Tony should need no introduction, but we will give the bastard one anyway.

If you have never read his blog, read it.

If you have never read his articles, read them.

If you have never read our feature of Gentilcore-ism, read it.

Question 1: You are stuck on a beautiful island. You have a choice of being fed grapes everyday by the hottest woman you have ever seen or chicken breasts by the ugliest fat sweaty man you have ever seen. What do you choose?

Tony Gentilcore: If said woman is Krystal Forscutt, I’d eat diarrhea. Yes, I just went there. How’s that to start an interview?

Question 2: What are a few dynamic warm up drills that anyone can use, for all occasions.

Tony Gentilcore: While I normally don’t like to take a “one size fits all” approach when it comes to programming, I have found that I do tend to use many of the same dynamic drills for the majority of my clients; particularly for the “computer guys” I deal with.

While I was in Indianapolis visiting Mike Robertson and Bill Hartman at their facility (I-FAST) last week, Mike and I had a similar conversation in regards to how we both “pick” which corrective strategies (dynamic flexibility, foam rolling, pre-work, dedicated activation, what have you) we use with particular clients. When you think about it, each client is going to come to us with their own distinct/unique issues in regards to what asymmetries, postural dysfunctions, and pathogenic issues they may exhibit.

What I “program” for someone with no training experience and a history of low-back pain will undoubtedly be completely different compared to someone who has had a few years of solid training under their belt.

All else being equal, I can’t dismiss the fact that I do often see many commonalities among various training populations. Take for example the hips. To be quite honest, everyone has some sort of dyskinesis when it comes to the hips. Unfortunately, we’re a society that spends a lot of time sitting on our asses. As a result, we often see a lot of dysfunctions along the kinetic chain stemming from lack of ROM/mobility in the hips. Some of my favorite dynamic drills for the hips include:

Kneeling Hip Flexor Mobilizations

Reverse Lunge w/Posterolateral Reach

Squat-to-Stand w/Reach

Kneeling Rockback Mobilizations

Side Lying Clams

Question 3: I know you do a lot of baseball work with your athletes, but what other areas do you cover? Do you work with a lot of guys on jumping for example?If so, what are good beginner drills or training methods for increasing jump ability?

Tony Gentilcore: Baseball has definitely gotten to be our niche market at CP, and that’s perfectly fine with us. We actually had an awesome group of minor league guys train with us this past off-season, representing eleven Major League organizations.

Additionally, we train a plethora of local high school and college baseball players as well. We’ve kind of taken it upon ourselves to break many of the fallacies and misconceptions that baseball players/coaches have towards strength and conditioning. It’s absolutely mind-boggling how dogmatic it is.

However, like any other strength and conditioning facility, we have a wide variety of athletes that we train- everything from football, basketball, hockey, and boxing to marathoners, tri-athletes, and even fencing. It’s never a dull moment at CP.

As well, we also have a fair share of “weekend warriors” and fat-loss clients that come in and pay us to yell at them a few days per week. I swear my day is never complete till someone tells me how much they hate me, tells me I suck, mentions how much of an a-hole I am, and/or wants to punch me in the baby-maker for making them push the sled. I heart my clients.

As far as helping people improve their jumping ability, we do include the vertical jump as part of our initial assessment with athletes. However, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that we do anything specific or revolutionary as far as helping to improve one’s vertical jump. While I am being rather simplistic here, it really comes down to force production. Many of the athletes that come to use are fairly weak to begin with, so it’s really a matter of getting them stronger.

A few years ago, I wrote an article titled “The Rule of 90%” for t-nation.com, and to help illustrate my point, I want to steal a section of the original article:
In his book, The Vertical Jump Development Bible, Kelly Baggett talks about how the vertical jump is one of the best predictors of athletic performance. Essentially, how much force you can generate in a short amount of time (0.2 seconds for the vertical jump) is going to separate a superb athlete from an average athlete.

Because I’m more of a visual learner, I’m going to share an example from Kelly’s book:

Bodyweight Maximum force or strength without time constraint (squat) Max force put out in the vertical jump (0.2 sec)

Athlete A 175 lbs 400 lbs 200 lbs
Athlete B 175 lbs 300 lbs 225 lbs

As you can see, athlete A can squat more than athlete B, but athlete B is going to have a better vertical jump because he can generate more force, rapidly. However, Kelly makes a point in stating that, “Although being able to apply force rapidly is a very useful characteristic, you still need to have enough potential force to tap into for anything to happen. Basically, a strong athlete will beat a weak athlete any day of the week.”
Maximum strength is the foundation for everything (power, strength endurance, force development, etc.). You can’t have strength endurance (being able to lift a sub-maximal weight repeatedly) or generate maximum force without first having strength.
Here’s another example from Kelly’s book to help illustrate this point:

Bodyweight Max Force (strength) in the Squat Max force in vertical jump

Weak athlete 200 lbs 100 lbs 95 lbs
Ideal athlete 175 lbs 400 lbs 325 lbs

The weak athlete is able to utilize 95% of his potential force and has a good rate of force development; however, he’s only able to squat 100 pounds. He has very little to “tap into” and is only able to generate 95 pounds of force off the ground. Needless to say, he’s going to be that guy who’s lowering his adjustable rim in his driveway to eight feet so he can dunk a basketball.

