Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Pull Ups

February 20, 2010

sergio oliva Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Pull Ups The pull up is quite possibly the ultimate measure of strength. It’s also one of the greatest muscle building exercises in existence, which is precisely why it’s been called the upper body squat. Lat pulldowns can’t even come close to comparing. Whenever you move your body through space the level of neuromuscular activation is dramatically higher.

People all too often ask, “How much can ya bench?” A more appropriate question would be “How many pull ups can you do?” The pull up measures your strength to weight ratio better than almost any other exercise known to man. You are pulling up one hundred percent of your bodyweight, in the exact manner the human body was designed to work. It’s one of the most natural exercises you can do. While not everyone can squat or deadlift due to lower back or knee problems, pretty much everyone can do pull ups. Or should be able to do pull ups…

To this day I am still haunted by the image I witnessed in a local park a few years ago when I was there training. A man my age was there with his wife and his son. He was shooting some hoops, watching his kid play, and basically just enjoying the beautiful July weather. At one point he wandered over to the pull up bar and got on it. He then proceeded to twist and squirm and strain for the next 10-15 seconds as he attempted and failed to do one pull up. ONE PULL UP! Now mind you, this guy was not obese. He had the average adult male physique- 5’9”, 165 pounds with a 38 inch waist, ten inch arms and “a chest like a wet blanket,” as Frank Rizzo of The Jerky Boys would say.

The second hand embarrassment was enough to make me want to dig a hole and jump in it.

“Look at the man you married, honey. I can’t do a single pull up. But don’t worry, I can keep you safe.”

“Hey buddy, watch how strong daddy is. Don’t you want to grow up to be just like me?”

To paraphrase Matt Rhodes, a man who can’t do pull ups is a woman. Or some other form of living being, because the women at my gym can do ten or more. But you can’t call yourself a man if you can’t do pull ups. It’s as simple as that.

Below are the top 10 ways to improve your pull ups.

1) Don’t go to failure- This is the biggest problem I see with pull ups. Everyone goes to failure on every set. That’s because it’s so easy to do. As soon as a single rep does not look exactly like the previous one and you can’t get as high, the set is over. If your speed slows down noticeably the set is over. You would never continue a set of squats if you could no longer lock out the weight. If you got all the way up on rep five but were only able to get up ¾ of the way on rep six you wouldn’t proceed to do four more reps of partials until the set ended with the weight crashing down on you and crippling you. But that’s exactly how people finish their sets of pull ups. The form gets worse and worse and worse, and they keep going and going and going, climbing up the invisible ladder, swinging and kipping. When you do this you get no stronger. And most of the time you get weaker. The negative effect of training to failure is seen more on chin ups than any other exercise. No one knows why this is, but trust me, that’s how it is.

2) Lose excess body fat- If you are carrying excess body fat your ability to do pull ups will be greatly reduced. Extra body fat is good for lifting more weight in certain exercises that require greater leverage like the squat and deadlift. But that’s all it’s good for. Other than that it’s unhealthy and unsightly.

3) Start in the proper position- All too often people start in the dead hang position with their scapula elevated and their shoulders touching their ears. This is dangerous and incorrect. When you do this all of the tension is placed on your tendons and ligaments instead of your muscles. When you get on the bar you want to pull your shoulder blades down and lock your shoulders into their sockets. This is a far safer position and ensures that the stress will be placed directly on the muscles and not the tendons and ligaments.

4) Maintain a slight elbow bend throughout the set- This goes hand in hand with the above tip. Before starting your set you want to bend your elbows ever so slightly. This bend should barely be noticeable, but it will have a huge impact on your elbow health. Do not start with your elbows completely locked. This, again, places all of the stress on the tendons and ligaments instead of on the muscles. On each successive rep you should lower yourself until your arms are nearly straight, stopping just shy of lockout. But don’t use this as an excuse to cheat. Just shy of lockout means that your elbows are “99% locked out;” you just don’t want that complete extension.

5) Initiate with the lats- When you start to pull, be sure that you fire your lats first; not your biceps. If you have trouble feeling your lats, as many newbies do, have someone poke or slap your lats a few times before you start pulling. Even having a partner keep his hands in contact with your lats throughout the set may help. It may also look a little strange to other members of your gym.

6) Drive your elbows down- To get the most out of your lats when you chin you should think about driving your elbows down and back. Don’t simply pull with your biceps.

7) Pull your chin to the bar- I used to be a stickler for having people pull their chest to the bar. I still instruct beginners to do that, knowing full well that they won’t be able to, but that it will at least instill the importance of getting high. You only need your chin to clear the bar. That last few inches does very little for you lats and instead focuses the stress on the smaller, weaker muscles of your upper/middle back. The pull up should be used to target the lats, first and foremost. Don’t waste energy struggling with that last few inches at the top. Get your chin over while keeping your back arched and then lower yourself. Use other rowing exercises to target those smaller upper back muscles and use the pul up to smoke your lats completely.

8] Use a variety of grips- There are countless ways to pull your body up. You can do chin ups with your palms facing you at a number of different grip widths. You can also do chin ups with your palms facing each other, or pull ups with your palms facing away at multiple grip widths. You can pull up on bars, rings, fat bars, ropes, towels, suspension straps, beams, Eagle Loops, and even baseballs or softballs hanging from a chain. The variations are endless. Use as many different chin ups as possible to avoid burnout or overuse injuries.

9) Use a variety of rep ranges- To do a lot of pull ups you need strength and you need endurance. Strength is built with low reps. You can do low reps with a weighted vest or dip belt or you can simply perform more difficult variations of pull ups. Endurance is built with high reps. This is where the use of bands comes in handy. Having a few different levels of band tension will allow you to vary your rep range greatly. This will help you boost your chin up numbers a lot faster. Some days you train in the range of 1-5 reps for maximal strength. Some day you train in the range of 6-12, and others you train in the range of 15-30, with a band, to improve your endurance.

