- For the second weekend in a row I trained in a public gym. As far as public gym experiences go it actually wasn't too bad. I was training with my brother and my good friend Mark Crook, both of whom I haven't trained with in over a year so the motivation and energy was high. We actually had a great workout and I was able to block out the tv's surrounding and whatever was playing on the stereo.
- It's nice when public gyms keep the music low. This allows you to wear your headphones without having to turn it up so loud that you blow out your eardrums and have a headache for the next five hours after training. A gym I train clients at in New York isn't so kind and on the rare occasion that I trained there I screwed up my hearing for the entire day trying to drown out whatever hideous excuse for music they had blaring through the speakers.
- As far as machines go, the Hammer Strength row and pulldown pieces are pretty damn good. I have only used these a few times in my life and forgot how much I enjoyed using them. If you have them in your gym, I recommend giving them a try on occasion. They will never replace free weights but are a nice change of pace and give you a pretty sick pump...if you're into that kind of thing.
- I've said it before and I'll say it again; the most important factor is not what program you use, what supplements you use, how you train, when you train, what you train, BUT... WHO YOU TRAIN WITH. You can do HIT, Westside, bodypart splits, whatever. It doesn't matter if you are training in the wrong environment with the wrong people. You can use the best program in the world but if you don't have a good training partner or partners, your results will never be as good as they could be. You could also do the worst program in the world with a great training partner and you will get results. The environment and atmosphere is important but let's face it, hardcore gyms are few and far between these days. As long as you can find a good training partner or two you can get the job done at the freakin Ritz. I had a great workout in Chicago last weekend with my friends and colleagues John Alvino, Keith Scott and Craig Ballantyne in a way-too-pretty gym. It didn't matter though because we all competed and made it a great workout.
- If you train hard and with good training partners, you can't do high volume training. There is no need for it and you physically won't be capable of it.
- People consume way too much artificial crap. Living on butter sprays and nutra sweet flavored drinks isn't exactly healthy.
- Rock Star and vodka is way better than Red Bull and vodka. I made this discovery in Chicago last weekend and reinforced that opinion this weekend.
- For some reason the instructions "the wetter the better" or "as sloppy as possible" don't seem to always get through. I have decided to start saying "I want you and the whole scene down there to look like a sliming from Ghostbusters just took place." Hopefully that will get the message across.
- For years I wrestled with the fact that girls in their early 20's are so irresistibly hot yet usually don't really have much to say. It's part of the torture of my existence. And then this weekend I had an epiphany while tailgating and being surrounded by them for four hours. For the first time I finally realized that... girls in their early 20's are so irresistibly hot yet usually don't really have much to say. Life is good...
