Private Training Facility Sends Female Powerlifters to Compete at USAPL Ohio State Powerlifting Championships

From Left: Chelsea Neeley, Ella Diller, Tina Torbati,
and Savannah Steamer celebrating victory.

November 12, 2014 - Columbus, OH - The USA Powerlifting Ohio State Meet Powerlifting Championships which took place all day Saturday attracted lifters from all over the state of Ohio to lift big weights and attempt to qualify to compete at the 2015 Arnold Sports Festival. Among this group of determined lifters was a group of four young women who were headed to Springboro, Ohio, where the competition was located. All four of them train at an elite private training facility located here in the Grandview neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio called The Spot Athletics.

Cassie Prenger is a current Exercise Science major at Capital University who will intern with the Strength and Conditioning program at The Ohio State University for Spring 2015. Tina Torbati is a current Nutrition in Industry major at The Ohio State University and works in the Nutrition Department at Bethesda North Hospital. Chelsea Neeley is an Early Childhood Education graduate of The Ohio State University and Coach at The Spot Athletics. Ella Diller is the Graduate Assistant at the OSU Adventure Recreations Center working on a Masters in Sports Management. This powerlifting meet was each of these ladies’ first sanctioned competition, and all had been preparing for it over the last few months. In addition to training together in a team environment, all four went head-to-head for the aforementioned 2015 Arnold Sports Festival Invitation, since they all competed in the 148-lb class. Cassie Prenger placed 2nd in the Women’s Open 148 division, while Ella Diller took 2nd and Tina Torbati took 3rd overall in the Women’s Junior Division.

Nicholas Bronkall, Director of Strength and Conditioning at The Spot Athletics, states, “I’ve seen these ladies grow during team training and I was proud to see them unveil their hard work on the platform.” 

Casssandra Prenger, Strength and Conditioning intern at
The Spot Athletics, hitting a solid deadlift in her first meet.

To see original headline, click here.

Getting Back to the Basics: The Bench Press

How many times have you heard someone ask “How much do you bench?”. The bench press is commonly used as a marker of strength and is one of the most popular exercises out there because it looks cool and seems relatively easy to do. However, it is one of the most misunderstood exercises out there. “I’ll just lie down and push this bar up with my arms, how hard can that be?” is probably what you’re thinking. For most people, this is exactly what they do. However, the bench press is just as technical as the squat or the deadlift. Learning how to bench press properly can mean the difference between doing one of the most beneficial upper body exercises for size and strength or benching the same weight forever and tearing something in your shoulder. 

We’re going to go over some of the basic technique principles of the bench press so you can move more weight and stay injury free. The most important thing to note about the bench press is that it is not just a chest/ shoulder/arm exercise. If you bench properly, you should actually be using your whole body.

Coach Bryan spots an athlete on floor pressing. Though floor pressing is a variation of bench press, some of the same rules apply.

Let’s start at the top. Your back and shoulders should be squeezed together like you’re doing a lat pull-down. You should actually use your back to stabilize the bar as you lower it and keep your chest up  to meet the bar. Do not drop the bar on your chest and assume you’ll be able to push it back up from there.  Make sure you touch your chest with the bar. This seems obvious but many people seem to think they only need to bring the bar halfway down for it to constitute as a bench press.  There should be a natural curve in your back. That means you’re not pushing your back down into the bench and also not trying to create a huge arch. That is a more advanced move. One of the most important parts of the bench press actually involves your legs. You want to plant your feet in the ground and push the ground away from you to create leg drive. Using your legs will produce more force through your arms to push the bar away. So, we’ve covered some of the basics on how to make the bench press safer and more effective. 

What if you have a pre-existing shoulder injury? Do you need to bench to get the benefit? Of course not. There are plenty of alternatives for those who can not comfortably bench press. Try a swiss bar or dumbbells with a neutral grip. The swiss bar has bars running parallel to each other with allows you to maintain a neutral grip (palms facing each other) which many people find to be more comfortable for their shoulders while still getting the benefit of a bench press. 

Getting back to basics in the weight room means doing things correctly within the context of the weight room itself, such as performing lifts correctly and in a fashion that is both beneficial, safe, and will keep you racing towards your goals. This article reviews the basic technique points of the bench press to help you get the most bang for your buck with this difficult exercise. 

