Ask DeFranco's Gym

Episode #1: Teaching the basics of the Box Squat from the "bottom up" 

Joe D. 

I am extremely excited to announce that the September 21-22 CPPS certification course will be held in sunny Florida at the brand new WWE Performance Center! 

Those familiar with our "Certified Physical Preparation Specialist" course know that it's a culmination of two decades of research, experimentation and real-world experience.

Athletes, coaches, personal trainers, physical therapists, college professors and medical doctors from across the globe have all travelled to New Jersey to learn our proven CPPS athletic preparation model.

This model includes:

-Breathing essentials & pre-movement prep (self-myofascial release, mobility, corrective exercise) 

-Assessments 

-Fundamental movement patterns & Injury prevention

-Advanced Strength training techniques 

-Power & Speed development

-Program design

-Sport psychology

We truly feel that this is the most comprehensive course available in the training world today. When you couple this with our hands-on teaching style, you have a recipe for the best certification course in the entire fitness industry!

Speaking of being the best...

For those unfamiliar with the new WWE Performance Center, it is a 26,000 square-foot mega-facility that includes seven wrestling rings, a 5500 square-foot gym (very similar to the design of DeFranco's Gym :), Sports Medicine/Rehabilitation facility, Private TV studios, Production Suites, Player's lounge, etc. 

Simply put, the WWE Performance Center is the most innovative, state-of-the-art training facility I have EVER seen. Period. 

This is why I'm so proud and excited to be teaching the CPPS course out of this location. I was at the Grand Opening so I can tell you first-hand that the facility lives up to the hype! 

Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get world-class training instruction at a world-class, one-of-a-kind facility! 

SPOTS ARE LIMITED!

Click the link below to register!

September 21-22 CPPS course @ WWE Performance Center

I can't believe it's been almost five years since I posted my original Agile 8 flexibility routine. For those unfamiliar with how that routine came about, here's the quick story:

At the time, there were the "over-reactors" & "under-reactors" regarding flexibility. The over-reactors promoted very comprehensive flexibility routines, but most of these routines took over an hour to complete or required special equipment. The "under-reactors" were those who said, "F#ck it, I just wanna lift", so they didn't perform any flexibility what-so-ever. As with most things in life, the answer to the flexibility "problem" could be found somewhere in the middle of the extremists. Unfortunately, there wasn't much (if any) practical information out there that covered this "middle ground". 

I pride myself as being a "voice of reason" in the fitness industry, so I wanted to provide a realistic flexibility routine that would help almost anyone. I realized that many people find stretching boring as hell, so if I was going to get them to actually do it, it couldn't take all day to complete. So instead of coming up with the "War & Peace" of flexibility routines, I  decided to provide people with 8 simple stretches/mobility drills that easily flowed together and dramatically reduced low back tightness in under 15 minutes. The end result turned out to be a wildly popular routine that helped (and continues to help)  thousands of people worldwide that otherwise hated stretching! 

I will be the first to admit that there is nothing "special" or "magical" about the Agile 8. But the "secret" to its success and longevity lies in the fact that people actually do it. This can hopefully be a lesson to all coaches and trainers regarding the power of simplicity. You can write up the greatest program in the world, but it aint worth sh*t if no one does it! 

Now that I've explained the history of the Agile 8; I'll explain the reasoning behind this blog post:

Since there are so many people performing the Agile 8 and our audience continues to grow daily, I wanted to ensure that everyone continues to get the most out of the routine. I thought it would be a huge help to make a video of the routine so people can see how to perform each exercise, instead of relying on written descriptions.

So, without further ado, I bring you the updated version of the Agile 8...

The Limber 11!   

The Limber 11

1. Foam Roll IT Band: 10-15 passes 

2. Foam Roll Adductors: 10-15 passes 

3. SMR Glutes (lax ball): 30sec. - 2min. 

4. Bent-knee Iron Cross x 5-10 each side

5. Roll-overs into V-sits x 10

6. Rocking Frog Stretch x 10

7. Fire Hydrant Circles x 10 fwd/10 bwd

8. Mountain Climbers x 10 each leg

9. Cossack Squats x 5-10 each side

10. Seated Piriformis Stretch x 20-30sec. each side

11. Rear-foot-elevated Hip Flexor Stretch x 5-10 reps (3sec. hold) each side

-Joe D.

PS - If you want to learn more about this type of stretching and mobility training, check out these two AMAZING resources:

AMPED WARM-UP: The best selling warm-up product in the world

HARD:CORE: The most comprehensive core training system ever created 

A few weeks ago I shared 3 of my favorite upper back exercises in episode #6 of "Ask DeFranco's Gym". These exercises were unique in that they didn't require any weight to be lifted, but the results they produce are second to none...guaranteed!  

