IOL Strength and Conditioning

Functional Movement Systems, presenters Gray Cook and Lee Burton
2nd Edition, 2009, 2 DVDs, 1 CD

On the CD

The set includes a CD with an 84-page screening manual pdf, plus a 53-minute recorded video lecture in which Gray explains the background of the screening system.

DVD Disk One

Disk One is 46 minutes of new video covering Gray’s introduction, followed by Lee teaching the screening action and scoring of the following tests—

• Deep Squat (symmetrical stance)
• Hurdle Step (single-leg, asymmetrical stance)
• Inline Lunge (split stance)
• Shoulder Mobility
  + Shoulder Impingement Test
• Active Straight-Leg Raise
• Trunk Stability Pushup
  + Torso Extension Pressup Test
• Rotary Stability

Each of these screen discussions are about five minutes and include Lee’s verbal description, followed by a demonstration of a top-quality test and the lower levels of each. Lee then guides the viewer through the slight differences between each scoring level, telling us exactly what to look for during screening.

The final few minutes of Disk One is a discussion of scoring, using the score sheet in the included manual pdf, and a brief time where Lee and Gray come back together to conclude the specific movement screening coverage.

An attentive person could watch the DVD  a couple of times, practice the screen on a few friends, watch the DVD again to pick up the forgotten nuances, practice again and become accomplished at movement screening. However, most likely anyone who becomes involved in screening is going to want to make the trek to a Functional Movement Screening workshop where the guys take two days to expand on this material.

DVD Disk Two

Disk Two is the corrections DVD, just over an hour of video of a young Gray Cook teaching through the Reebok University. Even though Gray’s aged in the few years since this material was prepared and I was initially hesitant, as it turns out, it was terrific. I was anything but disappointed—in fact, many of the corrective ideas were new to me. Excellent tricks throughout.

Lecture—This is an nine-minute lecture in which Gray talks about the reflexive core and use of the Reebok Core Board. He also talks about proprioception and reactive neuromuscular training, again using the core board, but the ideas are the same regardless of the tool used, or if no tools are used. However, the exercise progression section that follows does require a core board.

Warm-up and shoulder mobility progression—The subtleties in Gray’s teaching through this eight-minute warm-up segment are slid in sentence after sentence. Don’t let yourself get distracted by some misguided idea of multi-tasking. Give him your full attention and you’ll be rewarded.

Exercise Progressions—Here we have core board progressions for all of the screens. Each section is a few minutes long and is demonstrated by a guy who moves well. There’s an un-named narrator giving instructions, and neither Lee or Gray appear in this section nor the following.

Movement Pattern Sequences—16 minutes of movement patterning, again using the core board and the athlete to demonstrate with the narrator giving verbal instructions. This reminds me of why the core board was so popular, and I’m struck by how it’s lost favor. Regardless, they sure make great use of the device in this video, and I’m pulling mine back out of the dust pile for some experimentation tomorrow.

Movement-based core training with a med ball—Split into five parts (five minutes of lecture, and twelve minutes of squat variations, hurdle step variations,  lunge variations and field testing), here we see Gray introducing core training with a medicine ball. He’s speeding up the action of core training, moving from slow strength and control with the core board to the explosive use of med ball throwing.

Final Thoughts

This DVD set, after a few weeks of practice, will lift a personal trainer or coach into position as a qualified movement screener. Certainly more practice will clear up fuzzy thinking and hesitation. Still, my guess is most people will want to follow this DVD with a weekend FMS workshop, not because the DVD doesn’t offer enough, but because once you’ve started down this path, you’ll probably want more as soon as you’ve mastered the initial training.

You can order this from Perform Better at this link. The cover image is different — I think it’s the first edition cover still in use, but the product will be as described above.

Anthony Carey
Filmed at IDEA, 2008, 1 hour and 43 minutes

Anthony Carey, of Function First, is a terrific resource for our corrective exercise learning; I’m a big fan. This is a live seminar dvd in which you’ll learn how the muscles and fascia are connected, how they work together and how the slings influence movement and pain. There are seven chapter sections as follows.

Chapter 1: Function Anatomy: Myofascial Slings
In this section, Anthony provides an overview of how anatomy works functionally as opposed to what we learn in Gray’s Anatomy. He’ll show you how each part of the muscle/fascial system fits together , including how fascia changes with age.

Chapter 2: Characteristics of a Muscle Sling
Here you’ll learn the difference of how we address fascial slings through exercise as opposed to how massage therapists work with the fascial layers with their hands. Anthony spends this section covering the purpose of the fascia and fascial slings, and how they work in movement. Here you’ll see how each element affects the next, including a clear image of how a triggerpoint jams up length in a sling.

Chapter 3: Tensegrity = Tension Integrity
Anthony gives us a short overview of Buckminster Fuller’s concept of tensegrity, and demonstrates how one side of a structure influences the other.

Chapter 4: Examples of Major Myofascial Slings
This section is where we learn how to put Tom Myers’ Anatomy Trains material into action. Where are the slings? How do they work together?

Chapter 5: Examples of Myofascial Lines
And here Anthony explains the Myers concept of mysfascial lines, preparing for the next section of exercise examples to follow.

Chapter 6: Exercise Examples of Slings and Lines
Now we get into action. This is the longest section of the DVD in which Anthony uses at least three points of contact to demonstrate the slings. He’s tweaked some yoga moves to help each person feel or stretch the sling connections. He’s also careful to explain the common errors most people make in joint rotation when trying to feel the work the fascial slings. Many of these are common stretches, some with minor adjustments from stretches you’re familiar with, and others are quite unusual. In the strengthening section, he uses rubber tubing and a medicine ball.

Chapter 7: Summary
This short section is a simple overview of the workshop material.

If you’re not familiar with how to stretch or strengthen along the myofascial slings, this DVD will be extremely useful in your education. Here’s a link to the product on the IDEA site: Anthony Carey Functional Anatomy, Myofascial Slings. Even the yoga experts in the participating audience struggled with a few of his twists—these are not your normal moves.

I spent some time with Anthony at IDEA, which I wrote about here. You can learn more about the myofascial sling action from Chuck Wolf and Tom Myers.

Robb Wolf, author of the new book The Paleo Solution, is well known in the Crossfit community and its offshoots as a nutrition lecturer.  He’s a sharp guy, a biochemist, and good-natured—an athlete with a good sense of humor who pulled those qualities together to give us this understandable, easy-to-read coverage of how foods move through the human body. This includes the hormonal chemistry, and with a few exceptions over which I admit to having skimmed with eyes glazed (my fault, not Robb’s), he makes the science understandable to even the most stubborn of us.

What I won’t get into is the argument over evolution and whether we’re able to stomach foods created after the Paleo years. There’s a lot of drama over the whole science vs emotion vs food religion, but the truth is, some people have allergies or food intolerances to dairy and gluten and other foods, and for them, a guide like this may be magic. When person finds a simple menu to follow without too decision-making and not much hassle, and after a few weeks suddenly realizes a lifelong bloat is gone, joint aches ease or fuzzy thinking clears up, who cares what’s behind the diet philosophy? If a food that causes a problem is taken away and life gets more pleasant, this diet has worked.

Certainly many people have no problem with dairy and grains, the main focus on the avoidance list, but most likely more people suffer some from these foods than those who don’t. Is it enough of a problem to never eat a crusty San Francisco sourdough smeared with brie again? Did I just give myself away? Hmmm…  Well, the truth is, I’ve gone without grains plenty, and I’ve gone without dairy before also, but I’ve never gone without both at the same time, so I’m not yet ready with the live-person review.

There’s a nice, again easy-to-understand discussion of heart health, and the chemistry and blood tests adults should monitor. It’s good to find these covered by a sharp athlete, giving hints of numbers to look for outside the pharmaceutical industry standards seen in the lab reports. This is true also in his treatment of optimal daily vitamin and mineral intake, and his handling of the often mind-boggling topic of supplements.

This book contains a good-sized section filled with menus and recipes (I read this on an ipad, so can’t tell you how many actual pages this represents). For some people, this will be a helpful and perhaps even an important part. I don’t do recipes much, other than bread, which is off the table on this food plan, so this section didn’t do anything for me. On his website, you’ll find a nutrient density matrix, a quick-start guide and a shopping list. The book isn’t indexed, little goof there, but you can download an index on that book resource page along with the rest of the goods, here.

If you’re a research geek, you’ve probably already done your searching around. If not, here’s a page full of research documents collected by Dr. Loren Cordain.

And you can catch up with Robb via podcasts, coming at you weekly, here.

I’ll say one thing before I go: I sure like him.

It’s fascinating to watch the turbulence around Gary Taubes’ new book, Why We Get Fat. The low-fat community is furious over his encouragement of fats in the diet; those on the science side are looking for a knock-out over his anti-calories in vs calories out stance, and even his old fans are put off by his switch from science writer to casual diet author.

In this new book, Taubes sets out to overview his work from Good Calories, Bad Calories, a monstrosity of a 640-page text that covered nutrition science front to back. While I appreciated the work, I didn’t make it past the quarter mark, and even though I meant to get back to it, so far that hasn’t happened. I’m probably not the only one, and for us, there’s Why We Get Fat.

It won’t surprise anyone to learn his main argument is that carbohydrates are the biggest issue in our fattening society, primarily because of the hormone insulin. We’re both genetically and conditionally acclimated to insulin, both on the production and the resistance side, and he believes regulating that single factor will make the difference between storing fat or not. Not how many calories we eat, but how we relate to insulin, and for the most part, that means using a low-carb diet.

