Jen set a new PR on chin ups this week, beating her old max of 13 by four reps (17). We determined that her strength endurance was good but in order to bring up her numbers we would need to improve her explosiveness and maximal strength. Over the last few months we’ve had her do nothing but low reps on chin ups. Except for the rare sets of five we haven’t gone above three in quite a while. Basically we worked on maximal strength and speed. She would often do twenty explosive singles, 8-12 doubles, or ten triples as… continue reading.

So I know I said the Minimalism series was coming to an end. But low and behold, I’m back with yet another installment. In case you missed any of the first five parts check them out by clicking on the appropriate links below. Part 1 Part 2: Exercise Selection Part 3: Nutrition Part 4: Supplements Part 5: Meal Frequency If I could go back 23 years and start my training all over again one of the biggest things I’d do would be eliminate any and all support gear. First on that list would be a… continue reading.

How many meals a day do you need to build muscle? It’s a question asked by everyone who starts strength training for the first time. We’ve all heard or read that you need to eat 5-6 meals per day. But who has the time or desire to do that? Surely no one who works or has a social life. Sounds like a real pain-in-the-ass nightmare if you ask me. I’m a big fan simplicity and minimalism. It’s liberating and gives you a sense of freedom. Ya know, the kind of freedom that comes from having to prepare meals every… continue reading.

Minimalist Nutrition Made Easy First of all, you need to find your local farmers markets. Not only are these cheaper than the grocery stores but the food is healthier. And they have the only foods most people should be eating, anyway. There will always be a local farmer there selling every kind of meat you could ever want. The best part is it’s all grass fed, free roaming, drug, hormone and disease free, top quality meat. Any type of meat you buy on the cheap at the local supermarket is laden with drugs, grains, diseases and poor fatty acid profiles. continue reading.

Being selective—doing less—is the path of the productive. Focus on the important few and ignore the rest. –Timothy Ferriss, author of The Four Hour Workweek Email, voice mail, text messages, Facebook messages, Twitter messages, paper work, bills to pay, food to buy, kids to raise, responsibilities to fill, commitments to uphold… It can all get a little overwhelming at times and we need to take steps to minimize the clutter and distraction in our lives. It’s one of the reasons my voice mail is perpetually full. I refuse to empty it. I don’t even know what’s on… continue reading.

Sometimes it’s tough to let things go. I, for one, used to always have a problem with this. For years I was a collector, a pack rat. I loved to keep stuff. Boxes and boxes of stuff. Most of the stuff had some kind of meaning or memory associated with it. But a lot of it was just… stuff. Over the last few years I have gotten a lot better at this and have adopted more of a minimalist/ zen-like approach to living. This weekend I decided to step it up a notch and got rid of a huge portion… continue reading.

If we throw everything else out the window I am, at heart, a fat kid who loves cake.  And pie. And pudding. And ice cream. Etc. Etc. Etc. My mom always tells stories about how as an infant my head would shake in anticipation as the spoon neared my mouth. I was fiendin for that good grub from day one. Growing up I’d always put away at least two plates of food for dinner and then pile on the dessert.My mom never let us drink soda or eat junk food and always cooked a homemade meal every night. I would… continue reading.

Question: I’ve read that the best way to get bigger and stronger is to train exclusively in the 8-12 range like bodybuilders. Then I turn around and someone is telling me that I should go heavy and only train in the 1-5 rep range for the best gains in size and strength. So which one is it? Answer: Before I answer your question I have to preface it with the fact that beginners should always stick with basic programs and reps in the 5-8 range. Nothing higher than 8, and nothing lower than 5. Do that for at least… continue reading.

Recently Bret Contreras asked me for my top three assistance lifts that bring up the bench, squat and deadlift. I’m not a big fan of the barbell bench press by any stretch of the imagination (the military press is a far better, more functional, safer lift) but if someone wanted to bring it up and asked for my help here’s what I would recommend, along with three lifts to bring up the squat and deadlift as well… Bench Press Rack Deadlift/ Inverted Row- To bench press a lot of weight you need a big, thick, strong upper… continue reading.

Today we have a killer guest post from my friend and colleague, John Alvino. Check it out and let me know what you think in the comments section below… ******* When Andy came into my training center, he was very clear on what his goals were.  He wanted to gain size and strength, and he made it abundantly clear that he was willing to do whatever it took to achieve his goals. After our initial consultation, I learned that he had been trying to get bigger and stronger for the last four years.  He was very serious about accomplishing… continue reading.

From Paleo Cookbooks Ingredients 1 broccoli, cut into florets and stalk diced 3 rashes of bacon, fat removed, diced ½ cup toasted cashews 1tbs oil Instructions Boil broccoli in water on high heat for 5‐7minutes or until tender and cooked through. Remove water and place broccoli in a large serving bowl. Cook bacon in a frying pan for 4‐5minutes or until crispy. Remove bacon from pan and place into serving bowl along with broccoli and cashews. Combine well. Serve. For over 300… continue reading.

I’m really psyched today to have an awesome interview with my colleague, and performance enhancement expert,  Kelly Bagget (that’s him dunking to the left). Whenever I read any of Kelly’s work I always find myself nodding in agreement and am sometimes shocked by how much we agree on almost every subject training related. Today Kelly’s going to be dispelling some myths and talking about improving your quickness and overall performance. Check it out… Jason Ferruggia: Kelly, could you give our readers a quick glimpse into your background as a coach and also share some of your personal experiences that… continue reading.

For those who haven’t been following along, I destroyed my right shoulder in September of 2007. My rotator cuff and labrum were both torn and surgery was required. Of course, being the meathead I am I plowed through for another 12 months, during which time I trained with the likes of Dave Tate, Matt Rhodes, Smitty from the Diesel Crew, Craig Ballantyne, John Alvino and some other strong dudes, whose names you may recognize and some others you wouldn’t. As a man, I am required to go balls to the wall when training with others who may be as… continue reading.

Ralph DeVito is the definition of dedication. The picture above was taken when Ralph started with us earlier this year. He was 47 years old and decided it was time to get in great shape. He had trained before in the past but this time was different. Like my friend, Mark Crook, who I’ve written about in the past, he became obsessed this time around. He wanted to do everything in his power to achieve his goals as fast as possible. He did everything I told him and asked all the right questions. He ordered every supplement I recommended, got… continue reading.

To burn fat without losing muscle there are two options when it comes to cardio and they’re at extreme opposite ends of the spectrum. You can either do very high intensity cardio (sprint). Or you can very low intensity cardio (walk). It’s the midrange stuff that presents a problem for most people. When you hop on a machine and go at it with moderate-high intensity for 30-40 minutes you will get all of the negative effects associated with cardio (increased cortisol, muscle loss, overuse injuries, decreased power output- meaning you’ll be less explosive, etc.). continue reading.