Posts Tagged ‘books’

The latest book in the New Rules of Lifting training series is now available! You can pick it up HERE .

This is the first book that I feel really reflects the programming that we do at Results Fitness.

The first two books had great programs in them, but I was brought in as a fitness consultant for these books.
In other words – the original books weren’t what we’d do if you joined Results Fitness.

This book is as close as it gets to being a member of our gym, without actually living in Valencia, Ca.

Here’s part one of an interview that I just did with my co-author Lou Schuler:

Alwyn, let’s talk about the origins of our book. In the Introduction, I tell readers why I had to change the way I trained. Short version: I hurt my shoulder playing lumberjack in my back yard, I reinjured a knee in the gym, and I got a hernia. There was a point in the summer and fall of 2008 where I could barely walk. Running was completely out of the question. I was forced to rethink not just the exercises I did or the way I did them, but the goal of training itself.

As it happens, around that time you and Rachel changed the way you trained your clients. What was different about your clients circa 2008, vs. earlier clients? And how did you change your programming strategy to address those differences?

AC: Well the changes came around long before 2008 Lou. Probably closer to 2002 we started noticing it, and in 2004 or so we’d made a massive switch.

Simply put, our new beginner clients were arriving in worse shape than beginners maybe 5 years previously had arrived.

We’ve tracked the posture, range of motion, functional movement screen scores and initial body fat percentage of every new member at Results Fitness since we opened almost eleven years ago. We have more data on exercise than most peer-reviewed published studies have collected. People were arriving in worse condition than ever before.

A fitness program could have consisted almost entirely of weight training and cardio in the past. Now we had to address muscle imbalances, core strength and stability, dynamic flexibility, direct power training alongside strength and cardio.

As a result – our programming started to change around 2004, but we’re constantly tweaking. Each year we sit down and revamp the entire programming.

I’m excited because this is the first time I’ve been able to share exactly what we do at Results Fitness with the general public. The first two books in our series were good of course :) , but this more accurately reflects the training experience that our in-house clients are familiar with.

When I decided I was going to invest time for core training at the beginning of each workout, I didn’t really have a plan. I mean, that was my plan – to do core exercises. So I would do some stuff I got from McGill, some stuff I got from different articles, and some stuff I picked up from who knows where. I would just do stuff, then make it harder, then move on to new stuff.

I was genuinely excited to realize you had a systemic approach to core training. I could try to explain it to the readers, but I would just end up repeating what you told me.

AC: If it weren’t for dead guys, we’d probably never have started doing crunches. That’s because for years, much of our knowledge of the way muscles work was  based on the study of human cadavers. By looking at the anatomy of corpses, modern scientists figured that the function of our abdominal muscles must be to flex the spine. Which is exactly what you do when you perform a crunch, a situp, or any other move that requires you to round your lower back. As a result, these exercises were popularized as the best way to work your abs.

But the reality is that your abs have a more critical function than flexing your spine: Their main job is to stabilize the spine. In fact, your midsection muscles are the reason your torso stays upright instead of falling forward due to gravity. So your abs and lower back actually prevent your spine from flexing.

The upshot is that if you want better results from your core workout, you need to train your abs for stability.

LS: Now let’s get specific. When we talk about stabilization, we’re talking about static exercises. Some people will look at that and think, “Planks? Side planks? Why do I need a book for those?”

But once you get past those basic exercises, the stabilization exercises in NROL for Abs get really hard, really fast. Even our models for the photo shoots couldn’t hold a couple of them longer than it took for the photographer to snap off a shot.

So explain how you progress within the stabilization category, and why it’s important to take those steps one at a time.

AC: The purpose of the core (not just the abs) is to stabilize the spine. That’s the basic level we begin at. But when we examine more closely – the reality is that the core functions to stabilize the spine while the extremities are moving and producing or receiving force.

So stage one is pure stabilization. That’s our entry level – the ability to stabilize the spine without any change in forces or loading.

LS: The next category is dynamic stabilization, where you’re moving a load around the core. This category includes a lot of exercises that people have seen before, like cable lifts and chops, Swiss-ball rollouts, and Valslide push-aways.

But I can probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen them done the way you want them done. Just to pick one example, the cable lifts and chops, you tell readers to do them from kneeling or half-kneeling positions, with the shoulders and hips facing forward throughout the movement. If you can’t turn your shoulders and hips, it’s a much harder exercise, and most of us have to cut the weight in half to get it right.

Explain your thoughts here – why not let readers do those exercises the fun way, with full-body rotation?

AC: Level two is what we call “Dynamic stabilization”. It’s kind of a misnomer I suppose. The purpose of this phase is to maintain spinal stability while moving an extremity and changing force and center of gravity. For example – instead of merely holding a plank – we’d do a plank with a mountain climber or a pulldown to really challenge stability.

