Alwyn Cosgrove

Afterburn Testimonial

2009-07-11T08:56:00.000-07:00

"I've been following your Afterburn protocols for myself, and for the first time, I'm starting to lose the muffin top and get the rock'n hard abs I've always wanted and really strong, lean, and fit.

You're my hero. Seriously.

I met so many clueless trainers who told me "just do more cardio" and I tried it for years and years, running around like a gerbil on the treadmill, doing "toning" classes with a million leglifts, and now I'm working out less but far more intensely and am now the most fit I've been"

--Alexandra Smith

--
AC
PS - You can check out the Afterburn Program for yourself here:
=> Afterburn Fat Loss Training

8 weeks out!

2009-07-10T06:32:00.000-07:00

I've talked before about goal setting - choosing your own national qualifiers, national championships, international events and World championships - even if you are just training for aesthetics - or in your home gym, it seems that goals and deadlines are always helpful to keep you focused.

For the aesthetic only crowd - the next "event" is going to be Labor Day Weekend. Labor Day in the US is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer - it's the first Monday in September (this year the 7th), but the entire weekend is usually a big party weekend.

Today we are 8 weeks out. So let's step up the training and nutrition and try to peak for the last big weekend of the summer.

I find there are two primary types of clients that come to our gym - those that need motivation and accountability to get them to the next level -- and those that just plain need to be "Told what to do!". This is for the second group!

Step one: set a goal and PUT IT IN WRITING, and in the present tense (important). For example: "I am (insert a weight that is 16lbs leaner than you are today) and feeling great"

Step two: establish a plan of attack. My go-to fat loss assault is always based around metabolic resistance training and high intensity interval training (as featured in the Afterburn program)

But let's take it one step further and spell it out exactly what I want you to do for the next 4 weeks (this will be the basis of phase one of our new fat loss program that we have been testing this year at the gym and we will be releasing in the fall)

Day One: Strength Training

1: Lower body (e.g. deadlift) work up to 3 sets - 5 reps, 3 reps, then a single rep (5-3-1)
Then back the weight off and perform one set of ten reps.

Superset the following:
2A: Upper Body Push
2B: Upper Body Pull for 2 sets of 5 reps and then 1 set of 10 reps resting 60s between sets

3: Kettlebell Swing 2-3 sets of 10-20 reps, with half recovery

Entire workout should be around 30 mins.

Day Two: Metabolic
Use a metabolic resistance training program on the TRX (click on the names for an exercise video)

1A: TRX suspended lunge (with hop and knee drive)
1B: TRX Suspended Incline Press

2A: TRX single leg squat (each leg)
2B: TRX Atomic Push up

3A: TRX Sprinters Start
3B: TRX Single Leg Chest press

4A: TRX Hamstring Curls
4B: TRX Inverted Row

5A: TRX Hip Press
5B: TRX Power pull

6A: TRX Hamstring Bicycle
6B: TRX Swimmers Pull

Use a 2 x 45s on, 45s off interval split for this workout and finish with TRX curls, tricep pressdowns, side planks, pendulums and suspended crunches for one set of each. Entire workout should take around 36 mins.

Day Three:

Warm up for 5 mins and then perform 5 rounds of 60s at high intensity, followed by 120s at low intensity, with a 5 min cooldown (25 mins total). If you have time - eliminate the 5 min cooldown and just take a 5 mins rest before doing 30 mins of steady state cardio (at around 75% MHR). The entire workout is 25 mins of interval training, or 55 mins if you use the combination.

Day 4-6 (Repeat the above), but change the exercises on the strength training day.

Day 7: is a rest day although 30-45 mins recovery walking is never a bad idea.

Nutrition: We're going to follow the basic outline of Naked Nutrition.
But here's a basic outline for you - six meals per day, protein at each meal, alternating solid food and protein shakes for convenience (adjust calories up or down each week as necessary) with one serving of fruit or vegetables with each meal.

Follow this plan for the next four weeks and expect to see a nice change in body composition.

--
AC

Attn NSCA Members!!

2009-07-09T04:59:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the last day to vote for a new NSCA President!

Please go here and vote for John Graham:

www.nsca-lift.org/elections

---

My previous blog post:

It struck me this weekend that the membership of the NSCA (the National Strength and Conditioning Association) is made up overwhelmingly of practitioners - strength coaches, personal trainers, therapists, athletic trainers and gym owners.

Researchers have made up somewhere around a little under 1% of the membership.

However - these same researchers have made up close to 60% of the Presidents of the NSCA.

Does that seem like a disconnect to you? It does to me.

Which is why I am excited that my friend and co-speaker on the Perform Better tour - John Graham is running for NSCA presidency this year. He's the only practitioner running btw...

John is a coach. A practitioner. He's in the gym training clients and teams daily.
He recognizes the challenges that the rest of us in the field face on a daily basis. Something that I'm not sure researchers understand as they have their own challenges.

But in an organization made up overwhelmingly of "in the trenches" practitioners -- shouldn't we have an "in the trenches" practitioner representing us as opposed to another researcher? Shouldn't the direction of the organization be determined by the majority of it's members, as opposed to 1% of it's membership ?

If you are an NSCA member - I urge you to vote for John Graham for President in the upcoming NSCA elections.

www.nsca-lift.org/elections

--
AC

8 weeks with AC, JB and the TRX (Guest Blog)

2009-07-08T05:48:00.000-07:00

by Helen Kollias, June 10th, 2009.
Precision Nutrition

Back in January we asked for people interested in taking part in a particularly cool informal experiment. And boy were they interested! Within 24 hours we had more people than we knew what to do with and had to limit the number of participants to fewer than 150. We guess getting 8 weeks of training designed by Alwyn Cosgrove, JB, and Fraser Quelch was a big draw.The experiment compared the effectiveness of three similar, but distinct, different strength and conditioning programs for fat loss and overall fitness.

1. One was a strength program that also included steady state cardio: get on the treadmill at a given speed and go for 30-45 minutes.

2. One was a strength program that also included interval training (aka high intensity interval training or HIIT): get on the treadmill and run really fast, take a short break, and repeat for a given number of rounds.

3. And the final group was a strength program that also used suspension training (aka TRX training) as part of their conditioning work. Don’t know what suspension training is? Well, read on.

In this study, we asked three questions. Which of these three programs:

-would most effectively improve performance?

-would most effectively promote weight loss?

-would people find most fun, and thus, stick with the longest?

Methods

The testing
We compared the programs based on two indicators: body weight and performance.

Assessing body weight was easy: Participants simply recorded their weight once a week during the study. By the end of the study we had 9 body weight measurements to compare from week 0 to the end of week 8.

Measuring performance was a little more intensive. Before the study began, and after it ended, everyone did the following five performance tests:

1. Maximal push-up test: You’ve probably done this at some point in your life and it’s pretty straightforward. After a 5 minute warm-up, use a 2″ sponge or yoga block as a depth marker and do as many consecutive push ups as you can. Start with the arms in full extension, descend to the depth marker, and extend back up. This counts as one repetition. Do as many as you can without resting. Once you’re finished, record your number.

2. Inverted row test: With your feet elevated on a Swiss ball, box, or bench and your arms gripping a barbell or Smith machine bar, do as many inverted rows as you can. Start with your arms fully extended, pull up until your chest touches the bar, and extend back down. This counts as one repetition. Do as many as you can without resting. Once you’re finished, record your number.

3. Standing broad jump test: Choose an open area and using a countermovement knee bend, jump as far forward as you can, going for maximum distance. Start with two practice jumps, aiming for about 80% of your maximum distance. Then, on your third jump, give it your all. Have someone mark where you landed and measure the distance from where your toes started to where they landed.

4. Treadmill V-max test: Perform this one on a treadmill. Begin by running at 7-9 mph (choose 7 if you’re not a very good runner and 9 if you’re a good runner) and 0% elevation. Every minute, increase the elevation by 1%. Continue this until you simply can’t continue running. Go to complete exhaustion. (Flying off the back of the treadmill counts as complete exhaustion.) Once you’re finished, record the speed and elevation at which you stopped. These numbers represent your V-max.

5. Treadmill T-max test: On another day, after a 5 minute warm-up run, set the treadmill to your V-max (speed and elevation recorded above). Run as long as you can. Go to complete exhaustion again. Once you’re finished, record the total time you lasted. This represents your T-max.

Thus at the end of the study we had before/after body weight measures as well as before/after performance changes to compare between groups for the entire 8 week study.

The three groups and their workout programs
We split our participants up into 3 groups:

1. A steady state cardio group

2. A sprint interval group

3. A TRX conditioning group

All three groups did the same strength training program, designed by Alwyn Cosgrove, which consisted of 2 days of strength training per week. Every 4 weeks, the strength workouts changed.

After that, our groups diverged. So, everybody (all groups) did exactly the same strength workouts, but the conditioning workouts were different.

