How to Build Muscle, Gain Strength & Become a Better Athlete » Uncategorized

New Renegade Nation T-Shirts Available Now

Jason Ferruggia — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 02:33:04 +0000

“Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats.”
-HL Mencken

Thanks to my friend Kevin Kuzia for the appropriate quote to announce the arrival of the brand new Renegade Nation T-shirts.

They’re here in limited quantities and available with free shipping through Monday.

Get yours today and fly the black flag proudly.

Get some, get some, go again…

(Sorry, no orders outside the US. That means no Canada either, eh)

___________________________________________________________________________________________

No Related Posts

Renegade Strength & Conditioning Workshop Review

Jason Ferruggia — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:29:38 +0000

By David Claiborne

As a strength coach, one thing that I always try to make sure I do is to learn from the best.

That is why last month, I traveled (once again) up to New Jersey to learn from one of the guys who originally got me in this industry and I turn to frequently for information to help take my coaching, and my clients and athletes results up another notch.

Sure, I could join his Inner Circle (I did), and just read his blog posts (I have been for 3+ years now), and say that he has nothing more to offer or attending his seminar would have been a waste of money, but those would have just been excuses.

Instead I along with one of my coaches took the journey from Houston, TX all the way up to NJ to attend Jason’s Renegade Training Workshop.

I’ve been to other seminars, but each one is always different, so I didn’t quite no what to expect.

When we first rolled into Renegade Gym on Saturday morning, you could tell it was different than all the other training centers, gyms, warehouse gyms, etc. that are out there. This place didn’t just have everything you could ever want to get the best results in your training, but it absolutely reeked of hard work, effort, and mental toughness.

It had everything needed to make you better, including the best strength equipment available, ropes and rings hanging from holes in the ceiling, signs warning you that you better have come to work, and the walls were covered with sayings, banners, records, and old school hip-hop record sleeves. It had that essence that you were going to train harder and be better than everyone else, just from being in that facility.

After taking in the atmosphere, I looked around and saw that everyone was standing around trying to finish the last of their coffee, introducing themselves to each other, and looking like deer in headlights wondering just how much training and pain they were in store for.

Instead we got things kicked off with a brief introduction, some background on Jay and the Renegade programming, and things he never does when training himself and clients.

It was awesome seeing the reach that Jay and the Renegade lifestyle has, as there were people who made the trip from not just all over the United States, but even came in from Canada.

Then it was time to get warm and start moving…

The Renegade definition of warm-up was more in-depth than any other seminar I had ever attended. We spent upwards of 2-3 hours cranking out tons of stretches, mobility drills, and progressions that I had never experienced before.

We not only worked on basic mobility movements, but Jason explained with his fiancée Jen demonstrating, how to scale these exercises up and down based on where you or your clients/athletes are mobility wise.

We took short breaks to write stuff down and by the end of the mobility session, it looked like everyone had just spent an hour in a sauna with how sweaty we were.

It was by far the most warmed up I’ve ever been, and we took a quick break for lunch so we could get back, go over assessments for yourself and clients, and get to training.

After lunch, Jason had invited one of his good friends Keith Scott to come and speak for an hour about assessments and how to implement them into your own training and the training of your clients.

He did an excellent job and helped explain mobility issues and how to fix certain common issues so people can train healthier and stay injury free.

Now came the part everyone was waiting for…

It was time to train!

We got things kicked off with another brief warm-up that had everyone sweating, mobile, and ready to roll.

We started with some explosive med ball throws and 1-arm dumbbell snatches to get the body primed and ready to move some weights, then we went straight into overhead pressing technique.

We broke up into 3 groups and got to work. We wanted to work up to a heavy set of 3-5 using good form while allowing the legs to generate enough power to get the bar moving.

I finished off the lift with 225 and then it was time to bench.

Before everyone started benching, Jason and his brother Jared taught the proper bench technique including everything from how to set up, where the bar should touch the chest, the bar path during the entire press, and where your grip, arms, and elbows should be during the entire movement.

We then split back up into groups and got after it. We were instructed to work up to a heavy single.

After not benching for 3 months, just hammering overhead press, and push-up variations I was able to get 335 x 1. I probably had some more left in the tank, but made too big of a jump and failed at 365. Not as bad as I thought spending that much time away from the bar.

Chase Karnes, a strongman in my group who also hadn’t benched in 5-6 months crushed 365 and probably could have done more.

