Pre Training Nutrition

January 29, 2009

Sig%20Klein%2057 Pre Training Nutrition 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?

As always, thanks for your help.

Later,
Phil

Answer: Phil, has this been a problem beyond your previous two sessions? I ask because we can’t always perform at our best. Everyone has off days and is part of the normal fluctuation of hormone levels, etc. I would keep that in mind as you may go in for you next workout and kill it. It could have just been that you had a couple bad days.

Having said that, if it is a constant problem, I have a few suggestions. Firstly, a fibrous meal like a big salad takes a while to digest and when you are digesting you are directing blood flow away from your muscles and toward your stomach. You are also using energy to digest your food that should be being used to fuel your workouts. I don’t like eating anything solid that close to a workout for those reasons.

Also, remember that a hungry man is an angry man and it’s better to enter a training session slightly hungry than it is to be full. Malcolm X believed that hunger was essential in keeping your body and mind sharp and that it is something that all people should experience and learn to deal with. I agree. In North America we are all used to instant gratification and freak out the minute we get hunger pangs. This is not always a bad thing.

It really depends when your last meal was and how your energy levels are when you are leaving work.

Along those lines I would probably choose to go straight to the gym instead of going home to relax. I know you said you don’t want to feel rushed but sometimes that is a good thing. Chaos in a training atmosphere can be beneficial. I personally like feeling rushed sometimes and like when people get in my way at the gym or there is something chaotic going in. It adds to the atmosphere. When you are too relaxed and there is no sense of urgency you don’t always get the best workouts.

If I had to eat very close to training time I would opt for a bar that is very easily digestible or, even better, a small protein and carb shake. If you were trying to bulk up you could try some waxy maize with Sun Warrior Protein. Waxy maize can be problematic for some as it is a corn derivative and corn is highly allergenic. Not only that, but it can cause inflammation in the body. So choose wisely.

Another very good option is to mix the Sun Warrior Protein with some of their barley powder for an awesome boost of sustained energy. The barley is low glycemic and has been proven to boost your immune system.

Hopefully that gives you a few options to work with.

By any means necessary,
Jason Ferruggia

Written by jasonferruggia · Filed Under Nutrition | 2 Comments

More Benefits of Meditation

January 28, 2009

holosync brainwave entrainment cd More Benefits of Meditation 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 for 30 min or more before I was able to conk out. No more.

I wake up feeling totally refreshed like I slept for 10 hours.

The coolest thing for me, at this point in doing the program is my focus level. I find myself being able to focus so much better than before, without even trying. That is worth the money right there!

Finally, things that used to bother me don’t anymore. I don’t know why, and I really don’t care too much why, I just know that things that would upset me, or get to me, just don’t.

Workouts are better and more focused than they have been in years too.

So far, so great. Cant wait to keep doing this and seeing what comes next.”

This is similar to what I have been hearing from all the friends and family members that I have turned on this program.

I sincerely wish that everyone could experience these life changing benefits and honestly hope that you will all give this program a try.

You won’t be disappointed.

To get started today, click HERE.

To your health and longevity,
Jason Ferruggia

Written by jasonferruggia · Filed Under Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Conditioning for Football

January 26, 2009

earl campbell Conditioning for Football 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 to rest and get ready for the next play. So doing anything that lasts much longer than ten seconds isn’t very sport specific at all. In fact, I would argue that it could be detrimental. It is not preparing you for the task at hand. Legendary running back Earl Campbell knew this and failed his teams conditioning test every year. Yet he dominated the competition come game time. Training for that ridiculous test would have forced him to sacrifice his strength and power and I guess he wasn’t willing to do so. Can you blame him?

As far as conditioning methods go, yes, we will run 300 yard shuttles to prepare for the test. But remember, long duration sets, whether they are performed in the weight room or on the field, are probably detrimental to a football player’s performance, so do as little as possible. You should do as much as you need to improve the athletes performance on the 300 yard shuttle test (or whatever else they will need to do in camp), and no more.

Strongman training is great for conditioning. We use kegs, sleds, sandbags, sledgehammers, you name it. Another tool I love is the Prowler. The Prowler works incredibly well for football specific conditioning; one reason being that you couldn’t push the Prowler for more than ten seconds if you wanted to. It’s brutal. One note about running with the Prowler I will make is that you should be careful when prescribing sets with the low handles. A lot of athletes can not get into this position safely and are putting their spines at great risk. Simultaneous hip and spinal flexion can often be a prescription for back problems, specifically disc herniation. But that’s another discussion for another day. Just be wary of that.

Hopefully that answers your question about conditioning for football.

Thanks for the question.

