Recently I was at a commercial gym and about to head out after my training session until 1 of the guys introduced himself to me and asked me if I was a cop. He had seen me training as I went back and forth in superset style fashion. He thought I was in training for something but that fast paced training is common for me. It's funny because I used to get that question quite often back when I buzzed my head, people thought I was in the Military or Law Enforcement. Anyway, we got chatting when … [Read more...]
5 Thoughts (Tips) on Program Design for Athletes
I love studying and talking program design. But even more so, I LOVE Coaching. You see, LOTS of books, articles, "influencers" can TALK about program design but can you COACH? Can you COMMAND the room? I want to share these 5 thoughts (maybe you will see them as tips, maybe not) regarding Strength & Conditioning. If you're hungry to learn, this is for you. If you're "good enough" or "too busy", get back to searching for fads and gimmicks. Move along, nothing to see here, … [Read more...]
Are You Allergic to HARD WORK?
As I am doing some research for some up and coming episodes of The Iron Roots Podcast I came across some of my favorite articles. Articles from the 60s and early 70s, before I was born. What do these articles talk about? The BASICS. Getting STRONG. Eating. A LOT. Finding a Way vs Finding an Excuse. But today. Not enough can do the above. Why? Because they're allergic. … [Read more...]
Iron Roots Podcast Ep. 3 | Training for Life | Dr. Ken
Here we go! Iron Roots Podcast, Episode 3. In this episode of Iron Roots, I talk about someone I NEVER met, yet he was a mentor to me from all of his writings & videos I had come across through the years. I am talking about none other than Dr. Ken Leistner. Dig in and enjoy the show! … [Read more...]
QnA: Bodyweight Bodybuilding, Getting Lean & Thoughts On Owning A Gym
Another Powerful QnA from my Instagram. Topics Covered in this episode: Using specialty bars at The Underground Strength Gym & the story behind some of these barbells How do you know if you're overtraining & how to adjust your training, nutrition and lifestyle at this point? Breaking down a GREAT 3 day split for gaining strength & size (Gladiator STRONG Template) Thoughts on "Cutting Weight" for Wrestling … [Read more...]
Am I Crazy Or What?
Am I Crazy or is this normal? As a Coach, Strength Coach, Sports Coach, ANY Coach - I sometimes wonder what it would be like if I just SUCKED! You know, just come home and sit on the ol' couch after my team got destroyed in the latest game and I don't even care. I still get paid. No one bothers me because I don't bother anyone else. Kids skip practice and guess what, I don't even care. I just let it slide. My team hasn't been better than .500 since the dinosaurs roamed the earth and I don't … [Read more...]
7 Short & Intense Holiday Workouts
The Holidays are hectic and can crush your time and energy like nothing else. You THINK you're going to train and before you know it, you're in a sea of madness at the mall shopping for a pair of socks for Uncle Johnny. That being said, I am making this article short and sharing with you 7 SHORT workouts to crush during the remaining days of 2016. If you're like me, you are NOT fun to be around if you wound up missing a planned training session. Well, now you have NO excuses and neither … [Read more...]
1 Exercise Per Workout & Being AWESOME
It was New Year's Eve... well, just about. It was 3 PM on New Year's Eve and the dedicated crew of athletes & lifters rolled up to The Underground Strength Gym in Edison, NJ. Some had traveled as far as 1 hr to drive here & I let the thought enter my mind.... "Where are the kids who live 5 - 10 minutes away from here who keep telling me they're too busy during the season?" Instead of getting disappointed I get fired up by reminding myself to have ZERO expectations of people. I get … [Read more...]
“Might As Well Be A Savage” & Thoughts On “Training For Life”
One thing you'll notice about this generation of bodybuilders, LEOs and even athletes..... They are NOT built with that look of strength. They are too concerned with details that don't matter. They want the perfect training program where everything looks perfect. Side raises instead of Military Press. Glute Med isolation instead of SQUATS. Pec Deck instead of Weighted Dips. I recall seeing State Troopers who were 6 ft plus on the regular and looking like they could destroy you with … [Read more...]
Minimalist Workout For MAX Muscle Gains
"In any war, you put your back to mine, I put my back to yours, and let's do what we gotta do." - Ray Lewis Here's a lil' inside look at how we roll at The Underground Strength Gym with our adult training crew. YES, we train adults just like we train our athletes. We are ALL athletes. Don't ever forget that! Underground Strength Tip Of The Day: Do ONLY what is needed to pack on strength & muscle and NO more. Pick 2 or 3 exercises, work up to 1 or 2 heavy sets and then move … [Read more...]