In This Issue:
– Robertson Training Systems Updates
– Training Tip
– Nutrition Tip
– Exclusive Interview: Robert Dos Remedios
– New Articles
– Schedule
Robertson Training Systems Updates:
New Article Up!
For anyone interested in getting their deadlift numbers up, this article is for you! This article outlines my methodology for getting your deadlift up ASAP.
The Intermediate Deadlift Cycle
Great times at the Vinkofest Seminar
The Vinkofest seminar went off without a hitch, and I think everyone involved had a great time. Even with lost luggage (it was shipped to Houston instead of Montreal!), it was great to meet so many of you and I hope that our presentations will improve your health and performance in the future!
Best of luck in your training!
The Australian Seminar Series is filling up quickly
The Australian Seminar Series is filling up quite quickly; in the two weeks since the original announcement, we’ve already had almost 60 sign-ups! Remember that we need 50 pre-registered attendees to make this happen, so if you’re interested don’t delay!
I’m really looking forward to this; follow the link below for more information.
Australian Seminar Registration
Training Tip:
Back like a Front
This tip is simple, but effective. The premise is this: If most people worked as hard on the back side of their bodies as they do on the front side of their bodies, we’d be a lot better off. In fact, if more people were following this tip, I’d have a lot less business with regards to injury prevention and health!
The bottom line is this: Train your back side as hard as you train your front, if not harder and with more volume. A strong posterior chain will help prevent ACL injuries, patellar/quad tendinopathies, and improve almost every lower body lift in the weight room. A strong upper back will improve scapular stability, keeping your rotator cuffs healthy and in one piece.
Assumming you’re totally balanced, you can balance front/back work in a 1:1 ratio. However, it’s extremely rare that I meet someone who wouldn’t benefit from getting in 15-25% more volume/intensity for the back-side of their body.
Start working to get your back like a front and you’ll be better off for the long haul!
Nutrition Tip:
Kitchen Tips #1
By Mike Roussell
Use a separate meat cutting board. The use of proper food safety and sanitation practices while cooking is extremely important especially when dealing with raw meats. To help prevent cross contamination of bacteria found in raw meats with other foods, I recommend that you have a separate cutting board exclusively used for the preparation of raw meats.
Also, when it comes to raw meats, I prefer using a plastic cutting board. I find that they can be more thoroughly cleaned than wooden cutting boards. When cleaning a cutting board that has been used to for raw meat/fish preparation spray it down with bleach and let the bleach sit on the board for 5-10 minutes before scrubbing down the board. If you scrub your cutting board down with a sponge make sure to microwave the sponge for 2 minutes to kill any of the left over bacteria.
If you like this tip and want to learn more about Mike and his products, check out his Naked Nutrition website.
Exclusive Interview: Robert Dos Remedios
Robert “Dos” Remedios is the Strength and Conditioning Coach at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, CA. In the past few years, Dos has been recognized by the NSCA as their strength and conditioning coach of the year, and has recently developed a book titled, “Men’s Health Power Training.”
I had the pleasure of meeting Dos this past summer, and I think he’s not only an amazing coach but an amazing person as well. I hope you like the interview! – MR
MR: Dos, let’s start from the beginning with the usual routine. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
DR: Well, I am a former collegiate football player (where I got my love for strength training..) and have been working in sport-specific strength and conditioning for about 19 years now. I have been a NSCA CSCS since 1990 and have a Masters degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Biomechanics. I have been the Director of Speed, Strength and Conditioning at College of the Canyons community college in Santa Clarita, CA since 1998.
MR: What got you into the strength and conditioning field? How did you get your start?
DR: I was always fascinated with strength training (first started ‘training’ around the end of 9th grade). As an overweight kid, it was one of the few physical activities I was able to accelerate in. While my high school days and even my Jr. College competitive days were highlighted by muscle and fitness, gymrat types of programs, I really got an awakening when I got my scholarship to play @ CAL (University of California, Berkeley). This is where I met my mentor Robin Pound who was our strength & conditioning coach. Robin inspired me to get into this field; he taught me that what he was doing was not just an art but a real science as well. This is where I got my first inspiration. My first job was going back to my community college and starting an actual, structured strength & conditioning program. This was something that I wish I had while I was a community college athlete and it can make a big difference in these student-athletes’ lives.
MR: Dos, you work at a community college with a huge number of athletes. I”ve seen it myself when you have close to 100 kids in there for football!
What are some of the issues that arise in this situation?
DR: Ha ha! Yeah, Mike, you’ve experienced being in the ‘trenches’ with us in the heat of summer! Everytime a coach comes to visit to observe, the first thing they say is “There’s no way you’re able to get everything done in this space with ALL of these kids right?!” Bbut we do, and I think we do it pretty darn well. It’s funny, but I have been doing it for so long, I actually prefer large groups. This is where the real coaching takes place. It comes down to establishing our goals, laying down the rules, and teaching on a continuous basis. Sometimes, I am unable to have my eyes everywhere at all times but in these situations, I rely on my 2nd year players to pick up the slack by coaching, correcting, cueing etc. They usually do a great job.
MR: Could you tell us a little bit about your training philosophy?
DR: I think it’s pretty basic, sort of a three-pronged approach.
#1 Build work capacity by pushing the envelope and getting everything I can out of each athlete.
#2 Making sure that everything we do in the weightroom, in the sand pit, on the field, in the gym etc. is going to make a difference in these athletes’ sport performance. This is simple to say but you really need to analyze your program at all times to make sure you are using your time with these kids to the fullest. And
#3 Building a work ethic and responsibility in all of my student athletes. This is something that is different from training a paying client or even working with club teams etc. These kids are all here to try to move onto play and hopefully graduate from a 4-year institution. I want to do everything in my power to ensure that they are motivated, physically ready, and also mentally prepared to do what it takes to accomplish their goals.
Believe me, I have never had a single kid come back from their university and tell me that it’s harder than their experience with me @ College of the Canyons!
MR: You’ve just released a new book called Men’s Health Power Training. What’s the premise behind the book? Who would this book be good for?
DR: While the title of the book has changed a few times since the initial process began, the premise has always been the same. The philosophy that training for ‘performance’ is superior to any other type of fitness training. By this I mean that over the years (training athletes), I have always used a performance training approach yet all of these athletes saw amazing changes in their physiques not to mention getting stronger, faster, more powerful etc. Often times, these athletes look like Men’s health cover models…..without ever training for cosmetic purposes!
These types of physiques were being developed as a BY-PRODUCT of performance strength training….to use a much-overused term, via ‘functional’ training. The book is a great resource for just about anyone looking to get in shape, change their bodies, add muscle, get stronger etc. I mentioned in another interview that even if you don’t like me or don’t care to try my programs, the book is a one of a kind resource simply for the amount of exercises that are illustrated and explained. There has never been a training book with this many exercises from start to finish.
MR: Last question, and I ask everyone who is interviewed this question: If you could only give people one piece of advice to help them achieve their goals, what might that be?
DR: That nothing comes easy. Call B.S. on all the quick fix, miracle training methods and programs. Nothing is achieved without going many, many rounds with Mr. Overload principle – and he can be an S.O.B. As I always say, if there isn’t a point in your training where you some little voice in your head is saying ‘hey, why am I doing this?’ or ‘maybe I can just finish this tomorrow’, you’re probably not training hard enough.
MR: Awesome, thanks so much for the interview!
Where can my newsletter readers learn more about you? (Feel free to shamelessly promote yourself, your website, etc. at this point 😉 )
DR: My pleasure Mike! My website @ www.coachdos.com where I have articles, services, and also a great discussion forum where we talk about training and my book etc. Come on by!