Lift Strong Friday #12 – Craig Ballantyne

This week’s edition of Lift Strong Friday comes to us courtesy of Craig Ballantyne and his article, “Fat Loss for Busy Men and Women.”

Since meeting Craig last year at the Ryan Lee Boot Camp, I’ve come to really respect his no-frills approach to training and nutrition. This article gives you a quick summary of how to produce maximum fat loss in a minimal amount of time.

Let’s be honest here: With ever increasing time constraints like work, kids, and other life responsibilities, training is often the first thing that goes out the door. What I like about Craig is he gives you the tools to get in a fast, efficient fat loss workout in 45 minutes. I don’t care how busy you are; if you can’t fit in a 45 minute workout three days per week, you just aren’t destined to be lean!

To learn more about Craig check out Turbulence Training site.

That’s it for this week. Have a great weekend and be sure to pick up a copy of the Lift Strong CD-Rom today!

Stay strong

MR

Lift Strong Friday #11 – Chris Shugart

This edition of Lift Strong Friday comes to us courtesy of Chris Shugart and his articled, “Display Adaptability.”

The basic premise of Chris’ article is that you are at the EXACT level of fitness that you should be. If you are in great shape, it’s because you’ve worked your ass off to get there. If you are too fat, inflexible, or weak, it’s because you should be! If you aren’t putting in the time and effort to achieve the physique you want, you need to figure out why and address it. Excuses are weak.

Think about how this applies to you currently. Are you on track to achieve your goals? What thing(s) are holding you back? Is it your diet? Your training program? An injury? Once you figure out what is holding you back, you need to develop an action plan to eliminate it.

One thing I really love about this article is the fictional characters that Chris develops. It reminds me of fitness coach and author Jen Heath in particular; Jen is the mother of four, yet she’s in amazing shape. Many in her position would say, “I don’t have the time to train hard, eat right, etc.” It’s just an excuse! I’m sure Jen could come up with a ton of reasons why she couldn’t or shouldn’t stay in shape, but she doesn’t. She knows exactly when she’s going to train, what she’s going to feed her family, etc. She’s made her health and well-being a priority.

For more articles like this one, purchase the Lift Strong CD-ROM today!

Lift Strong Friday #10 - Remembering Randy

This version of Lift Strong Friday will not include any reviews. Instead, I want to briefly share my memories of a good friend who recently passed away: Randy Presslaf.

You may be wondering, what does this have to do with Lift Strong? In a word, everything. Randy (along with Alwyn and my family) was one of the main reasons I contributed to the project. Randy was a good friend and massage therapist here in town, and I feel like the tools she was developing were nothing short of astounding. Randy was truly gifted not only her in understanding of the human body, but in the application of her massage techniques as well.

Randy had been battling cancer for 5 or more years when I met her. She’d done it all – chemo, radiation, experimental therapies, surgery, the works. You name it, she’d tried it. She’d often tell me her only goal was to live until the next batch of cancer drugs came out; as they developed a new one, she’d see some progress until the next one came out. There were many times where I’d see her on a Tuesday or Wednesday, and she’d have had a round of chemo the day before! To say that she was an influence and an inspiration would be an understatement.

The worst part about all this was that Randy was only 42 when she passed away. 42! She was so young, and even in spite of the cancer she’d always great me with a smile and kind words. People like that are put onto this Earth for a reason; I can only hope that she’s been taken away from us for a reason as well.

Support Lift Strong – purchase your copy today.

Best
MR

Lift Strong Friday #9 – Dr. Chris Mohr

Dr. Mohr’s article contribution to the Lift Strong project revolves around current research on training for cancer patients.

Long story short: If you have (or have had) cancer, exercise can help. I’ll leave all the science speak up to Chris ;)

Beyond that, I wanted to talk a little bit about how cancer has affected me yet again. One of my new friends here in town was a rising baseball star. This kid was a stud – a top 100 pick straight out of high school, he decided to attend college instead of immediately pursuing his dream of playing in the bigs. Unfortunately he blew out the same knee three times, and now his dream will never be realized. Obviously, his baseball career is a thing of the past, but this story isn’t about baseball.