Be relentless,

Jason Ferruggia

Written by jasonferruggia · Filed Under Strength & Conditioning | 2 Comments

Walk This Way

January 25, 2009

dorianyates Walk This Way 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 to get the heart pumping. If you don’t live in a hilly area and are in decent shape you will probably need to wear a weighted vest or drag a sled. If you opt to wear a weight vest, which I do some mornings, depending on the route I take, be sure that you don’t get overzealous and add too much weight too soon. You have to remember that if you are walking for thirty minutes you are going to be taking a lot of steps. Each of those steps will add up to stress on your ankles, knees, hips and spine. So start with no more than ten pounds on the vest and try to keep the majority of the weight in the back instead of split evenly. Slowly, over time you can add a few pounds per week. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend ever adding more than 30 or 40 pounds to the vest if you are going to be walking for a half hour.

It should be noted that the more muscle mass you have the more calories you will burn when you walk. In fact, legendary bodybuilder and multiple time Mr. Olympia winner, Dorian Yates used walking as his only form of cardio to get him down to single digit bodyfat percentages before contests. That was because he carried nearly 300 pounds of muscle on his six foot frame. If you aren’t quite as jacked up as the Diesel, walking alone will probably never get you shredded. You are going to have to build more muscle or you are going to need some sprints and more intense methods to get the job done.

If you do decide to start walking on a regular basis, please remember that one of the major benefits is getting outside and breathing heavy in the fresh air. Whatever you do, DO NOT walk on a treadmill. This is by far the most ridiculous invention in the history of the planet. There are roads, hills, sidewalks, woods, mountains and fields everywhere across the world. Can you honestly tell me that you can’t find somewhere else to walk but on a treadmill?

Be relentless,

Jason Ferruggia

PS. For a complete guide to building muscle and getting shredded, check out http://www.MuscleGainingSecrets.com/

Written by jasonferruggia · Filed Under Fat Loss | 6 Comments

The Rise of Sandbag Training

January 21, 2009

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 unique though? Sandbags can be thought of as the most “uncooperative” pieces of equipment. They are different because they will change their form as you lift them. Unlike many other training tools, it is almost impossible to develop a specific groove for any lift. This makes sandbags a constant challenge as every repetition will be vastly different.

Improved Trunk Strength

The non-cooperative nature of sandbags makes using every muscle possible to lift it crucial. More stable and predictable implements can cause the body to find a particular groove. Once this groove is established then one becomes more efficient at performing the lift and the body actually decreases the amount of muscles utilized. This becomes especially true of explosive sandbag lifts such as cleans, throws, snatches, and shouldering. The trunk muscles (including those of the low back and abdominal area) have to work harder to stabilize the body against the awkward load while moving very quickly. This is very unique to sandbag training.

Those who have enjoyed kettlebells have also learned of the incredible benefit on loading only one side of the body. One-arm lifts with kettlebells place a torque on the body in both rotation and side bending that the trunk learns to stabilize against. This is a core reason one-arm kettlebell lifting is so beneficial to building a solid trunk. Well, sandbag drills such as the many shouldering exercises and one-arm lifts can offer the same benefits. However, the difference with sandbags is that they actually rest on the body.

Having such a load actually rest on the body forces the deep and superficial trunk muscles work to a greater degree to maintain proper postural alignment, end result? A rock hard torso that is very injury resistant.

With sandbags we can also create amazing rotational drills that place the body into ranges of motion that would normally occur during sport. Working through such ranges of motion with a load prepares the body more appropriately for the demands that sport produces. When we work on in very predictable environments we don’t give our bodies the ability to work through extreme ranges of motions under duress. Exercises such as shoulder throws, half moon snatches, and full body twists just provide a small list of exercises that one can create.

Sport Specific Strength for Combative Athletes

Sandbags have long been a favorite training tool of wrestlers and combative athletes. In John Jesse’s famous book, Wrestling Physical Conditioning Encyclopedia, he states,

“The use of heavy sandbags and their large circumference forces the lifter to do his lifting with a round back instead of the traditional straight back lifting with a barbell. It is this type of lifting that truly develops a strong back. It develops the back and side muscles in movements that are identical to the lifting and pulling movements of wrestling.”

The idea of round back lifting must scare every chiropractor, coach, and athletic trainer out there. However, if introduced properly, round back lifting is one of the best injury prevention techniques available. Most sports and daily living activities call upon us to perform some level of round back lifting. A wrestler may be on the floor in a compromised position, a football player trying to make a play, a parent lifting their child off of the floor are all great examples of round back lifting. Sandbags offer a safe way to start to learn how to use round back lifting, always start on the light side and with low volume (no more than 5 repetitions).