Gray Cook was the one who really brought the chops and lifts to my attention. Now if you use your full body to pull the weight stack – you’ll definitely use more weight – but at that point it’s a core strength exercise – the core is moving. We want core stability – make the extremities move and challenge the core to resist rotation.

The final category is integrated stabilization. Readers are doing lunges, squats, and walks with unbalanced and offset loads. You also have Turkish get-ups in this category. I’m sure a lot of the people reading this – coaches and experienced lifters – will want to start with those exercises, and skip the first two exercises.

What will they get out of the exercises by building up to them with weeks of preparation, vs. jumping right in?

AC: Level three is integrated stabilization where we do traditional exercises with a twist – for example using one dumbbell instead of two in a lunge, or shoulder press. Basically we offset the center of gravity and force the core to work harder than it would with a traditional exercise.

Now of course someone can jump in and train anywhere they want. But that shows a real misunderstanding of the programming. If you aren’t used to this type of training then you’ll progress faster by following smart progressions.

Training is a process. Just follow the recipe. And besides – we give enough variation of even a simple plank that will challenge most people. Try a one arm plank wearing a weighted vest with your hand on a medicine ball and your feet in the TRX straps if you’re not convinced !!

–
AC
PS – You can pick up a copy of the New Rules of Lifting for Abs – HERE .

Guest blog from Jason Ferruggia

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I don’t know about you but there are plenty of days where I could use a lot more than 24 hours to get everything done that I need to. Especially around this time of year. With the holiday season upon us extra time is going to be a precious commodity that’s hard to come by.

That’s why I don’t have time to agonize over what to do in the gym. I only have 30-45 minutes total, to get in and get out. And that usually includes warm up time. I can’t waste valuable minutes figuring out confusing, overly complicated set and rep schemes or mess around with 15 different exercises per session. I need something quick and easy that’s going to produce results; not stress.

So what do I do?

Easy- I take the Bruce Lee approach and cut out all of that which is not essential. I know what exercises work better than all the others and I know what loading parameters elicit the fastest gains in size and strength. I’ve been using them for 23 years on myself and for the last 16 with hundreds of clients.

These are the same principles that have been embraced by some of the biggest, strongest men in history, from George Hackenshmidt to Franco Columbu to Matt Kroczaleski.

At this busy time of year I can’t be futzing around experimenting with new stuff in the gym. Like you, I have family commitments and other important responsibilities to tend to. So my workouts must all be minimalistic in nature. It’s either that or I have to skip them.
And that’s not an option for me. I’m sure many of you can relate and feel the exact same way.

With that in mind I hit it hard and fast, never focusing on more than three exercises per workout. If you think a workout consisting of only three movements can’t produce impressive size and strength gains I have to question your exercise selection and training intensity.

There are very few people on the planet that couldn’t get fantastic results with squats, chin ups and military presses. Or maybe a combination of ring dips, pull ups and deadlifts? Either one will develop muscular bulk and strength quite efficiently.

The fact of the matter is that beginners NEVER need more than three exercises per workout. Advanced lifters could do more than three exercises per workout if they so desired, but there’s not necessarily a need for it. Especially around this time of year when the clock is always ticking and there’s always somewhere to be and a deadline to meet.

The are two major differences between the training programs of beginners and the training programs of advanced lifters that’s worth noting, however.

Beginners always do best on full body workouts while advanced lifters seem to excel on upper/lower splits.

The other major difference is that beginners should always use the same weight for all of their work sets, using what’s known as a “sets across” approach. Advanced lifters should always “work up” to a top end set, increasing the weight each set.

An effective minimalist workout for a beginner would look something like this:

1) Trap Bar Deadlift- 5 x 5 with straight weight
2) Standing Military Press- 5 x 5 with straight weight

An effective minimalist workout for an advanced lifter would look like this:

1) Trap Bar Deadlift- Work up to a top end set of 3, followed by one back off set at 90%
2a) Hanging Leg Raise- 3-4 x 8-10
2b) Glute Ham Raise- 3-4 x 8-10

These workouts will have you in and out of the gym in 30-45 minutes, tops. They will save you time, frustration and stress. Best of all they’ll allow you to still make incredible gains all throughout the holiday season without impeding on your social life or family commitments.

Sounds like a win, win if you ask me.

==
AC
PS – Jason has just released a collection of short, Minimalist workouts, some less than 30 min, some are only 3 exercises or less.
It’s a great resource for trainers working with busy clients, who need to write, short effective workouts.
I actualyl had Jason design some minimalist workouts for me when I was recovering from cancer treatment.

You can check it out at Minimalist Training

Starbucks has changed the service industry forever. They took a commodity — the coffee bean — and transformed it into an experience. I’ve studied them since the first day we opened our gym, and continue to do so.

