I just received this unsolicited testimonial from a long time client of mine named Jamie who, along with her husband, trains 3X/week with me:

Are you reading Winslow’s blog and thinking about taking him up on the offer of a free introductory training session? That training session with Winslow has the potential to change your life and your health.

Last September, at age 53, I purchased twelve training sessions. Those twelve, hour-long sessions have become a three-times-weekly commitment for just over nine months now. I’ve lost weight, I’m sleeping better, and am more fit than I have been in decades.

Winslow has been a trainer, teacher, cheerleader and whip-cracking (just kidding, Winslow) motivator and sounding board.
If you have a fitness or nutrition question, he can answer it; if he can’t, he’ll find out the answer and get back to you. If you want to add something to the days you’re not working out with him, Winslow will help you develop a plan, keep you focused and keep you from over-training.

So, if you’re reading this (twenty-something or thirty-something year-old) and wondering if Winslow can make a difference in your health and fitness – all I can say is – I wish that I would have started sooner!

That kind of response makes mine the best job ever.

Great workouts are happening again! I’m feeling strong and getting really pumped each time. Tuesday was back day and Wednesday was shoulders.

Here’s how they went:

Tuesday-no deadlifting for a little while while I put my ieces back together. Instead…

Bent-Over Brbell Row: 135 X 12, X 12, X 12, X 12, X 12, 60 seconds between sets

Wide Grip and Semi-Supinated Grip Pullups, Superset: X 8 each, X 8 each, X 7 each, X 7 & X 8, X 7 & x 8, 60 seconds between sets

Close Grip Cable Row and Wide Grip Pulldowns, Superset: #20 X 15 & X 13, X 15 & X 15, X 15 & X 15, 30 seconds between supersets

Bent-Over Reverse Dumbbell Fly: 15lb DBs X 15, X 15, X 15, as little rest as possible between sets

Inverted Rows: BW X 12, X 12, X 10, X 6, as little rest as possible between sets

And Wednesday:

Seated DB Overhead Press: 25lb DBs X 10, 40lb X 12, 60lb X 12, 70lb X 10, X 10

Upright Barbell Rows: 100 X 12, X 12, X 12, X 12, X 12

Trisets of: DB Front Raises, Bent-Over DB Rear Raises, DB Lateral Raises 20lb DBs X 10, X10, X10 (total of 90 movements)

I was so happy with these workouts- I really feel like I’m getting my groove back and getting stronger again.

-W-

See the “Reader Goals and Accomlpishments” section to read a great testimonial I just received from one of my personal training clients.

These results not typical! Not for me, anyway- this is so cool!

Well, while I waited to receive my Precision Nutrition Package, I eagerly gleaned what I could from the website and forums and tried to approximate the system as best I could. I only had to do that for 2 days and my Binder and Cookbook arrived. I was so excited…I had already gotten set up on the results tracker, done all my body fat pinches and girth measurements and logged them- I was ready to go.

I’ve already talked about this part, so I won’t repeat myself about actually reading the books and getting started properly.

The system calls for re-evaluation every two weeks. This evaluation could be as rudimentary as asking yourself if you are getting the results you had hoped for. If the answer is yes, carry on. If no, change something- but just one thing, so you can control your experiment.

2 weeks  was up on Saturday. I was so excited to remeasure because I had actually seen and felt a difference since I had started. The results are amazing- in 14 days I lost 3.4 lbs of fat and gained 1.4 lbs of muscle.

I have never been able to separate those two changes- I have always either lost or gained both at the same time- more muscle+more fat or less muscle+less fat. Just the fact that I had broken the link between them was more than I had expected, but I gained muscle at a very good rate and lost fat at an excellent rate. I love it when a plan comes together.

Some of you may have noticed that my food log has been idle. This is because Precisoin Nutrition does not require calorie counting. Ha! That is so great. I may start counting again to see if I can optimize the results further, but as long as I know that I can just follow the plan and get really good results, I’m going to have a hard time convincing myself to spend the extra time to log everything.

