push downs. Both fine exercises; the problem being
that they end up hurting a lot of people’s elbows.

To get the most out of these exercises while avoiding the pain try
using Fat Gripz (www.FatGripz.com) on the bar, dumbbells or pushdown
handles. The fatter grip forces the hand to open wider and
alleviates stress on the elbow. Less pain leads to more growth. It
also has the added benefit of simultaneously working your grip. I use
these all the time and love ‘em.

*********

Definitely great info! Simple tips and tweaks can take your workouts to the next level. Let me know how it works out!

Stay strong,

Joey

Popeye was definitely onto something - He would literally down a can of spinach whenever he needed any strength or energy instantly. His muscles would pop out and Olive Oil’s eyes would pop out of her head ogling him as he beat up on Bluto.

First question, is Spinach really that awesome? Second question, have you EVER seen Spinach in a can? Third question, with muscles like that, shouldn’t he have hooked up with Jessica Rabbit instead?

How does Roger Rabbit get with her? I don’t know how that works out! Its not even fair! But I digress - back to Spinach!

5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD EAT SPINACH!

1. High Nutrient Density -  Very low in calories yet very high in vitamins, minerals and other phytonutrients. If you are planning on losing weight, one of the things to look for is foods that provide a TON of nutrients with a small amount of calories - Spinach fits this perfectly!
2. Readily Available - Easy to find worldwide, most of the year, NO EXCUSES!
3. Versatility -Can be eaten raw in a salad, it definitely has more nutrients than the typical iceberg lettuce.It can be boiled or sauteed in a little oil. You can add spinach to egg whites for a healthy omlette, or add cooked spinach to a bean salad for a tasty nutritional boost.
4. Anti-cancer! - Researchers have discovered at least 13 different flavonoids with anti cancer compounds especially effective against prostate, skin, colon, and bone cancer.
5. BRAIN FOOD - The vitamins in spinach may help protect the brain from age related declines. A 2005 study in the Journal of Experimental Neurology showed that rats fed diets highin spinach and blueberries lost a lot fewer brain cells after a stroke and recovered significantly more than rats that weren’t on the same diet! The best part? In order to gain these benefits, the rats only ate 2% of their diet in spinach and blueberries!

Recipes -

Cooking Spinach is simple - as long as it is washed and chopped first!

Garlic Sauteed Spinach

1) Heat up a saucepan

2) Drizzle with oil

3) Add Spinach and let it wilt a bit before you add more

4) Add in about 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic after the Spinach wilts a bit

5) Season with salt and pepper and you are done!

Sexy Garlic Sauteed Spinach

1) Follow 1st recipe

THEN . . .

2) Add in 1/4 cup sliced red onion

3) Add in 1/4 cup of dried cranberries

4) Add in 1 can of Black Beans (drained and rinsed)

5) Add in 1/4 cup diced tomato

See? Its simple! Add Spinach to your omlettes in the morning, or be creative and make a salad!

There really is no excuse! Try it out and see the wonders it works for your body! If it can do it for a one eyed sailor, Im sure it will work for you too!

Stay strong,

Joey

Time for another one of these! I have not let out a rant in a while!

I try to stay away from watching the biggest loser too much. Enough has been said about the show, we know it is dramatic, and these people lose a ton of weight. We also know that the contestants get pushed really hard. I disagree with the way the show allows the trainers to demean the contestants to get more out of them. There are better ways to get people to do work, but I guess having someone screaming at them and putting them down makes for great TV.

Beyond that, I stay away from the show because every single time I see a clip of the trainers “training” the contestants I believe an angel loses its wings. . . . seriously!

With 8 hours of training a day, the contestants should definitely be on a much better well rounded program. Not only that, their technique should be FLAWLESS!!! There is no reason to have bad technique when all you are doing is working out for 8 hours a day . . . unless you have poor coaching.

I know the Jillian Michaels and the other guy (does anyone know his name?) are trying, and just doing their job, but these are trainers that viewers will hang on to their every last piece of advice, one would think that their technique should be on point . . . right?

Check out this video below - her form is not completely terrible, I mean she won’t do any damage, until she decides to come up with her own version, be prepared to wince in pain right around the 2 minute mark -

Jillian Michaels - Kettlebell Swing

Granted for most of her training she is not terrible, but for the fact that you are a trainer on national TV, you should definitely know not to do that swing through! Thats like biomechanics 101!

The worst part is that people will actually try that! Please don’t, it will cause an “ouchie”!

Stay strong,

Joey

WOW is all I can say - for the past couple of months I have been working with my partners at Precision Athlete to put together one of the most interesting kettlebell seminars that New York has probably ever seen. This past weekend we held the Doc and Dane Show at the Fighthouse in NYC. There is more specific information about Dr. Cheng and Kenneth Jay on the link at the top of the page, for now I really want to talk about how it all went down!