Columbus Resident, Vitor Oliveira Dominates at IBJJF Pro League Tournament

November 6, 2014 - Columbus, Ohio -  The Spot Athletics is proud to announce the recent victory of Vitor Oliveira at the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation Pro League Tournament on October 19th, 2014. This prestigious tournament was an invite-only event and only the top four competitors in each class were invited to compete.

Vitor Oliveira and The Spot Athletics Owner,  JL Holdsworth, celebrate victory

GF Team member Oliveira reflects on the growth of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: “Everything is really blowing up in the US; there are tournaments every couple of weeks. We don’t have that in Brazil.” Just a few weeks prior, Vitor dominated at the IBJJF Pan Am No Gi Tournament on September 27th, 2014, but this most recent victory was a milestone for Oliveira’s career.


This was the third Pro League Tournament and winners received prize money, illustrating the growth of the sport. More exciting was the announcement of two more future tournaments, which Vitor will be preparing for. 

Oliveira’s next competition is scheduled for Decemeber 14th, 2014 in Long Beach, California and he currently trains at The Ronin Training Center and The Spot Athletics in Columbus, Ohio. The Spot Athletics Owner and Head Trainer JL Holdsworth had this to say about Vitor’s performance: “Vitor’s improvement and dominating style never ceases to amaze myself or my staff. He brings that same intensity to his strength and conditioning sessions and we are thrilled to be able to work with such an outstanding athlete.”

With many eyes tracking his progress, Vitor has stayed humble throughout his career. He thanks Ronin Training Center, JL Holdsworth and the staff at the Spot Athletics, Kill Cliff Recovery Drinks and Protein Bars, and Bull Terrier Fight Gear.

To see original headline, click here.

Zach Gallmann of The Spot Athletics Places at North American Strongman National Championships

November 5, 2014 - Columbus, Ohio - Local Strength and Conditioning Coach and Strongman competitor Zachary Gallmann recently traveled to Reno, Nevada to go head-to-head with some of the top amateur Strongman competitors in the country. This event was the biggest Strongman competition to-date and had over 250 competitors. 

Gallmann, who has recently undergone a weight loss transformation of about seventy pounds over the last year, has many years of competition experience in the sport. Of his competition preparation and performance, Zach states, “I was interested to see where my strength was. When I chose to lower my bodyweight by seventy pounds I knew that my strength would decrease, but it’s made me a better overall athlete. Even though, I didn’t do as well as I thought I would, it’s made me hungry for more.”

Zach placed fifth in the 231-265 pound weight class and is looking to compete again in the upcoming year while focusing on regaining strength. He competes with Team BOSS and trains at The Spot Athletics in Columbus, Ohio.

To see original headline, click here.

The Most Important Thing

The Most Important Thing

…is family. 

Sometimes we get so caught up in our goals that we forget about the people who are propping us up. The people who are there to break the bad news and stick around for our reaction. Family doesn’t always mean blood relation, so I suppose the proper word for what I am trying to convey is COMMUNITY. 

This past weekend, I competed at the Lexen Extreme Fall Classic and I got a reminder of what it meant to personally be a part of a community. The profound sense of acceptance and support that I received over the weekend is something I will never forget. This article will serve two purposes: to recap the meet and show you why building a community is so important.

I competed in the 132-pound class and finished the day with a  215-pound squat, 135-pound bench press, and 260-pound deadlift. Though I didn’t achieve a couple of my goals, I was happy to get a feel for the 132-pound weight class and set a PR total of 610-pounds with the support of many great lifters, coaches, and friends. Some of these people I’d never personally met before but corresponded with on social media, and some of them I’ve known for quite some time.  Regardless, when I stepped onto the brightly-lit platform, it made all the difference that someone was there to support me when I really needed it.

When I say I needed it, I really did. After my missing my first deadlift attempt, I thought I was going to have to cut it there and bomb out. My hip-popped during the lift and my entire left leg was throbbing as I swallowed tears. I was told to pull conventional instead of sumo and the thought of that made me extremely nervous. My sumo pull has always been much stronger than conventional AND I’d maxed my conventional pull just a few weeks earlier and it was super slow. Not only that, but the weight I opened with was five pounds heavier than that super slow conventional pull. There was no way I’d be able to pull it off with an injury. Surprisingly, I PR’d my conventional deadliest by 25 pounds.

In all honesty, I started lifting weights because I just liked how it felt. But now it goes much deeper than that. Now I’m little more competitive, I’ve got training partners, and it kind of just feels like training and competing is something productive to do with my pals. We set our own goals, but we also know that we need each other in order to achieve those goals. This is why building a community is the key to achievement.