10) Strengthen your grip- The stronger your grip is the easier pull ups will feel. I suggest getting a Captains of Crush Gripper and using it a few times per week. You can also add in some more specific grip work at the gym like fat bar holds, hexagon dumbbell holds, as well as various pinching and crushing exercises.

Start using these top 10 ways to improve your pull ups today and drop me a line to let me know how they’re working out for you.

Please leave your comments below.

Written by jasonferruggia · Filed Under Muscle Building, Strength & Conditioning, Uncategorized | 12 Comments

IYCA Summit

February 15, 2010

logo iyca IYCA Summit I got back from Louisville yesterday after spending a great weekend at the IYCA Summit with friends and colleagues like the incredibly knowledgeable Mike Robertson, nutrition expert, Dr. Chris Mohr, one of the greatest college strength coaches in the game, Joe Kenn, speed expert, Lee Taft, and my brother from another mother, Brian Grasso. It’s always a pleasure to hang and interact with these guys. I also got to finally meet Pat and Holly Rigsby for the first time, along with Westside Barbell Club’s AJ Roberts and high school strength coaching giant, Carlo Alvarez; all incredibly nice, knowledgeable people whom I was honored to spend time with.

There were lots of great discussions over the weekend and as always I learned a thing or two from everyone I had the chance to speak with. Whenever you get the chance to be around guys like this you have to be sure that you are absorbing as much information as possible.

I hope to do more with these guys in the future and will be bringing you some great interviews and collaborations both on the main site and in the members section.

A lot of people had questions for me on plant based eating and were interested in making the switch to a healthier, performance enhancing diet. I was excited to hear that Lee Taft hasn’t touched meat or dairy in five months and said that, in his mid forties, he has never felt better in his life. He said he has more energy, never gets sore anymore, recovers faster than he used to and is no longer plagued by some of the minor injuries that used to bother him. It’s always great to hear more stories like this, confirming what I have experienced personally and with all of my clients who have made the switch. The benefits are just too powerful to ignore any longer.

I think I even convinced IYCA founder, Brian Grasso to make the switch. I will keep you updated on his progress and will expand on this whole plant based nutrition concept some more very soon.

Thanks again to everyone who came up to say hi over the course of the weekend. It was great meeting all of you and I hope to see you again sometime in the future.

Written by jasonferruggia · Filed Under Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Super Bowl, UFC & More Cheat Meals

February 8, 2010

First of all, congratulations are due to the new Super Bowl Champs, the New Orleans Saints. It was definitely deserved and it’s obviously a great thing for that city.

Although I am incredibly happy for the city of New Orleans I am also a big Brett Favre fan. I thought it would have been a cool story to see Brett come back and lead his team to the Super Bowl after having the greatest season of his long career.

I particularly liked the post game press conference when Brett said that no matter what anyone else thinks he’s going out on top. To dominate like he did at forty years old is very impressive. Think about that for a second… The guy is forty…and a professional athlete… in one of the most brutal, physically demanding sports on the planet… and dominates. It’s amazing when you put it in perspective. Especially since most average guys in their forties are fat, lazy, weak and out of shape. Hell, most average guys in their thirties fit that description.

I often run into former high school or college athletes who are in their thirties now and have long since stopped doing any sort of physical activity. Their reasoning is that they are “too old, “over the hill,” or “washed up.”

“Dude, I can’t do heavy squats or deads anymore. I haven’t done that since college. I don’t need to be doing that stuff at my age.”

I point them in the direction of Brett Favre, Randy Couture or Louie Simmons and tell them to listen to some old Ice Cube; particularly “Check Yo Self.”

Speaking of which, a forty five and forty six year old guy main evented a UFC pay per view Saturday night. If that’s not motivation to get off your ass and train harder I don’t know what is. It definitely got me thinking about where I want to be in ten years.

As usual, we did a good twelve hours of cooking yesterday and my friend, the master chef, Mike DeSanti was at it again. Mike’s family has a history of recipes that go back several generations and he has taken cooking classes and worked as a chef in restaurants around the world. Red quinoa salad with string beans, chick peas, and peppers. Green pea salad with artichokes. Some kind of wacky mushrooms on toasted French bread. I’ve been twisting Mike’s arm to get these recipes together in some kind of format that will allow me to share them with all of you guys in the near future. Hopefully he complies. You wouldn’t believe the creations he comes up with.

We found a new vegan cheese that they sell at the deli counter at Whole Foods which really stepped the pizzas up a notch. One plain pie, one with “meat,” and one with roasted garlic. Jen made the world’s greatest escarole and beans with some vegan pesto and a few incredible desserts like pumpkin pie, brownies and coconut quinoa cookies. I didn’t realize until recently that you can replace eggs in a dessert recipe with tapioca starch. Good to know. But then again, I’m usually on the couch while Jen and Mike man the kitchen. Every so often I wonder over to spill something, break a glass or suggest that the first pizza could have been cooked a few minutes longer or used more cheese. I like to think of myself as more of an idea guy. I think…

It’s been a while since I have posted anything about music and there have been lot’s of requests so stay tuned for that one day this week. Until then…

Please leave your comments below.

Written by jasonferruggia · Filed Under Uncategorized | 6 Comments

You Must Have the Wrong Guy

January 28, 2010

Not surprisingly, a lot of people get offended by the fact that I am not in the business of promoting fitness. When I post something to this effect on FaceBook or Twitter some people get very upset and even call me mean names. (I have feelings, ya know)

Now I know this may come as an odd statement, considering what I do for a living and the fact that I am a part of the fitness industry. But I really don’t care to “give the gift of fitness” to people. I’m not going to be showing up at your front door dressed as Richard Simmons and telling you to pull your fanny of the couch because “it’s time to get fit!”