1. Steady state cardio = 2 weight training workouts, 2 steady state cardio sessions per week

2. Sprint interval = 2 weight training workouts, 2 interval sessions per week

3. TRX conditioning = 2 weight training workouts, 2 TRX conditioning sessions per week

The conditioning workouts changed every 2 weeks.

Conditioning workouts were either about a half an hour of “steady state” aerobic conditioning, interval training or suspension circuit training. And all 3 groups got progressively harder workouts each week.

OK, we can hear the outrage now. You’re probably thinking that an half an hour of steady state doesn’t burn the same calories as interval or suspension training. So how can we compare?

Yes, it’s true that steady state doesn’t burn as much calories. But in real life, people usually go by how much time they have, not how many calories they want to burn. When was the last time you went to the gym and thought: “I only have time for 200 calories”? So we equated the conditioning workouts based on time, not on total calories burned.

For details and videos of each workout, check out these links below:

Steady state cardio

Sprint interval

TRX conditioning

Who was in the study?
On average, participants in all three groups were in their early to mid-thirties, although we had participants up to 70 years old (see table 1).

Table 1 – Average age (in years) of participants

	Male	Female	Combined
Steady state cardio N=17	35 +/- 6	34 +/- 11	35 +/- 9
Interval cardio N=23	36.8 +/- 8.	31.0 +/- 6.8	35.0 +/- 8.1
TRX group N=16	33.2 +/- 7.3	36.4 +/- 8.1	34.6 +/- 7.6

Note:
Once the participants were selected to participate in the study, they were matched and assigned to groups based on gender, age, weight and training experience. This meant that the groups were very similar to begin with, so any measured effects should be the result of the training intervention rather than individual differences.

Our participants had an average of 9 years’ exercise experience. These people knew their way around the gym.

A few more things…
We wanted to make sure that the results reflected the exercise program, not other factors. So we asked our participants to make a few sacrifices in the name of science.

First, although we didn’t have any dietary restrictions for the participants, we did ask anyone who was currently on a “bulking” diet (weight gaining diet) to exclude themselves from the study or modify their diet.

Second, the participants couldn’t do any other physical activities except activities required for everyday life (such as shovelling snow in February… or in April, for those of you living in Alberta).

Finally, anybody who had specific, short-term performance or body composition goals (such as a 5 k race or a figure competition) were discouraged from participating, as this program was a general, not a targeted, plan. And we wanted to measure what our intervention alone could do.

Study results

What happened: Weight loss
Interestingly, those in all three groups lost weight. Indeed, after 8 weeks, the average weight loss was about 3.2 lbs with no statistical differences between genders or groups. In other words, although all groups lost weight, any apparent differences in table 2 below are likely due to random chance rather than real differences.

Table 2 – Average weight loss (in pounds) over 8 weeks

	Male	Female	Combined
Steady state cardio	-3.4 +/- 4.4	-4.9 +/- 4	-4 +/- 4.1
Interval cardio	-2.9 +/- 3.8	-0.6 +/- 2.2	-1.8 +/- 3.7
TRX group	+4.2 +/- 5.1	-1.1 +/- 3.2	-2.8 +/- 4.5

What happened: performance
Along with weight loss, every group improved their performance — often impressively. (High fives to Alwyn.) But there were no statistical differences between genders or groups; remember, they all did the same strength workouts.

Table 3 – Average change in push-ups after 8 weeks

	Male	Female	Combined
Steady state cardio	+9.8 +/- 7.2	+11.7 +/- 5.5	+10.7 +/- 6.3
Interval cardio	+10.1 +/- 6.9	+2.7 +/- 6.7	+7.9 +/- 7.5
TRX group	+12.4 +/- 9.4	+6.2 +/- 3.5	+9.8 +/- 7.9

Table 4 – Average change in inverted rows after 8 weeks

	Male	Female	Combined
Steady state cardio	+4.8 +/- 2.0	+6.9 +/-6.5	+5.7 +/- 4.6
Interval cardio	+5.1 +/- 3.8	+2.9 +/-1.2	+4.4 +/-3.3
TRX group	+6.8 +/- 4.5	+2.9 +/- 1.6	+5.1 +/-4.0

Table 5 – Average change in broad jump distance (in cm) after 8 weeks

	Male	Female	Combined
Steady state cardio	+6.2 +/- 6.5	+5.0 +/- 3.7	+5.7 +/- 5.3
Interval cardio	+4.1 +/- 9.4	+6.4 +/- 6.9	+4.7 +/- 8.7
TRX group	+4.8 +/- 3.0	2.6 +/-4.4	+3.8 +/- 3.8

Table 6 – Average change in V-max (% grade at constant speed) after 8 weeks

	Male	Female	Combined
Steady state cardio	+1.2 +/- 1.2	+1.7 +/- 1.1	+1.4 +/- 1.2
Interval cardio	+1.4 +/- 0.9	+1.9 +/- 1.1	+1.5 +/- 1.0
TRX group	+1.4 +/- 0.6	+0.3 +/- 0.5	+0.9 +/- 0.8

Table 7 – Average change in T-max (in seconds) after 8 weeks

	Male	Female	Combined
Steady state cardio	+128.0 +/- 156.4	+193.4 +/- 145.3	+160.7 +/- 149.0
Interval cardio	+80.7 +/- 123.6	+0 +/- 43	+53.9 +/- 112.3
TRX group	+78.7 +/- 118.9	+37.4 +/- 63.9	+60.75 +/- 98.1

Fun Factor
While there wasn’t much of a difference between groups as far as weight loss and performance, we noticed a huge difference in the study drop-out rate. Steady state cardio had a very high drop-out rate, while the TRX group participants were most likely to finish the study.

Table 8 – Drop out rate

	Drop out rate
Steady state cardio	80%
Interval cardio	55%
TRX group	35%

Most research labs never have this sort of dropout rate. Because subjects are paid to participate and because they have to report to real-life people, they finish what they start. However, because our Informal Experiments are unpaid and distance-based, it’s easy for participants to blow us off.

Sure, a few will let us know if something happened to exclude them from finishing. However, many of them simply ignore our emails. Even if we were kind enough to send them a workout plan — or even a TRX suspension trainer. Shame, shame. But, no matter. This is what explains the higher drop-out rates seen in a study like this.

However, we’re not sure what explains the higher drop-out rate in the steady state cardio group. For starters, 5 people in the steady state group dropped out the day they received their programs. We figured this was because they assumed steady state cardio sucks (which it does not, when combined with a good strength program). Again, shame, shame.

Of course, injuries are another possibility. But we didn’t get more e-mails from the steady state groups saying they were injured. For the most part any injuries were evenly distributed and mostly non-exercise related (for example, we got a picture of a bruised toe to prove a ladder accident story.) So we doubt that was the problem.

The final explanation could be — simply — that steady state cardio is kinda boring. Not everyone loves the idea of walking on a treadmill for 45 minutes. (Personal trainers everywhere, are you listening?)

Conclusions

Performance
All groups saw equal improvements in performance and weight lost. At least, statistically speaking. If you ask me, these improvements were excellent. For example, after just 2 months following the prescribed programs, participants improved their performance by an average of 30%.

This is especially awesome considering that, on average, these people had over 9 years’ exercise experience. Why does this matter? The vast majority of exercise studies use participants with no training experience (aka untrained). And anybody who has trained can tell you that in the beginning you get the biggest improvement.

And yet, in this study, people who had already been exercising for over 9 years saw up to 30% improvement in some performance measures (push-ups, inverted row and T-max) 8 weeks!

Why no difference between groups?
Now, you probably noticed that for push-ups, rows, broad jumps, and V-max, the group means were pretty similar. That’s not unexpected.

While there is literature out there showing the effectiveness of interval training and other types of conditioning exercise vs. steady state cardio for weight and fat changes, there isn’t really any data showing that with a properly designed cross-training program, we should expect differences in key performance variables.

The steady state group did seem to have better T-max scores. Now, again, statistically, there was no difference between groups. However, if there were a slight trend toward a higher T-max, a surrogate marker of anaerobic threshold and aerobic fitness, we would expect the groups that spent the most time on the treadmill to do the best.

So, what’s the take home? Well, around here, most of us do interval training and circuit training (similar to the TRX work) for our conditioning exercise because we find theses types of exercises more challenging, and far more interesting than steady state cardio work.

Maybe this type of training just brings out the masochists in us; we usually alternate between states of:

trying to survive the work interval without flying off the treadmill or getting tangled in our TRX
dreading the end of the rest interval, thinking, “Is there something wrong with my watch?”

But I think that’s what most folks want in a workout: challenge. And fun.

So, while the performance numbers weren’t really different between groups, something more important was: actually doing the workouts. Remember, 80% of the people in the steady state group dropped out. 55% dropped out in the interval group. And only 35% dropped out in the TRX group.

As Woody Allen said, “80% of success is just showing up.”

Weight loss
Participants lost, on average, 3-5 lbs without changing their diets. And if you think this isn’t much, think again. Resent research has shown that exercise alone isn’t very effective without some sort of nutritional change. In fact, many studies have shown no change if a nutrition plan isn’t implemented. Check out this article for more.