In case you missed that episode, here you go:

After the above video was posted, I received a ton of twitter messages and emails asking me for details. Everyone wanted to know how many sets, how many reps, how often, etc. Obviously, there isn't just one set/rep scheme that is engraved in stone for any exercise or program, but I just couldn't leave you guys hangin' :)  So I decided to offer you a 3-week progression that will improve the muscularity of almost anyone's upper back -- while improving shoulder health in the process. The beauty of this "routine" is that it's super simple to implement - regardless of what program you're currently on. You can literally start right now. It's that simple. 

*I call this routine "The Escort" because it's not replacing anything; it's utilized in addition to whatever you're currently doing - in order to give some extra attention to your upper back .

[NOTE: Because these exercises are "low intensity", you can do them wherever and whenever you want during the course of your workout. You can perform them as part of a warm-up before you train, you can use them as a finisher, or you can superset them with other exercises within your workout. It doesn't matter what program you're on - you can do these exercises on an upper body day, lower body day, or during a full body workout. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ADD ONE EXERCISE PER DAY TO THAT DAYS ROUTINE. On days you don't have a scheduled workout, you can just do the prescribed upper back exercise at home. All that's required is your bodyweight or 1-2 mini bands -- one band if you're doing pull-aparts or 2 bands on days you perform the "triple threat".] 

"The Escort": 3-Week Upper Back program

WEEK 1

Monday: Double mini band "Face Pull-Rotate-Y press" (aka, Triple Threat) - 3 sets of 8

Tuesday: Blackburns on Floor (Y-W-T-I) - 3 sets of 10sec. hold each position

Wednesday: OFF

Thursday: 80 total Band Pull-aparts

Friday: Double mini band "Face Pull-Rotate-Y press" (aka, Triple Threat) - 3 x 8

Saturday: Blackburns on Floor (Y-W-T-I) - 3 sets of 10sec. hold each position

WEEK 2

Sunday: 90 total Band Pull-aparts

Monday: Double mini band "Face Pull-Rotate-Y press" (aka, Triple Threat) - 4 sets of 8

Tuesday: Blackburns on Floor (Y-W-T-I) - 3 sets of 12sec. hold each position

Wednesday: OFF

Thursday: 90 total Band Pull-aparts

Friday: Double mini band "Face Pull-Rotate-Y press" (aka, Triple Threat) - 4 sets of 8

Saturday: Blackburns on Floor (Y-W-T-I) - 3 sets of 12sec. hold each position

WEEK 3 

Sunday: 100 total Band Pull-aparts

Monday: Double mini band "Face Pull-Rotate-Y press" (aka, Triple Threat) - 4 sets of 10

Tuesday: Blackburns on Floor (Y-W-T-I) - 3 sets of 15sec. hold each position

Wednesday: OFF

Thursday: 100 total Band Pull-aparts

Friday: Double mini band "Face Pull-Rotate-Y press" (aka, Triple Threat) - 4 sets of 10

Saturday: Blackburns on Floor (Y-W-T-I) - 3 sets of 15sec. hold each position 

Add these exercises into your routine and get back to me in 3 weeks. I know you'll be pleased with the results!

And remember...Upper back is the new chest! (You heard it here first!) 

Joe D. 

P.S. - If you liked the info provided in this blog post, you'll love the info revealed in these resources... 

-Take your training to the next level with these Never-Before-Seen exercises ==> EXTREME DVD

-The foundation of any program starts with a properly designed warm-up. Click here to check out the best-selling warm-up product in the world ==> AMPED WARM-UP

If you're someone that's pressed for time, I have a great new variation of the Hip Thrust for you. This exercise will help you complete your warm-up quicker by killing "2 birds with one stone".

The "Figure 4 Hip Thrust" will improve hip mobility while simultaneously activating your glutes. This is a great exercise to perform before squatting, deadlifting, sprinting or jumping. Your hips will feel great when you're done!

Check it out...

Give this one a try and let me know what you think by dropping me a comment below! 

Joe D. 

WARNING: If you're expecting the typical information that's found in every book in the Business or Motivation section of Barnes & Noble, you're going to be disappointed.

You will NOT find this type of advice in any business book, college course or "Self Help" seminar. The decade's worth of lessons I share in the video below can only be learned from REAL WORD EXPERIENCE. Hopefully all of the aspiring gym owners reading this right now will benefit from this video. 

Enjoy...

What did you guys think of the video? Do you have any valuable business lessons that you would like to share with my readers? If so, feel free to drop a comment below!

Joe D. 

What did you guys think of this video? Do you have any advice of your own that you'd like to share with my readers?

If so, please drop your comment below. 

Joe D. 

The Complete Athletic Development System - Over 40 YEARS of training knowledge and experience packed into one DVD series! 

[The following is a guest blog post by Mike Guadango]

Former catcher Jorge Posada knew when Kevin Brown was on the mound, he liked to work very quickly. Jorge’s job was to receive the ball and give it back to Brown ASAP, because he liked to work fast. As soon as Brown got it, he got into his windup.

