Iron weights - 1.... Powerlifter - 0

Yup...looks like that was the final score alright.....

Weightlifter Knocks Himself Out Cold - Watch more free videos

Has the pendulum swung back the other way again?!

Ugh.....are we back to the "stand on one foot - atop a dyna disc - doing 5 lb. bicep curls" workouts again?! I'm afraid we might be folks. The crazy things I used to see a few years ago are being seen more and more in my gym. There was a time when my gym looked like a training facility for Circue De Soleil wannabes and while it's no where near the old "bubble boy workouts" (my favorite term for some of the infamous Swiss ball 'exercises' I used to see), it seems to me that trainers are starting to reach into the old-school grab bag to keep their clients happy?? BTW, your clients should be happy with RESULTS not with the fact that they dig their workouts because they remind them of Gymboree play dates. It's disturbing that in 2007, a time when we know that unsupported, free weight, compound exercises should be the rule rather than the exception, we are seeing this phenomenon re-appear. Hey, if a guy wants to do 5lb. bicep curls sitting on top of a Swiss ball while his trainer is being paid $80 an hour to spot him (yes he's being SPOTTED in the above pic....), that's his prerogative. Peace.

Mad Hops!

I think that a lot of volleyball vertical jumps are either blown out of proportion or carry somewhat of an Urban Legend appeal. Regardless, Cuba's 6'5 Leonel Marshall has some amazing hops. He has a reported 50in. approach jump...if this is true, the crazy thing is that a 6'5 man probably has a standing reach or 8'6 or so. Add in the 50 in. jump and it puts his touch at about 12'8". Giddy-yup! Enjoy the freak show.

Longer is better.....or so they think

I have been teaching indoor spin cycling classes for about 10 years now. It's an enjoyable activity for me as I am able to get a super-intense workout completed in a relatively short period of time. For years, the classes at my club ranged from 45min. to 60 min.....we even had the occasional 2 to 3 hour marathon classes usually offered on the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas etc. (you know, the big guilt days). I recently started a 30min. "High Intensity Interval Spin" class....I mean we ALL know the effectiveness of anaerobic-style training on fat loss, fitness, even aerobic system benefits right? Uhh, apparently not all of us do... I mean I get one of the best workouts of my life during this 30 min. class, usually dropping more calories than I do in a HARD 45 min. spin class...crawling off my bike as I leave the room. When I look around at the rest of the class, however, I just don't see the effort that I would hope to see in such a short spin class (ahh, the dreaded comfort zone...). To top it off, my 60 min. class is completely full (55+ people) most days....my 30 min. interval class maybe gets a dozen members. People just don't see the value in coming to a class that's "only 30 minutes". It's to bad, we have come a long way in this field when it comes to conditioning concepts.....it just hasn't trickled down to Joe or Jane-Gym goer!

CATZ - Training made SIMPLE!

I am in the process of doing a couple of CHAOS sport-speed DVD's with my good friend and colleague Jim Liston so I made my way down to Pasadena to visit Jim at his new facility. Jim is the brains and the brawn behind the ever-growing CATZ sport training facility franchises that are tearing across the USA. To say that I was impressed with Jim's brand new facility in Pasadena, CA would be a BIG understatement. The last time I was there it was a beat-down, old warehouse and now it is a thing of beauty (see the pics for yourself). The thing that sets Jim's facility (and all the CATZ facilities across the country) from other places is a very simple premise.....no gimmicks, no gadgets, no easy way to get to the top. You have to WORK to reach your goals, the higher the goals, the harder the work. I have known Jim for many, many years now and we have always talked about what it takes to get athletes ready to perform, to get people fit, to get kids healthy. The answer? Hard work. I tell you one thing, if you've ever met Jim you find out one thing very quickly, this is a guy who loves what he does and does what he does with a vengeance. His attitude and energy is contagious and it shows in every single person he come in contact with. Just being in his place, talking with him etc. and you want to get a workout in ASAP! This is why Jim is so successful at what he does...this is also why I am so proud to be associated with Jim and the CATZ way of training!

Concept......

To completion!

Keep your eye out for our 2-DVD set on CHAOS Sport-Speed training. It will be like nothing you have ever seen! Jim and I will be presenting on CHAOS at the NSCA National Convention this July in Las Vegas and I will be taking CHAOS training on the road with the Perform Better 3-day Functional Training Summits!

Good news for the weekend!

This was sent to me from my good friend Mike Roussell (who, BTW, wrote the nutrition chapter in my book). Looks like great news for the weekend ey?! Let's get healthy!

“From a nutritional standpoint, beer contains more protein and B vitamins than wine. The antioxidant content of beer is equivalent to that of wine, but the specific antioxidants are different because the barley and hops used in the production of beer contain flavonoids different from those in the grapes used in the production of wine. The benefits of moderate alcohol consumption have not been generally endorsed by physicians for fear that heavy consumers may consider any message as a permissive license to drink in excess. Discussions with patients regarding alcohol consumption should be made in the context of a general medical examination. There is no evidence to support endorsement of one type of alcoholic beverage over another.”

-Nutritional and health benefits of beer( Am J Med Sci. 2000 Nov;320(5):320-6.)