The simple fact that weight loss occurred in all three groups of experienced exercisers is very cool.

Why no difference between groups?
Although many people have pooh-poohed steady state cardio for the last few years, when combined with a solid strength training program, steady state cardio can help folks lose weight and improve performance.

That’s right: steady state cardio + strength training has been used – with much success – by physique champions for decades. It works. As does interval work + strength training. As does TRX work + strength training.

Thus, we weren’t surprised at all that there were no differences between groups in terms of weight loss or performance. After all, they did about the same total duration of exercise – 4 sessions per week; 2×45 min strength sessions and 2×30-45min conditioning sessions. So, when total workout times were equated, why should we expect to see anything different?

Now, we don’t have body composition data, as described above. Had we collected those data, perhaps we’d have seen more subtle changes in fat mass and lean mass.

But, truthfully, I doubt it. All three programs included a strength training program and a similar volume of exercise. We have no reason to believe more muscle would have been built and fat lost with any specific intervention.

The bottom line

Here’s how to interpret these results:
When you equate total exercise time, as long as you’re doing an intense, progressive strength + conditioning exercise program, you can feel free to choose whichever program you like best.

If you prefer steady state work, add it in. If you prefer interval work, add it in. And if you prefer TRX style workouts, add them in. Indeed, in this study, participants seemed to prefer the TRX style workouts. They loved the diversity and intensity associated with this program. So we published the entire 4 phase workout, complete with video demonstrations below.

Phase 1 – Weeks 1 and 2

Phase 2 – Weeks 3 and 4

Phase 3 – Weeks 5 and 6

Phase 4 – Weeks 7 and 8

Of course, to do these workouts, you’d obviously need a TRX suspension trainer. Here’s how you can get one:

TRX suspension trainer

And once you have your TRX system, know that as long as you have a great strength training program, feel free to add in steady state cardio, TRX circuits, and sprint intervals to your heart’s content.

===

My comments:

I was actually a wee bit surprised with the results.

All the studies published on body composition show weight training to be superior to cardio
and interval training to be superior to steady state. So I was expecting to see a clearer difference - but I guess the strength program in addition changes everything. Or at least the way I designed it (with supersets and short rest periods) had an effect.

I didn't see the TRX program until after I'd written the strength program so there may have been some interference as there was some overlap between movements.

The drop out rate surprised me too. Like the PN guys said - it's an informal experiment but there is a real world take home message for fitness professionals there.

One of the very interesting things was that the TRX group demonstrated similar improvements in running performance as both the interval training and steady state groups. Without doing any running! That's a pretty good result.

I'd also like to have seen a group that did my program only, to see what those results alone were.

Informally - Right now our number one body comp program is 2 days strength, 2 days metabolic (combo of intervals, BW, KB's and TRX)
We tested it against resistance training and traditional cardio and it was more effective in terms of pure body comp numbers.

(We also just had a group of women go through a 4 week cycle of TRX only training)

Overall, it was very cool to be involved with JB, the Precision Nutrition team and Fraser and look forward to doing more work with them.

--
AC
www.alwyncosgrove.com

Assorted Q&A

2009-07-06T05:42:00.000-07:00

Q: Alwyn,

You've written a lot about how the commonalities that exists among different training program/trainers is much more important than the differences. That is such a simple but profoundly important observation and it has shaped my own views on training.

Would you be able to comment on nutrition plans from the same point of view? What do you see in common?

A: Great question.

In my experience most of the successful long term nutrition programs for body comp and health have the following in common:

1) Multiple meals per day (every 3-4 hours)
2) Lean protein at every meal
3) Good amounts of healthy fats (either in the diet itself or as a supplement)
4) A reduction in calories (for fat loss) - primarily coming from refined carbs
5) A reduction in carbs (compared to the standard American diet) either through a straight reduction (low carb diet), or through some form of carb cycling
6) An abundant amount of fruits and vegetables - particularly the latter.

Q: I'm just opening my own training center and have around $2500 to spend on one more piece of cardio (I have two treadmills and a stair climber). Any suggestions?

A: Forget buying one piece I'd split the $2500 and get two Airdynes, two battling ropes, medballs, sandbags, one or two TRX systems and some kettlebells. you can use that entire investment and get two pieces of straight cardio, but also be able to set up a cool cardio circuit. You'd still be under $2000 at that point. Contact Perform Better and they'll help you out with more ideas.

--
AC

Lift Strong Fundraiser !! LIVE !!!!

2009-07-02T02:08:00.000-07:00

Check it out HERE!

If you're on the East Coast - particularly NJ - get over there - help out, compete, cheer the athletes on, and donate!

If you can't make it - pick up a copy of LIFT STRONG -- all proceeds go to the Leukemkia and Lymphoma Society!And if you've already bought one - pick up another one!!

And check out the trophies that Zach is giving away...

--
AC
www.liftstrong.com

All Proceeds go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Halfway to 2010

2009-07-01T04:46:00.000-07:00

"What gets measured, gets managed"
Peter Drucker
Management Theorist,
Author of 31 books.

----

In an ongoing series to motivate everyone to take action -- here we are again...

Today marks the halfway point of the year.

The entire first half of 2009 has already passed- there are now only six months to 2010.

How are those New Year's Resolutions looking now?

Are you on track with those New Years Resolutions? Are you on track with your goals?

If you wanted to lose 20lbs this year - are you down 10lbs already?
If your goal was to do 250 workouts - have you completed 125 ?
IF you wanted to make $10,000 more this year -- are you on track?

It's amazing how time passes so quickly.

Don't waste a single second.

If your goal is fat loss - start today
If your goal is muscle building - start today
If your goal is (insert anything here) - start TODAY !

If you're just a little behind -- adjust your plan - make up for it! Make a half New Years Resolution!

50% of this year is gone forever. Will you make changes TODAY or will another 25% pass, then another 50% -- and before you know it -- it's 2010.....

I meet a lot of people in my job, and get a lot of questions via email. I'll talk to guys who track every single macronutrient that passes their lips, and have tried just about every program out there. When I ask them how things are going -- they'll tell me that it's great, or that the program is working well.

But rarely do they quantify anything. How many pounds of muscle gained? How much of a strength increase have you seen in real terms?

Very few people actually measure and take stock of their efforts. If you are following a plan to lose fat - are you actually losing fat? And I mean at a rate that is acceptable for your efforts? Or are you blindly following a plan that doesn't work, and essentially ignoring that?

I know where my progress towards my goals stand because I measure it.

When I was in the hospital for a stem cell transplant - the medical team took measurements of temperature, blood pressure and blood samples every 4 hours.

When we implement a marketing campaign at the gym -- we track the results. We know for example how many direct mail pieces we send out, the cost of each mailing, how many inquiries we get, how many appointments are made, and how many people join the gym as a result. We know exactly how effective the plan is, and whether the return we are seeing is worth the investment. We can see that for $X invested, we receive a return of $Y.

We need to know where our membership stands - how many inquiries, how many new members, renewals etc and when our busiest times are - everything is measured and tracked so we can continue to grow and serve our members.

If you remember "SMART" goal setting -- one of the keys is 'M' - Measurable. Measure your results.

An easy goal for fitness enthusiasts is just to commit to working out X times this year. My goal was to do a minimum of 250 training sessions in 2009. As of yesterday morning I finished session 136.

Now -as we enter the second half of 2009, it's time to take stock of your efforts. Has your current return been worth the investment?

Again -- 50% of this year is gone forever. Will you make changes TODAY or will another six months pass, then another six -- and before you know it -- it's Summer 2010.....

Don't waste a single second. Start TODAY.

Where will you be at the 75% point - October 1st ? That's 13 weeks away. Will you be 13 weeks leaner - down 13, or even 26lbs of fat? Will your business demonstrate 13 weeks further growth - will you be 13 weeks closer to your goals?

The time will pass anyway....

--
AC
www.alwyncosgrove.com

Lance is back.

2009-06-29T11:40:00.000-07:00

Live STRONG.

--
AC
PS - My friend and TeamEFS member Bob Youngs is fighting Leukemia right now and kicking it's ass. Please go over to http://bobyoungs.blogspot.com/ and leave him a message to keep up the fight.

The Gap.

2009-06-28T03:52:00.000-07:00

The gap between where you are, and where you want to be - is called FRUSTRATION.

Frustration is eliminated by Education and Action.

So what do you need to know to get to the next level?

Make a list and start learning. What books do you need to read? Seminars do you need to attend? DVD's to watch? Audios to listen to? Mentors to meet? People to learn from?
Make a list and then start marking them off.

Then decide what you need to DO with that information. And do it.

Education + Action = Results.

It's not even a matter of working hard - it's a matter of working RIGHT.

--
AC

Eat Breakfast and burn more fat!

