"Never Let Go" - Dan John

I was forwarded a copy of Dan John's book "Never Let Go". I'll be honest with you, I had heard of Dan John on IronOnline, but I wasn't too familiar with his work. Well, I got my hands on his new book and I literally couldn't put it down. Jam packed with 400 pages, Dan John discusses his perspectives on 'lifting, living, and learning' and does it in a way that is engaging and thoughtful.

You know, lifting weights is a process. It's a process of changing the physicality of the human body, but also a process of enhancing the human spirit. It's a process where you lose yourself in and you learn more about yourself. It's a private competition between your present self versus your past self. And each completed workout is a small victory in the battles of life. After reading Dan John's work, I realized that this is all true.

I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book. Summer is upon us and nothing begs your attention better than a good book while sitting under the warm sun on the beach or in your backyard. Do yourself a favor and pick up your copy at IronOnline.

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5 Ways a Big Box Gym Prevents Your Fat Loss

I bet most of you didn't know that I used to be a fitness director in a "Big Box" gym for a few years. It was a learning experience to see what goes on behind the scenes of big fitness centers and how they succeed so well. For those of you that are unaware, a "Big Box" gym is your "mall-like" fitness center that opens up at a location complete with tons of exercise equipment, latest technology, hottest group classes, pool, and many more amenities. These facilities are typically built from the ground up and will have a "pre-membership" sale to drive customers into their doors. The facility is usually very nice, accommodating, and sometimes...very "busy"--meaning lots of 'stuff' going on (lighting, built in Starbucks or Subway, music, and Wi-fi capabilities).

But did you know that the Big Box gym actually prevents you from losing fat? Did you now that every time an LA Fitness or 24 Hour Fitness opens, their goal is to keep you from reaching your goal? Want to how? Here's a list of things that I have at some point or another dealt with directly.


1.) Cardio equipment with built in TVs. Ever see the rows of people using the cardio equipment with the theater system built in? Ever see what they are doing? They are performing at a slow to moderate (at best) pace while keeping a very tune ear to the TV program on the monitor. This is touted as making "cardio much more fun", "less monotonous", and "enjoyable". Not sure if any those adjectives should be used to describe fat loss training, but the easier something is, there is always a drop off in return. In this case, the easier cardio is...the harder it becomes to lose that fat around your belly. Solution: Try interval training with varying intensity levels (from high to mid) for a shorter period of time (less than 20 minutes).


2.) Easy cardio equipment. What ever happened to the Steppers? Air-dynes? Jacobs's Ladders? Step Mills? Concept Rower? Versa Climber? Gone....all of them. Sure there are some fitness centers that carry these guys, but they are way in the corners of the facility collecting dust. Only a handful of strong souls will approach such an apparatus and compete against its mighty wrath. These "dinosaurs" are still around. As a matter of fact, they are not totally extinct. Most manufacturers have updated their design and marketing to accommodate the fearful population. However, because these machines are more difficult than your standard recumbent bike (yawn), upright bike (yawn), and elliptical (yawn)--they are never used. If they are never used...guess what? They are never purchased and thus, never seen again. They are entered into the "Museum of Exercise Equipment that Actually Worked but are Too Hard" located in a basement, warehouse, or junkyard near you. Too bad.


3.) Under-qualified staff. Allow me to let you in on a little secret: Trainers are not that hard to find nowadays. And most big box fitness centers need "bodies" to service the amenity of personal training, so they tend to hire uncertified, inexperienced trainers that LOOK good, but don't necessarily have the know-how to design a sound exercise program. Want to know why they hire them? Because they pay them very little. I know, trust me. New trainers are typically paid between $8-12/hour. If they sell personal training they make an additional $8-$10 to that pay rate, while the fitness center keeps the rest. It usually turns out be a 70/30 split (sometimes 80/20) ALWAYS in favor of the fitness center. This way, management can offer an amenity (personal training) and make a great profit from it. If the trainer is under-qualified, chances are their exercise program is not effective--which leaves the client with the same unwanted fat they started with; and a bad taste in their mouth about personal trainers.