It was almost exactly a year ago that I started training at The Spot Athletics and at first l felt like the odd-man-out. Constantly getting picked on, making dumb mistakes, and always asking “Will I get yelled at if I do such-and-such?” Now, I feel a part of a family. Going further, I’ve expanded my network of friends and it was this small group that pushed me at the Fall Classic. It was these guys who offered verbal support, shared their ammonia to get me pumped, rubbed baby powder on my thighs before each deadlift attempt, and inspired me to believe in myself.

Our very own Nic Bronkall, or Coach B, took the time out of a beautiful Saturday to be cooped up at a powerlifting meet to handle me, because here at The Spot Athletics, we have something that not a lot of gyms have: a family. We want everybody to achieve their goals and be motivated to be the best person they can be. 

Savannah Steamer

How Do You Know if Your Coach is Any Good?

You just got yourself a new coach. Or maybe there’s someone whose articles you follow religiously on the internet. But how do you know if they’re any good? Sure they have flashy taglines and they’re jacked so that means they’re a good coach, right? Well, no. There’s a distinct possibility they are just huge and good at sales and talking but they’re not actually a knowledgeable coach. Here are some guidelines to figure out if your coach makes the cut.

1) What does your coach do in their spare time? Do they attend conferences, read journals, write articles? Or are they using the same outdated information because they “always know best?”. Find someone that is always trying to learn and make themselves better. Better yet, find a coach who writes articles, presents at conferences, and is someone that others in the industry look up to.

2) Does your coach say there is only one correct way and everyone else is wrong? A good coach knows that everyone is different. Every sport is different, every person is different. Different goals, body types, issues, injuries, and movement patterns. Therefore, they should not be using a cookie cutter approach. They should tailor each program and training session to the individual. If someone else has a different method or theory, they will assess and respond to that instead of dismissing it prematurely.

3) Where has your coach learned their stuff? Did they open up a gym after getting an online certification? Or have they had internships and learned from some of the best in the industry? You can’t learn how to coach without getting hands on experience and learning from more experienced individuals. Take a look at your coach’s resume. If they don’t have any real world experience, they’re not worth your time.

4) Who has your coach trained? Olympic athletes? Middle school kids? High school athletes?  You might be impressed by their roster of stellar athletes but let me tell you this, their strength and conditioning coach didn’t make them amazing- they came to them that way. The true test is in the mediocre athletes. Did they take a second string high schooler and send him to a D1 college? Or turn a awkward bumbling freshman into a varsity athlete? Those are the real coaches.

These are just a few points to help you assess your coach. If they don’t stack up, find yourself a new coach!
Coach Lily

Friday Technique Video- How to set up bands

CORE Basics Part 1

WE strongly dislike the word "core" here at The Spot Athletics. The reason being many people don't understand what the core actually is. People just assume that it's the 6 pack. Well I hate to burst your bubble but it goes much deeper then that. While the "6-pack" muscles are apart of the core there are many other muscles working together to help support and engage movement of the torso and also keep the torso stable and fixed when our arms and legs are in motion.

There are a few distinct components involved with the core. The first is the inner core. You will find within the inner core the diaphragm, the pelvic floor, the multifidi and the transverse abdomens. These muscles will usually fire first in most movements to help create stability. So think of these four muscles as a rectangle with a ballon filling the inside of the rectangle. The diaphragm would sit on top of the rectangle and the muscles of the pelvic floor would sit on the bottom of the rectangle. The diaphragm works antagonistically with the muscles of the pelvic floor. So when the diaphragm contracts, moving towards the pelvic floor  this will then stabilize the top and bottom of the inner core.

So when we bring the diaphragm down towards the pelvic floor in our rectangle it pushes down on the ballon or our abdomen and it begins to become distended. This is what we call an increase in intra-abdominal pressure, which we need for bracing. So when you're at The Spot and we tell you big belly, in a round about way this is what we mean.

Now The transverses abdomens sits at the front of our abdomen and the multifidus sits at the back (along the spine). So when that balloon in our rectangle begins to get pushed down the only place for it to go if forward as it braces against the spine. Now yes there is more to it then this but in the most simplistic manner I think you get the idea.

                                                      My sweet drawing of the body!