2009-06-26T05:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a study that was just released last month:

Alexander et al.
Association of Breakfast Skipping With Visceral Adiposity in Overweight Latino Youth.
Obesity (Silver Spring). 2009 May 7.

The study compared three groups that consumed IDENTICAL total calories.

No breakfast
Breakfast occasionally
Breakfast every day

The researchers concluded that "breakfast omission was associated with increased levels of intra-abdominal fat independent of daily energy intake. Eating breakfast is associated with lower body fat levels in overweight Latino youth. Interventions focused on increasing breakfast consumption are warranted"

Another study was presented at The Endocrine Society's 90th Annual Meeting in San Francisco (June 2008) by Jakubowicz MD et al

This consisted of two groups that consumed similar total calories (very low - 1200 and 1100). Bothe were low carb diets (group one had 17g of carbs per day and group two had 97g of carbs per day - still considered low carb).

The primary difference being that group one consumed a 300 cal breakfast, and group two consumed a 600 cal breakfast

After 4 months on each plan there was no significant difference between the groups. However, after 8 months:

Group one: 300 cal breakfast - had lost ten pounds
Group two: 600 cal breakfast had lost THIRTY-NINE pounds

Conclusion of both studies is that eating breakfast, and perhaps a bigger breakfast than usual (therefore eating slightly less calories the rest of the day) could be a useful real world tool for fat loss with clients.

--
AC

Do you believe?

2009-06-24T03:04:00.000-07:00

Charles Blondin the tightrope walker announced one day that he wanted to perform a special feat. He wanted to pull a steel cable across the Niagara Falls and walk across the falls from the Canadian side to the American side while pushing a wheel barrow full of rocks.

No one believed he could do such a feat especially a reporter who wrote in the newspaper saying that the tightrope walker was crazy.

So one day he had a steel cable pulled across the Falls and announced he was going to perform this feat on Sunday.

Many people came (to see him fail - and die).

When the time came, he took a wheel barrow full of rocks, got on the steel cable and began his difficult journey.

It was very windy in Niagara and the rushing waters from the falls are very disturbing and frightening. A steel cable that stretched for over a kilometer is very unstable and sways under his feet. One step at a time, he walked that steel cable. Many times he stopped to catch his breath.

About six feet from the end – he pushed the wheel barrow on to the other side – did a cartwheel along the rope and made it to the other side!

When he was getting congratulated, he saw the reporter, the one who wrote in the paper saying that he was crazy. He immediately asked the reporter if he still believed he was crazy. The reporter replied he now believed he wasn’t crazy as he saw the feat being done.

Blondin then asked “Do you think I could do it again?” and the reporter said, “Yes.”

Blondin then asked the reporter, “Do you believe that I can do this again?” to which the reporter replied, “Yes I believe you can do this again"

Blondin then asked again, “Do you really believe?” and the reporter said, “Yes".

Blondin then emptied the wheel barrow full of rocks and said to him, “If you really believe, get in...”

----

As a trainer – you have to believe in your programming and know that your clients will succeed. Do you?

--
AC
www.alwyncosgrove.com
(Originally posted 6/23/08)

Summer Profits for Fitness Professionals

2009-06-22T05:47:00.000-07:00

Summer months can typically be slow times for gyms or trainers. But it doesn't have to be. There are several ways to attract new clients at this time of year.

The key is PORTAL programming. A portal is a short-term membership or course designed to attract a non-traditonial gym member. A classic and time proven example is a Speed and Agility Camp

Another method that is working well for some of our business coaching group members is to run a lower priced, twice a week group class. Good days to run this (for about an hour each class) are Tuesday and Fridays (typically the slowest days for personal trainers) in the morning.

Charge a flat fee for a 6-8 week summer program (i.e. 12-16 sessions) and use this as an introduction or funnel into your training services or normal group classes programs.

Keys to making this work:

A lower price point - this lowers the barrier to entry which is especially important in this economy
Purpose-driven programming. Random workouts with no progression is NOT the way to showcase your abilities and services.
A closed-ended package. This is not just another form of gym or training membership - keep it as a short-term option.
A consistent system of delivery of the workouts
Fast implementation. Summer is here - get this up and running quickly.

These group programs can be a low cost program for the client, but can be very profitable for the business just due to the sheer numbers that you can work with, and the fact that it attracts a demographic you aren't currently servicing.

Provided your programming is excellent. It all falls apart if you don't get great results.

Starting from scratch and trying to figure it out on your own is waste of time, energy and money. You need a "done-for-you" system that you can introduce immediately.

This is a lower priced group program - so the longer you spend on marketing and the actual fitness program design - the longer it's going to take you to get started - and therefore the less income you can make.

In other words - try to do this yourself and you'll fail.

The easiest, most effective, and quickest way to get this set up is to follow a proven program. Don't waste your time trying to design your own.

The good news? You don't have to reinvent the wheel. It's already been done.

Craig Ballantyne has just launched a complete Turbulence Training Bootcamps product that includes 21 done for you bootcamp workouts to help you to get started right away. It's fast, easy to implement, and completely "turn-key".

Seriously -this is as close to "done for you" as it gets...

Check it out here : Turbulence Training Bootcamps

--
AC
PS - Adding group programming to your current services is a fantastic way to create additional income to your business particularly over the slower summer months, offer a great new service and reach more clients. But make sure your programming is top-notch: Turbulence Training Bootcamps

Targeting Belly Fat

2009-06-17T05:22:00.000-07:00

Here's a study that came out late last year:

Irving et al.
Effect of exercise training intensity on abdominal visceral fat and body composition.
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008 Nov;40(11):1863-72.

The study consisted of three groups:

No exercise
Low intensity aerobic exercise (5 days per week low intensity)
High intensity (above Lactate threshold) exercise (3 days high intensity, 2 days low)

The exercise groups burned the exact same calories (so exercise time was adjusted down in the higher intensity group.

At the sixteen week point the high intensity group had significantly reduced abdominal fat
The low intensity group saw no changes.

It's clear that if you want to target belly fat - a higher intensity training program works better. But here's the take home advice -- these researchers adjusted the time down in the high intensity group (so that calories burned were the same) - for example only doing 20 mins instead of 30 mins.

But that's not real world. So if you have 30 mins to train - 30 mins of high intensity work would make an even bigger difference. Because when calories burned are the same - it's more effective - you'd see an even bigger effect when the calories burned were higher.

Bottom line - train harder to target belly fat more effectively.

--
AC

Three years ago this past weekend...

2009-06-16T00:14:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was in Chicago with the Perform Better team. Saturday was June 13th.

At 10am on the 13th, three years ago I was hooked up to IV bags, a ventilator and with tubes (connected to my heart) hanging out of my chest.

I was on the tenth floor of the UCLA medical center having just finished my last week of intensive chemotherapy that brought my blood count close to zero.

At 10am the medical team performed a bone marrow/stem cell transplant.

They call it "Day Zero" - the day you are literally "reborn" from a cellular level. They call it your "re-birth" day -- and even give you a cake.

Saturday was "Day 1097" -- my "rebirthday". My reborn cells have turned three years old.

It's been quite a few years. I was back exercising about a month after the transplant (I was discharged one week after the transplant which at the time was the fastest recovery in UCLA history).

Until this year I still had a hard time with energy levels -- and the struggle back to fitness has been challenging most of the time. I'm not complaining though, it is an enormous privilege to be able to even exercise at all after my diagnosis. It can get depressing at times, but only for a second -- as the alternative is much worse :)

As Lance Armstrong says:

"I take nothing for granted now. I only have good days and great days"

I can relate completely. For me, the glass will always be half full from now on.

Thank you all for joining me on my journey over the last three years. It had it's ups and downs and it has been both challenging and grueling at times.

Two years ago I launched www.liftSTRONG.com.

To date we have raised over $150K for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Thanks for your support but we need to raise more! Make sure your friends know about the site.

Thanks again. And thanks to all my friends at Perform Better who hung out with me on Sat.
This weekend was a special day for me.
--
AC
www.alwyncosgrove.com

The Truth about Fat Loss

2009-06-15T05:18:00.000-07:00

I recently presented at the 10th annual Cougar Strength clinic here in Valencia, CA.

Most of the research I presented is in the Real World Fat Loss DVD and includes several different research studies that influenced my fat loss programming:

A 2004 diet study that shows a simple change can increase dietary compliance and fat loss (by 96%) -- (and it's not "eat less"!)
A 1998 study that showed that the addition of 45 minutes of hard aerobic training, 5 times a week for twelve weeks - had no effect on fat loss

A 2007 study - that showed the addition of 50 minutes of aerobic training, 5 times per week for six months - also had no effect on fat loss

A 2008 study showing 40 mins of aerobic exercise three times per week for 15 weeks actually resulted in the participants gaining fat!

