Home Posts tagged "Gourmet Nutrition"

Triple Threat?

One of the pro baseball guys I work with from afar is in town this week for a check-in, and he bought ten protein bars for $10 in anticipation of eating out of airports.  He was munching on one of them at the facility yesterday, and it was labeled as a "Triple Threat" for a) great taste, b) energy, and c) nutrition. Now, you're talking to a guy who spent two years at business school before deciding to go the exercise science route, so I've got a little marketing analyst in me.  We all know that lots of stuff can have double meanings - so I check out the first three ingredients: 1. Corn Syrup 2. Soy Crisps 3. "Chocolatey" Coating Yes, it really had a "Y" on the end of the word.  So, you not get a candy bar with crap ingredients, but also are treated like a child with words like "chocolatey." Joking aside, the best protein bars available are the ones you make yourself.  John Berardi has some awesome recipes in Gourmet Nutrition Cookbook (also available as part of the Precision Nutrition package).

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Random Friday Thoughts: 1/2/09

I'm back after the holiday hiatus from blogging.  Over the Christmas holiday, I actually slept in three states (MA, CT, and ME) in three days  and four different houses in five days in light of all sorts of gatherings in different places.  Needless to say, it was quite a bit of travel, but well worth it.  I'm back and feeling pretty refreshed as 2009 gets underway.  So, without further ado, it's back to the madness. 1. Today's music selection goes back quite a few years, but it's a classic that's gotten some play around the gym recently: Only by Anthrax.  Press play, if you want: I'm really not an angry person, I swear. 2. I got an I-Pod for Christmas and finally caught up with the 12-year-olds of the world.  If I can actually figure out how to use it, I suppose that I'll be considered an adult. 3. On Christmas Eve, my older brother commented on how I was getting "thin up top" - confirming a suspicion that I'm gradually losing my hair (my girlfriend thinks I'm nuts when I say it).  I mentioned it to Brian St. Pierre the other day, and he told me to bump up my flaxseed intake.  I guess it can't hurt.  Hmm... 4. Speaking of Brian, he was the inaugural Cressey Performance Fantasy Football League Champion.  Thanks for keeping the hardware in the family, dude, and congratulations. brian_fftrophy 5.  I was asked the other day what I thought of online master's programs, and here was my response: "My first recommendation, above all, is that if you want to do graduate school, you should absolutely, positively do it IN-PERSON, if possible.  There are a lot of online master's programs, but none of them hold a candle to the experience that is graduate school.  At UCONN, I had daily interactions varsity athletes, the best professors in the country, and experienced researchers in the human performance lab.  The coursework was valuable, but was secondary to the tremendous benefit I got from those opportunities.  You just can't get that online. "The online master's route may be appropriate for someone who is already working in a position - such as collegiate or professional sports - where those experiences are already taking place.  If you opt to go the online master's route, I'd also highly recommend you apply for an internship somewhere under someone who is doing what you'd like to do." 6. Here's an old article of mine that deserves a mention in light of all the New Year's Resolutions that are going around: Rotten Resolutions The goals might be outdated, but the message isn't. 7. My girlfriend and I asked for a food processor for Christmas, and my grandparents came through with a nice one.  Of course, I chose to christen it by gashing open my thumb as I took the blade out of the box.  Luckily for us, the Gourmet Nutrition Apple-Cinnamon Bars we made with the new toy (once I had clotted) turned out great. 8.  I coined a new term today: scromelette.  A scromelette is what results when you screw up while making an omelette, and after some cursing, wind up with scrambled eggs and vegetables. 9. Another great article (this one more recent) from Mike Robertson worth reading: Facts and Fallacies of Corrective Exercise. That's all for today.  Have a great weekend!
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Newsletter 136

You probably noticed that the newsletter is a day late this week. I have been absolutely swamped with the goings-on at Cressey Performance on top of heading to a big baseball seminar in Houston this weekend (fly out Thursday night). Fortunately, though, this full schedule provided me with the idea for this newsletter.

