My new website is finally up and running. Please check it out and continue to read my blog on
Friday, May 14, 2010
New Home of Meglio Fitness Blog
My new website is finally up and running. Please check it out and continue to read my blog on
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Why Pitchers Should NOT Run Long Distance
As a college baseball player and strength coach, my biggest pet peeve is watching pitchers condition immediately following starts and in between starts. It amazes me that many coaches still believe that long distance running will increase stamina and help the recovery process. Pitching is a very fast and explosive movement.If you want to be fast, you need to train fast. If you train slow you will be slow!
Why Long Distance Running SUCKS
- Will lead to overuse injuries because your joints take a pounding.
- Very boring and monotonous
- There is no lactic acid buildup after pitching
- Trains the WRONG energy system-
- Trains you to be slow
Solution
Conditioning for any sport is a matter of training the correct energy system and this has to do with the work to rest ratio and the physical demands of the sport. Pitchers perform a very explosive movement and then rest 20 seconds or so before they throw again. Since long distance running trains the aerobic energy system, and the phosphogen energy is the predominate one in baseball, long distance running has absolutely no carry over to baseball. Instead baseball players should train more like sprinters, not like cross country runners. Other than all out sprints, pitchers can perform hill sprints, prowler pushes, sled drags and battling ropes. These forms of conditioning are absolutely brutal and will build mental toughness.
Performance Enhancement Coach
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Pre-Workout Supplements for Athletes
Before you read this post, make sure you read the truth about supplements. As a strength coach, it is my job to know about supplements and the effects they can have on training. Personally, I am not a huge fan of most supplement companies. Many of these companies promise ridiculous claims and have no science behind any of their products.
Why Most Pre Workout Supplements SUCK
When it comes to pre-workout supplementation, I do not recommend NO Explode or any products similar to it. For one, they have way too many ingredients in them. Out of the 100 ingredients, maybe only a handful of them actually work. The rest are just fillers used to mask the horrible taste of l-leucine and other ingredients.
My second issue with most pre-workout supplements is that they do not tell you how many mg or grams of a certain ingredient you are getting. Instead, they will often say "Anabolic proprietary blend 41,542mg" and then go on to list all the ingredients within that blend without telling you how much of each ingredient you are getting.
What Pre-Workout Supplement Should you use?
Advocare Muscle Fuel-A powerful blend of 28 vitamins,minerals, botanicals and other energy-producing intermediates. For more information on Advocare Muscle Fuel, please watch the video below.
Why I Recommend Advocare Muscle Fuel
1. States exactly how much of every ingredient is present within each serving
2. It is endorsed for FREE by 100's of MLB, NFL and world class athletes including Drew Brees, Jason Witten, Brad Hawpe, Thomas Jones and Michael Redd to name a few.
3. It is used in the majority of NFL locker rooms.
4. Back by Informed Choice which test for over 200 banned substances.
Please note that I would never recommended a product that I haven't used myself. Also remember that supplements are supposed to be used in conjunction with your nutrition.
For more information on how to order Advocare Muscle Fuel, please send me an email at megliofitness@gmail.com or drop a comment below.
Friday, April 30, 2010
How to Warm Up for Baseball
Let’s face it; baseball players have no idea how to properly warm up before a game. Think about what you see every high school and most college teams do before games. They will usually jog one or two poles and then perform 5-10 minutes of static stretches while also bullshitting about what they did last night. I am sure these same teams still have their pitchers running poles because it will help improve endurance. It amazes me that coaches still live and die by static stretching and long distance running. They serve absolutely no benefit to becoming a better baseball player and can actually lead to injuries.
Joe Meglio
A complete warm up includes soft tissue work, basic calisthenics, mobility work, and CNS work. For the most part, I avoid static stretching because it can actually increase your risk of injury and can reduce power output. However, I have actually found that certain static stretches can actually improve mobility including: hip flexor stretch, pyriformis stretch, lat stretch, and the sleeper stretch,
What does a baseball warm up look like?
After 5-10 minutes of soft tissue work with a foam roller and lacrosse ball, my athletes perform this exact warm up. When it is nice out we will go outside and perform a movement prep which includes various forms of running, skipping and jumping. We follow this up with a few minutes of static stretching to open up the hips.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Fat Loss Workouts
You're a f**king beast!!! I've been using a lot of the stuff on your blog and its crazy. I can see if people do it like a bitch they get nothing out of it but i been doing the tabata and its nuts. Only question is should i do it before a workout or after a workout or as the main workout that day and how many times a week? -Tom Caputo
TC,
- You can use it at the end of a workout as a finisher. 1-3 rounds is plenty. I love to end every workout with a finisher.
- You can use it as a totally separate workout. Perform 2-4 rounds for a total of 10-20 minutes.
How many times a week?
- If you’re looking to cut body fat I would recommend strength training with compound movements 3 days per week and add in 3-4 conditioning workouts. Be careful not to do too much conditioning because it will limit your strength gains.
- If your goal is to gain muscle mass, I would recommend maybe 1 conditioning workout a week. While gaining muscle mass you should be focused on taking in a ton of calories to produce muscle growth. 1 day a week won't kill you though and it will help you stay in decent shape.
I will close this post out with 3 of my favorite conditioning drills.
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Should Baseball Players Bench Press
There will always be an ongoing debate as to whether or not baseball players, particularly pitchers, should bench press. On one side, the bench press is the king of all upper body lifts and many people believe it should be included into every athletes training program. The haters believe that the bench press is not “sport specific” and that it will eventually lead to shoulder injuries.
My stance is that the bench press is a great upper body exercise for most athletes, however when it comes to baseball, the risk vs. reward is too great. There are more effective exercises that will give you a better bang for your buck. I don’t buy into the idea that the bench press isn’t “sport specific” because no exercise is truly “sport specific”. With that said, trying to imitate baseball motions, like swinging or throwing, with cable machines or other heavy objects will be detrimental to a player’s performance.
Instead of bench pressing, our athletes will perform a ton of pushups with medicine balls, chains, gymnastic rings and blast straps. They also perform dumbbell presses with neutral grips. My favorite presses for baseball players are 1 arm dumbbell presses and alternating dumbbell bench press. Pushup and dumbbell pressing variations are superior to straight bar bench pressing because they are more shoulder friendly, teach the scapular to move, activate the core more, and improve shoulder range of motion. Also pushups and dumbbell bench pressing are much less of a risk when compared to the bench press. They are much easier to learn, alleviate any shoulder problems, and you can also bump up the volume.
As power athletes, we still need to train heavy with low repetitions. To accomplish this goal we substitute max effort bench pressing with max effort chin ups. This keeps my baseball players healthy, while also getting them strong and teaching them how to handle their own bodyweight.
So does this mean that my baseball players never bench press? Not exactly, however we modify the regular bench press. Instead of using the straight bar, we will use a Swiss bar that allows the shoulders to remain neutral. This max effort movement is great for baseball players who feel like they need to bench press. In conclusion, while I believe the bench press is a great exercise for most athletes, when it comes to baseball players, there are more important training considerations to focus on.
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
My stance is that the bench press is a great upper body exercise for most athletes, however when it comes to baseball, the risk vs. reward is too great. There are more effective exercises that will give you a better bang for your buck. I don’t buy into the idea that the bench press isn’t “sport specific” because no exercise is truly “sport specific”. With that said, trying to imitate baseball motions, like swinging or throwing, with cable machines or other heavy objects will be detrimental to a player’s performance.
Instead of bench pressing, our athletes will perform a ton of pushups with medicine balls, chains, gymnastic rings and blast straps. They also perform dumbbell presses with neutral grips. My favorite presses for baseball players are 1 arm dumbbell presses and alternating dumbbell bench press. Pushup and dumbbell pressing variations are superior to straight bar bench pressing because they are more shoulder friendly, teach the scapular to move, activate the core more, and improve shoulder range of motion. Also pushups and dumbbell bench pressing are much less of a risk when compared to the bench press. They are much easier to learn, alleviate any shoulder problems, and you can also bump up the volume.
As power athletes, we still need to train heavy with low repetitions. To accomplish this goal we substitute max effort bench pressing with max effort chin ups. This keeps my baseball players healthy, while also getting them strong and teaching them how to handle their own bodyweight.