Now a muscle that is typical overlooked in inner core is the QL muscle. QL is short for quadrates lumborum. Its a square muscle that sits in the lower back. It connects the last rid and upper four lumbar vertebrae to the iliac crest (Pelvis) Don't worry I'll draw another sweet drawing for you. Now this little guy is responsible for segmental stability of the spine, lateral flexion and anti lateral flexion. This muscle along with the contralateral (opposite side of the body) gluteus medius (fancy term for a butt muscle) are firing almost all day long to help our bodies maintain posture and gait especially when we are walking.

                                               My sweet drawing of the QL muscle!

Thats enough for today. Next week we will move our way out towards the outer core.

If you have any questions just ask. We are here for you.

Coach B

Top 10 articles of the week for 3/12/2014

Just accept it…strength is hard. It’s supposed to be hard.
http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/its-supposed-to-be-hard/

How to get more vegetables in your diet.
http://www.ericcressey.com/7-strategies-to-get-more-vegetables-in-your-diet

Here are 6 ways to get more protein in your diet.
http://www.ericcressey.com/6-ways-to-get-more-protein-in-your-diet

Are you ready to stop the excuses?
http://articles.elitefts.com/features/iron-brothers/you-make-the-decision-right/

The conundrum of doing what you love for a living.
http://zenhabits.net/love-conquers/

Find out how cardio will make you fat.
http://www.t-nation.com/training/regular-cardio-will-make-you-fat

Most of us love coffee.  Healthy or not healthy?
http://reach-yourpeak.com/2014/02/06/coffee-healthy-or-not/

So you just wanna “look big and strong” instead of being strong??
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/big_without_strong_is_nothing

Simple things to do for a healthier life.
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-12755/11-simple-things-anyone-can-do-to-live-a-healthier-life.html

Do you need help getting things done? Maybe you should think about outsourcing.
http://lessdoing.com/2014/02/23/just-dont-do-it-why-you-should-outsource-more-of-your-life/

Spot Athletics week in review video montage 3/10/2014

It has been a big week for The Spot Athletics.  Two athletes just committed to colleges, at both Ohio Dominican and Louisiana State University.  Another one of our athletes just won his 3rd middle school state wrestling championship, in a row, making him one on a short list of other to ever do that before.  The weather is starting to break, and our clients are working hard in anticipation.  Great work everybody! We're proud of your efforts!

Check out the week in review here!

Google Me!

Google Me!

   

Nic coaching the deadlift 

THE FACT IS every place: will tell you that they're the best;  that they're different(better) and that they will get you great results.  So as a person looking for a place to train I can understand how differentiating which facility is truly "the best" seems almost impossible.  The purpose of this blog is to educate you as to why you shouldn't listen to people when they say these things but look at what they have done instead.  

     GOOGLE ME!  It's such a simple and basic task.  Whenever I want to find out something about someone I just google them.  It doesn't give the whole picture, but it tells me enough to know if I need to look further.  When you Google our owner "JL Holdsworth, strength coach", you get pages upon pages of results for things he has done over the years as a strength coach.  Even when you Google our director of Strength & Conditioning Nic Bronkall, you get several pages of things he has done as a strength coach.  I could go on but the point is if you Google just our owner, no less our whole staff, you are going to get more results than you know what to do with in regards to strength and conditioning.  The reason is because we are the best, what we do is the next level of training, and our results are what set us apart.  This stuff isn't true because I say it, it's true because you can Google it.  

     GOOGLE THEM!  Although I don't worry myself about what our competition is doing, as I believe we have none, I do hear from clients what other facilities are saying and doing.  When I hear of one of these places claiming to know how to train athletes I start off by Googling the person in charge of the program.  The funny thing is I can only find results for their website, Facebook, twitter and Linked in accounts.  I can very rarely find anything that they have ever done in strength coaching or as a strength athlete themselves.  This boggles my mind because it seems so simple that a parent or potential client would Google the person in charge of a program but instead clients just take the persons word, on their website, that they know what they are doing.  If someone claims to have been in this field for 10 years and you can't find what  they have contributed to it by Googling them, you are not working with a quality strength coach.  

JL squatting w/chains

     Anyone can make a fancy website, anyone can say they are the best, anyone can say they get results, but not everyone can say: "GOOGLE ME to prove they are the best at what they do".  So next time a friend of yours says they have "the best" strength coach, have them Google it and then see if they still think their strength coach is the best.  I bet they will have a much different opinion.  