All in all, a very good 14 days. Hopefully it will continue like this until i’m lean and 215lbs. It’ll be a while, but I won’t have to explain how “i’m bulking” all the time to everyone who sees me without a shirt. It is summertime, after all.

-W-

So, I wonder if my absence has been missed? Probably not, but I’ll explain it anyway. I managed to injure myself doing heavy squats about a  week and a half ago and that has been messing with my head.

I have been working out, but haven’t been able to get the focus that I had before I got hurt. I tore some deep groin/abdominal muscle (again.) I have done this 2 times before and I always heal over time, but have to go easy for a while while that happens.  So, my bid to max out on squats and deadlifts on the 25th of this month is over. I can probably hit my bench press goal, but I am still pretty bummed out about the situation.

Today was the first day I managed to really get in a great workout since it happened. I’ll stop whining and post the workout now…

I have switched from a strength gain focus to a mass gain focus to allow my body to heal more easily. This means lighter weights, generally more focused movements instead of larger movements, more sets per exercise and higher reps per set. My form is also different on some exercises, such as the (evil) squat. All my squats will be front squats for a while so that I can focus on my quads very easily while using much less weight.  Bench pressing will be  bodybuilder style (elbows out) instead of powerlifter style (elbows tucked.) There are more differences…I may mention them as I go or may let you notice the changes and ask questions if you want to.

Bench Press: 135 X 12, X 12, 155 X 10, X 10, X 7; 30 sec rests between sets

Dips: BW X 7, X 8, X 8, X 8, X 8; 60 sec rests between sets

Incline Bench Press: 135 X 9, X 10, X 8, X 8, X8; 60 sec rests between sets

2.5 minutes rest, 2.5 minutes Jumping Rope

Incline Cable Chest Presses: #6 X 12, X 8, #5 X 8; 60 sec rests between sets

Standing Decline Cable Flyes: #8 X 8, #6 X 8, X 8; 60 sec rests between sets

7 miles riding hard on my bike- gotts keep the fat off!

Thanks for reading! Hope I get some comments to answer…

Click the link to the right——————-> that says “Iron Radio” to listen to and/or participate in this week’s live webcast of Iron Radio with Guest Keith Shimon discussing “Taking Care of Yourself During Hard Training.”

If you miss the live webcast, you can still listen any time to this or any of dozens of recorded shows or other informative, free discussions on health, nutrition, fitness, and training.

You can go to the Iron Radio Site and enter your questions for Mr. Shimon any time before or during the show. This is great if you can’t listen live but still want to ask a questions for the guest or panel to address.

EVENT: Iron Radio With Guest Kieth Shimon
TOPIC: “Taking Care of Yourself During Hard Training”
DATE & TIME: Friday, May 29th at 2:00pm Eastern
FORMAT: Simulcast! (Attend via Phone or Webcast — it’s your choice)

Shoulder Anatomy- Click The Picture for More Info

The shoulder: to many, this joint is the source of great mystery and, often, pain. The shoulder joint offers us the greatest range of motion of any joint in the body, but that great mobility comes with a price: greater instability.

Officially classified as a “ball and socket” joint, the shoulder enjoys a great range of motion due to the extremely shallow socket portion that retains the ball portion poorly under certain conditions. The results can be disastrous.

While it can be difficult to avoid shoulder injuries during certain emergency situations (bicycle crashes, for example.) There are many preventative actions you can take to keep your everyday activities (including weightlifting and other intense sports) from doing damage to your most mobile of bodily connections.

If you have 10 minutes to spare, this shoulder rehab video is excellent and covers it all- balancing strength and mobility nicely. It’s not just an instructional video, but more of a “workout video” in that you’re supposed to follow along. It contains video instructions for 5 different shoulder rehab circuits to be performed on 5 different days. Each only takes a couple of minutes but can save many hours (or years) of suffering and weakness. To my clients: see how many of the movements you recognize from our sessions.