So does this mean that my baseball players never bench press? Not exactly, however we modify the regular bench press. Instead of using the straight bar, we will use a Swiss bar that allows the shoulders to remain neutral. This max effort movement is great for baseball players who feel like they need to bench press. In conclusion, while I believe the bench press is a great exercise for most athletes, when it comes to baseball players, there are more important training considerations to focus on.
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Guinea Pigs Needed!
I am looking for 10 guinea pigs to test out my new muscle building program. The 10 people who are chosen will not actually meet with me for the training sessions but instead will be provided with a 12 week program, training 4 X per week. The workouts are geared towards getting you strong as hell. I am only looking for serious inquiries so please do not email me if you are not looking to get strong as an ox or are afraid to get “too big”. This program is for the serious athlete/lifter that is dedicated to getting bigger and stronger and is looking for a serious program to get them there. It is far superior to the training programs popularized in bodybuilding magazines because those workouts are geared toward the steroid using bodybuilder and those workouts offer little to no benefits for hard gainers, athletes and the average.
Here are the minimum requirements:
- You must be willing to learn and try new exercises out. If you do not plan on following this program to the T, this is NOT the program for you.
- You must be healthy. Aches and pains are okay, we are all banged up from time to time, but if you are dealing with any injuries I cannot accept you.
- You must read my blog on a daily basis. How do I know your reading it? My readers often connect with me and ask me questions and provide me feedback. If you do not connect with me or provide feedback, I will assume you are not reading it. This serves as an educational tool to expand your knowledge of training and understand why I do things the way I do.
- In order to track your progress, you must be willing to take before and after pictures and you must be willing to do perform some indicator lifts to track strength progress
- You are participating in this program because you live too far or have some other legitimate reason why you cannot train with me in Staten Island, New York or Edison, New Jersey.
Serious inquires only! If you are interested, email me at megliofitness@gmail.com . Please include your name, age, and a brief background on your training history and 100 words on why I should choose you. I will only be accepting 10 guinea pigs for this new program and all decisions will be made by April 30. Those who are selected will be notified by April 30.
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
NJ Pro Football Training
Check out some footage of pro football player, Bill Winters of the New Jersey Revolution, killing this lower body workout.
Think you have what it takes to be part of our tribe?
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
Check us out of YouTube
Think you have what it takes to be part of our tribe?
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
Check us out of YouTube
Monday, April 19, 2010
Breaking Personal Records
Today was a great day. At 2 o’clock I trained my newest athlete, Billy Winters, and he didn’t disappoint. He trained his ass off and even was ballsy enough to come back for round 2 tonight for some crazy conditioning. From 4-8 I did some serious coaching and was able to get in a quick training session in as well. Since I have been in season I have been training full body lifts, 2-3 days per week. A lot of people say don’t train heavy in season. I say screw that. In order to maintain levels of maximal strength I think you need to train heavy in season. With that said, I hit a personal record on the trap bar deadlift tonight, 585lbs on the low handles. This is a great accomplishment for me because in the off season I hit 585 but on the high handles.
This just goes to show that strength is a skill. You must constantly work at it to get stronger. Since I am in season I have been deadlifting more than usual to give my knees a break. For those of you that don’t know, I am a catcher and while I never have had any knee problems, I don’t plan on getting any in the near future. Every time I deadlift, my technique improves and I get use to handling heavier loads. This is what everyone should strive for because the only way to get stronger is to add weight to the bar!
This brings me to my next point- you should always track your records and have goals in mind. Keep these goals realistic and small. If you deadlift 300 lbs, your goal should not be to deadlift 400 lbs. instead, it should be to hit 305 and so on. Constant progression is the key to success! Each week you should strive to hit some sort of personal record in your indicator lift. In addition to breaking records by pumping out a heavier weight, records can also be set by doing an extra rep or more volume. For example, if last week you benched 275 for 5 reps and this week you hit 275 for 6 or 7 reps, this is a new personal record. Keep in mind that you will not break records every week. It’s just the nature of the beast but do your best to constantly progress slowly.
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
This just goes to show that strength is a skill. You must constantly work at it to get stronger. Since I am in season I have been deadlifting more than usual to give my knees a break. For those of you that don’t know, I am a catcher and while I never have had any knee problems, I don’t plan on getting any in the near future. Every time I deadlift, my technique improves and I get use to handling heavier loads. This is what everyone should strive for because the only way to get stronger is to add weight to the bar!
This brings me to my next point- you should always track your records and have goals in mind. Keep these goals realistic and small. If you deadlift 300 lbs, your goal should not be to deadlift 400 lbs. instead, it should be to hit 305 and so on. Constant progression is the key to success! Each week you should strive to hit some sort of personal record in your indicator lift. In addition to breaking records by pumping out a heavier weight, records can also be set by doing an extra rep or more volume. For example, if last week you benched 275 for 5 reps and this week you hit 275 for 6 or 7 reps, this is a new personal record. Keep in mind that you will not break records every week. It’s just the nature of the beast but do your best to constantly progress slowly.
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Meet Our Newest Athlete: Bill Winters
Meglio Fitness would like to welcome its newest athlete, Bill Winters. I am very excited to have Bill join our team for many reasons. Aside from being a friend of mine for 3 years now, Bill is one of the hardest working athletes I know and represents the type of athlete I accept into my program. Bill was the four year starting quarterback for Fairleigh Dickinson University and is now playing professional football for the New Jersey Revolution in the AIFA (American Indoor Football Association).Bill owns every strength record for quarterbacks in school history. He has squatted 500 pounds and benched 385 pounds. He has also hit 24 reps on the 225 bench press test and has ran a 4.58 40 yard dash. As a quarterback he owns nearly every school record in history including rushing touchdowns in a season. He is the school's all-time leader in the following categories: all-time passing yards, all-time attempts, all-time completions, all-time completion percentage, and passing touchdowns. I am the single-season record holder for: passing attempts, passing completions, completion percentage ( 1 and 2 ), and rushing touchdowns. I also own single game records of passing touchdowns as well as rushing touchdowns (4). HE was The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) player of the week a handful of times throughout my career as well as ECAC Southeast Player of the Week. This past season he was also featured on d3football.com . This season he was an all conference selection as well as the team MVP for the second consecutive season (Offensive Player of the year 3 years in a row).
Bill has obviously accomplished a lot over his four year career at FDU. I look forward to working with him and turning him from an absolute beast into a mutant of an athlete. I will be sure to update you with his progress in the weight room and on the gridiron.
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
Friday, April 16, 2010
Breakfast for Athletes: Protein Oatmeal
Why Breakfast?
When I tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day I know it is something you have heard a million times. While we sleep our body is in a catabolic state and the only way to fight the effects of catabolism is to have a balanced breakfast. In addition to putting your body in an anabolic state, a balanced breakfast will also regulate your blood sugar levels, regulate energy levels and control your hunger throughout the day. Studies have shown that, people who do need eat a balanced breakfast tend to overeat throughout the rest of the day. For the record, sugary cerels or health food cerals do not cut it! They are refined and filled with sugar. Remember you want to eat like a caveman.
What to Eat?
You have very little time before school or work and the frosted flakes just aren’t cutting it. The solution? PROTEIN OATMEAL. Aside from tasting great, it can be prepared in just a few minutes and provides all the nutrients of a complete breakfast.
When I tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day I know it is something you have heard a million times. While we sleep our body is in a catabolic state and the only way to fight the effects of catabolism is to have a balanced breakfast. In addition to putting your body in an anabolic state, a balanced breakfast will also regulate your blood sugar levels, regulate energy levels and control your hunger throughout the day. Studies have shown that, people who do need eat a balanced breakfast tend to overeat throughout the rest of the day. For the record, sugary cerels or health food cerals do not cut it! They are refined and filled with sugar. Remember you want to eat like a caveman.
What to Eat?
You have very little time before school or work and the frosted flakes just aren’t cutting it. The solution? PROTEIN OATMEAL. Aside from tasting great, it can be prepared in just a few minutes and provides all the nutrients of a complete breakfast.
Ingredients:
- 1 Scoop of Advocare Muscle Gain
- 3/4 cup of Quaker Oats Quick 1 Minute-While old fashioned oats are better, these are a fine substitute
- Water
- 1 Banana
- ¼ cup of chopped almonds
Preparation:
- Place 1 scoop of Advocare Muscle Gain into a bowl
- Place 3/4 cup of oats into the same bowl
- Microwave water for 90 seconds on high power
- Stir up the protein an oatmeal blend with the boiled water until all powder and oats are mixed.