I don’t give a shit.

Before I go any further I should point out that I am not talking to most of my regular readers because, obviously you wouldn’t be here if you fit the description. Rather, I am pointing out the fact that people have often mistaken me for the wrong guy and I am trying to clear that up.

If you want to sit around and eat donuts all day why would that possibly bother me? And why would I want to motivate you? I’m not Jenny Craig or Matt Foley the motivational speaker who lives in a van down by the river. What you do is your choice. Sure I will make fun of you, laugh at you and encourage others to do the same; but it’s your life, not mine.

If you are too stupid to realize that regular exercise and a healthy diet is a necessary part of life I’m not going to waste my time telling you. Get on some prescription drugs, order a sausage pizza and watch another episode of Friends.

People ask me all kinds of questions when they find out what I do for a living.

“How do I lose this?” (grabbing a handful of a 48 inch waist)

“I don’t know.”

“How long should I do the stair climber for?”

“I don’t know.”

“I can’t give up carbs but I want to get lean. What should I do?”

“I don’t know.”

“I only have twenty minutes to train, twice a week. What should I do?”

“I don’t know.”

“I know you’re into all that heavy lifting but I can’t do that. What can I do instead?”

“I don’t know.”

“I’m a girl and I don’t want to get too bulky so how should I lift?”

“I don’t know.”

“How do I get motivated to go to the gym?”

“I don’t know.”

You either want to do something or you don’t. I’m not in the business of motivating people. Sure, I’ll shout some words of encouragement to serious trainees before they attempt a new squat max, and may even question their manhood in an attempt to get them even angrier. And I’ll cheer a guy on during a grueling conditioning finisher, but if you are not internally motivated already, you’re looking toward the wrong guy for help. I just don’t care enough to waste my time on those types of people.

Often times people will tell me that they want to train with me and that I if they hire me or come to my gym I really need to push them. No, I don’t. You need to push yourself. You’re hiring me for my program design skills which are based on 16 years of experience. I am not a cheerleader. Any nitwit can yell at someone like a drill sergeant. Just because a workout is hard doesn’t mean it’s effective. Just because a coach yells loudly it doesn’t mean he’s smart.

If you can’t find it within yourself and are not driven to excel, there is nothing I can do for you.

I’ll give hard working, motivated, intelligent people everything I have. But for everyone else I have no time or patience. I know this offends many people. But it’s just me being honest.

If someone needs to lose 15 pounds of fat in order to compete at a higher level in a weight class sport I’m all for helping them. If someone needs to lose 150 pounds I don’t have a clue what they should do. All I know is they shouldn’t have gotten into that situation in the first place. And allowing themselves to do so shows me they are undisciplined and lazy. I have little tolerance for these types of people.

There’s nothing I like more than helping guys get bigger, stronger and faster. Taking a new guys squat from 225 to 455 is a lot of fun for me. I know how to do that. But I don’t know what fat people should do. I don’t know what lazy people should do. And it doesn’t interest me to find out.

I told some fat people recently that they couldn’t out train a bad diet. Some were offended. They thought that as long as they trained hard on some high intensity circuit type workout a few days a week they would get lean.

They won’t. Nobody gets lean from doing kettlebell swings and burpees. If you’re eating clean, these will help, but unless your diet is spot on you aint losing an ounce. All the exercise in the world will do you no good without eating properly. These are the cold, hard facts, my friends.

So before you send me another email telling me that I am discouraging fat, lazy people from even trying to get fit in the first place, please realize that I don’t care. These are not my kind of people and that is not my market.

You must have the wrong guy.

Please leave your comments below.

Written by jasonferruggia · Filed Under Uncategorized | 137 Comments

How To Get More Done

January 5, 2010

Here are a few random tips that will help you get more done and probably enjoy your life a little more in the process. I can’t take credit for “inventing” these tips but they are very useful and have helped me to be more productive.

Get your most important tasks done first thing in the morning- Do this before you check email or voicemail or anything like that. When you start getting sidetracked with other stuff ten minutes can turn into two hours and before you know it it’s time for your lunch break. Get the important stuff done first.

Don’t answer every phone call or text you receive- You are not required by some odd law to do so. You are not required to be at the beck and call of everyone you know. Many friends and acquaintances get upset if you don’t immediately pick up or text them back.

“That bastard! I know he has his phone with him right now!”

But these people fail to realize that a cell phone is a luxury that you have for your convenience and it is meant to make your life easier; not more difficult and more stressful. It is not meant to keep you on a leash and accountable to everyone in your life at all times.

Turn off your cell phone- Not too long ago we were somehow able to survive without cell phones. Now people can’t even turn theirs off. I was guilty of this for a while. But turning off your cell phone and unplugging completely, once in a while is a very liberating feeling. And when you do so you won’t even be tempted to answer every call or text, because you won’t even know they are coming through. When I want to be productive the first thing I do is turn off my cell phone. I also leave it off for extended periods when I’m at home which helps me to relax and just be in my own world for a while.

Check email less often- People are increasingly guilty of checking their email too often. This is an addictive trap which leads to zero productivity. Most smart productivity and business experts recommend cutting this down to twice per day, at most. Something like 10am and 4pm. Condition people to know that you only check email twice per day and that they shouldn’t expect an immediate response from you.

Get a phone that doesn’t have email or disconnect your automatic email- I had that on my phone a few years ago when it first became available because I though it was a good idea. All it did was ruin my life so I got it disconnected. You want to check email less, not every thirty seconds when it vibrates its way into your pocket. Talk about a miserable idea. There is no way you can ever unplug and live in the real world with this going on. Get rid of it and thank me later.

