-- I'm really starting to dislike kettlebells. And they are overpriced. There are a few exercises you can do with them that you can't do with a dumbbell but those exercises really aren't that great anyway. Sure, if you run a training business and take a few kettlebells to the beach with your clients that's all well and good but there is really no need for them in a well equipped training facility. And they are not "functional" and do not build a "more athletic looking physique."
-- Speaking of functional, functional training still sucks. Here's what you have to do to get ready for football season- squat, dead, bench, military press, row, chin, shrug, repeat. Do your football specific speed and conditioning work on top of this and you're good to go. Single leg crap on a wobble board and any other kind of pussy exercise that is not a variation of those I listed is pretty much useless. Do you really think that all these little cute muscle activation drills and unstable exercises do anything?
-- Next to "blog," core is the gayest word in the world. I beg all fitness professionals to stop using this term immediately. And "core" training is nonsense. Like I said, squat, deadlift and military press. Your core will be pretty stable from those. Add in strongman training like farmers walks, throw in your sprints and plyos and other full body type training and I think your "core" is more than taken care of. Everyone I have ever seen specialize in "core" training and doing all those nancy boy exercises can usually squat a massive 185 at best.
-- Whoever came up with the idea that this is the proper way to write a workout obviously failed first grade:
A1) Bench press
A2) Bent over row
That is not how you write an outline!!! Didn't you learn that in elementary school??? Why are so many people doing this? It is completely ass backwards and wrong! Dave Tate was the first to point this out to me years ago and I thought, "Man, how could I ever be so stupid?" You know how? Because I am that stupid. But there are many people who seem to be more intelligent than me who are still doing this. Please stop it now.
When Dave pointed this out to me I immediately emailed five close friends and colleagues of mine who are big names in the fitness industry. I am proud to say that since that day none of them have ever made that mistake again.
For the final time, in case your first grade teacher didn't tell you this, here is how you write an outline: The number goes first and then the letter. Thus...
1A) Bench press
1B) Bent over row
-- What are people proving with one to two hour assessments? I talked to my good buddy Alwyn Cosgrove yesterday for an hour or so and this was one of the topics we discussed and agreed on. If you train high school or college athletes here is the assessment- they walk in and shake your hand. You now know all you need to know. They are most likely too weak, too inflexible and their diet sucks. You want specifics? They have weak posterior chains and upper backs. Their hip flexors and hamstrings are tight. They don't eat often enough and much of it is junk food. And they need to build muscle or lose fat or both. That's all you need to know and like that bizarre looking chick said to weirdo Tom Cruise in Jerry Macguire, "You had (me) that at hello." Have you ever had a client who was too muscular, too fast, too lean and too flexible hire you? Exactly. So stop wasting peoples time and money.
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J