I first did a low-carb diet when I was about 14, 1970, I guess, when the grapefruit diet was popular and most of my meals were a 33-cent packet of lunchmeat and a half-can of V-8. It worked, and I got lean. Six or eight years later, Atkins was gaining steam, right along with Jim Fixx, and both became a staple in my life. Much later, around 1990, the Zone—before there was a book, there were handouts, and I was right there to soak up the diet buzz, this time from Greg Glassman, a long, long time before Crossfit. All of these low-carb, insulin-regulating diets worked for me (long-term adherence is an entirely different issue, and no, Taubes doesn’t help with that part).

The one that worked the best? Adkins-style high fat, low carb. The higher fat is satiating, and most people are never hungry on it, and even with the extra fat, they accidentally go lower calorie without intention. Many people believe that’s why low-carb diets work. Taubes believes otherwise. His bottom line: Fat storage is regulated by insulin. Thus, a low-carb menu is the way to go.

Hey! Didn’t Dave and his group experiment and tell us this back in the ‘60s? Why, yes, I think they did!

In Taubes’ own words, here’s his overview of this new work: The Inanity of Overeating. And here’s a lengthly “Why We Get Fat” webinar, part one of eight:

This is Dan John’s new bulking guidebook for those who need to build strength and size. This is a 7×9 inch, spiral-bound lay-flat book consisting of 119 pages of text, followed by a 42-page, 6-week training log.

Tried and true, Dan describes exactly what’s to be done to add mass — what, when and why. Each week’s workout plan is laid out, and each day’s workout is preplanned, every rep scheduled, later to be documented in the fill-in-the-blanks log pages. Here’s an example of one of the log pages:

Dan has adjusted menu and supplement tweaks weekly to match the needs of the week. Once you read this short, clear manual, you’ll know exactly what to do and when to do it. All that’s left is for you to faithfully fill in the blanks of the log sheets and watch the scale climb.

Carefully priced at $19.95, this new guidebook is just what you need to pack an extra ten pounds of muscle on your meaty or not-so-meaty physique. Click here to order Dan John’s Mass Made Simple today.

Tim Ferriss
474 pages, plus 75 pages of appendices and a 16-page index

You don’t have to tell me—I already know there’s controversy in our field over Tim’s new book, stretching the truth to its absolute limits or beyond and, or perhaps especially, his self-promoting marketing methods. And these negatives have merit, as I’m certain my review partners would happily argue as long as I’d listen. But you still have to give a hat-tip to a regular gym rat who can make it to the New York Times bestseller list with what’s really just a collection of musclehead trial and error. In fact, the publisher in me is speechless at the concept—think of this, a guy writes a handful of articles developed from his elaborate training logs, does some interviews that he thickens up with personal commentary, and ends up with a bestseller solely on his social media efforts and through the force of his personality. A few years ago, this couldn’t have happened, and a few years before that, when the big publishing houses held all the cards, this book wouldn’t have been published at all. This is the power of the internet, and that alone is worth stopping to marvel.

I haven’t met Tim, but I had a personal interest in the book because the biggest chapter was about Gray Cook’s work, which Tim described as “for a high percentage of readers, it will be the most important,” plus there’s a good bit about Tracy Reifikind’s weight loss through kettlebell swings. And imagine my surprise when I got to page 172 and found a rehash of Bryon Chandler’s T-Handle, with Tim’s thanks to Dave for Byron’s work. Oh yes, I laughed, although Dave interrupted my giggling to tell me he did indeed weld one of these at SquareD back in the early ’60s… only he used it for pullovers instead of swings.

I also had a personal interest in the poorly named 4-Hour Body because it’s so rare for someone any of us might bump into at the gym to be a strong presence at a high level of publishing. I simply love that part of this story, can’t get enough of it. And when you think of it, a mainstream bestseller like this is going to introduce literally millions of people to things we take for granted. Most adult readers have never heard of a kettlebell, don’t have a clue what Pose running is and know even less about hormones. There’s value there, no question.

Dan John is leading a book discussion in the forum about Tim’s book, and his latest query was, What ‘sticks’ in this book? And here’s where I might question the value of the book for many people—will they use any of it, or will it  be just a scan on a Sunday afternoon. Now here, I’m just not sure, although I found the section on sleep issues particularly interesting. We’d love to hear your input in the discussion if you’ve tried some of his body hacks, or if you’re planning an experimental journey.

Now for my bottom line: Tim’s a smart guy, often funny, and he’s curious, meticulous, open and bold, an interesting combination that makes for fascinating reading. I suspect I won’t go to town on any of his ideas, but I’m glad to know about them, and I have them all handy here in this hefty tome if I ever want to revisit them. How many besides Tim will take long ice baths? Probably only the athletes who get paid a really lot of money and have no choice. Will his endurance training program get me to the Marine Corp Mud Run without any distance training… hmm… seems doubtful, but since I’m not going to give it a fair try, I guess I shouldn’t comment.

Boris Bachmann

If you are like me, a dabbler in the Olympic lifts, you are always looking for good DVDs for instruction. You’ve already bought a bunch of training hall videos from Ironmind and those were, of course, awesome. You’ve bought some books on the subject. You’ve had a little instruction from capable competitors and maybe even a coach here and here. Maybe you were like me and had a father who was an OLer, but you got sick of doing endless lifts with a broomstick…. In any case, you needed a little more – something that blended excellent modeling, explanation, and hands-on instruction with someone who wasn’t already a world-class athlete. Well, here’s a DVD for you – Dave and Laree Draper have put out a new DVD that fits the bill: Glenn Pendlay – Olympic Weightlifting Techniques.

Glenn has a humble way about him and his instruction is crisp and straight to the point. He details his teaching progressions for the Olympic lifts and gives clear rationale for their implementation. His emphasis on positions and transitions is something that as a lifter, I’ve given a lot of thought to, but could never really really “get” with the finer nuances of Olympic lifting – I think Glenn has really opened up some of those details to me with this work. The DVD will be an asset for both trainers and trainees alike who want to improve their snatches, cleans, and jerks, and, in my opinion, is a must-have for coaches who incorporate power-versions of the Olympic lifts for their athletes.

I’ll be honest with you, generally speaking, I’m not a big fan of workshops that are recorded and then sold as DVDs. Often film and sound quality is poor and there is a lot of “filler time” showing the workshop participants. That is NOT the case with any of the workshop DVDs that Dave and Laree Draper have produced. In Olympic Weightlifting Techniques you never get bored watching Glenn working with the participants. The two-hour set of two DVDs has an awesome balance of lessons from Glenn Pendlay, demonstrations by athlete Jon North, and short clips of hands-on instruction with trainees of varying levels of proficiency. I enjoyed all of the segments both as a teacher and learner.

At $44.50, the DVD is a great deal. If you have any interest in improving your own Olympic weightlifting technique, or in seeing how one great coach coaches them, I don’t think you’ll go wrong.

Dan John

Glenn Pendlay’s Olympic Lifting Techniques DVD shocked me quite early. Honestly, I thought I would be sitting and going “well, yes, of course.” Right away, he was emphasizing methods that were counter to nearly everything I have ever learned. I would be sinful if I didn’t mention that I also saw a “Juan Diego” shirt in the first pan through and that simply made me smile.

I really enjoyed how Glenn emphasized that an elite lifter should do this, but the beginner needs to “that.” I was happy to hear that many of my little tricks with youth were “okay” as my audience (teen athletes and really most people I deal with in training) are going to use the Olympic lifts as tools to other goals.

Glenn teaches moving immediately into the Squat Snatch and I applaud this vigorously. I found the same issues with teaching football skills and throwing techniques: the longer you wait to teach the athlete the “full” movement, the harder it will be to teach those early successful, but mediocre, movements. Discus throwers become addicted to standing throwers while football players catch the ball one way in a flag football game and their arms “magically” shrink in a real game. O lifters who learn the power variations first tend to love to stay with them long after they have any value. I was so happy to hear “Stay on your heels,” by the way.

It was nice to see Jon North’s consistent excellent technique throughout the DVD series. Glenn would talk and Jon would lift and the combination keeps one watching. “Learn by doing” DVDs need an excellent technician to get the idea of what we are trying to accomplish. I love Joe Q. Public, but it is hard to learn much watching those beginner movements.

There is an excellent summary towards the end of the snatch DVD where the review of all the points really gets to the point. I actually “feel better” about my little method of teaching the lifts watching this as it is basically the same approach. I really enjoyed the hammering on the word “consistency,” too.

The Clean and Jerk DVD was nice as I printed out the slides (a pdf file on the first DVD) and I could “follow along” and watch for the subtle coaching clues). I do have to add that it was fun seeing a lot of familiar faces in the group. I need to keep my weekends more open so I can attend these kinds of things and enjoy the fun.

Excellent DVD overall. I was very impressed by the simple approach and look forward to meeting Glenn in person one day.

In this live workshop seminar filmed for DVD, USAW International Olympic lifting coach Glenn Pendlay teaches the snatch and clean & jerk to a group of novice adult trainees. By the end of the session, this collection of mostly beginners moved from clumsy to relatively competent (using a loose term here) under Coach Pendlay’s guidance.

Disk one

After a few minutes of general introduction and discussion of the initial bar position, Glenn teaches—

• How to put the bar overhead
• Jump and catch
• Squat snatch
• Second position, then taking it from the floor

Glenn is assisted in the seminar by Jon North, who demonstrates the proper technique in each position. During the workshop, Coach Pendlay takes Jon through his workout while the participants — and the viewers at home — learn of the intensity involved in an elite weightlifting training session.