The “ideal” athlete is only utilizing 75% of his potential force (20% less than the weak athlete), but is generating 325 pounds of force off the ground because he’s strong. Again, strength is the foundation for everything. More specifically, relative strength trumps absolute strength from an athletic standpoint.

What does all of this tell us?

Short answer: quit being a pussy and focus on getting stronger. Good things will happen.

Conversely, I don’t want to make the wrong impression and imply that we don’t include any dedicated jumping drills into our programming. I mean, in order to get better at jumping, it’s only common sense that one would need to actually jump. In that regard, we like to include some low-level “plyometric” drills in the form of box jumps (emphasizing landing mechanics), skipping drills, jump squats, dedicated sprinting technique, as well as tons of medicine ball work.

Question 4: I know you are writing for the Boston Herald right now, sweet gig. What can readers expect from your blog?

Tony Gentilcore: Yeah, I’ve been writing for the Boston Herald’s website for a little over two years now. While I was at Sportsclub/LA (in Boston), I had a client who worked at the Herald and she mentioned to me that they were looking for someone to write a fitness/nutrition blog for their website. I figured it would be a good opportunity to get my name out there more, while at the same allowing me to work on becoming a better writer.

Anyone who has been a regular reader of my blog knows that I don’t take myself too seriously. I like to have fun with it. I mean, while talking about beta fatty oxidation or glute medius function is cool, it’s about as entertaining as watching an episode of The Golden Girls. People want information, but they also want to be entertained. I think I’ve done a decent job at combining the two.

Question 5: What is the last…

Book you read:

Tony Gentilcore: I’m always reading a few books at once.

I just finished Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin. To be honest, I’d rather swallow battery acid than read that book again. I guess I just found it too similar to Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (phenomenal book by the way), and just found his writing style a bit too dry.

The last novel I finished was one called Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, which was really good. I’m currently reading a book titled The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, which is rocking my world. Absolutely amazing book. I’m also plugging my way through Muscles: Testing and Function. As you can probably guess, girls basically rip their shirts off when they see me pull that book out of my backpack at Starbucks on a Friday night.

Album/Single you got:

hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. I’m definitely setting myself up for being flamed, but whatever. I actually bought a compilation jazz album the other night. I don’t have the first clue about jazz, but all I know is that it relaxes me. I like to listen to it when I’m writing programs, working on an article, or just vegging out.

Other favs include Ryan Montbleau Band, The Frames, Ray LaMontagne, and Norah Jones.

When I train I like to listen to trance/techno or old school rap, such as A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang, Biggie, Mobb Deep, The Roots, Nas, etc.

Film/Show you watched:

I LOVE going to the movies. I often go by myself on the weekends, and I’m just as likely to go see the artsy, independent movie (was that a nipple?????), as I am the high budget, “popcorn” movie. I went and saw Adventureland the other night, which I thought was really good. As far as television shows, there’s only one I go out of my way to NOT miss, and that’s Lost. Holy shit nuts is that show amazing. Granted, it pisses me off half the time, but I’ve been addicted to it ever since the first episode.

To read comments or to leave a comment click here

I was floored the other day. FLOORED I tell you. I was flipping through yahoo, doing some normal searches to see if I could find any good leads or stories and there it was.

I read a celebrity say something smart about diet and training.

I read a celebrity stating a very calm and intelligent answer about her training program. It was as if she knew what she was talking about. It was as if she had a trainer that actually knew something about training.

Cherish this moment people.

The celebrity was Leann Rimes. The trainer that is her guide is none other than Christopher Bathke. Chris, you officially are my new hero.

Question 1: Describe what a typical day for you is right now from wake to sleep.

Chris Bathke: Wake up and fix breakfast for my wife and I. She and I tend to work fairly late so I don’t schedule any real early clients so that we can have a good breakfast and bit of time in the morning. Next I’ll catch up on e-mails, fine tune my clients programs for the day, write programs if need be, and maybe check out some forums or blogs.

