Fitness Worldwide: Trinidad and Tobago

The world of fitness as we know it has grown immensely with the advent of the Internet. What used to be shared by fellow gym rats, team mates, or possibly a region, are now out there for the world to see.

If one wants to find information on any type of fitness regime or nutrition protocol you are merely a Google click away from thousands of pages that will fill your need.

Yet as I explained in the first article we are still largely blinded by our own selves, the latest crazes, and largely by the western world, US and Canada. We get in our cliques, or groups as fitness enthusiast and even coaches and get blinded to the world as a whole. My aim with this series is to open our minds to both this global market, give us al a glimpse of the state of the industry elsewhere from the eye’s of the people living it and I'm sure as well learn a few things we may adopt.

With that I welcome Daryl Sebro (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1259709811&ref=mf) from Arima, Trinidad and Tobago. Daryl thanks for lending us your time today for this interview and a glimpse into your life and the state of training and nutrition in Trinidad.

PS: Daryl, you started fitness at a fairly young age, Around 13, and what I found interesting is you started it alone in your room doing push up’s, sit up’s, and curls; lifting not dumbbells and the like but slabs of rock or marble. The great thing is you likely made excellent progress with the minimal tools as you couldn’t get ADD from all the tools at your disposal, and instead your variation came from the activities you could do with a few implements. Am I correct? What kind of progress did you make in those early days?

DS: Back then my progress was great. Things were easy. Mom and dad fed me, I had no bills to pay. After school I hit the gym, when I got home hot food was on the table waiting for me!!! My father and I shared supplements, and I could sleep for at least 9 hours every night. I was able to relax, train, eat, and rest, a perfect combination for anyone looking to make stellar progress.

PS: Was taking up strength training a norm for adolescent boys and girls in Trinidad during your younger years, and how does it compare to today.

DS: It wasn't the norm at all in Trinidad when I was a child. Fitness was largely thought of as recreation. Meaning, it was taught as part of the school curriculum but outside of that it wasn't really popular at all. It was something you had to do, should do, not something you wanted to do.

Today, Yeah, it is more the norm. The government is now pumping a lot more time money into the development of youth sports. There is much more an emphasis on it, so now we have a lot more kids actively engaged in competitive sports. Which in turn leads to other avenues of physical fitness by default.

PS: You later went to take up sports in college, eventually the Trinidad and Tabago Regiment, and worked your way up to being part of the team responsible for the fitness of new recruits. What did your training look like in these years?

DS: In college my training was basically sport specific, tailored towards peak performance in football, cricket, and basketball. In our spare time we basically tried to pack on as much mass as possible so benching and barbell curls were a staple exercises. At the time it worked, although probably due to the fact that I was still going through puberty.

During the training period with the new recruits things were a bit more structured. We had a wealth of info. and experience to draw from, and that is basically all we did. Our day would start at 0430, we would conduct a training session for about an hour, have breakfast, hit the gym, grab lunch, sleep, then another training session in the evening, grab supper, then sleep again. That was on a hard day.

When I began training people I saw some very real gains due largely to the fact that I did a lot of experimenting on myself before I did anything with my trainees. Again as was the case when I was younger, sleep was a non issue.

PS: You have now moved on from the Regiment life and have taken a position as a paramedic. Now not only does your life, but that of others revolves around you staying in some semblance physical shape. What does your training revolve around now? What’s the typical foundation of your training today?

DS: Now things are different. I'm working close to 60 hours a week and not near as much sleep. I still train regularly, 5 times a week, and I try to eat at least 5 times a day, But not near the luxury of that when I was at mom and dads or the regiment. My training focus is basically strength gains, and overall health. Where as in year gone by it was just for the chics. As a paramedic in the army I have a greater appreciation and passion for training, health, and wellbeing. My biggest challenge thus far is realizing that not everyone shares my passion, and nagging injury.

Those are the main differences in general. As far as my training; it revolves around dips, pull ups, push ups, leg presses, leg extensions, and hanging leg raises.

PS: Over the years from a little Daryl just starting out, to lifting cinder blocks and bricks, to a Paramedic; Daryl how has your Nutrition evolved along the way?

DS: Nutrition wise I would say things were of course better in the old days. I generally had more time to prepare and enjoy meals then now. My nutrition isn't that great now due to work, I basically eat when it's time to eat. I buy supplements, not religiously, and eat lots of fruits and water. Today I eat whatever passes close by my mouth. Yes I know it sucks, but that's the story of my life!!!!

PS: OK Daryl now lets move away from you and more onto the culture of Trinidad and Tabago as a whole, fitness and nutrition wise, from your point of view.

What is your view of the general physical state of people in your country? As you know America, and much of the world is in a Obesity epidemic. Is the same true for Trinidad Tabago? Are the people generally fit generally fit, obese, or somewhere in between. Is the average person interested in fitness and nutrition? Are training facilities/gyms abundant and if so what are they like on average? More the fitness facility or the hard core gym?

It's like this, around Christmas it's acceptable to put on a few extra pounds because you know you’re gonna throw it off for Carnival ( a month long celebration that culminates on a Monday and Tuesday with a street procession. People wearing nothing more than bathing suits) . That makes it difficult for the hard core gym goers like myself because you now have to compete for space on the treadmill, or even in an aerobics class because everyone wants to look ripped for Carnival.

