Mike Robertson Interview

Robertson and I hanging out before he gets ready to drop some knowledge bombs on me

For those of you who don't know who Mike Robertson is, well I feel sorry for you. Mike is one of the brightest minds in the fitness industry and has one of the best facilities around (voted as one of the top 10 gyms in America by Men's Health). You can check out his blog and information about him and I-FAST (his and Bill Hartman's gym) here.

Mike has also been the single biggest influence in my life when it comes to being a trainer. He and Bill showed me the way and changed the way I thought and advanced myself in this field. I interned with them back in August of 2009 and knew I was going to learn...a lot. Not only did I learn a lot, but I learned more than I could have possibly imagined. I still have a long way to go, but they helped shape me into who I am today. I consider Mike my mentor and a great friend. Without further delay here is the interview....

1. ME: I don´t have the privilege of being around you all day, everyday like I did last year during my internship. Fill me in on what you have been up to lately as far as Robertson Training Systems and I-FAST go. Any new projects, products, or seminars in the works?

MR: You know me Mikey – I’ve always got a ton going on!

As far as IFAST goes, the gym is really taking off. Tons of new clients coming in, and always working on the business side of the equation as well. Right now, we’re trying to implement an all-in-one scheduling and payment system, which will hopefully make all of our lives easier.

We’re also working on templates for all of our training programs. We don’t just randomly pick-and-choose exercises; there’s a progression and system that we follow with all of our clients. Hopefully this will expedite the program design process, while still giving us the same level of customization.

As far as RTS goes, man, that’s a whole ‘nother can of worms! Obviously, the site overhaul was a huge project. Regardless, it was well worth the effort and I think it looks great. I’m also still working on the lower back manual, and prepping for a seminar in Vancouver.

Busy busy!

2. ME: Let’s touch a little more on IFAST. Eric Cressey dropped in recently for the day. I can only imagine what it would be like with you, Eric, and Bill in the same gym at the same time. What topics were discussed as far as the training realm goes?

Eh, it’s never as exciting as you’d think. Last time Charlie Weingroff, Bill and myself got together, we spent an entire dinner talking about social media and Jersey Shore!

When Eric was around, we spent a lot of time discussing the work of the Postural Restoration Institute. This is probably the “newest” stuff we’re using at IFAST, and we’re really like the results we get with their information. Definitely check them out if you’re interested.

Otherwise, it was really just another day at the office.

3. ME: Any trainers/coaches/physical therapist that are new to the scene/not well known that I and my readers should know about and start following? Any good reads lately? DVDs?

MR: Well, again the PRI people are definitely smart, so check that stuff out.

In all honesty, I’m always a bit leery/skeptical if someone new just shows up on the scene. It’s one thing if they’ve been coaching for 10 or 20 years, but now we’re living in the age where people are “Internet-made” and simply riding on someone else coat tails.

Rather than looking for “new” people, I’ve actually cut my blogs in half so I’m only reading from people who actually “teach” stuff – not just regurgitate the same old stuff.

If you want some smart people to follow, read up on anything by Charlie Weingroff, Carson Boddicker, Patrick Ward, Mike Reinold and Joe Kenn. Those are five guys that don’t get the press they deserve, but they’re all wicked smart and bring quality information to the table.

4. ME: I remember when my internship ended you were just getting back into lifting heavy. What`s your training looking like nowadays?

MR: Really just trying to get stronger and this point in time. Right now I’m following what I call “Bastardized 5-3-1,” which is basically Wendler’s 5-3-1 program modified to my own needs and goals.

Lifting is going well, body feels good, and we’ll just see what happens in the future.



MR back in his powerlifting days

5. Is there anything that you have dropped from or added to your arsenal that is worth noting since I interned? Why did you do it?

The PRI is the big thing that we’ve added, but mostly it’s just getting better at the basics.

I don’t think we can ever be skilled enough at teaching basic exercises and body positions. I think mastery of that stuff isn’t sexy, but great coaches know how powerful they are and are willing to trade sexy for useful.

I want to be a great coach, so that’s what I’m doing: Always working on and refining the basics and foundational stuff.

6. ME: Looking back on the path you travelled to get to where you are now, is there anything that you would have done differently? It doesn’t even have to be something major. It could be something very minute, yet could have really made a big difference.

MR: Rather than looking back with regret, I look at my life as a series of challenges and opportunities.

I was miserable when I lived in Ft. Wayne. I didn’t tell a lot of people that, but other than powerlifting I just really didn’t like what I was doing. But rather than dwell on that, I used it as a source of motivation – I poured my heart and soul into learning about the body, and how to use exercise to get people moving and feeling better.

I went into that situation with ZERO experience with therapy, rehab, corrective exercise, or whatever you want to call it. Now, if people think of Mike Robertson, for better or worse they think of someone that understands the body and how to get it moving and shaking correctly.

So while it was a trying time in my life, I made the most of it and I’m a better person now because of it.

Not sure if that answers your question, but hopefully it gives you some of the insight you were looking for!

7. ME: Of course I gotta save the best (well in my opinion), for last. What’s some advice you have for me and any other up and coming trainers?

MR: You realize I could go on forever with this, right?

Here are the pieces of advice I try to give to all up and coming trainers, assuming they’re willing to listen.

1 – Shut your mouth and use your ears

Too many young people (and saying this makes me sound really OLD!), don’t want to listen. They assume because they know a few fancy words and trained a few people that they know more than everyone else.

WRONG!

I think I know a thing or two, but when I’m around Bill Hartman, I shut up and listen – there’s stuff to be learned.

If you are willing to take the time and listen to others, it’s amazing what you can pick up. Even if you don’t agree with everything, at the very least you can firm up your own resolve as to why you believe certain things.

Nothing irritates me more than when an intern assumes they know everything.

2 – Stop and be present

Not just for young coaches, but for everyone – slow down and just watch your clients. How are they moving? What needs fixing?

Their body is telling you a story – the question is, are you listening?

The saying goes, “If it looks right, it flies right.” So many people come in with horrible posture and movement mechanics, it doesn’t take an expert to see these things. They lay person can often see them when they take a step back and look at the big picture.

