Oh Poor Me!

I just want to share with you a story about a guy that trains in my gyms. A story about a guy who is mentally tough and makes no excuses. He just gets shit done.

He walked into my gym about 4-5 months ago, like many men in their late 30's and early 40's and inquired about getting some training to help lose some fat.
Almost everyday I hear a story about how some dude, used to be strong, used to play football in high school, used to be in great shape. But now being a lazy fat ass has caught up to them and their health and appearance has gone in the shitter.

So what set my guy apart from the rest? On that particular day, not a damn thing. He inquired, I showed him what we offer, he bought a small personal training package.
He was about 60lbs overweight and his knees were so bad he could barely walk up the stairs in his home.
We scheduled some appointments and got to work. Still nothing out of the ordinary.

Fast forward a couple of months and now we've got something to talk about.
This guy has lost a pile of weight (not sure on the exact amount but it's somewhere around 30lbs), he's now running upwards of 13 miles on the treadmill in a single session, and is looking like a totally different man. It's very inspiring. He really found the way to making himself better.
The coolest part is, he never makes excuses. He knows sometimes scheduling can be tough, especially when he works 12 hour days, goes to Karate 4 times per week with his daughter (they both do the Karate) and still manages to get to the gym to train with weights and run.
He told me today that it sometimes means hitting the gym at 4am. No big deal.

I love it.

What's stopping you?

The Max Effort Method

I just got a copy of Jim Wendler's Max Effort Book. So I guess this will be literature review.

This book, much like his III book, is pretty simple and to the point. It has a lot of the stuff that you think you know inside and out, until you read it again. If you are a fan of Wendler humour, you will enjoy this book as it is full of it. It reads as if he was sitting in the room and telling you how it is.

It covers all the basics in regards to a "Westside" template. (and he even explains why not everyone should be running around claiming to train "westside" or just throwing the name out there for improved street cred.

One of the things that I like most about the way he explains the exercises is that he straight up tells you the ones he likes and why he likes them (or why most people like them), but doesn't take a shit on the ones he doesn't like. It's biased, but somewhat not biased. (if that makes any sense at all)

Bottom line is, it's a good read, loaded with good info, and simple enough for the rest of us. I'll be honest, Super Training is WAY over my head. I've got a copy, and it's really good for a one board press. (although I've recently put it in the bathroom at home to try and read a few more sections)

I'm gonna get off topic now and touch on a subject that needs mention. If you come up to me and start blabbering on about neuromuscular this and rigormortis fasciata that, I tune you the fuck out. I'm not University educated. Is it important to know all the fancy words and flow charts and graphs and skeleton diagrams? Not so far. Everything I've learned has been from books (that I could understand), seminars, and trying shit out in the gym myself over the last 15 years. Knowing all the big, book learnin' words may impress some people, but it just confuses the hell out of 99% of the people you will ever work with in the training business. Lucky for me, I have a good buddy who knows all the book learnin' words and flow charts and diagrams, but he also knows how to lift a barbell and work hard in the gym. So when I get stuck, guess who I call on?

Anyways, if you want a good book to help pass the time you spend in the crapper, as well as further your skills and knowledge in the game of getting stronger, buy the book.

Road Trip

I took a road trip to Montreal on Saturday. It was a last minute plan that came together after I got a message from a buddy who was heading down to work in his bench shirt at the Montreal Chapter of the Metal Militia Powerlifting Club. I also had heard from another friend on Friday morning that he had moved all his strongman equipment to the Metal Militia gym.

Sweet. I could go do some benching and throw in a few events.

The Montreal Barbell is owned by Ross Saldan. Saturday was my first time meeting Ross but we were treated like old family members the second we walked in the gym. They just moved into a new building and are set up with some rediculously good powerlifting equipment.
They have 2 monolifts, 3 competition benches, DB's up to 180lbs, a reverse Hyper, lots of good bars, and 74-45lbs plates. (Thats 3330lbs of 45's) Sweet!

The MM is affiliated with the CPO. The CPO is a powerlifting federation with ties to the now extinct WPO. This is the fed where you can use open back bench shirts, squat in a mono lift. The rules on the powerlifting gear are not totally clear to me, but it's basically like the stuff you see on elite.

I benched using my old Titan Fury but was introduced to a new style of benching with my feet tucked way underneath and a huge arch in my back. I hit a shirted PR of 455lbs and just missed a 475 attempt. (I will be hunting down the videos of both very soon)

All in all it was a fun day. I made some new friends and good contacts. It was well worth the drive.

Grow a Pair (Of legs)

Hey Chicken legs, check out this little paragraph I found on a training log today.

Coach Foley posted it and says he found it on a facebook profile.

I like it.