Next, he moves to a conversation on speed and works through taking the hesitations out of each position. We then watch Glenn supervise an elite athlete’s training as he puts Jon through his paces, and finish with a review of the morning’s work.

Each section includes Glenn’s description of the technique, followed by Jon’s demonstration. We get a few final points from the coach, then we watch as a group of participants work on his instructions. Throughout the workout segments the camera follows Glenn, and we see his coaching techniques, hear the questions and learn how a top Olympic lifting coach would address these questions with his athletes.

Disk two

This session builds on the work of disk one as Glenn uses those bar positions from the snatch and moves to teach the clean & jerk. We see—

• An introduction to the clean
• 2 superb rack and squat stretches
• Cleans from the high hang and from the floor
• Jon North’s  c&j workout
• The jerk instruction and demonstration

And then we get a final review of the day’s efforts. Throughout the workshop, Glenn answers questions for the group, so you’ll finish watching with a satisfied feeling that you know what you need to know, and it’s up to you and your practice to make things happen. If you’re a coach or personal trainer, these are same questions your athletes have, and you’ll have a new level of confidence in your answers to their queries.

Individuals eager to learn the lifts at home will begin to hone their technique, and coaches who work with athletes will gain countless simple coaching tips to help clarify the most common and most unusual lifting errors.

You’ll learn–

• A simple, top down teaching progression that will take you from zero to full squat snatches and clean as quickly as possible
• The most effective stretches to develop the flexibility needed for the positions of Olympic weightlifting.
• Hints, tips, and error correction strategies picked up over 20 years of lifting and coaching.

This is a two-dvd set. Disk one covers the snatch, at 67 minutes, and disk two covers the clean & jerk, 55 minutes.  Included on the DVD are valuable slides and a printable tip sheet of the important points Glenn covered in the session.

Glenn Pendlay is a top US Olympic weightlifting coach who has produced national champions at every level of the sport, from the Junior Olympics through Masters and Senior Nationals — over 100 national championships in all. This is the level of experience he shares in this live workshop DVD. You can order that here, $44.50.

There are a few people in every profession who can be considered great at what they do, and a few who rise above greatness and approach legendary. In the fitness and conditioning world, Dan John is one of the greatest of all time. A true professional, and an expert in every sense of the word: Dan John is a legend in this field. ~ Alwyn Cosgrove, Alwyncosgrove.com

You know how it is when you’re reading an article, you come to the end and even though the author’s points were made — the story’s complete — you just don’t want it to end? That’s how I am when I read one of Dan John’s articles. Just like when I’m reading Dave’s writing, with Dan I just want to sit on the deck and ponder his stuff forever. And that’s why I was so thrilled to be a part of bringing his new book to life.

… which is where we are today, sitting in anticipation of a call from the trucking company to schedule delivery. The books shipped from the printer, and should arrive late next week.

Already the word has slipped out and the eager are lining up to be first to get a copy. And we’d love to add you to the list of enthusiastic readers, too. This is a book I consider a big contribution to our field, Dan John’s Never Let Go: A Philosophy of Lifting, Living and Learning. I am sincerely so thrilled. Thanks for letting me be a part of this, Dan.

In Dan John’s new book, Never Let Go, you’ll learn…

• How to get stronger, faster and leaner
• Simple steps to great conditioning
• What it takes to compete at high-level athletics
• Dan John’s top training tips
• Effective workouts to carry you through your training seasons
• Variations of the classic 5×5 workout
• Sample kettlebell and barbell workout combinations
• Outdoor cardiovascular training options for athletes
• And much more…

Dan John’s deceptively simple training plans cover a great many fitness attributes, safely and quickly, and are always a hit with athletes. When it comes to teaching strength, Dan John has no superiors and only a handful of equals.  ~ Pavel Tsatsouline, author of Enter the Kettlebell

You’ll be…

• Motivated beyond belief! It’s that simple. Dan’s teaching and his coaching is unique and tremendously educational, but what will touch you the most is how fired up you’ll be at the end of each chapter. Read a section before you head for the gym—your training will be transformed; on those days when you’re dragging, his words will make the difference between a victory at the gym and a trip to the couch!

After listening to Dan John lecture or reading his work, I envy his athletes not only for the good fortune of receiving his coaching expertise, but also for the lessons that will carry them along through life. Dan is a common man, but an uncommon motivator. ~ Dave Tate, CEO elitefts.com

In Never Let Go, Coach Dan John breaks down the most complicated concepts of strength training and high-performance athletics in a no-nonsense, yet clever and motivating manner. Workout routines, Olympic lifting guidance, Highland Games, track and field and Strongman events are all covered, in addition to weight training philosophy for the general public.

Coach Dan John is one of the premier instructors in the world of movement, strength and athleticism. His lectures on athletic training have revolutionized the thinking of thousands, and his new text, Never Let Go, will set the standard in safer, smarter, more productive training methods. ~ Dr. Mark Cheng, L.Ac., Ph.D., RKC Team Leader, Contributing Editor – Black Belt Magazine 

Never Let Go, published June 2009, contains 416 pages, includes individual 42 articles revised from T-Nation material, and is carefully indexed to make finding workouts and training ideas an easy task.

If mastery takes 10,000 hours, Dan John has mastered the art of teaching and coaching many times over. He renders the complicated simple, and the simple clear. The hours I have spent learning from him changed my life. ~ Mark Twight, Gym Jones

Inside the book…
Foreword ~ Introduction ~ Preface ~ Free Will and Free Weights ~ The Rule of Five ~ The Velocity Diet Experience ~ The Rest of the Story ~ The One Lift a Day Program ~ The Tabata Method ~ Fat Loss in Four Minutes ~ A History of Dieting ~ The Classic Top 10 Tips ~ Systematic Education for Lifters ~ 5 X 5 Variations ~ Three Mentors, Lifetime Lessons ~ Geezer Wisdom ~ The AIT Formula ~ Self-Evident Truths ~ What You Know Versus What You Do ~ PVC and Presuppositions ~ The Litvinov Workout ~ The Gable Method ~ Strong Eye for the Weak Guy ~ The Best Exercises ~ My Secret Coaching Methods ~ Nautilus, Crossfit and High/High ~ Blood on the Barbell ~ A Religious Studies Professor’s Review of HIT ~ New Associations, New Muscle ~ Coach Pain’s Slosh Pipe ~ Lessons from Southwood ~ Recovery Methods 101 ~ That Guy ~ Are You Making Progress? ~ Distain Medium ~ The Big Five ~ Secrets to Long-Term Fitness ~ One Hard Thing ~ Principle Lessons ~ Three Basic Concepts ~ Goals and Toilet Seats, A Men’s Room Epiphany ~ Goal-setting for Motivation ~ The One-dumbbell Workout ~ The Journey to Excellence ~ The Philosophy of Physical Capital ~ Improve Your Fitness Literacy ~ Afterword ~ Suggested Reading ~ Index

Extraordinary power, marvelous skill and masterful technique have been earned through years of training and practice and scrutiny, failure and success. A generous servant, a giver of gifts, his words come alive with experience and fact for the reader, the hungry student, the one bound to learn. Dan doesn’t paint by number and help you pick out the colors. He draws a picture and invites you, encourages you, inspires you, to become a part of it.~ Dave Draper, author of Brother Iron, Sister Steel

Did you catch the power behind those endorsements?
Dan’s work in coaching and training others garners the respect of titans in our industry. You can trust them. Let us get this transformative book on the way to you; click here to place your book order.

My part of this blog has trended toward corrective exercise strategies over the past couple of years as I began to learn chronic pain wasn’t just a part of aging and  I didn’t have to live with in decline. Many of my IronOnline forum pals have also moved off the strength path temporarily in order to reclaim lost movement, and others probably would if they knew where to start without having to go back to school to learn anatomy and kinesiology.

Often people ask for the simple solution—you know… hey, just tell me what book to get and I’ll read it. But until now, it hasn’t been that easy. In fact, that’s the reason we started collecting names for our corrective exercise specialist database, which you’ll find at this link; by the time we hit our 40s, 50s and 60s, we’re so jammed up it takes an expert to sort it all out.

The thing is, even if we can part with the bucks to pay someone to help many of us are not in driving range of such a person. The field has grown hugely the past couple of years, but the personal trainers who know more than an introduction to assessments and corrective strategies are still few and far between.

So what are you going to do? Today we actually have a viable do-it-yourself option, Keith Scott’s Unbreakable Body Program.

First, a non-disclaimer disclaimer: I get nothing for the referral, and if you click on any link you won’t find an affiliate number attached. In fact, that’s one of the reasons I decided to buy and review the program. There’s a fair number of people “selling” Keith’s new program, and if you get a few weight training newsletters and follow a few blogs, you’ve probably seen a write-up today. I thought we might have a non-referral look for ourselves, although I don’t mean to suggest the other writers have financial motives. Quite the opposite; the ideas in the program are certainly good enough to stand alone.

Plus, if it happens to offer what my buds need to get out of pain and to move better, I really wanted to know about it. I’ve come to trust Keith’s material after reading his blog, and figured there was a real good chance this and a few weeks work might be our golden ticket to a pain-free life.

Guess what? It was a good gamble! Keith holds a Master’s Degree in Exercise and Sports Science with a concentration in sports medicine, and coupled with his eighteen years in the field working with individual athletes and general population in pain, he’s put together a complete program to get us on the recovery path at home.