At the end of the day, learning to trust your eyes and what you’re seeing is a huge step in the right direction for young trainers and coaches.

3 – NEVER stop learning

Self-explanatory – you’re never as smart as you think you are.

On top of that, we’re constantly learning more about the body. If you’re not fascinated by this stuff, you’re in the wrong field.

4 – Don’t be afraid of being great

This is just a general comment, but don’t’ be afraid of being successful, or even being great.

Sometimes, I think people have this negative connotation of what it means to be a “personal trainer” or “strength coach.”

They don’t realize how powerful they are in other people’s lives.

If I can take a young athlete and improve their performance, teach them how to lift weights properly, and improve their self-confidence, do you realize how powerful that is?

As trainers and coaches, we have the ability each and every day to impact people’s lives in a positive way. Take this job seriously – I’m not saying don’t have fun – but take it seriously and do your best to help people out.

The rewards are beyond anything you can put a cash value you on.


Can't thank you enough for the awesome interview MR! Again make sure you check out Mike's blog and if you are ever in the Indianapolis area, be sure to drop-in and meet Mike and Bill and check out their awesome gym!

Tempo: Often Neglected, Never Should Be

EliteFTS founder/owner Dave Tate

A lot of times, tempo is a missing ingredient in strength training programs. This can be very detrimental to a trainee when looking to achieve a desired training effect (muscular hypertrophy, strength, etc.) Some of you may asking what the hell is tempo? And that's cool cause I'm going to explain what it is, why it's important, and how to implement it into your training.

What is tempo?:

Simply put tempo is how fast or slow you lift the weight/perform the exercise. There are a couple of ways that you may see tempos prescribed. For example, for a back squat you could either see it written as:
301 or 3011
In the first example the 3 stands for how many seconds the muscle will be under tension during the lowering portion (eccentric) of the lift. The 0 indicates the the time spent in the bottom position of the lift (isometric contraction) and the 1 represents how many seconds to exert the force necessary to get the weight up (concentric) and back to starting position.

In the second example all the numbers mean the same except there is a 4th number. That number represents the number of seconds spent at the top of the lift before going back to the eccentric portion of the lift. This tempo has been popularized by strength coach Charles Poloquin.

Why is it important?:

Tempo can elicit any number effects on whatever exercise you perform depending how fast or slow (controlled) you perform it. For example, if you are looking to improve your hip stability by doing the split squat, but perform the eccentric out of control and allow your knee crash to the floor, then you will not improve your hip stability. You would perform this with at least a 3 second eccentric; in some cases longer depending on how poor your hip stability.

Another example would be a trainee training in an accumulation cycle (basic movements and developing the training targets with the longest residuals are the goal during this, with those targets being maximal strength (neural) and aerobic capacity). If the trainee were to perform their lifts that were aimed at improving aerobic capacity with a tempo that did not mesh with the goal, then this would be detrimental and there would be very minimal (maybe even zero) transfer of that lift to one's aerobic capacity.

So as you can see, if your tempo doesn't coincide with your goals then you might as well stay home and catch episodes of The Office.


It's all about tempo....that's what she said

How to implement tempo:

This will all depend on what your goal(s) are. Here is a number of common training effects that trainees strive for and they are paired up with their proper tempos (some tempos are not set in stone and can be manipulated to further enhance the effect).

Explosiveness ---> explosive (yeah nothing fancy)...however bar speed is going to have to be fast. Do not use loads that significantly slow the bar speed. Remember the heavier it is (in relation to your 1 rep max), the lower the velocity.

Maximal Strength ----> 301 (muscular) fast, yet controlled (neural)

Stability ----> 511

Isometric Strength ---> 151

Aerobic Capacity(slow twitch hypertrophy) ----> 202

Wu Tang Wednesday

Random title I know. This is a random post and I happen to be listening to Wu Tang Clan right now so "Wu Tang Wednesday" sounded catchy and now as I write it, it just sounds corny and stupid, but I'm in a rush so I'm leaving it as is.

-For those of you who read my blog you will notice I haven't posted in like a week. My laptop crashed on me last week. I'm in the library typing this one up right now, but hopefully I will have it back and running in the next week or so.

-The Mike Robertson interview has been delayed for now also. But, it will definitely happen.

-I moved back to Ann Arbor this past Saturday. I've found two gyms, Anytime Fitness and 1on1 Athletic Club, that I will be working out of as an independent contractor. Needless to say I am very excited and can't wait to get my business going.

-I also will be promoting my business, Coval Training and Performance, at the Vitamin Shoppe on Washtenaw Ave in Ann Arbor from 2-4 PM on November 20.

-Going to be attending a networking session put on by the Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce on November 11. Hoping to get the Coval Training and Performance name out there and starting to kill it here in the Ann Arbor area.

-After a whole year of wanting Anatomy Trains by Thomas Meyers, I finally think I am going to be getting it for my birthday. My girlfriend asked me what I wanted and that's the first thing I thought of. Can't wait to read that damn book!

You Wanna Progress? Sometimes You Gotta Regress!

Ask my boy Dan Allison about how critical regressing is. He's been powerlifting for the last 4 years or so, pushing his body to the limit. It's a necessity.

The title may sound a bit contradictory to conventional wisdom, but I'm going to breakdown why you should regress at certain times, how to do it, and when to do it.



The Why:
There are two different ways (right off the top of my head) to regress. One way is regressing an exercise due to the fact that you aren't ready to perform the current exercise that you wish to execute. Why should you regress it? Decrease chance of injury first and foremost, also because you want to avoid developing strength imbalances, avoid developing faulty movement and stabilization patterns, avoid looking like an assclown while performing it, and you want to keep getting stronger without sacrificing your health.

The other category has more to do with particulars of a training cycle which include intensity, volume, training environment, and frequency. These measures are usually used as a "taper" pre-competition for an athlete, but they can also be applied to the Average Bro. These all can lead to increased restoration which can lead to bigger lifts, better performance, and overall health. Chyeaaaa Boi!