With that in mind I wouldn't say that obesity is a problem here, it’s more a question of laziness. Obesity in itself is a relative term as you know. (the bmi index used here is based on American standards). I recently took my three year old son to the pediatrician, (let me tell you, you get tired just looking this kid run) guess what the doctor told us? Your son is overweight!!!!!

PS: OH yes the almighty BMI! Got to love it. Yes I think we can all relate Daryl. I mean I recently did a cut and even after that by BMI was still well over “overweight” and actually deeply entranced in stage 2 obesity. It’s frankly now my goal to eclipse my current stage 3 obesity and achieve stage 4 at a low teens body fat. : ) BMI just needs to be restructured or there should be a body fat % clause.

PS: The personal training industry? Do you have personal trainers there, and if so how are they regarded in general as far as competence, effectiveness, etc..?

DS: The personal training industry is alive and well. I can say this because the military in Trinidad is responsible for producing nearly all the personal trainers here and in the Caribbean, or at least starting them off. They have to go either to the states or England for accreditation.

PS: Which type of training is most popular there, i.e., weightlifting (oly), powerlifting, bodybuilding, Athletic based, other??

DS: We do have a few bodybuilders that make it on the international scene. One you might know is pro Dareem Charles. Powerlifting isn't so popular either in Trinidad. Athletics is by far the most popular guys like Anton Boldon and Richard Thompson put us on the map.

PS: Where do people in general turn for the vast majority of their fitness and nutrition knowledge? How are athletics / athletes viewed by average adults? In the US many are seeing a huge separation between the average person and the athlete compared to in the past So sadly it is something many feel they cant be / achieve. Is it he same in Trinidad and Tobago?

DS: People are slowly changing their perception on health and fitness as more info becomes available via media & internet. We have seen an increase in the number of gyms and fitness clubs due largely to the fact that people realize that sport in Trinidad and Tobago is becoming a lucrative business. There is even a sport company of Trinidad and Tobago that offers scholarships to young athletes with potential.

PS: How about the supplement industry?? Is it large and booming much like in the states?

DS: Supplements are available here however the range and variety is not like in the states!!

PS: To end this look into the fitness and nutrition industry as its seen in Trinidad and Tabago. We might as well go to a topic that is and always will come up from it seems mainly outsiders of the industry more so then those entrenched in it. Steroids. Is the use of Anabolic Steroids or others performance or physique enhancement drugs and techniques prevalent in Trinidad and Tabago?

DS: I honestly don't have much info on their use, and if I did I wouldn't put my head on a block for anyone!!!!

PS: Daryl on that note I want to thank you for a great interview and taking the time, letting us have a glimpse of your life and your country as it pertains to fitness and nutrition. If your ever in Phoenix please look me up.

DS: No problem Phil it was my pleasure.

PS: Stay tuned everyone in the coming weeks I have interviews in this series lined up with people from the UK, the Netherlands, Japan, and possibly Thailand. If you are someone in a country aboard and would like to chime in drop me a line - phil@staleytraining.com.

Originally Published on Staley Training Systems

July 29th Training

July 29th

DL training. in the rack again but lower Mid Shin I haven’t done these in a long time. I got to keep rolling

Notes from training: Not feeling particularly strong today, but feel OK just not like I can move a house. I am soooo not as good training at night but thats why I moved Dling to the evening

DL (wombat) from floor (practice)
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 3
405 x 2
495 x 1 x 2
585 x 2 x 2
The early sets went better. I was able to fire the hips better at a bit higher load, and some what at the 585. Just not here yet. This style is SO slow off the floor but hen it fly’s just the opposite of my conventional pull that Flies then gets hard.

DL rack pulls from mid shin wombat
585 x 1
675 x 1
725 x 1
Hands are now hamburger LOL that’s was all I had today not a PR at all but that’s OK its what I had today and first time pulling from this level in this style and havent pulled from that level at all in months. it’s a hard spot for me

Conventional rack pull from below knee
635 x 1 Cooked, hands shot

Snatch grip SLDL
425 x 5 x 3 sets
just bumped it 20 lbs from last week

Clean pulls
335 x 5 x 3 sets
Again 20lbs more then last week

Step ups just left leg 3 sets

Ball Crunch 3 sets

Kind of a punch clock workout nothing ground breaking at all but there will add up, just have to keep it going up. I will smoke 715 or more next meet on the DL

Your LAZY and thank goodness.

Get the picture people. The body, the human organism itself as a whole is LAZY. Even more shocking the fact it is lazy is the greatest gift we can have.




Being lazy is the whole reason we can progress, it is the sole reason we adapt, it is why our limbs are generally leaner then our more proximal areas of the body. Once you grasp this fact it will answer near all your questions on why you are, or are not, making the progress you want.

The bodies sole goal for you in all honesty is to live, to live long enough to procreate, and then its done its done with you. It's goal is not for you to get huge, get lean, break records, have the mental capacity of Albert Einstein. Its wants life to be as easy as it can be. This is why fat is stored on your trunk and not your limbs, The body doesn't want to move around big heavy limbs all day, that’s work. It would rather store it at your center of gravity. Its the sole progress when we train on a consistent basis. It's not do to the fact that your body wants to get jacked, look hot, and break records. Your progress comes from consistently hard work.

