Peak Diet and Training Summit DVDs

Written on November 15, 2011 at 6:42 am, by Eric Cressey

I just wanted to give you a quick heads-up that Joe Dowdell and Dr. Mike Roussell just released their Peak Diet and Training Summit Package, a super comprehensive resource geared toward fitness professionals.

I’ve known and respected Joe for quite some time, and it’s awesome to see him finally put a product out there, as he has tremendous skills and has worked with loads of celebrities and athletes.  I’ve always been a fan of Roussell’s, too, as he does an outstanding job of making complex nutrition practices easy to understand and implement.  These two are a great team – and I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen thus far as I’ve worked my way through the product.  It’s an awesome resource, whether you’re someone who wants to learn how to write strength and conditioning programs, or grasp how nutrition fits into the equation.

This sucker is an 11-DVD set and 500+ pages of tag-along manuals; it’s huge!  The product also provides 2.0 CEUs, which is pretty clutch for many personal trainers this time of year with recertification deadlines approaching.

The resource is on sale for $100 off this week only, and they’ve sweetened the deal with some cool bonuses for those who purchase sooner than later.  For more information, check out the Peak Diet and Training Summit Package.  I support this thing 100%!

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Strength and Conditioning Stuff You Should Read: 11/11/11

Written on November 11, 2011 at 6:45 am, by Eric Cressey

First off, on Veterans Day, a big thank you goes out to all our readers who either have served or are serving in the military.  We appreciate all that you do and have done!

With that said, here are a few recommended reads for the week:

7 Fat Loss Essentials – This is a free webinar from Dr. Mike Roussell that I thought was extremely well done.  I’ve always enjoyed Mike’s nutrition stuff, and it’s awesome to see him kicking out great content on a regular basis now that he’s done with his PhD.

Inverted Row Ignorance – I saw an ugly inverted row video online this week, and it reminded me of this post I wrote back in 2009.  Everything I said still holds true, though!

Don’t Forget the S-C Joint – Patrick Ward posted this great blog on the impact of the sternoclavicular joint on upper extremity function.  It’s a bit more “geeky” and largely aimed toward manual therapists, but there are still some valuable lessons to learn for all of us.  I can tell you that nine out of ten times, right-handed pitchers are going to be very fibrotic in the subclavius area – just lateral to the S-C joint.  Attending to this one region can yield big payoffs in terms of upper extremity movement.

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Stuff You Should Read: 5/2/11

Written on May 2, 2011 at 5:59 am, by Eric Cressey

Here are a few recommended reads to kick off the week:

The Truth About Gluten – Here’s an excellent piece from Dr. Mike Roussell on how gluten intolerance can sabotage your nutritional efforts.

Waterhorse: The Legend of Tim Collins’ Nickname – This was a funny write-up in the Kansas City Star on how Cressey Performance Athlete and KC Royals pitcher Tim Collins got his nickname while training at CP.

Why I Do Not Like YTWL Shoulder Exercises – Here’s a great post from Mike Reinold – and I agree with him 100%.

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Stuff You Should Read: 4/27/10

Written on April 27, 2010 at 9:42 am, by Eric Cressey

Here are some reading recommendations for the week:

Q&A: Partial Knee Meniscectomy – Here is a great blog from Mike Robertson about training modifications for those who have had a portion of the meniscus removed.  Mike’s a brilliant knee guy (definitely check out Bulletproof Knees if you haven’t already).  Stick around Mike’s site and read a bit; he’s been kicking out some great content lately.

Are You Inflamed? - This is a good one on the nutrition side of things from Mike Roussell.

What Makes Roy Run? – This was an awesome article about Roy Halladay from a few weeks ago in Sports Illustrated.  To be blunt, a ton of professional baseball pitchers are lazy, one-trick ponies who rely on natural talent and don’t work hard to fulfill their potential.  Halladay is an exception to that rule: a guy who has worked incredibly hard to become arguably the best pitcher in the game.  This is a tremendously well-written and entertaining piece about the path he took and how he deserves every bit of success that comes his way.  Phillies fans are lucky to have him.

Rollouts: Friend or Foe?

Written on November 4, 2009 at 8:40 am, by Eric Cressey

Q: I recently purchased Show and Go and noticed that you include barbell rollouts in the weight training program.  I did this exercise at the end of an aerobics class and was told by the fitness instructor not to do it, as it was a dangerous exercise. Given it’s in your book, I gather you deem it a safe exercise. What is your opinion on this exercise? Do you know why some people say it’s a dangerous exercise?

