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Okay…for the last two weeks I’ve been ranting on about my friend Smitty’s new product Accelerated Muscular Development so I just wanted to let you know that today is the last day to get it for 20% off and save yourself $50 bucks.

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Who is Jim Smith?

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Admittedly, part of the reason I’m getting behind this product is because my boy Jim is a great guy, buy mostly because he’s completely legit.  He isn’t an armchair coach who’s never trained himself or worked with a single person.  He’s out there in the trenches every single day programming and putting guys (and himself) through workouts just like the ones in Accelerated Muscular Development.  Frankly, I love talking about theory, but we could argue about that for years.  At the end of the day I’m going to trust someone who is getting it done day after day in the real world.  That is why when Smitty talks, I listen.

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Smitty has also contributed to Mens’ Health, Men’s Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, and is a member of the Elite Fitness Q&A staff with previous products sold in as many as 67 countries!!!  In short, Jim knows his stuff.

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What do you get?

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Of course, the main reason I’m behind this product is that I think that the material is rock solid and I really enjoyed checking out Smitty’s workouts.  Check out the stuff you’ll get direct by digital download the second you purchase (yes, this means no waiting for shipping).

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Complete AMD 2.0 System <— I love this!

AMD Power Core

AMD Essential Recovery

2 – 12 Week AMD 2.0 Programs

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…AND Six Fast Action Bonuses

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Deadlift 101 Fundamentals Manual  <— I love this!

Deadlift 101 Fundamentals Video

AMD Explosive Fat Loss Manual

AMD Upper Body Training Session

AMD Upper Lower Training Session

Premier Youtube Channel

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I won’t belabor you with details here.  You can check out Smitty’s Accelerated Muscular Development page and get all the details for yourself.  But let me just say that I’m totally stoked about the AMD System Manual as well as the Deadlift Manual.  These items alone are worth the cost of the product.

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Frankly, I think if you’re going to give yourself a Christmas present this year, this should be it.  Most importantly, if you’re on the fence, you can try the system for 8 full weeks (read the books, watch the videos, do the workouts) and if you’re still not as impressed as I am you can get a hassle free refund and keep the whole system and the bonuses for your trouble.  Basically, there is no risk. 

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So I’ll leave it at that.  Smitty is legit.  AMD 2.0 is legit.  If you want access to cutting edge training strategies by someone who is actually in the trenches that don’t require you to workout 6 days per week to pack on mass then I’d highly suggest you check this out.

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Accelerated Muscular Development  <— Get it now!  The 20% off sale ends TONIGHT.

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Have a great weekend!

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Accelerated Muscular Development  <— Go Get it!

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Enjoy!
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PS: Smitty tells me that if you go there now you’ll be able to get the entire AMD 2.0 system for 20% off as well as take advantage of the special fast action bonus that he has lined up.

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PPS: I will resume my normal ramblings again on Wednesday of this week…oh…and I’ll have more free stuff!  Don’t miss it.

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I don’t often post on Saturdays, but I thought I’d drop a quick note to let you know that my friend Jim Smith (a.k.a. Smitty Claus) is going to be giving away 3 FREE copies of his soon to be released Accelerated Muscular Development 2.0.  There are only a few more days until the big release, but if you want to score one for yourself head on over to the link below.

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Accelerated Muscular Development <—- Click here to get it!.

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Have a great weekend!

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Well Smitty is back again this time with a killer AMD workout for you!

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Accelerated Muscular Development <— Click the link to check it out!

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P.S This video walks you though an actual AMD workout start to finish and is a must watch.

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If you’ve followed my blog you know that I tend to look at training and related products with a very critical eye so you know I don’t just get behind anything.  But today with the anticipated release of Accelerated Muscular Development 2.0 my buddy Smitty (a.k.a., Jim Smith, CSCS or Smitty McSmitterson as I like to call him) sent me a really cool video  and I figured you could really appreciate the content.

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If you’re seriously doing everything you’ve been told in the gym but are still get minimal results then this is definitely worth checking out.
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Accelerated Muscular Development  <—-  FREE Video

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This 16 minute video reveals Smitty’s single biggest secret to getting dramatic results, plus…

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- His simple 3 step formula that guarantees a perfect workout every time

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- Why your technique may be hindering your results and how to fix it

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- How to drastically reduce nagging injuries that limit results and wear you down
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- Why Autoregulation is essential to your success
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- And more…
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So click on over to Accelerated Muscular Development to check out this awesome video then swing by again and let me know what you think.

