Well Worth the Investment

I don't usually recommend or endorse too many books on training...and for one very good reason - "Because there aren't many out there!", but the one's I feel are spot-on, I like to share and such is the case with Dave Durell's

====> HIGH INTENSITY MUSCLE BUILDING <====

Dave's concise and thorough depiction of proper strength training (along with his endless "bonus offerings") makes this an endless source of great information. If you can't directly work with a qualified fitness professional, HIGH INTENSITY MUSCLE BUILDING is the next best thing!

Dumbbell Training Videos

I have started a video series from our book, "Dumbbell Training for Strength and Fitness". Today is the first installment and I will be providing a weekly video highlighting areas of each chapter with exercise descriptions, illustrations and workouts so you may want to bookmark this site. Please feel free to pass this along to others as they may also benefit from it.

DUMBBELL TRAINING FOR STRENGTH AND FITNESS VIDEO SERIES

The Saturday Morning Crew kicked butt as they performed an intense conditioning cycle today. There were 4 stations were: Concept II SkiErg, Schwinn Windsprint, Concept II Rower and Marpo Kinetics Viper Rope. Each man did a station for 2 minutes and rested for 1 minute between each station for their first round. Their second round consisted of 90 seconds with 1 minute rest between stations and their 3rd and final round was 1 minute long with 1 minute rest between stations. They pushed each interval very hard and needless to say, were beat after they were done. Job well done, fellas!

An 8 Week Training Cycle

Most people cycle their training by using different rep ranges, exercises, sequence of exercises, volume, etc. and they all can work. I have found for myself (and others) that cycling frequency can work very well without changing any other factors. Take the following as an example:

Weeks 1&2: 3 full-body workouts
Weeks 3&4: 2 full-body workouts
Weeks 5&6: upper/lower body split
Weeks 7&8: 1 full-body workout

Weeks 1 and 2 are straight forward, non-consecutive workouts performing exercises that work the whole body. If compound movements are used, a total of 5-10 hard sets per session will suffice. If possible, do not do any intense conditioning work on the off days but feel free to recreate.

Weeks 3 and 4 are again straight forward in that these 2 weeks are giving you just a little more rest between strength training days since you are strength training twice each week. You can throw in an intense conditioning day if you'd like and again, feel free to recreate.

Weeks 5 and 6 have you splitting your workouts up into upper and lower days done over 3 non-consecutive days. This will have you performing 2 upper and 1 lower workout the first week and 2 lower and 1 upper workout the following week.
Depending on what your full body workout looks like, you may be only doing a couple exercises for the lower body. To make the trip to the gym worth while, you can include any direct abdominal and lower back work to this day if it makes sense to your overall program. On lower body day you may want to throw in a handful of intervals via the bike, running, elliptical, whatever works for you

Weeks 7 and 8 have you strength training only once a week - giving you 6 days of rest from strength training. Throw in 1-2 intense conditioning days but focus on recovery.

Fred Fornicola

Massage by Marcos

Marcos Pichardo, CMT
917.882.2557
massagebymarcos@live.com

Certified by the Massage, Bodywork & Somatic Therapy Committee of NJ

"Enhancing the well-being and quality of life through massage therapy."

Marcos is available for Chair and Table Massages on Saturday's at Premiere Personal Fitness, 614 Lake Avenue,, Asbury Park. Massages start at 9AM by appointment only.

Marcos is also available for home massages on Saturday afternoons and Sunday's by appointment only. A 24 hour notification is preferred.

Chair Massage: $1.00/per minute - Table Massage: $75.00/per hour
Out calls for Table Massage: $85.00/per hour

Some Words from the "Elite"

"Fred's new ELITE program has had a significant impact in a very short period of time. Since initiating this program, I have increased my overall strength and endurance...as well as achieving a visible improvement in my physique...best of all, I have "seen" these changes almost immediately. As a result of my training, I am well on my way to reaching my goal of overall improved health." - Jason Woods

"Fred’s Elite program has been a life-changing experience for me, after struggling for years to find the “sweet spot” combination of weightlifting, conditioning, and nutrition that worked for me. Over the last 8 months in applying Fred’s Elite program to my workout regimen, I have experienced a definitive improvement in body composition and conditioning. When I went to my physician’s office for a routine blood pressure follow-up not too long ago, my doctor was actually enthused by my check-up results. When I asked him if there was anything else I should be doing, he said “just keep doing whatever you’re doing, because it is working.” I must attribute this to the guidance and discipline that Fred has given me through his Elite program. One day a week with a ½ hour of intense lifting, and one or two days of 15-30 minutes of conditioning is all that it’s taken, plus eating right. Don’t get me wrong: it’s been hard work. However, it’s been worth it, and I am certainly proud to be one of Fred’s Elite success stories." - Darryl Hughes

“I've been training with Fred for about 5 years now. I would train 2-3 times a week and made pretty decent gains when I worked according to Fred’s guidelines. Fred thought I’d be a good candidate for his Elite training program so I decided to give it a try. I was leery about only working out once a week at first until, BAM! I started seeing results. I feel stronger and see more definition than ever before. Other people have noticed as well and have made comments about the muscle tone in my legs and when I tell them I go to the gym once a week for 20 minutes, they totally don't believe me. This program is ideal because of my hectic schedule and makes it much easier for me to keep in shape and dedicated to my training. I highly recommend this to ANYONE looking to get fit fast….you won't be sorry.” - Allison Bibbo

No Time to Train? Really?

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the brightest bulb in the pack, but it's beyond my comprehension that a person can't dedicate some time to exercise. I just trained my wife - it took her 10 minutes to drive to our studio, her training session consisted of 10 total sets of hard exercise that trained her entire body and her workout lasted 13 minutes. Another 10 minutes to drive home gives her a total time investment of 33 minutes once a week. So, if you aren't investing in your health, what's your excuse, because it can't be time!

Click here to take the Premiere Personal Fitness Survey

What A Ride....

My last few Sunday's have been dedicated to intense cycling (intense for me, anyway). I'm generally out on the road between 6:30 and 7AM – mainly because I like to get an early start, but more so because there’s no traffic, the sun has just fully risen and, well, it’s just so damn peaceful with no one around. I usually do about 8-10 hard miles, consisting mainly of steep inclines and interval type work and have been averaging about 16.5 mph with some speeds as high as 29 mph and as low as 11 mph.

I have this one particular series of hill-like inclines that challenge me right at the beginning of my ride – maybe 1 ½ miles into my trek – that get my heart and lungs a pumpin’ right away. I like taking that hill early, not because it’s easier to do when I’m fresh (because I do other hills after it anyway), but because it’s my albatross. Me, one on one with that hill, I can feel my chest pumping and at times, hear my heart beating as I talk my way up that hill and when I concur it I don’t realize how hard I’m breathing or how much my lungs are burning because I kicked its ass and I feel great. Without a doubt, these Sunday’s have provided a stimulating and productive ride - challenging my heart, lungs, body and mental toughness. It's very rewarding as it promotes many positive aspects that go beyond the physical – and let me tell you something, it is physical (it’s unbelievable how much the lower body works taking those hills and the torso stabilizes your efforts).

These rides allow me to challenge myself on many levels, some I can't begin to explain. The interesting thing is that if I didn't strength train, if I didn't eat wholesome foods, if I didn't rest properly, if I didn’t work hard - I would not be able to perform and appreciate what I experienced on my ride this morning. Sure, it sounds like what I did this morning was “the work” and in essence, it was, but that’s not how it felt. It felt more like re-creating and offered an intrinsic value that I’m appreciative for having had the opportunity.

Youth Fitness Special

My co-author, Matt Brzycki and I are offering any youth related organization/school etc. an opportunity to bulk purchase our Youth Fitness book at a very, very low cost. There are two stipulations at the low price: 1) the books will be utilized in some capacity and not shoved in a corner somewhere and 2) you pick up the freight charges. If you have an interest, please feel free to contact me and we can discuss further.

==> Youth Fitness: An Action Plan for Shaping America's Kids <==

fredfornicola@gmail.com

"Fred Fornicola is a trainer. Wait, you say. You knew that. No, Fred Fornicola IS a REAL trainer. Fred is constantly thinking about how to make workouts effective given constraints thrown at him that might come with each individual. He's one trainer I would trust to train my kids. And, for me, that's a big deal. Safety while being effective is always part of his equation. As I have said plenty of times, you can not train if you are injured! Fred's latest article on running is spot on. In fact, I took his advice and went to a local neighborhood BIG hill (grass!) and talk about a good cardio workout without the joint stress. I loved it. He's also been firing suggestions my way to help with my lower back. It's been much appreciated Fred, thanks! Frankly, Fred knows his stuff and long time Cyberpump readers are probably aware of this already. Fred tells me he's going to start up an online training service. If you are looking for some help in your training even for a short period of time to get back on track, contact Fred. I give him the highest recommendation." - Bill Piche

"On-Line" Training

Gather round, Fred Fornicola is now offering “Online Training” services for anyone interested in working one-on-one with Fred.

WHAT TO EXPECT

• In-Depth Consultation
• Health History Evaluation
• Goal Setting
• Exercise Selection and Equipment Recommendations
• Personalized Exercise Program

ADDITIONAL SERVICES

• Review of Training Video Performance
• Email Inquiries
• And much, much more.

If you are interested, Fred Fornicola can be contacted at 908.433.4542 or via email at fredfornicola@gmail.com. For more information about Fred and Premiere Personal Fitness, visit www.PremierePersonalFitness.com.

PRICING

Initial Consultation (by appointment) - $40.00

Hour Phone Session (by appointment) - $75.00

30 Minute Follow up (by appointment) - $30.00

Additional emails inquiries and video performance evaluation extra.

Sign up for Fred’s services after consultation and receive a $20 credit towards your program!

“Fred has always gone above and beyond to help me with any health, nutrition and training related questions or assistance I needed, whether I am there in person or if we work together online. He is always available and always willing to share all that he has to offer.” – Vicki A.

“Fred Fornicola is a trainer. Wait, you say. You knew that. No, Fred Fornicola IS a REAL trainer. Fred is constantly thinking about how to make workouts effective given constraints thrown at him that might come with each individual. He's one trainer I would trust to train my kids. And, for me, that's a big deal. Safety while being effective is always part of his equation.” – Bill Piche

Speed and Endurance Simplified

I recently came across an article by Clarence Ross which was published in 1953. The title of the article was “Speed & Endurance” and in it Clarence has a conversation with a young athlete who’s apprehensive about strength training as it might “bulk him up too much and slow him down” for his athletic performance. I found the topic quite interesting, as when I ventured into the world of training back in the early to mid 70’s (yes, I’m that old) and as a high school basketball player, I was told to run away from weights as fast as I could because it would make me muscle bound and stunt my growth – which, at only 5’7” I couldn’t afford any more stunting. Fortunately, I ignored the myths and naysayer’s and went head first into training using Nautilus equipment and The Nautilus Principles, as they were referred to back then. Training didn’t hurt my game one bit, in fact, it helped out tremendously as an aggressive shooting guard, I didn’t mind penetrating the lane and getting smacked around and was certainly not shy about mixing it up under the boards to try and get rebounds or at least, box some of the larger guards and forwards out. I found that I didn’t get fatigued as quickly and I could play ball for hours. My quickness had improved and I seemed to use less energy to make things happen on the court.

So, let’s get back to my initial point and what prompted this. Well, a lot of people think speed and endurance are developed by lifting weights fast, running with resistance (sled, weight vest, bands, etc), doing tons of miles on the road or some type of agility/plyometric type training. The real truth, however, is based on a few criteria that will be much safer, efficient and effective to improve speed and endurance.

1) You need to be strong. A stronger body (not just legs) will enable you to perform a task easier so you will express ore power AND you will use less energy doing it. A win-win situation.
2) You need to know how to perform your skill properly. Take identical twins that are the same size, weight and strength levels. One plays football, the other doe not. Who do you think will have more speed on the football field? The one with more knowledge and experience as he knows how to react quicker and can anticipate plays thereby giving him the edge up on speed and quickness, and to a degree endurance as he knows when he can steal some rest between plays.
3) You need to make “perfect practice” to engrain the behavior and at the same time build sport-specific cardiovascular endurance which is best achieved by playing your sport or activity EXACTLY as you would in competition.

I’ll close with an excerpt from the Clarence Ross article, which, in 1953 was spot on as it is still today. Unfortunately, many coaches and athletes find the need to complicate what is as simple as 1-2-3. Here are Clarence’s thoughts as he expressed them to this young man.
“After all, what is speed other than power in motion? In other words, there can be no speed without a motor power of some sort. In the body, the muscles provide this power. The better trained the muscles are, the more power they will possess.

“And what is endurance other than a continuation of motor power over a period or time? Endurance is based completely upon body power, for weak muscles cannot possess the reserve energy for sustained action. Only powerful and well-trained muscles can keep going in active sports for some period of time without growing exhausted. So here too, it makes sense to realize that well-trained muscles possess endurance.

“But there is still one other factor . . .coordination. Without coordination you can have all the power in the world and still not be able to use this power efficiently. Since muscular coordination is developed through training the various muscles of the body to work in harmony, it stands to reason that any method of exercise which develops MUSCULAR PROPORTION will give the individual a balanced type of power and extremely good coordination.”

Well stated Mr. Ross, well stated.

"Use exercise as a means of improving your health and functionality. When certain types of exercise become counterproductive to these means, it's time for you to reevaluate and consider." - Fred Fornicola

Drop Sets

Pressed for time or need a change of pace and want a kick-ass workout? Well you may want to try drop or strip sets. So what’s a drop or strip set? Well, it’s quite simple to understand but a real bear to do. You perform an exercise with a weight that will yield you about 8-10 repetitions to muscular fatigue/failure. When you reach failure, you immediately drop or strip approximately 15-20% of the weight and then do as many reps as you can again (you will probably get around 4-6 reps). Now, you have one more drop/strip set so again, reduce the resistance by 15-20% and do as many reps in good form as you can (you will probably get around 4-6 but as always, do as many as you can).

The ideal approach for using drop/strip sets is to pick 3 compound exercises (exercises that use more than one joint and involve more than one muscle group) and a resistance that can be reduced easily and quickly. Selectorized machines (selectorized refers to a machine that has weights already and you change the resistance by using a pin while a plate-loading machine has to have weights added to it manually) or dumbbells tend to work best. In picking your three movements, choose one for the lower body so it stresses the thighs and hips, one movement that works the back and biceps and another that will stress the chest, shoulders and triceps. An example may be a workout that involves a leg press, pulldown and shoulder press. These three movements will hit every major muscle group quite intensely and effectively. If you pick a piece of equipment and requires you to plate-load or you use a barbell, make sure to have a qualified spotter or training partner drop or strip the weights for you after, of course, you’ve set it up for the proper increment drops. A quick example of the plate-loaded leg press using 200 pounds for your initial set: load the leg press so that it totals 200 pounds but allows you to drop/strip the resistance by 35 pound plates (which is about 17%) so you just need to make two easy drops.

In essence, a workout of this magnitude is providing nine highly intense sets in a very short amount of time (probably no more than 10-12 minutes). There is no doubt that you will stimulate plenty of muscle fiber and your cardio respiratory system to its fullest.

Fred Fornicola

An Interview With Fred Fornicola by Conditioning Research Blogspot

An interview on Conditioning Research Blog with Fred Fornicola

Some people making lifting weights their life - nothing wrong with that. Others strength train as a means to enhance their athletic or recreational performance...and that's good too. While others use strength training to be more functional and a "part" of their overall exercise program...and that's great. But remember,... regardless of your reason for training, it's all about improving your health.

Big Daddy D

Big Daddy D

Darryl (also referred to as Big Daddy D around here) has been training with me for 6 ½ years. Darryl has been on the up-and-down fat loss wagon for some years now, but over the last 6 month’s we have honed in on the right exercise frequency/intensity and he has stayed strong on his nutritional plan allowing him to lose over 25 pounds of fat and gain around 5+ pounds of muscle. Darryl at one time trained twice a week then went to three times a week and for the last several month’s has been strength training just once a week with me. On Saturday’s, he and a couple of other guys come in and we go through a very intense conditioning program using the Concept II Rower and the Concept II SkiErg.

Today, Darryl’s workout consisted of the following:

*Machine Pullover – 8 reps to failure plus a couple forced reps - supersetted with*Machine Pulldowns – 4 reps plus a static hold in the MMA position (Maximum Moment Arm)* Machine Shoulder Press – 3 reps plus various static hold positions for 5 seconds each*Single Leg, Leg Press on the Nautilus Leverage – 5 reps each leg alternating for 3 sets (15 total reps per leg)* TrapBar DL/Hi Pull combo for a handful of reps…..(see attached video)

And then Darryl rested……he had no choice!

Check out the video! DARRYL DEADLIFTS

The Entire Body

Name one sport, athletic event or physical activity that doesn't engage all the muscles of the body? Well, I'll make it easy for you, there isn't one. Certain areas of the body may be emphasized more than others as in running or cycling, but don't think for a minute that your entire body isn't involved in activities like these...you would be sadly mistaken.