Complete Core Fitness- A Review of Mike Robertson's Core System

My friend and personal fitness hero Mike Robertson recently released his new product Complete Core Fitness. Of course I had to get my hands on a copy of this. You see, not only have I seen him speak on at least 5 separate occasions, but also I'm a proud owner of almost every single one of his products... Magnificent Mobility, Building the Efficient Athlete, Assess and Correct, Bulletproof Knees, Fitness Business Blueprint... just to name a few...

Note: You might be thinking I'm crazy for using the word "friend." I am talking about THE Mike Robertson, right? Well, let's just say that when he created my password for the product, he made it "NBABULLS." The man knows me!



So anyway, Complete Core Fitness delivered everything I could have ever wanted. Not only did Mike talk about the theory behind getting a super sexy beach body, but also he included:

• A manual with 17 new and innovative ways to use a swiss ball
• A "hellacious ab circuit" you can include at the end of any workout (that's how he referred to it in a personal email to me anyway)
• The 10 reasons why the transverse abdominis will fix your back pain and flatten your tummy
• Rotation 501: Twisting your way to that beach body

And let me tell you, after 4 days implementing these techniques, I've lost 30 pounds, developed an 8 pack, and have been hit on by more cougars than you could ever imagine. Not only that, but I've already been contacted by ESPN. Apparently, they want me to replace Blake Griffin next year in ESPN the Magazine: The Body Issue.

You can dunk over a car, Mr. Griffin,
but thanks to Mike Robertson, my body
makes yours look like that of a pre-pubescent boy.

Thanks Mike!

The Soleus as a Knee Extensor, ACL tear prevention

I recently purchased a spider squat bar. You see, ever since I found out these things existed, I've wanted one. Well, I finally bought one, and it is now hanging proudly in my power rack in my bedroom-gym.

Only the coolest bedroom in the world...

Spider squatting is quite different from your typical squat (<--- best squat article ever, by the way), as the bar always seems to want to pitch you forward, making this extra awesome if you want to train core stability.

Anyway, I started practicing doing some reps past parallel with this 80-pound beast, and I noticed something that I had forgotten about when reversing direction coming out of the hole... the fact that the soleus muscle (the deeper of the two calf muscles) can be used in close chain activities as a knee extensor.

How is this possible?

How to Find a Good Gym and Training Program (Part 2)

In Part 1, I discussed how to find a good gym to train at. Environment, culture, and who you surround yourself with is important, and unless you are a highly motivated and experienced person when it comes to training, commercial gyms just don't get the job done.

If your gym looks like this, it sucks.

If it looks like this, on the other hand...

If you've never seen an open facility like this and are confused as to where "all the stuff" you would see in a big box gym is... don't be. This guy Steve Krebs dominates business in his area and is absolutely murdering the competition. Why? Not only does he run a great business, but his clients get results.

And results are the topic of this post. You know from last time how to find a good gym to fit your needs, but how do you find a training program to get results?

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.