Here is a video of him destroying it-

It was getting late after everyone finished up benching, so we moved onto the bodyweight movements.

Jason showed us over 10 different push-up variations and how to apply them to our training. He even showed us different variations using blast straps/rings, and sliders.

Then we spent the last part of the evening working through 1-arm push-up progressions. This was awesome as it gave everyone a starting point and progressions to work towards performing a legit 1-arm push-up.

Watching one of the biggest guys there crank out 1 armed push-ups after learning the progressions was definitely a great way to end the training for the day.

Check out his video of him crushing them -

So after a great day of learning and training, everyone went back to the hotel to change, shower, and head up to a restaurant to get a well deserved dinner and a few drinks in.

A few of us stayed later than most including Jason and we sat around picking his brain on training, business, and just talking.

Sunday morning we arrived back at Renegade for a lower body session, and with how sore most people said they were from the day before, we knew it we were in for some fun.

After another brief warm-up including wall walks, and other bodyweight movements that typical warm-ups don’t include, we got things started by performing 3 different types of plyo jumps.

We spit into groups and spent time at each station performing box jumps, box squat jumps, and hurdle jumps, with Jason walking around correcting form and offering feed back (him and his staff did this the entire seminar which was definitely awesome).

Staying in our groups we then learned the technique for the barbell high-pull, when to use it, and why he prefers this movement over the conventional clean for most clients and athletes.

A few quick sets on that then we started squatting.

Jay went over again squat form and technique, explained why most people don’t have the mobility to squat wearing shoes like Vibrams or New Balance Minimus, and while walking around watching people squat, would point out why in a real life setting.

Working up to a heavy single, I went 455×1, which felt really good.

You can check out the video here –

Probably could have kept working up, but I was there more to learn and not max out, and everyone really wanted to get into deadlifts, assistance exercises, and some prowler fun.

We got started on deadlifts off platforms/mats (4-6”) and again Jay stopped everyone to explain why he recommends these and how they work just as well as conventional deadlifts, but are safer.

Again working up to a heavy single there was some serious weight being pulled and I ended up hitting 585 for a single. I was shocked that I pulled it since I haven’t done any type of deadlift other than Trapbar in over a year.

Again Chase smoked the deadlift and here is a video of him pulling 635 for 1 -

So now that the big lifts were over, it was time for some fun…

We took a quick break and then got right into a bodyweight assistance circuit to hit some weaknesses and get extra work in.

It consisted of 2” wall rope climbs, where your feet are pushed up on a box and you raise and lower yourself up and down the rope keeping your body entirely straight.

Rope climbs for max reps, then head straight over and perform 10 reps on each leg of single leg bench squats with Jason and his staff showing the proper way to perform these so you don’t risk injuring your knee. After the squats, you head straight to L-Sits for 30 seconds on dip bars.

Then after a brief rest you repeated all of the above for a total of 3 rounds.

This was not the finisher, but instead just a general assistance circuit. For most people there, it seemed like a finisher, but after catching our breath, Jason pulled out the prowlers and it was time to give it all you had left in the tank.

The finisher consisted of prowler pushes (1-trip), medball slams (10), and 1 arm KB Swings (10 each arm) – 4 rounds.

What a great way to finish. Everyone gave the last bit of strength and energy they had to push through it. The entire time Public Enemy was blasting on the speakers, and Jay and his staff was coaching and motivating everyone to finish.

Once everyone got their senses back and could walk again, Jason pulled us all together again to say a few last words and thank us all for coming.

Most people hung around for 10-20 minutes afterwards to talk with him and others and it was definitely a great experience and was worth every penny, the journey from Texas, and braving the bitter NJ cold.

I definitely plan on going back to the next one he offers and I know that after attending, every athlete and client I train, is going to get better results from that 2 day seminar as well.

Thanks again Jason for taking the time out of your schedule to put this on and look forward to the next one!

David Claiborne (DC)

PS. The next Renegade Strength & Conditioning Workshop, scheduled for February 25th & 26th at Renegade Gym in NJ is now sold out. Hope to see you at the next one!

Renegade Strength & Conditioning Workshop- February 2012

Jason Ferruggia — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:31:12 +0000

We’re excited to announce that the next Renegade Strength & Conditioning Workshop has been set for February 25th and 26th at Renegade Gym in Watchung, NJ.