4.) Machine, machines, and more machines. It is well-proven that rows of thousand dollar machines are not needed to get into shape. Look at prisoners. They workout in their cells with a dozen bodyweight exercises and stay in relatively good shape. Machines are convenient. People that don't like to exercise, like to sit down and push something. They'd rather sit and push a leg press or pull a bar towards them. This is isolation and in simple terms, isolation training is easy. Load makes isolation training intense, and guess what? People that don't like to exercise will not put alot of weight on the stack. Its doesn't take much to reap the benefits of an accelerated metabolism. It typically takes a good strategic circuit program with limited rest periods, and little equipment. A good workout can include a couple medicine balls, dumbbells, bands, jump rope and kettlebells--all for under $200.


5.) Tanning beds. Ever notice people that tan year round--even though they are a bit overweight? What do you think having tanned skin does for them? Does it hide wrinkles (or cause them)? Does it hide fat? Does it make them look healthier? Tanning makes the body look healthier because the skin darkens giving it a fine tone that hides blemishes, shows muscle lines, and makes one more attractive. But what happens when you are 350 pounds and you tan? You look like a 350 pound person with a tan. Big box gyms offer this amenity because they understand it is easier to satisfy your desire to "feel" good, rather than "look" good. And they make a kick ass profit off of it. Diet and exercise make you healthier and helps you lose fat. Tanned skin makes you look pretty.

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Special Discount for Blog Readers

I am having a special sale on all my video products. With the release of my upcoming new video "Shatterproof Spine", its time to make some room for the hundreds of new discs coming in.
All videos are 25% off and you can get all the videos for a low, low price (only $99)!! Pretty crazy considering that is 5 hours worth of lecture and practical!! Just click on the link below and use the following information to access the page:

username: Discount
password: izz3511

The sale won't last long--I still do need some room for "Shatterproof Spine". The link is below:

Discount Link

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Trainers: NO EXP NECESSARY!

The other day I was browsing through Craigslist in Hartford, looking for DJ services for my upcoming wedding. I noticed there was a job category for "Fitness" and wanted to check out what was going on in the job market. This is what I noticed:

"Personal Trainer Needed - NO EXP NECESSARY"

"Fitness Models Wanted - MUST LOOK GOOD"

"Fit Pro's - NO CERT NEEDED, Will Train!"

I wondered when did our expectations of personal trainer qualifications drop so drastically? Apparently, no training experience or certifications are required anymore to be employed as a personal trainer -- at least here in CT.

That made me wonder. Do hospitals place job requirements such as:

"Doctors Needed - NO RESIDENCY REQUIRED!"

"MD's Wanted - ON THE JOB TRAINING!"

"Physicians Wanted - NO EXP NECESSARY, Just have White Coat!"

I believe the public and the job market's perception of what exactly a personal trainer does is a bit skewed. This floundering perception is partially due to the un-regulation of the professional requirements necessary to design safe & effective programs; as well as increasing profit margins desired by big-box fitness facilities, as well as some small business owners.

So how do you know that the trainer you hire or the one that wears "Trainer" on the back of his/her shirt is legit?

1.) Ask what their certification is. Here are my top 5 certifications that I look for: NSCA, NASM, ACE, ACSM, ISSA. if your trainer tells you that they have 90 days to complete their certification through their employment, that is a red flag. Some employers do give a 30-90 period for a new staff to acquire a certification. But this means your trainer is also inexperienced and basically, un-tested. He or she may look great and have an invigorating personality, but they lack skills needed to work with "unscripted" or "out of the ordinary" client cases. Also, a passionate trainer will get the certification process going rather quickly if they decide to really cement their feet in this profession. Although not all certifications are created equal, they do provide a baseline of measure for qualifications. They are proof you trainer passed a test.

2.) Ask them what types of clients do they tend to work with. Experienced trainers have a specialty. Certain trainers know alot about one area of exercise program design, and therefore excel at training a certain type of population (athlete vs. weight-management). New trainers tend to work with everyone. This is not a bad thing, because it provides experience working with a large array of conditions. However, the longer a personal trainer stays in the profession...the "pickier" they get regarding who they work with. Specialization certifications give trainers "niches" in the field and furthermore, they are more successful at them.