I’ll train clients until early afternoon, then usually have a break during which I’ll do some reading, writing, or other business before going back for evening clients. Three days during the week I make time for training myself (time in the lab is crucial), and time in the evening for playing some music or otherwise relaxing. Grabbing a cup of coffee and reading or talking with friends at a local coffee shop my friend owns is always a highlight.

Weekends always involve hitting the gym with my wife, and getting outside to mountain bike/surf/hike/snowboard.

I’ve seen a lot of trainers book sessions from 6am to 9pm and forget to have a life, and they always burn out. I’m in this for the long haul so finding a balance is key.

Question 2: If you could get your hands in the heart of the industry and change something, what would it be?

Chris Bathke: I would set standards and regulate the training profession. Good luck with that I know, but there is so much opportunity to make real changes in people’s lives yet a majority of trainers treat their job as a hobby. I’m amazed that most don’t even program, much less attend seminars and do other things that will only help them to become better trainers, and thus earn more.

The gym I train out of is better than most as at least there are mandatory anatomy, physiology, and programming classes. But there is still much to be desired regarding professionalizing this industry, and honestly I don’t understand how you can not program for your clients and get anywhere.

Question 3: Working in LA I hear for trainers is a completely different world than elsewhere, do you have any basis of comparison for this?

Chris Bathke: It depends what area of L.A. you are in, and which gym. I mostly train

people with normal occupations and usual goals. Granted the Westside of L.A.where I live is in the heart of the entertainment industry, and there is a lot of money around, but I’m not out hunting for celebrity clients. Some “trainers” are into that, but a lot of them are just looking to be actors anyway.

In general I suppose more people here place a premium on appearance than where I come from in the Midwest, but I tend not to take on the clients obsessed with mirror muscles anyway.

Question 4: What do you consider to be your “gift” in training?

Chris Bathke: I love to program and study how other fitness pros get results. I read as much as I can about what other people I respect do with their clients, then experiment on myself and on clients to figure out what works and what doesn’t. In other words I love the science of training, which is strange because I have a graduate degree in music and never pursued the hard sciences in school.

What is the last…

Book you read: The Proving Ground, a book about the famous Hobart sailboat race from Australia to Tasmania. The physical and mental strength professional sailing requires is formidable.

Album/Single you got: Jahta Beat The New Chapter by my friend DJ Drez. A mix of classical Indian, North African, and hip-hop.

Film/Show you watched: In the theater Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino, which I can’t recommend enough. On DVD I just watched the Coen Brother’s excellent Burn After Reading again.

–

Chris grew up in the Midwest playing a variety of typical sports but above all enjoyed those done in nature, and also developed an interest in martial arts. This lead to a deeper interest in training for improved performance, and after some time teaching martial arts and working in the music business eventually becoming a full-time trainer.

Currently residing in Santa Monica, is a Tier 3 trainer and instructor at Equinox Fitness, specializing in body composition and performance improvement. My approach to training is to integrate the formal (I’m an NSCA CSCS as well as a coach with the American Kettlebell Club and Steve Cotter’s International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation) with the practical. I’ve studied martial arts in Japan and the U.S. for 15 years, and have put in my time in the gym, in the water, on the snow, and on the bike.

To find out more about Christopher Bathke you can check out his blog at http://elementalfitnesslab.blogspot.com

To read comments or to leave a comment click here

Mike Boyle! I tried to do it, I tried to hold back, but the truth is I just can’t, I have to say it. I like Mike.

There I got the cliche out of the way.

Boyle works and he works hard. He has coached and trained  so many people that it become obnoxious to start to list it. That means little of course if you aren’t good at what you do, and Boyle is very good at what he does. So without further ado, I give you 5 questions with Mike Boyle.

Question 1: Can you give us an update? What has been going on for you?

Mike Boyle: Lots of stuff. I am still the strength and conditioning coach for ice hockey at Boston University, we are currently #1 in the nation. I have about 15 NFL prospects I’m training, 5 personal clients and I’m trying to make www.strengthcoach.com the best performance enhancement site in the world. In addition, I’m a husband and a Dad to two great kids.

Question 2: You see a lot of things and speak at a lot of places. What is something that you keep witnessing that makes you want to bang your head into the wall? Any advice for those who are doing it that perhaps don’t even know?

Mike Boyle: Yes, I just wrote an article called “Should You Stick to the Recipe“  I watch coaches try to make up programs from a bunch of other programs. I call it Crap Soup. Anybody reading this should click through and read the article. I moved it to the free portion of the site. The gist of the article is that chefs can alter recipes, cooks should not.

Question 3: Slowly you are getting sucked into the vortex that is online. Good for your readers and trainers looking to learn, but I myself know that dealing with these things can be time consuming. How do you find that balance between self education, relaxation, and networking? I’m sure a lot of trainers could use the tips.