- Chop up 1 medium sized banana
- Add ¼ cup of chopped almonds.
- EAT UP!
*Please note that the amount of water you will use will depend on how you like your oatmeal. I recommend starting with a cup of water and add it as needed. Chances are you will have some left over water.
Nutrition Facts
635 Calories
20 grams of fat
1 gram of saturated fat
77 grams of carbs
13 grams of fiber
13 grams of fiber
40 grams of protein
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
Performance Enhancement Coach
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Low Fat Diets
I want to share a great post by one of my fellow coaches, coach Riz. Steve Rizzo is a strength coach at the Underground Strength Gym in Edison, NJ. After competing in his first bodybuilding competition at the end of April he will dedicate himself to getting as insanely strong as possible. In this article he talks about low-fat diet fads and also gives a great insight to health and nutrition.
Low Fat Diets
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
Low Fat Diets
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Heavy Deadlifting
Today was I performed an in season workout for baseball. I have been crazy busy this semester but I am doing my best to get in the gym 2-3 days a week to maintain my current strength levels. Oddly enough, my max effort deadlifts have increased over the past couple weeks. For the past four weeks I’ve been using the straight bar. During this time I also broke a personal record. While I have hit 530lbs with a belt, this was the first time I pulled 500lbs raw. This was the first time I used the trap bar in over a month. Today I hit 455 for 5 reps and still had a couple reps in the tank. Since I was feeling good I decided to hit another set at 495. I was pumped up because the last time I maxed out on the trap bar deadlift I hit 495 for 1 rep and today I destroyed my personal record; I hit 495 for 3 reps (these lifts were performed with low handles on the trap bar, my pr with the high handles is 585lbs).
The take home message here is you need to continue to train in season. I don’t care if you can only get in the gym 1 or 2 days. That is more than enough to maintain strength. Don’t think you need to break records in season. The reason why I have been breaking records is because my technique improved drastically and I have been deadlifting more than usual. In the off season I primarily perform max effort squat variations but since my left knee has been bugging me lately, I have turned to the deadlift for my max effort work. This is not to say that all baseball players should deadlift in season. Instead, it means that you should listen to your body. This is the key to staying healthy and performing at your highest levels. Here is the workout I performed today. After soft tissue work and a complete dynamic warm up followed by rotator cuff work this is what I did:
1) Trap bar deadlift-Worked up to 495lbs for 3 reps
2A)Alternating dumbbell bench press- 4 X 8
2B)Double kettlebell row
3) Chin ups- 3 X Max reps
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
The take home message here is you need to continue to train in season. I don’t care if you can only get in the gym 1 or 2 days. That is more than enough to maintain strength. Don’t think you need to break records in season. The reason why I have been breaking records is because my technique improved drastically and I have been deadlifting more than usual. In the off season I primarily perform max effort squat variations but since my left knee has been bugging me lately, I have turned to the deadlift for my max effort work. This is not to say that all baseball players should deadlift in season. Instead, it means that you should listen to your body. This is the key to staying healthy and performing at your highest levels. Here is the workout I performed today. After soft tissue work and a complete dynamic warm up followed by rotator cuff work this is what I did:
1) Trap bar deadlift-Worked up to 495lbs for 3 reps
2A)Alternating dumbbell bench press- 4 X 8
2B)Double kettlebell row
3) Chin ups- 3 X Max reps
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Lower Body Training for Baseball Players
Baseball players are often viewed as the laziest of all athletes and such training for baseball is misunderstood. Most coaches believe that long distance running is the key to increasing a pitcher’s stamina and that position players and pitchers should not lift weights because they will get tight. These statements are completely FALSE! In fact, lifting weights can actually help increase mobility, power, explosiveness and speed. Aside from skill, lower body strength is one of the most important attributes a baseball player can have. The lower body and core generate the power and explosiveness needed to throw a ball and hit a ball with maximum force. A strong lower body will help decrease injuries, increase recovery, and bridge the gap between strength and power.
After 5-10 minutes of soft tissue work and a complete dynamic warm-up, our athletes will start with a Max Effort squat or deadlift variation. We work up to a 3-5 rep max above 85% of 1RM. Here are some examples of the variations we use:
• Back squat
• front squat
• Zercher squat
• Box squat
• Front squat grip +box squat
• Straight bar deadlift
• Trap bar deadlift (both low and high handles
After our Max Effort movement, we perform unilateral training. Unilateral training is critical to improving muscular imbalances and is used a preventative measure to keep the lower back, hips and knees healthy. We typically perform 3-5 sets of 7-12 reps (we aim between 36-50 total reps). Below is a snapshot into some of the movements we use:
•Step ups-performed with dumbbells or a barbell
• Walking lunges- performed with a sandbag, dumbbells or kettlebells
• Reverse Lunges-performed with a sandbag, dumbbells, barbell (on the back or with a front squat grip), kettlebells (goblet or rack position).
• Bulgarian Split Squats
After unilateral training, we perform posterior chain work. Posterior chain work is necessary to improving athletic performance and also decreasing hip, knee, and lower back pain. Additionally, posterior chain work will have a significant impact on increasing your max squat and deadlift. We typically perform 3-5 sets of 7-12 reps (we aim between 36-50 total reps). Here are some sample movements we use:
• Romanian deadlifts
• Kettlebell swings
• Back extension
• Glute ham raise
• Good mornings
After these 3 movements we end the session with conditioning. My favorite finishers are the sled, prowler, jumping rope or heavy farmer walks. Most baseball players need to build strength in the upper back so farmer walks are a great choice. We limit the conditioning to 10-15 minutes. While this is the template we use with most of our athletes, it is not written in stone. The exercise selection, load and volume, depends on training experience, goals, as well as other factors. Beginners usually cannot squat or deadlift with proper technique because they are often too weak to get into the proper position. With these athletes we focus on overcoming muscular imbalances and we will goblet squat and perform a ton of posterior chain work as well as unilateral movements. Below is a sample session my baseball players perform in the off season: Lower body day 1) M.E Front Squat- work up to a 3-5 rep max. 2) Sandbag Lunges- 3-5 sets of 7-12 reps 3) RDL’s-3-5 sets of 7-12 reps 4) Prowler push- 4 trips- 200 feet each trip 5) Grip/Abs- Circuit style for 5-10 minutes
The important thing to remember when training the lower body is to limit the amount of exercises to around 3 or 4. If you train these 3 or 4 lifts properly, anything more will just be overtraining. Also, avoid most leg machines like the leg extension and leg curl. These do little to nothing for increasing functional strength that can be used on the ball field. Instead, opt for compound movements that give you a great bang for your buck.
After 5-10 minutes of soft tissue work and a complete dynamic warm-up, our athletes will start with a Max Effort squat or deadlift variation. We work up to a 3-5 rep max above 85% of 1RM. Here are some examples of the variations we use:
• Back squat
• front squat
• Zercher squat
• Box squat
• Front squat grip +box squat
• Straight bar deadlift
• Trap bar deadlift (both low and high handles
After our Max Effort movement, we perform unilateral training. Unilateral training is critical to improving muscular imbalances and is used a preventative measure to keep the lower back, hips and knees healthy. We typically perform 3-5 sets of 7-12 reps (we aim between 36-50 total reps). Below is a snapshot into some of the movements we use:
•Step ups-performed with dumbbells or a barbell
• Walking lunges- performed with a sandbag, dumbbells or kettlebells
• Reverse Lunges-performed with a sandbag, dumbbells, barbell (on the back or with a front squat grip), kettlebells (goblet or rack position).
