In This Issue:
– Robertson Training Systems Updates
– Training Tip
– Nutrition Tip
– Exclusive Interview: Cameron McGarr
– New Articles
– Schedule
Robertson Training Systems Updates:
Bulletproof Knees Home Page updated
As many of you know, I’m not a huge fan of sales copy. I stand behind my products 110% and I’m always looking for new and creative ways to market them.
With that being said, I’ve totally re-vamped the Bulletproof Knees home page and created more of a “mini-site” feel; it’s still got all the basic information, but in an easier to find and less aggressive format.
To kick-off the new site, I’m even including a 15% discount on my Bulletproof Knees manual. All orders through September 5th will receive this discount; so if you’ve been putting off your purchase, now’s the time!
As always, thank you for your support and I hope you like the new format!
Tons of Random Articles
In recent weeks I’ve had quite a few new articles pop-up. Two are interviews, while the third is a hodge-podge collection of Q&A that I’ve done on the Biotest site. Check them out below!
Mike Robertson’s Words of Wisdom
An Interview with Strength Coach Mike Robertson
Bodyweight, Lifting and Leverage for Strength – An Interview with Mike Robertson
Vinkofest 2007
If you’re in the Montreal area (or even if you’re not), you don’t want to miss Vinkofest 2007. The speaking line-up will include Eric Cressey, Joe DeFranco, Christian Thibadeau, Charles Poliquin, and of course, myself!
If you’re interested in the seminar, follow the link below for more details:
http://www.muscledrivethru.com/vinkofest/
Training Tip:
Read my BLOG!
If you like training tips, you need to be reading my blog everyday throughout the week. I do my best to post every day, Monday through Friday.
If you haven’t checked out my blog before, you can find it here:
Robertson Training Systems Blog
Nutrition Tip:
It’s Not a Diet – It’s Nutrition Re-Education
By Mike Roussell
All diets fail eventually. That is the truest statement there is.
How many people do you know that have lost a bunch of weight on _____ (fill in your favorite diet) diet but then gained most if not all the weight back within 6 months? I bet you know one person for almost every diet out there (I know I do).
How could all these diets be failures? People fail to maintain their muscle gains or fat losses because they see themselves as going on a diet for a specific amount of time and then reverting back to their “normal” way of eating. Unfortunately “normal” sucks for 90% of people.
This is why the key to success is a nutritional re-education. You need to re-educate yourself to what is a normal diet. When you spend the time and effort (by yourself or with a nutrition coach/mentor) to nutritionally re-educate yourself and change what you view as a normal diet, you will exit the rat race known at yo-yo dieting (housewives aren’t the only guilty ones here, weight lifters and bodybuilders can be the worst). You will truly achieve a NEW you. You won’t be on a diet, you will have changed the way you eat.
So forget DIETING. Focus on nutritionally re-educating yourself to achieve a new normal. This is the true key to success.
If you like this tip and want to learn more about Mike and his products, check out his Naked Nutrition website.
Exclusive Interview: Cameron McGarr
When Alwyn Cosgrove thinks you’re a good trainer, chances are you’re a pretty damn good trainer.
Cameron McGarr is Alwyn Cosgrove’s right-hand man, and is making a name for himself in the fitness industry. Here’s a little insight regarding Cameron and his philosophies.
MR: Cameron, let’s start from the beginning with the usual routine. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
CM: Well, let’s see it all began in the second grade when…just kidding.
I got started in fitness because I just could not stand any job where I was not involved in movement. I have always been drawn to exercise, strength and conditioning in particular. I always wanted to figure out how to be the strongest guy on the field or court or the fastest guy on the track. When I discovered strength and conditioning I found myself reading and studying and researching concepts in my spare time. That is just not like me. I really do not like to read much so to find something that gave that intrinsic desire to learn was a big deal. That was the beginning of the end for me.
Right now I train several different populations. Much like you in that there is a grab bag of different populations. One hour I will train a mother of two trying to lose 20 pounds along with an elderly individual trying to eliminate back pain while increasing bone density to improve their quality of life. The next hour I will have a 14 year old athlete who needs to gain 20 pounds of muscle before next football season so he can compete for a starting position. Recently I worked out a package with one of the local high schools to train the entire varsity basketball team. That is pretty exciting since I have never done team training before. It seems to being rockin so far though and we have not even gotten to the fun stuff.
MR: You work with the almighty Alwyn Cosgrove. How did you get started working for Alwyn? Was this your first job?
CM: Almighty? Wow! I hope he doesn’t read this. There will be no living with him.
