While this digital resource has been used by folks of all walks of life for everything from fat loss to athletic performance training , in light of an email I received the other day from my buddy, Kevin Neeld, I thought I'd highlight the strength increases aspect of things. Kevin is director of athletic development at a strength and conditioning facility in Sewell, NJ - and I sent him an advanced copy of Show and Go. Here's what he sent me the other day:
"Eric, I wanted to let you know that I put our whole staff on your Show and Go program and the result [after just a month] has been:
Matt Siniscalchi-405 x 5 (Personal Record)
David Lasnier-385x5 (Personal Record)
Kevin Neeld-425 x 5 (Personal Record)
"I also front squatted 285 for 3, which is pretty good for me. Turns out your programs work! I've been pumping Show and Go's tires a lot around here since you launched it. Hopefully the program is getting the attention it deserves."
Then, a day later, a few days later, I got another email:
"We just did the front squat 1RM test; here were some results:
David Lasnier - Front Squat (295 - PR)
Kevin Neeld - Front Squat (315 - PR)
"You should also know that David and I both tied/set PRs during our 1-RM bench press test too...but we were both SO sore from the previous upper-body lift that we didn't even bother shooting film. I think we'll both beat our previous bests by 10-15lbs in a couple weeks when you have the next 1RM built in. Thanks!"
Competing has completely changed me as a coach and a writer; I never realized how much better I am at what I do when I share a competitive mindset with my athletes. My decision to compete was one of the wisest choices I ever made. In fact, this decision had such profound implications that I think I could go on all day. However, a few things that I have come to appreciate in a whole new light:
1. Planned overreaching is tremendously valuable when used correctly.
2. You need to appropriately schedule back-off/regeneration phases.
3. Success rests with attention to detail. Imagine putting in an entire 12-week training cycle and then bombing out because your squat technique was off on just one day…this hasn’t happened to me, but it does happen.
4. Train for performance, eat clean, and things will almost always fall into place. I couldn’t care less about “the pump” anymore.
5. Attitude is the single-most important factor that determines your success or lack thereof. I’ll take a guy with a great attitude on a garbage program over someone with a lousy attitude and the best program in the world anyday.
6. The value of a good training crew cannot be overstated. It changes your attitude completely. They pick you up when you’re dragging, and you do the same for them. They pick up on the little things that make the big differences and help you get personal bests when you don’t realize you have them in you.
I could go on all day, but you get the point. If you don’t have a goal, it’s hard to view exercise as anything more than “working out.” Anybody can “work out;” you need to train.
Eric Cressey