Read the material over the weekend, spend an hour sorting through your self-assessment tests, make notes on a tablet, couple your test results with his corrective strategy suggestions and prepare for your 16-week personalized program. 16 weeks is nothing—just knuckle down and follow instructions Put away your doubts and confusions created by too many options and take this time to get your body back in good working order.

Here’s what’s in the package. For your $77, you’ll get a downloadable winzip file with ten pdf e-reports, 374 pages, as follows:

• Intro, 40 pages
• Self-Assessment, 65 pages
• Corrective Exercises, 82 pages
• Corrective Exercise Descriptions, 76 pages
• 16-Week Strength and Fitness Program, 14 pages
• Exercise Description for the Program, 36 pages
• Soft Tissue Work for Optimal Physical Health, 27 pages
• Recovery and Regeneration, 9 pages
• Nutritional Guidelines, 15 pages
• Fat Burning with High Intensity Interval Training, 10 pages

A quick scan over that list will tell the knowledgeable reader there’s nothing outstanding here. Where it really shines is the completeness of the material. Everything in the downloads is available elsewhere; I didn’t learn anything I hadn’t seen before. The thing is, it’s all in one place. It took me about a year of blog, newsletter, book and website reading, podcasts listened to, plus a heck of a lot of trial and error, a few seminars and conferences and some hands-on help to learn all this, yet today it’s available right here in one package, for $77. Believe me, I don’t even want to think how much more I’ve paid for the same learning (nor would I tell Dave, if I even could remember).

In the intro, Keith explains how compensations work, and how an aching elbow may turn out to be a problem stemming from the hip. The very thorough assessment section (using both descriptions and photos) will help you determine your specific issues; one of the main problems with getting started on a corrective exercise program is not that people are unwilling, it’s that they don’t know where to start. This section will help you discover your biggest issues so you can tackle them first; you’ll make notes and the next section is going to tell you what to do to fix them.

By the time you’ve worked your way through the reports, you’ll understand where your key spots are, and whether they’re problems of flexibility or stability, or if you have strength imbalances one side to another. These are the factors you’ve heard about, but perhaps don’t understand, and possibly this is where you’ve jumped ship and gone back to your old standby workout programs, complete with chronic daily pain. Let Keith explain this big picture for you once and for all, whydontcha?

The corrective exercise and general workout programs are in separate booklets from their exercise-description counterparts. During the initial read, that might seem a little annoying, but once you understand how to do the exercises (described in clear bullet points with photos), you’ll be real glad you have the programs written up cleanly for easy review or printing.

The workouts take about 30 minutes, plus an extra ten for individual specifics, and you can split the correctives from the main workout if that suits your schedule better.

If you’re intrigued enough to get the material package in your shopping cart but didn’t read the miles of sales copy, you may get stumped by the $19.95 free membership comment. Since that’s what happened to me (I didn’t read more than a quarter of the sales text, probably less), I had to go back and see if I was signing up for a long-term deal. Answer: No. Unless, of course, you have such a great experience with the premium membership site that you want to continue, in which case it’ll be $19.95 next month. However, you do have to cancel—failing that, your credit card will be charged automatically.

Cut to the chase, already! My overall impression after a single day’s review and without having done the 16-week program: Both thumbs up.

In fact, to be honest, I bought the program merely to find out if this would be a place to send forum members and blog readers who ask where to learn this stuff or how to get started with corrective exercise. I’m happy I did, because not only can I recommend it, but I’m also going to start on the 16-week program on Monday.

The negatives:

That horrid sales page. Yes, I know people respond to that style; I personally would have clicked away automatically had I not gone there specifically to purchase the material for this review.

The automatic billing for future membership months. I suspect that option will be gone after the first automatic billing month. He’ll get so many complaints and have to refund so many of the automatic charges (or risk losing all credibility should he choose to stand on the fine print on the previous page), it just won’t be worth it to him. My guess… gone soon. We’ll see.

Meanwhile, you’ll have that first month prepaid access to the premium section, and with that comes Keith’s private email for questions in his Ask Keith forum. Given today is the first sales day, there are only a few questions answered, but I suspect this will be fleshed out as things settle down. If you buy the program and get stuck anywhere along the line, log in, go to the Ask Keith forum and click on the Contact the Author link to email Keith direct.

The positives all boil down to one thing: This could give you back your life. $77, a few hours of reading and 16 weeks of effort is *nothing* when compared with that aching shoulder and elbow, the pain in your low back, those hips that barely move, those rickety knees, unbendable ankles and pain in your feet. Good grief! Get with the program already: Your Unbreakable Body.

Oh, and you will have to order a foam roller if we haven’t convinced you of that by now.

In a conversation of books covering barbell training techniques, Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore’s book, Starting Strength, will instantly surge to the top as the most important book a trainer should own. Period, no close second.

If you need another opinion, there are plenty in this section of the forum where we review the book and discuss their instructions and illustrations of the basic exercises. You’ll find everything’s covered; in fact, we’d arranged for the guys to come on the forum to address questions at the end of our book review month, but when the time came… well, there just weren’t any questions left unanswered.

Still, some people are visual or audio learners, and perhaps even Lon’s terrific illustrations aren’t enough for these types. A mere $24.95 and plenty of practice will buy these folks a perfect squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press and power clean; no joking here—Mark Rippetoe’s filmed Starting Strength barbell exercise technique seminar leaves no confusion. Each of the five exercises gets its 25-35 minutes, including discussion and instruction, followed by a long section in which Mark troubleshoots individual problems.

As an example of what’s on the video, let’s take a look at his squat points.

• First he addresses stance, preferring the heels at shoulder width, toes out about 30%.
• On the way down—no bar in position at this point—shove the knees out with the elbows, insuring the knees point out at the same angles as the toes.
• Using hip drive, shove the hips up from below; don’t pull up with the chest.
• Head down eyes toward the floor produces more hip drive; head up stifles that. Looking down will make you use your hips.
• Elbows up keeps everything tight under the bar.
• Thumbs on top keeps the wrists straight, and the weight off a torqued wrist.
• Stay tight. Don’t get your depth by relaxing your lumbar spine.
• Maintain your back angle throughout.

Now consider he follows those initial instructions by walking a variety of people through the movement several times, both without, and later, with weight. After that, he repeats the process covering the overhead press, deadlift, bench press and power clean. This $24.95 dvd, clocking in at two-and-a-half hours, is seriously priceless!

This is a nice production using a variety of camera angles. The background music is subdued and not distracting; the sound quality is good, the vocal audio is clear and no troublespots were seen.

I especially appreciated the choice of participants. There are about a dozen models demonstrating a big variety of body types. This is important in an exercise technique video, because perfect form is going to look different from body type to body type. A short-torsoed, long-femur squat is simply going to be different than the reverse, and potential problems can be reviewed when using a variety of athletes. This is something missing from videos using a solo model, and you’ll find it quite useful for understanding good form.

My review should be clear enough: Big thumbs up on this one!

Clocking in at a whopping 416 thought-provoking pages, I’m ecstatic (to the point of giggling randomly during the day) to say Dan John’s new book, Never Let Go, was sent to press earlier this morning.

Happily it shipped Federal Express, meaning I didn’t have to stand in the block-long tax-return line at the post office to get this jewel on its journey to the press at United Graphics. Look for pre-order information here in about two weeks.

Meanwhile, have you been pondering our invitation to Dan’s three weight training seminar workshops June 5th and 6th just south of Salt Lake City? We’re filming the sessions for dvd; he’s covering kettlebells in one session, Olympic lifting technique for relative beginners in another, and will delve deeper into his all-around training advice and strength philosophy in the third. This is part of our annual IronOnline forum gathering and as such, is free to all-comers. Simply drop me an email and we’ll get you the details.

I just wanted to give a shout-out to share in the joy of project completion, and… of course… to show off the book’s cover. I’ll get back to you later with ordering details.

Update: Place your order for Never Let Go today!

Much of the current kettlebell enthusiasm is focused on time and endurance, and with good reason because for conditioning a kettlebell is a remarkable tool. But old-school strong man devotee David Whitley has gone in the other direction: He’s using these chunks of weight to create exercises and combinations each one more difficult than the previous to execute, sometimes using a single kettlebell, but more often doubles, and occasionally two of differing weights, and sometimes even both of those in the same hand.

It’s a grin to watch Dave perform, and it’s also a pleasure to learn from him, as I did recently via his Full Body Power, Beyond the Basics intermediate and advanced kettlebell drill dvd. My notes are intense, three pages of mashed scribbles, as I studied his techniques covering variations of what he calls Follow the Leaders Series and his burpee combinations – think burpees with a single kettlebell or double kettlebells used for deadlifts, swings, cleans, high pulls, snatches, clean and press and clean, squat and press, all artfully tossed together to wipe out even the neediest Rocky fan.

The next day I joined the dvd for clean, squat and press variations, and after his refresher demonstrations, on to his advanced skills with the windmill and the Turkish get-ups. Next, he taught the kettlebell bent press and the two-hands anyhow. Shoulders plenty fatigued, I skipped out on the two-hands, but got fairly comfortable with the bentover screw-press, something I never in this lifetime expected to try, and more than a strongman circus lift, what it felt like was a significant shoulder stabilization exercise combined with unusual coordination. This twist, the screw-press, is a torso rotation you’ve probably never felt, and when coupled with stabilizing a heavy weight overhead is quite an experience if you notice those kind of things.

Throughout the dvd, Dave’s providing commentary; for instance, at one point he stopped to explain what he called the two sides of performance:

Tension is strength. Tension is power. Tension is slow. Tension is fatigue.

