In This Issue:

– Robertson Training Systems Updates
– Testimonials
– Training Tip
– Nutrition Tip
– Exclusive Interview: Geoff Neupert
– Upcoming Interviews
– New Articles
– Schedule

Robertson Training Systems Updates:

Indy Seminar accepted for .7 NSCA CEU’s!

We’ve received official confirmation from the NSCA that the Indy Seminar has been accredited with .7 NSCA CEU’s!

We’ve also created a specific page for the seminar; you can link to it directly from the home page or via the link below:

Indy Seminar

I’m working on a mailing as we speak to all NSCA certified members in the surrounding states as well. I really want this to be a great event so stay tuned for future updates!

Testimonials:

Jeff Fellure, MS, CSCS, PES
Performance Enhancement Director
Results By Design, LLC

Training Tip:

Mobility and Flexibility for the HIPS

Many training programs are geared towards improving flexibility/mobility of the hips – but are you getting maximal value from them?

Quite often, you’ll see trainees who are working on improving “hip” mobility, when in fact they are getting too much range of motion at the lumbar spine. To counteract this, focus on maintaining a neutral spine during all your hamstring, glute, and adductor stretches/mobilizations. This will ensure that you are getting a maximal return on your investment.

Nutrition Tip:

Increase NEPA
by Mike Roussell

NEPA stands for Non -Exercise Physical Activity. Examples of this are: walking to your car, playing with your children, fixing the car, etc. Studies have shown that people with higher levels of NEPA have less bodyfat when compared to people with lower amounts of NEPA.

To increase NEPA, try parking a little further away when you go to the mall, use the bathroom one floor up from your office, and whatever you do DON’T use the traveling sidewalks in the airports.

If you like this tip and want to learn more about Mike and his products, check out his Naked Nutrition website.

Exclusive Interview: Geoff Neupert

MR: Geoff, thanks for being with us here today; with a new gym, I’m sure you’re quite busy!

For those who readers who may not know who you are, please introduce yourself.

GN: I am currently the owner of Rapid Results Fitness, a “gym” that specializes in group kettlebell and Z-Health training. I’ve been in the fitness profession since 1993 and have owned several personal training companies. I have been a strength and conditioning coach at Rutgers University and compete in Olympic Weightlifting. My certifications include the CSCS, Z-Health Level 2, and Senior RKC.

MR: What originally got you into the field of strength training?

GN: High school wrestling was the original impetus. I broke my left arm my junior year 6 days before our tournament. I spent most of the following summer in the weight room. I went from about 145lbs to about 160lbs by the time wrestling season rolled around. After deciding that college wrestling wasn’t for me, I spent a good portion of my time in the college weight room. I couldn’t imagine not being there, and after seeing that I was pretty good at not only getting big and strong, but helping others do the same, I decided I couldn’t imagine not doing anything else.

MR: The cool thing is, you’re not just talking the talk, you’re walking the walk while competing in Olympic lifting. What got you into that?

GN: I was trying to get into powerlifting, but it wasn’t going as well as I’d liked. I was big, pretty strong, but had lost my athleticism. I went to Ukraine in the summer of ’94 with Athletes in Action and trained with the weightlifters at the Institute of Physical Culture in L’viv. Many of them were regional or national champs. Anyway, their coach offered me a scholarship to stay there and train—he said he’d make me into a champion. Well, obviously, that got me thinking. After I returned from Ukraine, I spent the next year teaching myself the Olympic squat and finally called my first coach Mark Cohen to get me started proper. I’ve been training ever since.

MR: Let’s talk training a bit. What mistakes do you see people making, both in regards to general fitness training and/or on the strength athlete side of things?

GN: There are multiple mistakes I see people making, Mike. Here are five:

1. Dishonest self-assessment.

Most people just don’t/won’t take the time to find out exactly where their fitness levels are and don’t have a clear and focused vision or goal. They say things like, “I want to get in shape” but never define what that is. “Round” is a shape you know, so they may have already arrived at their destination!

2. Following the herd.

Most people “design” their fitness programs based on hearsay. “Julie’s doing Pilates, Yoga, and Spinning, so in order to look like her, I must have to do the same.” The reality is, everyone who wants to go from where they currently are to a level they’ve never been, needs a teacher—not a peer. Who could’ve gotten a college degree without direction and instruction from others?

Fitness is the same way. Many people refuse to seek help and just make up their own program based on what they think they know, which is little to nothing at all. Is it any wonder they don’t see the results they want, get injured, or give up?

3. Fear of work.

Changing takes work—both smart and hard work. Many people just aren’t willing to do what it takes to get what they want so they settle for much less than they could have. They fail to realize if they just put one foot in front of the other and start moving, they’ll eventually reach their goal. Unfortunately too many people just stop because of this, that, or the other excuse. If you want to change, don’t stop moving!

4. Not training for strength.

Many people are afraid to lift the heavy stuff—especially women. They fail to realize that the heavy stuff allows them to accomplish most of their other goals: fat loss, speed, power. Obviously, it’s not a panacea, but it’s a good start.