Sandbags may be the perfect tool for combative athletes as they are the only tool that can come close to representing an opponent. The constant shifting weight of a sandbag makes it an ideal training environment for combative athletes as it prepares the athlete for the unpredictability of a fight on the mats on the ring.

Greater grip strength

EVERYONE can benefit from greater grip strength. I have a strong belief that all the carpal tunnel and arthritis problems that our society experience’s is closely related to the lack of hand training. Of course, their only ends up being so many hours in the day to train and if we economize our time then we are more apt to do the smaller detail work that will have a huge impact in our overall training.

If we look at grip strength a little further we can quickly see that grip strength is more than simply how hard you can squeeze your hand (known as crushing strength), rather it also includes pinching, support, and wrist strength. To train all these qualities can seem overwhelming, but again sandbags can be a core tool in developing this well rounded strength. Because of the gripping action of the bag and the fact no one repetition is the same, the hands are challenged in all these ways. The dynamic nature of the sandbag forces the body to use different grip strategies depending upon the lift and the level of fatigue one feels. Getting strong at sandbag lifts means you will find a great transfer of these hand strength to other forms of training.

FUN!

First and foremost I am a coach. Being a coach I realize a big difference between ideal and reality. Many times I can have a program planned that I see as ideal for my client. However, if they don’t share my same enthusiasm for the program they likelihood of them adhering to the program becomes very low. In addition, we are all more apt to work harder through a program if we find it enjoyable and motivating.

Because sandbags are so different they are often a breathe of fresh air for most people’s training programs. Even taking common exercises such as squats and presses and using a sandbag makes these exercises as though you were performing them for the first time.

Increasing levels of fun may sound like a politically correct thing for a coach to say, but we can not deny the fact that we are all human. We are less likely to do the things we do not enjoy. Making training more enjoyable is what increases our chance of being more productive and consistent. This is why you see people using different training modalities and why many have found kettlebell training to be a favorite. So, don’t sell the fun factor short.

In The End

I always talk to people about the fact that training is dictated very little by the tool rather than the methodologies. Sandbags do open the door for some unique training techniques that will increase your results. Do not think that you have to use them solely as I will later discuss how to incorporate sandbags and kettlebells for different training goals. These are two tools that provide a lot of options and compliment each other well for producing the desired training result. Until then, keep training hard and smart!

About The Author

Josh Henkin is owner of Innovative Fitness Solutions in Scottsdale, Arizona. Coach Henkin has presented nationally in the field of fitness and sports enhancement. He is also the author of High Octane Sandbag Training manual and DVD. For more info and to purchase the best sandbags on the market, click here .

Written by jasonferruggia · Filed Under Strength & Conditioning | 1 Comment

Dr. King

January 19, 2009

martin luther king2 Dr. King 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 presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

Written by jasonferruggia · Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Bands and Chains

January 18, 2009

Saxon Bands and Chains 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 no belt and picture perfect form with 500lbs there is absolutely no need for bands and chains. These are advanced tools to pull out of the toolbox when you really need them. For the first few years all most people need is a hammer and nail. There is no need to dig deeper than that for a long time. If you get to 545lbs and are stuck there for a while then maybe it’s time to pull out the chains and bands. But until then most people won’t need them. And when you start using advanced methods before you need them you miss out on the potential big gains you could have gotten from them down the road when you hit a real plateau.

I understand that everyone wants to use advanced methods and trickery as soon as possible. But doing so usually just ends up being detrimental to your long term progress.

Most athletes and recreational lifters will never need to use bands or chains. These are tools that work exceptionally well for advanced powerlifters. However, most athletes will never be at a point where they need them, simply because there is an optimal strength level needed for every sport that can easily be achieved without the use of bands or chains. Going beyond that point and continuing to strive for maximal strength will yield no further performance increases but can lead to injury and overtraining.

Having said that I should note that I do like to use chains for pushups, dips, chins and a variety of other exercises; just not in the traditional powerlifting sense. Bands are great for traction work, assisted chins, resisted running, stretching, etc. Both can be purchased at EliteFTS.com.

Written by jasonferruggia · Filed Under Muscle Building, Strength & Conditioning | 2 Comments

My Diet

January 10, 2009

SophieMonk11Nov2007 My Diet 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 tablespoons maca powder, which is tremendous for virility and testosterone production. This shake tastes absolutely incredible.

Snack- I will usually have a few tangerines and some pistachios/cashews or two apples with almond butter. Fresh ground almond butter from Whole Foods is one my favorite things and I could easily eat an entire container in one sitting. Sometimes for a treat at night I mix it with organic honey and kill the entire container, washing it down with a cup of hemp or almond milk.