Brown was a very successful Big League pitcher, and working fast was just part of his game. I suppose you can call it an idiosyncrasy. Regardless, once the ball was in his hand, it was “go time”!

-A flaw is a movement that is or leads to a mechanical disadvantage or disturbance, which will lead to a decrease in performance or injury.

-An idiosyncrasy is something the athlete does that is a natural part of their process and does not hinder performance or lead to injury.

So the question is, “How do we distinguish between the two?”

Good question…

A friend of mine who coaches a higher-level baseball team recently called me for some assistance. Their ace underwent shoulder surgery last year, but continued to experience pain. Their coaching staff, PT's, AT's & MD's couldn’t really see what the issue was because there was no sign of any structural incompetence.

Although I knew I didn’t really have to, I evaluated him physically to see if there were any structural abnormalities through general & semi-specific movement patterns, and as I suspected nothing special showed. I then went on to watch him throw. Because I’ve never seen him throw before, I hadn’t a baseline, so I relied heavily on coaches and players eyes.

My list of questions for his coaches:

#1 - Has that always been his arm slot? 

#2 - Is his arm action lagging?

#3 - Does he always work quickly?

He liked to work at a very quick pace even during warm-ups. I suppose it can be considered Kevin Brown-esque.

Then my questions for the pitcher:

#1 - When do you have pain & where?

          a. Before first throw?

          b. First throw? 

          c. End of warm-up?

          d. Beginning of throwing session?

          e. End of throwing session?

          f. After session?

#2 - What are you thinking when throwing? Has your mentality changed since the injury?

Here was my thought process as I was watching him...

I watched him like a hawk until he experienced discomfort and then I started comparing movements, times, efforts, etc., to what he did when he wasn’t in discomfort.

He felt fine during general and specific warm-up. He didn’t start experiencing pain until post-warm-up and into the session.

Why? As the session progressed, mechanics altered slightly due to fatigue. When mechanics altered, parts of the body were placed in disadvantageous positions, which caused discomfort. (Makes sense, right?)

I believed that his fatigue occurred because of his fast pace which was not an idiosyncrasy, but a flaw. Baseball is a sport where if you’re tired, you can simply call timeout and take a breather. The need to work quickly is not there, so to train the system to perform in that manner is illogical. However, the pitcher is fairly set in his ways regarding his mental approach to pitching. Because he has been successful it is not only expected but also encouraged, so I will not attempt to change that at all; that would likely be counterproductive.

Instead, I informed the catcher to hold on to the ball for a few seconds longer to allow the pitcher to recover. The reason why I didn’t have the pitcher hold on to it is because it would change his approach, and I didn’t want to do that. He has a certain mindset once he has the ball in his hand/glove and I’m not messing with that - that’d be irresponsible. So instead, I called upon the catcher to slow him down. I then suggested that the pitcher think about throwing at 90% rather than as hard as he can. I wanted movements to be effortless.

Now some of you may be saying, “But that changes his approach. He’s an 'all go' type of pitcher, you just said if you change that it would hinder performance.”  The key is I did NOT change his mentality; his mentality stayed consistent, the only thing that changed was the percent of perceived physical effort given. With high-speed movements, trying hard and being tight is counter-productive and dangerous.

After a few throws at this pace, proper mechanics returned, his stride lengthened, discomfort subsided and velocity went up. In fact, this was the hardest he’d thrown to date since surgery. It seemed as though we found a painless fix to a potentially painful issue.

Unfortunately, I only got to work with him that one day, so there was only so much work that could be done and evaluated. So in this instance, the “idiosyncrasy” had to be tweaked a tad to deliver the desired results.

Simply put, it’s all just trial and error. Anyone that tells you otherwise is fooling themselves. As coaches/trainers, we have to assess every single athlete that walks through our doors. We must then do our best to provide them with the most efficient programs and understandable advice in order to help them reach their goals.

Mike Guadango is a physical preparation specialist and the Director of Baseball training at DeFranco's Gym. If you're interested in learning more about our baseball programming, you can email Mike at: dango@defrancostraining.com 

High tops, ankle braces, ankle taping…the list goes on and on. We have seemingly made athletes overcautious. The problem is that all of these means of ankle support are causing a very negative shift towards ankle immobility which can then have a direct influence on how the knee operates under stress and loading.

The Problem with Footwear

Athletes in team sports are very cautious about their ankles because they are key contributors to maneuvers such as sprinting, cutting, and jumping. The fad in basketball footwear is a higher-topped shoe to help with “ankle support” as basketball players must be able to change direction, jump, and land effectively for rep after rep over the course of an entire game. It’s not uncommon for these players to tape their ankles or wear ankle braces (or both) to further aid in the support of their “bad” ankles, while they compete on the court. As a former college football player, I witnessed just about my entire team get their ankles taped before every game (including me).