3.) What is their background? Today, many people become trainers because they choose a rewarding career versus a monotonous 9 to 5 job. An athletic background can explain why a trainer prefers to work with athletes...a trainer who has success losing weight may explain why they prefer working with obese clients. A senior trainer may prefer to work with baby-boomers. Finding out a trainer's background can confirm if they are the right trainer for you, and if they are qualified to work with special populations.

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Think Life Ends at 60?

Here is a great clip of 62- year old Sylvester Stallone...yep, the guys we grew up to love in the movies such as Rocky and Rambo. Do yourself a favor and watch the clip, then hit the gym!

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More Bang for Your Buck Exercises

Golfers lack a few things:
1.) hip mobility
2.) spinal stability
3.) thorasic mobility
4.) ground leveraging
5.) oblique strength

Most of the better golfers I have dealt with typically show good performance in all 5 of these areas. The feedback? A better swing and a better golf game. At a minimum, maybe one area may need some work, but overall, the segmental muscle actions create a beautiful, yet powerful golf swing.

Here's a great drill I came up with for some of my golfers that need "tweaking". I call it the Coil/Recoil Drill for Anti-Rotation Training.



How to set up: Place a band (I use a JC band in the video) and prop into a door jam at about shoulder level or slightly below. Wrap the band (tubing) behind your upper-back and bring the handle out in front of you at your chest. Hold the handle securely at your chest with arms close to your mid-chest. Cup your other hand in front of you, so that you become "one" with the tubing. There should be a considerable amount of tension on the band--really try to take a few steps back from the door-jam and get the band tight behind your back. The band should be wrapped and touching your body.

Stand with feet shoulder width apart and get into an "athletic" position (knee slightly bend, hips slightly extended). To execute, take a deep breath and turn your torso slowly TOWARDS the door-jam. You should feel resistance at this phase in the drill. Turn your torso as much as you can without letting your feet turn also. Keep those secured to the floor.

As your return to the starting position, the band will "propel" you back. This is where you reap the benefits (in 2 ways). First, resist the temptation to just "let go" and return to the starting position. The anti-rotational phase of this drill is important as it helps work the obliques of the torso and the spinal stabilizers. The second half of the video, I actually DO propel. This will enable my hip rotators to stretch dynamically.

For exercises that have alot of bang for your buck, this one ranks up there. It covers all 5 of the components I've listed above and has been a plus in my toolbox when working with my golfers. Give it a try!!

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New Look, Same Great Info

As you can see, I changed the layout of the blog. Truthfully, I really don't know too much about HTML, CSS, XML, and all that jazz. I seem to wing it alot with the online thing. I am a control freak and I don't like to outsource anything. At times, I probably should send the work to someone else save me some time. This would allow me get to alot of projects that have been sitting on the back burner. One of those projects is a recent video that I shot and will be releasing very soon. I'm not going to go into too much detail about it because it still in production and finalizing, but it will kick some serious ass and put EDUCATION back on the forefront of the fitness industry.

In any case, thank you for checking out the blog. Please scroll down and "connect" with me through Google Connect. Check out my recommended reading list and fellow bloggers. Drop me a line and let me know what you think of the new layout. Post a comment or send me an email: john@izzostrengthtraining.com.

I appreciate it.

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Training Core with Heavy Breathing

According Stuart McGill's book, "Low Back Disorders", achieving spine stability when breathing heavier is something to train for. Ever wonder why one's exercise form begins to lag in the gym? Either one of two factors are in place:

1.) load is too much (strength)

2.) workout session is long (conditioning)

Failure of the core muscles to actively brace during exercise usually is directly related to fatigue and elevated work-rate. Obviously the better conditioned one is (athlete), the easier spine stability can be maintained. For those that are deconditioned, an appropriate cardiovascular program with progressive strength training should be put into place. Core work should be included also on a progressive basis, however, once there is a substantial increase in fitness level and work-rate tolerance, clients should be trained to maintain spine stability. Dr. McGill uses one method:

1.) Place the client on an exercise bike at an intensity that elevates ventilation, and then

2.) immediately dismount the client and place into a side bridge position on the floor.

What does this do?

In this position (side plank), stabilizing the muscles in an isometric fashion must be maintained or the bridge will falter. Heavy breathing will help program the nervous system to coordinate with the diaphragmic muscles and muscles of the rib cage (intercostals, pec minor, serratus) to work together.