The last one sold out in less than a week so I can’t make any promises for those who procrastinate.

Click HERE for more info and to register now.

Sitting is Killing You

Jason Ferruggia — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:27:38 +0000

I’ve posted this infographic on my Facebook and Twitter pages a few times but since I figure not everyone sees those all the time (because for reasons unbeknown to me the whole world is not yet following me there!) it’d be a good idea to post it here. Plus I like to review it myself from time to time to make sure I’m not spending more than three or four hours per day sitting… because, uh… that shit equals DEATH!!!

Via: Medical Billing And Coding

Help James Coury

Jason Ferruggia — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 17:16:24 +0000

Guys, I hate to ask for favors. And honestly, I’m not even really asking. I’m just putting this out there. If you decide you want to help it does nothing for me but would mean the world to James Coury.

Who is James Coury?

Well, here’s his Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/jamesfitness

And below is a little background story by James himself. I don’t know James personally. But a friend of mine does and told me he’s a great dude. I trust my friend and believe in doing what I can to help others whenever possible. Especially someone that shares the Renegade Army’s passion for fitness.

From James:

“At one time I ran a successful fitness business, but I have not been healthy since 2000. In 2001 I was bitten by a tick and contracted Lyme disease. I entered college on an academic scholarship and was on the dean’s list for the first semester. I also played college rugby, baseball, and soccer and weighed 165 lbs.

During the winter break of my freshmen year, I developed a huge red painful rash on the backs of both arms. Within 1 week, I was unable to support by body weight in a pushup position. Before this point, I had a record of 88 push-ups in one minute, and 326 consecutive.

I dropped out of college because I developed a wide variety of debilitating symptoms. The symptoms included: vertigo, headaches, chronic fatigue, arthritis in every joint, loss of my sense of smell, partial loss of hearing in one ear, major weight loss (from 165 lbs. to 128 lbs.), memory loss, trouble making sentences and recalling words, stomach pain, etc.

After 4 years of having no luck and no medical answers, one doctor discovered Lyme disease. I went through antibiotic treatment and my health went from debilitating to about 80%. I decided to take a break from college and focus on building a fitness business.

I was eager to succeed because I had to. I love fitness, nutrition, and helping people improve their lives. With my own health compromised, it was tough but not impossible. I powered through the pain and symptoms and built my business to over 80 clients. I opened my own indoor boot camp in 2006. I had a Dodge Viper and things were good for once!

After running the gym for 6 months, I had a major relapse. I was exiting a movie theatre and collapsed. I woke up in the hospital and had major chest pain. The Lyme disease has turned my own immune system against me and it is now attacking my own heart and nervous system. On the outside, I look fine, but on the inside I am fighting a battle for my life.

My doctor is in Maryland and he says it is urgent that I get my heart checked out, get labs, and get on medication. I’m currently on bed rest until I see him. My only issue at the moment is a shortage of cash, and the inability to work until I get treatment.

I put off my treatment out of dedication to my clients for a while. I can’t do that any longer. I’m confident in my healthy self, but my sick self is not doing so well these days.
I’m finally at a point in my health where I will have little chance of recovering without the help and kindness of others.

I am eager to get back to health so I can help my clients. My passion is health and fitness and I guess it is time to focus on my own.”

If you want to help James by sending him a donation here is is PayPal address- james1167[at]gmail.com.

If you donate $2o or more please forward your receipt to info[at]jasonferruggia.com and we’ll send you a free copy of Yoked, my 16 week trap specialization program.

This program is based largely on the Olympic lifts and would be an awesome program for any high school football player or wrestler. Really, anyone looking to develop explosive power and a massive set of traps could benefit greatly from this program.

I don’t know James personally but anyone that shares that kind of passion for physical culture is a brother to all of us. And I would hope that if I was ever in the same situation someone would be kind enough to help me out.

Thanks, guys.

Donate to James:

james1167[at]gmail.com

PS. He needs this money to take care of the doctor bills ASAP. So if you could do this in the next 24 hours it would be much appreciated.

8 Ways I Plan to Help You in 2011

Jason Ferruggia — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:58:02 +0000

With the Renegade Army growing bigger and stronger throughout every week of 2010 I was able to reach and help more people than ever before. That’s what I got into this business for so to be able to do it on such a grand scale brings me a great deal of satisfaction.