With the chaos of the past week, I didn't have time to do my normal cooking and food prep for the week on Sunday night. So, Tuesday morning (had already had a normal breakfast), with about twenty minutes left before I needed to head out to work, I looked in the fridge in hopes of pulling together a few meals from a stir fry or casserole. Nothing was there.

As a result, I just wound up grabbing a half-empty tub of cottage cheese and added a tablespoon of psyllium husk powder for fiber. Later in the day, I'd add some Superfood and a scoop of low-carb Metabolic Drive, and had that concoction with a handful of almonds from the stash in the top drawer of the desk in my office. Another meal was a Metabolic Drive bar, and a third was simply a shake with Superfood and some Flameout (fish oil) and almonds. Obviously, it wasn't an ideal daytime meal plan - and it certainly wasn't an aesthetically-pleasing culinary masterpiece like you'd see in John Berardi's Gourmet Nutrition Cookbook, but it got me through the 8-10 hours.


I had a shake with my evening training session, and then came home to cook up a legitimate, whole food meal.

This certainly wasn't optimal, but it was a nutritional "out" for me: it got calories in, kept my energy levels up, and did so without blowing my diet with unhealthy convenience foods. Having good food easily accessible to me is huge when things get busy; I'll roll with mixed nuts, protein powders, protein bars (homemade and Biotest ones), Superfood, and beef jerky. We're also lucky to have a cafeteria in our building, and a good take-out place with awesome salads just about three miles down the road. So, in my eyes, there is never a reason for me to eat garbage - even if I haven't had time to cook up good stuff for myself.

Obviously, this can be applied to diet, but it also has applications in other facets of your healthy lifestyle.

From a training logistics standpoint, what happens if you walk in to your gym to squat, and find that the only squat rack is occupied and there is a long line waiting to use it. Do you stand in line, or do you go to trap bar deadlifts (option A) or walking dumbbell lunges (option B)?

Also along the training lines, but with more of injury perspective, what do you do if your shoulder starts acting up when you go to barbell bench press? Do you try to push through it, skip it altogether, or move to neutral grip dumbbell bench presses (option A) or a push-up variation (option B)? (As an aside, I just wrote an article covering these situations; check it out HERE)

How about professionally? If you're a trainer or a strength coach, if something stumped you, who do you contact? Have you built a good network of health care professionals with both general expertise and specializations? Case in point, one of my current clients started up with me in December of 2006, and he came to me with a C5-C6 disc hernation that had left him with numbness in the tip of his middle finger for the previous ten years - and none of the neurologists and physical therapists he'd seen could do anything about it. I introduced him to John Pallof, PT, COMT, and John had complete feeling back in his finger within two sessions from a combination of manual therapy and neural flossing.

Nowadays, John sees every neck issue that comes to Cressey Performance. Likewise, Dr. Bill Morgan sees all our significant wrist and elbow issues - and the list goes on and on. So, it's not just about having a network; it's about having a network of great people, some of whom specialize in certain areas. I had dinner with Dave Tate a while back, and I recall him saying that he was less concerned with knowing everything and more concerned with knowing who to call to find out everything. Dave was right on the money.

What about easily accessible resources? What books, DVDs, journals, and newsletters do you consult on a regular basis to stay on top of things and research new issues that cross your path? Improving your own abilities is just as important as expanding your network. If you haven't seen it already, a while back, I compiled a Recommended Resources page outlining my recommendations for both free websites and products you can use to stay ahead of the game.

At risk of sounding overconfident, I think that the Building the Efficient Athlete DVD set is something that every trainer and strength coach should watch, as it covers everything from functional anatomy, to static and dynamic assessments, to troubleshooting common resistance training technique mistakes.

Food for thought - and hopefully a little something for everyone.

New Blog Content

Random Friday Thoughts
Training the Baseball Catcher
Relative Strength Improvements on Maximum Strength

Have a great week!