One way to look at it...hold an umbrella up in a powerful rain storm-complete with blisstering rain pellets and unforgiving wind. The umbrella's long handle is your spine. Your hand, arm, and shouders act as the muscles surrounding teh spine. If you hold the handle lightly, the umbrella is sure to get away from you. If you hold it tight--even during the 'pulls' and 'pushes' of the conditions, the spine will stay intact.

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More Help = Helpless

My oldest client is a 88 year old Mrs. Johnson. I have been meeting with Mrs. Johnson for almost 2 years every Monday and Friday morning at 9:30am. There have been an occasional missed session here and there because of inclement weather, doctor appointment , or mild sickness--but all in all, Mrs. Johnson has been the "rock" of my client list. The thing that makes Mrs. Johnson special--all 98 pounds of her--is she is partially blinded by cataracts, glaucoma, and has had 3 hip replacement surgeries. Her frail body battles everyday up sidewalk curbs, stairs, and rain, snow, and strong winds with the help of her trusty walking cane.

Each session, I am reminded at how small the things in life that are "perceived" to be stressful--really are not. Her fortitude is unmatched and I am constantly assured that just when I think I have no more strength or will left, I actually really do have a reserve.

Mrs. Johnson and I work for 30 minutes each session. Our workout consists of basic machine work, chair exercises, and some band work. I throw in some kinesthetic awareness drills and reaction time drills with a child's play ball. She loves it and it gives her enjoyment. Once in a while, she asks me to break out the 5 iron, so she can take a few practice swings. Although, I get eerie of her overzealousness, I am pleased that she is able to enjoy her life regardless of the circumstances.

One day, I tried helping Mrs. Johnson into a chair for her dumbbell work. She crooked her head at me and says, "I'm fine, I can do it".

I replied, "Just want to help you in the chair, Mrs. Johnson."

And I'll never forget...she looked into my eyes with her fog-colored pupils and shivering lips and stated:

"John, the more I am helped in life, the more I become helpless".

In my life, I tend to remember the things that are said to me that make an impact on my belief system and my perspective on life. Her simple words rang true and rang hard inside my head.

She is right. Use it or lose it....

Carve your path and you remain strong. Have it carved for you and you tend to become apathetic to the world, rather than proactive towards your goals.

I think most of us have a "Mrs. Johnson" client in our list...

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The Pain in the Neck with Pilates

There is no doubt that the popularity of Pilates as a form of exercise has grown over the past 10 years. With its fluid and sleek movements, this type of exercise (firstly developed by Josef Pilates) has attracted many females that yearn for “toned” muscle lines. From my observation, Pilates consists of long and short level postural movements (both isometric and concentric/eccentric) that challenge stability, balance, and overall muscular endurance. But with most group exercise programs, it lacks a pre-workout assessment carried by a fitness professional with a keen eye in biomechanics.

Most group exercise instructors are pre-occupied with maintaining rapport with participants, finding music, and correcting “obvious flaws” in choreography. “Obvious flaws” are typically thought of as purposeful—whereas the participant is using flawed movements because they are not adhering to the instruction or simply cannot perform it because of a low fitness level. What most participants, as well as some instructors, don’t understand is the fact that flawed movements are caused by biomechanical dysfunctions precipitated through poor posture, poor exercise techniques, and myofascia disruption (adhesions, scar tissue, injuries, etc). Ultimately, most flawed movements are executed subconsciously from physical limitation—not from lack of cognitive reception.

For this article, I will take one Pilates movement which I have seen practiced relentlessly inside everyday Pilates classes and ab exercise programs: The Hundred. What this article will uncover is the detrimental effects the Hundred may have on ensuing postural distortions if not properly progressed or instructed effectively.

Read my entire article in here.

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How Gluteal Atrophy Effects Posture & Performance

I wrote a nice piece for WannaBeBig.com titled, "How Gluteal Atrophy Effects Posture & Performance".