Consider this — in the last fifteen years, the value of the S&P rose 200%, the Dow rose 230%, the NASDAQ rose 280%, but the Starbucks stock?–5000 percent!
Despite that tremendous growth – Starbucks has maintained it’s quality while expanding at a current rate of 5 stores per day, 365 days per year.

There is a concept known as the “Third place”. Most people have work, home and one more place that they spend time. It’s the idea behind the “local” in terms of the pub culture in the UK (as embodied in the TV show “Cheers” – ‘where everybody knows your name’…”).

The coffee shop (as seen in the TV show “Friends”) has become that – actually more specifically – Starbucks has become that for most people.
That’s why I study them – as I want my gym to become that “third place” and overtake Starbucks.

Do yourself a favor and pick this book up immediately — and then STUDY it! We recently interviewed the author of the book – Joseph Michelli – for our coaching group.

I’ve mentioned this book before, but I re-read it on a recent flight. If you’re in the service business — or you own a studio — you need to forget about just looking within our industry for ideas — look outside of your industry.

–
AC

My Taekwon-do instructor taught me years ago — almost everything you want to know has already been written. All you need to do is access it. It really stuck in my head that reading is an essential part to growth.
I always think it’s odd that some people don’t read much, or even pride themselves on not reading! Because after all – people who don’t read books get the same education as people who CAN’T read…

I read a LOT. I try to get through two books a week if possible (more if I’m traveling).
Here’s a wee look at what I’ve been reading recently:

As you can see – lots of business books there.
I try to rotate between training books (but I’ll confess there are very few good new training books right now), business, sales and customer service books.

Recently I’ve been downloading more and more stuff to the Kindle which is pretty cool (as I can take 10 books on the road with me!)

–
AC

Guest newsletter from Tom Venuto

Gaining Muscle and Losing Fat At The Same Time: Is It Possible
“How can I gain muscle and lose fat at the same time?” That’s right up there with “How do I get six pack abs” as one of the most frequently asked fitness questions of all time. The problem is, when you ask it, you get all kinds of conflicting answers – even from experts who are supposed to know these things. So what’s the deal? Is it really possible to lose fat and build muscle simultaneously?
Short answer: Yes it’s possible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.

Long answer: It’s difficult and it’s complicated. Allow me to explain…. Read the rest of this entry »

I had a breakthrough or an ah-ha moment as I like to call them a few weeks ago. I had just finished reading an advanced copy of Tony Hsieh’s (CEO of Zappos.com) new book ‘Delivering Happiness’. I was given the copy at a recent tour of the Zappos offices in Las Vegas. Rachel and I study good companies constantly and are members of the Zappos mastermind business group.

The book “Delivering Happiness” by Tony Hsieh is a story of how Zappos was formed, grew and eventually sold to Amazon for over a billion dollars. But it’s really a story of core values. The WHY behind Zappos makes some of the most compelling reading you’ll find in a business book.

Tony’s premise is that if you keep asking WHY someone does something – you’ll end up with the real answer.

I also had a business meeting with one of our business coaches and he had said something similar about setting up your marketing with the “benefit behind the benefit behind the benefit” in mind.

Let me explain:

Someone wants to get a good education. Why? So they can get a good job/career. Why? So they can have a nice house and nice things. Why?

So they can be happy.

Someone wants to lose ten pounds of fat. Why? So they look better. Why? So they feel better. Why?

So they can be happy.

The true goal of Zappos.com then is “Delivering Happiness”.

Tony’s point is that maybe instead of taking roundabout ways to get our true goal – we should study happiness directly. The psychology and science of delivering happiness is a really young field. Apparently prior to 1988 all psychology was about the study of abnormal conditions and people and how to make them normal. But the scientists had never studied how to make normal people happier until recently.

This is when it hit me…

People spend time seeking things that they think will give them happiness. Instead of just seeking what would bring happiness.

I think we’ve cracked that at Results Fitness. People want three things – to look better, perform better and to feel better.

But – the only reason people want to look better is so that they feel good about themselves.

The only reason they want to perform better is so they win at sports or set PR’s etc – so that they feel good.

So maybe the only reason someone comes to the gym is because you want to feel better.

I realized last year that selling fat loss and anchoring it to how you “look” when you’re lean wasn’t working anymore. We then started anchoring it to how you “feel” when you look good and that worked.

Action step: If you’re a trainer – start thinking today about what it is we REALLY sell and do. We help people feel better.

You can pick up a copy of Delivering Happiness (released today) : HERE
Delivering Happiness is a great read about a great company. So good that we managed to get advanced copies for our Results Fitness Biz Coaching group and have since been invited by Zappos to present our business model and core values at one of their conferences.

–
Alwyn