Don’t respond to every email you get- This is hard at first because you want to be a nice guy. But when the numbers start piling up you simply can’t answer all of them and expect to also make money and have a life. On a daily basis I now receive more emails than I could possibly answer in a month. I used to try and answer all of these personally. Then it started to make me miserable because I was getting nothing done and letting other aspects of my life suffer. So I had to start cutting it off. Answer only the most important emails and limit most of your responses to a few lines.

Delegate- With my personality this was very hard to do. But it can pay huge dividends if you are willing to turn the reigns over to others on certain aspects of your business or life. For example, I have very little artistic ability. So I don’t even try to come up with logo’s, t-shirt designs, slogans, etc. I leave that to my good friend, Mark Crook. I tell him what I need images or designs for and he goes to work on it. He is far more talented than I am and whatever he comes up with will be better than anything I could ever do on my own. Put your trust in someone else to do the things you aren’t good at or the things you don’t like doing. I also have someone else do all my web stuff because it’s not my field of expertise. I also have people answer emails for me for many of the reasons listed above. You have to do what you’re good at and let others help you with stuff you aren’t good at. I’m good at designing programs and training people. So I focus on that and let others do the stuff I don’t want to do or don’t know how to do. I highly recommend giving this a shot.

To read more about this I recommend the following books:

Written by jasonferruggia · Filed Under Business, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

20 Holiday Gifts That Don’t Suck

December 14, 2009

TRX Suspension Trainer- There are countless exercises that can be done on the TRX; many more effective than using a machine or even free weights. At Renegade Gym we prefer to use the big, basic barbell lifts as our main exercises and then supplement with bodyweight, TRX and strongman type lifts for accessory work. The TRX is great to travel with because it’s small and light and will fit in your suitcase or backpack with ease. When you have a TRX you can always get a workout on the road no matter where you are.

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Fat Gripz- These little suckers instantly turn any standard bar or dumbbell into a fat bar. This increases your grip strength and stimulates arm growth beyond what a normal bar or dumbbell can. They easily slip on an off and are made of extremely high quality, heavy duty rubber which is hard as a rock and doesn’t wear out or compress. These would make a great stocking stuffer for the meathead on your list.

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Sun Warrior Protein- While a bottle of wine or Scotch might make dealing with the in-laws a little easier, a bottle of Sun Warrior will help you build size and strength and recover from workouts faster. And like Uncle Eddie said, “That’s the gift that keeps on giving.” Sun Warrior is made from all natural 100% organic ingredients, is a complete protein with a great biological value, mixes easily, doesn’t cause any of the digestive problems or allergies associated with when and milk based proteins, and tastes great.

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High Powered Blender- To mix up the Sun Warrior with some frozen berries, bananas, nuts, cacao nibs and whatever else you can think of you are going to need a high powered blender. This always makes for a good gift for the busy, fitness conscious crowd who likes to blend up their nutrition once or twice a day. Personally, I always start my morning with a big, nutrient dense shake and would be lost without my blender.

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Vibram Five Fingers- These are by far and away the best shoes to train in as they allow you to simultaneously strengthen your toes and feet with the rest of your body. This often leads to fewer ankle, knee, hip and lower back issues. The Vibrams are also great for sprinting, hiking and walking. Best given to those who are not slaves to fashion, as you may get some funny looks and annoying comments while wearing them. The benefits make it all worth it, though.

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Head Harness- As I’ve said several times before, nobody should walk around with a stack of dimes holding up their head. Do everyone on your list a huge favor and get them a head harness. Owning one should be mandatory for all males. It will protect you from injury both physical and emotional. Use this 3-6 times per week for 1-3 sets of 15-50 reps. Make it part of your routine. Like brushing your teeth and putting on your shoes.

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Power Wheel- This is definitely one of the best ab training tools on the market and would make an awesome gift for the athlete or meathead on your list. If anyone you know is still asking for one of those silly ab rockers or whatever other gimmicks they sell on late night infomercials, I suggest you do them a favor and surprise them with something that actually works the abs properly.

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Captains of Crush Grippers- These make a great stocking stuffer and forge a killer grip, which is a huge benefit for all lifters and athletes. A strong grip is like a big neck; it’s mandatory, commands respect and greatly increases your status as a man.

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Holosync Meditation CD’s- Meditation has been around forever and isn’t some gimmick that will be going away any time soon. It’s proven and it works. I can’t say enough about the benefits of the Holosync Meditation program. I have been using it for nearly two years now and it has made a huge difference in my life. I’m happier, calmer and more productive. I also sleep better. All these benefits can be seen in only 30-60 minutes per day. Last year I gave out quite a few of these for Christmas and will be doing the same again this year.

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The Prowler- Nothing will kick your ass and whip you into shape faster than the Prowler. We use it daily at Renegade Gym and I guarantee that any fitness enthusiast or strength coach would love to find one of these waiting for them under the tree. There’s still time to get one shipped. Tell Dave and Jim I sent you. You may also want to get a bucket to go with the Prowler in case the dreaded Prowler Flu sets in. Which is always a strong possibility…

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Kettlebell- If you know someone who trains at home or outside on their own, a kettlbell would be a great addition to their workouts and would make for an awesome gift. Males could start with somewhere between a 35 and a 53 pound kettlebell (depending on their size and strength) and females could start with an 18 or a 26. Instead of jogging or riding a stationary bike try swinging a kettlebell for sixty seconds alternated with sixty seconds of jump rope for ten minutes straight.