A study from 1994 showed a specific cardio training method that when adjusted for calories burned - actually reduced body fat (actual skinfold measurements) nine times more than traditional cardio training -- despite taking less time, and actually burning less calories per session!
Another study (1999) showed that the addition of a specific resistance training program increased fat loss by 35% over diet and aerobic training.
That same study also showed that 3 aerobic sessions of up to 50 mins, for 12 weeks (36 sessions) only increased fat loss by one pound over dieting alone
A 2002 study used an Afterburn-type approach to training - and showed an elevation of metabolism for 38 hours post workout.
A 2008 study showing an increased loss of visceral abdominal fat with a high intensity program - and no change with a low intensity program.

You can see the end results - how we put it all together into a rapid, effective fat loss program- HERE

--
AC
www.alwyncosgrove.com
PS - Order the Real World Fat Loss DVD HERE.
This is a presentation I gave in Rhode Island last year where I present all of the above studies.

It's about ACTION

2009-06-12T05:14:00.000-07:00

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you've probably read all the articles on my site, and a bunch of my articles, and a bunch of articles by my colleagues on other sites and magazines.

Therefore it's likely that you already have ALL the knowledge you need to achieve anything in your training.

You KNOW how to get bigger. You KNOW how to get leaner. You KNOW how to get stronger.

It's not a lack of knowledge for most people -- it's a lack of application.

As you may have noticed, I've become tired of writing training programs and prefer to write about concepts or mindset shifts these days. I think people know what to do, but just aren't doing it.

e.g. for getting lean: Did you train today? Did you do something that will elevate your metabolism? Did you eat supportively? Post workout shake? 5 meals? Protein at every meal? EFA's?

Stop trying to figure out a better plan if you aren't already doing all of the above.

A lot of the time it's an application of knowledge that is the missing link - not a lack of knowledge per se.

Think about this: One trainer recommends 8 x 3 for squats. Another trainer recommends 3 x 10 for squats. Trainer one prefers total body training three times per week. Trainer two prefers body part splits with each "part" getting hit twice a week.

The average person gets "frozen" as they don't know what to do now as the advice is the complete opposite.

The educated person realizes that in order to succeed, based on both coaches experiences - you have to squat, you need about 24-30 reps of squats, and you need to train the whole body around 2-3 times per week. So they just get started and make sure that they hit those variables.

The good stuff is in the similarities. So keep studying - but focus on taking action not on formulating the perfect plan.

A reader sent an email to our gym last Thursday evening about weight recommendations for complexes. I didn't check the gym email until Monday morning, and didn't check my own email all weekend.

This person had emailed the gym, emailed our product fulfillment company and emailed me three times each (that's nine emails) to see how much weight he should use to do an exercise complex. He even called the gym on Sunday evening.

And he was very upset that no one had got back to them yet as he "really wanted to get started"

Now I've repeatedly said that complexes are a metabolic exercise not a strength exercise. But - the article recommended using 6 reps per exercise. So try it with Xlbs - it's not that complicated.

If it's too heavy - go lighter. If it's too light - go heavier. But don't wait four or five days to get started. It's like asking me how fast you should run.

This person already had all the knowledge he needs to get to where he wants to go. He just needed to get started. If he'd have started with the completely wrong weight, he'd still have been closer to his goal than he is after taking the weekend off.

--
AC
PS - If you want to get lean - and get lean FAST - check out the Afterburn or the Afterburn II program. But FOLLOW it... don't overanalyze it.

Hypertrophy for Athletes

2009-06-10T05:58:00.000-07:00

Guest Blog from Michael Boyle

Hypertrophy Training for Athletes ?
Michael Boyle

I train a lot of young athletes. These high school and college kids almost always need to gain solid weight in order to compete at a higher level. In the world of sports, hardly anyone is “big enough.” Bigger is generally better.

To put it crassly, if the athletes I train don’t get bigger and stronger, I don’t make a living.

And yet, I never train athletes with the goal of producing muscle hypertrophy. That is, I never, ever use bodybuilding methodology to make my athletes bigger. I don’t train my guys to have bigger arms or pecs. I want propulsive muscle mass, muscle that can contribute to the higher goal of more explosive movement capability. I want bigger legs, a bigger back, and thicker spinal erectors.

In other words, I want bigger athletes, but only if the new size is functional, and only if it comes with minimal gains in body fat. (Some football linemen are an exception, for reasons I’ll explain in a bit.)

So why would I avoid bodybuilding techniques to make my athletes bigger? Aren’t bodybuilders pretty much the gold standard for their ability to gain lean mass with minimal body fat?

The answers are interesting and surprisingly counterintuitive. Hypertrophy training for athletes isn’t as simple as it seems.

Typecasting Athletes

I still remember watching the Senior National Weightlifting Championships in Seekonk, Massachusetts, in the early ’80s. At the time, I was a powerlifter as well as a strength coach, and as an all-around musclehead I’d been to more bodybuilding shows and powerlifting meets than I could ever recall. But this was the first time I’d seen Olympic weightlifting up close, and I was hooked.

What stuck in my mind were the physiques. They were developed exactly the way I wanted to develop my athletes – massive through the upper back, lower back, and legs. And, aside from the superheavyweights, they’d developed this mass with very low body fat. To my eyes, it was evidence that form follows function.

But over time I learned an even more valuable lesson: the process of building a functionally bigger and stronger athlete depends on the athlete being trained. I couldn’t train them all the same way and expect the same results.

Let’s start with the mesomorph, the guy who gains muscle the easiest. It often seems that the mesomorph can get bigger and stronger just by looking at a weight. Put him on a bodybuilding program and he gains. Put him on a Westside program and he gains. Give him a steady dose of Oly lifts and he gains.

His training response in many ways is a false positive. A trainer who succeeds in putting muscle on a mesomorph convinces himself that his methods are uniquely effective, even though the reality is that the athlete is genetically predisposed to hypertrophy. That can cause problems for the other athletes that coach trains, because they won’t respond the same way.

Another type of false positive comes when a novice lifter starts serious training. You could call this the “honeymoon period” of training, when little-used muscles like the pecs, lats, biceps, quads, and glutes spring to life, straining the seams on T-shirts and forcing him to give up his Levis 501s for jeans that offer more room to grow.

Why those muscles? Well, if you think about it, pectoral muscles on a biped are one evolutionary step away from disappearing altogether. Animals with big pecs walk on four legs. Biceps and lats? Climbing muscles – somewhat important for us, a matter of life and death for chimpanzees. Quads and glutes? If all you ask them to do is haul your body weight around, they’ll get big enough to do that task, and stop there.

When previously untrained, those muscles grow on just about any program you give them … until the body adapts to the program, and stops growing. That’s when the coach and the athlete have to look carefully at the issue of stimulus and response.

Pushing the Right Buttons

TMUSCLE readers know from experience that if you aren’t getting the response you want from your training program, the problem could be:

* too little stimulus

* too much stimulus

* too little recovery

If a coach is working from a template that succeeded with mesomorphs, he may not be able to detect which of these problems is in play when dealing with skinny or stocky athletes.

Particularly perplexing are the ectomorphs – thin, bony guys, the true hardgainers.

The ectomorph seems to be doing everything right – that is, he’s doing what worked for his more genetically gifted peers -- but fails to gain size or strength. He sees his friends or teammates succeeding with volume-based programs, so he turns into a copycat, assuming he needs the same, and more. The result is years of frustration. The truth is that the ectomorph doesn’t tolerate or respond to stimulus like the mesomorph.

I can certainly relate. I was something of a hardgainer myself, and found I did best with HIT-like programs from guys like Ken Leistner and Stuart McRobert.

So when I’m training a tall, skinny basketball player, we’ll achieve hypertrophy with a high-intensity, low-volume workout program combined with a hypercaloric diet.

At the opposite extreme is the pure endomorph, like the collegiate linemen with 30% body fat. No matter how I train him, any muscle he gains is going to be accompanied by some fat. The fat he gains isn’t functional, but it doesn’t encumber him the way it would on a running back, shortstop, or point guard.

I’ll give him a moderate-volume training program, and try to reduce his body-fat level with a high-protein, limited-carb diet.

Render Unto Weider That Which Is Weider’s

This brings me to a much larger question: Is conventional hypertrophy training – based on high-volume bombing and blitzing of individual muscle groups -- a mythical effect produced by drugs? Or is it an actual response to volume?

I ask because the way we train athletes today isn’t all that different from the way bodybuilders trained through the 1970s, when I started lifting. Back then, the physique-training guidelines still focused on mastering basic exercises like the squat and deadlift. Even the bodybuilders who came up in the dawn of the steroid era, like Reg Park and Franco Columbu, were extremely strong in the major lifts.

By the time the super-high-volume training protocols were ubiquitous, it was hard to know if they worked for drug-free lifters. The bodybuilders who promoted them in magazines were all using steroids. If a drug-free bodybuilder had success with them, he was probably a mesomorph who would’ve had success with lots of different programs.

Hardgainers like me just got smaller and weaker when we tried bombing and blitzing individual muscle groups. Stuart McRobert described the problem succinctly: If you aren’t getting bigger or stronger, your program doesn’t work. You can’t stray too far from progressive resistance and expect to get results with drug-free training, whether you’re talking about hypertrophy or athletic performance.