EC

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Random Friday Thoughts: 8/1/08

1. It's going to be a quick one today, as we're getting ready to leave for Cassandra Forsythe's wedding in Vermont. For the record, this will likely be the last time she's referred to as Cassandra Forsythe; she'll be Forsythe-Pribanic by the end of the weekend! 2. One more reason to not use the abductor machine: OUCH! 3. Researchers have found that participation in a football game leads to a HEIGHT loss of almost one centimeter - likely due to compressive forces. Just imagine what happens when you put 500 pounds on your back and go for a squatting session! I haven't seen any acute research in this regard, but there is evidence to show that retired weightlifters have reduced disc heights when compared with controls who didn't lift. I'd be willing to bet that they also have fewer broken hips, can carry their own groceries, and pick up way more hotties in the convalescent home, so I'll take functional capacity over a perfect MRI anyday. 4. Good points on the negative effects of flip-flops, but I don't buy the argument that barefoot training is just as bad. The only reason it's "bad" is that you can't put orthotics on a bare foot... 5. My girlfriend cooked up some protein bars from John Berardi's Gourmet Nutrition cookbook; awesome stuff! It's the summer in the Northeast, so there are a lot of blueberries on-hand; they're a great addition to the apple cinnamon bars, if you haven't tried them already. 6. Tony Gentilcore started a training log over at T-Nation that describes a lot of the madness at Cressey Performance in our training group. It's worth checking out - at the very least, to make sure that you make fun of Tony. 7. I mentioned it in my newsletter the other day, but if you are a fitness professional and haven't signed up for Ryan Lee's Bootcamp, I'd highly recommend you check it out. 8. Atta boy, Sam! Talk about clutch - and they had an 11-10 extra innings walk-off win last night. Good luck this weekend, Sudbury Legion. I've got to run - but not before leaving you with a bit of nostalgic weekend motivation from the greatest motivator of all time!
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One More Reason I Love My Job…

One of the biggest perks of being in this business is that I get a lot of free stuff sent to me. I’m not going to lie: a lot of it is absolute garbage that is so bad that I can’t read or view the whole thing. I look at some fitness gimmicks and can’t help but think “why?” I’ve actually got an entire section on my bookshelf of stuff I’ve received that’s just flat-out bad.

Why do I even mention this to you? Well, for one, so that you’ll know that if something gets a thumbs-up in my newsletter or blog, it’s legit. Second, and more importantly, I’ve grown to see patterns – and one such pattern is that everything that John Berardi has sent me is pretty much gold. The newly introduced Gourmet Nutrition Cookbook 2.0 is no exception.

I was impressed not only with the presentation of the book (well organized and easy to read), but obviously the content itself. There is an excellent and diverse selection of recipes, and they’ve been met with open arms and salivating mouths from our athletes.

One of my pitchers was in the office when it arrived, and I he asked if he could see it. That night, he made some of the bars and said that they came out great. Young athletes are a great measure of how good a nutrition product is; they’re impressionable, yet very stubborn. If something isn’t good, they’ll call BS or just ignore it altogether. Only two nutrition products have gotten my guys going; this one and the nutrition component of Jason Ferruggia’s Muscle Gaining Secrets.

Check it out for yourself: Gourmet Nutrition Cookbook 2.0.

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The Rugged Kitchen: Installment 4

By: Eric Cressey

Normally, we have qualified individuals like Christina Jenkins and Ko Attleberry put together The Rugged Kitchen for us. However, with qualified individuals come recipes that actually require thought and a passion for cooking. As a overworked grad student who really couldn't care less about making his food look pretty, I tend to rely on healthy recipes that I can make in just a few minutes, thus allowing me to get out of the kitchen as quickly as possible. Normally, I just cook in bulk every 4-5 days and then work off of plastic bags in the fridge, but there are a few "recipes" that I actually follow, so I figured I'd share them with all you readers that can sympathize with me. You'll notice that I don't include quantities; it's because I don't measure anything out. Yes, I really am that lazy. Remember, the KISS (keep it simple, stupid) strategy works just as well in the kitchen as it does in the gym.