• Bulgarian Split Squats
After unilateral training, we perform posterior chain work. Posterior chain work is necessary to improving athletic performance and also decreasing hip, knee, and lower back pain. Additionally, posterior chain work will have a significant impact on increasing your max squat and deadlift. We typically perform 3-5 sets of 7-12 reps (we aim between 36-50 total reps). Here are some sample movements we use:
• Romanian deadlifts
• Kettlebell swings
• Back extension
• Glute ham raise
• Good mornings
After these 3 movements we end the session with conditioning. My favorite finishers are the sled, prowler, jumping rope or heavy farmer walks. Most baseball players need to build strength in the upper back so farmer walks are a great choice. We limit the conditioning to 10-15 minutes. While this is the template we use with most of our athletes, it is not written in stone. The exercise selection, load and volume, depends on training experience, goals, as well as other factors. Beginners usually cannot squat or deadlift with proper technique because they are often too weak to get into the proper position. With these athletes we focus on overcoming muscular imbalances and we will goblet squat and perform a ton of posterior chain work as well as unilateral movements. Below is a sample session my baseball players perform in the off season: Lower body day 1) M.E Front Squat- work up to a 3-5 rep max. 2) Sandbag Lunges- 3-5 sets of 7-12 reps 3) RDL’s-3-5 sets of 7-12 reps 4) Prowler push- 4 trips- 200 feet each trip 5) Grip/Abs- Circuit style for 5-10 minutes
The important thing to remember when training the lower body is to limit the amount of exercises to around 3 or 4. If you train these 3 or 4 lifts properly, anything more will just be overtraining. Also, avoid most leg machines like the leg extension and leg curl. These do little to nothing for increasing functional strength that can be used on the ball field. Instead, opt for compound movements that give you a great bang for your buck.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Accelerated Strength Program
Too many people these days are not getting the results they want. They spend too much time in the gym socializing and spinning their wheels. If you’re looking for fast results you need to cut out all the bullshit and start pushing some heavy weight. The only way to get bigger and stronger is to add more weight to the bar. Now I don’t mean adding 5 lbs to your preacher curl. I mean training big compound movements that give you fast results. Face it, you’re not Arnold Schwarzenegger, nor should you train like he did. Bodybuilding icons like Arnold and Ronnie Coleman train body part splits because have the ability to attain massive levels of muscle size. Sadly you do not, however this does not mean you should give up. So how can you build serious muscle in as little as four hours a week? The answer is simple. You are going to perform 3-4 sessions a week, for 45-60 minutes apiece, and train lots of compound movements. I will give you two options here. You will do either 3 full body sessions a week or 2 upper body days and 2 lower body days. Regawrrdless of which spilt you pick, choose no more than 5 movements a session. You are probably saying “what the hell, how are 5 exercises going to get me bigger”. It is all about exercise selection. If you are choosing the right exercises, anymore than 4 is just overkill. Remember the key is progression and you want to leave something in the tank for the next session. Still don’t believe me? Look at the way elite powerlifters and bodybuilders train. They train the shit out of 3-4 exercises and they use $100,000s of steroids a year! Why in God’s world would you train with a higher volume than an elite lifter?
Sample Program
Day 1-Max Effort Upper Body
1) Max Effort Bench Press- Build up to 3 working sets of
your 3-5 rep max.
2A) Incline Dumbbell Press- 4 sets of 8-12 reps
2B) 1 Arm Dumbbell Row
3A) Wide grip Pull-ups 4 sets of submax (leave 1 or 2 in the tank)
3B) Dumbbell Clean- 10-15 reps
Day 2- Lower Body
1) Front Squats-4 sets of 6(less than 90% of 1RM)
Day 2- Lower Body2) Sandbag Lunges-3-4 sets of 8-12
3) Romanian Deadlifts- 3-4 sets of 10-15
4) Weak Point training-Upper back work
Day 3- Repetition Upper Body
1A) Military Press 4 sets of 6
1B) Close Grip Chin Ups- Submax
2A) Pushup variation- 4 sets of max reps
2B) Recline Row- 4 sets of max reps
3) Face Pulls- 3 sets of 15
Day 4- Max Effort Lower Body
1) Max Effort Trap Bar Deadlift-Build up to 3 working
sets of your 3-5 rep max.
2) Barbell Reverse Lunges- 4 sets of 6-10 reps
3A) Kettlebell Swing- 3 sets of 10-15
3B) Weighted Back Extension
Repeat this same workout for weeks 1-4. Each week you should try to break a record. This could mean adding more weight to your last set, or getting an extra rep or adding another set. The goal is to increase the total amount of lbs for each lift. Week 4 you will deload. In a nutshell, cut all your weight and volume in half. This will allow your body to reload for the next 4 weeks and will also allow you to practice your technique. For weeks 5-8 you are going to use the same template except you are going to choose variations of each lift. If you need help with this, message me and I will personally tell you what to change.
While this program isn’t perfect, it will get you on the right track to adding some serious muscle and strength. I always recommend ending your training with some grip and abdominal work. You can also add some conditioning for 10-15 minutes following your session. The best choices here are sled drags and prowler pushes.
Report back to me in 8 weeks with your progress!
Lift strong,
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
While this program isn’t perfect, it will get you on the right track to adding some serious muscle and strength. I always recommend ending your training with some grip and abdominal work. You can also add some conditioning for 10-15 minutes following your session. The best choices here are sled drags and prowler pushes.
Report back to me in 8 weeks with your progress!
Lift strong,
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
Monday, March 29, 2010
Spotlight on Joe Meglio of Meglio Fitness
Hey everyone,
Check out my interview with Sarah Cook on her website. Once I find out more information on the release of the book I will let you know ASAP!
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
Check out my interview with Sarah Cook on her website. Once I find out more information on the release of the book I will let you know ASAP!
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Question of the Week: Marijuana and Muscle Growth
I couldn't help but stumble upon your fitness articles on facebook the last few weeks. I started working out about 8 months ago and I have a lingering question left unanswered. Does smoking marijuana hurt your muscle growth? I have heard of some people smoking in order to eat the required calories for growth. My question is, does this hinder the growth in any way?
-Mike S
Mike,
From personal experience, I have never smoked weed or a cigarette so I cannot speak to whether it hinders muscle growth. In all honesty, you should not worry about whether or not weed is slowing down your muscle gains. Instead you should focus on your training and diet. I guarantee that if you are not getting the results you want, it is because of your training program and the fact that you are not eating enough. If you want to get bigger, you need to EAT FOR SIZE and train compound movements! Limiting factors such as lack of sleep, stress, crappy nutrition play a more important role in determining muscle growth. After all, Arnold use to smoke weed. The difference between him and the average pothead at the gym is that he has incredible genetics and he knew how to eat and how to train.
To get back to your question, weed will not increase muscle growth. It is a recreational drug that fills your body with toxins. Since your body can only handle so many functions at a time, the chronic use of weed will hamper your body’s ability to recover from training. Instead, it will first rid the body of toxins as a result of smoking. To answer your other question, although weed increases your appetite, people should not use this as an excuse to smoke. Instead, they should focus on eating large quantities of quality food without the assistance of smoking weed.
While we are on the topic of drugs and exercise, it is important to note the effects alcohol can have on your training efforts. First off, the calories consumed from alcohol are completely empty. Fats provide 9 calories per gram, carbohydrates and protein provide 4 calories per gram and alcohol provide 7 calories per gram. Additionally, there are virtually no vitamins or minerals in alcoholic beverages. In addition, to providing empty calories and no nutritional value, alcohol also negatively affects the release of growth hormone, testosterone and your body’s ability to recover. In addition, alcohol will negatively affect protein synthesis, the absorption of vitamins and minerals while increasing estrogen levels and fat storage.
In conclusion, while I understand that you are not going to base every hour of your life around muscle growth, please understand the impact that drugs and alcohol can have on your training efforts. I understand the need to have a good time but don’t let it become a habit. Like everything in life, it is a matter of balance. If you are not getting the results you desire, you should consider getting on my program.
Life Strong,
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
Saturday, March 27, 2010
5 Training Myths
Training Myths Exposed Part I
High rep training will help tone your muscles, while low reps will get you bulky.
This myth has been popularized by infomercials and many personal trainers who are rocking 13 inch guns. The fact of the matter is that your appearance has to do with your body fat levels. The difference between looking lean and toned opposed to big and bulky is how much fat is covering your muscles. For most people, abs become visible when body fat levels reach single digits. The best way to get the body you want is to critique your diet. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!
It is possible to spot reduce fat.
Many people assume that by focusing on certain muscles, they can lose fat over that specific area. This is often seen when women perform abduction, adduction, thigh master and the butt machine. They are under the assumption that by focusing on these areas, they will decrease the fat in the area and thus get a more toned look. Another example I am sure you are all familiar with are the people who perform a billion crunches because they believe that this will help them get a 6 pack.
Unfortunately, these methods do not work. Instead, our bodies’ burn fat from wherever it wants to and this also varies from person to person. Some people lose it in their face and shoulders first, while others may lose it in their stomach. Never fall victim to gimmicks claiming that you will get abs in 6 seconds or by putting in very little effort. Loosing fat is the accumulation of hard work, dedication and dieting.