No-Pump Zone

Classic linear periodization includes a “hypertrophy” stage, in which athletes do higher-volume, lower-intensity workouts “to increase lean body mass and develop an endurance (muscular and metabolic) base for more intense training in later phases and periods.” That’s a direct quote from Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, the textbook of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

But even when I have my athletes use higher-volume workouts, the focus is never on hypertrophy. It’s never the outcome that determines the success or failure of that phase of the program. There’s no correlation between muscle size and performance, but there seems to be a very direct correlation between muscle strength and fundamental athletic skills like the vertical jump and short-distance sprints. If my training programs produce athletes who jump higher and run faster, I’m doing my job and earning my pay.

Putting size on our athletes is an ongoing concern, but we pursue it with basic exercises -- squats, deadlifts, presses, rows, chins -- and the proper diet for the individual athlete.

If we choose to focus on particular muscles -- isolated shoulder training, for example – it’s to maintain balance and prevent injury. Beyond that, you would never see my athletes doing anything that reminds you of conventional bodybuilding … unless the exercises I just mentioned above are your idea of conventional bodybuilding.

But there’s another reason why I push back against bodybuilding-style training for athletes: In my experience, it takes their focus off the goal of training, which is performance. If my athletes have extra time to spend in the weight room, I want them working on their weaknesses, not pumping up their biceps or pecs to improve their appearance.

I’ve told athletes, male and female, who worry more about their appearance than their performance that they’ve come to a crossroads. It’s time to make a choice. If they’re interested in modeling, they should by all means pursue it. But if they want to play sports, they need to train like an athlete.

The Right Outcome

As I said earlier, I’m not interested in hypertrophy for its own sake. I’m only interested in it as a response to strength training. I want the athletes I train to be the strongest on the ice, the court, or the field. Whether they look like muscle-magazine cover models doesn’t matter to me.

A lot of athletes are going to develop that look, but it’s not because we’re trying to achieve it. They’re natural mesomorphs and their training produces rapid rewards. Some of these guys can train poorly and eat wrong and still look like they’re doing everything right. They’re the outliers who constantly confuse the rest of us.

On the other hand, some of my hardest-working athletes will look like they’ve hardly trained at all. Doesn’t matter. As long as their performance reflects the time and effort they’ve put in, I’m happy.

The bottom line is this: I don’t want my athletes to train to look better. I want them to look better because they train.

---

--
AC
www.alwycosgrove.com
PS - for more articles and insight from Michael - get over to Strength Coach

Time Machines and Turbulence Training

2009-06-08T05:12:00.000-07:00

I recently sat down with the founder of Turbulence Training Craig Ballantyne and grilled him... Turbulence Training is a very time efficient, short workout program that builds muscle and burns fat without you having to spend hours in the gym. But how would Craig design a "last minute" fat loss program -- when we really do have no time ......

Q: Craig, It's June 8th -- and the 4th of July is fast approaching. It's almost a mandatory swimwear weekend here in the US. How can someone who has neglected their training and nutrition"catch up" in the next four weeks?

CB: Usually I don't recommend machines for fat loss, but in this case, there is one that works really, really, really well.

The time machine.

So if you know Marty McFly and you can get your hands on one of these, set the date for 3-4 months ago, and head back to when you should have started getting your butt in gear.

What's the matter? Can't just walk into a store and buy plutonium?

Okay, then here's your other option.

First, get your head right.

a) Give yourself permission to succeed and lose the fat you are struggling with.

b) Sit down and identify the obstacles preventing you from success.

c) List 2 solutions to overcome each obstacle.

d) Reverse goal set from July 4th. Knowing where you want to be on July 4th, work back each week and set targets you need to achieve. Then write up actions you need to take to achieve each goal.

e) Check your head again. You're going to need a disciplined 4-weeks. But with every hardship that other people are undergoing around the world, can't we at least commit to a 4-week advanced program and stick to it? That's not to much to ask. I know you have it in you.

So now that you have shifted your mindset to a success mindset, you are ready to rock with training and nutrition details.

Let's move to the most important of the two, nutrition. It goes without saying you need to cut the junk.

You can have one planned meal per week where you eat small amounts of food that would otherwise not be allowed on a fat loss program. For example, you can have a slice of pizza, or a burger. But not slices of pizza and a burger and hot dogs, etc. Stay disciplined even during this reward meal.

For the rest of your meals, focus on the following...

a) cutting portion sizes so you reduce calories in (duh)
b) replace grain products with fruits and vegetables - this will help cut calories - simply by volume, you just can't easily eat as many calories from fruits and vegetables as you can from whole-grains c) Plan, shop, and prepare on the weekend and one night during the week so that you are never without your planned meal. Remember, we're only talking about 4 weeks here. Not the rest of your life. So stick to some sacrifices and focus on the big day or week or summer ahead.

Okay, on to training.

a) You'll do three days of total body strength training per week. I like strength workouts to follow this formula:

- 5-minute bodyweight warmup circuit
- first superset of the most difficult exercises, performed for 3 sets of 6-8 reps (you could even use explosive exercises here)
- second superset of moderate difficulty exercises, performed for 3-4 sets of 8 reps (I look at this as the "bodybuilding" superset)
- third superset features high rep bodyweight or dumbell exercises

- once per week spend 10-15 minutes on abdominal training - rotate the main superset to focus on different muscle groups each workout, so that in workout 1 of the week, you might focus on upper body pressing, while in workout 2, you'd switch to lower body, and in workout 3, upper body pulling.

How does this strength program differ between men and women? Not much, but if you want to gain more muscle, do more volume. If you don't want to gain a lot of muscle, do less volume (i.e. only 1 hard set of 8 reps with weights).

Muscle grows in response to intensity and volume. Cut the volume, and you won't grow as much.

b) Move directly into interval training

I'm of the general opinion that I like people to do the strength and interval training on the same day. Intervals right after strength training. This gives you fewer structured workouts per week. More recovery. Fewer trips to the gym or to the basement, depending on where you train.

I really don't think anyone can say for sure that doing intervals immediately after training works better than doing intervals on off-days - or vice-versa. I'd love to know the answer...and the only way we'll find out sooner than later is by hearing the feedback from other trainers and all of your readers that use interval training.

c) On off days, do low-intensity, moderate volume circuits of bodyweight, dumbell, and kettlebell exercises at home, OR, choose a relaxing activity you can do with your friends or family for 30-60 minutes.

I think there's something to be said for having more days off from structured, high intensity training.

d) Never take a day completely off from exercise. So on your "rest" day, at the very least, do a 30 minute walk. No one is going to overtrain by doing this, but I can't think of a logical reason why anyone would avoid all exercise for 24 hours. Get up, move, but no need to sweat. Just get mobile.

Okay, that's it. That's your plan. The best body-sculpting approach you're going to have for the next 4 weeks.

Work hard, stay focused, and have the best body for the greatest holiday you've ever had,

Thanks Craig. Make sure you check out Craig's workout program: Turbulence Training

--
AC

Webinars - great new resource!

2009-06-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

If you read my blog or get my newsletters, you know that I try to stay
abreast of everything that is happening in the world of fitness, strength
and conditioning and physical therapy. It’s not always easy to see the
latest presentations and workshops, especially since I am lecturing in a
bunch of them. There is only so much traveling I can do.

But I am always reading and looking for new information but as
great as books and DVDs are, sometimes by the time they come out, the author
has changed some things around. Although we bring presenters to our
facility to train our staff, it doesn’t happen every month.

It can be a struggle to stay up to date with all of the current information.

Anthony Renna, from the Strength Coach Podcast, has come up with a great
solution for busy fitness professionals to see the latest, most cutting-edge
presentations from some of the world’s top strength coaches, personal
trainers and physical therapists.

It’s called StrengthandConditioningWebinars.

Each month, members of the site will see at least 2 webinars (a webinar is
just a presentation that you watch and listen to on your computer) from
coaches like Michael Boyle, Brett Jones, Mike Robertson, and Eric
Cressey; therapists like Gray Cook, and Lee Burton and that is just a
few! Anthony is talking with many other coaches, therapists and trainers
about presenting.

Besides the 2 guaranteed webinars each month, he will be adding bonus
webinars from “the best coaches you haven’t heard of yet.” There are so any
great coaches out there that Anthony has been interviewing on The Strength
Coach Podcast, and he will be getting them on board for
StrengthandConditioningWebinars.com.

One of the greatest things about this site is that all of the webinars are
being recorded so members can watch them anytime they want, there is no need
to be present. I have already done one that is up on the site, called "5
Key Strategies for The Fitness Business." I expanded on my Perform Better
lecture and some of the points in my book, "55 Fitness Business Strategies
for Success." This was a new presentation, not seen anywhere else. I am
also scheduled to do another one in July. If you sign up, you will be able
to view the "5 Key Strategies" webinar whenever you want and as many times
as you want. There will also be a forum on the site that the presenters
will be checking in on so members can ask any questions that they have about
the webinars.