I got a job working for Alwyn basically by luck. I moved to southern California without a job—not something I would recommend by the way—and tracked down the best gym in the area. I applied, got the job and learned more about training than I knew existed. In the last five years I have learned so much that I have probably forgotten more than I knew before I started working here. But do not get me wrong, it is not all fun and games here. The bar is set high and continues to rise. It is keep up or get out. We like to think that we set the standard in the industry and try to stay ahead of the pack.
No, this was not my first training job, although Alwyn would say that it was. I trained clients at a gym in northern California while in college and before I moved down here. I will admit this, I was one of the guys who did not really have it together when it came to programming. In my defense I did at least know that I needed to figure it out for real before I would get any better.
MR: What specifically have you learned from working with Alwyn over the years? It’s not like you have your typical apathetic boss to work with!
CM: When I first started working here I spent a lot of my time trying to adjust my training style and just learn the why’s of program design. Once I got that down I sank my teeth into actually writing programs, sequencing exercises, understanding different training concepts and things like that. But if I had to nail down the one main thing I have learned form Alwyn, it is that you can never stop learning. You have to constantly improve yourself. If you are not getting better then you are only getting worse.
MR: You design a large portion of the programs at your facility. What things do you typically see wrong in programs whether they be online, in magazines, etc.?
CM: Right, in the past two years I have essentially taken over the program design for Results Fitness. The things I see done wrong around the industry are obviously too much volume in mass gaining programs, too much aerobic cardio in sport performance programs, but the things that get me the most are internet trainers who go overboard with an idea and act like it is some ground breaking thing. They try to re-invent the wheel to get peoples’ attention. I believe they do this because they do not have anything else going for them. They can not rely on solid training principles, one because they do not have a good grasp of many and two because they are not that good as a trainer to begin with. I mean lifting a weight as fast as possible is not a new idea, it is called dynamic effort training and it has been around awhile. Not only that but it is not a method that covers all your training bases. Yet there are trainers—I should say internet trainers—out there who have latched on to such an idea and act like they have come up with some new training revelation.
MR: You all also have an amazing reputation with regards to fat loss programs. Where are people missing the boat on their fat loss training?
CM: As far as our programs for fat loss are concerned we have been educating our clients that aerobic training is a lost cause when done for fat loss for a long time. I think Alwyn has done a good job of educating a large number of trainers and trainees that resistance training is the superior method for fat loss. Even still most people will try to go for a run to lose fat. I even hear people say, “I want to get in shape before I go to the gym.” So obviously we still have a long way to go as far as educating people on the best methods for fat loss. But the biggest thing I see go wrong when it comes to fat loss is people do not train hard enough, cut and dried. If you do anything hard enough and with enough ferocity, you will lose fat. You have to. I still have clients that will complain when I increase their weight on a particular lift. They think it is too heavy if they have to exert themselves a little. It is hard to get it through their heads that if I ask for 8 reps, I do not want them to be able to get 10. If they can grind out a few more reps then the weight was too light. Time and time again I see people do the same weight over and over again, never challenging themselves or trying to push the limit. Athletes have a different mindset and they will go after it a bit more, and surprise surprise they look lean and strong, coincidence, I think not. Alwyn and I were talking today and he said something that I think people need to understand. He will be mad I used his stuff but I am going to say it anyway?. Simple and easy are not the same. Easy implies no effort. Simple means not complicated. Fat loss is simple, but it is far from easy.
A good way to kick some one in gear is to give them some complexes in the beginning of their program. You can use a light weight so they do not freak out but it will still kill them and get them gassed for the rest of the workout.
MR: Last question – if you could only give people one piece of advice to help them achieve their goals, what might that be?
CM: That is a little tough. The main thing I would say is to not believe any of the BS you see on TV. That just gives people such misinformation about fitness, promotes crap products, and unrealistic expectations. And I would ask them to think about why it is that none of those products, not a single one, has any kind of staying power. There is a reason for that and that is that it is all crap. If all those products and theories of, “just work out for 20 minutes a week” worked then America would not have the obesity problem we are currently facing. That was the long answer; the short answer is—train harder and stay away from the quick fix.
MR: Awesome, thanks so much for the interview! Where can my newsletter readers learn more about you?
CM: For the hardgainers out there who want to gain a lot of muscle fast without any of the BS they can check out my ebook DZL Training. They can check out my website cameronmcgarr.com and sign up for the free newsletter and if they are in the L.A. area they can come by for personal training at Results Fitness (661) 799-7900.
MR: Sweet – thanks again Cameron!