The How:

In reference to exercise selection here are some ways to know how to regress if you need to:
1. Dynamic -----> Static
2. External Load ----> Bodyweight
3. Maximize Gravitational Pull ---> Minimize Gravitational Pull
4. Open Chain Exercise -----> Closed Chain Exercise
5. Decrease BOS (base of support)---->Increase BOS

Now variables of a training cycle:
1. Decrease intensity
2. Decrease volume
3. Change of scenery
4. Decrease of frequency of training sessions


Recovering from getting hammered with your bros, requires de-load in the form of some GTL with the fellas before going out and doing it again later.

The When:

For exercise selection its fairly simple. For example, if you aren't performing a front lunge properly because you lack the hip mobility and ankle mobility to do it without excessive anterior loading, then you would want to make it less dynamic to work on your hip and ankle mobility, loading your posterior chain, and probably proper stabilization patterns (long and tall spine for abdominal bracing, avoid shrugging, relaxed arms, engage external rotators of hip to avoid valgus of the knee). So a split stance squat would be a better option.

The point is to know when you aren't doing something correctly and know how to regress it. If you don't know how, then just drop me a line. CTPmike@yahoo.com. I'm always willing to help.

For the other variables of a training cycle it is a little bit trickier. Regressing will come in the form of a de-load week and can result in a de-load of all the training variables discussed. Which ones that are taken down a notch all depend on what your goals are. For instance, if you are working on developing max strength in the squat your weekly training split may look like this for someone with a 400 1 RM on the back squat....

Week 1(85% 1 RM): 300x5, 320x5, 340x5
Week 2:(87.5% 1 RM): 300x5, 325x5, 350x5
Week 3: work up to 1 working set at 60% 1 RM, 240x5
Week 4: (90% 1 RM): 315x5, 335x5, 360x5

For week 3 we dropped the intensity and the volume (not as many sets to work up to working sets for the day sine we were working with a much lower percentage). This will allow for full recovery (we hope) of the Central Nervous System, which will allow for our example to squash his weight in week 4 due to higher nerve conduction velocity, the rate at which the motor unit fires, synchronization of the muscle groups firing together, and the contractile ability of the fast-twitch muscle fibers (all of those are interrelated). Now again, this is just an example. And keep in mind, our example worked up to those working sets of 5 reps for each day. Always warm-up to your working sets.

Also, everybody is different. Our example may be ready for a de-load on the 3rd week of a training block while you may not be ready to your fourth or fifth. Keep training hard and get to know your body responds to different training means. Also, have a plan! You can't make progress if you don't have a plan to start from and reference as you go along.

Once Upon a Time in China, There Lived a Large American

This post is completely inspired by a hilarious Facebook conversation I had last night. But, I am also going to throw in a few random things going on with me and Coval Training and Performance, some quality tips, and of course the awesome Facebook convo.

1) I landed my first online client through the contest CTP had last week for the free online personal training. Then this week picked up my second via referral and actually the guy is going to be here in Bloomington today, so I will be able to perform an assessment on him. I can't wait! I will be back home in Michigan this weekend so I will be able to do an assessment for our online contest winner, Shane Rickman. Big things happening!

2) My buddy Mike Robertson (if you don't know who he is, well check his website because you should know) just revamped his website and it looks damn good. Tons of quality information and to be completely honest (and slightly biased) I would say out of all the big name guys in the fitness industry, Mikes website looks the best. Allen Tucker designed the website so if you are looking for a web designer for whatever reason, then I recommend looking him up.

3) If you are having trouble accomplishing task throughout the day, then a good thing you can do is start writing out what you need to do in time blocks. I have been doing this for the last few weeks and it has made me much more productive (although I could be more productive than I am). For instance, I will write out my morning before going to bed the night before and it might look like something like this...
7am-eat
730-750 read ex. physiology material
750-8 check email, respond if necessary
8-820 read Block Periodization
820-830 free time
830-check progress to make sure task are being completed

Now that is only the first hour and a half of my day, but I think you get the picture. It sounds really boring, but the truth is it helps a ton. I have to get better about this and continue to do it day in and day out.


4) Last night I was chatting with a buddy of mine on Facebook. He moved out to China for a job promotion early last year, and has been having quite the experience when he goes to the gym out there. Now mind you Jason is roughly 5'10, is about 230 lbs, has squatted over 555 pounds raw, deadlifted 630 lbs raw, and benched 385 raw. Here is our conversation as it happened. I was laughing my ass off the entire time.

We are entering the conversation after I asked Jason if he had done any powerlifting meets in China:

Jason: No meets over here. Its hard to find a gym to train at. My strength has gone down from what I usually do. They don't like me doing deadlifts. I have bent 3 bars and make too much noise.

But they think I'm some kind of super star freak. It is funny.

Me: lmao that is so fucking awesome

Jason: I tried to tell them that 500 lb bars are cheap and they need to purchase 1500 pound bars.

Me: How'd that go?

Jason: They have no idea that their are different bars. To them a bar is a bar.

Me: oh man this is hilarious. I'm seriously laughing out loud. This is great stuff.

Jason: lol, yeah it cracks me up too. You should see them when I workout. They stand right by me and grunt for me while I'm training
****NOTE****
You read that correctly. They grunt for him while he trains.

Me: dude, do you realize how many hits on YouTube you would get if you taped this?

Jason: I showed them how to do correct form on the bench and the whole gym stopped to come watch me show a couple guys. Seriously they think I'm a God over here. If I had the money to start a gym over here, I would make a killing.


THE END! Hope you enjoyed!

Winner of CTP Free Online Training

So I know I said it would be October 22nd before I announced the winner for the contest. I'm announcing it now because I don't need any more time to think about it and due to lack of response to my advertisement. I wish I would have more responses but what can I do? Just gotta keep showing people that I'm all about helping people and getting them results and that is exactly what I'm gonna do with the winner of the contest....Shane Rickman. Shane is a beast and former college athlete. I look forward to working with Shane and sharing all of his progress with all of you! He will be starting his program at the beginning of November and I hope to have weekly updates to share with everyone! For all of you who are supporting CTP I can't thank you enough, and please do keep it up! For those who aren't, its all good. You eventually will ;-) Hope everyone had a great weekend! If you didn't have such a great weekend, then sorry to hear that but just think your life could be much worse. You could look like Screech Powers.....