I am big fan of high sodium intake for strength and energy production so I consume a few pickles every day and add sea salt to much of food.

Lunch- Usually some kind of beans and organic brown rice or quinoa. I will sauté black beans with peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic and mix that in with the rice. I top it with salsa and some fresh avocado. That is my Mexican style rice and beans. Sometimes I just mix the beans and rice or quinoa with marinara sauce. I always cook enough for two days.

I will sometimes have a salad with that or eat some raw veggies or mix some spinach into the whole thing.

Occasionally I will have a couple almond butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch. I have cut out peanut and peanut butter completely along with wheat so these are not eaten as much as they used to be. I get some brown rice bread for the times I do eat these.

Snack- Similar to above. When I’m not near food I always carry Raw Organic Food Bars with me and a variety of nuts. If I am home and have had fruit for my first snack I try to make this snack raw veggies and hummus.

Somewhere along the line I also drink another shake. This is usually after my workout. It is similar to the shake above except that I don’t include the coconut milk or the cacao but I do use the maca powder. I blend a banana, almond milk, water, frozen spinach (you don’t taste the spinach at all so this is nowhere near as gross as it sounds) with Vega and some extra protein.

During my workouts I drink coconut water. And I try to drink at least a half gallon of water throughout the day out glass or my Sigg bottle and do my best to avoid plastic. I also drink a couple cups of green tea each day.

Dinner- I usually cook some kind of stew consisting of a wide variety of vegetables and some kind of legumes. For example, the other day I got home and all that we had was brocollini, squash, onions, spinach and garlic. I threw it all in a pot with vegetable broth, salt, pepper and yellow peas, which have 10 grams of protein per ¼ cup (you would have to eat a lot of dead cow flesh to equal the protein in two cups of yellow peas). I let that cook for 2 hours and then mixed in some quinoa. It was absolutely delicious. Other times we will mix brown rice in with a variety of other veggies and lentils. If I was trying to get lean I would skip the brown rice.

I try to avoid soy as much as possible because of it’s estrogenic effects but on occasion we will have some tofu with rice or some fake meat with brown rice pasta.

I also eat soy and wheat free veggie burgers a few nights per week and almost always have a huge spinach salad mixed with peppers, tomatoes, olives, onions, apples, pecans or walnuts, avocado, broccoli, carrots, and whatever else is around. I top that with olive oil, Vega oil and vinegar.

This weekend I am going to cook mushroom barley soup. Another weekend treat I love is seitan scallopine. Seitan is wheat protein and comes in cutlets or little shredded pieces kind of like chicken. It is packed with protein and tastes great when cooked properly. It is wheat gluten, however, which is highly inflammatory so I try to avoid it as much as possible. Not that it’s terrible for you; it’s just something that I wouldn’t overindulge in. Anyway, I make an incredible seitan scallopine that rivals the best veal scallopine any Italian restaurant makes, anywhere. We have this with mashed potatoes or brown rice pasta. It’s incredible.

Dessert- Occasionally, when I am going to cheat I will have some organic coconut milk ice cream. This is, obviously, made with coconut milk and not cows milk. It is delicious and pretty healthy. Coconut milk contains healthy MCT’s and has none of the dangers of cows milk. It is sweetened with organic agave syrup. You can check it out here: http://www.purelydecadent.com/products/purely_decadent_Coconut_Milk_Reviews.html

I highly recommend it.

The only other cheat dessert that I will regularly eat is organic, dark chocolate. This has been shown to have a variety of health benefits. The brands I buy are those that support slave free, fair trade practices. These include Newman’s Own, The Endangered Species Chocolate Company and Green and Blacks.

Supplements- Digestive enzymes, B12, maca, probiotics, vitamic c from alma berries, anti estrogen herbs. Some other stuff occasionally but that’s about it.

There you have it. Hopefully this sheds some light on how you can get ample protein and calories on a vegetarian or vegan diet. It’s really quite easy, and a whole lot healthier. If you have any questions please let me know.

Written by jasonferruggia · Filed Under Nutrition | 11 Comments

How to Get Faster: Interview with Speed Coach, Patrick Beith

January 9, 2009

Willie Gault en Super Bowl XX How to Get Faster: Interview with Speed Coach, Patrick Beith 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 can’t train an athlete’s natural talent. Deion Sanders, Maurice Greene, Darrell Green, etc are going to be fast no matter what. Does that mean they can’t get faster? Of course they can. If they couldn’t then we would both be out of a job. Speed is a skill that is trainable and needs to be trained to improve it.