Mike Boyle: With all I have going on now it’s tough. The best thing I do for networking and self education is speak at all 3 Perform Better Summits. This is the best event for self education and networking in the business. I attend talks all day when I’m not talking and love to hang out and talk after, The biggest problem at those events is that we don’t have enough time to talk. Relaxation is tough these days. Kids, work, more work. My wife and I try to have “date night” every week. I have to learn to get away more.

Question 4: You recently did an article about the things you never did and do now.  Mike, you are not one who is shy of the provoking some thought, and succeed with that one. My question is, what are the things that you want to do that you haven’t? Any training toys or techniques you want to play with? Maybe something in a different field all together?

Mike Boyle: From a training standpoint there is not much I want to do. I’m lucky that I own my own business and work in a great athletic program at the same time. I have a National Championship ring. I think I’d like a Stanley Cup ring. I need to get a Tendo unit to play with. I think some day I’d like to stop working for a while and build a lake house. I like computers and construction but don’t have much time for building projects these days.

Question 5: What is the last…

Book you read: Outliers- The Story of Success
Album/Single you got: Still A Young Man- Tower of Power
Film/Show you watched: Body of Lies

–

Recommended Boyle Product: Subscription to Strength Coach.com

Jamie Hale should need no introduction.  There are few, hell really any that can match Jamie and what he has. He can do the training, he can teach it,  and he has taught it. He can do the research and he can apply it. He understand logical thinking, theory, and man.  He is a true soldier of the search for truth.

Question 1: What is something you learned recently that left you in a bit of amazement? It could be because of discovery, or lack of public interest.

Jamie Hale: I can’t say I have learned anything new about the fitness industry lately.  I have learned new things about the outdoors.  Cattails make an excellent bed, debris huts are not real comfortable, but they are relatively warm, some survivalists are very dogmatic (but not compared to the popular Fitness Gurus), the sticky side of duct tape does a good job keeping the shaving from your magnesium fire starter in place (my son discovered this technique), 15 minutes of being attacked by protection dogs feels like 12 rounds of kickboxing from a fatigue standpoint, and when caving be sure you have two extra light sources

Question 2: You are stuck at a conference full of “guru-superstars.” You have to give a presentation for 2 hours in the hopes that you may enlighten them to information and material that is relevant and sound. What would you speak about?

Jamie Hale: I would like to say ladies and gentleman please take your head out of your asses and think for yourself. Stop the Dogmatism.

What I would actually say would be different.  My first recommendation would be to educate yourself on logic and rational thought.  An understanding of basic logic will help you identify many of the weak arguments used by the fitness industry to pimp their products or ideas. Probably the most common logical fallacy pimped by the industry is the “Appeal to Authority.”

Appeal to Authority occurs when we take the word of someone based on his or her authority status.  We judge their assertion as being correct based on their credentials not evidence.  This is a huge problem in society as a whole not just the fitness industry.  Our culture relies heavily on the advice of authorities especially if these authorities are rich and famous. Someone that is considered an authority should not be given a free pass when it comes to providing evidence for his or her statements.

Consulting with authorities can be useful, but it can also be very dangerous if we become too accepting of their statements as absolute fact. The person’s credentials (credentials can carry various meanings and whether a credential is relevant or not is completely subjective) per se have no affect on the validity of the statement. Accepting a statement as absolute fact (there are no absolute certainties even in science) without investigation can lead to accepting a wrong idea just because someone supported it we respect (e.g. Pro bodybuilders say using a supplement A is why they are huge so their fans buy a boatload of supplement A). On the other end rejecting a valid idea by someone who we disrespect could lead to never finding the truth. If you are looking for the real truth you must forget your personal bias towards the claimant.

Another fallacy often seen in the industry is the Ad Hominen.  Ad Hominem means “argument against the man.” This type of argument consists of replying to an argument or factual claim by attacking or appealing to a characteristic or belief of the person making the argument or claim, rather than by addressing the substance of the argument or producing evidence against the claim. This is common on fitness internet forums.

Common example: “That guy is a total prick I would not listen to anything he said.” or “He is not very strong, he shouldn’t be giving strength training advice.” These types of attacks are usually carried out by someone who lacks
intelligent debating skills, or has absolutely no knowledge of the subject at hand.  Those are just a couple of examples of logical fallacies pimped by the fitness industry.  A nice list of fallacies can be found at Skeptics Guide to Universe -Top 20 Logical Fallacies http://www.theskepticsguide.org/resources/logicalfallacies.aspx.

