Clips from past few training sessions

Easy doble 225lbs

Easy double 65lbs

2nd day dips on rings

5-3-2 last set deadlift 385lbs

Easy double / I form sucked too much so I stopped

To sum up my ideas about fitness & training

I’ll probably keep adding and re-organizing this post, but here it is. I started being curious about training around 2008-2009. I have always been generally active, playing basketball and volleyball when I was in highschool, then hicking, martial arts and swing dancing. At some point, I realized that professional athletes need general training outside of their discipline to perform at their best. I started learning pilates and yoga when I heard that professional dancers (non-swing) where using those tools. After getting a bit overweight in that period, I started doing P90X since a lot of the top swing dancers were doing it and talking about it. When my results slowed down I try to mix and match with Insanity, yin yoga (my body became a bit cranky) and other fitness video I liked. Finally, after reading Tim Ferris’ 4HB, especially the chapters on pre-hab et super human strength, I have truly begun to understand. For 3 years now I’ve devoured all most important literature on strength and conditioning to a point where I keep reading on the subject more as a habit than anything else. Strength through certain primitive patterns is all that matters for general well being or for athletic performance. 

First of all, beside if you are a professional bodybuilder, you have no business with the following list whatever your personal goals are :

• Dual thinking cardio vs muscle training. Mellow many times a week is studio, but if you actually enjoy it or compete. Going for a run from time to time is alright. Interval training, also called metabolic training, is a great added value to any strength training program, especially if you are not practicing any sport or doing anything else.
• Splitting your training in body parts (leg, chest, quad, etc.).
• Single joint exercises (curls, flies, leg extension, etc) The only exception would be to stimulate a certain muscle group that doesn’t want to participate to a certain movement (hip thrust to simulate your butt muscle in the squat or deadlift).
• Over focusing on nutrition. Don’t get me wrong, nutrition is what matters for fat loss and muscle development, but micro-managing does no good and keep your attention from what actually matters. See my previous blog for general guideline. Even peri-nutrition workout is overrated. Carbs plays a minor role (5-10%) in protein synthesis and muscle development play a minor role in strength development. Just make sure you eat plenty of protein. The rest depends of how much fat is acceptable for you.
• Going close to failure. Technique comes first, so keep 1-2 reps in the bank.
• Thinking you need a special program for your needs or sports. Get strong and play your sport. You don’t have a sport/activity? Try one or many or ad 3-4 short, but intense conditioning  sessions interval based outside of your strength practice.  The exception is of course if you have a pathological problems or in rehab, then stick to what you can do that helps you getting better/stronger.
• Thinking yoga/pilates/rock climbing/etc is all the training you need. Those are activities. The best way to get better at Yoga is through strength training.
• Developing power and speed is a nice idea for an athlete, but it’s faster and safer to focus on strength first and eventually power if it lacks behind. 

There are several programing’s and tools that works, but usually you can find the following characteristics:

• Simple beats complicated every time. You don’t need any special programming or equipment before you reach decent strength.
• Strength is a skill. Always aim for a ‘’as perfect as you can’’ form. Stay away from failure and keep a couple reps in the bank.
• If you don’t want to get too much muscle mass, go for sets of 2-3 reps. If you don’t mind adding some muscle mass go for sets of 4-6 reps.
• Stick with 2-5 compound lifts and use variations on those lifts instead of new exercises.
• Keep the same variation for around 15 workouts or as long you see progress.
• Deloads every 4-6 weeks  are essential if you keep the same variation of a lift all the time. Classic cycling would count as a deload.
• Aim for 25-50 reps total per week for the squat/deadlift and 50-100 reps total per week for the press/pull.
• The frequency is up to you. The more frequent you practice one lift, the less intensity you should use and the less sore you will be.
• You should get stronger through time. Monitor your progress and adjust 1 variable at the time.
• Many systems will deliver results, once you committed to one, avoid to switch to another. 
• We count 3 systems and the rest is pretty much variations on those systems : high frequency training (think Sheiko or Pavel), the team USA system (think Marty Gallagher or Wendler) and the Westside barbell system (think Louis Simmons). Switching system is far worst than switching exercises or switching programs from what I have heard, but I'm sure there some success strories somewhere!