Let’s be clear for a second. I am not advocating that these athletes go cold turkey and stop with the taping, bracing and the high top shoes. However, what I am saying is that our reliance on these methods of support has gotten a bit out of hand. Having too much support and stability results in all but a complete dismissal of mobility at the ankle joint. The ankle must be able to strengthen and mobilize through function and an over-reliance on these “aids” may, in fact, be one of the primary reasons why the ankle joint begins to degrade over time.

A Joint-By-Joint Approach to the Ankle & Knee

Mike Boyle’s "Joint-By-Joint Approach" is one of the most concise and simple approaches anyone can take to examine how their body operates in a stability/mobility relationship among joints. If you are unfamiliar with the Joint-By-Joint concept by Boyle, I encourage you to take a look at it. It can be found here. What the model shows is an alternating pattern of different joints that either tend to tightness and immobility or instability and weakness.

When it comes to the distal lower extremities, the ankle will tend to immobility as the knee will tend to instability. However, because our foundation is built from the ground up and our feet support all of the superior structures, the immobility at the ankle is, more often than not, the culprit in effecting knee stability.

Hunting Out the Kink in the Kinetic Chain

Taking the logic of the Joint-By-Joint Approach, we can create a cause/effect relationship among different parts of kinetic chains. Kinetic chains are segments of the body utilized in sequence to perform complex movement patterns.

When specifically discussing the ankle and the knee, what we can observe is that as the ankles become progressively more immobile, the body will then search and hunt for another location that it can find the mobility that it needs to serve a given function.

Because the ankle is inhibited due to immobilization, the next best stop along the chain is the knee. But here’s the problem: We now have a joint that serves a primary function of stability becoming unstable and weak because it is being forced to absorb the stress that the preceding joint was unable to conquer. Voila – a stable joint slowly becomes a hypermobile joint. The knee is then forced to compensate and do a job that it was never primarily meant to do and knee pain is just the next chapter in the story.

The Sight of Pain vs. the Cause of Pain

As we should all know by now, local pain is often the result of a distant cause. Going along once more with the Joint-By-Joint Approach, we can see that a dysfunction in one area can affect other areas above or below it. Let’s take the previously stated example. The knee progressively develops pain as a result of compensating for an unstable ankle. The pain is felt in the knee but the real cause is the unstable ankle. If the ankle can become mobilized, then there is a good chance that the knee pain will gradually begin to dissipate.

Restoring function to a weak link in the kinetic chain will then allow for the surrounding links in the chain to function as they should. So, restoring full mobility at the ankle joint will allow for the knee to take on its primary role of a stable joint. The ankle will successfully absorb the necessary forces associated with different movements and the knee won’t have to do the ankle’s job.

How Do I Know If I Have Full Ankle Mobility?

Allow me to make a quick comment regarding knee pain. Despite what I have stated above; there are, of course, cases of knee pain in which the ankle is not the issue. Taking the logic of the weak link in the kinetic chain, the pain could be coming from somewhere else or could be trauma-related. However, being able to restore full ankle range of motion can only help alleviate any knee pain that may be present.

So how can you tell if your ankles are well-suited to handle force and stress in different scenarios?

One way could be to visit a clinical specialist who performs a bunch of different tests around your ankle (dorsi-flexion, plantar flexion, supination, pronation, etc.) and measures the degree at which the ankle moves. This is arguably the most efficient way of determining full range of motion around the ankle joint.

"Hey, that sounds great but I really don’t want to make an appointment or go through that kind of trouble just to see if my ankle is working well. Isn’t there just something I can do at home?"

Lucky for us, mobility master Kelly Starrett has a quick and easy test to measure the function of the ankle. If you can successfully lower yourself into a pistol squat and maintain that position, then you have full range of motion at the ankle. As Kelly says, “there’s nothing that we do as human beings that requires more ankle range of motion than being in a good, stable pistol position.” Needless to say, if you pass this test then your ankles are pretty solid and ready for movement.

To perform the test, set your feet about one fist width apart with your feet parallel to each other and toes facing forward (see pic below).

Next, lower your hips into a very narrow squat (if your ankles really suck then you won’t even be able to do this part). Then, pick one of your feet up and extend the leg straight out in front of you and try to maintain your balance on the foot that’s on the ground. If you can maintain this position then your ankles have full range of motion and likely won’t be a factor in effecting knee pain.

NOTE: If you're a bigger guy who thinks you can’t get into this position just because you're big, take note that the guy in these photos is a 5’10” 275 lb. powerlifter. In other words, "being big" isn't an excuse. *As a side note, it's no coincidence that the above powerlifter displays near perfect squatting technique - even when training with maximal loads. Check out this video clip of Paul squatting 615 (raw) for a triple...