You get an initial soreness, your body saying HEY! don’t do that again, that was hard, and HURT!. If you step up again and again doing that same activity with consistency then the body has NO choice. It adapts and progresses, again not o make you strong or sexy but to make your new current level of activity easy. The body wants to have the ability of making any activity you do on a regular basis as easy on it as possible, its lazy and doesn’t want to have to exert its capacity to a high level.

Your body wants those fat stores. You’re body would be perfectly happy if you sat on your butt, collected well fair ate government cheese, watching Jerry Springer, and crapping out as many children as you can. In reality the life of many in the American society as we know it, octamom etc., is the ultimate Dream of the human body.

Arm yourself with that knowledge. The fact that we are a lazy organism. Use it to your advantage. Find a joy and passion in every trying to increase your box. The box that’s defines you, mental, physical and emotional. Use nature to your advantage, and aim to do something more in this life then what your body wants.

If you want to be smart you must seek education, to be fast you must RUN, to be strong you must lift, to be skinny you must eat less and to be huge you must EAT large, and for all of them you must do it on a consistent, LONG term basis. It wont happen overnight it takes effort.

You are and always will be lazy, It's up to you to convince your body of the level of laziness you expect and can accept from it to meet your goals.

Training 7/27/09

July 27th 2009
Bench day

1A) BB bench
Bar x 10
95 x10
135 x10
185 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 3
315 x 1
340 x 1 things feeling slow today elbows a bit tender
370 x 1 x 5 sets some fast some slow
375 x 1
315 x 4
Good all in all up 5 lbs from last week and none of them felt particularly heavy just slow and again no shoulder pain!!!

A few were wobbly as hell with no hand off but just had to get it under control

1B) DB Bent Over Rows
40 x 10
50 x 10
70 x 10
80 x 5
90 x 5
100 x 5
110 x 3 x 8 sets

DB Press
90 x 15
80 x 15
70 x 15
blast strap rows
Band pull aparts 3 sets
Band curls high rep 3 sets

Alex and Bas Last session

Until their trip in January

tire, bench, log, rack pulls

Training 7/25/09

July 25th 2009
Squat
Using wraps loose again, knees are feeling better then they have in a LONG time and want o keep the healing up. Just taking it slow and getting solid work in,.

Didnt sleep good but feel good today no pain just good

Bar x some
135 x 10
225 x 5
315 x 3 x 2 add wraps on #2
Wow was getting down to a 12 inch box with no pain at all that’s low for me
405 x 3
455 x 1
495 x 2 (second one I shifted out of the groove sat back and almost fell on my butt lol, the weight felt light though
525 x 1 x 5 Nice the first one I paused and made harder then it should be but these went well

Squat ( no wraps to 12 inch box)
335 x 5 x 2 sets

Front Squat to 12 inch box
335 x 5
Just did that for shits and giggles I havent front squatted in along while felt good even after all the other stuff

Reverse hyper
3 sets

High step ups just left leg
3 sets

Good day all in all and fun training environment all around I am very pleased at my healing progress

Training 7/24/09

July 24th assistance day, just get the work done

EDT DB OH press 60 lb DB’s/ Wide Grip Pull downs stack + red band (doing pull downs to not aggravate shoulder)
Total 73 reps

Edt for arms 15 minutes
DB curls 25lbs and push downs 70lbs total 101 reps just getting blood flow, right arm is still a bit weaker then the left and I use the back much more on that side

Band pull aparts
Band flys
Band ex rotations
Band wood choppers
Lat raise
Scap depression
3 sets 10 each

me after blowing Distal Biceps tendon early 2007 not happy times was very drugged this is the day of surgery

Christopher Drummond and I talking shop..

I've got something a little different for you here today! It's an audio recording of world-class powerlifter and Staley Sponsored athlete Christopher Drummond and myself talking shop... we cover topics like:

• Training Through Injuries...
• Breaking Plateaus...
• Sticking to it year after year...
• What strategies, if any, do you employ to avoid injury?
• Building a big neck...
  

This MP3 recording is packed with great information - you can listen to it directly off the site here or save it to your computer and listen to it whenever (or even on your MP3 player).

Click the graphic below to begin listening immediately or
right-click on the graphic and choose "Save Target As"
to download the MP3 file to your computer
to listen to later.

Originally posted on Staley Training Systems

Alex and Bas Session 3

another great, informational, and fun day

Iron Radio with Guest Ben Hartman

EVENT: Iron Radio with Guest Ben Hartman
TOPIC = "The presence (if any) of bodybuilding in modern fitness centers"
DATE & TIME: Friday, July 24th at 2:00pm Eastern
FORMAT: Simulcast! (Attend via Phone or Webcast -- it's your choice)
TO ATTEND THIS EVENT, CLICK THIS LINK NOW...
http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=8360256
As Well Visit http://IronRadio.org for past episodes and other great pod
casts.


It's going to be a great show and remember we are all about audience participation. Go enter questions NOW!! at the link above then you can listen real time enter more or come back and listen to the recording to see if your question was answered. Questions can be on anything , the topic, for the guest or any of the hosts.

If your coming to the event after the fact listen in now to the replay.