Bean and Egg Burrito What you need:

- Egg whites (the carton kind or regular eggs that you crack yourself) - Black Beans - Salsa - Hot Sauce - Fat Free Cheddar Cheese - Any veggies you like (I use spinach; you may want onions, peppers, etc.) - Whole Wheat Tortilla (optional) - Chili Powder (optional)

This makes a great protein and carb meal. Basically, you just make a round omelet (use non-stick cooking spray) with the veggies mixed into the egg whites; don't add the cheese yet, though. Once it's done, lay it out on a plate and toss on the cheese (it'll melt; don't worry), beans, salsa, hot sauce, and chili powder (if desired). Roll it up and eat it. If you wish to add more carbs, you can wrap the whole wheat tortilla around the egg layer. This whole process should take about four minutes. Chocolate Slop If you were a little porker as a youngster like me, when Mom made brownies and offered to let you lick out the mixing bowl, you salivated like Homer Simpson on a tour of the Duff Beer production plant. This little piece of heaven is the closest thing to brownie mix that can actually be considered healthy; give it a shot. What you need:

- Calcium Caseinate or Milk Protein Isolate Powder* - Whey Powder (isolate, concentrate, or a mixture of the two)* - Psyllium Husk Powder

*Note: Biotest Low-Carb Metabolic Drive powder works perfectly for this recipe, as it's a blend of the two different categories.

Put some water in a bowl, and then add your protein powder (ideally in a 2:1 caseinate/MPL:whey ratio) and a tablespoon or two of psyllium husk powder. Be sure to mix as you add. Add as much water as you want; you can make it like pudding or the thicker brownie mix that I like. I like to have it with almonds before I hit the sack; it makes a great, high fiber, slow-digesting protein and fat meal before bed. Lazy Man's Calico Beans This is a recipe that's really popular at our family gatherings. Unfortunately, the original recipe isn't all that healthy; it includes ketchup, pork 'n beans, cooked bacon, and regular ground beef (note: beef is great, just not in protein and carb meals). I just changed things up to make it healthier and appropriate for a protein and carb meal. What you'll need:

- 1 lb. Lean Ground Turkey (cook it separately before adding it to the mix) - 1 Can Pinto Beans - 1 Can Black Beans - 1 Can Kidney Beans - Apple Cider Vinegar - Spicy Mustard - ½ Bag Onion Soup Mix

Toss all of this into a crock-pot and let it cook for a few hours on low. Eat it. Enjoy it. Beef Jerky If loving beef jerky is wrong, I don't want to be right; this stuff might be my favorite food in the world. The store-bought kind is a convenient protein source that you can take anywhere, but nothing tops the homemade version on taste and tenderness. When you use lean red meat, it's also very healthy. The only trade-off is that unless you have a load of preservatives in your kitchen cabinet, you'll have to keep this stuff refrigerated and eat it within a few days of cooking it. What you'll need:

- 1 eye of round or top or bottom round roast - Whatever type of flavoring you desire (soy, teriyaki, Tabasco, or barbecue sauce) - Spices (salt and pepper are sufficient, but you may want some chili powder, etc.)

Slice the roast into small strips about three inches long, one inch wide, and ¼ inch thick. If you use an eye of round roast, be sure to slice it lengthwise to keep it reasonably tender. Use a fork to poke some holes in the meat; it'll keep it tender and allow it to soak up the marinade better. Marinade the strips in the flavoring of your choice (I like Tabasco and pepper) overnight. The next day, set the strips directly on the oven rack; you'll probably want to use a pan underneath to keep all the drippings off of the bottom of your oven. Set the oven on the lowest possible setting (150°, or the "Warm" setting will do fine), and leave the strips alone for at least five hours to "dry out." Basically, the tougher you like your jerky, the longer you should leave them in. That concludes this installment of the "Rugged Kitchen."  For more information on some great healthy recipes, I highly recommend John Berardi and John K. Williams' fantastic Gourmet Nutrition e-book or, even better, JB's entire Precision Nutrition package, which includes the recipe book and a whole lot more at a great deal.

Now, shouldn't you be stuffing your face?

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