Speed, Strength & Conditioning, Personal training & Fitness Class Training Video Montage 2/10-2/16

It's been a big past few weeks at The Spot!  Athletes are starting to commit to colleges, our volleyball clubs are in full swing with club season, and our personal training and metcon clients are absolutely crushing it!  Check it out here and make sure you share with friends!

Speed, Strength & Conditioning, Personal training & Fitness Class Training Video Montage 12/23-12/29

Check out this week's video montage!  Christmas break didn't stop us or our clients.... they were still working hard and seeing results.  Have a happy and safe New Year! Can't wait to see everyone in 2014

Lifting Heavy Is...Good? - An Intern's Blog

As some of you may know, I am from Houston, Texas, and as the holidays are approaching, I decided to head home for a couple of weeks to get some much needed family time. For some unexplainable reason, I thought it was a good idea to head up to my old gym after a 20 hour drive and running on minimal sleep. Now my tolerance for idiocy is already low as it is, but factoring in sleep deprivation, let's just say that this was not the ideal day to spout off broscience in my face. Sure enough, within 10 minutes of me being there, one of the guys that has been a regular at this gym for at least the last 4 years (yet you wouldn't know it) came up to me and told me that I was lifting too heavy to make any serious hypertrophy gains and that using light weight while utilizing "time-under-tension" is the best way to gain mass...WHAT?!?!

I thought I had heard it all until this. The most basic principle of any kind of weight lifting whether it be bodybuilding, powerlifting, cross fit, etc is to pick up HEAVY things! And now just because some people are lazy and don't want to load up a bar and crank out heavy sets, this fad of lifting light and "squeezing" is gaining momentum.

I'm in no way saying that "time-under-tension" methodologies should never be used in a program. I'll be the first person to admit that I've tried just about everything while trying to put muscle on including TUT, and it has it's merits as an intensity technique. It will get you sore the next day, it will give you a nice pump in the gym, and yes you can make some progress using it, but nothing, I repeat, NOTHING will ever replace good old heavy weight.

Building a physique forged by heavy deadlifts, squats, and bench press will always look more impressive than one built with lighter weight and contraction training. Some people will say heavy weight is a great way to get injured or they don't feel the muscles working properly. Well lift with proper form while taking necessary precautions and you won't get hurt. You can't feel the muscles working? I guarantee if you're squatting 500 pounds that your quads, hamstrings, and glutes are all working pretty darn hard.

There are tons and tons of techniques out there meant to be added to your programs in conjunction with heavy weight not as an alternative. If your goal is to be big and strong then throw some weight on the bar and get focused on moving it up and down rather than avoiding a little strain.

Bryce Calvin- Strength and Conditioning Intern

Seven Tips to Survive Thanksgiving

It’s that time of year. It’s the holidays. Family, friends and awesome food. But most of you will freak out about the holiday weight gain. Just google Thanksgiving and weight gain and you’ll come up with a ton of articles on how to stay thin for the holidays. They say the average thanksgiving meal is 3,500 calories. Sounds like a solid bulking session if you ask me. But in all seriousness unless you are dieting down for a bodybuilding show enjoy Thanksgiving. Enjoy the food. Enjoy the company. You won’t gain any weight from one day of cheat meals. It’s not going to sabotage your gains bro, I promise. Stop worrying about cutting 100 calories if you don’t eat the crust with your pie. You’ve been training extremely hard all year, well most of us have and you should be able to enjoy the holidays with your friends and family instead of being miserable over thinking you can’t eat all the good food because you’ll instantly get fat. Sorry the body doesn’t get fat in one day nor in one meal. It’s science so that means it’s true. Now I’m not saying stuff your face till you are so uncomfortable that you can’t move, I mean thats what my training partners and I will do but I don’t suggest that to any of you. So here are

Seven Tips to Survive Thanksgiving

1: Portion control. Select your favorite foods that you can’t live without and select reasonable-sized protions. I suggest you don’t waste your calories on foods you can have all year though, eat the foods that only come out once a year. But here is a secret if you keep your portions small, you can enjoy whatever you like.

2: Workout Thanksgiving morning on an empty stomach. Have it be a serious weight session or just a walk. Get some exercise in and do it on an empty stomach. Your gains will be alright. I’m a big fan of training in a fasted state because it works.