Cheers

Intra Abdominal Pressure

Training 7/22/09

July 22nd

DL training. Going to give the back a bit more prior to going to the floor heavy and some of the best progress I have made on my DL of late was three weeks in the rack then one from the floor so why not.

DL (wombat) from floor
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 3
405 x 2
495 x 1 x 2
585 x 1 x 2
The right glute ham tie in still tender from like a month and a half it makes it impossible to fire the glute/ham on the right side hard when the weight gets to 585 or so, so I rise at the hip and use much more low back and left side. The weight feels light but slow. Ned to get he worked out, its some kind of knot

DL rack pulls from below knee wombat style no straps
585 x 1
675 x 1
725 x 1
765 x 1
Conventional rack pull from below knee
675 x 1 x 2

Snatch grip SLDL
405 x 5 x 4 4 sets

Clean pulls 315 x5 x 4sets

Step ups just left leg 5 sets
Great progress here much improved on how hard that leg can fire!

Troy, Gene, Alex and Bas also had some great training session Gene's first session back since the meet we'll get things rolling Alex and Bas had a second sesion Troy back roiling after the move. I have to practice the no hand clean so I can beat Charles in it LOL

the photo below is post workout dinner, Ill add a video later once youtube wakes back up






.

Day One For Alex and Bas

Great first day for clients from the Netherlands. were going to achieve some great things over the next week. Charles and I really layed it on them for session one and got he bench and squat started correct. We will let hem digest this and revisit it again later in the stay and push things further and really start to set a mental trend in place.

Training 7/20/09

July 20th 2009
Bench day
I feel damn good knees haven’t felt his good since??? Little tired today but good.

1A) BB bench working on set ups etc changing footing on almost every set
Bar x 10
95 x10
135 x10
185 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 3
315 x 1 feeling slow today
340 x 1
365 x 1 x 5 sets
370 x1
375 x 1
380 x nope LOL But I don’t mind as I did 7 sets prior heavy starting at the 90% range for me and I had NO shoulder pain which is good. I am going to slowly work up getting solid singles next week Il start at 370 and want o get where I can hit 405 fatigued as hell and then 405 for the starting singles etc. as usual it was my long arms / triceps that failed me just ran out of gas and breath

1B) BBB Bent Over Rows
135 x10
225 x5 x 2sets
275 x 5 some slight elbow pain today going low rep and strict
315 x 3 x 10 sets strict

blast strap push ups 3 sets
Blast strap rows 3 sets
Band pull aparts 3 sets
Band curls high rep 3 sets

The video it the 5 sets at 365 and then the 370, 375, and 380

Gene Lawerence's Meet 7/18/2009

I first met Gene just about ten months ago when he came to train with Charles and I at the Bed and Barbell. From that day on its been all down hill :) Gene is a stud at any age but a true inspiration at the age of 69 for what he has been able to accomplish since finding the joy of training and nutrition at a later age. From day one we were pushing him to compete and he just fell in love, caved in and became a national record holder in his age and weight call at his first meet in February. Then topped his bench presses by 30 lbs just weeks ago before decided at the last minute he wanted to compete and have me coach him to the meet below.

Lean Gene the deadlifting machine and I headed out Friday afternoon for his third meet in ever and all in the last 6 months. This was to be Gene's last meet as a spring chicken at the age of 69. His last chance to build on his records set in the 65-69 age class before he turns 70 in 3 weeks.

Man did we have a blast and did Gene ever kick Butt. He went in and broke state records in both the deadlift and bench, as well as HUGE personal meet records of 360 and 205 (just narrowly missing 255) in the dead and bench respectively. As well I haven’t smiled and laughed so much in years from the start of the trip through them meet and to the end which you can se in the video documentary below.



Thanks Gene. You are a pleasure to train and train with, to coach in meets and just generally be around. Your a dear friend and an inspiration. I have no doubt we will be shattering more records together for years to come.

Fitness Worldwide: Explained

The world of fitness as we know it has grown immensely with the advent of the Internet. The fitness knowledge that used to be shared by fellow gym rats, team mates or possibly a region, is now out there for the world to see. If one wants to find information on any type of fitness regime or nutrition protocol they are merely a Google search away from thousands of pages that will fill your need.

However, even in this day of shared training and nutritional wisdom via the interwebz, we yet have a tendency to get blinded by ourselves, or the latest crazes, and tend to get in our clicks or groups as fitness enthusiasts and even as coaches. It’s natural that we tend to gravitate to those of like mind, and we always will. We will always as well then try to reach out to others and bring them into our fold. “Come to the Dark Side Luke”

The problem is that this safe closet we are in can also be holding us back if we allow it; if we don’t reach out. One of the greatest things we can do for ourselves is yes, keep our formed opinions, but be open enough to view and learn what others are doing - to learn from them - grow from them. We need to reach out to take into our fold, not only their followers we convert to our obviously superior methods, but their own methodology that through our openness and education we may find useful and be able to expand our own knowledge base.

It is with this in mind that I start this series. A series of interviews that I hope will allow us as a whole, as coaches, trainers, and fitness enthusiasts, to expand our knowledge of the real state of the core worldwide fitness industry at a grass roots level. We'll take a look at the fitness industry from the eyes that are in it - not those making it - but using and living it. We will not be conducting the usual interview with well known coaches, athletes, and trainers but with that of your everyday fitness enthusiast or gym rat. Not the person who created the training or nutritional program you see in the ads or read the testimonials about, but the person who made the transformation, took those pictures for Johnny Trainers break through eBook, or Coach Happy Pant’s new DVD.