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1.  Measure Your Movement

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It is pretty well known that people under report what they’re eating and over report their exercise.  On the exercise front, often I’ll use an Omron Pedometer to get an objective measure of physical activity for people.  While they aren’t perfect (and the BodyMedia FIT is probably better) they are relatively accurate and less expensive.  More importantly though, it will give you something to go on when you think you are moving a lot…and you really aren’t.  With the colder months coming I think people will be shocked at how little they actually move. 

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I usually recommend that people record track their daily steps for a week (good models of the Omron brand will store 7 days worth of data) and then calculate a daily average.  Each week thereafter I have them attempt to add 500 steps per day.  And just so we don’t get confused here, I’m not saying that increasing your steps will necessarily result in more fat loss.

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What I am saying is:

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- Greater physical activity improves health markers (you don’t look very good if you’re dead).

- Increased activity decreases waist circumference even if you don’t lose fat (yep…smaller waist…not even dieting).

- 5 hours of physical activity per week doesn’t necessarily mean more fat loss, but better long term weight maintenance (i.e., you’ll keep off what you’ve lost).

-You probably think you move more than you do.

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2.  Arm Ergometers Are Awesome!

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In terms of cardiovascular activity, most people are used to the standard stuff like treadmill, bikes, and ellipticals.  Sleds and other circuit stuff have also become trendy as of late as well.  However, I’ve recently stumbled upon another really cool method for upper body cardiovascular training that is exceptionally badass.  If you’ve never tried and arm ergometer (basically an upper body bicycle), I’d highly suggest you give it a try.

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Although most people would associate this primarily with a rehab setting, these are great for warming up the upper body prior to a workout, finishing up an upper body workout (your delts, biceps and triceps will be on fire), or for people who have knee or lower back issues the limit regular cardiovascular training.  More to the point, they are frigging HARD!

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While commercial models (Monark being the most popular) can cost over $1500, you can often pick one of these up from a ”home health” type of store for anywhere between $50 and $150 depending on the gadgets attached.  I think these are awesome and would make a great addition to any home gym or studio where people are dealing with clients with knee and back issues.  Simply turn up the tension and crank it like a mofo!

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3.  This Psoas IS Fillet Mignon

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Just in case you missed it, someone commented on my previous psoas post stating that the psoas is actually the cut of meat we adore called fillet mignon.  I very scientifically checked this out (okay…I acutally looked it up on Wikipedia) and this appears to be true.  Go figure.  If you ever get into a plane crash and have to eat the flesh of another human at least you know where to start.

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4.  FREE Core Interviews

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A while back I had the opportunity to interview a whole bunch of really smart industry experts about everything to do with creating a strong and sexy core.  Check out this list:

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Mike Robertson

Nick Tumminello

Jim “Smitty” Smith

Leigh Peele

Lyle McDonald

Martin Berkhan

Jimmy Smith

Scott Abel

John Paul Catanzaro

Brendan Fox

Thomas Myers

And last but not least…Dr. Stuart McGill!

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You want these interviews don’t you?  Yeah…thought so.  I figured that since I’m in such a giving mood lately I’d just throw these down for FREE too.  Go get ‘em!

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5.  Reminder – Get Your FREE Glute Training Ebook

Don’t forget to score yourself the most excellent glute training ebook in the world by my buddy Bret Contreras by leaving a comment on this page.  Comments are closed for the drawing at the end of day today.

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That’s it for me today.  Go get your free stuff!

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I spend so much time pouring my thoughts and ideas out there that I think people really don’t get to know me at all.  So…I thought it would be fun to share a few things about myself interspersed with plenty of my thoughts on topics to do with strength, flexibility, fat loss, and whatever else comes to mind.

1.  I was born with 6 fingers on my right hand.  Well, it was actually 4 fingers and two completely functional thumbs.  This is called polydactylism and apparently it is a dominant gene.

Had my parents not had it removed at 9 months of age I may have been the greatest concert pianist that ever lived.  However, I believe that by having it removed they spared me from being called “The Six Fingered Man” when the movie The Princess Bride was released.  Thanks Mom and Dad.

 2.  I haven’t done or had any of my clients do a single crunch in over 5 years.

3.  I do not believe that squatting is essential when fat loss and body composition is the goal.

4.  When I was a teenager I had the worst haircut on the planet.

5.  Frankly, I am getting fed up with strength coaches and trainer who are bashing other coaches and trainers.  I have to admit that I’m guilty myself of publicly attacking others like Jillian Michaels, but I have decided to stop.

If you have a problem with a specific element of my philosphy then I’d be happy to discuss the issue so we can all learn something.  Saying you’re going to put other coaches out of business is just plain arrogance.  Ah shit.  I did it again. 