Day 1 - Dr. Mark Cheng A.K.A. “Doc”

He held the entire class in a state of awe teaching us the latest techniques in functional movement science. Its really thruogh events like this one that you understand that the kettlebell really is just a tool, the movement is really the key.

Doc hammered home the finer points of the KB movements, I mean he literally goes over details that you would not even think about. Really it is the fact that he has been able to take what used to seem to me were complex movements to teach, and be able to teach them to an 8 year old just as good as an 80 year old. He truly is gifted when it comes to giving cues and making people understand exactly what it is you want them to do.

To put this in perspective, the class was a mix of quite a few beginners and quite a few very advanced people, some chiropractors, and some physical therapists mixed together. Doc was able to get EVERYONE on board and performing the exercises with correct technique at the same time! It was truly a sight to see.

He definitely finished us off at the end with a Goblet Squat and Swing workout, and made us all earn our dinner!

Every time he comes around he graciously shares his wealth of knowledge, and it is a true honor to have been able to see him speak again.

Day 2 - Kenneth Jay A.K.A. “The Dane of Pain”

This was my first time seeing Kenneth Jay speak, so I was truly excited to hear what he had to say. Little did I know what I was in for! From the beginning of the morning the whole day was just a blur of joint mobility drills, lectures on the latest scientific theories of strength and conditioning, a ton of KB snatches and presses, new uses for jump stretch bands and a super slooooow squat routine that had the whole class gasping for air! The attendees definitely knew why he earned the title “The Dane of Pain”!

These guys were both incredible, the energy each brought to the room was outstanding. The chemistry between them as speakers kept us all going all day long!

By the end I was physically beat, and mentally bursting at the seams with new information . . . how could you expect anything less when Doc and Dane come to town?

TAKE AWAY POINTS FROM THE DOC AND DANE SHOW -

Doc:

1) His description on mobility and stability really stood out and he made the points crystal clear. On top of that, he has a great analogy about how your body starts to think that your butt is your foot when you sit too long. Check out his blog post here for the details - Does your butt think its your foot?

2) Up on the white board for the whole day they left up this salient point -

“SAID Principle - The body ALWAYS adapts to EXACTLY what it does!!!”

I mention this because it is a principle that I think many strength coaches and trainers take for granted. We all know what it means, but how many of us actually apply it? The point is much deeper than you think.

Doc and Dane literally hammered home this point throughout the weekend, I left with a whole new understanding of the SAID principle and what how to effectively apply it. Since then, I have seen dramatic changes in form with most of my clients just by applying these techniques over the last few days!

3) “No foot stability will compensate and rob mobility. The lower back will be forced to move more often.” Doc Cheng

The arch is the strongest structure in architecture, as it should also be one of the strongest structures of our physical bodies. The support that is created from the foot will bring strength and stability all the way up the musculo-skeletal kinetic chain.

We spent a good part of the morning discussing the foot and its importance in movement quality - yes, the foot is THAT important!

4) Towards the end of the day, we got into squatting technique, since the class was so mixed some people were having trouble getting deep. Usually this is due to quad dominance, or tight hip flexors, or both. It was at this point that Doc blew my mind with his quad domination elimination solution - he put us through 2 very vigorous stretches that made most of the class feel their hip flexors for the first time! All of a sudden - PERFECT SQUATS!

The Dane of Pain:

1) I did not know he was an Olympic strength coach AND a neuroscientist, Kenneth is actually studying for his PhD in neuroscience!

2) He brought up the point of the nervous system and that it is THE governing system of not only our bodies but our entire lives. The nervous system controls everything from how we move to how we react emotionally to certain stimuli.

3) One of the most impressive parts of the day with him was all the joint mobility drills he ran us through. I had just recently started learning about joint mobility, but I did not know how instant the feedback was!

4) “Tai-Chi Movement - move slow, deliberately and with intent.” - he said this various times throughout the day. In order to learn a movement, or even to make sure you even have the correct movement, make sure you can do it slow . . . how slow? Try a bodyweight squat, 1 rep - 2 minutes on the eccentric, and 2 minutes on the concentric, then you will know if you really “own” the movement! (insert evil laugh here!)

5) Finally, Kenneth is the master at teaching the press and the snatch. We went through his Viking Warrior Protocol - and we all survived - a little winded, but we made it! His press techniques are just as awesome as his snatch techniques, it was great learning these from the Viking himself!

It was a fantastic weekend! I give the most humble of thanks to Dr. Cheng and Kenneth Jay for coming to NYC to drop their knowledge and school us on the real techniques to help people move better.

Looking forward to the next time!

Stay strong,

Joey

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