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GymBoss Interval Timer- This is a great way to time your rest periods during strength training or conditioning and makes a cool little stocking stuffer for all the fitness enthusiasts on your list.
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The Rotater- This is a cool little tool that was sent to me recently which is great for shoulder rehab and prehab. Anyone you know with shoulder problems could benefit from incorporating some work on the Rotater into their regular program.
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Stainless Steel Food Containers & Water Bottles- The dangers of plastic are widely known by now. Do everyone you know a favor and help them eliminate man boobs and other estrogen related issues by picking them up some stainless steel containers or water bottles.
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Bands- High tension bands can be used for dozens of productive exercises such as pushdowns, face pulls, pull aparts, assisted chin ups, pulldown abs, side bends, ankle walks, resisted pushups, resisted sprints and many others. They make a great addition to any home gym and are an effective weapon in every powerlifters arsenal (for adding to squats, deads and bench presses).
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Elbow & Knee Sleeves- These are great for keeping your elbows and knees warm during training. Not of as much benefit to young, healthy guys, but for the older, more beat up crowd these can be a big help in avoiding injuries and will keep you feeling good (and safe) throughout your workouts.
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Superfood Snacks- Foods like goji berries, cacao nibs and maca are all known as superfoods and have tremendous health benefits. Before you thinking about stuffing a stocking with junk food, I highly recommend you pick up a few bags of these tasty treats.

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Sandbags- Sandbags are a phenomenal strength and conditioning tool that make a great addition to any training program. If you think you’re in shape, just try doing a high rep set of heavy sandbag shouldering. Talk to me afterwards. Any hard training athlete or meathead on your list would be thrilled to find one of these waiting for him under the tree.

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Jump Rope- We have still yet to develop a conditioning method more effective than jumping rope. Not only does jumping rope burn fat and improve your conditioning but it also works wonders for foot speed and coordination. Your ankles and calves will also get a great strengthening workout from jumping rope which will help prevent injury. It worked for Ali and it will work for your mom, brother or goomah.

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Renegade Barbell Club & Renegade Gym T-Shirts- These bad boys will make an impression wherever you go. The RBC skull in plate logo is a hardcore original. The Renegade Gym t-shirt has an old school Arthur Saxon inspired silhouette depicting the way real men used to train before the world was over run with metrosexuals and pretty boy fitness centers. Available in black only.

Happy Holidays.

Please leave your comments below.

Written by jasonferruggia · Filed Under Uncategorized | 17 Comments

Tiger Woods

December 10, 2009

tiger woods3 Tiger Woods I’m very proud to say that I don’t really know too much about the whole Tiger Woods thing. I don’t watch the evening news because I choose not to hear about an 88 year old grandmother getting beat up in the subway. That has zero positive impact on my life. And I like to keep it positive. So I instead watch CNN, MSNBC and SportsCenter to keep up on what’s going on. But I haven’t caught a lot of the Tiger story, nor do I care.

So he likes to sleep with hot chicks apparently. Join the club. Who doesn’t? And who cares? If you started liking Tiger Woods for any other reason than you grew up together it was most likely because of his ability to hit a golf ball. And that’s what he should be judged for. You can’t like him any less now or it would be hypocritical. I personally never liked him that much because, A) I hate golf and B) I always thought he came across horribly in interviews, had zero personality, was a little smug, and just not my kinda guy.

To be that good at something means you have to be somewhat selfish. And that’s not a bad thing; it’s just how it is. Tiger is no different than Michael Jordan. Both were great athletes, both were only interested in themselves, and both were in a position to do a great deal of good for the black community and chose not to. I’d be more pissed at that than the fact that he was shtooping the waitresses at his favorite restaurant.

Michael Jordan was one of my childhood idols. But did you see his Hall of Fame speech? I cringed throughout the whole thing. I liked him for what he did on the court and always will. Since I’ve grown up a bit between his rookie season and today I realize that he is a bit of a douche off the court. However, he’s still MJ and the greatest of all time in my eyes.

Next to Walter Payton, Lawrence Taylor was my favorite football player of all time. But talk about a mess of a human being. Even worse than MJ’s hall of fame speech was LT’s interview with Michael Kaye on the YES network a couple months ago. Painful to watch.

Tiger’s the greatest golfer of all time. You knew that. He’s also a d-bag. If you ever watched his interviews with an open mind without being blinded by hero worship, you probably already knew that too. So what’s the big deal?

Written by jasonferruggia · Filed Under Uncategorized | 21 Comments

Goodbye, My Friend

August 29, 2009

Goodbye, My Friend “We got the results back from the doctor today. It’s pancreatic cancer. There’s no cure… It’s terminal.”

My heart stopped and tears welled up in my eyes.

Even though he and my mom never decided to make it official and tie the knot, he was, for all intents and purposes, my step dad. That’s what we referred to him as, and Edward Liebman was the greatest father figure I had ever known.

“Whattaya mean? Are they sure?!” I asked as cold sweat started to roll down my back.

“Yes.”

I couldn’t speak and began to weep like a baby. I felt like someone had sucker punched me in the stomach and I dropped to one knee.

“Now, look, this doesn’t mean I’m going anywhere anytime soon. I’m gonna fight this thing ‘til the end,” he told me.

I struggled to compose myself enough to get a few words out.

“I know you will. And I know I don’t have to say this now because it’s not going to be goodbye anytime soon, but I just wanted to say how much I love you. I hope you know that. And I want to thank you for everything from the bottom of my heart. No one has ever done more for me and I can never possibly repay you. But you have to promise me that you’ll stay around long enough to give me a chance to try.”

“I will” he assured me as his voice cracked and he started to cry. “And everything I did was out of love. I love you guys so much. And we’re gonna have a lot more fun times together. The doctors are gonna get me healthy enough to stay around for another year or two, or maybe even more. I won’t be around forever but I promise you I won’t be going away any time soon.”

That was the end of May, 2009. Ed passed away this Sunday, August 23rd, only three months after that phone call and two days after his 63rd birthday. It was the only promise I had ever known him to break and one that no one could ever blame him for. He was one of the greatest people I ever knew and by far the most generous. If Ed loved you there was no favor too great and nothing he wouldn’t do for you.

I only wish I could have done more for him.