Facebook Stalk Me

If you aren't already a member of Coval Training and Performance on Facebook, then you can join here.

New blog post will be up over the weekend! Hope you enjoy your weekend!

The Anti-Broski Exercise Index: Push Up Hold with 3 Point Touch

This exercise is by no means sexy (sorry Mike Robertson, I had to steal that one from ya ;-)), but you can bet they will add a lot more quality to your program. Just don't count on "The Situation" to ever be performing these while gettin' his swell on. You can find him on the pec deck machine. That's how real mofo's get jacked and strong (please note sarcasm).

Exercise: Push Up Hold with 3 Point Touch

My apologies on the video not being directly on the blog page. I can't figure out how to get this mac to upload my videos.



What's the Point?:

There are a number of benefits that can be taken from this exercise. First, we can look at the core stability component. Specifically we are working on the shear forces that many find it difficult to overcome. A lot of times people do not have the proper stability patterns and core strength to perform this exercise properly. You will see rotation at the hips, lumbar spine, and thoracic spine to compensate for weakness/faulty stabilization patterns as well as inability to use the correct musculature to stabilize in the sagittal plane and in this you will see the hips pop up and rounded upper back.

Second, the arm that is in the closed kinetic chain (arm touching the surface) is getting the benefit of scapular stabilization. If you are in proper position (think big chest, avoid rounding the t-spine, and push through the ground as hard as you can), this will have huge benefits for serratus anterior activation, and you can turn your hand out to involve the external rotators of the GH joint as well.

Lastly, in the dynamic portion of the exercise we are getting some scapular mobility with the limb that is in the open kinetic chain (free moving). It may be minimal, but its still another benefit of this exercise.

How To Do It:
Start in the top position of a push-up. Push through the floor as if you were performing a scap-push up. This is where the scapular stabilization will come into play. Think big chest, abs braced (do not draw or "suck" in, think fill the belly with air and push out), and glutes tight. Once starting position is established reach out with one arm and make three touches. Think of it as a compass. So we will touch N, W (left arm), E (right arm), and S. You can reverse the pattern or start in the E or W. Each time you make three touches, that counts as one rep. Aim for at least 5 on each side.

Regress/Progress:

Progressions for this exercise go in this order:
1. Narrow base of support (bring feet closer together)
2. With OKC upper limb, increase the distance that you reach out for your three touches
3. Feet Elevated

Regressions for this exercise include:
1. Widen base of support (move feet further away from one another)
2. No reach. Just a hand lift.
3. Push Up Iso Hold
4. Cut the exercise out. Not everyone is ready to perform this exercise. The are a number of training effects that can be obtained from this exercise, and generally the more training effects we attack in a certain exercise then the more qualified you need to be to perform it. What constitutes qualified? Inability to perform a proper plank, not fully able to achieve scapular "flush"(I'm pretty sure I just made that up, but it sounds cool) in a scapular push-up, and lack of shoulder mobility would be a few red flags that I would say makes you ineligible to perform this exercise. Then again, I am by no means an expert so go ahead and try it hot shot.

Want Some Free Personal Training? You Better Drop Me a Line...QUICK!

To promote my new service of online personal training, I am offering 3 months free of online personal training. This is a $150 value for FREE!

Qualifications:
You must be dedicated, willing to work hard, and comply with a "healthy" lifestyle. This means no going out and getting Hasselhoff drunk on the weekends, not going Homer Simpson on a box of donuts for breakfast (or even worse would be just skipping it all together), etc. Don't get me wrong I want you to enjoy life's privileges, but don't abuse them. A simple rule would be to adhere to a healthy life style 90% of the time.


Don't be like The Hoff

In the e-mail I want you to give me your story on where you are in your training, why you want to train with me, and what goals you have set forth for yourself. I will accept the first 5 emails from people with their stories. From there I will select one winner who will then receive 3 free months of service. Check out my Facebook page to see what those 3 months will consist of.

If you are skeptical I encourage you to check the results that Jake and Ned have obtained via a long-distance training experience with me. They can do it, so can you! There is no catch to this, just simply email me at CTPmike@yahoo.com and give me your story. I will notify the winner on October 22nd. The training will start November 2nd. EVERYONE is welcome to submit their story. Look forward to hearing from everyone!

Testimonial from Another Statisfied Client

Check out the testimonial below. It's from client Jake Sawyer. You saw his before and after pics from two months ago, but he has continued to make progress since then. We hit a couple speed bumps along the way, but overall he has put in the hard work and dedicated himself the way I expect my clients to. Nice work Jake and thanks for the kind words!

"I have been working with Mike for 4 months and I am in my first week of my 5th month. I have been an athlete my whole life and after my fours as a collegiate athlete, I was annoyed and dissatisfied with my ability to get my body back into the shape that would make me happy. I didn't know how to transform myself. That's where Mike came in.

I communicated with Mike that I wanted to lose body fat and increase my lean muscle mass. Mind you, both my schedule and Mike's were conflicting so we hardly ever got a chance to meet up. So we maintained a distant relationship with Mike going the extra mile to make sure that I got the best results possible. He posted videos on his YouTube page on how to properly perform the exercises and lifts if I didn't know them, promptly answered my emails so I wasn't behind on my workouts, and when we were able to meet up he was very insightful and helpful with his coaching cues and ensuring that I was doing everything correct. Despite the distance and lack of face time, Mike made sure I always stayed on track with achieving my goals.

My start weight was 240 lbs and as of the end of my fourth month I am at 212 lbs. It is not only the weight loss that I am satisfied with. I have noticed (and even received compliments from others) on my increase in athletic performance. Playing basketball I have noticed that my lateral quickness, vertical jump, and balance have all improved big time. Not only that I feel stronger at 212 than I did than 240. My mobility in my hips and ankles has also gotten a lot better thanks to the mobility drills Mike threw in at the beginning of my workouts. Overall my body feels better, looks better, and performs better. These past few months have been a great stepping stone for me and I look forward to continuing my growth with Mike."

You can check the progress pics of Jake at the end of July when he was 223 lbs. I'm in the process of getting some up-to-date pics from Jake.