My buddy is young, only 23 years of age. However, he’s now dealing with kidney cancer for the second time in his life. Imagine that – dealing with cancer TWICE by the time you’re 23! When I was 23, I was just happy to make it through an arduous day in the lab or in the weight room, let alone worrying about cancer.

What’s my point here? Cancer is a big-time enemy. You may not have fought him yet, but chances are either you or someone you love will. Do your part and contribute to the Lift Strong project today.

Lift Strong Friday #8 – Charles Staley

This weeks Lift Strong Friday comes to us courtesy of Charles Staley. Charles’ article is titled “Why I Don’t Want to Power Clean 315 Pounds.”

This article is refreshing because it reminds us that if we have serious goals, there are also serious consequences to getting there. Quite often someone will set a lofty goal, and not accept the reality of what it takes to get there. Elite athletes will often tell you that the drive and desire to get to the top alienates them from others; their focus is so singular on their performance that other areas of their life suffer. The same goes for training.

For every additional percent of body fat you want to drop, for every additional pound you want to add to your squat, you have to make sacrifices. Are you willing to do that? Are you willing to make the sacrifices necessary to take your performance to that next level?

These are all questions you need to ask yourself. If getting strong and fit were easy, everyone would be doing it!

That’s it for this week. Have a great weekend and don’t forget to pick up a copy of the Lift Strong CD-ROM today!

Stay strong
MR

Lift Strong Friday #7 – Chad Waterbury

Chad Waterbury’s contribution to the Lift Strong project is titled “The 3-6-9 Method.” This article not only discusses a little neuro-physiology (for all you geeks out there), but also outlines an entire program for you to follow.

The 3-6-9 principle is predicated on a concept called “undulating periodization.” Traditional periodization schemes would have you follow a certain rep scheme for an extended period of time, say 3-4 weeks. The goal of that phase could be improved maximal strength, power development, hypertrophy, or a host of other goals. The main take-home point here is that you’re only training for one specific physical quality in each phase.

Undulating periodization, on the other hand, employs all these training methods into ONE WEEK! In other words, each workout you’re training for a different goal; whether that’s maximal strength, hypertrophy, or muscular endurance, there’s a lot more set/rep variation within the week than a more traditional approach.

There’s been a lot of research done on undulating periodization, and in my opinion it seems very well fit to certain populations:

- Intermediate level lifters who have been training in a more standard 8-15 rep range
- People who suffer from training ADD (you know who you are!)
- Trainees who have “tapped out” their non-functional hypertrophy reserves and need to start a shift to more max-strength based lifting

Chad does a great job of outlining why the program works, and then backs it up with a program following the same principles. If you’d like to learn more about Chad, you can find him online at www.ChadWaterbury.com.

That’s it for this edition of the Lift Strong Friday. Pick up your copy of the CD-ROM today and have a great weekend!

Stay strong
MR

Liftstrong Friday #6 - Brian Grasso

Brian Grasso of the International Youth Conditioning Association is one of the premiere coaches of young athletes. Brian is so passionate and committed to improving youth athletics that he’s developed the IYCA to help improve coaching of youngsters.

Brian’s contribution to the Lift Strong project is titled “The Art of Coaching.” Luckily for me, I’ve seen him give this presentation and it is awesome! Brian discusses several important topics in this piece:

- The Kaizen principle of small, incremental gains throughout a career
- Long-term planning for the youth athlete, not session-to-session smoke and mirrors
- The art of philosophy design
- And how to coach athletes of different motivation and skill levels

Quite simply, if you work with youngsters, you need to read this piece. While many are looking for the next “cool” thing to include in their training, it never hurts to go back to the basics, working on your coaching cues and communication skills. You could be the smartest coach on the face of the Earth, but if you don’t have the ability to communicate with athletes your coaching ability is going to be limited.

If you work with youth athletes, be sure to check out the IYCA web page and don’t forget to pick up a copy of the Lift Strong CD-ROM. All the proceeds go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma society!

Liftstrong Friday #5 - Bob Youngs

Bob Youngs is not only a super strong powerlifter (he’s trained under Louie Simmons and totaled elite), but a smart guy as well.