This will be a series to let us start at the foundation, and talk to people from across the globe. We will interview them about their personal triumphs in this game of iron and fork, and their view of the fitness and nutrition industry on a general level from the land they live in. We'll take an in-depth look at the state of fitness and nutrition for the population that surrounds them, and one that we may have a guess of its habits, but no clear knowledge.

I aim to give us a glimpse of what’s really taking place in training and nutrition at the gen pop level across the globe. From Calcutta to Croatia, from Bali to Berlin, it’s a global market and knowledge bank now. The first step to reaching any market, or learning from it, is to know what is at its foundation. Without that base knowledge, it’s like trying to make it to your ending point using a map that clearly defines your destination, but without a clue of where you are starting from. I am going to give us a clear point A by building a global library of spots with each installment from the words of a fitness and nutrition enthusiast living it.

Look for the first installment of this new series next week and if you are a person living anywhere aside from the continental USA and Canada, or know someone who does that doesn’t work in the fitness industry but is an enthusiast, please drop me a line to Phil@staleytraining.com

Squat Redemption 7/16/09

Nothing ground breaking but just wanted to go in and get a lot of reps and used to the knee wraps

just got a lot of reps in at 405 and 455 and didn't fall on my face sitting back. they were slow but very easy and the kicker is literally zero knee or hip pain with the wraps on.

I was very happy and surprised at he lack of hip pain / tightness just from knee wraps as thats aconstant battle of mine with the rebuilt pevic bone and leg!

Ill push these abit more a week from saturday. This was it until monday taking off to go with and coach Lean Gene the Deadlifting machine to a meet in Prescott Saturday.

Training 7/15/2009

Wednesday July 15th

DL day decided to squat to as I am going away this weekend

Rack Pull below knee
135 x5
225 x5
315 x 5
405 x 5
495 x 5
585 x 1
675 x 1
725 x1
765 x1 add straps easy
825 x not today
765 x 1
Not bad was hoping to go for the 825 which would have been aPR but just didn’t have it, not bad considering last week I couldn’t pick of 585 if I wanted to from same spot feel much better still not used to DLing on Wednesday evenings

Squat
Bar x 2 sets
135 x5
225 x5
315 x 1 x 2
405 x1
495 x1 x 3
405 x1
405 x1 and a crazy as backward fall

That was insane about killed myself LOL been over a year since I put knee wraps on and I am not used to it, blew two squats 495 on a second and one was crazy one at 405 went flying backwards do to my hips breaking at the usual speed but the knee's of course not the weight got unexpectedly in front of me. These will take a bit of practice and patients going to get some reps in tomorrow wish we got it on video.

I am going to try and get in the gym tomorrow and do some squats to get used to them

Training 7/13/09

July 13th

I am going back to one simple basic hard pressing day a week then the other day will be light assistance just get the work in. I progress better and its bete for the shoulder so any OH pressing will be assistance in the 8-10 rep ranges or higher and shoulder, arm and back assistance high rep.

In short GREAT 1st day back

Training
Bench day

1A) BB bench
Bar x 10
95 x10
135 x10
185 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 3
315 x 1
335 x 1
345 x 1
355 x 1
365 x 1
370 x1 slow
375 x1 Snappy smoked this pretty much best this has felt
335 x3
I need a lift off but was starting to get my setup better and tighter some were AWESOME others OK the 370 was slow the 375 smoked it stopped there and Ill progress from there that’s a PR for that much work to that prior

1B) DB rows
30 x10
40 x10
50 x10
70 x10
80 x10 x 10
50 x 25

DB Bench 80 x 15 x 3 sets
Band pull aparts 3 sets
Band curls high rep 3 sets
KB swings 3 sets

I felt GOOD back is getting a bit better hope by Wednesday its good to go will most likely train Thursday brief rack pulls Il be away this weekend coaching Geno at a meet Saturday so wont train

Training July 11th 2009

Squat Deload
everything a bit sore knees hips and mainly low back

Wall ball x 3 sets

Back squat
bar a 2 sets
135 x 2 sets
225 x 2 sets
315 x 1 x 17 sets
just 55% or so working on making these feel easy greese the groove try and loosen stuff up

GM's x a few

DB OH press
25 x 20 x 4 sets

Band pull downs a few sets of a few

SLDL round back just working on getting low back some blood
200 x 3 sets of some
120kg x 1
150kg x 1
170kg x 1

all felt light and easy

Training deload

well deload came a week early listen to the body wednesday and took my next week deload this week

went in today while training a client in clean and back squats and did some light OH presses and pull overs and a few cleans, did my first no hand clean as well just had some fun, legs feel OK I am tired and weight is coming back

Ill squat some tomorrow and do a bit more high rep light upper body stuff and come back swinging new week

4 Things That Piss Me Off!

I’m not one to get pissed off easily, and definitely not one to write about being pissed. I try and make everything I write about as focused on the positive as I can. Yes, I’m intense when it comes to training and life in general, but intense doesn’t automatically mean pissed or angry. All in all I am pretty laid back and understanding. If someone wants to do something stupid, so be it, it's their life to screw up. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to let stuff get to you constantly. If I let everything that I don’t agree with piss me off then I’d be in a perpetual enraged state 24 hours a day and not get a thing of my own done due to constantly being worried about what others are doing.