Technique and Ego: One goes Down, The Latter Goes Up. Don't Let it Happen

If you want to lift big and add longevity to your lifting experience then good technique is key. Technique can be the difference between getting close to your goal and actually achieving it. Technique can be the difference between plateauing and continuing to make progress. The key is to stay on top of it, while leaving your ego at the door the second you walk in the gym.

I will give you a real life example. Back at the beginning of the new year I was fresh off my internship with Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training (I-FAST). Mike Robertson had helped me really groove my squat pattern and got me stronger than I had ever been on my squat. My squat was feeling better than it ever had and my confidence with it began to grow more and more. However so did my ego. My ego grew and my technique went to shit. I started to drop into a posterior pelvic tilt at about the last 1/4 of my squat and a lateral shift to my right to compensate for weakness in my in my left hip, but continued to add weight. I knew this, but I didn't care. I was adding weight every week and that is all that mattered. This eventually led to an insane amount of pain in my posterior left hip and made it so I had to quit squatting entirely. All that training and "progress" I made didn't mean a damn thing anymore. I broke it down, analyzed what I needed to fix and how to go about doing so. It's just unfortunate that it took an injury for me to realize what I should have been doing. And the sad thing is I knew better the whole time. I have fixed my hip and am able to squat again, but I probably would be at a lot better point in my training if I wouldn't have been a total broski and let my ego grow to the size of a Sequoia tree. Don't let it happen to you.


B-Scabs does NOT approve of your sub-par technique. Neither should you.

If your technique is as sloppy as your best friend at a MSU tailgate (if you don't understand this reference then I recommend attending the next home Michigan State football game), then eventually you will be back on the sidelines trying to figure out what you did wrong and how to fix it, all the while missing out on quality time of working toward your goal. You will have to regress in order to progress (more on this in a future post).

Even though I'm ranting and raving about proper technique, don't think that proper means perfect. There are times when you aren't going to use what would be considered "proper" technique. Proper form on a max deadlift? Fat chance. Proper form with Sally who has been sedentary for the past 5 years? Not gonna happen right away. You have to take into consideration the population you are working with, motor skills or lack thereof, and intensity of the exercise/lift. Be idealistic, not a perfectionist. It's just not possible in most cases.

I will finish this post with a couple more reasons on why proper technique is so vital.

1. Loading the appropriate musculature. If technique is neglected, then you risk loading muscles, ligaments, and tendons that aren't equipped to live up to the demands placed upon them and your chances of injury increase.

2. It will lead to faulty movement patterns that can have a negative carry over into your other lifts/exercises, daily activities, and any recreational sports that you play. Again increasing your chances of injury.

3. Ultimately it will hold you back from being as efficient in whatever your training target is. Whether it is maximum strength, muscular hypertrophy, explosive strength, etc. your performance and results will suffer.

Mmmmmm Giant Frosty Donut: Quick Fat Loss Tips

We all, at one time or another, let our inner Homer Simpson get the best of us. We succumb to the goodies of life...beer, pizza, burgers, more pizza. I'm guilty of it at times myself. A little lapse here and there is no big deal, but we must be consistent. Here are some quick tips to help avoid the traps of your quest for fat loss.

1. Calories in vs. Calories out.

This one is simple enough. If you are not losing weight the simple answer would be to decrease calorie intake. Now adding some weight training into the mix will produce even better results, but to keep it simple we will just stick with caloric intake. I'm not sure what a "good" formula to use is, or if any formula that "they" use is even worth a shit. Just cut back on the calories. Avoid drastic decreases right off the get-go. This can mess with energy levels, metabolism, mood, training sessions, and losing muscle as opposed to fat (aka losing scale weight, but no visual change). As far as what foods you should consume you should stick with fruits(sparingly), veggies, lean cuts of ground beef (preferably grass-fed), chicken (preferably free-range), fish, and nuts (avoid one's that have added oils).

2. Stop the long slow duration "cardio."

Stop and look at the people on the treadmills, elipticals, and bikes next time you are at the gym (unless your gym doesn't have these, which in that case give yourself a high five) notice that most of the people that constantly slave themselves away on these contraptions aren't exactly what you would call "fit." Why spend countless hours a week on a stationary equipment getting no results when you could be kicking ass in the next room performing a session of heavy lifting and actually getting results? There a number of reasons that lifting and "conditioning" will contribute to greater fat and weight loss more than LSD which include the type of hormones secreted and how much, muscle fiber recruitment (type and number), effects on metabolism, EPOC levels, and muscle fiber damage (this leads to muscle fiber re-generation which will be covered next).



3. Consume more protein.

In order for a muscle to grow it must be broken down first. It is broken down during training (not just going through the motions, but actual training), and the best time to re-synthesize the damaged muscle fibers is after your workout. So there's one reason to consume more protein.

Here's another. Protein has the highest thermal effect on the body. This means that it requires the most energy to breakdown out of the macronutrients (carbs,fat,protein), which results in more calories burned. It also results in more lean muscle mass which in turn increases the basal metabolic rate, or energy expended at rest. You hear reports of take x amount of protein per lb of body weight or take this amount. I say that its all horseshit. Just get more of it.



4. Be active on your "off" days.

A mistake that many make is doing nothing on their "off" days or days when they don't have a planned training session. Some active recovery work (foam rolling, mobility drills, activation drills, playing basketball, etc.) can go a long way for you and your quest for fat loss. Not only will it lead to more calories burned (the foam rolling, mobility, and activation won't acquire too much), but it can add to the longevity of your training. If you have muscle stiffness, imbalances, faulty movement patterns, faulty stabilization patterns, inhibited muscles, etc. you definitely should work on these not only on training days, but off days as well.

5. Choose exercises that recruit the most muscle groups.

The more muscles that are recruited, especially those with the largest cross-sectional areas, will lead to greater fat loss. I have used this as a template for my fat loss clients. Program the big bang exercises early and for fillers use corrective and core work. It has worked pretty well. Just take a look at Jake and Ned, two clients of mine who have went through the system.