Relaxation is speed. Relaxation is mobility and flexibility, and it’s also a weakness. It’s endurance, but it’s weakness.

Tension is stronger, faster, but you give out sooner. Relaxation can go longer, but you’re not as strong. Work tension and relaxation equally.

Now, I have to add at first I was a little disappointed in the editing. I was watching it as a lecture instead of a workshop, and wished the student participation breaks had been edited out. But then I realized I could get off the couch, ya lazy bum, and go get a couple of kettlebells to follow along, and suddenly those unedited breaks became a bonus opportunity to practice each exercise in real time. Note to self: When it’s a workshop, do a little work, whydontcha.

At the end of the approximately 100-minute dvd – I apologize; I timed it for you, just under two hours, but forgot to make note of the minutes I stopped to scribble, and the dvd or website don’t give the runtime – my final thoughts were simple: This is an outstanding dvd for a kettlebell lifter who wants to move beyond the common and into the physically demanding and unusual. Dave’s a great teacher, and the exercise ideas and combinations are superb.

You can order this intermediate/advanced kettlebell workshop dvd here at fullbodypower.com, $49.95.

In this Fox Morning Show clip from Nashville, Dave explains kettlebell exercise and demonstrates with the reporter.

Linking around:

In this article over at Pavel Tsatsouline’s Dragon Door, Dave gives examples of how to extend your kettlebell drills in ways similar to some of the combinations found on the dvd.

His IronTamer site is here, where you can also sign up for the free IronTamer newsletter. Those interested in kettlebell training variety can grab Dave’s free ebook of 101 different kettlebell workouts on signup.

Catch this strongman’s regularly updated IronTamer blog here.

What’s the next step in self-myofascial massage, the one after you’ve gotten the hang of using a foam roller? One good option is a six-inch dense EVA myofascial-release ball; that’s an implement I spend a serious amount of time rolling around on night after night.

Well, if one’s good, what happens when you bag up a bunch of four-inch balls? That’s what the Shiatusbag triggerpoint therapy’s designer came up with and, you know, it’s a bit goofy, but I like it.

At 3:30 look for a vocal explanation during which the product’s designer demonstrates other uses for the bag o’ balls involving different surfaces, and explains with this, “You don’t have the balance problems or support problems found with a foam roller or a self-myofascial release ball.”

Now I don’t happen to have a piano bench and haven’t tried that surface option, but I do have a floor… and a hassock… and a couch with a beefy armrest, and I’ve draped a Shiatsubag over them all to gauge the differences in surface density. Myself, I like it to really dig in, and was happy to find ways to intensify the action.

The product comes with ten firm EVA balls and five softer ones. I wrote to ask the manufacturer, Larry Herbert, for his thinking behind using two different type balls, and his response, “the larger four-inch softer balls mainly to act as supporting cushions, and it is the three-and-a-half-inch firm balls that provide the myofascial release,” made sense.

Continuing with his response, “Some of the feedback from users who are less physically active and prefer to experience a comfortable massage thought the balls were too firm and created some discomfort.  However, users who are physically active in programs such as weightlifting, Crossfit and running enjoy the deep penetration and myofascial therapy that the firmer balls provide.  Matt Ryan, M.A., ATC, LPTA & Athletic Training Supervisor at Santa Cruz Medical Clinic who endorses the product, believes the current balls are the proper hardness and will provide the most benefit for trigger point release and myofascial therapy.  It comes down to personal requirements; the Shiatsubag has an opening to change the quantity and type of balls to adapt to individual needs.”

Having spent a boatload of time trying to get more intensity from myofascial release, I tend to remove the softer balls in favor of a bag of similar-sized, denser ones. In fact, I went a step further and filled the bag with tennis balls, smaller yet from the EVA balls, to see if the massaging gained pressure. Then I swapped the tennis balls back out for the original mixed bag and practiced with it on the sofa arm for the back of the lower legs; later I took the larger balls out and finagled bunching the bag up for a clump of a neck massage.

At $39.95 for the Shiatsubag’s myofascial pain relief, about half the cost of a single hands-on massage, you’ll have at hand a way to reinforce full-body muscle relaxation in the evenings in front of the tv. I was thinking of suggesting you not watch the news while rolling around on the thing since that wouldn’t be very relaxing, but hey, why not? It’ll distract you so much you’ll barely hear the politics of whatever’s happening in Congress, and you’ll hardly notice the drone of the commentator’s nightly panel. I say go for it!

You can also buy the EVA myofascial pain relief balls separately to test out the bag-o-balls theory on the cheap.

Foam rolling is practically mainstream these days. Still, there may be readers who haven’t jumped on the wagon yet, and there are certainly many more who haven’t branched out to other rolling implements. One of our main educational guys, Mike Robertson, offers up this free 47-page ebook, Self MyoFascial Release: Purpose, Methods and Techniques, to explain the hows and whys of rolling around on dense round things.

For an extra giggle, there’s this: I’m sitting on a shitatu bag of balls atop my desk chair at this very moment.

What to get, what to get? You want your gift to be special, and you know training is something your friend or family member is passionate about. Maybe there’s not enough extra cash throughout the year for him or her to order some of the training toys we yak about in the forum or ponder over through youtube exercise videos. Settle in for a spell and I’ll send you off with some specifics to help make your gift shopping a little more successful.

Categorized by price instead of topic, you’ll find everything from books and dvds to metal, foam and rubber. These are truly the things we discuss in the forum, so in many cases buying a new implement doesn’t mean you have to get a book or dvd to go with it, unless money’s looser around your house than most, because we’ll have links to articles and videos handy. Heck, we welcome this kind of thing in the forum – we’re always in need of new topics of conversation.

A couple of thoughts before the nitty-gritty:

One: Consider a gym membership gift certificate if the household budget is stretched and a gym causes a gleam in your recipient’s eye. But beware: not all gyms are alike. If you aren’t sure which one will do it for him or her, think handmade gift card with cash earmarked for the membership. It won’t feel like a gift to be stuck in a hated gym when the heart’s pining for the gym down the road.

Two: If this all feels too hopeless and you don’t feel confident in making a decision, zip on down to your local Play it Again Sports for a gift certificate. Anyone with a desire to train at home even part-time will find a way to spend the loot. Just don’t go along for the ride unless you’re a gymrat, too; it’ll be like an extended trip to the lumberyard where every bolt gets reviewed. Shudder.

Price Categories:

Under $30

Starting Strength, Basic Barbell Training by Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore, $26.95, includes shipping via media mail
I’d have to call this book poorly titled, because it’s anything but basic, and the idea of “starting” is probably a turnoff to folks who’ve been training for awhile. Yet those are some of the people who will benefit the most from this fabulous barbell training instruction, because most of us learned by accident and are doing our barbell exercises entirely wrong. If you’ve got a beginning trainee on your shopping list, so much the better – get ‘em started off right.

Gym Boss workout timer, $19.95, plus $2.95 shipping
This tiny little stocking stuffer is an interval timer that works for a variety of training modalities from weight training, kettlebell work, cardio intervals, sled drags and more. Just set the work and rest times, tell it how many times to beep at you and get to work.

Captain’s of Crush grippers, $19.95, plus $7.00 shipping
If you’ve never shopped for grippers before, you’ll probably get stuck on which one to order. Can you swing a pair into the budget? If so, the average person will probably want a trainer (#1250) and the Number 1 (#1251) unless he (or *maybe* she) has an exceptional untrained grip.

The Concise Book of Neuromuscular Therapy: A Trigger Point Manual, by John Sharkey, $24.05, $4.98 shipping
This is an outstanding book for anyone who has recurring pain, especially those who exercise regularly. Self-treatment of soft tissue problems is the future of athletic healing, and this book provides a comprehensive description, specific bodypart details and plentiful illustrations. For now, this is my top triggerpoint book recommendation.

JumpStretch band, $22 for the average band (green), plus $7.34 freight
I’d buy two matching bands if possible because the options with two are far greater than double one. These are used for a variety of purposes, from assisting exercises (such as chins) to making exercises harder (such as bench or squats… for sure get two if you think this might be the purpose), to standalone bodyweight exercises and strengthening tools for ankle and other joint work. A great addition to a limited home gym, the curious trainee will find a lot of good uses for a band or two.

Foam Roller, $21.95, free shipping holiday special
We use this as a sort of self-massage tool by rolling over it on the floor or against a wall, and it works surprisingly well. Get the black molded or EVA foam; the white rollers don’t hold up very well under weight. While you’re shopping, if there’s room in the budget, consider a round “posture” ball. In fact, if space is an issue or your giftee has chronic shoulder and arm problems, the myofascial release ball might be a better choice if you’re picking between that and a roller.

The Mind in Bodybuilding book by Frank Zane, $23, plus $3.05 shipping
If you have a Zane fan on your shopping list, this will be a great surprise because it just came out a couple of weeks ago. In this book, Frank focuses on meditation, relaxation and other mind-body techniques for which he’s well known.

~$30-50

Dan John’s Everything’s Over My Head dvd, three different 30-minute informal seminars, $39.95, plus $6 shipping
Now here’s a guy whose life mission is to teach people to train heavy, pick up stuff, put it overhead or drag it around, and he does a darn good job of it. From unusual outdoor training ideas to Olympic lifting technique learned in one viewing, Dan’s going to keep the viewer inspired and laughing while at the same time taking plenty of notes. This is a dvd that will be in and out of the player; unlike most dvds, this one gets better with each viewing.

