Got a great question today, one that applies to everyone, NOT just the ladies:

QUESTION: So Zach… Sounds like an Xcellent workout here is a question for you.   I am a 52 year young female fitness trainer….. I LOVE the USC training … I lay here with ice on my knees & hip after an intense KB sandbag & plyo bootcamp I participated in…

How can I keep up with Kids 10,20 ,30 years younger and should I continue  training this way ??? By the way, this intense working out is really the secret to looking young….  I look 15 years younger… I think I answered my own ?

Love your daily emails!

Lisa L.  / Gold’s Gym. SF, Ca.

Answer: Lisa, thanks for your question and thanks for the great comments

A workout should not leave you battered and bruised, requiring ice on the knees, hips, etc.

A workout should be challenging, yet not so brutal it interferes with your ADL’s (activities of daily living).

Unfortunately, many trainers out there do just that, they train. They train to smash you, kick your ass, put you down and make you hurt. And, some people like this stuff

A workout should make you stronger, improve power, improve work capacity / conditoning, etc.

I suggest you find a program that allows you to come home and feel like you don’t need the ice and took an ass whoopin’

Now, on the flip side, this should not be misinterpreted as the encouragement to take it easy. Everyone has their individual capabilities, and the smartest, healthiest individuals understand how to listen to their body and act accordingly. This is what gives you longevity and allows you to train for a lifetime.

This is also why I created my Underground Apprentice Program and The Underground Strength Coach Certification. All our athletes train with baseline programs and do not exceed certain intensities, volume, etc until we see they are physically and psychologically ready.

I actually had a friend who was going through these workouts, but, eventually, he said his body regressed in strength, muscularity, energy, etc.

It was constant dips, jumps, sprints, etc, always long workouts, never changing the volume, the intensity or anything else. Somedays he does only pull ups, other days hill sprints, other days he does a long workout, it all depends on how he feels.

In the end, the best way to train is according to the messages your body is sending you.

Today was a scheduled squat / deadlift day. I was beat up from Saturday’s strongman workout so I nixed the squat / deadlifts and went heavy on the sleds instead. I felt great and didn’t take my body to a point of no return.

Back when I was younger, that was fun, but, that’s what also got me injured.

Be smart, listen to your body

In Strength,

–Z–

P.S. - Wanna see my workouts, the workouts my athletes go through, videos, audios, hundreds of articles, program design methods and more? Then get to The Underground at http://UndergroundStrengthCoach.com

Here’s the tail end of some of the crew tearing it up at The Underground Strength Gymnasium, in good ol’ Edison, NJ.

Here’s the workout these beasts endured…

After our Underground warm up, a powerful blend of mobility, calisthenics, bands, movement prep and stability work, they attacked the following:

1A) zercher squats 5 x 4 - 6 reps
1B) mixed push ups for active recovery 5 x 15 reps

2A) 1 arm dumbbell clean & press 3 x 6
2B) weighted pull ups w/mixed grips 3 x max reps

3) jump rope x 5 minutes

ya gotta move, and this is why if you ever saw our warm up, it could kick the crap out of the majority of people who walk through our doors.

We build our athletes up to this training and push hard for strength endurance, power endurance and overall work capacity and mental toughness.

The jump rope at the end is awesome! Jumping rope develops foot speed, leg power, ankle stability and improves wind, BIG time!

Listen to the music blasting, the guys having a blast while training, the atmosphere and another great day in “the office.”

Kick ass and stay strong, more is coming

–Z–

P.S. - Wanna learn my methods for developing kick ass training programs for athletes, doing what you love and bypassing all my mistakes? Watch our apprentice video and e mail me if you’re serious about getting in the door. SERIOUS inquiries only, as always

P.P.S. - Grill me and see how I do things at the July 12th Gladiator Seminar with Steve Maxwell. We’re gonna spill the beans and blow the lid off your current training knowledge. Get in before we shut the doors and space is filled! Click HERE now.

We are all home, Ethan is the man, and yes, that’s a tough title to snag after only 2 days on earth

He is really a super kid, except he sleeps all day and stays awake all night….I’ve been up since 2 AM…push ups through the day + adrenaline are keeping me awake.

I have a crazy summer ahead of me, but man are things rockin’.

Don’t forget, we have The Baby Ethan 72 hr. Sale rockin…

the 3 products you can save on are…

1) http://gripexperts.com e course

2) http://undergroundstrengthmanual.com e course

3) The Russian Lion Power Course (Deluxe Version Only) - this is going to arrive with an unannounced special DVD bonus - you’ll love it, it’s some hard core info, uncut!

The Deluxe version is at http://combatgrappler.com/russianlion2.html

********

Before I prepare to feed the little man (my wife fell asleep in my daughter’s bed! uh oh, no help!!) I wanted to ask you a question.

I have received many e mails the past few months inquiring about people wanting to visit to learn my training methods and some want to learn training AND business.

If you want to do this, let me know by replying to this e mail. I will be taking on a select few “apprentices” to learn my methods.

This is not the Underground Strength Coach Certification Program.

This is you shadowing me in my gym, asking me anything you want, training with our athletes, opening my filing cabinets, seeing how I run the show, grabbing grub with me to talk business and learn how we kick ass, going all the way from a puny garage and beat up playgrounds to a thriving online business and ass kicking gym….

in the end, it’s about doing what you love.

Next week I am having lunch with someone which I invested in…how much? Five BIG G’s

I invest because I know I’ll make it back ten fold in the first month and beyond after that.

Someone once if I would pay five grand for a napkin that could show me how to make 10 grand. The answer is a “hells yea!”

So, maybe you wanna spend one day with me, maybe two, maybe 3…

As always, I will screen those who wanna come and learn. It’s not for everyone obviously. Complainers, cry babies, whiners, excuse makers…. no way, I want someone ready to blaze a trail of their own, someone who wants to follow their passion, someone who wants to rock the house.

In Strength,

–Z–

P.S. - Dont forget about the Baby Ethan 72 hr. Sale…

the 3 products you can save on are…

1) http://gripexperts.com e course

2) http://undergroundstrengthmanual.com e course

3) The Russian Lion Power Course (Deluxe Version Only) - this is going to arrive with an unannounced special DVD bonus - you’ll love it, it’s some hard core info, uncut!

The Deluxe version is at http://combatgrappler.com/russianlion2.html