When I first started Renegade Strength & Conditioning in a tiny, underground gym in Jersey seventeen years ago I never would have imagined that we’d one day be worldwide with over 100,000 rebellious, badasses following the Renegade Method.

Thank you all for that. It humbles me beyond words.

In 2011 it’s time to take it up a notch. Like George did when driving Susan’s parents to the Hamptons.

“You wanna get nuts!? Let’s get nuts!”

Hustlemania will be running wilder than ever at Renegade Inc. in 2011…

First I’d like to tell you what I have planned for the new year and then I’d like to hear your thoughts. Tell me what you’re excited about and what you want more of- types of posts, products, videos, seminars, internships, mentorships, online coaching, etc.

Plans For 20111

1) More Live Events and Seminars- I’m planning a handful of seminars to be held in Jersey and another to be held in Cali for the upcoming year. I’m also in discussions for one in Europe and another in Australia. There will be more updates as the year progresses. I’ll keep you all posted.

2) More Traveling and On Site Coaching- I had to cut back on my travel schedule last year but I’ll be cranking it back up just a bit in 2011. That means that I will be accepting clients that want to book a single session (or 2-3) with me when I’m in town for events or seminars. This info will be posted as the year goes on but if you are interested in this please let me know ASAP.

3) Accepting New Online Coaching Clients- During 2010 I was only able to add two new online coaching clients due to my schedule. I will be opening up 5-7 new slots in the upcoming weeks and will be accepting new applicants.

Please note that with all coaching options I only work with those that are beyond the beginner level, have a decent level of athleticism, experience and exercise knowledge and have specific, realistic, and achievable goals. I expect to see rapid and dramatic progress in every client I work with therefore I demand that they be 100% committed to the task at hand. I know the kind of results the Renegade Method delivers, therefore I have little patience for those not willing to lay it all on the line. That’s just me being honest.

4) More Frequent Posts- I’m gonna set a goal for 2011 of doing 15-20% more posts than last year. That might mean some of them are shorter but I’m gonna do my best to provide you guys with new, killer content as often as possible, including more video and lifestyle stuff.

5) More Videos and Exclusive Content in the Renegade Inner Circle- Gonna be stepping it up even more for more my inner circle members with some killer programs, articles, videos and exclusive offers.

6) New Products- I have the newly updated Renegade Football Strength scheduled for release this winter. I also have Jacked 2.0, a follow up to my very first ebook from back in 2003 coming soon. Later in the year I plan to finally start writing the all encompassing Renegade Method and possibly making some DVD’s along with it. Lastly, I’ve been experimenting with The Renegade Diet for the past year and have a bunch of people on different variations of it. Hopefully by years end there will a guide on that as well. If there’s anything in particular you guys would like to see please let me know.

7) Female Training Site- When the average, out of shape, overweight female comes up to me at a party or somewhere out in public asking for training advice I tell them I don’t know the answers to their questions and that I only work with football players. That’s not 100% true. I am telling them a lie to spare my own sanity. I refuse to tell people what they want to hear. And since most times they can’t handle the truth and want me to sell them some bullshit about cardio or diet that I don’t believe in I’d rather say nothing. But there are large and ever growing numbers of females who love to train Renegade Style and regularly send us requests for more information. For all of them, Jen and I will be launching a brand new site (which she will be heading up) in the next few weeks that caters to the hardcore, badass female portion of our audience.

8] More Exclusive Offers, Secret Deals and Weekly Rapid Fire Q&A Sessions on my Facebook Page- If you haven’t already, make sure you “like” my Facebook page and download your FREE copy of the Run RBC 28 Day Strength & Mass Program. Be sure to check in regularly as well because I will be doing rapid fire, live Q&A sessions, having contests and presenting secret links and special deals. Click HERE for my Facebook page.

In between everything we have planned work wise Jen and I plan on tying the knot, starting to think about Renegade junior’s intro to the world, taking a few vacations, training as hard as ever, learning a few new skills and continuing to live life according to our own rules.

It’s an honor and a pleasure to have you guys here every step of the way and I look forward to bigger and better things for all of us in the New Year.

Please leave me a comment below and let me know how I can serve you best and what you would like to see more of in 2011. Like I said, this blog is for you and the more I can do to help you reach your goals faster the happier I’ll be.

