I recently had the pleasure of spending an extended, Memorial Day weekend down in the great city of Austin, Texas. For anyone who has never been, I highly recommend it. Among numerous other things to do, you definitely need to check out the museums, catch a flick and dinner at The Alamo Draft House, grab some food and drinks at The Oasis on Lake Travis, and go experience the incredible live music scene on Sixth Street. If Bob Shneider is playing, do yourself a favor and get a ticket; [...]
Archive | May, 2008
Questions and (no) Answers
There hasn’t been a day that’s passed in the last 15-20 years that I haven’t thought obsessively about training for at least an hour or so. I am constantly analyzing and questioning things. I spend a minimum of an hour per day discussing training with my good buddy John Alvino because he has more experience training people than almost anyone I know of. I also dial up the West Coast at least a couple of times per week to talk training with my colleague and close friend, Alwyn Cosgrove. [...]
Training and eating on the road
Last week I was on a five day adventure trip in Mexico with a couple of my buddies. When I got to the airport I realized that I had forgotten my supply of food that I always travel with and was not happy. It was definitely going to be a long (and hungry) trip.
When I unpacked my bag I also realized that I forgot my jump rope and my TNT cables and Jungle Gym straps that I always travel with. Another bad sign.
You see, I [...]
Is a Pump Needed to Build Muscle?
Who could ever forget that famous line from Pumping Iron where Arnold said that getting a good pump was better than sex?
We all laughed, although some of us harder than others, because deep down we agreed with what he said. But after all these years, the question still remains- is a good pump a defining component of a productive muscle building workout. Is it really that important?
Some people emphatically state that getting a good pump is necessary if you want to build muscle. There are no studies that show this [...]
Strength Training For Combat Sports
There is an old idea that still permeates mixed martial arts circles and that is the idea that strength work is not necessary or should, at best, be a secondary consideration. Many combat coaches and athletes spend hours and hours a week on conditioning. Often times this is all they will do, neglecting any kind of strength
work whatsoever.
I understand that conditioning is the most important quality for a combat athlete to develop but you have to realize that improving your strength is vitally important as well. Statistics have shown [...]
How to Build Big Shoulders
Question: Jason, I have a question about how to build big shoulders. Actually two, first of all, what are the best exercises for building big, powerful shoulders? Secondly should I do direct shoulder work or not? Some people say that the shoulders get worked enough with upper body exercises so I don’t need to train them at all.
Answer: First of all, yes, you should train the shoulders directly. You don’t need to do 25 sets of lateral raises in every direction, though. Stick with a few of [...]
Leading By Example
Yesterday I spent the afternoon in Central Park at the Men’s Fitness Ultimate Athlete event. While it was a great event for a great cause and I met a lot of great people I was reminded of the importance of leading by example. My good friend, Sean Hyson of Men’s Fitness, who was looking as jacked as ever, jumped into the competition to show that he can not only talk the talk but walk the walk. I was really impressed by Sean’s willingness to get his hands dirty [...]
His Physique Nauseated 2000 People Simultaneously
Last week I met up with some friends and went to see a few of my favorite old school hip hop groups of all time. When the second group of the night (who will remain nameless to protect the innocent) came on the crowd was on fire as the band started out with one hit after another. The lead singer has always been known for taking off his shirt midway through the set and revealing his ripped, muscular physique. This was always a big hit with the ladies and [...]