If you look around, most webinars are going for $25-30 a pop. That’s a
pretty good deal so I can’t believe the price Anthony is charging for a
monthly membership to StrengthandConditioningWebinar s.com- only $29.99 a
month. It’s even cheaper if you pay up front for the year!

Even better, if you sign up before tomorrow - Monday, June 8, you can get an
unbelievable deal- only $19.99 a month for as long as you are a member, or
again, even cheaper if you sign up for the whole year- only $199.

You’ll get 2 webinars a month guaranteed from the world’s top coaches, bonus
webinars, and access to presenter forums, all for $19.99 a month.

This is seriously a great deal and it is truly a One Time Offer. After June
8, the price goes up.

So go to StrengthandConditioningWebinars.com, sign up for the Special
Pre-Launch Offer before June 8 and start watching webinars right away.

--
AC

Politics :)

2009-06-06T05:41:00.000-07:00

It struck me this weekend that the membership of the NSCA (the National Strength and Conditioning Association) is made up overwhelmingly of practitioners - strength coaches, personal trainers, therapists, athletic trainers and gym owners.

Researchers have made up somewhere around a little under 1% of the membership.

However - these same researchers have made up close to 60% of the Presidents of the NSCA.

Does that seem like a disconnect to you? It does to me.

Which is why I am excited that my friend and co-speaker on the Perform Better tour - John Graham is running for NSCA presidency this year. He's the only practitioner running btw...

John is a coach. A practitioner. He's in the gym training clients and teams daily.
He recognizes the challenges that the rest of us in the field face on a daily basis. Something that I'm not sure researchers understand as they have their own challenges.

But in an organization made up overwhelmingly of "in the trenches" practitioners -- shouldn't we have an "in the trenches" practitioner representing us as opposed to another researcher? Shouldn't the direction of the organization be determined by the majority of it's members, as opposed to 1% of it's membership ?

If you are an NSCA member - I urge you to vote for John Graham for President in the upcoming NSCA elections.

www.nsca-lift.org/elections

--
AC

Fast Fat Loss for the Fourth

2009-06-04T07:05:00.000-07:00

Q: I need to get lean - but I hate dieting and fat loss training. I would really like to do the Afterburn Training Program but it seems like a very long commitment, and I really want to get lean for THIS Summer (I know I've left it to the last minute - but I felt and looked horrible over Memorial Day weekend). Any ideas?

A: Afterburn will definitely get you to your goals. Following the program as it is outlined, will results in a fairly simple (but not easy!), at the low end, 1-2 lbs of fat lost every week without fail. 16 weeks into the plan, that should have you down approximately 32lbs of fat.

This is significant and would easily take a 220lb male at 20% bodyfat down to somewhere around the single digits in terms of bodyfat percentage.

We actually just had a client complete a modified version of this type of fat loss training at our gym - and he lost 35lbs in our 12 week challenge. He actually lost 12lbs in the first 4 weeks too.

But Afterburn is a 16 week program. And I'll confess - 16 weeks is a real commitment.
However, one of the reasons most people fail in my opinion is a lack of LONG TERM goal setting. So I prefer to think in terms of longer cycles of training, rather than shorter goals.

However, everyone wants fast results. So there is a place for faster, more grueling fat loss plans.
And if there is one thing that we know about fat loss - it's that we cannot speed up the laws of thermodynamics. Until now...

My good friend Mike Roussell and myself decided that we'd give our readers exactly what they wanted - and release the ultimate FAST fat loss resource: Warp Speed Fat Loss

Warp Speed Fat Loss is designed for the client who needs to lose as much fat and weight as possible in a short time period – i.e. to make weight for a sports event, to get in shape for a reunion, or a wedding, people who just hate dieting and want to get maximum results in as short a time period as possible.

Or like a lot of people -- Summer sneaked up on you, and you don't relish the idea of attending a 4th of July pool party or beach barbecue wearing a baggy sweatshirt to cover up your love handles, belly fat and man-boobs!

So Mike and I went through all the fat loss studies and came up with a fully-integrated nutrition and training program designed to "front-load" and maximize fat loss. We looked at all the potential downsides to this type of intense program and put in the training and nutritional strategies to avoid any downside and increase the overall results.

Warp Speed Fat Loss is available here! Now this will definitely help you to reach your short term goals - but let's not forget the big picture. For an overall long term approach to fat loss I'd follow something like this outline:

Here's what I'd do :

Weeks 1-4: Get on the Warp Speed Fat Loss program as featured above - this will help kick start you and you'll see some very fast results. This is a big factor in keeping going. But the cool thing is - if you start tomorrow - the program will end right at the 4th of July weekend! Cutting 10-12lbs of fat in the next 4 weeks is definitely worth the effort.

Weeks : 5-8: AfterburnTraining. Follow phase one of this program for the next four weeks and you'll continue to see some excellent progress.

Week 9: maintenance week. No training - just maintain where you are at.

Weeks 10-13: Follow the next four weeks of Afterburn Training

Week 14: Maintenance week.

Weeks 15-18: Follow the next four weeks of Afterburn Training

Week 19 : again, a maintenance week.

Weeks 20-23: Last four weeks of the Afterburn Program

At the very conservative end, this will results in rapid effective fat loss in the beginning, and then a sustained loss for the entire 23 weeks.

Good luck with your fat loss efforts.

--
AC
www.alwyncosgrove.com

Raising the Bar

2009-06-03T00:43:00.000-07:00

Raising the Bar is the sequel to the much heralded "Under the Bar" - a book my friend and mentor Dave Tate wrote a few years ago. The original book is a personal development odyssey - about growth, development and contribution all told through the lens of lessons learned in a powerlifting career.

And as cliche as it sounds - the sequel truly does "raise the bar".
It's a book on one man's journey through life - and lessons learned in growing one of the most successful companies in the fitness world on the way.

I was lucky enough to receive advance chapters of this book as Dave was writing it.

Or to be brutally honest - as Dave was "living it".

We exchanged emails and I was one of Team EFS who actually suggested that maybe he keep one or two of the sections out. It's real and at times - it's raw.

Check it out: Read Chapter One Here

Raising the Bar by Dave Tate

This is the story of a life. An American life. One in which a man, in the face of the conventional logic that dictates where we stand and what we should expect to be, found his own way. His own solutions. His own life.

A life spent Raising the Bar.

Elite Fitness Systems is a multi-million dollar business that’s currently at the forefront of virtually every innovation in the fitness industry. Dave Tate started EliteFTS in 1998 on a second-hand computer in a spare bedroom of an apartment he shared with his wife. Almost eleven years later, EliteFTS is arguably the most influential company and website in the industry.

Great story, right?

Sure, it’s a great story, but when a man is capable of building a business like EliteFTS from scratch, there’s more to that man than his powerlifting total. And there’s more to his story than a simple, trouble-free climb to success.

Dave Tate didn’t know whether he should write this book or not. Then once he started writing it, there were sections people – numerous people, including some of his most trusted advisors – told him not to include.

He didn’t listen.

In Raising the Bar, Dave tells his entire story, warts and all. From a troubled childhood, passed off from one special education program to another and labeled “stupid” and “learning disabled,” to the pitfalls of success, Dave takes the reader through the entire experience, demonstrating and teaching the strategies he’s used throughout his life to prepare, perform and prevail in even the most hopeless situations imaginable.

This is a remarkable book and Dave is a remarkable man, but he’s a remarkable man who’s no different from you, and that’s what makes his story special. Order your copy of Raising the Bar, and let Dave Tate show you how to make your story just as remarkable.

--
AC
PS - If you are interested in REAL life lessons from a successful athlete who built a REAL multi-million dollar company - doing what he loves - from the ground up (i.e. not a bullshit internet claim) - then pick up Raising the Bar HERE.
It's an education in business and a story of a life lived.

CANI Principle

2009-06-01T09:30:00.001-07:00

Rachel and I just returned from a trip to the UK where we were lucky enough to spend some good time with friends and family.

One meeting that we had jumped out at both os us as being worthy of sharing with you.

A week ago we met up with my Taekwon-do instructor and mentor of many years - Derek Campbell(who has been mentioned and alluded to many times in this blog) . Derek was the man responsible for me going into training and coaching as a career path.

When we met up with him last Monday - we spent up ten minutes catching up and then the following two or three hours, Derek drilled Rachel and I with questions about training, making weight, peaking, match fitness, stability training, the psychology of coaching, differences in coaching males and females.... the list went on.

What I need to point out though is that Derek Campbell is MY mentor - he's the guy I asked tons of questions to when I was younger. He's also been extremely successful in his own field - a seventh degree black belt (Master level) in Taekwon-do, the current Scotland national team coach and instructor to several successful Taekwon-do schools.

But what's really worth pointing out is that I won my first national medal with Derek in 1987, and my first national title under him in 1988.