There are plenty of ways that ankle mobility and range of motion can be restored. Taking time to slowly work the ankle through different mobility drills pre and post-workout are common among strength programs and are a great way to help bring the ankle back to full throttle. Another option is soft tissue work to help restore the surrounding fascia and different sliding surfaces around the foot, ankle, and knee. But a very simple and effective way of helping to restore ankle mobility is to simply remove your shoes during lower body training sessions.

Barefoot training has been used by tons of people who advocate its use and when it comes to foot/ankle function it’s pretty hard to beat. Without shoes, your foot and ankle are able to perform as nature originally intended. It is quite a unique experience to go from squatting or lunging for years with shoes to trying it without them. Most people immediately realize the weakness in the soles of their feet and the immobility at the ankles.

I originally started this trend with my athletes during their lower body warm-ups only, but I have now shifted to keeping the shoes off for all lower body exercises. The exceptions to this notion are exercises of very high ground reaction forces such as sprinting or high-intensive jump variations. But all forms of squatting, lunging, deadlifting, and low-intensive jumping or skipping can be performed without shoes and serve the athlete well. The issues of implementing ankle mobility drills or prehab take care of themselves and it serves as a simple and time-effective way of helping your knees by helping your ankles.

• Foot Positioning: a natural arch must be maintained while performing activities such as squatting or lunging. A foot that is too far supinated can cause the ankle to roll and sprain and a foot that is too far pronated can throw off the entire kinetic chain on the way up.
• Knee Positioning: a common fault in performing activities with or without shoes is that the foot will tend to pronate which will then cause the knee to collapse inward. Cue the athlete to keep the kneecaps out toward the outer half of the foot which will put the knee in a safer position and will likely result in the foot attaining a natural arch.
• Hip and Torso Position: Even if the foot and ankle are in perfect positioning, the hips can tend to be lopsided which will then throw off the torso and, consequently, the center of mass. The athlete must maintain proper positioning throughout the entire body, starting with the feet and finishing with the hips and torso.

Simple and Effective

It’s always a shame to see athletes hindered by nagging chronic pain or injury resulting from years of cumulative stress. The knee is subject to a lot of loading whether you are a strength athlete or a field athlete and it must be kept as healthy as possible.

Without shoes, your ankles are unrestricted in all degrees of movement. Barefoot is the simplest and most time efficient way (training economy) of mobilizing the ankle, which will have a positive impact on the knee.

If we can take small and simple approaches to helping the body function as it should, then we will find ourselves on the right path to fulfilling long, healthy competitive careers. Training can only be effective if it takes place in a sound environment – it should not be adding insult to injury.

Get your ankles right and your knees will thank you!

----------

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Hard:CORE - The most comprehensive core training system ever created. Strength. Mobility. Function. 

POWER! - Strength alone just won't cut it on the athletic field. Become an eXpLoSiVe beast! 

Speed - The definitive guide for team sport athletes! 

I am extremely excited to announce that the newest DVD in our Complete Athletic Development System is in the final stages of editing and will be available to you in December! 

This DVD focusses on mastering the technique of the Bench Press, Squat, Deadlift and all of their variations. The thing that truly separates this product from all other strength dvd's and books is that we don't only show you how to properly set up and perform each lift; we show you how to correct your technique flaws if you're unable to execute the exercise properly. 

Is your breakdown in form due to a lack of knowledge?

...Or maybe a mobility restriction?

...Or maybe a lack of strength? 

...Maybe it's all three?!

Knowing how to identify technical flaws and then make the necessary correction(s) to change them is invaluable information for those looking to improve strength, health and performance. 

Check this out...

NOTE TO COACHES & TRAINERS: It's time for us to take a step back and get great at teaching the BASICS again! Far too many coaches get caught up in advanced program design before their athletes can even squat 225 pounds with acceptable form!!! I have news for you... It doesn't matter what program you're on; if your exercise technique sucks, you're not going to get much of a training effect from it - unless getting injured and having to take time off is the "effect" you're looking for! 

It's time to bring back the strength coach that's competent in teaching compound barbell movements to his/her athletes. To me, this is THE foundation for any coach - regardless of the "program" your athletes are on.  

Keep checking back for updates on the release of our new DVD... 

STRENGTH: Barbell Training Essentials

Throughout the years, many people have sent me products to experiment with, test them on my athletes, then give my honest opinion on their value. I've gotten to test some really cool products - Fat Gripz, The Tsunami Bar and ShroomTech Sport come to mind - all of which I use and recommend on a weekly basis. On the other hand, I've also received some really shitty products and I've been pitched some really bad business ideas Lol. This got me thinking...

I thought it would be cool to start a new feature on my blog entitled, Stuff Joe D. Likes. This would enable me to share valuable products with athletes and coaches all over the world, while helping lesser-known companies get some bigtime exposure.