Aerobic cardio is the best way to burn fat.
Read what the best way to burn fat is here.
You should be sore after every workout.
Almost every young athlete I have ever trained, judge a workout based on how tired they are following it and how sore they are the next day. Looking at it from their perspective, this can make sense because they are under the assumption that more is better. What they do not understand is the key to success and the key to getting results is progression. Most training sessions should build off the last. This can mean hitting a new personal record on a lift or hitting an extra set or more reps then the last workout. For beginners, the objective is to increase work capacity and overcome muscular imbalances so they can learn the core lifts. Chances are, if you are constantly sore and fatigued, you are overtraining and should reevaluate your goals. Is your goal to get tired and sore? Or is it to get bigger and stronger?
Never let your knees go past your toes while squatting.
Many people are under the assumption that your knees should never go pass your toes while squatting because this will be detrimental to knee health. This myth surfaced with the rise of knee injuries caused from squatting. Instead of worrying about the knees going past the toes, the focus should be on proper knee alignment. Knee buckling is very common in people who have weak adductors and do not push their knees out or do not “spread the floor”. Pushing the knees out during the squat will help keep the knees in line with the toes and thus allow optimal squat position. The position of the knees during the squat depends on the length of your femur. Compared to taller guys, shorter guys usually have an easier time keeping their knees back. Lastly, please note that if your knees stay all the way behind the toes, that pressure must transfer somewhere (to the lower back and hips).
You need to train like a bodybuilder to increase muscle mass.
The most common mistake I see most trainees make is training like a bodybuilder. Using body part splits such as back and bi’s, chest and tri’s, or performing one body part a day are recommended in almost every bodybuilding magazine. The bodybuilders who use these training splits have freak genetics and use $100,000’s of steroids yearly. There is a reason why you see the same average Joe who uses these splits, gain little no results year after year. In order to see real results, trainees should perform compound movements like deadlifts, squats, bench press and military press. The best types of workouts are full body or upper and lower body splits. More information to come on this soon!!
Lift Strong,
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
High rep training will help tone your muscles, while low reps will get you bulky.
This myth has been popularized by infomercials and many personal trainers who are rocking 13 inch guns. The fact of the matter is that your appearance has to do with your body fat levels. The difference between looking lean and toned opposed to big and bulky is how much fat is covering your muscles. For most people, abs become visible when body fat levels reach single digits. The best way to get the body you want is to critique your diet. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!
It is possible to spot reduce fat.
Many people assume that by focusing on certain muscles, they can lose fat over that specific area. This is often seen when women perform abduction, adduction, thigh master and the butt machine. They are under the assumption that by focusing on these areas, they will decrease the fat in the area and thus get a more toned look. Another example I am sure you are all familiar with are the people who perform a billion crunches because they believe that this will help them get a 6 pack.
Unfortunately, these methods do not work. Instead, our bodies’ burn fat from wherever it wants to and this also varies from person to person. Some people lose it in their face and shoulders first, while others may lose it in their stomach. Never fall victim to gimmicks claiming that you will get abs in 6 seconds or by putting in very little effort. Loosing fat is the accumulation of hard work, dedication and dieting.
Aerobic cardio is the best way to burn fat.
Read what the best way to burn fat is here.
You should be sore after every workout.
Almost every young athlete I have ever trained, judge a workout based on how tired they are following it and how sore they are the next day. Looking at it from their perspective, this can make sense because they are under the assumption that more is better. What they do not understand is the key to success and the key to getting results is progression. Most training sessions should build off the last. This can mean hitting a new personal record on a lift or hitting an extra set or more reps then the last workout. For beginners, the objective is to increase work capacity and overcome muscular imbalances so they can learn the core lifts. Chances are, if you are constantly sore and fatigued, you are overtraining and should reevaluate your goals. Is your goal to get tired and sore? Or is it to get bigger and stronger?
Never let your knees go past your toes while squatting.
Many people are under the assumption that your knees should never go pass your toes while squatting because this will be detrimental to knee health. This myth surfaced with the rise of knee injuries caused from squatting. Instead of worrying about the knees going past the toes, the focus should be on proper knee alignment. Knee buckling is very common in people who have weak adductors and do not push their knees out or do not “spread the floor”. Pushing the knees out during the squat will help keep the knees in line with the toes and thus allow optimal squat position. The position of the knees during the squat depends on the length of your femur. Compared to taller guys, shorter guys usually have an easier time keeping their knees back. Lastly, please note that if your knees stay all the way behind the toes, that pressure must transfer somewhere (to the lower back and hips).
You need to train like a bodybuilder to increase muscle mass.
The most common mistake I see most trainees make is training like a bodybuilder. Using body part splits such as back and bi’s, chest and tri’s, or performing one body part a day are recommended in almost every bodybuilding magazine. The bodybuilders who use these training splits have freak genetics and use $100,000’s of steroids yearly. There is a reason why you see the same average Joe who uses these splits, gain little no results year after year. In order to see real results, trainees should perform compound movements like deadlifts, squats, bench press and military press. The best types of workouts are full body or upper and lower body splits. More information to come on this soon!!
Lift Strong,
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
Friday, March 26, 2010
Cool Interview
Hey everyone,
A couple weeks a go I did an interview with Sarah Cook for her book. Once more information on the book is released I will be sure to update you! Incase you have not had a chance to listen to the audio version, I have provided you with the print version. Enjoy!!
1. Please tell me how you got started and where CEO Kids and parents can find out more information about you. (Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, website…)
Hi Sarah! Thank you so much for having me. I got started with my business when I was 18 years old. I basically started my business by focusing on my existing clientele. Before I started my own business, I was a trainer at the New York Sports Club in Staten Island and I was also the strength coach for a high school baseball program. My main website is www.megliofitness.com and you can also connect with me through my blog nystrengthcoach.blogspot.com
2. When did you start thinking about starting your own business and becoming an entrepreneur and why did you want to start?
To be honest, it all happened really quickly. Going into college, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. As I grew older, I realized that I did not want to be like the masses and work a typical 9-5 job. Instead, I wanted to create my own vision, in which I would work to achieve my own goals, not the goals of my boss. My values inspired me to take action. Because I valued hard work, training, family and helping others, I knew that running my own business would allow me to do what I love and also give me the freedom to spend time with those that I love.
3. What things influenced you to start your own business?
One the major lessons I learned from my mentor, Zach Even Esh, is that your life and your actions are dictated by your values. My passion for training along with my desire to help people achieve their own goals heavily influenced me to start my own business. Since I come from an athletic background, I especially love training athletes. My family and friends have also had a major influence on me.
4. What do you think are the most important skills you have that help you in business?
The most important skills are self motivation skills: determination, work ethic, consistency and courage. Again, Zach Even-Esh, has had a major influence on me in this area. His business thrives because he is a “go getter” and because he takes action.
I am not sure if hard work is skill or a trait, but I believe it is imperative to be successful within a business. By getting your hands dirty and spending a lot of time “in the trenches” is one of the most important ways to develop the skills you will need to be successful.
-I really believe you need to have a vision of where you want your business to go. When opening up a business, there are no guarantees and there will never be a perfect time to start it up. However, if you have a vision of what you want to accomplish, you need to TAKE ACTION.
-Lastly, your ability to deal with adversity is imperative. It’s easy to run a business when everything is going well, but what happens when something bad happens and now you’re faced with adversity? How you deal with adversity reveals your true character and says a lot about who you are. Are you going give up and give in? Or are you going to do what’s necessary to get your business back on track and continue to do what you love?
5. What were the biggest obstacles, problems you had in getting started in business?- The biggest obstacles I had was my inexperience at the time. Not just in regards to training, but regarding the business aspect (marketing and finance). E very month it was another issue. The obstacles varied from finding a studio to rent out to do my training, to creating the forms necessary to organize my business. As my clientele grew, it also was problematic to keep track of my finances. However, I embraced these issues. I looked at these obstacles as speed bumps and opportunities to apply what I learned in the class room to real life. Adversity was staring me head on and I took action.
6. What is the problem, even or need that your business helps to solve?- As a strength and conditioning coach and personal trainer, I help my clients achieve their fitness goals. I truly get satisfaction from knowing that I could have a positive influence on someone’s life.
7. Where did you come up with your idea and what investigation did you do to help you know that this was a great opportunity for a business? -My idea was driven by what I value in life. My passion for training and helping others inspired me to take action. Starting out, I was not sure whether or not it was a great business opportunity; however, I did realize that this opportunity would allow me to do something I had a passion for.