Here a list of my favorite lifts by movement patterns:

• Hinge : Deadlifts (any variation), KB swing, KB/DB snatch, power clean, power snatch, sprints
• Squats (any variation) : if you have never squat, start with wall squats and goblet squat until you have developed an acceptable motor pattern. Then you can explore the front squat, box squat and finally the back squat and overhead squat.
• Upper body press : any press will do really and will complete nicely any squat or deadlift variation. Personally, I would rather avoid the classic barbell press since it is so easy to cheat (tempo press) even involuntarily.  Also, I have a tendency to prefer presses where my scapula is not pin on a bench or on the floor such as DB/KB military press (1 or 2 hands), KB/DB/BB side/bent press, handstand pushups or dips. Because the push up is such a harder movement both to do properly and increase intensity that I use it mostly to practice movement/bracing than my strength per say. The progression to the 1 hand push up is a nice skill for anybody to learn. You can also use a plyo variation such as the clapping push up or the push press if your goal is strength transfer to power or just give a break to your shoulder. Honestly, I think having to make a choice and stick to it is the hardest part. You love the floor press? Just do it, you will get strong.
• Upper body pull : Pull ups (any variation on bar or rings) Most row variations are way to easy to cheat. Avoid them if you are not an advance lifter.
• Abs/anterior chain/carry : ab roller, leg raise, Turkish get up, farmer’s walk, prowler, crawling … there are a lot of exercises you might want to put into this category. Once again, variety is the enemy. Stick to a couple a variation for strength or do separate practices for movement patterning.

Here’s a list a random thoughts:

• I’m not a big fan of machines, but they can fit some people’s goals. For a busy individual who only wants to stay in shape and gain some muscle mass and bone density, the Occam protocol or the program laid out in Body by science both make a lot of sense. I would probably never do that, but some people might use them to stimulate a certain stubborn muscle group that doesn’t fire when needed.
• I love multiple small practices throughout the day. It keep me fresh, reduce soreness and deliver same or superior results.
• Bodyweight exercises are not necessarily superior or inferior to BB, DB or KB. In fact, the big advantage with BW exercises is that you recover from them faster that the rest.
• Beside if you like personal challenges or want to compete, I would avoid Olympic lifting in favor of more simple exercises.
• I know some people would swear by the overhead press or the barbell rows, but those exercises are so easy to jerk even when you don’t intend to that I’m not sure how useful they are to me, since more simple choices are available.
• Skills are specific. If you are looking to increase a specific lift, better work on that lift and use little or no assistance exercises.
• I have gain 10-15 lbs in the weeks following the integration of creatine monohydrate in my regimen. 
• There are many strength standards around. I believe in the following in comparison to the bodyweight: bench press 1.5x for men 1x for women / squat 2x for men 1.5x for women / deadlift 2.5x for men 2x for women. Of course, adjust the multiplier depending of your choice of exercise. Experience has shown most coaches that there is no real carry over to sports past those standards. For most of us, we will need many years to reach them anyway and it is very hard to past them without entering a proper powerlift regimen which might defeat the purpose of most athletes besides powerlifters. 

To sum up my ideas about nutrition

As you know if you know me or looked around this blog, I’ve been digging information about nutrition for quite some time now. I have tried a couple of popular diets used by athletes such as the Slow carb diet, the Warrior Diet, Eat Stop Eat and some other ideas here and there, like from John Berardi and Dave Asprey. Here a list of my beliefs nowadays:

• Simple beats complicated. All you need is a simple plan you can follow that delivers the results you’re looking for. If you have a hard time not eating after 7pm like 90% of people who try to diet, it might not be the best plan for you!
• Being hungry sucks! There are so many better options.
• Calorie in / calorie out concept is at best  incomplete. In my book, it’s plain  stupid! Treat your body as a thermostat not a calculator.
• The macronutrients approach  is way superior to the calorie counting non sense. It is not perfect, but very useful to get a general understanding.
• No macronutrient is bad, but the carbohydrate is the easiest variable to control either in quantity or in timing. It is the only macronutrient that your body can transform into body fat. Fruits and dairy products are often forgotten in the carbs category. Some other would suggest to control the protein intake first and make sure you have plenty. Whatever else you consume matters little.
• Stop being scared of saturated fat. Neither bacon, butter or yolks will make you fat or influence badly your cholesterol level. It might raise up your testosterone level though…. Be ready!
• Stick with whole unprocessed food at least 90% of the time. I would suggest moderation on minimally processed food such a most dairy product, nut butter, etc, because it is easy to overeat it. Avoid wheat products all together if possible like pasta, bread and beer. Good luck to overeat chicken and asparagus! If you cheat, keep it under 10% and make sure it’s worth it.
• Peri-workout nutrition is overrated for anybody who is not bodybuilding. If you workout before eating, get some BCAA before and after and you’ll get most benefits.

You can think your nutrition plan daily, but I suggest a weekly approach instead. 

• You can cycle your carbs every other day or limit your carbs for 6 days and go all out the 7^th day. I prefer to keep my carbs at the end of the day and limit my cereal intake to 2-3 times/week.
• Fasting is great if you know what you are doing. You can stop eating safely for 16h to 32h depending of your plan and goals. Just remember that your body will crave after the fasting period and this is the worst timing for carbs. I like raw veggies for enzymes.
• The ratio 33% protein / 33% fat / 33% carb/plenty of veggies  is a great option for most people.
• Every time you eat, try the following and you can't go wrong:
• X amount of carbs
• 2X amount of protein
• 4X amount of vegetables
• Snack on veggies and nuts if needed
• Meat & veggies one day and carb up  every other day
• First meal of the day contains at least 30-50g protein and no carbs. Use protein powder or learn to love your steak’n eggs!
• Unprocessed food paleo style. I consider paleo the safest of the food religion. 

Without working to hard (or working out at all), following these general lines, every guy should drop their BF below 15% and every gal under 20%. Ajust your carb consumption according to your goals. Keep in mind that no plan will deliver results for ever, but all you have to do is to find a lifestyle you can adopt forever and effortless. Of course it’s a bit harder in a world where eating veggies is sometimes considered as excentric, but we get use to it!

Clips from random people at my commercial gym: funny and sad at the same time

I will keep adding clips on this post. This is all about all the stupid stuff we see everyday in a commercial gym. For a lot of us, we have no other option to have access to a barbell, enough weight and a rack. Instead of hitting my head against the wall everyday, I thought it would be more fun to secretly record some of the jewels and share them on my personal blog. I know, I know....you are welcome!

It's the second time I see an old Asian dude doing some weird ... I can't even call that exercise!

Wow! It's a decent weight by commercial gym standard and he even knows how to get up from his sited position. I guess throwing weights on the floor help him to feel like a real man.

This is a classic scenery in any commercial gym. Girls.... you probably don't even have a good time at the gym. Either get in, do something productive and get out or go for some other productive activity like walking.

For those unfamiliar with the bench press, you either have a hard time to push from the bottom position or to lock out at the top. This guy solved everybody's problems, just avoid either! 

Ah, the sissy deadlift.... atrocious form and ridiculous weight, agreed! Now watch the clip below.

He coaches her, but her form is better than his! I almost told him he should let her coach him, but I didn't dare...

Full screen and look at the guy on the bench. What kind of a ROM is that?! Really?! The guy was puny if this is even necessary to add, lol!

This one seriously needs coaching. The video doesn't really show how rounded his back is pulling all that 65lbs off the floor. His grocery bags are probably heavier.

Whatever this is, this skinny 175lbs guy doesn't need that before a couple of years of heard training.

This is what happen when you superset everything with no break. The standard push up might get too easy too fast, but it's a great movement pattern builder when done correctly.

Let's call this one the classic! If some powerlifter have seen a correlation between biceps curls and their 300+ bench press, I'm pretty sure this is not the guy's story! 

