How to Find a Good Gym and Training Program (Part 1)

Finding a good gym (my personal recommendation is to find a gym that is a member of the Fitness Revolution nation, as I find them the best when it comes to both service and results) to train at is of great importance if you are to succeed in achieving your goals. There are several things to consider before signing up. First, is the gym a CrossFit gym? If so, go somewhere else!

All kidding aside, this post will help you decide which gym is the right fit for you.

Warped Physique Syndrome and Why Your Physique Goals are Stupid

<---- Check it out! A Google +1 button! Anyway, today I bring you a guest blog post from some guy named Sausage Link.

In this post, he talks about he calls warped physique syndrome and discusses why most physique goals are stupid. Enjoy.

Warped Physique Syndrome?

Soft Tissue Considerations for Anterior Pelvic Tilt (Part 2)

In Part 1 of this myofascial series, I discussed that the direction of massage is an important consideration.

When you have a muscle in a locked short (concentrically shortened) position, you want to massage in the direction of the muscle fibers. When locked long (eccentrically lengthened), you want to massage perpendicular to the direction of the fibers.

Anterior Pelvic Tilt

So, for anterior pelvic tilt, that means you should foam roll your quads and hip flexors as you normally would but then flip the roller a different direction for the glutes and hamstrings.

Now, what do we want to do with the back?

Myofascial Considerations for Anterior Pelvic Tilt (Part 1)

Anterior pelvic tilt, as I've written about before, is a common postural issue found in many Americans and is at least partially due to our excessive amount of time spent in sitting.

LeBron James Sitting

While another in depth analysis of correcting this posture and the lower crossed syndrome that is associated with it is unnecessary (see link above), I would like to make an addition to my thoughts on the soft tissue (foam rolling, in this case) strategy.

Perform Better Chicago, Anatomy Trains, Fascial Fitness, and Fat Loss

Last weekend I attended the Perform Better 3 Day Functional Training Summit in Chicago. As usual, it was a phenomenal event.

However, the two lectures that stood out the most were the ones by Thomas Myers (author of Anatomy Trains) and Alywn Cosgrove.

While I don't have time right now to go over the details of either presentation, look out for a post later this week on fascial fitness or fat loss research.

I haven't decided which I'd rather write about yet, as there is a LOT to talk about for both subjects. Both were fascinating lectures. So stay tuned.

Fat Loss Coaching: Thinkers vs. Doers

Here's a very short and light post for you guys... nothing profound...

Coaching is a pretty big deal... especially when it comes to fitness. A good coach will get you results. A bad coach will leave you fat. What type of person makes a good coach?

You see, there are three main groups of people when it comes to exercise coaching or training philosophy... there are thinkers/learners, there are doers, and there are those that do both...

Supportive Nutrition: A Guest Post from Nedah Barrett

The Non-Cooks’ Guide to Supportive Cooking
By Nedah Barrett of http://leanKitchen.com
AFPA Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant

As a little bit of a preface, let me start by saying that I’ve never been to culinary school, nor have I so much as even taken a cooking class. Everything I learned I learned by experience, and of course, by watching The Food Network. It’s true.

The Theory of Fat Loss and Injury Prevention

Injury prevention is critical to any fat loss program (and any exercise program). Unfortunately, the tendency of society is to take a reactive approach to injury rather than a proactive one. This is a direct result of... for lack of a better term... ignorance. If people had just a basic understanding of the law of repetitive motion and were given just a few practical tools (like foam rolling or postural correction, for example) to prevent injury during training, then perhaps qualified fitness professionals wouldn't have to have an ongoing battle with certain (and I do mean certain, not all) physicians, physical therapists, chiropractors, athletic trainers, personal trainers, lay persons, etc. who keep repeating the same simple minded dogma about lifting weights that keeps society, as a whole, in the dark ages regarding proper training.

We've all heard ridiculous things such as:

"Squats are bad for your knees."
"Deadlifting is bad for your back."
"Lifting heavy weights is bad for your joints."
"Moving is just too dangerous. That's why I recommend having a machine spoon feed you pastries and potato chips while you sit on the couch all day."

 Squatting is Bad

Just ask the doll

Franchise Your Fitness (Part 1): Don't Get Screwed

I am in the contemplation phase of writing a new fitness book. I mentioned this in a previous post, but now I have a much clearer picture of how I want it to look. Of course, this has to wait until basketball season ends. Because of my brief stint as a franchise owner and my current role with its franchisor, Fitness Consulting Group, I have been able to draw a number of parallels among fitness, business, and success in general.

What is most interesting to me at the moment is the similarity between rapid fat loss gimmicks and get rich quick schemes. What draws people in is always the promise that it is going to be easy... or that it is all about "1 weird tip" that some stay at home mom discovered. We've all seen the internet ads.

The Erik Rokeach Interview

Three months ago, I had no idea who Erik Rokeach was, but when he asked me to do a fitness business video interview for his website, I just had to say yes. Well, Erik is making quite the name for himself interviewing all of the top fitness entrepreneurs out there, but nobody had ever interviewed him... that is... until I decided to do it.

Of course, it helped that 1) He has an awesome name (as someone pointed out to me... and, if you were wondering, his last name is pronounced like "teach"); 2) He read my book, legitimately thought it was awesome, and did a video testimonial for me (see top right corner of this page); 3) People think he's attractive (see interview... heheh).

So, without further ado, here is the Erik Rokeach interview...

How to Burn Fat Fast: A Better Solution

How to burn fat fast... that is what seemingly everyone wants to know. They don't want to know how to be healthy. They don't want to learn the theory behind fat loss They want to know how to wake up tomorrow with a six pack without having to put forth any physical effort, without having to change their diets, and without having to revamp their lifestyles. Unfortunately for them, even if they could take fat off quickly... the truth of the matter is this: SHORT TERM SOLUTIONS YIELD SHORT TERM RESULTS.

The Legendary Steve Payne Interview: Firestorm Fitcamps, Fat Loss, Hunting, Life

I'm here with fellow fitness professional and legendary old man Steve Payne. He operates Firestorm Fitcamps out of San Antonio, Texas, and despite his advanced age, still pretends that he is a young guy like me. He even has his own blog! Kidding aside, if you live in San Antonio and want to find a great place to work out, he runs one of those rare group fitness bootcamps that actually is known for getting people real results.

Alright Steve, I have some questions for you...