That said, being pissed at times is natural; it happens, and should happen. If you're never pissed, then much like hate and love, you aren’t living. Pissed goes hand in hand with happiness; you have to have one to get the other, to know what the other is. Or maybe your living in some kind of emotionless bubble created by new age pharmaceuticals.

So, I’ve just for some reason been thinking about being pissed of late. What does piss me off? What makes me shake my head and say, what the hell are you thinking? I started to compile a nice long list of things like goalless people, vegans, midgets, horses, and…. Laughingly none of that really pisses me off. I may not agree with some of those things in totality ( I’ll let you all figure out which ones those are) but that’s OK, they don’t piss me off. In reality my list is pretty short. I narrowed it down to the following four, and who knows, maybe these will change...

#1 Above all, the thing that is going to get me pissed is something that affects those I care about in a negative way. I couldn't really care less what the hell you do with your life. Again its your life to live and ruin. Go do whatever the hell you want as long as it has no effect on those I care about and choose to share my oxygen on this earth with, or myself. You do something to disrupt them or me, then ya, I'll be pissed!

#2 This one really gets to me as well. I can ignore it a lot but then you get those that just won't leave it alone and won't shut up. People that bitch and moan about their lack of “something", and then don’t do a damn thing to fix it. Usually they are blaming their lack of something, or the reason they have something they don’t desire on someone else. I don’t care what you have or don't have be it money, strength, a job. You have no one to blame but yourself. The only thing you really have control of over in this life is you. If you don’t have something or don’t like something you do have or that is happening to you, ACT! Fix it! Don’t sit there on your ass thinking your pissing and moaning about it is going to fix it! Or more so, don't ask me to help you fix it if you don’t want to show some initiative first to put your own lazy ass in action.

#3 I suppose this kind of goes hand in hand or is part of the one above, but it's my list and I am going to give it its own due attention. Spineless people. Weak willed people who wont stand up for what they believe in. They have harsh opinions until they are questioned on them, or made to back them up and then they back down crawling away crying or will change their tune. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Bullshit. Quit being a pussy and stand up for yourself. I don’t care if we agree or disagree that happens and is always will. I may be perfect but that doesn’t mean everyone is blessed enough to realize it, and I can't blame them for that... LOL! Just please know your opinions and stand up for them. Don’t fold at the first sign of opposition no matter who it is. You hopefully took years to form strong educated opinions, don’t fold in seconds. Oddly enough these are usually the same people that seem to be the most pissed all the time and the most to blab and waste our time about trying to push their personal agenda on others. Yhea they piss me off.

#4 People that ask for advice, for my time, but they really deep down don’t want my opinion. People that ask for help but what they really want is me to tell them what they already believe is right. They just want to be assured so they can feel all warm and fuzzy in what they already believe is right.

Don’t waste my time. I am going to tell you what I believe, and what I know works from real world experience for the problem that you're asking about. If you don't want that, then don't ask! And for damn sure don’t get pissed at me for telling you what I believe. Your the one that asked. If you know what you want me to tell you, save me the time and tell me what you want to hear. I may just laughingly do it and get a kick out of it even if its completely asinine, just out of respect for you being so upfront and not wasting my time like so many others.

Better yet, if you want and believe something you already now is right, then damn it, believe it! Put it to action and make it happen; don’t look for reassurance. You don’t and shouldn’t need reassurance from me or anyone. If you do your questioning yourself and the actions you're about to attempt, you’ve already lost. By asking for outside validation you’ve already failed before you even started.

The mind is a powerful tool. So ask me questions, I LOVE to help people. I even feel I have a lot to share, but don’t waste my time if you don’t want to hear what I have to say. You don't have to use it, but don’t reject it as wrong because its not what your preconceived notion was that you wanted to hear, or without ever personally trying it.

In this I set out to make a short list of the most prevalent things that come to my mind that piss me off, and that’s what I came up with. I think they are solid, and NO I’m not asking for your permission, or reassurance to that fact. I am just laying these out there as I think it’s healthy to do this from time to time. It’s much the same as stepping back and evaluating any of your own opinions, be it what pisses you off, training and nutrition, or general life issues. Take those opinions and things you know to be fact and prior to turning the scope of them on others, turn the scope inward on yourself. From time to time look at yourself, who you are, and your actions from an outside point of view to make sure you aren’t, yourself, doing something that would turn you red mad or cause you to go against what you believe is true or progressive. Sometimes you just might be - we all screw up. By checking yourself, you can give yourself a smack and straighten yourself out before someone else rightly has to. So what pisses you off? More importantly, do you piss you off?

Originally Published On Staley Training .com

Soft Tissue Work July 9th 2009

OUCH!!!!! Jay your a bad bad man!!

I got some sift tissue work done on my legs which have been killing me, specifically my right leg. The knee and glute ham tie in. Jay Bell went to work had me crying and wrenching in pain breaking up fused fascia, and calcium deposits on my meniscus which he ID'd as some of my knee probs as its been torn probably a few times etc..