8. How did you research your target market?- When I first started out, I would train anyone who was willing to hire me. As I became more experienced I specifically started to target athletes. After 2 ½ years of working in the trenches, I have worked with enough clients to know what type of clients I like to train. My mentor Zach, has had a major influence on me in this area. Currently, I have a more formal process in which I choose what clients I work with. As a college student, it is hard to turn down money, but I know in the long run it will pay back 10 fold.
9. How about your age? How does that affect you? -My age has had an effect on the way some people view me. Some people think it is great that I have found something that I love doing at such a young age, while others do not take me as serious because of my age. I never let this affect me though. It is important to only worry about the things that you can control. Certain things are out of your hands and if you let it affect you, you are doing an injustice to yourself.
10. What about college? Are you planning on going?
-Currently I attend Fairleigh Dickinson University, where I am pursuing a degree in Entrepreneurial Studies.
11. What kind of expenses or start-up costs did you have when you started your business and where did you find the money or capital to start?-My start up costs were very low. Since I was in charge of a high school baseball program they provided the facilities to train the athletes. As time went on, I decided that I would need to rent out a studio to train my clients. A great opportunity came along with another trainer. He just opened up a private studio and was looking for a partner to split the rent. My expenses were minimal. I just paid rent, utilities and equipment.
12. Were there any good surprises that you found in starting your business?-The experience and lessons I have learned over the past 2 1/2 years have changed the person I am today. The feeling of waking up in the morning and walking into my studio, and training my clients was a great feeling. When I look back and see where I started out (at the NYSC) to where I am today, I am happy with my progress. However, I believe you can never become complacent. You always need to put the pedal to the metal. Taking a back seat and coasting is not an option.
13. Do you do EVERYTHING by yourself or do you have people on your team that work with you? If so – how did you find people to help you along the way?
Building an internal network is one of the most important factors in running a business. While I do all my business, marketing and training by myself, my affiliation with other personal trainers, strength coaches, chiropractors, physical therapist and marketing experts allow me to run a more efficient business. I found these other professionals through family and my own personal experiences. My marketing experts are friends of my family. They handle my business cards and t shirts. As fellow entrepreneurs, they are also very helpful sharing a ton of advice. They are more than happy to answer any questions I have, and I do not know where I would be without them. The chiropractors and physical therapist I am affiliated with treated me when I was younger. As a high school and college athlete, I have been a patient of theirs for awhile now. As time went on, they have watched my business grow and now we refer clients to each other and share tons of other info to help our businesses grow. The other trainers I am affiliated with are former coworkers of mine that have also grown their own business.
14. What ideas and approaches do you use to market your business and what do you find works best for you in getting the word out about who you are and what you are doing?-When it comes to marketing and promotion, I try to keep my costs relatively low. Social Media networks like facebook, twitter, digg, personaltrainer.com along with other networks play a key role in marketing. I prefer this method because it is free and allows you to connect with virtually everyone imaginable. The best way to market my business is through referrals, especially word of mouth. My clients are my best sales people because they have experienced my service first hand and their results speak for themselve.
15. What were your daily or weekly efforts in spreading your brand message and will you share some tips on making connections to grow your business?-I view everyday as an opportunity to spread my message. I like to think of all my clients and affiliates as a tribe. As the head of the tribe, it is my duty to spread our message. For me the best way to do this is through my blog. I contribute to my blog a couple times a week and I get it out to the public primarily through facebook and other social media sites.
-Building an internal network is all about being proactive. Seek out people that you may be connected with through friends and family. Also, find a mentor within your business. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to intern for Zach Even Esh. Before I became a strength coach at his gym, I read his blog for a year. In my eyes he was a celebrity. One day he posted that he was looking for an intern. I decided to hop on the opportunity, and the next thing you know I am a coach at his gym. This would have not been possible if I was not proactive. You need to be a go getter and take action!
16. Did you try any marketing approaches that did not work for you and why do you think they didn’t work?- At first, I tried making flyers and other cheap and ineffective marketing approaches. Instead of doing this I should have been providing the best possible service to my clients. The time spent making flyers and getting them out to the public took away precious time that could have been dedicated to my clients. As I mentioned before, they are your biggest sales people and if they love your program and are seeing awesome results they will tell their friends about it.
17. How do you balance it all?
As a student athlete and business owner it is very hard to balance it all. In order to find a balance, you need to set your priorities straight. You also need to understand that time is of the essence and it is very valuable. You need to find a schedule that allows you to get everything you need done while also giving you some personal time to relax or for other activates.
18. What advice or tips can you give to other CEO Kids and entrepreneurs?
Your life and your actions are dictated by your values. Find out what you truly value and what you have a passion for. When you have a vision of what you want to accomplish, go out and get it. Don’t let anyone stop you. Sure it may be a bumpy ride and you may be knocked down a couple times. Don’t let that stop you. Face adversity head on and do what you set out to accomplished.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to take a risk on something you have a passion for. There is no right time to start a business. The only way to achieve your goals is to take action.
19. Tell us one more time where can CEO Kids and parents find you and do you have any special offers that you want to tell them about?
I can be reached through my blog at www.nystrengthcoach.blogspot.com or my main site www.megliofitness.com. I am real easy to connect to and I love to discuss training and business. Currently I am offering FREE Trails to all first time clients and also am offering 1 FREE month of training for every friend you refer. Thanks again for having me Sarah, it has been a pleasure.
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
A couple weeks a go I did an interview with Sarah Cook for her book. Once more information on the book is released I will be sure to update you! Incase you have not had a chance to listen to the audio version, I have provided you with the print version. Enjoy!!
1. Please tell me how you got started and where CEO Kids and parents can find out more information about you. (Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, website…)
Hi Sarah! Thank you so much for having me. I got started with my business when I was 18 years old. I basically started my business by focusing on my existing clientele. Before I started my own business, I was a trainer at the New York Sports Club in Staten Island and I was also the strength coach for a high school baseball program. My main website is www.megliofitness.com and you can also connect with me through my blog nystrengthcoach.blogspot.com
2. When did you start thinking about starting your own business and becoming an entrepreneur and why did you want to start?
To be honest, it all happened really quickly. Going into college, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. As I grew older, I realized that I did not want to be like the masses and work a typical 9-5 job. Instead, I wanted to create my own vision, in which I would work to achieve my own goals, not the goals of my boss. My values inspired me to take action. Because I valued hard work, training, family and helping others, I knew that running my own business would allow me to do what I love and also give me the freedom to spend time with those that I love.
3. What things influenced you to start your own business?
One the major lessons I learned from my mentor, Zach Even Esh, is that your life and your actions are dictated by your values. My passion for training along with my desire to help people achieve their own goals heavily influenced me to start my own business. Since I come from an athletic background, I especially love training athletes. My family and friends have also had a major influence on me.
4. What do you think are the most important skills you have that help you in business?
The most important skills are self motivation skills: determination, work ethic, consistency and courage. Again, Zach Even-Esh, has had a major influence on me in this area. His business thrives because he is a “go getter” and because he takes action.
I am not sure if hard work is skill or a trait, but I believe it is imperative to be successful within a business. By getting your hands dirty and spending a lot of time “in the trenches” is one of the most important ways to develop the skills you will need to be successful.
-I really believe you need to have a vision of where you want your business to go. When opening up a business, there are no guarantees and there will never be a perfect time to start it up. However, if you have a vision of what you want to accomplish, you need to TAKE ACTION.
-Lastly, your ability to deal with adversity is imperative. It’s easy to run a business when everything is going well, but what happens when something bad happens and now you’re faced with adversity? How you deal with adversity reveals your true character and says a lot about who you are. Are you going give up and give in? Or are you going to do what’s necessary to get your business back on track and continue to do what you love?
5. What were the biggest obstacles, problems you had in getting started in business?- The biggest obstacles I had was my inexperience at the time. Not just in regards to training, but regarding the business aspect (marketing and finance). E very month it was another issue. The obstacles varied from finding a studio to rent out to do my training, to creating the forms necessary to organize my business. As my clientele grew, it also was problematic to keep track of my finances. However, I embraced these issues. I looked at these obstacles as speed bumps and opportunities to apply what I learned in the class room to real life. Adversity was staring me head on and I took action.