Herer's how it works:

If you have a product that you think can be beneficial to athletes, coaches, trainers, weekend warriors or meatheads - send an email to: team@defrancostraining.com 

In the subject line write: Stuff Joe D likes

Provide a brief description of your product (one paragraph or less) with a link to your website or sales page (if you have one). Someone from my team will email you back with details of where to ship the product. 

NOTE: I will NOT publicly bash anyone's product or company. This new feature is meant to help people, not hurt them. If I do not like your product, it simply won't be featured on the site. With that being said, there are only so many hours in the day and my schedule can get insane at times - so there is a possibility that I won't be able to review every single product that I like. Although, you have my word that I will do my best to review as many products as humanly possible! 

Let the games begin! 

Happy Thanksgiving. I hope everyone gets to spend quality time with friends and family!

Joe D. 

PS - Don't forget to email team@defrancostraining.com with your product info! 

In this episode of Ask DeFranco's Gym, I reveal my "Core Training Pyramid" and discuss the TRUTH about how to develop a truly functional core. 

Check it out...

If you're interested in the Hard:CORE DVD & Manual that I referred to in the above video, click the link below:

Hard:CORE - The most comprehensive Core training resource ever developed! 

Joe D.

PS - Do you have a question, comment or feedback regarding this blog post? If so, drop a comment below! 

In this episode of Ask DeFranco's Gym, I troubleshoot the barbell squat by using the goblet squat.

Check it out...

Don't forget to keep checking StrengthDVD.com for updates on the release of our [NEW] DVD - STRENGTH: Barbell Training Essentials. 

Joe D. 

In this episode of Ask DeFranco's Gym, I reveal a fool-proof way to teach and perform one of the most poorly executed accessory lifts in the weightroom... the lateral raise! 

Check it out: 

If you're interested in learning more unique exercises, check out our EXTREME DVD! 

Joe D. 

A few weeks ago I shared 3 of my favorite upper back exercises in episode #6 of "Ask DeFranco's Gym". These exercises were unique in that they didn't require any weight to be lifted, but the results they produce are second to none...guaranteed!  

In case you missed that episode, here you go:

After the above video was posted, I received a ton of twitter messages and emails asking me for details. Everyone wanted to know how many sets, how many reps, how often, etc. Obviously, there isn't just one set/rep scheme that is engraved in stone for any exercise or program, but I just couldn't leave you guys hangin' :)  So I decided to offer you a 3-week progression that will improve the muscularity of almost anyone's upper back -- while improving shoulder health in the process. The beauty of this "routine" is that it's super simple to implement - regardless of what program you're currently on. You can literally start right now. It's that simple. 

*I call this routine "The Escort" because it's not replacing anything; it's utilized in addition to whatever you're currently doing - in order to give some extra attention to your upper back .

[NOTE: Because these exercises are "low intensity", you can do them wherever and whenever you want during the course of your workout. You can perform them as part of a warm-up before you train, you can use them as a finisher, or you can superset them with other exercises within your workout. It doesn't matter what program you're on - you can do these exercises on an upper body day, lower body day, or during a full body workout. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ADD ONE EXERCISE PER DAY TO THAT DAYS ROUTINE. On days you don't have a scheduled workout, you can just do the prescribed upper back exercise at home. All that's required is your bodyweight or 1-2 mini bands -- one band if you're doing pull-aparts or 2 bands on days you perform the "triple threat".] 

"The Escort": 3-Week Upper Back program

WEEK 1

Monday: Double mini band "Face Pull-Rotate-Y press" (aka, Triple Threat) - 3 sets of 8

Tuesday: Blackburns on Floor (Y-W-T-I) - 3 sets of 10sec. hold each position

Wednesday: OFF

Thursday: 80 total Band Pull-aparts

Friday: Double mini band "Face Pull-Rotate-Y press" (aka, Triple Threat) - 3 x 8

Saturday: Blackburns on Floor (Y-W-T-I) - 3 sets of 10sec. hold each position

WEEK 2

Sunday: 90 total Band Pull-aparts

Monday: Double mini band "Face Pull-Rotate-Y press" (aka, Triple Threat) - 4 sets of 8

Tuesday: Blackburns on Floor (Y-W-T-I) - 3 sets of 12sec. hold each position

Wednesday: OFF

Thursday: 90 total Band Pull-aparts

Friday: Double mini band "Face Pull-Rotate-Y press" (aka, Triple Threat) - 4 sets of 8

Saturday: Blackburns on Floor (Y-W-T-I) - 3 sets of 12sec. hold each position

WEEK 3 

Sunday: 100 total Band Pull-aparts

Monday: Double mini band "Face Pull-Rotate-Y press" (aka, Triple Threat) - 4 sets of 10

Tuesday: Blackburns on Floor (Y-W-T-I) - 3 sets of 15sec. hold each position

Wednesday: OFF

Thursday: 100 total Band Pull-aparts

Friday: Double mini band "Face Pull-Rotate-Y press" (aka, Triple Threat) - 4 sets of 10

Saturday: Blackburns on Floor (Y-W-T-I) - 3 sets of 15sec. hold each position 

Add these exercises into your routine and get back to me in 3 weeks. I know you'll be pleased with the results!