Your leg development is a direct reflection of your character. Weak legs mean a weak will. Show me a man whose upper body is larger than than his lower body and I'll show you a man who will settle for mediocre success in all walks of life. Never will he win a championship. Deficient legs are a sign that he cannot take the strain of a leg workout that would be of maximum benefit, because a good leg workout bears no resemblance to a good workout for any other body part. The only pure substance for your training, and the only faculty that produces mass and separation, is irrepressible lust to find masochistic ecstasy in a level of pain unendurable by any other human being. When you're pumped to a rage that melys your skull, blisters your eyes, and burns your thighs with a madness that makes you want to chew them off at the hips just to ease the agony, then you can go home. You've worked your legs!!

Stone Loading

On Saturdays I train strongman events in a garage. And I always get some of the best training sessions ever in that garage. It's dirty, the music is loud, the place is full of primitive strength tools. It's a place where great strength is built and tested.

One of the mainstays of saturday garage training is Stone Loading. My training group is lucky enough to have atlas stones. Atlas stones are the concrete spheres you may have seen on TV while watching Worlds Strongest Man.
We have a set of atlas stones that ranges from 188lbs to 385lbs. We load them to platforms ranging in height from 51" to 72".

Loading 265lbs stone to 72" at Canada's Strongest Man 2008

Stone loading is very taxing on many different parts of the body. It tests your arm and grip, upper back, lower back, legs, hips, abs and most importantly your mental toughness. I have never loaded stones and not been sore all over. (and I'm not talking about the scrapes on my chest and arms) This past Saturday was no exception. I had a really hard time getting out of bed on sunday.

Here's what I did: (After log press and farmers walk)
320lb stone to 54" X2
320lb stone to 54"X3
320lb stone to 54"X3
320lb stone to 54"X3
320lb stone shouldered to 56" + 350lb stone to 51"
320lb stone shouldered to 56" + 350lb stone to 54"
350lb stone to 54"

I did try to shoulder the 320 one last time but I was out of steam. I got a bit frustrated with myself for missing lifts near the end of the sets, but it wasn't until I wrote out my training log that I noticed the large volume of heavy stones I did.



This is one of my training partners, Peter Wagner, he is the owner of the garage I train at. He is also one hell of a stone loader. Peter is almost 50 years old. What's your excuse?

Head Games

I've been wanting to touch on how important I feel the "mental aspect" to success in strength gains.
It's a pretty broad topic so to keep this from becoming 7 volumes long, lets focus on desire and mental toughness.

Developing a successful attitude in the gym is paramount to improving your strength, fitness level, appearance, just about everything. If you're walking into a gym, at least you had enough motivation to get off the couch. But is there enough drive there to do more than take up space at the gym? You must believe that your efforts will lead to achieving your goals.

I cannot explain exactly what drives me. It's somewhere between pride and greed. I always demand more from myself and I always want to be better than the next guy. This attitude or desire to constantly be better is the driving force behind many succesful training sessions.

I see many different levels of drive or desire everyday. I work with people who have so much drive that they wear themselves out. I also work with people that seem like they are one notch above suicide. Obviously the ones with massive desire for change in their appearanc or strength levels get the best results and they get them as quickly as possible.

Once you've developed the desire to work hard, you need the mental toughness to ride through the storm of hard training. My favourite example of mental toughness is from an unlikely source. 30-50 year old women that want to get their 20 year old body back. I've got clients that bust ass through some very challenging training sessions week in and week out and never complain, and never give up. Have you ever seen a guy at the gym load up a bar and do a set of squats to 20 reps or above? There are thousands of great examples of mental toughness, the key is to be one of those examples.

No summary here kids. Just get your brain in gear and don't be a wanker at the gym today. Train till the sweat is dripping and your muscles are burning.

More Bang For Your Buck

With all the doom and gloom news about the economy I think a few tips on value and savings is in order.
But I am not talking about financial value and savings....I'm talking about training economy.


What exactly is training economy? I could be off a bit by what a textbook would tell us, but my version of training economy is getting the best bang for your buck when training.

I want to get bigger and stronger, Sally wants to lose fat and get leaner, and we both want to do it as fast as possible. We want results yesterday. So naturally Sally and I are going to choose the training plan, and exercises that yield the biggest results in the shortest possible time.

First I will tell you what is NOT a good "bang for your buck" exercise; (there are a lot of them)
Calf press
Wrist Curls
Crunches on a fitness ball
Triceps Kickbacks
Anything involving a bosu ball
Pedalling a recumbant bike
The list could go on for a while, but I think you get the point.