6. What is the problem, even or need that your business helps to solve?- As a strength and conditioning coach and personal trainer, I help my clients achieve their fitness goals. I truly get satisfaction from knowing that I could have a positive influence on someone’s life.
7. Where did you come up with your idea and what investigation did you do to help you know that this was a great opportunity for a business? -My idea was driven by what I value in life. My passion for training and helping others inspired me to take action. Starting out, I was not sure whether or not it was a great business opportunity; however, I did realize that this opportunity would allow me to do something I had a passion for.
8. How did you research your target market?- When I first started out, I would train anyone who was willing to hire me. As I became more experienced I specifically started to target athletes. After 2 ½ years of working in the trenches, I have worked with enough clients to know what type of clients I like to train. My mentor Zach, has had a major influence on me in this area. Currently, I have a more formal process in which I choose what clients I work with. As a college student, it is hard to turn down money, but I know in the long run it will pay back 10 fold.
9. How about your age? How does that affect you? -My age has had an effect on the way some people view me. Some people think it is great that I have found something that I love doing at such a young age, while others do not take me as serious because of my age. I never let this affect me though. It is important to only worry about the things that you can control. Certain things are out of your hands and if you let it affect you, you are doing an injustice to yourself.
10. What about college? Are you planning on going?
-Currently I attend Fairleigh Dickinson University, where I am pursuing a degree in Entrepreneurial Studies.
11. What kind of expenses or start-up costs did you have when you started your business and where did you find the money or capital to start?-My start up costs were very low. Since I was in charge of a high school baseball program they provided the facilities to train the athletes. As time went on, I decided that I would need to rent out a studio to train my clients. A great opportunity came along with another trainer. He just opened up a private studio and was looking for a partner to split the rent. My expenses were minimal. I just paid rent, utilities and equipment.
12. Were there any good surprises that you found in starting your business?-The experience and lessons I have learned over the past 2 1/2 years have changed the person I am today. The feeling of waking up in the morning and walking into my studio, and training my clients was a great feeling. When I look back and see where I started out (at the NYSC) to where I am today, I am happy with my progress. However, I believe you can never become complacent. You always need to put the pedal to the metal. Taking a back seat and coasting is not an option.
13. Do you do EVERYTHING by yourself or do you have people on your team that work with you? If so – how did you find people to help you along the way?
Building an internal network is one of the most important factors in running a business. While I do all my business, marketing and training by myself, my affiliation with other personal trainers, strength coaches, chiropractors, physical therapist and marketing experts allow me to run a more efficient business. I found these other professionals through family and my own personal experiences. My marketing experts are friends of my family. They handle my business cards and t shirts. As fellow entrepreneurs, they are also very helpful sharing a ton of advice. They are more than happy to answer any questions I have, and I do not know where I would be without them. The chiropractors and physical therapist I am affiliated with treated me when I was younger. As a high school and college athlete, I have been a patient of theirs for awhile now. As time went on, they have watched my business grow and now we refer clients to each other and share tons of other info to help our businesses grow. The other trainers I am affiliated with are former coworkers of mine that have also grown their own business.
14. What ideas and approaches do you use to market your business and what do you find works best for you in getting the word out about who you are and what you are doing?-When it comes to marketing and promotion, I try to keep my costs relatively low. Social Media networks like facebook, twitter, digg, personaltrainer.com along with other networks play a key role in marketing. I prefer this method because it is free and allows you to connect with virtually everyone imaginable. The best way to market my business is through referrals, especially word of mouth. My clients are my best sales people because they have experienced my service first hand and their results speak for themselve.
15. What were your daily or weekly efforts in spreading your brand message and will you share some tips on making connections to grow your business?-I view everyday as an opportunity to spread my message. I like to think of all my clients and affiliates as a tribe. As the head of the tribe, it is my duty to spread our message. For me the best way to do this is through my blog. I contribute to my blog a couple times a week and I get it out to the public primarily through facebook and other social media sites.
-Building an internal network is all about being proactive. Seek out people that you may be connected with through friends and family. Also, find a mentor within your business. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to intern for Zach Even Esh. Before I became a strength coach at his gym, I read his blog for a year. In my eyes he was a celebrity. One day he posted that he was looking for an intern. I decided to hop on the opportunity, and the next thing you know I am a coach at his gym. This would have not been possible if I was not proactive. You need to be a go getter and take action!
16. Did you try any marketing approaches that did not work for you and why do you think they didn’t work?- At first, I tried making flyers and other cheap and ineffective marketing approaches. Instead of doing this I should have been providing the best possible service to my clients. The time spent making flyers and getting them out to the public took away precious time that could have been dedicated to my clients. As I mentioned before, they are your biggest sales people and if they love your program and are seeing awesome results they will tell their friends about it.
17. How do you balance it all?
As a student athlete and business owner it is very hard to balance it all. In order to find a balance, you need to set your priorities straight. You also need to understand that time is of the essence and it is very valuable. You need to find a schedule that allows you to get everything you need done while also giving you some personal time to relax or for other activates.
18. What advice or tips can you give to other CEO Kids and entrepreneurs?
Your life and your actions are dictated by your values. Find out what you truly value and what you have a passion for. When you have a vision of what you want to accomplish, go out and get it. Don’t let anyone stop you. Sure it may be a bumpy ride and you may be knocked down a couple times. Don’t let that stop you. Face adversity head on and do what you set out to accomplished.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to take a risk on something you have a passion for. There is no right time to start a business. The only way to achieve your goals is to take action.
19. Tell us one more time where can CEO Kids and parents find you and do you have any special offers that you want to tell them about?
I can be reached through my blog at www.nystrengthcoach.blogspot.com or my main site www.megliofitness.com. I am real easy to connect to and I love to discuss training and business. Currently I am offering FREE Trails to all first time clients and also am offering 1 FREE month of training for every friend you refer. Thanks again for having me Sarah, it has been a pleasure.
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Lower Body Training
If you are like the masses, you probably have been neglecting lower body training for quite some time now. Most people focus on the upper body because these are the most visible muscles. Lower body training is paramount to increasing strength and overall muscular development. Movements like the deadlift and the squat are “the king of all exercises” because they develop the body unlike any other lift. In this article I will provide you with a common template that I use to train many of my clients.
After a complete dynamic warm-up, our athletes will start with a Max Effort squat or deadlift variation. We work up to a 3-5 rep max above 85% of 1RM. For more information on how we use the Max Effort method read this. Here are some examples of the variations we use:
• Back squat
• front squat
• Zercher squat
• Box squat
• Front squat grip +box squat
• Straight bar deadlift
• Trap bar deadlift (both low and high handles)
After our Max Effort movement, we perform unilateral training. Unilateral training is critical to improving muscular imbalances and is used a preventative measure to keep the lower back, hips and knees healthy. We typically perform 3-5 sets of 7-12 reps (we aim between 36-50 total reps). Below is a snapshot into some of the movements we use:
• Step ups-performed with dumbbells or a barbell
• Walking lunges- performed with a sandbag, dumbbells or kettlebells
• Reverse Lunges-performed with a sandbag, dumbbells, barbell (on the back or with a front squat grip), kettlebells (goblet or rack position).
• Bulgarian Split Squats
After unilateral training, we perform posterior chain work. Posterior chain work is necessary to improving athletic performance and also decreasing hip, knee, and lower back pain. Additionally, posterior chain work will have a significant impact on increasing your max squat and deadlift. We typically perform 3-5 sets of 7-12 reps (we aim between 36-50 total reps). Here are some sample movements we use:
• Romanian deadlifts
• Kettlebell swings
• Back extension
• Glute ham raise
• Good mornings
• Olympic lifts
After these 3 movements we end the session with conditioning. My favorite finishers
are the sled, prowler, jumping rope or heavy farmer walks. Our advanced athletes may finish with a kettlebell, dumbbell or barbell complexes. We limit the conditioning to 10-15 minutes.
While this is the template we use with most of our athletes, it is not written in stone. The exercise selection, load and volume, depends on training experience, sport, goals as well as other factors. For athletes who need to focus on strength endurance (combat athletes) we will perform some explosive training (jumps) in-between sets of heavy squats. Additionally, we may perform all the assistance work as a circuit and will continue to focus on conditioning at the end of the session. Beginners, or those who physically cannot squat or deadlift properly, will goblet squat and perform a ton of posterior chain work as well as unilateral movements. Below is a sample session my baseball players perform in the off season:
Lower body day
1) M.E Front Squat- work up to a 3-5 rep max.