Next, I would ask the gurus to learn about science and apply its methods to everyday life.  I don’t think many fitness gurus can define science. Basically, science is a specific way of analyzing information with the goal of testing claims.  What sets science apart from other modes of knowledge acquisition is the use of what is commonly known as the scientific method. Giving a precise definition of the scientific method is difficult as there is little consensus in the scientific community as to what that definition is.

Although the scientific community has been slow to agree upon a clear definition, the scientific method is rooted in observation, experimentation, and knowledge acquisition through a process of objective reasoning and logic.  Michael Shermer says :

“Through the scientific method, we may form the following generalizations:
Hypothesis: A testable statement accounting for a set of observations.
Theory: A well-supported and well-tested hypothesis or set of hypotheses.
Fact: A conclusion confirmed to such an extent that it would be reasonable to offer provisional agreement.”

It is important to realize that scientific degree does not actually mean scientist.

Scientist: One whose activities make use of the scientific method to answer questions regarding the measurable universe. A scientist may be involved in original research (Primary Research), or make use of the results of the research of others (termed Secondary Research).

A Real Scientist displays the following characteristics:

a.. Excepts nothing in science absolutely.
a.. Is willing to change his opinions based on new data.
a.. Does not rely on Authority.
a.. Thinks critically.
a.. Knows that extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof.
a.. Has an open mind.
a.. Relies on logic and reason.
a.. Respects the scientific method.
a.. Examines all the data, not just the data that support his or her view.
a.. Builds on the work of others, giving them appropriate credit.
a.. Knows that if a claim is made, the claimant must provide the proof. (It
is not up to others to disprove it.)
a.. Is intellectually honest.

Many people have scientific degrees, but do not actually practice the scientific method. To reiterate, just because  someone has a scientific degree doesn’t mean they are a scientist. The nutrition and exercise industry is full of this type of non-scientist.  I would also advise the gurus to educate themselves on research methodology.  When referring to scientific research studies it is important understand the methods used.

With that being said a large percentage of the fitness gurus do not care to gain knowledge and further educate themselves.  As a whole they are interested in the money-making aspect and the money-making aspect only.  I will never forget a conversation I had a few years ago with a guy who was a regional manager of a large fitness chain and he told me he, “didn’t know much about fitness, but he knew how to sell memberships.”

The current state of the fitness industry is horrible, and I doubt if it will change anytime soon.  How do we change the industry?  To change the industry would require that we change people’s way of thinking (consumers and professionals).  This goes deeper than the fitness industry, this requires changing the way our society is structured.

Question 3: I know recently you have dove into the survival lifestyle. Is this something you have always been into and just explored more or is it all brand new to you?

Jamie Hale: I have always had some interest in the scientific aspect of wilderness survival.  Over the last 3-4 years I have become increasingly interested in the science and practical aspect.  My son’s interest sparked my passion for
the outdoors.    In the last 9 months I have spent a great deal of my time outdoors hiking, camping, kayaking, and practicing survival skills.  My favorite outdoor topics include methods of fire building, water purification
and shelter construction.

I attended Nature Reliance School’s Survival Weekend in December. I have consulted with Christopher Nyerges and Johnny Molloy.  These guys are successful outdoorsman and writers.  My passion for the outdoors has led to me writing about the subject.  I have written two articles for Mo Jo Newsletter and an article for Wilderness Way.  I have a couple of articles scheduled to be released at ModernSurvival.net.

I have put myself in some relatively harsh outdoor situations.  I camped out when the temperature was below zero in the snow with no sleeping bag or tent.  I  did have a roaring fire.  I camped out when the wind was blowing so hard I had to hold my tent together by spreading my legs and arms.  I was stuck in this position for about 6-7 hours.  I was afraid to move because I thought the tent would collapse.  I plan on doing a bunch of outdoor adventures beginning this spring.  I will probably hike the Sheltowee (least portion of) using minimal equipment.  I also plan on kayaking across the state.

Question 4: What are some things that we can expect to come from your direction soon? Any new books, ideas, etc?

Jamie Hale: I have a few new things I am working on.  I have a new website that should be launched soon (not sure how soon).  The website will be drastically different than my current website.  The site will feature articles and videos covering all things science, outdoors, logic and some general interest topics.  I plan on doing a fair amount of videos.

I actually did a video recently on Dog Protection Training.

The site will also feature recommended readings and book excerpts from some of my favorite books.  I have new articles that will be published in future editions of Men’s Health, and Kentucky Explorer.

I am conducting an Olympic Weightlifting for Performance seminar in Louisville Kentucky May. 9th

The following week I will be presenting at the JP Fitness Summit.

