In This Issue:
Instead of following our usual format, in this issue of the RTS Newsletter I’d like to take some time and get you up to speed on what’s been going on recently – it’s been a hectic month so let’s get right into it!
Announcements:
Inside-Out IS HERE!
It’s been a long time coming, but Inside-Out is finally here!
A great companion to the previously released Magnificent Mobility, Inside-Out covers everything you need to know to keep your upper body healthy. As well, Bill Hartman and I took the time to develop a manual the accompanies the DVD; however, instead of simply cutting and pasting the exercises, we took it to the Nth degree. We added an entire section on behavior modification to ensure optimal results. We included a special report that covers how to bench press properly to keep yourself injury-free. And finally, we understand that every now and then Bill and I can get a little technical and geeky, so we even included a glossary to help you understand all the geek stuff, if you’re into that kind of thing.
To learn more about Inside-Out, check it out here:
New Article Up: Getting to Know the SQUAT
As you can tell, squatting has been on my mind lately! In this article I cover the functional anatomy behind squatting, proper technique, and then finish up with some common flaws. I’ve written several articles on squatting now, but I think I’ve compiled all my thoughts into one pretty solid piece. You can check it out at the link below:
LA Seminar Recap
The LA Strength and Performance Nutrition seminar was a great time. Not only did we have a diverse audience, but also a diverse group of presentations as well. Dan John started things off with a two-hour presentation on long term progress. It’s always great to hear from DJ, as he’s one of those guys that has been around the block and continues to keep giving back. I know a lot of the younger lifters in the crowd would be wise to heed his advice!
Next up was the one and only Eric Cressey, presenting on the evolution of a lifter. Eric does a great job of showing how lifters progress throughout the career, as well as the common mistakes that we typically make along the way.
After lunch the incomparable Alwyn Cosgrove gave an in-depth and scientifically backed presentation on how to achieve fat loss. The fascinating thing about Alwyn’s talk (besides the cursing and Scottish accent) is the fact that there’s so little research that supports the inclusion of traditional “cardio” in workouts. Alwyn not only has some great thoughts and ideas on the topic, but also gets the results to back it up.
I gave the last presentation on Saturday, where I expanded on my previous article “Bulletproof Knees.” In this presentation I wanted to shatter some of the myths and BS that surround the topic of keeping the knees healthy, and then outlined my top 10 tips for keeping your knees healthy for the long term. This entire presentation was taped, so if there’s enough interest I’ll look into making a DVD out of it.
Sunday morning was John Berardi’s time to shine. The thing that I love about JB’s material is that he has such a forward-thinking and progressive mentality; if anyone in this industry could sit back on their laurels and do just fine, it could be him. However, the entire G-Flux concept is not only revolutionary, but also has science to support is as well. No, you don’t have to do 38 hours of exercise every week to be lean, but if you’re not getting your five hours per week you’re going to be fighting an uphill battle.
After lunch, Eric came back with guest presenter Jesse Burdick to discuss some of the more commonly seen injuries that afflict lifters. The great thing about this presentation was that you got to see how the training and the recovery work go hand-in-hand to keep you healthy over the long term. Are we starting to see a pattern here?
Next on the schedule was Julia Ladewski – I knew Julia back in the day as we both trained together in our time on the Ball State University powerlifting team. Not only is Julia a hell of a lot stronger now, but a hell of a lot smarter, too (and that’s saying something because she was already smart back then!) Julia discussed the training of female athletes and really did a great job for her first presentation at this level.
Lastly, they allowed me to come back up and talk a little bit more, this time on the topic of core training. There was a lot of controversy when I first started discussing the concept of core strength versus core stability, but I think the presentation allowed me to further explain the functional anatomy and it’s role in prescribing proper core training. As well, I really wanted people to start thinking about how and why they include core training in their programming, versus throwing it in just because we feel like we should.
Lastly, I need to give a big shout out to Andy Susser for bringing the whole thing together; pulling a seminar off this size off is no small feat, and Andy did a great job – thanks bro!
Ryan Lee Bootcamp Review
As if one seminar wasn’t enough this month, the Ryan Lee seminar was also held this past weekend and was one of the best events I’ve ever been to. Not only were the presentations great, but this is one of the premiere seminars in the industry due to its emphasis on business and unparalleled networking opportunities. I’ll just cover a few of the main presentations that I think you all will be interested in.
The premiere presentations in my eyes were given by Alwyn Cosgrove, Mike Boyle and Brian Grasso. Mike presented on the topic of program design, and had a lot of similarities to the DVD from his Functional Strength Coach DVD set. Mike is not only an amazing strength coach, but also just an all-round good guy – it was great to finally meet him and talk shop.
As well, Brian Grasso was one of those guys that I had heard a ton of great stuff about, but I wasn’t really familiar with him or his material. Brian’s presentation talked about the art of coaching, and how to improve your communication skills as a coach by systematizing the process. This presentation was beautiful in its simplicity, yet it was also unique and covered a topic that just isn’t talked about enough. In my eyes, this was probably THE best presentation of the seminar as far as immediate take home value.