5. Misunderstanding mobility work.

Mobility work is obviously not the same as flexibility work. Most of us as professionals would agree to that. However, that’s where our commonalities diverge. I view mobility work as strength training. That’s a radical thought for many, I’m sure. High quality mobility work enhances neural drive and capacity and therefore strength.

Here’s a perfect example: Pre-Z-Health, due to my injuries, my last “heavy” squat session was 160kg in mid-2005. I happened to put a tear in my right quad tendon on the first rep. My body later locked down both knees due to multiple hip injuries and that knee injury. Fast forward 24 months after doing zero squatting and very little heavy loading of any kind over that time period, I was able to squat 170kg after about 6-7 training sessions (3 weeks) weighing 10kg less than that previous training session. How’d that work?! Neurological efficiency—one of the ways to increase maximum strength.

MR: That’s great stuff Geoff. Following up on that final point, you’ve been a huge proponent of the Z-Health mobility system and Dr. Eric Cobb. How has Z-Health influenced your training and performance?

GN: Z-Health has revolutionized the way I train. Two years ago I was completely broken—just a collection of injuries from pushing my body too hard. I was so beat up, that I couldn’t even sit in a chair without excruciating knee pain. Because of the damage to my hips and knee my orthopedic surgeon told me that my weightlifting career was over. Loaded hip flexion and knee flexion would only continue to chew up my damaged connective tissue.

Z-Health teaches you joint mobility drills, among other things, that allows your brain to rewire your body. This is a HUGE paradigm shift because although other systems acknowledge that the nervous system rules the body, only Z-Health takes it to its logical conclusion. For my clients and I, this means no more soft tissue work on the foam roller, etc, very little stretching/flexibility work for “tissue quality” (relaxation is another story…). Z becomes a neurological warm-up, a metabolic warm-up, movement prep, and activation work all-in-one—Very efficient stuff.

So, first and foremost, Z-Health got me out of pain when orthopedic, chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, and physical therapy interventions failed. But even more than that, Z-Health got me back into performance. After almost eight years of not competing due to a hectic work schedule and trying to rehab multiple injuries, I returned to the platform in November 2007. My competitive “program” was only nineteen training sessions and I snatched 10kg below my best and jerked 20kg below my best. Not bad.

Since then, my strength has accelerated beyond my wildest imagination. I’m almost as strong at 35 as I was at 25. I expect to exceed my previous bests in all lifts by the end of 2008.

MR: Switching gears, you just opened a new gym. What kind of demographic are you catering to?

GN: We are catering to men and women between 25 and 45-ish. Our main goal is to provide a program that’s affordable, but not so affordable that fitness is taken for granted, like a regular gym. We seek to provide high-quality training—similar to the quality you’d receive in a private session, but in a group environment. We also provide a lot of support for our clients in other ways.

MR: What are some issues you’ve had with starting the gym that you may not have anticipated originally?

GN: Since we just opened in January, we haven’t faced or met a lot of the issues that I know we will in the near future. One of the major issues we are about to face is switching people over from a short-term mentality (we get people “in” to the program with a 3 month commitment) to a long-term commitment, like a year. The problem is that our program is so “non-mainstream,” we have to give people a taste so they can see that they’ll like it. So far, it’s working. The second thing is finding the right staff to replace ourselves so we can work even more on the business rather than in the business.

MR: Sounds like you’ve been reading the E-Myth! I’m glad to hear things are working well for you.

I’m going to finish with the same question I always use, because I think we learn more from our mistakes than our successes. What’s one mistake you’ve made along the way? And more importantly, what have you done since then to correct it?

GN: The “more is more” mentality. We as Americans tend to focus on quantity over quality. Sure, we acknowledge this in many cases, but really fail to grasp and implement the reality. For me in my own training, I would torture myself with a “tough guy” mentality and push myself way beyond the limits of my recovery. This is still a major trend in the fitness world—doing more work instead of higher quality work.

The problem then becomes how do you deal with the injuries that accumulate from pushing yourself too hard? This is why your work with corrective exercise has been so important, Mike. You show people how to get out of pain and back into performance, focusing on high quality work while still “feeling” like they’re getting a “workout.” Since then, I’ve implemented the major following strategy: I no longer train by percentages alone. I train combining percentages and an RPE scale exercise by exercise and then a cumulative RPE for the training session. This has been working very well. I have guidelines that I follow and work within those guidelines. For my clients (and for myself too), I follow Z-Health’s “4 Elements of Efficiency:”

1. Perfect Form
2. Dynamic Postural Alignment
3. Synchronized Breathing
4. Balanced Tension and Relaxation

Most of us as trainers stop our clients when form breaks. However, according to Z-Health Principles, as soon as the balance between tension and relaxation shifts to more one than the other, the set is terminated or altered. This approach has allowed everybody to see better results because it allows us to more efficiently balance the stresses of training with the stresses of life.

MR: Geoff, thanks for the kind words there; I really appreciate it.

As well, thanks a lot for taking the time to be with us today. If you would, please let the readers where they can find out more about you and your gym.

GN: My pleasure, Mike. Thanks for including me in your newsletter; I hope it helps your readers. Our website is www.rapidresultsfitness.net. My personal blog where I discuss my Z-Health experience is http://chasingstrength.blogspot.com.