John Izzo’s Free the Hips dvd, $27.99, plus $4.29 shipping
John’s done an excellent job at teaching us how to regain hip mobility to get rid of back pain and to increase athletic skills. This is a dvd of a live workshop, and includes the lecture handout notes. Personal trainers will use this material with their clients, as will baby boomers trying to train around nagging back pain.

Dave Draper and Bill Pearl’s seminar dvd, $29.95, plus $6 shipping
This is our filming of a 75-minute seminar featuring Bill Pearl and Dave, and including a transcript of a later conversation between the two guys that covers material they felt was missing in the earlier recorded Q&A. Readers of Dave’s newsletter or followers of the Golden Era of Bodybuilding (‘60s and early ‘70s) will really get a kick out of seeing the guys together 40 years later as they reminisce about those treasured days and come full circle to their training today. Note: If your recipient is a regular visitor here, check your dvd shelf before placing your order – this may already be there.

West Coast Bodybuilding Scene by Dick Tyler, $24.95, plus $6 shipping
If this isn’t already on the shelf of whomever you’re shopping for, I think it will get you a grin on Christmas morning. Easy to pick up and read a few pages anywhere in the book, Dick Tyler’s timeless memories along with the classic photos and Dave’s clever captions is always tops for a nostalgic smile.

~$50-75

Grey Cook’s Secrets series dvds, ~$69.95 each (Core Training is $39.95; $199 discounted price for the set of dvds), free shipping holiday special
Here you’ll have to decide which your beneficiary most needs: attention to the shoulders, hips and knees, core or overall movement patterns. If the person has a specific nagging problem in one of those areas, the answer’s easy. If not, I’d go with the primitive patterns because the ideas on that one are not well known, and it’s likely to be an unexpected gift. If the guy or gal’s a personal trainer and there’s any chance of spring for the set, it’s a gold mine that will propel the viewer far beyond the other trainers in the region. No kidding.

Scott Sonnon’s Intu-Flow 2-dvd set, $49.95, plus an unfortunate shipping cost of $16.95.
This is a bit of a mis-named instructional program; Intu-Flow sounds more like a yoga routine rather than the comprehensive joint mobility program it is. Scott was on the forefront of an industry now saturated with joint range-of-motion routines—he knows it the best and brought the rest of us into the fold. This dvd set is divided into sections, to teach the beginning, easy joint movements before being dumping into more complicated, possibly impossible positions. If you think a follow-along joint mobility workout would be more appropriate, Scott’s Ageless Mobility dvd will set you up right at $24.95. The program is over an hour, kind of too long for most of us for a regular joint mobility routine, however it’s real nice to practice a few times, work a few of the exercises for a shorter duration over the course of a month, going back to check progress against the dvd on occasion. The Ageless Mobility dvd is sort of a combination of joint mobility and joint mobility via yoga positions rather than a dedicated joint mobility program.
Magnificent Mobility dvd by Eric Cressey and Mike Robertson, $49.99, plus $5.99 shipping
Mobility is one of the newer buzz words in our industry; most people have an idea what it means, but not so much how to put a plan into action. Eric and Mike are two of the go-to mobility guys, and in this dvd they show their stuff, including beginner, intermediate and advanced options. An ebook that’s real handy for later reference is also available, but it drives the price up pretty good.

Inside Out dvd by Bill Hartman and Mike Robertson, $49.99, plus $5.99 shipping
This time Mike’s joined by a guy known industry-wide as one of the top physical therapists alive, even called the “Smartest Man in Fitness” in one popular interview. This rep is well-deserved, and in the Inside Out dvd you’ll see why. This offering focuses on the upper body, the thoracic spine and shoulder girdle in particular. Most excellent for anyone with chronic shoulder pain. This also comes in a set with either an ebook or print manual, again at additional charge.

Polar Heart Rate Monitor, $59.95 for the bottom tier monitor, free shipping
A heart rate monitor is a great tool for gaging how hard we’re training, both in steady-state cardio, interval cardio training and also for monitoring kettlebell work and sled drags. If you’re unsure if this will be a welcome gift, go with the cheapest, a monitor with big numbers in the display, the time, a stop watch and a heart rate measuring strap. Moving up from the basics, it’s going to get a little dicey to pick one for someone else because the options available are extensive and range in price up to around $400.

Trail Guide to the Body, spiral-bound muscle and bone textbook by Andrew Biel, $52.95, plus $6.67 freight
For anyone who’s interested in how the physical body is connected, bone to muscle, this book is primo. Massage therapy schools use this textbook; personal trainers should have a copy to read, read again and nearby on the shelf for easy reference.

Kettlebell, 26-pounder, $42.95 from Lifeline, plus $15.87 freight; $54.95 plus $27 freight from Ader — 35-pounder, $47.95, plus $14.87 freight from Lifeline; $64.95 plus $27 freight from Ader. Best guess for a beginning kettlebell user is a 26 for a woman, a 35 for a man – we use these differently than we use dumbbells, and the weight used is lighter than you might expect. The difference between these two brands is best described on this page from Ader; in particular, note the wider handle. If hand size is big, a wider handle is better. Otherwise, go with the Lifeline for price most likely. Power Systems has a few of their “cardio bell” kettlebells on sale, 50% off plus free shipping if you use the code from the front page, for those who are a little interested but not committed enough to spring for the cost of the black iron ‘bells. One last point about kettlebells, if the person you’re buying for is something of a kettlebell enthusiast or might be interested in competition, pass over the kettlebell idea. This person has a specific ‘bell in mind and the surprised look on Christmas morning will be mixed with disappointment in being stuck with a brand he or she doesn’t really want.

Anthony DiLuglio’s Art of Strength kettlebell workout dvd, $49.95, seems to include freight
Your mate’s got a kettlebell, but doesn’t know how to use it. There are a number of excellent kettlebell instructional dvds designed to teach exercise form, but not so many to show how to train with one of those handled blobs of iron. Anthony’s an expert instructor – exceptional, really – who’s created a set of work-along training videos that are superb. The first in the series is the Providence dvd, and while his teaching style has only gained ground the past couple of years, it’s still a gold standard as a place to start. Needing a “what do I do next” option, you can’t go wrong with any of the more recent offerings.

Steve Cotter’s Encyclopedia of Bodyweight Conditioning, 3-dvd set, $49.99, plus $6 shipping
For anyone who trains at home or travels, or anyone who’s rehabbing and unable to train with weights for any reason, this set covers 160 different exercises to be done without weights or props. When we talk about bodyweight training most of us get stuck at pushups; Steve’s a master at bodyweight conditioning and teaches his many techniques is this fine dvd set.

Randy Roach’s Muscle, Smoth & Mirrors, Volume 1, $57.95 paperback or $67.95 hardcover, plus $7.17 freight
562 pages of well-researched, honest recording your iron history buff will go nuts over. And check this out: If this gift goes over big, you’re all set up for next Christmas; Volume 2 is on the way in 2009. Review the contents here, and order it here.

~$100-150

Lebert Equalizer bars, set of two, $99, plus $18 freight
First thought, of course, is dipping bars, but these are useful for oh so much more. Very handy to have around a small home gym or personal training studio. Includes a laminated exercise poster and a workout idea dvd.

X2 Weight Vest, $112.49 ($149.99 less 25% sales discount – use coupon code X08 if before 12/31/08)
We use these for conditioning in a variety of modalities, walking… hill climbing… to pushups, squats or other exercises. Comes with 12 pounds vest inserts. Doesn’t sound like much, but it’s plenty for starters. Shipping costs vary depending on distance from company.

~$150-200

TRX Suspension Trainer, ~$149.95 less 15% sale discount, includes free shipping
I recommend this one unless your recipient is a golfer, tennis player or has another specific interest as described on the main product page. I love love love this thing; don’t be dissuaded by the idea these are just overpriced, silly straps. Note: If you think this will be used indoors where there’s no squat rack, you’ll need to spring for the door anchor ($24.95) or your great gift will sit behind the couch unused until the late-ordered anchor arrives.

Louie Simmons’ pulling sled, $149.95, includes free shipping
Scroll down (no direct link). The neighbors sometimes stare, but after the first day out, we don’t care much. Pulling and dragging heavy objects is fabulous for strength, endurance and conditioning, and sled pulling is how much of us drag. Don’t forget, weights aren’t included, so if the giftee doesn’t have weights or kettlebells at home, this might not be the best gift choice.

Dave’s Top Squat, $149 plus $24 shipping
This would be for the guy or gal who loves or needs to squat but who either has issues getting the shoulders back comfortably or who has trouble holding good squat form. It’s an add-on to a bar that basically puts handles in front; your giftee would already need to own the bar, squat rack and plates for this to be a useful item. Some people carry it in to the public gym, but it won’t fit into a gym bag and isn’t particularly handy to carry.

Mike Mahler’s Boys are Back in Town seminar dvd set, $169.95, includes freight
Looks like a lot of money for a set of dvds, sure enough, but instead think of it as a weekend seminar, nearly eight hours of four of the top speakers in the industry talking about their specialties, each one doing one or two 90-minute sessions: Steve Cotter on kettlebell sport training and on chi-kung; Mike Mahler on kettlebell training for strength and on optimizing hormones; Steve Maxwell on joint mobility and on kettlebell core training; and Nate Morrison on performance breathing. I’m confident the next seminar set, the nine-hour Collision Course featuring John Brookfield, Jon Hinds, Mike Mahler, Mark Philippi, with Tom Furman and Dylan Thomas is equally powerful, but I haven’t seen those sessions personally. This one’s on a pre-sale special at $99.95 (*might* not be in by Christmas, but it’s a savings of $100 off the soon-to-be price of $199.95—a handmade gift card with the set following a week or so later would still get major props).