Fire away…

Thank You and Merry Christmas

Jason Ferruggia — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 13:13:08 +0000

I just wanted to take a quick minute to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and sincerely thank you all very much. Thank you for visiting the site on a regular basis and supporting what I do. It’s because of you guys that I get to do what I love every day. Immersing myself in physical culture and helping people are my biggest passions in life. And to be able to combine the two and make a living doing it is truly a dream come true.

Over the last year this here blog has grown to be one of the most visited in the entire fitness industry. It’s definitely a long way from 1994 when I started Renegade Strength & Conditioning with one client in a small basement gym. The fact that even one person is interested in what I have to say, let alone hundreds of thousands, humbles me beyond words. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your loyalty and support.

I hope I was able to make some small difference or help you out in some way over the last year. If I didn’t, please let me know what I can do differently or what you would like to see more of from me in the future.

I have big things planned for 2011 to help all of you reach your goals even faster and am hoping you’ll join me on the ride.

So thanks again, and I wish all the best to you and your family.

Stay strong, stay healthy.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Can We Forgive Michael Vick?

Jason Ferruggia — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 15:16:29 +0000

Last Sunday I watched as my Giants collapsed in the fourth quarter and got their asses whipped by Michael Vick and the Eagles. Whether you’re a fan or not you’d have to agree that Vick is a pleasure to watch and one hell of an athlete.

During the game, my buddy Mike DeSanti and I discussed Michael Vick and wondered if America could or would forgive him.

What he did was horribly wrong. There’s no denying that. And many people want him dead because of it. Fair enough. But let’s think about it for a second before we call for a public hanging.

In many inner city neighborhoods dog fighting is as common as liquor stores on the corner. If you’ve seen TV shows like The Wire you’ve seen it depicted in such a manner. As Vick himself has stated, that’s what he saw all the big, highly respected men in the neighborhood doing when he was a kid. Just like any youngster he was impressionable and wanted to follow in the footsteps of the adults around him. He was never taught that it was wrong. He literally didn’t know any better.

Jay Z grew up in such a neighborhood and sold drugs for a living. It was all he knew and was a way to earn a living. Dog fighting is also a way to make money in the inner cities. We’ve all forgiven Jay Z, and Rolling Stone magazine even crowned him, “King of America.” But remember, drugs kill humans, not dogs.

Ray Lewis and Snoop were involved in murder cases many years ago but have both been forgiven and have commercial endorsements and mass appeal these days.

Eminem has quite a rap sheet and has done some horrible things yet he’s as accepted as Regis.

Charlie Sheen gets all of our forgiveness time and time again because he has the number one show on CBS and makes people laugh.

Plenty of celebrities have been arrested for domestic violence and then welcomed back by society with open arms months or years later. I’m an animal lover and what Michael Vick did sickens me, but if you ask me, hitting a female is worse than condoning dog fighting.

I guess maybe it’s different with sports because, as fans, everyone just looks for an excuse to hate a player on the opposing team, no matter what. I get that. I’ve never been that way, personally, and have always liked and respected members of the opposing teams. In fact I was a huge fan of Eagles Mike Quick, Randall Cunningham and Reggie White back in the day even though they were all Giant killers.

But Michael Vick is more than a Giant killer. He’s a dog killer. And that’s just wrong. So can I personally forgive that?

Well, thinking back I remember a time when I was at my dads house watching a Mike Tyson fight on Pay Per View back in the late 80’s or early 90’s. I was probably 15 or 16 at the time and some fat Italian guy sitting on the couch across from me starts up on a rant with “N” word. I freaked out on him, questioning his intelligence, education and manhood. I couldn’t “respect my elders” when they were racist, ignorant sloths. It just didn’t and doesn’t fit my Renegade personality.

I had a business colleague, years ago, who used to use racist terms constantly whenever we spoke and often times I would call him on it. A weird thing happened, though. Over many years of knowing each other, he changed so much that he now can’t stand any sort of racism of any kind and we’ve become good friends.

Over the years I have definitely become a more forgiving person than I once was and can let just about anything slide. As Jen will tell you it’s very hard to get permanently on my bad side.

In one of my favorite movies ever, American History X, Edward Norton completely changes his ways and realizes that what he had been doing was wrong. The great leader, Malcolm X, also had a complete change of heart and changed many of his viewpoints after his journey to Mecca.

When you are raised thinking that certain beliefs ways or illegal activities are commonplace it can be hard to change. As a child, if you see domestic violence, drug use, racism, or dog fighting you think that it’s acceptable.