I am working on an article titled “Inside the Mind of A Sniper.” I have spent a few days in the woods with this gentleman working on outdoors survival skills. I have also scheduled a night hike with him so we can use his night vision goggles.  It should be fun.  We are considering putting together an outdoor survival workshop.  He will demonstrate practical skills and I will discuss the scientific side of things.

I am also plugging away with research for my new book (4th year of research).  I have a series of videos planned called MaxCondition Videos (feature sample exercises, routines, and rants).

Question 5: What is the last…

Book you read:
Album/Single you got:
Film/Show you watched:

Jamie Hale: I can’t remember which one I finished first it was either Dictionary of Science (2005 Grange Books to many contributors to list- 2nd time reading) or Chronology of Science (Rezende L (2006) Checkmark Books- 3rd time
reading).  It has been so long I can’t remember the last album I bought. The last film I watched was Hotel for Dogs.  My son has the movie four times.  He is thinking about starting his own Hotel for Dogs.  The last show I watched was Cosmos with Carl Sagan.

You can find more out about Jamie Hale at http://www.maxcondition.com and you can check out his books in the store section right here at FLzine. Grab em, all of them!

To read comments or leave a comment click here

I “met” Jon a few years ago via a message board discussion. I don’t remember what it was about, I even tried to look it up. To no avail I couldn’t find it, but what I do remember is Jon delivered a knowledge bomb and won me over. From that moment on I would keep an extra eye on what he said. I was constantly impressed with his knowledge.

Flash forward and now most weekends I get to share some talk time with Jon while recording the Fitcast show.  On or  off air, Jon is one of my favorite people to talk shop with. I don’t use the term “brother” much because it invokes a image of hulk hogan ripping off a t-shirt. I hate the word “colleague” because that makes me think of a stiff guy in a sweater I would never want to go have a drink with.  I will go with “Brofmance.”

Brofmance: The term for a male and female platonic connection of high proportions.

Question 1: A lot of personal trainers want to act like they are physical therapists these days. As we spoke of recently, it is the “hands on” aspect of a physical trainers job that can take it to that next level. How important would you say getting hands on is for your work? Do you feel this is a oversight of importance both by trainers and therapists themselves?

Jonathan Fass: We are able to convey, and in turn receive so much information through our hands that I really can’t understand how anyone could possibly practice effectively while keeping their hands in their pockets. It makes about as much sense as performing single leg squats on a Bosu ball while swinging a kettlebell around like you’re trying to break an invisible Pinata and labeling it “functional training.” It makes no sense.

Honestly, it’s pretty simple: If a trainer, coach or therapist isn’t physically interacting with his/her client, athlete or patient, either by correcting joint position, providing biofeedback for proper movement and proprioceptive awareness, or utilizing a manual technique for improved function (i.e. soft tissue work, mobilization, etc) during at least part of the time with the trainee, then that “professional” simply isn’t doing his/her job. Period.

That’s also the major problem with online training. Without being able to physically guide a client through their movement, there is a major aspect of the trainer-client experience that simply isn’t included.

Of course, you and I and a wealth of other excellent trainers offer online services, too. After all, there are many important reasons for an individual to choose a distance program from an educated and experienced trainer vs. an in-person, local trainer (like, oh, I don’t know…most gym trainers suck?). So how do we improve the quality of the training experience while minimizing its obvious flaws?

We can overcome many of the drawbacks inherent in distance training creatively through the use of videos, various types of communication and feedback, as well as very detailed forms of analysis in order to maximize the value of these services. We are also very particular with exactly who we choose to accept as a distance client, as well, and only choose clients that we believe will be suitable candidates for a distance training program. Even then, there are times that we have all advised certain clients to seek additional support, either with a few appointments with a trusted local professional, or even requesting that the client take a trip to see us personally.

The personal interaction between trainer/coach and client and the manual skills that go along with that simply cannot be replaced.

Question 2: Do you have any personal tricks or movements of getting those problems with the body to jump out at you better when assessing someone?

Jonathan Fass: Fatigue changes everything. It’s one of the first pieces of advice that Bill Hartman gave to me when I first got to work with him at his clinic, and it’s still one of the best. Often, you’ll find an individual that might present very “normally” at first, but ask them to perform a repeated motion (such as raising their arms above their head 10-20 times, or perform a set of pushups or glute bridges) and you’ll see that what originally looked like good motion and positioning becomes altered due to a weak synergist becoming fatigued.

For instance, in the first example a poorly functioning serratus anterior might be strong enough to stabilize the scapula in upward rotation when a client/patient raises his/her arms a few times, but once you require repeated activity, an already compromised serratus won’t be able to function properly and you’ll be able to clearly see the scapula start to wing and “stutter” as it moves. That’s something that you would have missed if you only asked your client/patient to move once.