Perhaps the best changes i’ve found to make to protect the shoulders is not to “open” them when it isn’t necessary. When performing an overhead db press, for example, hold the dumbbells at a “natural” 45 degree angle to the body rather than straight out to the sides. The same goes when performing db chest presses- hold the dumbbells at a 45 degree angle to the spine instead of perpendicular to it. This keeps the shoulder in a more neutral position (nearer to the center of its range of motion.)  If you have shoulder pain when performing these lifts in the traditional way, try this simple change and see if the pain subsides.

Oh, and don’t work a damaged shoulder joint- they don’t heal if you keep re-injuring them. I know that’s hard to hear, but it’s true.

-W-

Click the link to the right——————-> that says “Iron Radio” to listen to and/or participate in this week’s live webcast of Iron Radio with Guest Dr. L. Jon Porman discussing “Pain and its Impact on Performance.”

If you miss the live webcast, you can still listen any time to this or any of dozens of recorded shows or other informative, free discussions on health, nutrition, fitness, and training.

When you get the chance, go and explore the site; it’s full of great info.

-W-

Get Lean!

I comb the web for tidbits of great info we can use to improve our bodies; sometimes I stumble across a heaping helping!

This week’s article comes from T-nation and is entitled Eat Your Lungs Out While Getting Leaner.

If you have any interest in losing weight and have ever been frustrated in your attempts, you must read this article.

Let me know what you think!

-W-

Precision Nutrition Binder and Cookbook

I have been waiting for my package from Precision Nutrition to arrive. Waiting impatiently. I knew it was going to be good. I have been participating in the online forums, interacting with other members, checking out the e-books and videos, etc, but it wasn’t the same as having my own copy of the binder and cookbook, and I knew it.

Yesterday afternoon the waiting ended. I felt like a kid who had patiently eaten all his cracker jacks to get to the surprise instead of pouring it all out on the table and just grabbing the prize first.

It was totally worth the wait.

When not distracted by ridiculous “responsibilities,” I have not put the books down since they arrived.

The precision nutrition package consists of a binder with 10 sections and a separate, spiral-bound cookbook.

I have read the entire thing already and love what I see. Calorie counting is optional, health and well-being are emphasized over rigorous adherence, and great taste and variety of flavors are strongly emphasized.

My breakfast this morning: (most of you would not include the oats unless your workout was before breakfast, but I need them or I lose muscle very quickly)

1 Ruby Red Grapefruit

1 Banana

Sauteed Zucchini and Garlic Omelet with Monterey Jack Cheese

2 cups Steel Cut Oats with 1 cup no-sugar-added  Blueberries

Zucchini and Garlic Omelet with Monterey Jack Cheese

That doesn’t sound too bad, does it?

I have a lunch meeting at an Asian restaurant- it will be interesting to see how easy it is to order a “PN Compliant” meal there.  Guidelines and tips for doing so are laid out in the binder, but a real-world test is always good.

I am so excited to start really using this system. My calorie cycling quickly dropped me down to 199.8 @ 14.1% BF, so I am ready to start shoveling  in the food again- the idea is that eating “PN Style” will be tasty, interesting, and healthful at the same time as it allows me to bulk at the max rate while avoiding fat gain.

The caloric guidelines for PN are pretty liberal, too- for all of you who feel that you don’t get enough food when “dieting.” A typical female daily caloric intake is 1500-1750 calories; for a male 3000-3500 is typical. This is convenient because the serving sizes correspond to male intake and females simply eat half as much (each recipe makes twice as many servings.)

Along with being tasty and simple, there is a sense of realism in the program. John Berardi talks about what to do when eating out, as I mentioned, how to handle social situations, and how to entertain and impress while sticking to your nutrition plan. Most importantly, though, 100% compliance is neither expected nor necessary. 90% is all that is expected, and will get you the results you’re after.

I’ve pulled the shopping list out of the binder and will be cooking up some  healthy PN deliciousness over the next few days and keeping you informed of how it’s going.

In the meantime- you can check out the PN website if you want to.

Winslow