As the world has advanced to extreme technological means – sedentary lifestyles have also increased. More people are sitting at desks today than ever before; and as assumed, these same individuals leave work and sit in front of a computer in their homes. As technological advancements have made communication and business more efficient, unfortunately, it has made the human body less efficient. More people are engaged in a sedentary lifestyle that is composed of prolonged static positions (seated or standing); and spend less time moving or exercising.

Is it possible that a sedentary lifestyle, absent of purposeful loaded activity or exercise, can cause atrophy of muscles? Take the example of a broken bone. Once fractured and encased in a splint or cast for several weeks (depending on the type of fracture and bone involved), the muscles surrounding that bone are no longer active. They are not active because the “lever system” that they are associated with is impaired. Therefore, without proper muscle firing or use, the muscles lose tonus, weaken, and decrease in neural response.

A suitable article for those that find themselves sitting more often and becoming less and less active. Not surprisingly, the same people that may be experiencing things like excess weight gain, low back pain, or neck pain.

Read the entire article here.

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Routines: The Killer of Brain Fitness

I love this blog post by Mark Nutting. I deal with clients thathave nothing but routines...day in and day out. Their lives are run by their iPhone and routine after routine. It was only fitting when I read Mark's post that I feature it on my blog as a guest post. So here goes:

Routine can be a great thing, or it can cause your brain to deteriorate.

In fitness, creating a routine of exercising regularly is great, but, if that exercise routine is… well… routine (same thing over and over again) results stop and benefits diminish. Your exercise program needs to change regularly to promote continued progress.

The same is true with brain fitness. If you do the same thing day in and day out, have the same experiences everyday with little or no variation, you set yourself up for a loss in memory capacity and a decline in cognitiveabilities. Do you know anyone where this is the case. As parents and loved ones get older (us too, for that matter) are they falling into a rut of experiences? Do they talk about and tell the same stories to the same people over and over? Are their physical challenges the same day to day?

What if we could help to jump start their lives again? Get them up and out of their “comfort zone” for a new physical and mental challenge on a regular basis?
In Brain Fitness, according to Lawrence Katz and Manning Rubin, our activities should do one or more of the following:

1. Involve one or more senses in a new context.
2. Involve your full attention.
3. Break your routine in a significant way.

I’ve come up with a couple of ideas to point you in the right direction for ideas of your own:
Learn to Dance - Step class - learn Martial Arts (classes in which you have to learn and remember changing physical patterns)

Take a cooking class (even better if you can learn a language at the same time. i.e. Italian)
Take a walking tour/lecture at a museum
Etc… the idea, in essence, is to layer the learning, physical and mental.

So what can you come up with? I’d love to hear your ideas. Now go out and share a new brain fitness experience with others. Give them something new to talk and think about and get them wanting more.

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A Strength Coach's Acumen

Over the years, there have been a number of people that I have learned from and look up to in this profession. Whenever I am asked who, in recent memory have I learned the most from, I can’t get the image of Eric Cressey out of my head. Here is a guy, that at the tender age of 27, has influenced how so many strength coaches and trainers design exercise programming and handle their athletes/clients. Eric has developed a number of quality products in the field of exercise, but in my opinion, it was his Magnificent Mobility DVD (co-produced with Mike Robertson), that really propelled Eric into the big league ranks. I own it and I recommend. I also read Eric’s book, “Maximum Strength: Get Your Strongest Body in 16 Weeks with the Ultimate Weight-training Program”. If you don’t own this book already, I highly recommend you add it to your bookshelf—AFTER IT’S BEEN READ…of course. There also only a handful of blogs I check on a daily basis. Yes, Eric’s blog is one of them. For two reasons: His posts are highly informative as they always seem to reinforce or shed light on something, and they are contagiously entertaining! A great read and put together in a way that will not bore you; and ensure that it will stick.

I contacted Eric and requested an interview. I know the guy is super-busy…not only training athletes, but training himself. And now with his recent engagement, he is going to really get “super-busy”…as wedding planning can be as tough as a 600 lb. deadlift, after Thanksgiving dinner. In this interview, I try to touch upon different avenues of Eric Cressey’s training methodologies, business model, and his development as a premier strength coach. As expected, Eric doesn’t fail to engage the reader and uncover a lot of details about his business (Cressey Performance); his time-management skills, and what he deals with on a daily basis.

Read the interview with Eric Cressey here.

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