Bob’s article is entitled “Seven Considerations for Goal Setting.” This article discusses why people don’t succeed, and how to use goal setting to help them achieve their goals. It’s not rocket science, but goal setting is one of those simple things that very few people actually use. When I was training strictly for powerlifting, I would set aside time after every meet to figure out what worked, what didn’t, and to start setting goals immediately for my next meet. This ensured that I was always focused on improving and getting stronger.

One part of Bob’s article that I really liked is his discussion of indicators. Dave Tate and Jim Wendler have talked about this as well, and if you haven’t figured out your indicators yet, you need to ASAP. What are indicators? Well, you need to read the article yourself!

Again, when I was more purely focused on powerlifting, I knew the exact range my competition squat and deadlift were based on my training indicators. If I could squat X amount of pounds for a set of 5, I knew within 10 pounds of what I was capable of come meet day. Not only does this decrease your stress level at a meet, but it gives you more confidence and allows you to perform better each and every time you hit the platform.

Pick up your copy of Lift Strong today!

Mike Robertson

Lift Strong Friday #4 - Bill Hartman

In this week’s edition of Lift Strong Friday, we’ll be reviewing Bill Hartman’s excellent article “Training Deficiencies for Increased Strength.

I’ve known Bill for about two years now, and I’ll tell you this – I’ve learned more from him in that time than I probably have in the rest of my life. Bill is one of the smartest people I’ve ever met in any field, and he’s got the unique ability to bridge the gap between rehabilitation (he’s a physical therapist by trade) and performance enhancement. I’m not saying Bill knows everything, but he’s an amazing resource.

Bill’s article discussed how to evaluate your weaknesses in the weight room, and how to train your deficiencies for rapid improvements in strength. If you want to water it down to a bare bones level, it’s this – if you’re really fast, focus on getting stronger. If you’re really strong, focus on getting faster. This isn’t rocket science for those who have been doing this for a long time, but Bill goes on to outline specific tests to determine your weaknesses, along with giving you programming ideas to get the best results. If you’ve hit a plateau in the weight room, I honestly feel this article alone is worth the price of the entire CD-ROM.

If you’re interested in learning more about Bill, be sure to check out his website at www.BillHartman.net.

That’s it for this week. Please, if you haven’t already purchased a copy of the Lift Strong CD-ROM, do so TODAY! All the proceeds go to the Leukemia and Lyphoma society to help us wage the war on cancer. Thanks for your support!

Stay strong and have a great weekend!

MR

Lift Strong Friday #3 - Alan Aragon

In this week’s edition of Lift Strong Friday we’ll be reviewing Alan Aragon’s work, “Nutrition for General Health Is Only As Complicated As You Make It.”

While I’m not as familiar with Alan as I am with other authors for this project, I’ll say this – I like how Alan thinks. While many seem to enjoy making the science of nutrition hard to understand, Alan does the exact opposite and works to simplify things. He even throws out some really sciency words at the beginning to show you that he’s smart, and then brings it down to a more reasonable level at the end!

One other thing I took away from Alan’s article is the fact that whether we’re talking about training, nutrition, or something in between, the basic principles are there for the taking. Alwyn Cosgrove has commented numerous times that most experts would agree on 90% of the training knowledge out there, and nutrition is no different. Sure, it’s the 10% that creates controversy and heated internet debates, but if you work to get better at applying the basics, the rest should fall into place.

If you’re interested in learning more about Alan, be sure to check out his website at www.AlanAragon.com.

That’s it for this edition – if you’re still procrastinating, pick up your copy of Lift Strong) TODAY! All proceeds go the Leukemia and Lymphoma society.

Stay strong and have a great weekend!

MR

LiftStrong Friday #2 – Spotting an Expert by Adam Campbell

In this edition of LiftStrong Friday, I’m going to review Adam Campbell’s article entitled “Spotting an Expert.” If you don’t know who Adam is, he’s the health/fitness editor of Men’s Health magazine, and by all accounts a great guy.

The premise of Adam’s article is explaining how he spots an expert for his magazine. He outlines an instance when he met Alwyn and before he sat down, Alwyn had already spotted a previously injured area and explained how his body was compensating!

In lieu of all the recent blowback surrounding the term “experts,” it was quite refreshing to read this piece. Adam does a great job of defining what he considers an expert, and I agree with him wholeheartedly. While many are quick to label me as an “expert” because I lift a certain amount of weight, write for a certain magazine, etc., you may be interested to know I don’t consider myself an expert on any topic. Here are just a few examples:

- I think I know a lot about the topic of mobility – then I met Dr. Eric Cobb, who has developed an entire mobility system and teaches about it on a weekly basis.

