In the '80s, Van Halen was the biggest rock band in the world. Their live performances were legendary, as was their artist rider—the part of the performance contract that specifies everything the artist required to perform that day. The long rider contained a clause requesting that "a large bowl of M&Ms with all brown ones removed” be placed in the dressing room. And while it was frequently...

Muscle needs an incentive to grow, so doing the same work over and over just won’t cut it. You gotta ask for more to get your muscles to wake up and lay down new tissue: * Lift more weight * Complete more reps at the same weight * Add more working sets Otherwise, your triceps are perfectly content to sit back and relax as you fart around in front of the dumbbell rack doing 8 sets of kickbacks...

As a coach, motivation is tricky. Clients sometimes report losing the motivation to continue their program. On the one hand, I think motivation is a bit of a cop-out. You gotta want it—’cause if you do, motivation ceases to be an issue. But it’s also not so cut ‘n’ dried. Losing motivation is interpreted as "the goal just isn't important to me anymore, or at least not worth the amount of work I...

Bulking, massing, “improvement seasons”—whatever you choose to call it—guys are forever screwing it up. First, you've got your "lean gainer." This bro is forever lamenting how he's "tried everything," but still can't seem to grow. A quick scroll through his IG profile shows hundreds of shirtless selfies with single-digit body fat. And that’s admirable … if you’re happy with your current level of...

Here's something I've learned over the years. The more people you coach through their fat-loss journey, the more you realize that YES, there are fat-loss “SECRETS.” They just have nothing to do with food. Well, actually they do. I call them the CAKE, and they include: * Consistency. * Simplicity. * Planning. * Discipline. * Time management. * High (but not unrealistic) standards. * Patience. *...

Wanna meet up in Florida? I hope everyone is enjoying our annual voyage through the Twilight Zone, the week between Christmas and New Years Day when the days all blend together, very little work gets done, and way too many calories are consumed. Meh, it’s only a week. As a coach I’m WAY more interested in how my clients eat and & exercise the other 51 weeks of the year. Anyway, I may not...

This wasn’t the first time I saw Arnold at Gold’s Gym. That initial meeting was the only time I’ve ever felt star-struck. And while I didn’t start having heart palpitations or follow him from machine to machine, I did do way too many sets of leg curls next to him—and my hamstrings paid for it dearly the next day. This time, I was struck by The Oak's obvious mortality. He shuffled more as he...