In and out of the hospital and rehab all summer, Ed never got to enjoy another healthy, pain free day again. And it broke my heart. When I wasn’t with him I was working ‘til the wee hours of the night so that I’d be able to afford to take Ed anywhere he wanted when he got better. It was the only way I could get motivated to work at all. I had plans of taking an extended leave whenever he got better and doing all that I could to help him enjoy the time he had left.

Goodbye, My Friend But we never got the chance. Instead we sat together in his hospital room and watched sports and talked about him getting back home. It seemed a horrible way to spend a summer, but I’d give anything this morning to be able do drive back to that hospital and sit with him all day, watching SportsCenter on repeat, cracking jokes and keeping him motivated to fight.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Ed was a diehard Eagles fan; something that didn’t go over too well in a household where we bleed Giants blue. But we always had fun with it, constantly chiding each other throughout every football season. And we kept it up ‘til the end as I joked about Michael Vick being a perfect fit for the city of Philly while he remarked about what a fine, upstanding citizen ex-Giant, Plaxico Buress was.

With each passing season I grew to hate the Eagles less and less, only because I loved Ed so much and knew how happy it made him when they won. Even though it’s sacrilegious for a Giants fan to say, I will be secretly rooting for the Eagles this year in every game they play that doesn’t affect the G-Men. And if Big Blue falters I will be behind the Eagles to go all the way… for Ed.

When the doctors told Ed that it was over last Thursday and that there was nothing else that could be done to save him he finally accepted it. We had been told that before but Ed continued to battle back and seemingly prove them wrong. But this time was different. They knew, he knew it, we all knew it.

He was no longer nervous or scared bur rather calm and composed. He apologized to everyone for letting us down and told us he fought as hard as he could. But we assured him that he never let anyone down.

He had a long talk with his son Justin who had been flying back and forth from California all summer, and they each got one last chance to say everything that they had never said to each other and iron out whatever issues they may have had. I was so happy for the both of them and knew how much that meant to Ed.

He then told my mom how much he loved her and had one last meaningful conversation with her.

A few minutes later Ed sat up and asked, “Where’s Jenny?” My future wife ran over while he extended his hand and told her, “I love you. I’m just so sorry I don’t have more time to spend in your life. You guys take care of each other.”

Goodbye, My Friend When he reached out for me I was broken down in tears and unable to speak. He grabbed my hand and hugged me and told me he loved me. I told him I loved him too and thanked him for everything. There was so much more I wanted to say but I couldn’t get the words out.

Ed went to sleep shortly afterwards and we never got the chance to speak again.

On Tuesday we brought Ed back home to Philly and buried him beside his parents. It was the worst day of my life.

There are no words that can begin to describe the sadness I feel right now, struggling to come to grips with the fact that someone who meant so much to me is really gone. It doesn’t seem real or fair and I’d give anything to make this pain go away and to bring Ed back. He was the first person I called for advice and the one who was constantly looking out for me and helping me in any way he could. He didn’t have to do that and I knew it. It’s just the way he was. He never placed himself first in any equation. Ed only thought of others and how he could help them or make them happy.

When I found a new space for my gym at the beginning of 2009 Ed was the first one I brought over to take a look at it and get an opinion from. He told me he loved it and that was all I needed to hear.

He was always there when I needed him.

I will forever regret not being able to compose myself enough to say more to him during our final conversation, but if somewhere, some way he can hear me now this is what I would tell him…

Ed,
No matter how hard I try I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that this is real; that you’re really gone. We had so much left to do. There were so many places I wanted to take you and so much I wanted to do for you. You were supposed to dance with Jen at our wedding and play with our kids. The fact that none of that will ever happen is devastating to me.

We had a lot of good times, my friend, and I will miss them more than you know. I’ll miss our nights out in New York, pre football Sunday brunch at my house, movie nights, family dinners, and watching Entourage every Sunday together. I’ll miss the trips we took to the beach and the mountains. I’ll miss our secret handshake. I’ll miss the way you said “dee” instead of day (Mondee instead of Monday). I’ll miss you always being all over me about taking better care of my money and I’ll miss rushing into your office on April 14th to get my taxes done at the last minute every year.

I’ll miss your smile and your laugh and your constant barrage of corny jokes. I’ll miss always having a buddy who shared my need for quick service in a restaurant and snapped in kind when we went too long without eating. And I’ll miss your priceless reactions to comical situations.

I’ll miss celebrating Jewish holidays with you and every one of our birthdays together, our strategically planned eating schedule on Thanksgiving, putting up Christmas lights while reciting lines from “Christmas Vacation” and the frustration and hilarity that always ensued when at least one strand of lights would burn out every year. Come New Years I’ll miss seeing your text messages or picking up your phone calls at midnight.

I’ll miss the way you proudly revealed your new Eagles t-shirt every season followed by me reminding you of your favorite teams Super Bowl history. I’ll miss watching games with you and texting you during them when we weren’t together.

I’ll miss seeing you walk in the door and sit down in your favorite seat and the way it always took you ten minutes to say goodbye because you kept thinking of something else to say.
ed6 Goodbye, My Friend
I’ll think of you and miss you every day for the rest of my life. Things will never be the same without you. No matter what I am doing or where I am going I will always wish you were there and that if you weren’t I could at least call to tell you about it.

If I could do it all over again I would have hugged you and told you I loved you more often. I hope that I always made you proud and never let you down or disappointed you in any way. And if I did, I’m sorry. Please know that it was never my intention.

I can never thank you enough for all you did for me and the impact you had on my life. It meant the world to me to have you around for as long as I did. I will cherish each and every one of the memories you left me with and will never, ever forget them.

So goodbye for now. Hopefully somewhere, some way we will be together again and it will be just like old times, watching the Eagles/ Giants games, laughing, joking and smiling.

As I continue my life without you I can only hope that I can be half as a good a man as you were and that I will make you proud in all that I do. I know you’ll be there watching over me and continuing to guide me like you always have.