Also, I listen very carefully to what a client or patient tells me about their daily activities. For instance, if I work with a female office worker, along with checking the “basics” like hip flexors and glute activation (sitting all day has a way of wrecking a person’s hips, of course), I’ll ask questions like “where is the phone located on the desk?” (constantly turning in one direction or holding the phone on the same shoulder over time can create imbalances in muscle activity and stiffness in the shoulders and trunk, and can lead to asymmetries in activation and potentially injury when performing a heavy lift), or which shoulder she might hold her purse on (which could create differences in shoulder positioning and muscle activity). Sometimes it’s not a manual or physical “trick,” but simply putting clues together like a detective in order to lead your evaluation to the small but important details that might have otherwise gone unnoticed.

Question 3: You are on a reality TV show competing with 7 of the top PT experts in the country. You are presented with a challenge of having to go to a clients house to get them through a PT session. You have no idea what the problem is, only that they are mild cases. You can take 3 items with you, what do you take?

Jonathan Fass: My eyes, my ears and my hands. Ultimately, these are not just the only things that a good practitioner truly needs, in the end I think that 90% of the time a clinician’s skills in observation and manual treatments are the only things that a therapist (or a trainer) really should be using.

Speaking from the physical therapy standpoint, my patients will show me their problems through their movements, and they will tell me what they are feeling through their descriptions of their injuries and with the verbal feedback that they provide throughout their treatments. I will verify their issues through the use of my hands, and I will also be able to help to improve their condition by using my manual techniques. All I need to do is see what they are already showing me, and to listen to what they are already telling me in order to choose the right intervention in order to help them.

Healers have used these simple “tools” for thousands of years to improve the function and health of their clients. We have made amazing advances in our ability to understand the human body, how to evaluate it and how to heal it, but at the end of the day a successful treatment is still based on the quality of the practitioner, not just the toys that he or she uses.

There are many items that can potentially enhance these natural tools, but there is nothing that can replace them. Therefore, there is nothing else that I would ever truly need.

Question 4: What is some of the training you are doing right now for yourself? I know you have a history of martial arts training correct? Is any of that involved in your day to day training still?

Jonathan Fass: I have used some of my martial arts background with my Rugby and Lacrosse players (tackles and takedowns, Mongolian Wrestling, etc), but in general I haven’t used those techniques in my own programming in a long time. Why not? Because I haven’t been a martial artist in a long time! Right now, I’m doing a simple upper/lower split with focus on corrective work for a right shoulder that has been causing me a few issues. It’s a matter of specificity: Although I loved to train like a martial artist in the past, I have no reason to do so now because it really has nothing to do with the qualities that I want to improve (strength, body composition and functioning).

I think that’s a good point to make, too: I often see people chasing too many goals at once, and their exercise prescription looks more like a laundry list of “cool stuff to do” instead of a thought-out, properly planned program (say that 3-times fast!).

Don’t get me wrong: it’s ok to experiment a little in the gym and add one or two unique or challenging exercises to keep things interesting and fresh. However, there’s a limit to this, and too much jumping between workout plans, exercises or techniques for the sake of variety (a.k.a. “exercise ADD”) will get you nowhere fast.

No matter what kind of exercise you choose, or which routine you follow, anything that you do in your training will be more effective if you know why you’re actually doing it! Understanding the role of an exercise, the training effect of a technique, and the influence of any one or two exercises on the rest of your program is an important detail that seems too often to be missing from the routines of both novices and even “professionals” alike. Unfortunately, without that knowledge, a Laissez-fair program design with too many exercise “distractions” will make it more difficult for you to achieve much of anything.

Question 5: What is the last…

Book you read:
Album/Single you got:
Film/Show you watched:

Jonathan Fass:

Books: The Last Lecture – Randy Pausch; Athletic Bodies in Balance – Gray Cook (I’ve had that one sitting on my shelf forever but finally got around to reading it); The Elegant Universe – Brian Greene (This was a re-read from a few years ago, actually. In another life, I was a quantum physicist). Other than that, it’s mostly text books and research papers, honestly.

Singles: My last 3 downloads: Everybody Knows – John Legend; Watch me Wine – Tami Chynn; Legal Riddim – Tami Chynn.

Film: I went to see “Slumdog Millionaire” (brilliant filmaking…easily one of the best films of the year) and caught “Burn after Reading” (hysterical) and “The Visitor” (fantastic performances, thought-provoking script) on Netflix.

–

You can find out more on Jonathan Fass at his site Accelerated Strength or his Blog.