A: As with just about everything, the devil is in the details.  For many individuals, this is a fantastic exercise.  For others, it may be too advanced.  And, for another group of folks, it just isn’t good because it gets absolutely butchered technique-wise.  Let’s attack this piece by piece with a rationale for its inclusion/exclusion, and then some training options and coaching cues:

(yes, I know I said “A” and then “2.”  Gotta love live TV!)

You can progress this exercise a bit more by either elevating the knees slightly or going to a band-resisted ab wheel rollout.  Just a heads-up: in this video, the athlete should have stopped a bit shorter in the top position to avoid the subtle lumbar rounding that took place; it’s a good demonstration of technique that’s good, but not quite perfect:

To learn more comparable exercises and see how they fit into a comprehensive weight training program, check out  Show and Go: High Performance Training to Look, Feel, and Move Better.

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Two Sunday Night Freebies

Written on November 1, 2009 at 4:25 pm, by Eric Cressey

Just a quick heads-up for my loyal weekend blog readers…

1. Alwyn Cosgrove and Mike Roussell just provided a free fat loss training session example using Alwyn’s new 4x Method.  Check it out HERE.  With their updated Warpspeed Fat Loss program almost ready for release, these two give you a good taste of what’s to come.

2. I did the Fitcast with Kevin Larrabee on Friday morning, and the full audio is available (also at no charge) HERE.  We talked about assessment, programming, whether squatting is “safe,” my recent deadlifting specialization program, and our new product (Assess and Correct).  My portion kicks in about halfway through the episode.

3. Speaking of Assess and Correct, today is the last day for the early-bird price.  At midnight tonight, it’ll be gone forever, so if you haven’t taken advantage of this offer yet, now’s the time!  www.AssessAndCorrect.com.

Weight Loss and Distance Running

Written on March 16, 2009 at 12:57 pm, by Eric Cressey

It’s that time of year in Boston.  The “shufflers” are out in full effect.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with a “shuffler,” it’s an individual who has recently taken up distance running as a means of losing weight.  As the weather gets nicer and the Boston Marathon rapidly approaches, you can spot shufflers out in droves all over Boston.  They shuffle for a number of reasons:

1. They believe that shuffling at 2.5mph is actually more effective than walking at 2.5mph.

2. Usually, they’re about 80% of the way through the marathon training programs that were provided to them, and as a result, most are suffering from IT band problems, plantar fasciitis, Achilles and patellar tendinosis, sciatica, and a serious case of “whatthehellwasithinkingsigningupforthis-itis.”

3. Because they never learned to sprint, they run with zero hip flexion (check out Newsletter 77: Sprinting for Health for details).

4. They are simply trying to finish their exercise in the most efficient way possible.  In other words, complete the task with as little discomfort as possible.

And here, we have the problem.  Sally takes up running because she thinks she’ll lose some body fat.  And, initially, she does lose weight because – to quote Alwyn Cosgrove – it’s a “metabolic disturbance” compared to doing nothing.  Moving burns more calories than not moving.

However, over time, that activity injures Sally and fosters bad movement patterns, meaning that she’ll miss more exercise sessions down the road.  And, she quickly starts searching for the most efficient means of completing her runs, so her body gets more and more efficient – meaning that it burns fewer calories to accomplish the same task.  Whether it is three miles or 13 miles, it’s always about just finishing.  Quantity always takes precedence over quality.

With March Madness upon us, pretend you’re watching a basketball game where you have two teams: Team A wants to win, and Team B wants to simply get through the 40 minutes of the game.  Team A dives for loose balls, full-court presses, and hits the boards hard.  Team B watches the clock.  Who burns more calories?  Team A, no doubt – because they get lost in their performance.

Back in college, did you learn more in the graded courses, or the ones that were simply pass-fail?  And, as I asked in Maximum Strength, do you get stronger when you “train” or “work out?”

This, to me, is one more reason why interval training outperforms steady-state cardio on top of all the other reasons (e.g., excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, reduction of overuse injuries) that we already know.  There is not a single effective exercise modality out there in a non-beginner population that works simply because one shows up and finishes.  The outstanding success loads of folks have had with Warpspeed Fat Loss is a perfect example; Cosgrove and Mike Roussell challenged them to be just a little bit better at each successive training session – either with loading or number of sets completed.

If you are going to distance-run (and aren’t a competitive endurance athlete), focus on going faster, not fine-tuning the art of pacing yourself when grandmothers are passing you with their walkers.  Pacing yourself doesn’t even work at all-you-can-eat buffets; everyone knows you get full too fast and never live up to your gluttony potential.  And, as I always say, if it doesn’t fly at all-you-can-eat buffets, it just ain’t right.