6.  Chrisitian Thibaudeau’s Black Book of Training Secrets is one of my most referred to ebooks.  Hands down.  Actually sitting on the desk beside my computer right now.

7.  I met my wife when I was 15 years old at a local roller skating rink.  And no, she didn’t see the haircut.  Thank God!

8.  If you can’t assess a client you have no business training that client.  This is akin to a doctor writing a prescription without a diagnosis.

9.  Along the same lines, I have just purchased Assess and Correct.  Since it just came out today I’ve only had a few minutes to read over the manual that accompanies the DVDs, but the content looks awesome!

As soon as I’ve watched the DVDs I’ll do a full review, but if you’re thinking about it, the product is on sale this week and then the price will jump.  Given that Mike, Eric, and Bill put this together it was really a no brainer for me.

10.  My wife and I are having our first child in just under a month so we’re incredibly excited!  However, I can’t believe how much space newborn “accessories” take up.  The living room is more like an obstacle course.

11.  I worked in the fitness industry for almost 10 years before I sent my first article to a major online publication.  Thanks Tmuscle!

12.  I used to think stability ball training was completely useless.  Now I only think it is moderately useless.  There are some exercises that I might consider in the right circumstances.  But mostly I think that there are usually better options.

13. I hate brussel sprouts, turnip, and portobello mushrooms.

14.  When it comes to nutrition people are almost always too fixated on details.  You must consume less than you burn for fat loss.  This is THE most important factor.  Anyone who says anything else is selling something.

15.  I recently interviewed Brendan Fox, Jim Smith, John Paul Catanzaro, Leigh Peele, Lyle McDonald, Jimmy Smith, Martin Berkhan, Mike Robertson, Nick Tumminello, and Scott Abel for an upcoming audio series on core training and fat loss that you’ll be able to listen to for FREE.

Oh yeah, I also interviewed Dr Stuart McGill (author of Low Back Disorders & Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance) and Thomas Myers (author of Anatomy Trains).  More bonuses still to be added.

16.  Last weekend at Walmart I accidentally walked away with someone else’s cart and discovered this about 15 minutes later when all the stuff in the cart certainly wasn’t mine.

17.  I cannot be near Nutella, chocolate chip cookies, or carrot cake with icing.  These 3 items result in a terrible case of eat-way-too-many-calories-itis.  They are my “can’t have in the house” foods.

18.  My favourite television show right now is Criminal Minds.

19.  I believe that an emphasis on the nervous system is the next big area that needs to be explored in the fitness industry.

20.  Books I purchased last week: Fast Food Nation and Outliers

21.  I don’t think that need nearly as much protein as people think for muscle gain.  Fat loss, on the other hand, is a different story.

22.  Compressive injuries to the end plate on a vertebrae can and do occur even when spinal alignment is in neutral.  You’ll usually hear a popping sound.  Back squats impose a huge compressive load. 

23.  I think the “starvation response” to fasting may be overrated.  I’m not totally sold on this, but my reviews of the research in this area are leaning this way.  If this is the case, it has incredible implications for how we could design nutrition plans.

Maybe less than 6 meals per day?  Blasphemy!  Note that I said MAYBE so don’t get pissed off and start sending me research on protein pulse theories. 

24.  I think this video is funny.  The powerlifter guy kinda reminds me of a Dave Tate type character.  If swearing upsets you, then you won’t enjoy this video.

25.  I also think this video is hilarious although not as funny as the first.  If you are into Crossfit this video may upset you.  That’s what you get for being into Crossfit. 

26.  The flu vaccine cannot give you the flu.

27.  If you’re sick don’t go to the damn gym and give it to everyone else!  Seriously, stay home and get well.  Train hard next week.

28.  There is no such thing as a time machine (except the one that I’m secretly building in my basement).  Don’t train stupidly in pursuit of a goal.  If it hurts back off and get it treated.  Training is a marathon and not a sprint.

29.  If you’re 20 or younger you probably don’t understand the last point.  If you’re 30 or older you’re probably wishing that you did when you were 20.

30.  Consistency with training and nutrition is more important than the plan you’re on.  It is better to go at 60% forever than it is to train at 100% for one week.

31.  I love to read, but generally hate fiction. 

32.  I detest coffee and drink tea often.  Green tea at least 2 times per day.

33.  I am so thankful for my friends, family, all of you for reading this blog.

Since I’ll be around the computer a bit in the next few days I figure I’m going to open this up.  Drop me any comments or questions you have below on any topic (training related or not) and I’ll try to respond.