Ned Resch Results from Training with Coval Training and Performance

I'm not going to say too much about Ned. I think our time together is very well summed up in his testimonial. I do want to say though that people like Ned make my job more enjoyable than it already is. You get what you put into your training and diet, and dedication, determination, and enthusiasm are what Ned put into his training and diet. In return he transformed his body. In the two months before I left for my new job, Ned and I met only once or twice. He had a situation that took him out of state for a few weeks, and then him and his wife welcomed a baby girl soon thereafter so meeting up was difficult. It never stopped him from training though, or quitting on his diet, or making excuses. He continued to train on his own with my guidance and did an awesome job. Awesome job Ned! I'm proud of you man!>

I began working out with Mike in mid-February 2010. I had just moved to Ann Arbor and had recently finished graduate school. I gained roughly 30lbs in grad school to go along with an enormous amount of weight gained from marriage! I weighed 293lbs.

I constantly felt uncomfortable, tired, winded, and depressed. I wanted to be active again; I wanted to go up a flight of stairs and not breathe hard! I met Mike at a local gym and began training with him. From our first meeting Mike demonstrated his professionalism, in depth knowledge of strength and conditioning, and concern for my physical well-being and health. He included me in the planning of my program and designed a routine that worked best for me. I told him I hated to run – and he designed a program without running!

The best thing about Mike and his programs was every day I knew exactly what to do. Mike always had it planned out for me. I was never discouraged or overwhelmed about going to the gym because it was all right there in the program. And both on the weeks when we trained together and those weeks we did not, Mike was always there to answer questions or concerns. He was very prompt in response to my phone calls and emails. If I was unsure of an exercise or routine – he would video record the exercise and send it to me or post it on the web.

This resource and professionalism carried over into the non-physical side of training: nutrition. Mike was very helpful in directing me towards better eating habits and providing me with information about eating right to lose weight and build muscle. Mike didn’t profess to be a nutritionist – if he didn’t have an answer about food questions, he found the info for me or helped me find it.

As of Sep 2010 I am at 248lbs and have lost 45lbs. The weight lost has made me extremely happy – but what I am really excited about is my increased stamina, flexibility, mobilization, and especially strength. I have not only lost a lot of weight, but am stronger than I ever have been.

Throughout my training experience with Mike he has been professional, encouraging, supportive and NEVER demeaning. It is hard to be overweight. And it is REALLY hard to exercise when you are overweight and wanting to lose those pounds. Mike was great at always being positive and motivating.

Lastly, this was not always a fun experience. The first month was HELL. Many times I didn’t want to go. Mike didn’t go easy on me and sometimes I wanted to tell him where to go. But, this has been the most rewarding physical challenge of my life and I am excited to continue it. I have 25lbs to go!!Thanks to Mike for helping me get motivated and training me into the ground!!!

Results Report: Jake Sawyer

Jake is a distance client of mine that I started working with a few months back. I only get to see him every couple of weeks, so he is alone for probably 90 % of his training. As a former collegiate athlete (played 4 years of college football at Kalamazoo College), Jake found himself not in the same shape as he was in during his "glory" days. Sub-par eating habits, training habits (not entirely his fault as he was misled by a popular bodybuilding magazine, like many tend to be misled by this publication and many others...but that's a whole other story), and daily postural habits set Jake back a bit. At 240 lbs, Jake was frustrated and needed some help. That's when we developed a gameplan for him to attack in order for him to achieve his goals. That was the first week of May.

Fast forward to July 21 (when the second group of pictures were taken). Jake was down to 223 pounds. Noticably leaner, and with better posture (notice how his center of gravity is more in line compared to the huge anterior shift he had before, his anterior pelvic tilt has decreased, tension in his neck and traps has decreased, etc.). This is after only a little over 2 months! Not to mention Jake has been getting stronger. Jake has always been strong, but I think he never fully displayed his true strength in the gym before he started on his new program. Today, August 9, Jake sumo deadlifted 430lbs for 3 reps, a new PR by 45 lbs...oh and his weight this morning was 214.5. Stay tuned for more updates on Jakes progress.

And yeah I am well aware the pics that I took were not ideal (lack of consistancy with exact spots of where they were taken, background, zoom quality, he had to tug on his shorts a little for the last two pics because we couldn't get his shorts to stay above his knee). My fault entirely. Live and learn.

The Blog Post About Nothing In Particular Part 1 of ?

Mmmmmmm hmmmmmm

And here begins the randomness..

1)Phuck Physioballs

As much as I'm not a fan of Muscle & Fitness, I did manage to find a quality piece of information in one of their recent publications. It was on a study conducted at Cal State Northridge on how training on physioballs and BOSU balls sucks for performance enhancement. If you haven't seen it posted on my Facebook page, or the Coval Training and Performance Facebook page, then check it out HERE. This goes against what Joey the trainer at Globo Gym has been telling you. You know that benching on a physioball is good for your "core" (he probably doesn't even know what the true core consist of). It's also good for zapping your strength and possibly destroying your body. Just ask Francisco Garcia of the Sacramento Kings. He shattered his forearm after his physioball burst while he was benching back in the fall of '09.

2)Eye of a Tiger

If you don't have a training partner that has an eye for inefficient movement patterns, then definitely tape yourself when you train. I cannot begin to tell you how beneficial it is. Most of the time I don't have anyone to train with, so I use my Blackberry or my digital camera to record my main lifts. And with my squat it has helped a TON. Granted, I've had to regress all the way down to body weight squats in order to regroove my squat pattern (it sucked), but I am making progress and am increasing my body awareness in the process. I've also thrown in some isometrics from the bottom position of my squat to help with equal force distribution on both legs. Got a little off topic there, but again I can't stress the importance of having a trained eye to observe you when you are training. If you don't have a training partner, or have no idea what the hell you are doing, then seek out professional help....just stay away from Joey.

3)It's All About the Benjamins

Darko Milicic was signed last week to a $20 million dollar contract. The world no longer makes sense. Next thing ya know, Kim Kardashian is gonna be blowin' up my phone...actually Darko's contract is way more ridiculous than KK hittin' me up for some late night company. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Hope everyone's week is going great! If there are any topics that you would like me to dicuss, please by all means give me some input. Thanks!

Coval Training and Performance Testimonial

This is a testimonial from distant client Jim Cicinelli. He was suffering from a bulging disc in his lumbar spine. Check out what he has to say....