2) Sandbag Lunges- 3-5 sets of 7-12 reps
3) RDL’s-3-5 sets of 7-12 reps
4) Prowler push- 4 trips- 200 feet each trip
5) Grip/Abs- Circuit style for 5-10 minutes
Strength endurance athletes training may vary slightly. See this example:
1A) M.E Zercher Squat- work up to a 3-4 rep max
1B) Broad Jump- 2 reps per set
2A) Kettlebell Goblet squat – 4 sets of 8-12
2B) Kettlebell Goblet lunge- 4 sets of 8-12
2C) Kettlebell Swing- 4 sets of 8-12
3) Prowler Suicides- 3-4 sets
4) Grip/Abs- Circuit style for 5-10 minutes
The important thing to remember when training the lower body is to limit the amount of exercises to around 3 or 4. If you train these 3 or 4 lifts properly, anything more will just be overtraining. Also, avoid most leg machines like the leg extension and leg curl. Instead, opt for compound movements that give you a great bang for our buck. Now get under the bar and start training!
Lift Strong,
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
Saturday, March 20, 2010
The Truth About Supplements
Email: Hey man my names Casey. What I'm looking to do is just bulk up my upper body quickly. I'm gunna start going to the gym again but I really was hoping I could take something no matter what it is I don't care but I just wanna get big.
Casey,
First off, I would like to thank you for your email. I take your email to heart because I know there are 100’s and 1000’s of kids out there your age, that are looking for the magic supplement that is going to get them big. First and foremost, there is no such thing as a magic supplement that will get you big. If any personal trainer or sales person at GNC tells you otherwise, they are full of shit. I am sure you have friends that swear by certain supplements, but it is mostly mental. The funny thing with supplements is that if you believe it will work, then you will see better results. You can trick your body into thinking that this pill is going make you train harder, but in fact the reason why you are training harder is because you are more motivated to. As I mentioned before, the supplement industry is a billion dollar industry that has one goal in mind and that is TO MAKE MONEY. The competition between companies is a matter of who markets their product better and who can make the most ridiculous claims like, “INCREASE YOUR STRENGTH BY 865%” or “GAIN 10 LBS OF MUSCLE IN 10 DAYS”. Not only are these claims outrageous but they are false. If you refer back to my previous article, you know that gaining 10 lbs of muscle in 10 days is complete B.S. In addition to these ridiculous claims, these companies give the most outrageous names to their products.
The number of supplement companies that are actually legitimate are far and few between. Check out this list to see all the supplement companies banned by the NFL. This list does not mean that these companies are “bad” but it means that some of their products may contain banned substances by the NFL. In fact, Biotest, one of the companies on this list, is a company that manufactures quality products that I often recommend to my athletes. Unfortunately because one of their products contains a banned substance they are included on the list. This brings me to my next point: Why spend money on supplements that could potentially be detrimental to your long term health?
Instead of spending $100 on useless and harmful supplements, focus on your TRAINING and NUTRITION. Remember that supplements are meant to complement your training and nutrition. When used properly they can in fact enhance your training and progress. However, if you are not following my 8 rules of nutrition, YOU SHOULD NOT EVEN BOTHER USING SUPPLEMENTS. If your diet is shit, your results will be shit, regardless of what type of supplements you are taking. You are what you eat! Lastly, nothing can replace HARD WORK. In order to get big you need to train your balls off.
Casey, before I give you a list of supplements I would recommend, I want to make sure that the points I have made have hit home with you and that you will focus on your nutrition and training before you start using supplements. I understand that you think you need to take the hottest and most advanced product out there to get big but the truth is you don’t. There is no substitute for hard work and you can’t out train a shitty diet. I hope this post has opened your eyes to the importance of training and nutrition and has raised your awareness of all the B.S within the supplement industry. Lastly, I will be more than happy to discuss a proper nutrition and training program that will help you reach your goals.
Lift Strong,
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
Friday, March 19, 2010
How to Condition for Baseball
Why Long Distance Running is Not the Answer
Conditioning for baseball is one of the most misunderstood concepts at the high school, college and professional level. Time after time, I see coaches instructing their players, especially pitchers, to run polls and other forms of long distance running. This is without a doubt my #1 pet peeve when it comes to conditioning baseball players. I will never understand why running long distance is accepted as the norm at virtually every level of baseball. Pitching, throwing, swinging and running are all explosive movements, while long distance running is slow and steady. If you want to be fast, you need to train fast. If you train slow you will be slow! Not to mention long distance running can lead to overuse injuries and your joints take a pounding which can lead to injury! In this post, I will explain to you why long distance running is not the answer and I will also offer a much more effective way to condition for baseball.
First off, besides being very boring and monotonous, running for distance offers little to no benefit to baseball players. In fact, I will go as far and say it can inhibit performance. Conditioning for any sport is a matter of training the correct energy system. In order to understand what energy system is predominate in a sport, one must consider the work to rest ratio and also the physical demands of the sport. For example, pitchers perform a very explosive movement and then rest 20 seconds or so before they throw again. For the purpose of this article we will talk about the aerobic and phosphogen energy systems. In a nutshell, the phosphogen energy system is associated with very short explosive durations (less than 10 seconds). This energy system uses creatine phosphate to produce energy (not use oxygen) and does not produce lactic acid. On the other hand, the aerobic energy system is associated with long durations and the use of oxygen and the accumulation of lactic acid. Which energy system do you think applies to baseball? The explosive movements related to baseball tap into the phosphogen energy system and thus the only way to improve a baseball players conditioning would be to improve the production of creatine phosphate. Since long distance running trains the aerobic energy system, there is absolutely no carry over to baseball. Instead baseball players should train more like sprinters, not like cross country runners.
Personally, none of my baseball players ever run over 60 yards for conditioning. Baseball is unique because unlike basketball, football, soccer and other sports, baseball requires little no conditioning and thus, our conditioning work is in fact speed work. The protocol for speed work includes running less than 60 yards with FULL RECOVERY. Instead, of wasting time doing pointless long distance running, our athletes focus on doing sprints to improve speed and baseball conditioning. A sample conditioning workout for baseball may be to perform 5-10 sprints for 10-40 yards with full recovery. This type of conditioning usually isn’t necessary till the pre season phase. During the off season we end our workouts with finishers on the prowler, sled, or will perform circuits with dumbbells, kettlebells, sandbags or barbells. While this type of conditioning is not necessary for baseball, it does help improve work capacity which is critical to the long term success of an athlete. Additionally, overcoming muscular imbalances by improving mobility and strength plays a critical role in the development of baseball players.
Keep in mind that the term conditioning is specific to the physical demands of a sport. Being conditioned for baseball is extremely different than conditioning for cross country. Here is a quick example of how you can design your conditioning for baseball players.
Off Season- Perform sled work, prowler, complexes and other forms of anaerobic conditioning to raise work capacity. Please check out this article for more information
Pre Season- Cut down on the anaerobic conditioning and replace it with sprint work. Anywhere from 1-3 days a week will get the job done. It varies depending on the athlete’s health, their goals, and how far from the competitive season they are.
Competitive Season- During the season, I do not prescribe any addition conditioning. At this point, the athlete is playing almost every day and no additional speed or conditioning work is necessary. The goal in season is to maintain current strength and speed abilities.
Please keep in mind that this post is not a cheap shot at all the coaches that make their players perform long distance running. Instead, the goal of this post is to raise the awareness of why long distance running is not the answer to improving conditioning in baseball. So let’s recap the major points:
• Long distance running will have absolutely no carry over to baseball because it trains the aerobic energy system which is not the energy system used during baseball
• In order to improve conditioning, baseball players should focus on performing sprints and other explosive movements with almost full recovery between reps/sets.
• Performing conditioning work on the sled, prowler and complexes is beneficial to baseball players because it will improve work capacity which is critical to the long term success of an athlete. This type of conditioning works the anaerobic energy system (opposed to the aerobic) which will have more of a carry over to baseball related activities.
• Don’t underestimate the important of strength training for baseball. Strength is the foundation upon which speed and other abilities are built. By overcoming muscular imbalances, baseball players can help prevent injuries while also improving performance.
• Lastly, if you want to be fast, you have to train fast. If you train slow you will be slow. Cut out all the poles and other forms of long distance running and start doing some sprints!
Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
Performance Supplements
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