3: Your best bets if you are concerned are white meat, plain veggies, sweet potatoes (not the sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, maple syurp and all that), mashed potatoes, defatted gravy and that delicious pumpkin pie. Those tend to be lower in fat and calories.

4: Don’t inhale your food. Eat slow. Enjoy the conversation at the table. Actually taste and enjoy the food.

5: Eat in the afternoon. Spread the fest out all day. After dinner go outside. Go for a walk. Play football. Enjoy the cool weather. After that come in and have dessert. Watch a movie. Don’t try and cram 4,000 calories into one sitting.

6: Relax on the sugary drinks and alcohol. A lot of calories in drinks and they add up quick.

7: Don’t focus on food. Don’t focus on weight gain (unless you are bulking) or weight loss. Enjoy your friends. Enjoy your family. Celebrate and be thankful for your friends and family. That’s what this holiday is all about.

Happy Thanksgiving

Coach B

Top 10 articles of the week for 11/20/2013

How to stay sharp and on point with your deadlifts.

http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/tips-to-help-five-common-deadlift-mistakes/

These 2 articles are together and direct specific change in your life.

http://the-strength.com/5-changes-to-make-this-week/

http://the-strength.com/5-changes-to-make-this-week-part-2/

Is it discipline or is it passion?

http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/just-sayin-who-defines-discipline/

How to get CLEAR on your intentions and what you want out of your life.

http://www.dailycupofyoga.com/2013/11/13/what-will-you-do-with-your-one-precious-life/

Health is not a given...stay thankful for what you have.

http://experiencelife.com/unedited/

How to be spontaneous.

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/11/07/when-was-the-last-time-you-did-something-spontaneous/#more-20711

Some great items to put on your daily training "to do" list.

http://bretcontreras.com/5-things-you-should-do-everyday/

Which is better? Fresh or frozen food?

http://lifehacker.com/the-science-of-nutritional-differences-between-fresh-an-1460202541

How to get rid of jealousy. Poor emotional/mental habits keep you from being healthy mentally and physically.

http://zenhabits.net

Speed, Strength & Conditioning, Personal training & Fitness Class Training Video Montage 11/10-11/17

Check out this week's video training recap!  Another great week at The Spot Athletics.  Keep up the good work!

Speed, Strength & Conditioning, Personal training & Fitness Class Training Video Montage 10/29-11/3

Check this week's video montage.  With volleyball club season starting soon, we are getting busy and in full swing! We also have started our Ultimate sand training (http://thespotathletics.com/sand/), and have more and more athletes coming in to get the best training in central Ohio! Make sure to check in every week and see what we're doing at The Spot! Don't be shy,  share with your friends!

Make time now, or be forced to later

When it comes to training the biggest excuse that we get is "I don't have time".  While this seems to be valid in some people's minds, it is not valid to us.  You have time for what you make time for.  When you are saying I don't have time, what you are really saying is that you don't value your health.  Sure you can put off working out and maybe nothing will happen for a while, but eventually it catches up.  With athletes that we see that think that they are too busy to train for their sport we eventually see one of two things happen to them.  One: they end up hurt and at the orthopedic surgeons, or two: they can't compete with the other players and quit the sport.  With adults the results are much the same but to a different degree.  Either one: they end up with injuries, and end up at a surgeon or two: they  don't have a good quality of life and can't do the activities that they really wish they could.  In both circumstances, whether you are a young athlete or an adult long removed from competition, if you don't make time for training now, you will be forced to make time for the doctor later.

I really enjoy working out and know that it will keep me healthy and doing the things I want to long term.  While some don't share my love of fitness, everyone hates surgery.  We see this scenario all too often because athletes and adults alike come to us after they have been to the surgeon.  They are now being forced to do the thing that if they had just done in the first, place then they would not of had to have the surgery.  It's ironic when you think about it.  You either start training before you have a problem or your problems will force you to start training.  I know that I would much rather be training healthy than recovering from an injury, and I hope you would too.

People in our society seem to be more interested in spending 20hrs/week watching the housewives of whatever or the football games than they do caring for their bodies.  This really perplexes me because once you have ruined your body you don't get a new one.  The top priority for any person should be to keep their health because if you don't have that, then you don't have anything.  So next time you hear someone say "I don't have time to work out" ask them what could be more important than their health?

Friday technique video 10/18: how to do Romanian deadlifts

This week, JL goes over the Romanian deadlift and why he likes it for building hamstring strength in his athletes, and lock out power in the deadlift.