Thanks for everything. I’ll miss you more than you could ever imagine and will never forget you.

Until we meet again, rest in peace my friend.

I love you.

Written by jasonferruggia · Filed Under Uncategorized | 56 Comments

Q & A with Dave Tate

August 3, 2009

dave tate Q & A with Dave Tate This is an interview from the winter of 2006 that I did with my good friend, Dave Tate. Since many of you may have missed it the first time around I decided to repost it. Enjoy…

*****

I’ve never met “Big Bad Dave Tate.” I have never even met Dave “Fuckin” Tate. Supposedly this is some terrifying lunatic who would throw you through a wall for squatting less than 800 pounds in his presence or suck the brains from your skull if you looked at him wrong. At least that’s what I have read on the internet.

I only know the Dave Tate who I exchange hilarious daily emails with, trade business and life advice with and on many an occasion, drink a few too many beers with.

On a recent weekend in February, Dave was in Jersey for some business and as usual we got together and had a few drinks and a lot of laughs. He also came to watch me train a group of athletes and told me afterward that he had never seen kids with better form before. This, of course, has nothing to do with the story; it’s just a shameless plug I had to insert because it’s quite a compliment coming from the big man himself.

The morning after Dave and I partied till the wee hours of the night I got a call from him. He was stranded at the airport as the blizzard of ’06 was about to dump two feet of snow on the Tri State Area. Without hesitation I picked Dave up and we headed back to my house.

We were watching the Olympics as the snow came piling down when we decided to do an impromptu interview/ Q&A session. There is no rhyme or reason or flow to the interview, it was just random thoughts tossed back and forth as we sate on the couch drinking beer and eating pizza.

JF: What was the proudest moment of your powerlifting career?

DT: When I won the IPA nationals. I always wanted to win a national competition. Since I was a kid that was all I wanted to do. It was also the first time I squatted 900. It sounds stupid since there are a zillion federations but I still wanted to do it. It was also the first time my total broke into the top 10 for my weight class.

JF: What are your thoughts on mobility work?

DT: The pendulum swinging. You only need to train what’s weak in your athlete. It should be tested, if it’s needed do it, if not keep it out. People don’t have the time to do everything nor do they need to do everything.

It’s more important for the older lifter.

JF: And if people do need mobility and flexibility work you want them doing it in the power rack, right? (sarcastic remark, of course)

DT: Keeep your shit outta my rack. The power rack is the temple of the weight room. It’s made for going heavy. I can live with doing chins but keep your curls and stretching and duck unders the hell outta my power rack. Okay, while this is all said in fun I do feel many have lost sight of what the power rack was intended for.

JF: High frequency training?

DT: It has its place. High frequency training is a method, not a training system. It can be used for bringing up weak points. I’ve used this and recommended it but the volume is controlled though and I’ll use the empirical rule of 60%. Beginners can do it but advanced lifters will overtrain quicker than hell. If some one needs to cut bodyfat, then sure they can do high frequency training. If they need to get bigger and stronger; no way. Turn the dial because you’re on the wrong frequency.

It has its place for specific purposes.

JF: What would you rather do, bi’s and tri’s or squat?

DT: (Thinks long and hard) Squats. Nothing’s better than a good pop off a box.

JF: I know that, much to Cosgrove’s dismay, you love your arm workouts these days, though. Speaking of which how big are those guns?

DT: Over twenty one inches. I needed to get them measured for my bench shirt so that’s how I know that.

JF: Dude, I just saw you measuring them in the kitchen before but whatever you say. How does some one get arms that big?

DT: Train your triceps; tri’s for guys, curls for girls.

JF: Everyone’s gonna want specifics so what should you do exactly?

DT: Board presses, floor presses, bench presses, close grip bench presses, rolling dumbbell extensions. I’ve always been a huge believer in pushdowns for many reasons; they keep the tri’s fresh and drive so much blood in there. They also are good for elbow health. I have always done some kind of press, extension and pushdown for as long as I can remember.

JF: What about bi’s?

image003 Q & A with Dave Tate DT: I’ve never been a big fan of bicep training even when I was bodybuilding. I always started with something heavy like a barbell curl. Then finished up with whatever I could do to get the most blood in there. If you want big arms make sure to keep hammer curls in there. Cables never did much for bicep development, stick with barbells and dumbbells.

I think if you are training for big arms, direct arm work is a must. If you are doing a lot of pulling and rows already then your biceps work is going to have to be a lot of isolation work.

Unless it’s a bodybuilder, I have never programmed a bicep movement in to a workout.

In the same respect I have never put in a calf exercise or a forearm exercise, and very few quad movements, direct quad movements. Unless it’s a step up, but I don’t know what people consider that to be; I consider it hip dominant.

JF: Well it depends on the height of the box. If it’s a lower box then it’s quad dominant; if it’s a higher box it’s hip dominant.

DT: True. So revisiting movement pattern splits it could be a vertical push since you push your foot straight down into the bench. Which makes me think, what is a leg press, is it a vertical press since I am pushing into the machine? So should I do it on my vertical press day? Well now I’m training legs three days per week.

If a step up is not a vertical push then what is a calf raise?

At least with the body part split you fucking understand, oh I feel it in my back; it must be back. What the hell is a sit up? What day does that go on? What’s a side raise? Is a deadlift a vertical pull or a hip dominant movement? If it goes on vertical pull day now we’re training our legs four times per week. There is also a horizontal leg press as well, what day does that go on? What about a lying leg curl, that’s a vertical pull. So now you are training your legs every single day.

Not only that, but quad dominant is not a movement pattern, last time I checked my biomechanics book.

JF: What about a front raise, bent over rear delt raise, or better yet a reverse crunch; what days do they get trained on?

DT: Exactly.