Bunch of videos from last practices

Turns, speed and directions +Audrey-Anne Bouchard 

Swing out drill: changing focus

Balboa drill: swivel +Vivianne Carrier 

Balboa jam practice

Balboa drill: transition with basics +Julien Gosselin +Sarah Jacques 

Balboa drill: transition lollies and Out & ins

My first impressions on side presses and zercher squats

In my last  attempt to stick to a program, I’ll give my impressions on those two movements after my first 5 practices. I remember that I tried the barbell side presses when I started strength training over 2 years ago and you know what? I’m still just as weak as I used to with them. Of course, my coordination has improved and the movement feels a lot better, but the weights I used were very similar than before. Despite what we say all the time about the synergy between the lifts and all, I’m now very convinced that strength is very specific and working on so many lifts kept me from improving faster. That last thought makes me wonder about skills transfer into the sport as well, but a better mobility, stability and the ability to create tension when needed are all obvious results of my past years training. Though it comforts me in my decision: to alternate 2 simple presses every 2 weeks should work better for me.

I did not expect to feel that press just as much in my upper back as in my front delt and pec. Once you understand the awkward slightly twisty forward upper body position, it feels like a  natural biomechanically position to press something overhead compared to the strict press for example, 1 or 2 handed, and it’s harder to jerk it. Moreover, I look pretty cool in my commercial gym balancing a barbell overhead with some mullets doing dumbbell curls all around me. It’s funny how people give you the space you need when they are scared for their life…. Food for thoughts!

The Zercher squat rocks and sucks at the same time. How is that possible? Well, it hurts quite a bit, somehow bearable,  and, compared to the back squat, it just doesn’t go away. The big upside, especially if you do it with a wider stance, is that it mimics a deadlift with the weight placed somewhere else. Plus, because of the awkward placement of the weight, it forces you to create tension in your upper body which, with the principle of irradiation, contribute to create more torque. I now understand why it is one of the few squat variations, with the box squat and the pistol, praised by Pavel.  

Promess to myself: I will keep this program for the next year at least

I’m getting back to my roots and start a basic PTTP template: 2-4 exercises, 5 days/week, 2 sets, 5 reps, maybe a 3rd set for the press, 3-5min rest. I will use a 4 block of 3 weeks approach, 12 weeks total. Once every micro-cycle, usually around the 12-13 workout, I will test my strength with a 5-3-2 reps scheme, still keeping 1-2 in the the bank.

Block 1

-Squat variations. I want to keep this variation as close as possible of the deadlift

-Side press (barbell, dumbbell or kettlebell)
-20-40 KB swings
-Ab roller

Block 2

-Conventional deadlift

-Dips (rings or parallel bars)
-20-40 snatches
-Leg raise variations

Block 3

-Deadlift variation (sumo, snatch, saddle, behind the back, etc.)

-Side press (barbell, dumbbell or kettlebell)
-Pull ups 10-25 reps total between sets
-Ab roller

Block 4

-Conventional deadlift
-Dips (rings or parallel bars)
-20-40 snatches
-Leg raise variations

I won’t plan the three weeks poundage, but try to remember Pavel’s words on it, something like lifting with no emotion and going heavier as I grow stronger leaving 1 or 2 (in my case 2 is a good reference!) in the bank. I must strive for perfect form, make that workout repeatable and make sure it brings my dancing up and not down.

I decided to switch from 2 to 3 weeks approach, because of the variety of movements, which I assume will slow down my progress, but I'll do it anyway for the sake of variety. The 2 weeks model would have worked fine with 2 identical blocks. Boredom is a bitch and, after those 2 years experimenting, I know I need to change some variables or I'll go crazy.

I choose the Zercher squat as my first squat variation, not because I like it more, but because I bought those elbow sleeves a couple months back and never had the chance to try them on. It still hurts! I guess I’ll get used to it.

I also tried separate my workout in 2 with half the exercises I can do home and the other half at the gym. It helps to keep my fresh and makes it easier to manage my schedule.