If you’re going to interval train, your goal is to go faster each time.  More watts, more steps in a given time period, more ghastly stares from the lady reading a magazine on the leg press, whatever.  Mike Boyle had some great thoughts on this front in a recent submission HERE.  As long as it is quantifiable and you’re busting your hump to compete against your previous best, I’m happy.

I like the idea of camaraderie and/or competition with others in interval training, too. For example, our staff did this 16-yard x 16-trip sled medley three Thursdays in a row – and each time, it was a little faster (meaning that we had fewer rest periods between sets):

Later in the week, I’ll be back with more thoughts to keep this headed in the right direction.

New Blog Content

Random Friday Thoughts

Barefoot Training Guidelines

Big Bench to Bigger Bench

Stuff You Should Read

All the Best,

EC

A Win/Win: Drop 10lbs or Make $20

Written on February 11, 2009 at 7:55 pm, by Eric Cressey

Just a quick heads-up for my readers on a great offer that’s available for a short amount of time…

As you know, I’m a big fan of Alwyn Cosgrove and Mike Roussell’s Warpspeed Fat Loss program.  It’s an extremely comprehensive and effective fat loss protocol I’ve seen work wonders with some of our clients, staff members (myself included), and even my girlfriend.  I even wrote up two newsletters (here and here) about the amazing results one of our clients had with it.

Anyway, Alwyn and Mike are guaranteeing that their product will take ten pounds off you in 28 days or else they’ll refund your money plus $20 for your time and effort.  They’re only making this available to the first 100 people, though.  And, even if they don’t sell 100, it’ll be taken down on Monday – so don’t wait!

Click here to check out this sweet offer.

An Interview with Mike Roussell

Written on January 31, 2008 at 1:54 pm, by Eric Cressey

By: Eric Cressey

Mike Roussell is one of my few “go-to” guys in the world of nutrition, and you can count on hearing a lot more from him in the months and years to come.  Mike is very unique in his academic background, real-world experience, and – perhaps most importantly – the passion he brings to the industry.  Last week, I was a guest on his show (www.MaxOutRadio.com), so it seems only fitting that he gets to drop some knowledge bombs on my readers this week with an interview in our newsletter.

EC: Hi Mike, thanks for taking the time to be with us today.  I know quite a bit about you, but I’m sure our readers would like to hear a bit more about where you are, where you’ve been, and where you’re going.  Tell us your life story.

MR: Okay, this will probably bore everyone except my mother and my wife, but here I go. I played just about every sport growing up and eventually blew out my knee in high school. I picked up Muscle & Fitness one day while in rehab and the rest is history.

I have a B.S. in biochemistry and have spent a good deal of time doing organic chemistry synthesis. After college, I went to medical school, but halfway through my first year I knew it wasn’t for me and that wanted to pursue nutrition full time. So I left medical school and got a job in a biochemistry lab along with a position that allowed me to actually develop the nutrition curriculum for first year medical students at University of Vermont. During this time, I applied to nutrition graduate schools. I’m now at Penn State studying to receive my PhD in Nutrition.

During this whole academic journey, I have always been busy working with people and their nutrition, body composition, and performance goals. That’s what I love. I love seeing people succeed – helping them achieve their best body. There is no feeling better than when a client shares with you a story about how someone noticed changes in their body. You can see it in the client’s face and hear it in their voice how great it made them feel. It is special to be able to help people with that. I’m lucky.

EC: All our readers can insert the obligatory “awwww” as if there were playing with a puppy. I, on the other hand, will start right off with a tough question. I just wrote a two-part article about what I learned/did differently in 2006; what were a few of your “epiphanies” last year?

MR:

1. Butter is good. I realized that I don’t eat enough saturated fat. Chances are that you might not either. I’m big on olive oil, nuts, and avocados – all of which are great, but they weren’t giving me enough saturated fat. I was down at around 4% of total calories from saturated fat. I’ve doubled that now that I use butter on a regular basis. Plus, it makes food taste so good.

2. Alwyn Cosgrove is a sadist. I realized this after doing six weeks of his Afterburn II program.

3. It is important to write your goals in the present tense and keep them at the front of your mind.

4. It is really important not to blindly believe the things that you believe. I’m a big fan of fish oil and no matter how much I believe that fish oil is anti-inflammatory, we really have no idea how it works its anti-inflammatory magic. I was really stuck on the traditional way of thinking about fish oil’s mode of action, but the research says the opposite and there are a lot of people out there that refuse to see this.

5. It is better to embrace reality than fight it. Chances are you already know the answer to a problem with which you are struggling, but you don’t like it, so you are waiting for a new one. Let’s take diet, for example. Many people eat like crap on the weekends and it kills their progress. They know they don’t stick to their meal plan over the weekend, but they continue to look for the new diet, supplement, or guru that will allow them to achieve their goal. Just clean up how you eat on the weekends, and you’ll be amazed at the results.