Man talk about painful but lets hope it helped. I cant expect a total miracle in one session, I am sure I need more and I need to start hitting things with some deep tissue work even daily and likely some mobility work on the left leg. Jay is going to chew some people brains on nerve damage and activation to see what I can possibly do for the left leg to wake it up.

Thanks Jay, if anyone needs some work done, has questions etc, I cant recommend him or Patrick Ward enough both are great young starts in the fields of soft tissue work.

Breakfast, Great People, and Anti Chaffing Products

Another's great start to a great day. Good food good people.

I couldnt get Kenny to slow down from shoveling Jules Pancakes in his mouth long enough to take a still pic











Look she tried to get her pancake back and got injured

You DONT get a limb between the KJ and his food



Then !! the highlight of the morning!!! Charles got me a present. I am loved it takes a strong, caring individual to buy another man some anti red ass powder!!!

Thanks Big guy just what I needed.

July 8th Training

July 8th DL day

Unplanned deload and I need it,

Was planning rack pulls below the knee up to 820lbs got to 405 and it felt like 700lbs 495 felt like 800 called it did a few reverse hypers and some abs and just joked the others guys training.

OH I cleaned 100kg cold LOL that wasn’t smart but did it

that’s it.

I am getting some much needed soft tissue work done tomorrow.

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My Best Power Rack List is Up Here

Mobility work in Pool

Swimming pool mobility work and such

I am having fun with this and think it will help.

It really smoked the left hip but I get out feeling good. just lots of glute work, body weight explosive squat jumps in the pool and trying to go wider and get depth or lower and since it's not full body weight the pain on the hip is very minimal discomfort. Also doing various upper body motions just o aid recover and shoulder health and it being 3000 degrees out its a nice way to get outside in the sun and not melt.

I had to do it and found a goal to aim for which will keep me going back. If I dont have a gola with things I dont tend to stick to them even if they make me feel better I have to have soemthing tangible to reach for. Thats why I always quit such mobility and recovery work.

So my aim is to be able to stand on the first step of the pool and squat down in a bit wider then shoulder width stance and be able to touch my butt to the second step. Right now I can get about 3 inches away from it before I am bound up tight like a spring pulling my self down.

That will be a good goal for me and very low, once I get that I can set a new goal

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You can see my list here

July 6th 2009 Training

International Bench day

1A) Bench
Bar x 10
95 x 10
135 x 10
185 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 3
315 x 1
345 x 2,1,2,1,1,1 stopped early on these due to elbows and shoulder searched for something pain free
315 x 1
275 x 3
275 with foam x 1
315 partial pin press x 1
225+ foam x 15

I am stopping pull ups, I stopped them and in a short time had no more elbow pain and shoulder pain went away. I’ve been easing back in to them and each week elbows are getting worse now pain on all pressing and rowing moves after just three easy weeks of them the payback is not worth the pain they give me which sucks as they are a great move. Maybe in the future when I decided to go down in weight

The elbow pain at about half way down gets Bad and that causes me to flair the elbows and then that starts causing the shoulder to hurt it’s a big cycle that I think starts with the pull ups

2B) Rope rows
stack x 10
Stack + red band x 17 sets


4 sets of the following
Band pull aparts
Band flys
Band ex rotations
farmer side bends and grip work

that’s it OK session wish I would have not had the pain and could have done my pressing, next two pressing session will be low load high volume

July 4th 2009 Training

Squat training

I started trying to get the glute and ham loose an hour before every one showed up lots and lots of body weight squats and such I felt good just the glute and ham soreness

So Lots of body weight stuff

Squats
Bar x 5 x 3sets
135 x 5 x 2sets
225 x 3 x 3 sets
315 x 3 x 2 sets
405 x 1 x 3 sets
455 x 1
495 x 1 x 4 sets these were OK

-everything was feeling heavy prob due to the hard DL day and that glute needs to get loosened up and heal I stayed there and just dropped downs to work on depth and speed I need to get speed back now that the knees feel better that’s what it stopping me from getting up near 600 and then above but I took what I had today and worked hard cant complain

Also trying to get stance a bit wider which makes me have problems hitting depth I can only go so wide the bones bind in the left leg that’s reconstructed but if a can even get a few inches wider it will help if I can get the hip to cooperate it will take time.

Speed squats with tendo
385 x 1 x 6 reps

Squats
315 x5 x 5
Trying to get the left leg to fire more and get fast in the bottom hit the depth

Just lots of squatting today

Reverse hyper with just left leg
5 sets

Ball sit ups
3 sets

An OK day for me an some great training by Kim "The Polish Express", Cowboy Gene, and Troy "The Fiery Canolli", happy independence day all

July 3rd 2009 Training

OH press day

Warm up some body weight squats, band pulls and presses

1A)Log Strict Press
90 x 5
140 x 5
180 x 3
220 x 1
230 x 1
240 x1 x 2 sets
250 x 1 x 3 sets
Not bad for strict pressing a 12 inch log its coming along

1B) Chins
Bw x 3 x 10 sets
Bumped it to 3 reps this week they were easy and mainly no real should pain wasn’t quite right but no pain, hands hurt like a big dog from the Dling Wednesday

Assistance stuff lots of band stuff for arms shoulders and back high rep get some blood flow
that’s it.

Seeking and Accepting Mediocrity as Excellence!