Dear Mike,

I want to give you some feedback regarding your assessment, assigned workouts, and the impact on my health. Before doing so, I just want to say that I will miss being in your local area for further sessions; however, you have certainly opened my eyes as to the wide range of skills and quality of care regarding trainers.

Mike I was surprised by your attention to detail. While other so-called trainers had their customers go straight into workouts, you had me start with simple stances, basic movements, and stretches. That was new to me, but it revealed much about my muscle movements, weaknesses, strengths, and coordination. Your assessment was "dead-on" correct.

Next, the specialized exercises you assigned me were, in a word, effective. To explain further, the exercises helped improve my lower back pain and they were easy to do; meaning no special equipment was necessary and convenient to do. Furthermore, I was impressed with your current use of technology. Using a video camera to record yourself doing each of the exercises while expalining them in detail and posting them on YouTube was very beneficial. I could see and follow precisely how each movement was to be accomplished, keeping proper form.

Finally, the result has been positive. To repeat, the pain in my lower back has improved. While the impacted are is complex and delicate in nature, your guidance has been spot on. Again, I wish I was closer geographically to continue training under your supervision; however, you have provided me with knowledge to recognize a properly educated and motivated trainer. Please feel free to have any of your clitents contact me as a reference.

Sincerely,
Jim Cicinelli


Don't miss out on the opportunity to get the results that you have always wanted. Get ahold of Coval Training and Performance today! Email: CTPmike@yahoo.com. Call at 734.945.6585 and ask for Mike.

Dispelling Myths of Fitness (Part 2)

In part 1, I introduced you to a few common myths that are generally accepted as the truth in the fitness world. In part 2, I'm looking to help everybody get their learn on once again.

Myth: If a muscle feels tight you should always stretch it.

You probably are thinking that this is insane, but trust me on this one. A great example is the hamstrings. Constantly I see people stretching their hamstrings, when in reality the majority of people should NEVER stretch them (at least statically). The idea behind stretching is to lengthen the muscle, but the majority of peoples hamstrings are already lengthened. That "tightness" is the the tension that the hamstrings are under due to the pelvis being anteriorly tilted. When the pelvis is anteriorly tilted there will be hip flexor stiffness, low back stiffness(possibly even low back pain, and if there isn't LBP then there willl eventually be), and lengthened abdominals. The fix? Strengthen the hamstrings and abdominals. Stretch the hip flexors (low back not recommended). This will change your pelvic positioning and put your muscles in a more balanced state and in the process getting you stronger and decreasing the chance of injury.

If anterior pelvic tilt is wrong, then I don't wanna be right

Myth: Calve raises will increase your vertical jump.

Calve raises have the potential to increase the cross-sectional area (muscle size) of your calves, which in turn leads to the possibility of greater force generation. But, calve raises don't utilize the SSC(stretch shortening cycle), which is gonna help you if you wanna sky like Shannon Brown.

Just filthy

The type of lifts/exercises that you do in order to increase your vert should implement a quick eccentric (lowering) phase followed by no ammortization (pause at bottom) phase, and an explosive concentric contraction. Countermovemnt jumps, jump squats, speed squats, box jumps, depth jumps, and single leg variations of the previous mentioned exercises are what you should be doing.

Dispelling Myths of Fitness (Part 1)

This is part 1 of...well...who the hell knows how many parts, dispelling myths pertaining to fitness, nutrition, and whatever else I feel like talking about. It's hard for the general public to know what to do when they get in the gym, or what to eat when they are at home or on the road due to all the content that the mass media spews on a day-to-day basis. If you train on a BOSU ball you increase your bodies kinestetic awareness, if you want to improve body composition you should run for miles at a time, and when dieting you should stay away from fats because they make you fat. We've heard it all. What's true? What's not? Who's who? Who's hot? (those last two questions were purely for two reasons...1)show off my poetic flowetry 2) show a picture of a hot chick in hopes of getting more people on my site)

I don't watch Heroes, but I'll be your hero any day Hayden (think she would dig that)?

Myth #1: Women should not lift heavy like men. They will become "bulky."


Ehhhhhhh nope. False. Look at the facts. Women have a smaller muscle CSA (cross-sectional area) than men (aka their muscles are smaller), men produce as much as ten times more testosterone than women which has a HUGE influence on muscle hypertrophy, and women have a lower composition of fast-twitch IIx muscle fibers (the one's that have the greatest growth potential).

Myth #2: You shouldn't hold your breath (valsalva manuever) when lifting.



By all means if you want to snap your spine in two on your max effort squat day, then don't implement the valasalva maneuver. This is a protection mechanism in that it activates the Transverse Abdominis (TVA) which will protect the lumbar spine. Fill that belly with air!!! (This can be difficult for most. As apart of a warm up, practice some diaphragmatic breathing by placing your hand on your abdominals and inhaling deeply using your diaphragm. Try pushing your hand out as far as you can.)

Myth #3: You can isolate muscles.

He isn't isolating anything, except for my thoughts. I'm thinking that he's a pansy and needs to get rid of that 1995 haircut.

This common myth has been popularized by bodybuilding magazines. It is impossible to isolate a muscle. For instance, during the incline bench press you are not training your "upper chest." In fact, there is no such thing as "upper chest." Your pec major is diveded into two portions, clavicular and sternal. And to further elaborate on this point technically you are using way more than your "upper chest." Your anterior delts, triceps, lats, external obliques, among others are recruited for the incline bench press.

Serratus Steering Wheel Press

This pic of LeBron has zero relevance to this post. He's the

man though, and the Cavs are going to win the title so it's only

fitting that he gets some love.

This is an exercise that you have absolutely no excuse for doing. We all commute every single day. You can do it while sitting at the light, cruisin' down the freeway, or you find yourself flipping through the radio stations and you find the Ke$ha song about the party not starting til she walks in and for some strange reason you can't change it (yes, sadly this happens and yes I'm slightly embarrassed that I know she spells her name with a dollar sign). Here's a run down of what exactly the serratus anterior is, why you should do this exercise, and how to do it.