6. You can never read too many books especially, in areas about which you know nothing.

EC: I managed to escape academia, but you’re still up to your neck in it. What’s new in the lab? Have you won your Nobel Prize yet?

MR: Well, over winter break, I just finished a review article on lifestyle interventions that affect HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). It is going to come out in the first edition of a new journal called the Journal of Clinical Lipidology. Basically, the best way to increase your good cholesterol is to have 1-2 alcoholic drinks per day. This will increase HDL-C by about 7%. Exercise only increases HDL-C by about 4%, and when you lose weight, your HDL-C actually goes down! However, once your weight loss stabilizes, your HDL-C will increase by about 4% from where it was before the weight loss.

I’m also working on a grant for the USDA that involves giving people fish oil and monitoring various biomarkers – but I won’t bore your readers with the details.

One more thing: there is a really cool type of compound called Resolvins that are created in the body when you take aspirin and fish oil together. It could be the responsible for the anti-inflammatory actions of fish oil (that means we’ve all been wrong about fish oil’s mechanism of action). There has been essentially no work in humans with these compounds, so I have some plans to do some work with Resolvins and humans subjects this spring – again, really cool stuff (in a serious science nerd way).

So, as you can see, I am definitely up to my neck in academia!

EC: Where are most people missing the boat when it comes to nutrition in terms of:

a) general health

b) physique improvements

c) performance enhancement?

MR: Overall, people are missing the boat with compliance and not sticking to their plan. Generally, they eat too many starches – and at the wrong times.

a) General Health – Not taking high quality fish oil or getting enough of a variety of fruits and vegetables.

b) Physique Improvements – Undereating. This crashes your metabolism and makes fat loss really tough. The same goes for building lean tissue. If you aren’t growing even though you “eat a lot,” you need to eat more.

c) Performance Enhancement – Under recovery. Performance athletes really beat up their bodies. This places unique metabolic stressors on their system that proper nutrition can almost erase. Protein and carbs during and after a workout is a must. Total calories are also very important, but they need to be good calories. It drives me nuts when athletes put tons of effort into training but the guy behind the counter at McDonald’s knows them by name!

EC: As I’ve done in previous newsletter interviews, I’m going to ask you to give me your top five training/nutrition resources for people looking to take their knowledge to the next level.

MR: Here are my top five not in any particular order. I’ve actually read all of these books several times.

1. Enter the Zone, by Barry Sears – This book lays a great foundation of the effects of different macronutrients and the power of food.

2. The Anabolic Diet (now called The Anabolic Solution) – This book is a classic and definitely the most popular low carb diet in the weight lifting world.

3. Nutrient Timing by Drs. Ivy & Portman – This is a great resource on the biggest breakthrough in sports nutrition.

4. Precision Nutrition by John Berardi – John does a great job of laying out how you should structure your nutritional approach. I currently use this will all my clients.

5. Naked Nutrition – This is the nutrition manual that I just published - and I know you liked it!

EC: Yes, it was fantastic.  Can you tell our readers a bit more about it?

MR: Here’s the thing: personally, I do not enjoy writing out meal plans. I love doing phone consults and working with people, but making meal plans isn’t any fun. So, I decided to put the entire step-by-step system that I use to develop meal plans for people into a manual. I also go into great detail about how to adjust your meal plan depending on your goals; that is the heart of the manual. I also lay out my “Six Pillars of Proper Nutrition,” how to maximize nutrient timing, how to prioritize and plan supplementation depending on goals, and a bunch more.

EC: Sounds like a definite winner and something that’s really needed. Be sure to keep us posted on its release! Where can our readers find out more about you?

MR:  I have a main website, www.MikeRoussell.com, where I host my newsletter, blog, product reviews, articles, and my nutrition coaching.  They can check out the Naked Nutrition Manual here. a.link:link {font:bold 11px Arial;color:000000; text-decoration:none;} a.link:visited {font:bold 11px Arial;color:000000; text-decoration:none;} a.link:hover {font:bold 11px Arial;color:000000; text-decoration:none;} td.link {padding:2px 10px 2px 10px; cursor:hand;} font.divider {font:11px Arial; color:666666} div.body {font:14px arial; color:000000;} body {font:13px arial; color:000000;} td {font:13px arial; color:000000;} a:link {color:0000cc;} a:visited {color:990099;} a:hover {color:cc0000}

Calling Out Exercise Myths

Written on January 17, 2008 at 1:34 pm, by Eric Cressey

Warp Speed Reminder