Over 21 years later and the man is still asking questions and seeking to improve every level of his game. Derek Campbell embraces the CANI principle - "constant and never-ending improvement" -- Also know as the Principle of the Slight Edge.

Can you say the same?
Are you constantly striving to get better?
Who do you ask questions of every chance you get?
Do you put your ego completely aside and ask questions of anyone who can help you?
Even if they were once your student or peer?

Derek also asked me to do a seminar for the instructors in Scotland the next time I'm over (tentatively October). I'm humbled by the request and once again inspired by the man.

--
AC

Weight loss is not just about diet and exercise.

2009-05-29T09:33:00.000-07:00

Guest Blog from Dr Bryan Walsh

---

Weight loss is not just about diet and exercise.

Bold statement, but it’s true.

If losing weight were simply about following a diet and exercise program, why are so many new books being written on the subject? Because they aren’t working and honestly, it’s time people learned the truth about fat loss.

Let me first make one thing clear – diet and exercise are necessary for weight loss. Without them, weight loss won’t occur.

But what happens when diet and exercise don’t work?

Unfortunately this happens for far too many people. They follow a good diet and exercise program and they either don’t achieve all the weight loss they are hoping for, or they don’t lose any weight at all. It happens all the time.

Weight loss is a complex and well-orchestrated metabolic, biochemical and hormonal event that requires a number of factors to be working properly for fat loss to occur.

Hormones, blood sugar balance, gastrointestinal function, thyroid . . . if just one of these systems are not working properly, weight loss will not happen.

Consider the following:

• A recent study showed that the presence of certain bacteria in your gut can actually increase the amount of calories you absorb. In other words if you are eating 1,500 calories a day, but you have too many of these bacteria in your gut, you could be absorbing 2,000 calories a day!

• Another recent study showed that food sensitivities were the cause of inflammation and obesity, and that the removal of food sensitivities is a treatment for obesity. Everyone in this study who eliminated foods they were sensitive to lost an average of 37 pounds in 12 weeks.

• Neurotransmitter imbalances (i.e. low dopamine) can lead to fatigue, sugar cravings and carbohydrate binges. In other words, if you have a hard time sticking to a diet – it might not be about will-power and motivation, but rather you might have a neurotransmitter imbalance.

• Many common pesticides and chemicals in our environment have been shown to increase fat gain in animal and human studies.

The list goes on. There are so many underlying reasons people are having a difficult time losing weight, I created a multi-media program called Fat Is Not Your Fault. It contains a manual, assessment form, audio interpretation guide and over two and a half hours of video covering why people are having a hard time losing weight. It is the missing link in the weight loss industry that unfortunately no one is talking about.

The point is, there are many more factors to weight loss than simply diet and exercise.

We’re told by doctors that we need to lose weight to be healthy. And while that’s partly true, we also need to be healthy to lose weight. The healthier we are on the inside, the easier it is for us to lose weight on the outside. I cannot tell you how important understanding this concept is.

If you’re a couch potato and wondering why you’re overweight, the first thing you need to do is follow a good diet and exercise program like Alwyn Cosgrove’s Afterburn Training progam.

But if you’ve been following a good program and aren’t seeing the results you’re after, it’s time to look closer as to why you are not losing weight, which Fat Is Not Your Fault can help you do.

Be well,
Dr. Bryan Walsh
Fat Is Not Your Fault

---

AC
PS - Check out Dr Walsh's newest product HERE

Your Fat Is Not Your Fault? HUH?

2009-05-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

I recently interviewed naturopath Dr Bryan Walsh as regards his new course "Fat is Not Your Fault"

AC: I have to be honest, when I heard the name of your program I thought, “Of course it’s people’s fault. If you eat junk food and don’t exercise, then being fat is their fault.” But then when I heard more about your program I realized you were onto something.

BW: Honestly, that’s most people’s response and shows you just how much misinformation there is out there. We’re taught to believe that diet and exercise are the only things required to lose weight. And while we do need them to lose weight, our body also has to be functioning properly. If it’s not, weight loss simply won’t happen.

There are some very smart people in your field doing amazing research – really smart people in fact, and you’re one of them – but the part that is being sorely missed has to do with genuine underlying factors that are not allowing them to lose weight despite following a great diet and exercise program.

The missing link is people’s physiology which unfortunately nowadays, is worse than it’s ever been in human history. It can make weight loss virtually impossible for millions of people.

AC: That’s really interesting and I couldn’t agree more. Could you give me some examples?

BW:Sure.

First and foremost is blood sugar balance. Every diet book out there is designed to help balance blood sugar because it is so important for health and weight loss. But what these books don’t tell you is how to assess your blood sugar to see if it is being effectively managed.

I see patients all the time that are following a great diet and exercise program – perfect actually – but when we do blood work on them, they have blood sugar issues despite the fact that they are doing everything right. In women, blood sugar and insulin increase testosterone, which will make weight loss virtually impossible, in addition to creating other imbalances in the body.

AC: They have blood sugar issues even though they are following a diet and exercise program?

BW: Absolutely. That is another misconception. Diet and exercise are fantastic for helping manage blood sugar, but if there are other things going on inside the body, someone can still have blood sugar issues. Things like adrenal gland dysfunction and high cortisol – this will raise blood sugar despite what someone is doing on the outside and will practically ruin all their efforts.

Gastrointestinal health is another one. If people have some type of infection – which is FAR more common than people realize – or if they are eating foods they are sensitive to, these are a stress to the body and will increase cortisol levels, among other things, making a diet and exercise program completely ineffective.

AC: That’s fascinating. How common do you think this is?

BW: More common than people realize. The type of people I see in my practice are not sick people. They generally well-educated people who read a lot of health books, eat pretty well, exercise, take supplements and are generally healthy-minded people. But I can tell you that almost everyone that walks through my door has imbalances – hormones, blood sugar, adrenal gland issues, gastrointestinal dysfunction, neurotransmitter imbalances – despite the fact that they are living a healthier lifestyle than most other people.

I’ll give you an example. We put people on a 28 detoxification program, which is basically a modified elimination diet, supplements to support their gastrointestinal system and liver, and after following this for 28 days, everyone loses weight whether they are exercising or not. When you reduce inflammation in the body and give it a chance to relax a bit, weight loss happens effortlessly.

AC: What can people do to get started?

BW: The first thing is to get educated. Knowledge is power. That’s why I created Fat Is Not Your Fault. It is to help educate people on the different systems of their body and how it impacts weight loss if it is not working properly. I get comments almost daily on how much people love the videos I made for the program. I try to explain things in a very easy-to-understand way and then offer solutions. Sometimes it’s certain lab tests that people can get, other times it’s how to do things like an elimination diet – but the first key is education. You must learn how things work so that when you go to your doctor you can have a conversation with him rather than just have him tell you what to do.

I also created an assessment form so people can figure out which areas in their body need the most attention. For example, people can see if they might have a thyroid issue, a gastrointestinal issues, or if their hormones are causing them the most difficulty. There are also questions geared towards neurotransmitter balance, how toxic someone might be, what type of blood sugar issues they might have and then I have an audio guide to help walk people through their results.

AC: It sounds like you covered everything.

BW: I worked hard on it and am very proud of it. There is nothing like it anywhere, especially all in one place. There is so much misinformation available today that I wanted to create the best possible product I could to help as many people as possible. And I thank you, by the way, for helping me reach more people.

AC: Well, I’ve known you for a long time and the quality of work you put out. It’s my pleasure. Where can people learn more?

BW: The easiest way is to go to Fat Is NOT Your Fault

The entire program is there and, the information that people get, honestly . . . it’s a steal. It was a lot of fun to put it together and now my goal is to help as many people as humanly possible. There are a lot of unhappy people out there blaming themselves for being overweight, when it might have very little to do with what they are doing.

AC: Thanks for your time, Dr. Walsh. It’s been fun.

BW: Agreed, Alwyn. I love what you do and think you’re one of the brighter lights in the fitness industry. Thanks for doing everything you do.

--
AC
Ps - check out Dr Walsh's course => "Fat is not your Fault"

Alwyn Cosgrove

Afterburn Testimonial

8 weeks out!

Attn NSCA Members!!

8 weeks with AC, JB and the TRX (Guest Blog)

by Helen Kollias, June 10th, 2009.Precision Nutrition

Methods

Study results

Conclusions

The bottom line

Assorted Q&A

Lift Strong Fundraiser !! LIVE !!!!

Halfway to 2010

Lance is back.

The Gap.

Eat Breakfast and burn more fat!

Do you believe?

Summer Profits for Fitness Professionals

Targeting Belly Fat

Three years ago this past weekend...

The Truth about Fat Loss

It's about ACTION

Hypertrophy for Athletes

Time Machines and Turbulence Training

Webinars - great new resource!

Politics :)

Fast Fat Loss for the Fourth

Raising the Bar

CANI Principle

Weight loss is not just about diet and exercise.

Your Fat Is Not Your Fault? HUH?

by Helen Kollias, June 10th, 2009.
Precision Nutrition