- I think I know a lot about knees and keeping them healthy – then I met Dr. Shelbourne who has been operating on knees for approximately 25 years, and he was the Colts team doc for 15 years! I may know a thing or two about knees, but I think it’s safe to say that he knows a lot more than I do!

I think I know a fair amount, but I also know I still have a lot to learn. So do you – get cracking!

One thing that I really liked about Adam’s article was the fact that just because he doesn’t consider someone an “expert” yet, doesn’t mean they don’t have the skills or abilities necessary to become one. Generally it’s more a matter of their age than their knowledge base or talent level. In other words I may know a lot for a 28 year old, but my age precludes me from being on the same level as a 38 year old who knew the same things I did at 28. 10 years is a big difference, especially if you keep learning!

But, I digress. This article is a solid contribution to the Lift Strong project, and don’t forget that all the proceeds from Lift Strong go the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. Do your part and purchase a copy today!

Stay strong
MR

LiftStrong Friday #1 - The AC Cancer Diaries

Each week, I’m going to write-up a brief review of an article from the Lift Strong CD ROM. I’ll go in order, and I’ll do my best to throw up a blurb about every single article. There are 58, so it could take a while!

Let me preface these write-ups by saying this – my goal is not to write critical, un-biased reviews of these articles. In fact, I shouldn’t have to write anything! The fact that the Lift Strong CD-ROM has over 800 pages of material, costs a measly 25 bucks, and every cent of that goes to cancer research should be enough for you to want to purchase it. But I’m going to use these write-ups as a constant reminder for you to pick up a copy and help out a great cause in the process.

My first write-up will be on the first article, Alwyn Cosgrove’s cancer diaries.

I’ve only known Alwyn for about 2 years now, so I actually did not know him the first time he battled cancer. That’s right, if you didn’t know, Alwyn has fought and defeated cancer TWICE now! Regardless, the fact that Alwyn is still with us today is a testament to good science and a warrior’s mentality. Alwyn is one of the friendlist and most dedicated fitness professionals I’ve ever met. He’s always been there for the young guys in the industry, and truly understands the concept of “paying it forward.”

These diaries are a peek into his thoughts, feelings and emotions as he got the news, went through chemo, and all the ups and downs associated with it. If you’ve ever had a friend or loved one go through chemo, this diary is a very vivid picture of just how mentally and physically taxing this process is.

Even though you know the “ending” of this story (e.g. Alwyn lives happily ever after, cancer-free), it’s the story that unfolds that wraps you up and pulls you in. This section alone was almost 50 pages and I read the entire thing in about an hour’s time last night. It’s truly powerful stuff, and gives a lot of great insight into the mindset of someone who has stared death in the face and survived.

Here’s my suggestion for the week: Maybe you’ve already purchased a copy of Lift Strong and don’t know who else would want one for training purposes. Instead, if you know a friend or loved-one who is dealing with cancer, why not purchase the CD-ROM for them and let them read AC’s diary? I feel reading about someone else who has been through this and survived would be a very uplifting experience.

Until next week, purchase a copy of Lift Strong and have a great weekend!

Mike Robertson

Help Your Clients Achieve Long Term Knee Health

Lift Strong, Part II

For those of you who don't receive my newsletter, I wanted to re-print this very special edition.

Here's the link, in case you missed it:

Lift Strong Newsletter

Alwyn wants $100,000 - but I think that's selling ourselves short. Like I said in the newsletter whether you actually read the material or not is irrelevant; purchase a copy today and do your part to help us defeat cancer forever.

Stay strong
MR

Check this out...

I'm not going to write up something extensive about this right now, but I will say this - if you buy ONE product this year that pertains to fitness, it should be this one.

http://www.liftstrong.com/

Not only do you have over 800 pages of content from 50 top-notch authors, but all the proceeds go to cancer reserach. Whether you want the product or not is almost irrelevant! You get great content and all the money goes to a great cause.

Spread the word - the goal is $1,000,000 but I would love to see us do even more!

Stay strong
MR