The road to an all around lowered baseline. I recently had a discussion on my facebook page that caused quite the response so I thought it warranted further discussion here.

The discussion began as my simple note of the ever-growing number of people/clients with eating disorders, i.e., bulimia or anorexia. Also, the increase seems more so in young men/boys than in young women (who oddly may be taking the opposite route and getting larger). I also suggested there appears to be a lack of desire in people to want to put in the work, or even desire, to carry around an above average amount of lean mass and strength. The desire for men to be masculine, or masculine simply as an acceptable trait (by the majority) seems to have passed. That the large, the strong, the “men”, are truly a dying breed today.

To clarify, in my original statement I was not knocking on people whom have a healthy relationship with training and nutrition and are meeting their goals of getting crazy lean, ripped, or shredded - that's all good. I am talking about a growing population of people who have a real fear of body fat; a fear of adding any, a fear of athleticism, of work and a fear of waking up one day - HUGE. There appears to be a striving by young men to stay boys, and not progress into men.

Like most great discussions this did not stagnate, but evolved to greater issues. It moved on to a discussion about how “the masses have truly settled for an occasional glimpse of mediocrity!” (Shawn Phillips www.fullstrength.com)

Sadly, like Kalle Beck added, most girls these days on average, outweigh, and can outperform their boyfriends.

That’s all good, and I am all for women being empowered and kicking ass, but even if we take this to a simple, primal, hormonal level this is impossible without an asserted effort put in to make it the norm, as opposed to the occasional genetic exception.

Shawn Phillips is exactly right; it’s more a desire and a huge push to be LESS. There’s a constant focus on deprivation and subtraction instead of a focus on the positives of growth and advancement; an actual defiance of your natural inclination to grow and mature. An ignorance that this early self imposed inhibition of your natural ability to grow, to build, get strong, will in and of itself remove the negative (body fat) by default and in a positive instead of negatively focused way.

The real problem however I think is like Shawn pointed out; it’s more than a fear of fat, a fear of growth, and maturity, and more a problem of the actual desire and goal of this generation to be less than they could be; a goal to hold themselves back from what they are able to do with little effort versus what they could accomplish if they were to strive to excel.

When did this happen? Why did this happen? Can we fix it, and how? When did it become unacceptable to show some desire, inner and outer strength, to reach more then you and others may think possible?

My friend Julie Watkins chimed in on this discussion and her recap of a recent viewing of the new movie, Twightlight with her young daughter. I can’t help but think it’s largely media driven like much of everything else is, but when and why? When did we get this shift where we as people, are measured not on our personal, mental and physical growth, to being measured on how much we can avoid it?

If you take the time to look, kids, young adults, are more revered by their peers for their ability to avoid hard work and achievement. These underachievers are put on a pedestal for how much outside product, “material goods,” they can obtain with as little mental, physical, and emotional work, stress, and growth they can put in. It’s the kid that has gained the ability to exist, to live as a zit on the ass of life, just along for the ride that gets the most accolades. WHY?

I can’t help but know that this seeking and accepting of mediocrity and flat out underachievement as excellence today is simply a hard road to an all around lowered baseline, in our world, our country, and our lives on all fronts. A personal, physical, spiritual, and governmental down spiral. We need to demand it back somewhere, somehow. Leading by example and passing it on of course; but WE, those who have a love, a desire, and passion for growth, advancement, and joy of hard work and what it brings us need to again become the majority, or we will go the way of the dinosaur. I dread seeing that world - a world full of existence, but with a lack of life.

Originally Published On StaleyTraining.com

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Fat burners of some sort or the other have been used for decades. People always have and always will look for that magic pill, the easy way out. That is why I start with this disclaimer: Not ONE of these products, or any fat loss product should be used unless you have your nutrition and an exercise program nailed down tight. You should be losing weight prior to using a product or you are NOT putting in work needed to sustain this long term and make it habit -- a life style. Then, and only then, a supplement should be added as an aid to help you lose more fat mass, preserve lean mass, give you energy to make it through the day, and suppress those hunger pangs. With that said. This list is comprised of is what I, my clients, and those I train and train with find as the best bang for the buck. The top products that will get you ready and raring to go to that new you that you know is hidden under that layer of fat.

See the list here

July 1 2009 Training

Deadlift Day

I am not feeling great right glute is very sore liked knotted up you can se it makes me raise at the hip from pain to lay off the glute and use my hams and back in stead, plane was to go up to 630 fast and hit singles, well I got her but Everything was a struggle and very slow today all things considered it was a productive training session. I worked hard

Squat warm up
Bar x 10
135 x 5 x 2sets
225 x 5 x 2 sets

I tested anew preworkout supplement today, BAD!!!! Idea, I was shaky, cold sweats, not calm and focused stomach not stabile all that and add the fact I already felt slow and a bit beat up. Some others may like that not Me.


Deadlift
225 x 2
315 x 1 x 3
405 x1 x 2
495 x1
585 x 1 x 3 sets
630 x 1 x 5 sets

These were nearly SLDL’d but I got the work in

Step ups just left leg,
3 sets

My glute hurts, it’s a hell of a knot. Not like an injury just an ache like knot no sign of injury.
I am much better training in the AM but I am much better at Dling then squatting that’s why I moved squat to my sat morning session and DL here Il stick to that. If I can do these late in the day I can do more in the AM.