~$350-500

Pendlay weightlifting bar, 20kg, $389, plus $45 freight (varies depending on distance) These bars are the double-drool factor around the forum; everybody wants one. They’ve also got an economy bar at $199, a good quality, normal-use home gym bar. If the home-gym is being set up or upgraded, this is the bar that provides the foundation for the work that follows.
~$500-1000

Concept 2 Rower, $900, plus $40 freight (both the unit and the freight are bargains, seriously)
This is the crème de la crème of cardio equipment, full body rowing on a smooth, top quality machine. You may be able to find one on your local craigslist, but usually someone has to die first.

Tuesday, July 8
Tagging along with 5,000 personal trainers and group exercise instructors is a good way to run a normal person ragged. It’s been a dozen years since my last visit to IDEA, and in the years between, I’d forgotten how fast everyone moves at these things. From the bowels of the Las Vegas Convention Center to the far side of the Hilton, including a jog through the restroom and a swing by the session-handout print station, 12 minutes flat. The organizers allow about 15 minutes between sessions, and that’s because these folks don’t need any longer.

A couple of those 12 flying minutes include a race-walk outdoors between the two massive structures a few times each day; I’d also forgotten the heat of 112 degrees. That’ll bake some sense into ya.

An all-day session, The Cutting Edge of Function, on Tuesday with Fraser Quelch, the guy who’s behind the programming of the TRX Suspension training, was a perfect introduction to the week’s selection of functional assessment and corrective exercise programming classes. He’s an outstanding instructor who described movement from the ground up; the entire day kept me attentive, with his discussion of multi-planar training being the highlight.

Wednesday, July 9

Gyrokinesis Group (workout), Emma Kingston
Start the day with a workout, isn’t that how it’s supposed to go? My real plan for the week was to soak up a dufflebag of corrective exercise tidbits to share with interested readers. In workout selection, for the heck of it I chose modes of training I’d never tried. In the case of Wednesday morning, I’d never even heard of it and had absolutely no idea what to expect. Gyrokinesis turns out to be a form of joint mobility. I’m really a fan of joint mobility and the class was good enough. Nothing special, but an okay way to wake up the day.

Keys to Successful Corrective Exercise Design, Justin Price
Justin’s real terrific at this stuff, and I signed up for two of his presentations this time around. He’s the guy who spoke at a workshop in February over in Santa Clara, who, after I asked him a question about Nike Frees (he’s no fan), told me my feet/hip/thoracic/shoulder/neck dysfunctions could take me up to three years to get sorted out. Instead of hating him for life, I went back for more. You should, too, if you get a chance to hear him speak.

Alphabics Ultimate Relaxation exercise (workout)
During the long lunch break (they leave big empty time slots for big-bucks expo shopping), I filled my time with promo sessions. This day, I have to admit, I snuck out early. It’s the only session that triggered that slippery action this year – all the sessions I chose were bang-on perfect for what I needed. I suppose I could have taken a nap in the back, but the music was too much and I bailed.

Assessment and Reaction-Shoulder Function, Chuck Wolf
Now let me tell you a little about Chuck Wolf: What a prince! Smart and generous, too. I’d never heard him speak before and very quickly knew his three sessions on my schedule were winners. As I go through my notes from the week, his suggestions for shoulder training will be at the top of the list for sharing with you.

Stott Pilates Jumpboard Interval Training (workout), John Garey
Jumpboard training was a kick; this was another of the try-something-new workouts, and it was a blast. I could see myself stumbling through a Pilates reformer workout, definitely. For those who haven’t even as much as a clue as me, the reformer is that machine with the padded board and all those springs. Between rebounding intervals, I got a taste of deep core training with the feet going one direction and the arms under stress from another. Very nice, I like.

Thursday, July 10Barefoot Core Workout (workout), Annette Lang
Arrive a few minutes late and jump right in, oh yeah, that’s how to really set your guts on fire. And as long as you’re in place, stay there for 75 minutes and do nothing but core. My sides ached for the next three days.

Assessment and Reaction-Foot Function, Chuck Wolf
We’re back with Chuck for session two of the three-parter, wherein he dissects the function of the feet, leads us up the legs and toward the hips. Most of us pay no attention to our feet, and Chuck would like to change that. He’s pretty convincing; I’ll be attending to the foot musculature, and will try to talk you into that, too.

Comprehensive Trunk and Spine Conditioning, Kevin Dunn
Now here I’m coming up a little short. The intention of this blog post was more one of personality, to give you a general feel for the event and its sessions. In a lecture entitled “Comprehensive Trunk and Spine Conditioning” you’d think there’d be a bunch to say, but here you’d be mistaken. Still, I remember a couple of ah-ha moments, so stay tuned for those after the scribbles get sorted out of my notepad. I did take a lot of notes.

Gliding and Bender ball (workout), Mindy Mylrea
Lunch workout number two, where I scurried across the mileage to watch my old pal, Mindy, share her energetic magic. She’s a kick and a half, and I adore watching her work the crowd. Then I slid out the door to get to a second lunch session, Paul Chek, who was speaking at the other side of the convention center in a conflicting timeslot. Bumping into Mindy a couple hours later, I was busted: Eagle Eye saw me leave before the workout. Amazing, 200 people in a hotel ballroom, and Mindy knew I was gone. You have to laugh.

If you’re in central California and would like a grin, too, Mindy’s FitFest 08 is the last week of September in San Jose, where she and a bunch of her peers will be presenting much of the same material as seen at IDEA.

Functional Exercise, Paul Chek
I cannot tell a lie: I went to this session to get a feeling of Paul’s personality at least as much as to hear his material. He’s everything I was expecting, and that’s a lot in one package. Here, too, I took good notes that you can expect to help me sort through later. Paul has made a huge contribution to the course our industry has taken, let there be no mistake about that part.

Assessment and Reaction-Back Function, Chuck Wolf
Part three and we’re done: Chuck works up the torso from the hips to the chest by way of the back. Now here’s a funny one – he apologizes for repeating the material on planes of motion that he’d covered in an earlier session. Forget that, it took me all three tries to begin to make sense of it, and I’ll be studying it a whole lot more before it gets ingrained. This was my last session with him, and in my head, we’re buds by now.

Stott Pilates Group Sculpt (workout), Moira Merrithew
Wrapping up the day on Thursday with a Pilates workout, again with the idea of trying something new, I slipped into this workshop given by the creator of Stott Pilates. It was a sculpt class using a couple of two-pound toning balls, and as a never-before-pilates participant, I expected to be floundering. Instead, I had no problems, and while I’m well aware there are some extremely fit Pilates enthusiasts who could put me in the ground, I have to say, my regular weight training and kettlebell work put me in a better position for Pilates than Pilates would have done for weight training. The woman next to me, a competitive bodybuilder, shared that opinion. Again, we’re talking about a sculpt class, not a core training class, which I haven’t yet tried and am certain to be fried when I do. What I’m saying is people looking for muscle building would be better suited using some weights.

Still, the toning-ball rotator cuff segment was absolutely outstanding, and in fact, I did it again at home this morning. That part’s a keeper.

Friday, July 11

No More Back Pain — Lumbo-Pelvic Hip Girdle, Justin Price
A Justin Price lecture first thing in the morning, what a way to start the day. Friday started an hour later (I guess they thought the alcohol would start flowing a little faster by Thursday night), so no pre-lecture workout, which was fine because my torso was still singing from the 75-minute core intensive from the previous morning. This workshop covered hip rotation, tilt and elevation (after his signature foot assessments that no lecture goes without), and every person in that class wished to have another couple of hours to glean a bit more JP brain matter.

Assessing Our Assessments, Greg Roskopf
Greg Roskopf is the guy behind the MAT program, Muscle Activation Technique, which we’ll be talking more about as time goes by. For a year I’d been wondering what the heck he was doing, because it’s pretty hard to tell from the write-up on his website. Essentially he’s working with range of motion assessments, same as a lot of folks, but that’s where the similarity ends: He’s flipped the “stretch what’s tight” rule and it becomes “strengthen what’s tight.” There’s more to it, as you can imagine, and we’ll get to that later.

High Performance Swiss Ball, Paul Chek
Today we get to see what made Paul famous: Swiss Ball. And he’s good on that thing, make no mistake. I can assure you, chances are real good your stability ball form is, er, lacking.

What the Hips Lack…Hurts the Back, Anthony Carey
Coming to this corrective exercise umbrella for me came because of years of low-grade back pain. It never got terrible, more like it was… always. Anthony’s book, Pain Free Program, was a key to relief. (Well, actually, it was me faithfully doing the exercises he suggested, so he can’t have all the credit.) I was really looking forward to his wrap-up of the week of study, and he didn’t disappoint. There was a lot of material presented that I’ll be using here in the blog in the coming months. He’s a winner, for sure.

As I sort through my notes and session handouts and run through an expected excessive amount of trial and error, we’ll look at some of the presenters’ theories to apply them to our earlier discussions of corrective exercise. We’ve got a lot to learn, but things are coming together nicely. And heck, we never want to stop learning. Brain function tops all.

Bodyweight exercises have taken center stage as I attempt to train up a faltering structure; most of the corrective exercise experts remind us not to try to add strength to dysfunction, and they point to bodyweight work as a key in determining our fail points.

Yet, many of us can’t think of anything past the pushups and situps we learned wrong back in the third grade. Sure, a YouTube search will dredge up a few hundred clips, but are you sure you want to learn from the authority who calls himself iamdrunk?

There’s a guy, Steve Cotter, who’s well known in both the martial arts and the kettlebell worlds. He’s an outstanding kettlebell instructor, and a generous teacher; if you get a chance to join in a Cotter workshop, you’ll end the day having learned your money’s worth, and more. Just watching the guy is a jaw-dropper.

Meanwhile, for us at home, we have a chance to expand our exercise selection with his bodyweight conditioning dvd series. I expect you’ll plant your face in the floor a few times as he inspires you to try more than you’re able to pull off. I even had to drop back and relearn the basic pushup; somewhere along the time between grammar school and middle age, I picked up an elbow-flaring habit that Steve clearly and repeatedly advised against.

In his teaching, he demonstrates easy, beginning options to the movements, building on each one until only one in a thousand will be able to follow along. On top of these useful progressions of common exercises, we also lay our eyes on unusual ideas such as the side-to-side squat as demonstrated below.

His Encyclopedia of Bodyweight Conditioning is a three-dvd set that covers 56 upper body exercises, 62 lower body exercises and 42 core torso options. There are plenty of $40 and $50 dvds out there running a whopping 45 minutes; clocking in at almost four hours, Steve’s Encyclopedia is a gold mine as well as bargain.

Seriously, don’t you think you could learn something from this guy? Scroll forward to the 30-second mark for a mind-blower:

Byron calls Steve a mutant. You can be sure he means that most respectfully.

Physical therapists and coaches for professional athletes have not always been ahead of bodybuilders when it comes to building a muscular body. In fact, in terms of nutrition and weight training, the guys of Dave’s competitive years led the charge for today’s athletes. Yet I must say that leadership role has been reversed over the past decade, and these days it’s the strength and conditioning coaches and the athletic PT folks who are making remarkable strides in revamping how we think about our training programs.

What a great time this is to be a young athlete, and what I mean by that is that over the next few years the new generation will get corrective exercise, movement screening and instructions such as daily foam rolling as part of their athletic training. Soon this stuff will be done by coaches down to the high school level, and, as the athletes age, they’ll take this knowledge with them into adulthood. Those athletes have an excellent chance at less pain in their golden years, something the Golden Era bodybuilders unfortunately were not able to demonstrate.

Corrective exercise and movement screening is how this is filtering down to the average weight training athlete.

I’ll give you a brief introduction so when your kid comes home spouting his or her coach’s instructions, you’ll be up on the lingo. Better yet, you’ll start taking note when the terms come up in forum conversations and exercise newsletters, because there are gems in this new work that can truly reverse some of your nagging aches and pains. I kid you not.

The term corrective exercise broadly refers to specific exercise or stretches designed to target a defect in a person’s physical movement. What happens is in our lives, either through our day-to-day work, unbalanced exercise selection in the weight room, lopsided sports activity like golf, tennis or softball, or just plain sitting around too much, muscle groups work at diminished capacity, letting others take over the tasks.

Often the wrong muscles doing the work, or one side of the body working better than the other, will cause a cascade of physical problems, such as back and knee pain. Sometimes the problems have gone on long enough they can’t be fixed without surgery, or can’t be fixed at all, but more often than not, a month of attention to corrective exercise rehab will reverse a future of pain, and with surprisingly little effort.

The guys leading us into this bright future come from two basic schools of thought: movement screening and structural assessment.

Gray Cook, the author of Athletic Body in Balance, and his business partner, Lee Burton, have designed what they call the Functional Movement Screen, a set of physical tests used by physical therapists, strength and conditioning coaches and, increasingly, forward-thinking personal trainers. Their philosophy in creating the screen is to test the movement and use the exercises they’ve come up with to correct the faulty movement pattern. The point with the FMS is to fix the problem, not dissect it down to the various causes; to their thinking it doesn’t matter what caused it, just fix it.

On the other side we find guys like Gary Gray, Justin Price and Anthony Carey, who prefer to assess the athlete or client’s structure, discover the discrepancies and prescribe exercises to fix the various issues.

Many of the suggestions will be the same, regardless of the method of discovery. The real problem for most of us in today’s environment is that, while increasing rapidly, the professionals able to do the assessments are still few and far between. Chances of a skilled pro in your town are relatively rare, which leaves us looking at the movement screening for our at-home fixes.

As an aside, I will say if I lived in San Diego, I’d be at Justin’s or Anthony’s clinic in a heartbeat, or if near Danville, Virginia, I’d be over at Gray and Lee’s place as soon as I could get an appointment. Ditto Gary Gray’s in Michigan. Another guy who can help you out in Connecticut is John Izzo of StandApartFitness.com. The beauty of this stuff is it can be as little as a one-time visit – get tested, get your assignment and get to work, so even if you have to make a drive to get assessed or re-assessed, it’s not like it’s a weekly appointment. It’ll be worth it, I promise.

Assuming you don’t live in those areas, here’s whatcha do next: Gray Cook took the Functional Movement Screen that he and Lee designed for the pros to use, and dumbed it down for the rest of us. In Athletic Body in Balance, you’ll find five simple tests (don’t read that to be easy tests) you can do at home to determine your weakest link. From there, the book goes on to tell you exactly how to fix it, which exercises or stretches and in what order you should best tackle them.

On Tom Incledon’s recommendation, I tested myself when the book first came out in 2003. I failed so miserably I bagged the project, thinking a book for “athletes” wasn’t for me. Failure in movement means pay attention… Get a clue!Unfortunately, I didn’t pick that book back up until a month ago.

This time, however, I knew enough about the corrective exercise movement to know the failures were signposts pointing me in the right direction. I followed the instructions and re-tested a month later, last weekend in fact, and the success of February’s exercise effort was remarkable. Instead of ramming the pvc marker into the doorway, falling over (yes, I’m talking about to the floor) or missing the position entirely, all five tests received a passing grade. I’m not done; nothing was perfect, yet the progress in four weeks was truly outstanding.

Lest this not sound like it’s simply about passing a test, let me tell you a bit about how things feel: My back feels better, my shoulders move better and without pain, my posture’s straighter, and my stride is longer and more athletic. I want more of that and have targeted the exercises suggested for last weekend’s lower-scoring tests.

I want this for you, too, so just go ahead and spring for Gray’s book, Athletic Body in Balance. Yes, I know you don’t feel like an athlete. Just do it anyway.

Late edit to cross-link posts: Finding a local corrective exercise specialist.

I would never have guessed the authors could better their work in Starting Strength (First Edition), never. Yet that’s exactly what they did — this new edition is outstanding and I highly recommended it.

In fact, I’d even recommend it to people who already own the original book, except those people don’t need the recommendation; they were already in the pre-order line waiting for publication. Congratulations to Mark and Lon on making such a contribution to our collective training library.

And so begins our book discussion for January, and I suspect one we’ll be talking about pretty much forever after that: the new edition of Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training, by Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore.

Notes the Startingstrength.com website, “Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training is the new expanded version of the book that has been called “the best and most useful of fitness books.” It picks up where Starting Strength: A Simple and Practical Guide for Coaching Beginners leaves off. With all new graphics and more than 750 illustrations, a more detailed analysis of the five most important exercises in the weight room, and a new chapter dealing with the most important assistance exercises, Basic Barbell Training offers the most complete examination in print of the most effective way to exercise.”

You can preview the Starting Strength sections here in pdf format.

Join the discussion! Grab the book here: Starting Strength, 2nd Edition, $29.95.

The above link is direct to the authors’ publishing company selling at the same price as Amazon.com. Take the extra minute to order it from them direct; they make an extra 60% retail over wholesale, which they deserve for writing this outstanding and much-needed contribution to barbell training instruction.

In Powerlifting USA, October 2007, publisher Mike Lambert writes:

Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training by Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore is now out in a 2nd edition. Unlike some 2nd edition books, which merely include a new preface in the way of revision, this is a majorly substantial update and expansion of what was a great tome to begin with. The material in the original, 2005 edition is included, but there are lots of new graphics and additional chapters of valuable material beyond the initial release.

Another subtle, but important difference, is that the focus of the book has been altered, from being coach-focused to being lifter-focused. Throughout the book, there’s an encyclopedia of practical tips you can put into your training program — right now — and see improvement almost immediately, and — significantly — you will understand why it helped you. This attitude, which is reflective of the broad experience and insight of the authors, will serve this book’s readers for years to come.

Five key exercises are covered, squat, bench, deadlift, press and power clean, as well as assistance exercises. For each, there is in depth explanation of rules, recommended equipment, and the elemental points of proper lift performance.

Some of the graphics are simply the best we’ve ever seen when it comes to illuminating the real essence of a given lift. (one example: a clever “yin-yang” representation of the relationship between the power clean and the deadlift… another example is the photo series showing the value of squatting with a board in front of your shin).

If you have the first edition, you won’t be sorry you got the 2nd. If you get the 2nd edition, you’ll wish you hadn’t gone 3 years without the first one. ~ Mike Lambert, Powerlifting USA

We’ve begun our Starting Strength discussion, where you’ll find in-depth conversations about squat form, deadlifting, pressing and assistance lifts, and we invite you to read or contribute to the collection.

After we’ve read and discussed the book at length, the authors will be joining us for a Q&A at the end of the month to clear up any confusion or, in the unlikely event we get everything sorted out (yeah, right), to simply add to the conversation.

Those with the first edition who choose not to order the second will have no problem joining the discussion. The second edition expands on the first; if there are differences between the two, those will be interesting threads as we uncover them.

Again, the two important links are:

Grab the book here: Starting Strength, 2nd Edition, $29.95

Join the discussion: IronOnline Starting Strength discussion.