Eric Cressey's Maximum Strength: 2nd Pass, Phase 1

So I've decided to make a second pass through Eric Cressey's Maximum Strength Program. I often hear people rave about a program and the gains they got from it. It makes me wonder why they stopped the program or never got back to it. For me, the maximum strength program increased all my numbers across the board the first time through, so it was a no brainer to get back to it.

Aside from doing some additional pre-work and some added mobility/stretches in between sets I'm pretty much following the program to the letter. I just completed phase one and decided to do a comparison of my first pass through and now.

Eric says "don't forget your damn warm up!"

NOTE: I completed phase 1 for the first time in October, so this is roughly 10 months after the fact. I'm also doing this at a different gym and different training environment. Not having the boys at Cressey Performance(Shout outs to Eric Cressey, Tony Gentilcore, Brian St. Pierre and even Pete) monitoring me and pushing me hard has definitely been something I've been working to overcome. This is just a sample of the exercises, there is quite a bit more but these are the highlights.

Best set the first time through is in black, best new set is in red.

Walking DB Lunges: 30x8, 70x8
Bench Press: 155x3, 195x3
Seated Cable Row: 100x10, 140x9
Front Squat: 110x6, 165x6
Rack Pulls: 195x6, 305x6
Chin Ups: 1 Set of 6 the rest assisted, All sets of 6 Body Weight plus 15lbs.

I've also been using a chain overhead on my side bridges to add difficulty. So I'd say I've made some pretty good gains and honestly can't believe that I was that weak last time through. Isn't it amazing what consistent training and nutrition can do.

I'll be doing a quick wrap up of each phase of Maximum Strength so look forward to the phase 2 wrap up next month. If you haven't picked up a copy of Maximum Strength yet go here and order it already!

The FitFlop by Victoria's Secret

Is this for real? Apparently so, finally introduced into the U.S. market is the Victoria's Secret Fitflop. Now I think I've seen it all. This is really brilliant marketing at its finest.

The Fitflop by Victoria's Secret

My friend Jessica said it best when she looked at these. "Some fat@&$ is gonna buy that and walk themselves to McDonalds and wonder why they are still fat." Glad to see someone has some sense of reality.



For a meager $60 this wonderful piece of marketing nonsense can be yours! My comments are in red. Check out the text:

Get a workout while you walk. A workout while you walk? I hardly think walking is considered a workout, maybe a calorie burning activity, but not a workout. If it is a workout for you then hopefully it's just a starting point. Engineered to engage muscles, lessen joint impact and absorb shock, Doesn't any kind of footwear accomplish this? FitFlops burn calories and tone legs with every step. Again these are affects from walking, why do I need this? From running errands to working around your house, it's finally easier to stay in shape and multitask your fitness with a sexy, sporty look. Imported leather. Imported leather will for sure burn extra calories, domestic leather just doesn't cut it.

• Strengthens and tones muscles in your feet, legs, buttocks, stomach and back
• Absorbs shock on your feet, knees and back
• Tones and trims your thighs, calves and glutes
• Recreates the gait of barefoot walking with a built-in micro-wobbleboard workout-enhancing effect See below for my thoughts on this.
• Improves balance and posture

My favorite part has to be the "built-in micro-wobbleboard workout-enhancing effect." Try saying that 10 times fast. The problem with this built in balance enhancer is that in healthy individuals balance training is not only unnecessary but can actually hinder your progress. In the latest research Eric Cressey and crew showed that unstable surface training "using inflatable rubber discs attenuates performance improvements in healthy, trained athletes." To bring this post to a close I leave you with Tony Gentilcore and his thoughts on balance training via a fitness ball:





I couldn't have said it better myself. Thanks Tony!

My T-nation Cameo

Tony Gentilcore's newest article on T-nation.com (Testosterone Nation) discusses the importance of adding fillers to your training. You can check out the article here. You should also check out the extremely good looking guy demonstrating improper form on the bench press in the first video(yes it was on purpose). Are you making the same mistake in your training? Check out the article and add some fillers to your routine next time you are at the gym. Stop wasting that resting time in between sets. Make the most of your time in the gym.

Step Up!

As with any goal you want to achieve I think it's important to keep it fresh in your mind. So when it comes to health and fitness it isn't any different. One of many things I do to keep my health and fitness in check is to read about it on a daily basis. It can be anything from NY Times health news, Reuters, or even blogs.

I want to take this post to tell you about my favorite source. The blog is written by Tony Gentilcore, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. If you were to ever meet Tony, you'd understand exactly why he writes the way he does, because...well...it's Tony in a nutshell. His blog is entertaining, funny, and most importantly informative and educational. I'd say if you need some motivation on a regular basis, just reading his blog might do the trick. It can be found at the boston herald site here:

Step Up!

Cuz Tony Said So...