Some people carry that with them their entire lives and others change. It may be a gradual process or it may take a year or so in the big house. But people can change.

I’ve changed plenty over the course of my life and have done a lot of stupid shit. Luckily I have been forgiven. I can guarantee I will do some more stupid shit and can only hope that I’ll be forgiven again.

I also forgive people that have wronged me. Unless you come into my gym and train like a jerkoff, eat like shit, never make an ounce of progress, etc, etc. etc. That I can never forgive or forget. But that’s between me and my therapist… and my belief that everyone should worship Arthur Saxon ;)

I simply don’t have the time or desire to hate anyone. Hatred is for the unsuccessful, miserable people of the world. The time you waste hating someone else just drains you of positive energy that could be used to better your life.

I often hear people whining about a professional athlete who makes a hundred million dollars a year, claiming how unfair it is, blah, blah, blah.

Who gives a shit? It’s not his fault. He busted his ass and took advantage of a certain situation he was presented with. Everyone’s got the ability to succeed in life. Some people just aren’t willing to work hard enough or would rather sit around and bitch and moan.

I have no time for these people.

So at the end of our conversation, I told Mike that upon evaluating the situation and considering how I have lived my own life that, yes… I do forgive Michael Vick. Not that it matters to anyone. But how pompous would I have to be not to forgive him? I’m surely no better than he is and would want the same second chance if I were in that situation.

I do believe he has changed and is trying his best to redeem himself and turn his life around. Good for him.

On Sunday NFL Countdown on ESPN, Coach Mike Ditka said, “Michael Vick is a fine young man, he’s changed, he’s doing his best to make up for the wrong that he did, he’s paid his debt to society… And shame on you people who won’t give him a chance to move forward with his life and give him a second chance.”

Well said, Coach… well said.

I’m not saying that everyone should or will forgive Michael Vick. That’s up to you and there is no right or wrong. I just wanted to see what you guys thought…

13 Badass Holiday Fitness Gifts

Jason Ferruggia — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:18:54 +0000

Well, it’s that time of year again; time for my annual Holiday Fitness Gift List.

“Aaaaah… Hey! If any of you are looking for any last minute gift ideas for me, I have one…”

Actually I have 13.

This year I picked out 13 killer gifts that any fitness enthusiast or member of the Renegade Nation would be thrilled to receive.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Climbing Rope- If you want to train Renegade Style you have to have a climbing rope. I honestly can’t think of too many more effective exercises than rope climbing. Your grip/forearms, lats and abs will all get smoked from climbing rope. Not to mention the fact that climbing a rope with no legs is just a pretty cool, badass thing to do.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Pull Up Revolution- I’m a huge fan of bodyweight training as most of you know by now. By using the Pull Up Revolution you’ll be able to more effectively work up to advanced levels of pull ups, muscle ups and other pushup variations.

What separates this from simply using bands is that you can easily and automatically adjust the tension from one set to the next just by lengthening or shortening the strap. So you don’t need a bunch of different bands with you at all times.

Also, the belt it comes with allows anyone to work up to divebomber pushups or many other advanced variations they normally wouldn’t be able to do.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Injinji Socks- Vibram Five Fingers are the best training shoes on the market. But wearing them barefoot can lead to some stank ass shoes. That’s why you need to cop at least a three pack of Injinji toe socks. It makes the Vibrams more comfortable and eliminates the nasty smell. On a side note be sure to order these in black. The only thing almost as funny looking as white sneakers is white socks. Word.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Legend Fitness Partner Glute Ham Raise- The glute ham raise is one of the best hamstring movements there is. And, as you probably know, stronger hamstrings lead to bigger squats, faster running times and higher jumps. Unfortunately, most people don’t have access to a good glute ham raise bench. Legend Fitness has brought an end to that problem with their very affordable Partner Glute Ham Raise. It’s small enough to keep in a closet and can be used anywhere. For the price they’re charging I think it’s definitely a worthwhile investment. Tell Carlene I sent ya.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Kitrics Digital Nutrition Scale- Although weighing and measuring your food can be a pain in the ass, it’s unfortunately necessary for many people. Especially those who want to make dramatic physical transformations and get down to single digit bodyfat. This nutrition scale makes life a lot easier and does it all for you.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Medicine Ball- You thought you were too old to find a ball waiting for you under the tree? Think again. Medicine balls are invaluable for developing explosive power, training the abs in a functional manner and can be used as resistance on things like back raises, wall squats, etc.

