Question: Jay, do you believe in training to failure?
Answer: I am an advocate of training to failure.
I am also an advocate of not training to failure.
It really depends on the person and situation. I have tried to break it down and explain this before but it seems to get too confusing for a lot of people.
For this reason I tell everyone to train to “clean” failure. I could say two reps shy one week, one rep shy the next, etc. but the problem is too many people don’t know what failure is or feels like. When I told clients to do that I saw them stopping five reps shy of failure and I freaked out on them.
Advanced guys know how to train one rep or two reps shy of failure. If you know how to do that with picture perfect form and absolutely zero breakdown in technique, while still working brutally hard, that is the optimal way to go in most situations. Letting your form break down and squirming on the bench while letting your elbows flair out as you scream bloody murder, is not the way to go.… …continue reading.
Q: What are the top two common myths that coaches still believe in regarding speed development?
A: There are so many myths regarding speed development and proper training but I will give you some that I hear all of the time from coaches.
1. Speed work is running 100 yards or 200 yards or repeat 40’s with little or no rest.
This is False. I have coaches tell me all the time that their athletes are doing speed work and then goes into telling me that his athletes are running beasts, suicides, repeat 100 meters, or repeat 40 yards dashes with their rest period is turning around and walking back to the line.
True speed work is performed at 90-100% intensity for 2-8 seconds. You also need to be fully recovered before you start your next repetition if you want to get the full benefits of speed training. I use 1 minute of rest for every 10 meters run. I think I got the rest recommendations from speed coach Charlie Francis.
2. You can’t train speed.
This saying is in the news, in the newspaper and in magazines all the time. I don’t want people to misconstrue this. You… …continue reading.
Question: Coach, I understand that you are a vegetarian like me. I was just wondering if you would be willing to post an example of what your diet looks like.
Thanks,
Keith
Answer: This is a question I get a lot so for whoever is interested here is what a typical day looks like for me. Keep in mind that I am trying to gain back a lot of weight that I lost due to an injury. I have gained 20lbs of muscle back in the last 6 weeks by eating what you will read below. When not eating to gain weight I eat fewer total calories and eat less often, allowing my body to detox and enzyme load while not constantly stressing my digestive system.
Breakfast- I always start with a shake. This usually consists of hemp, rice or pea protein or some combination of the three. I mix 40-50 grams of protein in 8oz of organic coconut milk and 8-12 oz water. I add mixed frozen berries, a banana, a tablespoon of cacao nibs, 3… …continue reading.
Question: Jason, how do you use chains and bands with your athletes? Do you use them on dynamic effort days only or maximal effort days as well? What are the loading parameters?
Answer: The answer to your question is I don’t. About 10 years ago I got caught up using chains and bands with almost everyone I trained. After doing this for a while I noticed that nobody was making progress any faster than they were before. I quickly realized that this was overkill and kept the chains and bands reserved for only my strongest guys. Now I don’t use them at all (or at least in that sense).
You see, there is no need to use bands or chains unless you are extremely strong. If you can only squat 315, doing box squats with chains and bands isn’t going to do much for you. Guys have gotten incredibly strong for years and years without bands or chains and continue to do so today.
In my opinion, unless you are capable of doing a full back squat to the floor with… …continue reading.
I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor’s lips are… …continue reading.
By Josh Henkin
Sandbags have a very rich history, maybe more so than any other training implement. For hundreds of years (possibly thousands) sandbags has been an integral training tool for athletes, specifically wrestlers. Why? They are an inexpensive tool that is incredibly versatile and can offer the benefits of unstable training with a challenging load. This is a benefit that many of today’s unstable gadgets can not provide. However, the benefits don’t stop there. Greater stabilizer, trunk, and grip strength can be developed with sandbags as well as sport-specific drills, mobility work, and a great conditioning tool.
Improved Stabilizer Strength
In the famous book, Dinosaur Training, Brooks Kubik states, “You feel sore as you do because the bags (sandbags) worked your body in ways you could not approach with a barbell alone. You got into the muscle areas you normally don’t work. You worked the “heck” out of the stabilizers.” (Kubik, p. 115)
Stabilizer training is not a new concept. Utilizing dumbbells, cables, kettlebells, and one-arm lifts have long been methods of improving the smaller stabilizers. Increasing the strength of the stabilizers can both decrease your risk of injury and improve performance.
Why are sandbags… …continue reading.
At least four mornings a week I get up and go for a half hour walk before breakfast. I do this for a few reasons. First of all, I do it for cardiovascular health. Too many people simply lift weights and ignore all the other components of fitness. I do it first thing in the morning because I know that if I start my day by checking email or doing some other sort of work the likelihood of me walking later in the day is very low. I get up and get it done immediately so it’s out of the way. Also, it increases my appetite and seems to stoke my metabolism for the day. This allows me to eat more with less likelihood of adding bodyfat. It also helps wake me up, clears my head, gives me time to think and packs my lungs full of fresh air, which is incredibly important during the winter when everyone around you is sick as a dog 24/7. I believe this is one of the many things I do that keeps me healthy.
There are a lot of hills in my neighborhood so it’s pretty easy… …continue reading.
Question: Coach Ferruggia, I just wanted to let you know I have been a big fan of your stuff for years and appreciate what you do. I had a quick question about football. What do you do for conditioning with your football players? When do you do it in the weekly schedule? How often?
Thanks a lot man,
Jared Austin
Answer: Jared, this is actually a more complex question than it seems. Conditioning for football is tricky and gets confusing to a lot of coaches and trainers because what you actually end up having to do is condition guys for tests and camp, not the actual game. Running 300 yard shuttles, doing long duration strongman work, bodyweight circuits, high rep kettlebell work, etc. is actually not specific to the game of football. Most coaches and trainers, including myself, have prescribed this type of training to their athletes in the offseason because they know they will be tested for endurance when camp begins.
Think about the conditioning requirements for a game of football for a second. A play lasts about four to eight seconds. Then you get 25-40 seconds… …continue reading.
For months now I have been raving to anyone who would listen about this incredible meditation program that I have been using. Meditation has been shown to lower cortisol levels in the body. When this happens you end up with less stress and body fat and more muscle and energy and an improved sex drive. Pretty awesome, if you ask me. Everyone who has tried this program has reported outstanding results. Listen to what my colleague Keith Scott had to say:
“Got my CD’s last week and I have been doing the program for 6 days now, and I have to say in that short time I have noticed a huge difference in many areas.
First and foremost, I am not tired during the day anymore. I work a lot of hours training people, writing, and programming, and usually I am spent by 4:00, with more hours left to work. Now, I don’t feel tired in the least. I am still hitting the bed way too late and waking up way too early, yet I don’t feel tired.
I am able to fall asleep in minutes. Before I would lay in bed… …continue reading.
Question: Jay, I’ve been having a little issue with my energy level the last 2 sessions, mostly because of time constraint. About 2-3 times a week I’m done with work at 6 and get home around 7. I have dinner around 7:15 – 7:30. I go to the gym around 8:30 because it closes at 10:30 and I don’t want to be rushed (I take a shower and relax afterwards).
Anyway, yesterday I had a big salad w/ romaine lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, red peppers, tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar & half a can of salmon around 7:30 and got to the gym around 8:30. Deadlifts went smoothly but I sucked when I got around presses. I was very disappointed with myself and it was clearly a lack of energy.
So what do you suggest when I have no other choice but to eat a little less than an hour before training? Should I go for a pre-workout shake (frozen berries, almonds, Sun Warrior protein) & a salad or just the shake. Should I take the energy bar path? Any other recommendations to get me going and train like a beast?… …continue reading.
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