Nothing fancy, but again– the BASICS never fail. Every training program, regardless of how fancy it may look or how many gadgets are used should have some form of basic barbell training principles in it. I am favoring higher repetition training right now, using submaximal weights to build strength. A couple reasons why I am using this method currently in my training:

• Mental Toughness Training: Do you think you can build up some attitude and mental toughness after getting under a heavy barbell and repping a weight for 15-20 repetitions you once thought was too heavy? Damn straight!
  
• Starting Lighter and Progressing Slower: This is where many fail to understand that a training program should be focused on LONG TERM progressions, not quick fixes. Think 6-12 months down the road how much progress you can truly make if you are just patient and quit stressing out because you didn’t add 50 pounds to your max bench in 8 weeks. (I give credit to Jim Wendler for shedding light on this subject from his e-book 5/3/1, which I highly recommend. No, it’s not an affiliate link, I just think the book and philosophy behind the program kicks major ass.)
  

The second video is the latest commercial from Under Armour featuring GSP (Georges St. Pierre for those of you not into the MMA scene). This got me FIRED UP to go train and be the best at what I do. Are you ready to kick ass and take names today? Quit living your life with excuses and GO AFTER whatever goals you have. Not tomorrow, not in 3 months, NOW. The time will never, ever be perfect. Just do it!

Keep on keepin’ on,

John Cortese

Anyways, enjoy these videos of the fastest man in the world!

John Cortese

I want you.. To quit the damn whining! Thanks

If you want something, how are YOU going to make it happen? Look, nobody owes you anything. This video inspires the hell out of me. I’m sure we’ve all had an excuse to WHY you can’t workout because..

I don’t have a gym..

I’m too old/out of shape/lazy…

I can’t because (irrelevant excuse)

Make it happen, someway, somehow! When there’s a will, there’s a way. Get better today, and every day after!

Enjoy this video from strength coach Matt Wichlinski who owns  his own warehouse gym in Virginia Beach, VA. If you’re in that area, get over to his facility right now!

You can get a kick ass workout practically anywhere if you’re creative enough!

See ya!

John Cortese

PLEASE DO NOT be this stupid. Nothing about this is functional and is plain dangerous. Save the gimmicks!!

I’m sure sometime, somewhere, at the gym you go to (most likely a commercial gym), you’ve seen someone do something that just does NOT look right. It never fails– I don’t have to put up with nonsense like that anymore, but damn it used to make me cringe watching some of the moronic and idiotic thing people are doing in the weight room. This video shows exactly why you should always squat in a power rack; you should never use weight you aren’t ready for; and you should always stop short of failure (UNLESS Special Circumstances apply i.e. you have a good spotter, reason for doing it, etc).

Doing stupid shit like this just makes you look really dumb and also runs the risk of getting you hurt. If something like this happens in a power rack, that’s OK because the safety pins are there to catch the bar. It’s OK to get pinned by heavy weight, it’s happened to all of us. But this kinda thing takes some common sense and smarts to know this may not be the best idea.

What’s the take home point? Use your head! If it looks foolish and involves lots of crazy gimmicks, or you just aren’t sure it’s going to be the safest thing in the world, use better judgment!

At least the kid above made an attempt to do some full squats, but he should have taken some weight off of the bar.

Stay strong, but go about it using some smarts will ya?

John Cortese

PS- Speaking of training smart, if you’re looking to shed fat, build muscle, and elevate your conditioning to that of a professional athlete- without spending countless hours in the gym- the Bull Strength Conditioning Manual might just be for you. I just got a copy of it yesterday and cannot WAIT to start using these conditioning methods and workouts into my own training!!

I’ll be posting more of my favorite videos frequently, but for now, enjoy this clip.

Now go lift something heavy! (Preferably from the floor and over your head like Dimas!)

If this doesn’t inspire you to get stronger, I don’t know what will!!

See ya!

John Cortese

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I gave these  a run yesterday for the first time during an upper body training session… Let me tell you.. They are HARD. But, they’re extremely fun and not only are you getting a killer shoulder stability/arm/chest/back strengthener, your entire core (abdominals, obliques, lower back, hips) must be contracted HARD the entire time. I recommend starting out performing 3-4 sets of 10-20 yards to get the feel of the movement and gradually progress as you get stronger and more fit. We performed 3 sets x maximum distance on this day and then immediately performed another exercise right after; it was rough! Partner hand walking is awesome and I recommend every athlete do them, along with anyone who wants to strengthen the entire upper body! These aren’t for everyone though; be warned, these require ATTITUDE!

See ya!

John Cortese

Check out my response below from a “Q & A e-mail”  from Joe, asking “When is the best time to start conditioning for football?“..

Just watch the video below, and don’t forget to drop me a comment afterwards! I love hearing your feedback!

Agree/Disagree? Let’s hear your thoughts!

See ya, and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

-John Cortese

Record your screencast online

PS- Did you catch Part I of my Ultimate Guide to Bodyweight Training article yet? Head over and let me know what you thought of that! PART II comes out shortly! Stay tuned!

Good morning, hope you all are having a great Saturday.

Real quick today, but I wanted to discuss a common myth that surrounds the weight training world. This myth I’m referring to is this : Can Females Train and Lift HEAVY like the guys?!

Short Answer: YES. Females are just half of the training population. In my opinion, every female athlete or trainee should be performing some sort of squat and/or deadlift variation in their training. I can just hear it now..

“I just want to tone up”

“I don’t want to look like a bodybuilder!”

“I’ll get way too bulky!”

That’s GREAT! But running on the treadmill for 60 minutes and doing bosu ball squats with the 2-lb. pink dumbbells won’t cut it for long. I’ll give you 5 good and simple reasons to WHY every woman should be lifting and trying to lift heavy!

1. Prevents unwanted ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) Injury- Studies show that women are 2 to 8 times as likely as men to have an ACL injury. (3) In 1995, an article was published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine that found that female basketball players in the NCAA tore their ACLs four times more often than male basketball players. In the same study, women who played NCAA soccer sustained ACL injuries twice as often as male soccer players. (1) This injury is very devastating and can leave a dramatic impact on your sporting career as well as daily life. Most if not all ACL injuries require surgery and rehab often takes 8-12 months. The majority of these injuries are often non-contact related: meaning it happens on a sharp cut or plant in the ground and the knee cannot support the forces required to stabilize and function properly.
   

2. HEAVY Resistance Training builds lean muscle and burns more FAT at rest- The more lean tissue you have, the more energy that is required to sustain that. More energy (or Calories) will be spent throughout the day to sustain your muscle tissue. And, let me be very clear. Women do NOT have the required amount of testosterone in their blood to build a “bulky, manly” physique. Men have 3-4 times the amount of testosterone produced in their bodies compared to their female counterparts- the amount of muscle you build is highly relative to the testosterone in your blood- hence why men are typically stronger, leaner, and build larger muscles than women. (Also, remember this simple formula: to gain weight, you MUST consume more calories than you expend. Men will eat more than women on average.) The bulky, manly, extremely muscular females you see in the media are likely on some sort of male hormones. A lean and healthy looking body is a by product of hard work and smart training. I’ve trained many, many female clients and athletes and have YET to see one turn into a man from lifting some heavy iron. Don’t be afraid to break out of your comfort zones!!

If Marilyn Monroe could do it, so can you!

3. Improve Jumping Height, Sprint Speed, and Endurance- Very simple: The stronger your muscles are, the more force you can deliver to the ground. It has been proven time and time again that a stronger muscle works more efficiently and will improve jump height, sprint speed, and muscle endurance. Check out the video proof below;  a high school female soccer player I’ve been working with performing some heavy back squats. I don’t think she’s gained even 5 pounds after training with weights for 8-9 weeks but has gotten incredibly stronger, faster, and more explosive. Improved sports performance? You betcha!
Every female athlete or client I’ve worked with performs all sorts of weight training exercises and every single one has seen increases in speed, strength, body composition, posture, flexibility, etc.

(That’s 190 pounds on her back; quite impressive for senior in high school!)

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And that “tone” you are all looking for? You get that too. Muscle tone (or “Tonus”) is a term that simply means

“(a) The muscle in a steady partially contracted state caused by the successive flow of nerve impulses.

(b) The amount of tension or resistance to movement in a muscle.

Muscle tonus helps in maintaining body posture. For instance, the muscles holding the jaw keep it in position with a continuous and partial contraction. When a person sleeps or loses consciousness, the muscle tonus declines.” (2)

4. Decrease risk of Osteoporosis- Recent research indicates that women who lifted weights decreased their risk of osteoporosis and increased their own bone mineral density by 13 percent in 6 weeks. Weight bearing activities places stress on your bones, which in turns causes an adaptation process to occur and respond to a given stress. Stronger and denser bones result from this.

5. Improve posture, mindset, and ATTITUDE- Nothing compares to beating a large obstacle in life, especially when it can be somewhat intimidating and fearful. Believe me, every person that is new to this is somewhat intimidated, but after a few weeks of proper instruction, coaching, and feedback- THEY LOVE IT! Once you see how fun weight training can be, and the added benefits you get from it, you will be hooked for life! If you can get under a heavy bar and squat it, or pick up something that seems impossible from the ground, don’t you think you can conquer any obstacle in LIFE? This is not just about lifting weights. This carries over so well to your daily lives and makes you mentally stronger, tougher, and more confident.

I hope you enjoyed my top 5 reasons why women should lift weights. If you have any questions, feel free to respond below and drop me a comment! Remember: Don’t be afraid to be DIFFERENT and try something new! Break out of your comfort zone and attack what you’re fearful of! You’ll be a stronger person because of it!

See ya!

John Cortese

CortesePerformance.com

PS- Leave me Comment!

References:

1. ACL Injury Prevention- http://www.youcanbefit.com/ACL.html
2. Why You Should Lift Weights if you’re a Woman- http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/women/a/aa051601a.htm
3. Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury- http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/89442-overview