I consider a medicine ball to be an essential piece of gym equipment and think everyone should have one. Just like everyone should own a copy of It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. But that’s a whole other story for another time.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Rogue Do Win Squat Shoes- While the Vibrams are the best shoes to do 99.9% of all exercises in there is one time when I prefer a different shoe. That one time is when you are doing “the king of all exercises,” the barbell back squat.

Most people can not break, or even hit parallel, while maintaining a neutral spine. I have found that slipping a pair of these Do Win’s on solves the problem almost instantly for a large majority of people. If it doesn’t solve it completely, it definitely improves it noticeably. I will be doing a full review on these in the future and answering many questions that you will probably have, but trust, me- these are the shoes you want to squat in. In fact, I won’t allow most people, other than females with incredible mobility to squat without them anymore.
________________________________________________________________________________________
1 Year Membership to the Renegade Inner Circle- With our heavily discounted one year membership you get complete access to me on a daily basis to ask questions, post your own training videos and have me critique your form, post training logs, interact with hundreds of other like minded members, with similar goals. Plus, when you become part of our Renegade family you also get 12 full months worth of workouts from me for only a fraction of the normal price. And if you’re really good I call to read you a bed time story every night.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Battling Ropes- Some people have gotten a little bit carried away with the battling ropes over the last year or so. They’re not a tool for developing strength or power but they are great to use for 5-10 minutes at the end of your workout as a finisher. The nice thing is there is absolutely no impact and no stress on your joints whatsoever. If, however, you start using them in between sets of squats and militarys in some silly “metcon” circuit I will send David “Boomer” Wells to your gym to pelt you with rotten tomatoes until he throws his arm out and requires rotator cuff surgery. You have been warned.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver with Heart Rate Monitor- To be completely honest I haven’t tried this myself. But I know a few people that I trust who do have one and they love it. As I’ve said in the past I only believe in sprinting or walking. Running is not part of the Renegade Lifestyle. Unless its trail running and you’re breaking up sprints, with moderate paced runs and walks intermittently. Running endless miles on concrete just for the hell of it, on the other hand, is asinine. That being said, it’s good to have a heart rate monitor for your walks so you know that you’re in the right range. As for the GPS part, I guess that could help as well if you’re as bad with directions as I am.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Trigger Wheel Muscle Therapy Device- If you’ve been training as long as I have you’re sure to have some aches and pains and have probably accumulated your fair of scar tissue. Like Clark Griswold said, “It’s all part of the experience.” Using the Trigger Wheel regularly is a great way to break it up and help yourself recover faster from workouts.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
US Wellness Meats- A nice box of grass fed organic steaks would make a perfect holiday gift for any coworker, colleague or friend. While conventional, factory farmed meat might be a cheaper option it is also poison. Friends don’t let friends eat non organic meat. In order to keep your holidays free of excess estrogen levels, dangerous drugs and hormones and a piss poor fatty acid profile, stick with grass fed organic meat from US Wellness Meats.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Chalk- I know, I know, chalk sounds like a really boring gift to give someone. But if you train at home in your garage or basement or outside in the park it’s absolutely an essential part of your arsenal. Hell, since most public gyms don’t have chalk it’s equally as important for those who train there. They won’t often allow it but you’ll have to sneak it in a tupperware container and try to be neat. Remember it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than beg for permission.

Training without chalk not only sucks but is dangerous in my opinion. There’s no way you’d want to be lifting heavy weights or doing risky, advanced bodyweight moves and have your grip slip. That’s just an accident waiting to happen. So chalk is an absolute must.

Delight the meathead on your list with a box of white powder under the tree.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Happy Holidays.

If you need me I’ll be upstairs.

Asleep.

How to Build Muscle, Gain Strength & Become a Better Athlete » Uncategorized

New Renegade Nation T-Shirts Available Now

Related Posts:

Renegade Strength & Conditioning Workshop Review

Related Posts:

Renegade Strength & Conditioning Workshop- February 2012

Related Posts:

Sitting is Killing You

Related Posts:

Help James Coury

Related Posts:

Top 15 Posts of 2010

Related Posts:

8 Ways I Plan to Help You in 2011

Related Posts:

Thank You and Merry Christmas

Related Posts:

Can We Forgive Michael Vick?

Related Posts:

13 Badass Holiday Fitness Gifts

Related Posts: