Maverick
Last weekend I went for a walk with Maverick and Goose on a gorgeous spring morning. I wore my prized green Turbo J’s so I grabbed a photo. This is now the last picture I have of Maverick alive: He suffered a heart attack around 15 mins into the walk. I noticed he wasn’t keeping up and was breathing heavily. I quickly took him off-leash and he collapsed. I asked a lady watering her lawn for...
Bringing up weak body parts with the 10-second rule
There are many programming tweaks and tricks you can try to address a weak bodypart. However, since genetic structure is such a key factor, much of the voodoo you read will achieve — for you — sub-par results at best. As for things that DO appear to work? It can be hard to pinpoint what really happened: maybe you followed a really neat specialization routine but you also increased calories...
Getting Ripped by Getting Through the Suck Stage
Big guys often HATE getting lean because they have to go through the Suck Stage—those months where the scale is dropping yet they just feel smaller and weaker. But they’re losing fake “mass” — it doesn't feel like it, but it really is all unhealthy, unwanted bodyfat — and on the other side of the suck their real physique awaits. So why the hesitation? Not surprisingly, it's mental. Big guys can...
“I get fat when I bulk” (and an honest gut check)
Here’s a dandy for the 160-pound "I get fat when I bulk" types: UFC star Jon Bones Jones has spent the past year eating and training to reach Heavyweight, under the watchful eye of one of the best in bodybuilding, Stan Efferding. He's currently 250 pounds (holy shit!) and learning to own the new weight, getting comfortable moving, training, striking, and recovering at that size. Now, the pic...
Committing to the “best” way to train
Since 1965, MILLIONS of people have lifted weights seriously enough to call themselves bodybuilders. And yet only 16 guys have EVER earned the sports ultimate prize: being crowned Mr. Olympia. 16 winners since 1965. And they say winning the Stanley Cup is a tall order. However, while all these Mr. Os are incredibly well-built (duh), dedicated, consistent, focused, and exceptionally gifted...
How to Bring Yourself Back Up: Fill a Gap
This is my favorite tweet so far this year: My dad died when I was 8. Every week a few of the dads on my hockey team would offer to tie my skates. Not in a big showy way, in a quiet kind way. They filled the gap. Find a way to fill the gap for someone. It’ll make you both better. — Jonathan Torrens (@TorrensJonathan) March 16, 2021 I’ll explain, but first: How are you doing? Feeling good? Or has...
“I know I shouldn’t feel this bad…”
Recently, three clients lost their beloved family pets. Each client kindly informed me of this on their weekly check in form, in part to explain days of blank diet logs and missed workouts, but also because they know I understand exactly how they’re feeling. But what troubled me was that each variation included some variation of, “Now, I know it's just a pet and I shouldn’t feel so bad,” or “I...