Here is my qualified opinion on what the most common and most effective "bang for your buck" exercises ARE:
Squats
Clean and Press
Deadlift
Bench Press (any variation of)
Chin-ups
push-ups
Sit-ups
Sprinting
Prowler Pushing or Sled drags
Rower Sprints

If I was heading to the gym and only had 30 minutes to train, I would choose 1 of the first 4 on the list and get to work. If you or me or Sally applied ourselves to working our asses off at any of these, or any combination of 2-3 of the listed exercises, there would be results on the way, without a doubt.

When you're in a hurry and/or just want to get results faster, pick a couple of the "bang for your buck" exercises and look the hell out. These are garaunteed to make the sweat drip from your face and have you crawling for the exit in no time.

More Goods from the Mentorship

It was a good trip okay. I've still got lots to share.

The training and business end was most important, but I also went down there with a goal for myself in mind. I wanted to break the "washed up meatheads" (Not highschool or college athlete) Trap Bar Deadlift record.

I figured it would be pretty cool to get my name on the Defranco's Record Board. Hell, it's the board that inspired us to start record boards at our gyms.

So did I get on it? You're goddamn right I did! I beat the old record by 150lbs!

"Right there, above Zach Even Esh" and yes I pull a stupid face when I'm excited

Not be outdone by her ol'man, Sarah took a stab at the ladies Trap Bar Deadlift record too.
And hell yeah, she beat the old record by 90lbs.

"Look mom, I made it on the big board" (and with room to spare)

Alright, enough horn blowing and back patting. You already knew we were pretty awesome to begin with. (HAHA) We believe in walking the walk.

I'm really happy for Sarah this weekend and not because of the deadlift record, but because of the confidence she has developed as a strength coach. She knows her shit when it comes to training. It would be impossible for her to not know a lot. It's all we talk about, it's all we read, it's what we do. The mentorship and hanging out with Joe and 4 other great coaches from around the world has brought it out in her mind that she doesn't need to take shit from regular schmoes that walk into our gyms and look down there nose at her as trainer because she is a female.
The way I look at is that we should never blow off the opportunity to learn from everyone we come across. And Sarah is no exception. She has a lot to offer when it comes to training. And in addition to knowing it, she's also stronger pound for pound than about 90% of the men that train in our gyms. SO THERE!

I'm really getting geared up for the summer program again. I can't wait until hockey season is over and our guys get back. I love working with them and seeing them progress and get better.
I can't wait to dust off the prowlers and sleds. And I've also got a few new tools to get everyone stronger and faster this summer.

I actually got a call yesterday for an appointment to start working with a teenage girl that plays competitive hockey and fastball. We're ready and fully loaded to bring any athlete closer to their goals. You don't have to wait until the snow melts to get started. In season, pre-season, off-season, we're ready for it.

What does your wife do in her spare time?

A Few New Moves

Sarah pumpin' the gun show

So, I'm back to the grind and still high on the fact that I was at Defranco's for the weekend.

Everyone keeps asking me what the main points that I learned were and yada yada.

Here's my summary of the Defranco's Mentorship:

-Attittude and Atmosphere are probably the most important factors to having a good training session.

-Keep things simple, there is no need to follow your clients around with a stop watch and a clip board. Teach them how to squat, bench etc and let them get busy.

Joe tells the group how it's gonna be

-Small group training is the best way to get the best attitude and atmosphere mentioned above. Of course you have to weed out people that are not looking for the same success and not willing to give 100% all the time.

-Rest periods during max effort lifts should not be regulated. Take as much time as needed.


-Super setting the accessories and utilizing bands and DB's will alow the groups to keep working hard without much equipment.

Mike "the asshole" Guadango about to set a 10yd PR

-One day a week should be dedicated to recovery work. (wednesdays works best if possible)

-I learned how to perform assisted PNF stretching the way Joe performs it on his athletes. This little routine will make a huge difference in anyones day to day operations and mobility.

-Kids that train at Defranco's scare the shit out of their competitors on game day. The DTS t-shirt is a badge of honour that must be earned throught hard work and dedication.

-The "Asshole" is really a great guy. Don't let the title fool you.

-I was doing a good job of warming up my athletes last summer. Joe's warm-up at the sprint session was almost identical. (although I picked up a couple new things too)

-There is nothing fancy about WSSB, just simple and hard work, the way I like it.


There are probably 1000 other little tid-bits that will help me do my job better and help me help kids get ready for their sports but those are the things that I learned by "just being there" and seeing things unfold.


If you are like me and seriously want to be known as the trainer that creates scary athletes then you should definately try to get in on a mentorship with Joe in the future.




Thanks Joe.



Okay Kids, who wants to slay the competition like never before?

Back From the Dirtee Jerzee

I'm just droppin' in to say we made it back alive and loaded with ideas and info.

Great weekend. (How could a weekend at Defranco's not be great, Seriously?)

I'll post some words and vids soon.

Have a great day