Like a lot of us Chris was struggling to gain muscle when he contacted me. He trained for years but barely looked like he’d ever touched a weight. He’d gotten stronger but was still skinny-fat. And was achy all the time. Shoulders were clicky, knees were creaky and his lower back was always tight. If I had a dollar for every time I heard that. I wasn’t surprised to hear he was doing one of those “hardgainer” programs with 5 reps or less on everything across the board. continue reading.

Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals made me smile this morning. I saw on Instagram that he came out against the participation trophy. He told little leaguers that there should only be first place trophies. I smiled, pumped my fist and said, “F*CK YES!” There needs to be more of this. We need to fight the pussifcation and softening of future generations. The participation trophy is making kids soft and weak. It gives them a sense of entitlement. And does nothing to prepare them for the real world. continue reading.

To optimize your performance, you gotta be willing to do whatever it takes. If there’s any question about whether or not something is going to hold you back, cut it out. This especially applies to your nutrition. I don’t care what any study says about food quality or the fact that a calorie is a calorie. Mentally masturbating over that stuff does nothing but keep you from accepting the fact that taking your health and performance to the next level requires real work, real sacrifice, and real discipline. Think about the lack of control you… continue reading.

I believe you should surround yourself with people who back up words with actions, and always look to improve, grow, and make a positive impact. People like today’s podcast guest, Danny Kavadlo. Danny is a renowned expert in the field of bodyweight training and calisthenics, and one of the most entertaining, engaging, and all around cool dudes I know. He balances a New York attitude and a rebellious vibe with an evolved, introspective approach to the way he trains and lives. Every time Danny and I get a chance to chat, I walk away with a new perspective… continue reading.

Training is a skill. You improve with time, dedication, and practice. Progress comes in both the amount of weight you lift and the quality of your movement. Let me watch two guys of equal strength train together, and I can tell you who has been at it longer. There is just something about the way he lifts that screams experience. Over time, that experience leads to more effective workouts and better results. How to properly work up to a top end set, how heavy your sets should feel, and how fast your reps should look. All of those o details play a critical role in… continue reading.

This sounds insane to me now, but I used to do 500 sit-ups per day. Then I heard that sit-ups were bad for your back. That made sense since my back was starting to kill me. I was only in my early twenties so I figured I had to be doing something wrong. So I switched to crunches. And did 500 of those per day. Guess how my abs looked from all those sit-ups and crunches? I couldn’t tell you. Because I couldn’t see them. There was just a smooth,… continue reading.

“You’re a product of your experience.” You always hear that phrase as it applies to personal development. But it also applies to every other aspect of your life, especially your career. When I was coming up in the strength & conditioning world, I cut my teeth next to guys who spent thousands of hours on the gym floor. They coached athletes for 12+ hours. Every day. For years. I did the same and it made me into the coach I am today. One who cares about nothing but what works in the real world. Not what some study says or what some… continue reading.

As you age, some of the most important factors in long term health are hormone optimization and regular blood work. While I always encourage my clients to rely on how they look, feel, and perform, at some point those signals can only tell you so much. You may feel great while some underlying health issue smolders under the surface. One day, you find out you have a chronic health issue because you didn’t know enough to take action early on. It doesn’t matter if it’s life threatening or just a burden to your quality of life. You gotta give yourself the opportunity to… continue reading.

What are the best rep ranges to build muscle? All of them. Low, medium, and high rep sets all have their place in an effective strength training program. Low rep sets build maximal strength, but there’s always a risk when you hit max effort singles, doubles, or triples. Unless you have to hit a one rep max for some sort of competition or test, it’s best to make your low rep sets no fewer than six reps. A set of six is still heavy enough to achieve maximal muscle fiber activation while eliminating some of the injury risk If… continue reading.

The last thing you think about when you start lifting weights is being able to train injury free. You want to make gains now, push your limits and build muscle as fast as humanly possible. No matter how many times you read that it takes time build strength, that you have to be patient, it doesn’t sink in. You tell yourself you’re different, that the rules don’t apply. So, you  throw more weight on the bar, grind out reps, let your form go to shit, and believe you’re making big gains. Where does it get you? Eight weeks of solid training followed… continue reading.

Renegade nation, we made it. 100 episodes of Renegade Radio. Thank you all so much for tuning in and supporting the show. You make the podcast possible with your great questions and consistent downloads. I appreciate you. For this episode, we decided to do a rapid fire Q & A where I go through 60 questions in 60 minutes. From my biggest life lessons and my best mentors, to how I lost my hair and my favorite concerts of all time, it’s all covered. It wouldn’t be an episode of Renegade Radio without some laughs, and in this one, I throw it… continue reading.

If a few days of weight training is good, 6 days must be better, right? And let’s add some high intensity cardio at every workout to burn fat. Running faster and jumping higher is cool, too, so go ahead and throw in some spring training. And why not learn to do a backflip? And deadlift 500lbs. Next week. This insanity represents everyone who decides to make a big, physical transformation. They try to do everything under the sun and become a Marvel comic character. But, it doesn’t take long to realize realize you’ve gotten weaker, feel like you got hit by a bus, and look exactly the… continue reading.

Personal development starts up top. Getting your mind right has to be your first step in becoming your strongest self. But it’s the last thing people wanna focus on. Everyone wants the plan before becoming someone who will actually take action on it. I can give any one of you a proven path to build muscle, get ripped, and live the life of your dreams. But most people will never do anything with it because they never got their mind right. Only the few people who transform their mindset will see results. First, you gotta prioritize your mental and physical health. 30 minutes of daily exercise… continue reading.

“Aren’t you supposed to be a fitness guy?” That’s the question I got asked when I used to limp around after every leg day. Or when I couldn’t grab something from a high shelf because I had the shoulder mobility of the tin man. Or couldn’t play beach volleyball because my elbow felt like it was going to explode after making another one of the typical gym mistakes. Or when I…you get the point. Look, proper training is supposed to make you great. But it’s also supposed to… continue reading.

Go to college to get the degree to land the job to make the money to buy the house to retire early to live a life of comfort and security. That’s the “American Dream” flavored kool-aid we’ve been drinking for the last 70 years. In ’69, this was a sure fire way to live the good life. But what happens when you blindly follow that path today? Most of the time, you end up stuck. Stuck in a boring town that’s not as cool as it used to be. Rooted down by a house that’s too big of a pain to sell. Working a job you’re… continue reading.