Q: In general, how many days per week should athletes train speed?

A: Two to three days per week. I wouldn’t train speed more then 3 days a week, 2 days is more the average. Performing more then 3 days of speed work or even too many weeks of 3 days of speed work can cause your body to break down. I believe that you get faster recovering from the speed work you did so you must not overdo it.

Q: Conditioning for speed is often a confusing topic for many new coaches. What is your approach to improving conditioning levels for speed events?

A: Most speed and power athletes hate conditioning work. This is because most of them had a coach who on a conditioning workout day would have his/her athletes go out on the roads for some distance running. If you see a 270 lb. lineman out on the road, it looks ugly. These athletes or any speed and power athletes do not ever need to be out running on the roads. This would cause unneeded pounding on their joints and they will not benefit form this type of exercise, in fact it might cause set backs!

For conditioning work, I really like to use general strength circuits. General strength (GS) circuits are usually bodyweight exercises that involve no external loading. I use them to help maintain healthy joint and soft tissue strength, provide some aerobic capacity work, is a good recovery workout, is core strengthening, helps with balance/coordination/proprioception and enhances gross motor performance. So, you get the aerobic conditioning work in and reap all of these other great benefits. More bang for your buck which we as coaches are always looking for.

Q: What might be a sample preseason routine for conditioning for the 100m or 200m event?

A: In the preseason I use more volume of conditioning work then decrease it throughout the periodized season as the training emphasis changes.
Here is a basic example:

Perform on a football field. Jogging 65% on the sidelines each corner. Do one exercise in each corner. Or if you don’t have the room have your athletes jog 50 meters in between each exercise. Rest 3 minutes then repeat the circuit.

Split squats – 10 each leg
Rotational push-ups – 8 each
Bicycles – 1×30
Burpees – 1×10
Staggered push-ups – 10 each
Russian twists – 1×25
Backwards lunges – 10-each leg
Lateral lunges – 10 each leg
Reverse crunches – 1×20
1 Leg squats – 10 each leg

Q: What about conditioning for field and court sports? Is your approach the same?

A: I use the same approach with my field and court sport athletes. Some exercises change and volume changes depending on the sport. Again, GS circuits work on everything to help develop each athletes work capacity. Also, depending on the sport, I use intensive tempo or interval work to help build the necessary lactic tolerance needed for a specific sport. Always look at your energy system demands of your sport before you start putting together your workouts.

Q: What’s the best age to begin formal speed development?

A: Formal speed development, that’s a good question. I use a lot of speed games with my younger athletes where we are working on speed development without them really knowing it. I use the same rules (intensity, volume, rest) with my speed games so they can still reap the same benefits as ‘structured’ speed training but I make it more fun. Actually, I use speed games with all of my athletes, it really can change the whole dynamic of training that day and makes it a lot more enjoyable for all age athletes. High school is where I start to break down form and really work on mechanics.

To learn more about Coach Beith’s speed training system and for a free report – ‘Secrets to Developing Dominant Speed’ go to www.CompleteSpeedTraining.com

Written by jasonferruggia · Filed Under Strength & Conditioning, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

To Fail or Not to Fail; That is the Question

January 6, 2009

coolness To Fail or Not to Fail; That is the Question 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.

Olympic lifters and powerlifters don’t train to failure on a regular basis yet are massively huge and strong. But these are advanced athletes who know when to hold back and when to push it.

Most people don’t work hard enough and I would never want to contribute to that. Working too hard is better than not working hard enough. So train to near failure most of them time. But do so in a clean manner with perfect form, no extra psyche, no stimulants, no broken blood vessels and no screaming. When you add in those other elements recovery is delayed. In fact simply drinking a strong cup of coffee before a workout can delay recovery in some lifters because it puts them in a heightened state. Each set should finish with the last rep looking exactly like the first rep but it shouldn’t be a walk in the park to complete either. Just keep going until you can’t do another rep with good form. And never actually fail in the middle of the set, meaning you get the rep half way up and then it comes crashing back down on you. That is something that I strongly advise against doing. And never have a partner assist you in doing forced reps. Complete the last rep of every set with picture perfect form, on your own, while busting your ass. Anything worth having in life requires hard work, so don’t be afraid of it.

PS. Wanna get ripped and shredded for the new year? Check out my colleague, Craig Ballantyne’s world renowned Turbulence Training fat loss system before this Thursday and get hundreds of dollars worth of limited time only FREE bonuses. Click HERE for more info.

Written by jasonferruggia · Filed Under Muscle Building, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Recent Posts

Popular Posts