JF: What’s the most important personality trait a coach or trainer must possess?

DT: Awareness. Going further than listening, you need to be able to understand the personality of the person you are working with. If you are working with some one who is motivated by positive reinforcement you need to be aware of that. If you have some one who responds better to negative reinforcement you need to be aware of that. You need to look at every client or athlete as a puzzle first, person second because you need to figure out what goes where. It is the simple things you need to know how to pick up one.

At a recent seminar while teaching someone how to squat I will tell her to sit back, keep the chest up, knees out and so on. This was not working so I had to look for reasons why this was not sticking and the message was not being received. I pick up on that every time I gave a command this person would look at them selves. If I said knees out she would look at her knees. Right away I knew I was using the wrong cues. This is a very visually oriented person so I change the commands to “picture you knees out” instead of knees out. Now the head stayed up and she used her minds eye to see what she had to do. This fixed the problem right away.

If I would not have picked up on this I may still be there trying to teach her how to squat. This is not rocket science but basic communication skills that are more important than people think. Coaching and Personal Training is nothing more than communicating training to the person you are working with. Everyone spends countless hours on the training aspect but if the message is not passed from one to another then it does not matter what you know.

JF: Let’s switch gears for a second. What’s your favorite movie ever?

DT: Serenity, Any Given Sunday, Scarface.

JF: Favorite band?

DT: Santana, Garth Brooks, all jazz, I like listening to music outside of the gym that has a calming effect because I have a very aggressive personality.

JF: What about your favorite rapper?

DT: Umm, I was into DMX big time for a while but I’m sick of him now. Maybe Jay- Z? No, I think I’d have to go with The Notorious B.I.G.

JF: Favorite song?

DT: Garth Brooks – The Dance. There are others, but it always changes, that’s the one that comes to mind right now and is always on the list.

JF: Recently I saw you fall on the floor in laughter when someone walked into a seminar wearing a wife beater. Have you changed your views on wearing wife beaters in public?

DT: Absolutely not! Unless you’re loaded with tats, no way. Even if you’re jacked, unless you have a ton of tattoos, no way, you can’t do it. You can buy a fucking tank top. I have no problem with tank tops but wife beaters, no way.

****

For more from Dave and to order the greatest strength training equipment in the world please visit, EliteFTS.com.

Please leave your comments below.

Written by jasonferruggia · Filed Under Uncategorized | 11 Comments

30 Questions

May 30, 2009

megan fox2 30 Questions Does anyone actually like doing front squats?

Why do so many people think that front squats are somehow magically more “sport specific” than back squats?

When did getting strong get so complicated?

Has anyone who weighs above 180 ever tried to wear an American Apparel t-shirt? Man, is that a funny look. The upper body is skin tight and then it flares out to a giant moo-moo dress at the bottom. Strange..

Is everyone in the fitness industry now a business/ marketing expert?

If you make less than 250k per year can you really be considered a money making authority? What about all the sub 100k earning biz experts? Not good, my friends, not good.

Speaking of business and marketing, if you are one of the presenters at such a conference I probably wouldn’t mention to people on your blog or twitter account that you are driving there or splitting the hotel room with five other guys. That’s not what big time successful people do. If you’re gonna go with “the fake it til ya make it” approach you gotta be on your game at all times, kids.

Has anyone ever done snatch grip deadlifts on a podium?

A podium? Really? Isn’t that what people speak in front of?

Are people really still recommending glutamine as a worthy supplement?

Are people actually still taking glutamine?

Is it me or is Megan Fox really hot?

Does anyone actually like doing split squats?

Is a fauhawk ever acceptable?

What would Mr. T think of such a hairdo?

Why don’t more people have a reverse Mohawk like late, great Road Warrior Hawk? If I could grow one I damn sure would.

Is there anyone with more built up anger than the Iron Sheik? Man, I love that guy.

Are people still recommending 40-70 seconds of time under tension for optimal hypertrophy gains? That’s good comedy right there.

Why does everyone on 24 start every sentence with the word, “Look?”

“Look, Jack Bauer was in trouble and I had to cover for him.”

“Look, I never meant for it to end up like this.”

“Look, if you want my help you’re gonna have to start trusting me.”

“Look, we’re running out of time here!”

Are still people recommending the ole slow tempo scam?

Did anyone ever see Arnold, Yates or Ronnie Coleman perform a 402 tempo? Or a 505?

Did you ever hear the one about how leg curls should be done plantar flexed because doing so lessens the involvement of the gastrocnemius and puts more stress on the hamstrings? Oh man, that is funny stuff. Although you wont think so if you actually do that because your knees will be ruined. But it’s funny to read about.

You know what I find very annoying lately? Cookie monster metal. I got into it for a year or so and then woke up one day and wondered why. Slayer and Static X, yes. The cookie monster just screaming jumbled nonsense, no thanks.

Are trap bar deads really safer than regular deads? Usually, but not always. Depends on the person.

Why would anyone ever want to use a treadmill when there are infinite amounts of earth to cover by foot or by bike?

Why don’t more people meditate? The Holosync Meditation Program has changed my life.

Is it me or deadlifts really, really fun?

Are there two more “sport specific” exercises than running or jumping? People need to do these two things more often and worry less about standing on a wobble board or whatever other scams they use to make exercises more “functional.”

Has anyone ever heard Dane Cook say anything funny?

You know what is funny? White sneakers. Those are funny.

Solid white sneakers are really funny.

Solid white sneakers on a guy… hilarious.

Why has Snoop still not realized that he is nothing without Dr. Dre and that his only good album was released in 1993. Call the good doctor and make something worth listening to. I’m begging you. That’s 16 years of wasted talent.

Please leave your answers, questions and comments below.

Written by jasonferruggia · Filed Under Muscle Building, Music, Strength & Conditioning, Uncategorized | 22 Comments

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