And remember...Upper back is the new chest! (You heard it here first!) 

Joe D. 

P.S. - If you liked the info provided in this blog post, you'll love the info revealed in these resources... 

-Take your training to the next level with these Never-Before-Seen exercises ==> EXTREME DVD

-The foundation of any program starts with a properly designed warm-up. Click here to check out the best-selling warm-up product in the world ==> AMPED WARM-UP

To watch all seven episodes from Season 1, click the link below:

Driven Beyond Strength™ Season 1 - Youtube Playlist

Joe D.  

As you're probably aware, it's been a LONG time since my last website update. This can be looked at as a bad thing or a good thing...

It's a bad thing because I like staying "in touch" and providing quality content to my website readers. But, on the other hand, it's a very good thing once you find out WHY I've been "missing in action".

So without further ado, here's an explanation of some of the things I've been working on during the past few months. Hopefully you'll forgive my absence once you see what I've been up to :) 

Here are four things for you to look forward to in the not-so-distant future:

#1) STRENGTH: Barbell Training Essentials DVD & Book 

Of all the DVD's that Smitty and I have collaborated on, this just may be the most valuable. After all, strength builds the foundation for almost everything we do. So who wouldn't benefit from the most comprehensive resource ever created on the subject? 

We have been working on this new project for almost a year now. Every time we thought we were done, we would think of something new to add. I'm proud to announce that we're finally finished and the end result turned out to be truly amazing. STRENGTH will consist of 3 DVD's (Bench DVD, Squat DVD, Deadlift DVD) and a 350+ page book! 

Rest assured, this ain't your average book or DVD on strength. Besides dissecting every single technical aspect of the Bench, Squat, Deadlift (and all their variations), we also provide an amazing chapter on troubleshooting. The troubleshooting chapter and videos reveal our very best tips and tricks for correcting common technical flaws. If you have a problem with any lift, we show you how to fix it!

"Are your knees collapsing in when you squat"? We show you how to fix it!

"Do your shoulders hurt when you bench"? We show you how to fix it!

"Does your upper and lower back round when you deadlift"? We show you how to fix it!

There is also an incredible section on Program Design.

We just received the Foreword for the book (written by WWE superstar Triple H) and it will go to print early next week. Look for this product to be available in early May!!  

NOTE: As an added bonus, we have conducted interviews with some of the best minds in our industry. Guys like Jim Wendler, Kelly Starrett, Josh Bryant and Steve Maxwell (just to name a few), have all shared valuable information on various aspects of strength training. We will be releasing these interviews (for FREE) during the week(s) leading up to the launch of STRENGTH. So stay tuned! 

#2) DeFranco Insider COMING SOON! 

One of the most popular things we've incorporated this year has been our CPPS monthly workouts. Those videos and programs have been wildly popular, yet we have received one common complaint about them...

The complaint was that people didn't want to have to go through the process of buying a new workout each and every month. We received literally hundreds of requests to create some kind of membership site, where people can sign up and then automatically receive their monthly workout and videos.

You spoke and we listened! 

I am super excited to announce the creation of the DeFranco Insider - a membership section of my website that will provide THE most informative and practical training information on the web! I can't wait to start building this community of passionate coaches, trainers, athletes and fitness enthusiasts! I've always wanted to connect with more like-minded individuals in this industry and this will enable me to do that! 

Here's what DeFranco Insider subscribers will receive each & every month: 

• CPPS Monthly Workout (w/ private videos of workout)
• Exclusive audio interview w/ Joe DeFranco (members of DeFranco Insider will choose the topic each month)  
• Training Logs of DeFranco-trained high school, college & professional athletes 
• Comprehensive Exercise Index w/ video hyperlinks to every exercise we use w/ our athletes
• Exclusive Forum where members can connect, share ideas, etc. 

Now here's the really good news -- all of this incredible content will be available to YOU for under $20 each month!

Look for the DeFranco Insider to be available THIS summer!  

#3) Savage Bands & DVD

Bands are the most popular piece of "equipment" in my gym. We literally use them all day, everyday. They are also the first thing I tell my clients to pack when they're on the road. Whether you're a professional athlete on a business trip, or a dad going on vacation, you should always have bands with you when you travel. When you have bands it doesn't matter how shitty the hotel gym is - or how little space you may have - you can still train like a savage :) 

This is why we will be filming The Savage Band Workout DVD next week. This will be different compared to our other DVD's (which are more "technical" and geared towards educating personal trainers, therapists and coaches). This DVD will be a follow-along workout DVD for athletes, weekend warriors and "regular" people to perform when they're at home or in a hotel room with no special equipment. 