To read comments or to leave a comment click here

Chris: Why do people do that thing when they drink coffee? You know that pull away thing?

Dane:  What the hell are you talking about?

Chris: You know, that thing like the coffee is going to spit on them or as if it smells bad. It’s like “Hey you, just let it cool off if you are that scared of it, you know?”

Dane: You have too much time on your hands.

Chris: You know why I have so much time on my hands?

Dane: *sighs* No…why Chris?

Chris: Because I don’t do cardio anymore, I just do HIIT. 35 mins of HIIT and I am done.

Dane: Dude you can’t do HIIT for 35 mins, it isn’t possible. You would be picking your lung off the ground. In fact,  your lung would be sitting next to me right now and we would be laughing at you because you tried to do HIIT for 35 mins.

Chris: Pfft, I am just more conditioned than you.

Dane: Yeah, your right, I got my conditioning from years of training and the school of common sense. You got your conditioning from the University of I DON’T KNOW HOW TO DO F@(KING HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING!!!

Chris: …

To read comments or to leave a comment click here

If you happen to read this on the day it went live you will notice a Mike Robertson theme. Simply put we are showing a little love and deeming it MR day here at FLzine. What is to follow because he gets a whole day is not likely going to be a pretty thing. You can’t get this kind of love without backlash. I personally have a plan to unleash local pizza delivery every hour on the hour from all local restaurants until he becomes as fat as I am right now.

Truthfully it is easy to like Mike because not only is he a smart guy, he is a good guy. Rare indeed.

Question 1: What are you doing right now in your training? What are some of the physical changes you have gone through recently and plan in the future.

Mike Robertson: My training since coming back from Australia is a little sporadic, so I’m looking forward to getting back into a consistent routine.

I will be training for the RKC over the next couple of months, so that’s my primary goal at this point in time.  I need to be able to snatch the 24 kg. kettlebell (53 pounds) 90 times in 5 minutes, so that should be a great time (note heavy saracasm).  I would generally consider anything over 5 reps cardio, so I will be hating life the next couple of weeks.

Beyond the RKC, I’m starting to think I’d like to get back into powerlifting.  Our current intern at IFAST, Nick, is a powerlifter and he’s always in my ear about getting back into it.  I’ve got to admit, there’s something infectious watching him lifting heavy shit time and again.  Time will tell, though.

Question 2: What are some of your favorite assessment techniques you use at I-Fast?

Mike Robertson: I think some of the best assessment techniques are also the simplest.  These would include:

-    Static posture
-    Walking Gait
-    Squatting
-    Lunging
-    Push-ups

Those basic tests can give you an incredible amount of feedback.  While we run the gamut (static posture, isolated testing, integrated testing), I’m not sure there’s anything better than testing basic movement patterns to get an idea of somebody’s strengths and weaknesses.

Question 3: What were you like as a kid, did you see this at your future?

Mike Robertson: I was always pretty athletic growing up.  Well, maybe athletic isn’t the word – I played a lot of sports growing up.  Over time, I became more athletic.

When I was in high school, I started lifting weights and loved what they did for my strength, power and confidence.  I knew going into college that I wanted to do something with exercise science, but it all really fell into place when I interned in the athletic weight room at Ball State University.

In that setting, I could merge my love of sports with my love of weights. For me, it was a match made in heaven.

Question 4: What is one lesson you want to beat into the heads of other fitness professionals?

Mike Robertson: If I could be the “anti-guy” for a moment, I would tell them to focus more time and energy on learning about training versus business.  Like all things in this field (and life), the pendulum has swung too far – now you have entry-level trainers that are so focused on their business that they never learn how to train people!

Training is the foundation.  If you can’t get results I don’t want to talk about Twitter, search engine optimization, or any of that other bullshit.  If you can get results for a client, you’ll never have a shortage of clients waiting to work with you.

Quite simply, intelligent training drives your business.  Don’t EVER forget that.

Question 5: What is the last…

Book you read: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, and Tribes by Seth Godin. Both are excellent.  I’m a true believer in the 10,000 hour rule.

Album/Single you got: I’m in charge of all music for the IFAST facility, so I’m always digging into music, both new and old.

I had forgotten how good old Ozzy Osbourne was.  I just downloaded several tracks, including Crazy Train and Mr. Crowley.  The guitar solo in the latter gives me chills it’s so good.

Film/Show you watched: Unfortunately, I’m so far behind with movies it’s not even funny.  I really enjoy them when I have time, though.  On the plane back from Australia I watched the most recent James Bond movie, along with the remake of “The Day the Earth Stood Still.”

Editors Note: We have dedicated the song of the day to Mike. Go ozzy.

To read comments or to leave a comment click here