What is the serratus anterior?: The serratus anterior is a muscle group that originates on the first 8 ribs and inserts on the medial border of the scapula. The serratus anterior is responsible for upward rotation of the scapula, scapular protraction, and keeping the scapula flush against the the thoracic wall of the rib cage.

The Serratus Anterior

Why you should do this exercise?: What happens if the serratus anterior is weak/inhibited is that scapular "winging" will result (aka you have an unstable scapula which can hurt those bench numbers). The S.A. can become this way due to poor posture (kyphotic posture, internally rotated humerus), muscle stiffness/shortness(pecs, anterior deltoid), synergists dominance (upper traps), or just negligence. The properly functioning S.A. will help improve overall health of the shoulder girdle. In order to improve the function of the S.A. you will also want to address the issues mentioned above with mobilization drills, strength training, foam rolling, and the use of the helpful eye of a coach (if you don't have a trainer/coach, use a camcorder).

Scapular Winging

How to do it?:

Check out the video HERE at my YouTube page (I apologize for it not being loaded on my blog page, it wouldn't load up for some reason). Some key points to properly executing this exercise...

1. Sit with your seat slightly reclined and in a tall upright posture.
2. Hands should be placed toward the top of the steering wheel.
3. Push into the steering wheel while keeping the elbows locked out. Simultaneously think about "spreading" the wheel apart with your hands. You should feel your GH external rotators turn on.
4. Hold for 2-3 seconds and repeat for 8-12 reps.


That about wraps up this post. I will try to keep posting exercises, stretching, activation, etc. that you can perform on the go. Let me know what you think.

Let's Get it Right

The purest form of jackassery

Before I even start discuss this post let me start off by saying that I am by no means an expert...at anything (except spitting weak game at hot chicks and biting my fingernails). I have a long way to go in that regard. But, I do take pride in the fact that I continue to educate myself in when it comes to training and do everything I can to make sure my clients get every pennies worth of my services.

Ever since I started in this industry I was told to make my clients feel like they need me. I totally agree, but not in the way that I was being told (this was not by all trainers, but a good number of them). I was given advice on every gimmick possible. Everything from substituting free weights for manual resistance (which has its time and place, but when you are doing leg press which 9 times out of 10 you shouldn't be doing anyway, and instead of loading up the sled the trainer uses his body weight to push against the sled), to destroying a potential client during an initial workout to make them incoherent in the hopes of increasing the likelihood of them signing up for some sessions (yup, I was really told that). I have a crazy idea to substitute those previous examples with. How about instead of using these shady gimmicks you replace them with knowledge and real experience (crowd awe's in amazement).



To further expand on the previous paragraph, my girlfriend (yeah I feel sorry for her too) has a few sessions with a trainer to use up at a commercial gym (her trainer left that gym before their sessions were used up), and she was telling me how she doesn't want to work with the trainer she would be set up with. I don't blame her. I happen to know this trainer, how they train their clients, and witness what training means they use with their clients. Now in fairness to that trainer, I don't know what their clients goals are, what their rationale is for using the exercises/lifts they use with their clients, or what the plan is for helping their clients achieve their goals. But here's the thing, I know enough about this person that I know that they don't know any of the answers to those questions either. It's a joke. But without a doubt the thing that pisses me off the most is that this same trainer carries conversations with their clients during their sets. As a trainer/coach you are to COACH during sets, not talk about who you think is going to win American Idol (I just lost 7 man points with that American Idol reference).


Maybe I should mind my own damn business. Maybe I don't have the right to be upset about any of those subjects, because I'm not involved. But as a professional, I can't even count the amount of times I've witnessed "trainers" be everything but professional. I am by no means perfect, but I have my principles and providing services to the best of my abilities without any of the bullshit is one of them. Maybe these "trainers" are doing the best to their abilities, but in my opinion its shear laziness and lack of passion. As "trainers" we need to step up and be a true go-to source for our clients. Now despite all the nonsense that is associated with personal trainers, there are those who are top-notch and real class acts. Individuals who have had a huge influence on me and thousands of others include Mike Robertson, Bill Hartman, and Eric Cressey. These guys walk the walk and talk the talk and are living legends in our industry. Thanks to all of them! With that said I only have one more thing left to say... Coval Out! (and my man points are further deducted by 23 points).

TRAINING RESIDUALS


A training residual can be defined as retention of a targeted training effect after cessation of training toward that targeted training effect. And here is my example and inspiration for writing this post.

My first training block of 2010 was targeted toward developing maximum strength and aerobic capacity. To develop my aerobic capacity I did tempo lifts twice a week, once for my upper body and once for my lower. I play basketball every Sunday night, so I gauged how well my training target of increasing my aerobic capacity was working based off of how tired I became. Because once I became tired and started to get that “burning” feeling, I knew I was tapping into my anaerobic glycolytic energy system. I noticed results within the first week and by the fourth week I could ball for two hours and not be stuck in anaerobic glycolysis for very long. And if I did tap into it, my recovery was much faster than it was previously (sorry if that rant was boring as hell to you, I was just trying to paint a picture). Anyway, this past week when playing I realized that’s been too long since I’ve addressed the aerobic capacity component of my training. I should have had a mini-block planned within my training so I could retain this training target, but you live and learn.

As JWill ages in both his actual age and training age, specific training targets and training residuals become more and more important

If you are looking to get ready for your upcoming basketball season (everything is in reference to basketball because I am biased and basketball is awesome), know what training targets you need to address, how long you need to develop each one, and how long the training residual is for each training target before you need to address the target again in order to maintain it. Below is a chart ( a very bad one because I don't know how to make one on this thing) from Vladimir Issurin’s book Block Periodization: Breakthrough in Sport Training that shows the training residuals of different motor abilities:

Motor Ability Residual Duration, days
Aerobic Endurance 25-35 days

Maximum Strength 25-35 days

Anaerobic glycolytic endurance 2 weeks - 22 days

Strength endurance 10-20 days

Maximum Speed (lactic) 2-8 days

*Taken from Issurin: Block Periodization: Breakthrough in Sport Training….I am not that intelligent to come up with all that information! But I do have a basic understanding of it.

This information was a bit geeky but hope it was enjoyable for all. Enjoy your weekend!