Oh yeah, because most bands don't last longer than 2 weeks in my gym, we are in the final stages of making our own line of tough, durable bands, aka, Savage bands. Look for Savage Bands and the Savage Band Workout DVD to be available this summer! 

#4) Built 2 Last ebook 

For the past 4-5 months, Mike Guadango and I have been developing a strength program geared towards "washed-up meatheads". This program is designed to produce longterm gains in strength, muscularity and health. I personally completed the (10-week) program, then made a few minor tweaks, and now I'm going through it again before we release it to the public. (I'm currently in Week 4.) I have gotten stronger, leaner - and most importantly - my shoulders and joints feel better than ever. (My back hasn't gotten any worse, either.) I can honestly say that I LOVE this program. It's practical, yet very unique. (The way we organize the accessory exercises has had a major impact on my ability to get lean...it's also one of the "secrets" to Triple H's leaner physique at Wrestlemania this year :)) I can't wait for you guys to try it! 

Check out the pics below.

The pic on the left was taken about a year ago. (That pic was my "wake up call"). I didn't think I was in that bad of shape until I saw this pic. The reality was, I let myself go once my wife got pregnant and we had the twins. I initially gained some "baby weight" with her and then it kind of stayed with me for another year lol.  

The pic on the right was taken after I completed my first 10-Week cycle of the Built 2 Last program. I am by no means saying I'm shredded, but for a guy who has NEVER seen his abs for longer than a day, it's cool to start seeing 3 or 4 abs on a regular basis lol. I have a long way to go, but I wanted to share my progress thus far on the program.  

Look for the Built 2 Last ebook this summer!  

Hopefully you enjoyed this update. (There are two other very exciting things going on, but I'm not able to speak about them just yet.)

*To stay up-to-date on all these projects (plus the "secret" ones), make sure to sign up for my FREE e-newsletter. All you need to do is go to my homepage and enter your email address. (You'll see it in the upper/right hand corner, under my black&white pic.) 

NOTE: Even if you've signed up for my e-newsletter in the past, I strongly encourage you to take 5 seconds and enter your email address again. We recently updated our newsletter and unfortunately some subscribers were deleted/lost in the process. I apologize for the inconvenience. 

Talk to you guys soon!

Joe D. 

If you’re like me, you love the Farmer’s Walk. After all, who wouldn’t love an exercise that strengthens virtually every muscle in your body, while improving your work capacity and body composition?

The beauty of the Farmer’s Walk lies in its simplicity – pick up a pair of weights and go for a walk! While the standard Farmer’s Walk works just fine, I’ve been experimenting with a unique twist that provides some added benefits for athletes.

Let me introduce you to the “Stop & Go” Farmer’s Walk, aka, the “Deceleration” Farmer’s Walk. In this variation, the athlete will walk as fast as possible (without running) for 5-10 yards, then decelerate and stop for 2-3 seconds, before re-accelerating another 5-10 yards, etc. When you stop, the weights “swing” and attempt to “push” your body forward. This is applicable to contact sports where athletes are constantly resisting opposing forces that are attempting to move them. Your ability to counteract this “push” works wonders for developing real core strength.

But the true hidden benefit of this exercise lies in its ability to improve an athlete’s “agility”. Trust me, the resisted deceleration and subsequent acceleration will do a hell of a lot more for an athlete than performing some “quick foot” ladder drills! After all, an athlete’s ability to change direction is dependent on whether or not they possess adequate strength levels to absorb, accumulate, and redirect forces. I have found the “Stop & Go” Farmer’s Walk to be a great foundational exercise to improve these strength qualities.

Here’s a video clip of the exercise being performed.

NOTE: Don’t go so heavy that you’re unable to stand upright when walking with the weights. Your shoulders should be in line with your hips throughout the set.

To make this exercise even more "sport-specific", a coach can yell "stop" at random intervals. You can also incorporate backward walks within the set.

Give these variations a try and let me know what you think!

Joe D. 

P.S. - If you’re interested in learning more never-before-seen exercises, check out our EXTREME DVD!

Want a bullet-proof core? Get Hard:CORE now!

PS - I forgot to mention in the video that you can use more lemon and/or salt, depending on your activity level and the heat/humidity you're training in. 

Give my lemonade a try and then drop me a comment below and let me know what you think!

Many coaches will tell you that they don't allow their athletes to perform any kind of plyometric training unless they can squat 2.5X their bodyweight. Other coaches have different prerequisites for plyometrics. 

So what's the deal? 

Do athletes need a base level of strength in order to safely perform plyometrics, or is it a bunch of BS?

Check out the video below to find out...

Drop me a comment below and let me know your thoughts on the subject. 

Joe D. 

PS - If this is a topic that interests you, check out the most practical, informative, and results-producing resource on the market today ---> POWER!