Bent Over Barbell Row...The Best Upper Back Exercise?

I’ll be honest, I used to HATE the bent over barbell row. I found that most clients would feel too much tension in the lower back, so I shied away from it. Recently however, I have been using it with lighter weight for higher reps and have found much more success. The issue I was having was that clients tend to arch the back to hold the position, rather than keeping the ribs back and down and feeling ab tension. Reaching the hips back and loading the hamstrings secures the position and works the posture muscles as well as the upper back.

Here is at home personal training client Prof G. hitting reps of 12-15 with solid weight with great technique.

Throw this into your next workout with either a overhand or supinated grip in sets of 10+ to get the upper back roasted while ingraining good posture.

Looking for a more personalized touch with your training? Let’s work one-on-one. Click the link below to see if an at home personal training plan is right for you.

Setting a Foundation...It's Not Sexy, But It's Extremely Important

When I begin working with a client, I assess where they have been, where they are at, and where they want to go. It’s easy to get caught up in the end results, but I have to constantly remind myself that without a solid foundation of work the results will never happen.

Take nutritional intervention for example. Most people want to get crazy about macros and low carb diets, but when we start, the foundational components are usually much more simple.

Here is an actual nutritional prescription I gave to a client recently (for context, their short-term goal is weight loss, and long-term goal is longevity and health):

1. Drink 64oz. Water Daily

2. No Sugar

3. Bedtime 10pm on Weekdays

When I performed this client’s assessment, he wasn’t drinking much water during the day, he complained of being tired all the time and had an erratic sleep schedule, and he loved sweets. These are some enormous pieces of low hanging fruit, so we will get the most bang for buck out of these. Moreover, if we don’t address these aspects of his health, any nutrition plan we implement in the future will be limited significantly by hydration, sleep, and excess sugar. In fact, this might be his prescription for the next 6 months until:

1. He is 100% compliant

2. We stop getting a return on this prescription

Don’t get caught up in all the hype and shiny bells and whistles. Work on the basics until they don’t give you a return, then tweak things based on new information. You will be better off with this strategy in the long run.

Need help creating significant change with your health? I’m here to help. Book a free call and let’s start uncovering the real you today!

Athlete Spotlight: Ethan Smith

When you experience a setback, it’s easy to get caught in self-pity. You are met with the painful realization that what you thought was going to happen, isn’t in the cards and all of a sudden you are down on yourself. This is normal, and it’s also okay. Once you move past that discomfort, there is something beautiful lying in wait. What I try to teach my clients is that every setback is an opportunity in disguise. As a coach, all I can really offer is the space and time for you to decide what that opportunity is.

When Ethan Smith was struggling with some chronic wrist issues (exacerbated repetitive movements at work), we decided to rehab the wrist, change up the training, and focus on getting the lower body stronger, as his upper body was limited from the wrist injury. After switching his training program, he hit personal bests in the back squat and when we returned to the upper body lifts, he PR’d their too (see video above)! Sometimes our plans not working out is the best thing that can happen to us. What other choice do we have???

Looking to change up your training? I’m here to help! Click the link below to set up a free assessment and let’s see what a new training program can do for you!

Nitro Cold Brew At Home For Under $2

Since I first tried nitro cold brew coffee, I was hooked. But I couldn’t stand paying $4-5 each time I wanted one. I decided to do some research and get the 411 on making your own cold brew at home. It’s actually simple and you can prepare it in the time it takes you to brew a pot of coffee.

Here is what you are going to need:

• Whipped Cream Dispenser-$30 on Amazon. Comes with an assortment of nozzles

• Nitrogen Cartridges-$32 for 50 cartridges. That’s $0.64 a cartridge

• Cold Brew Coffee-Make your own, or buy your favorite

Recipe

1. Pour 12oz. of cold brew coffee (chilled) into canister

2. Secure top

3. Place NO2 cartridge in holster, screw onto tread

4. Leave alone for minimum of 3 minutes

5. Shake a few time

6. Place nozzle against glass and slowly start to stream nitro cold brew into glass (go easy so you don’t make a mess!)

7. ENJOY!!!

It is really that simple. No extra calories. Less than $2 a glass. It’s amazing.

Give it a shot!

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3 Tips For Healthy Living on The Road With ESPN Analyst Paul Carcaterra

This week, I had the pleasure of sitting down and talking with my coach, mentor, and friend Paul Carcaterra.  I have known Paul for the last 15 years, and I’ve tried to model Paul’s best qualities in my own life.  He lives by his word.  He treats his employees like they are family.  And he tells it like it is, for better or worse.  I have always looked up to Paul, and he is one of the greatest people I know. 

In our conversation, I wanted to know how, while traveling for ESPN 100+ days a year, he stays in shape (Paul will be 45 this year).

Here are three tips from our conversation for surviving, and thriving, while traveling for work:

1. Pack Your Own Breakfast-Paul brings simple non perishable items with him while traveling for his breakfast.  Easy items like oatmeal, RX bars, and fruit are always in his carry-on.  Regardless of the hotel he is in, he always has one meal in his back pocket.

2. Enjoy Yourself, But Plank Ahead-Paul goes to some of the best eateries in the country, but before he does he plans ahead.  If he is in Iowa, and he knows he is going to be crushing some of the country's best BBQ, he makes sure the rest of his diet is on point in the day (no slip ups).  When he sits down to eat dinner, he enjoys himself.  The next morning, it’s back to work.

3. 40-45 Minutes Is All You Need For A Workout-When Paul first started traveling for work, he used to have fuckarounditis when it came to his workouts.  He would hit some triceps, maybe take a jog on the treadmill, but he was in the gym loitering around for over an hour.  These days, Paul has an intention of shocking his body and making 40 minutes in the gym a constant high intensity routine.  Body weight movements, dumbbells, treadmills, you name it, he’s getting after it.  If you aren’t going to give it your all, you might as well stay in your room and watch morning cartoons. As a bonus, Paul makes sure to workout first thing in the morning.  There are no excuses to not workout when everyone else is sleeping.  He also hates it when he has a workout hanging over his head for later in the day.

If you like these tips, give the rest of the podcast a listen by clicking the link below, or watching on the Floch Fitness Youtube channel.  If you like the podcast, please consider subscribing! I put out a weekly podcast that gives insight and information on all things training, health, and nutrition.

Thanks!

side plank variations for back pain

If you have followed me for a bit, it should come as no surprise that I believe a weak core is a precursor to lower back pain and injury. But what does “weak core” really mean? An assessment tool I use to determine the strength of a client’s core and how at risk they are is the side plank hold. My gold standard for my clients is a 90 second side plank per side. From there I increase the variation and difficulty depending on the needs of the individual.

The side plank is so important because the muscles that are targeted (internal and external obliques) are primary respiration and postural muscles. When these muscles become inactive and weak, they have a hard time helping us breathe and stabilize the spine. Integrating side planks into your workout routine is a must for aging athletes and youths alike. Below is a video compilation of some of my favorite side plank variations. Toss them into your next work to test your core!

Need help with exercise selection and a training program that works for your specific needs? I am here to help! Click the link below to book a free assessment today. Your back will thank me later!

Is Pain Your Enemy?

Though it was 6 years ago now, I remember it like it was yesterday. I slept like crap the night before, which was normal for me at this point, and I was jacked up on god knows how much caffeine. As I walked into the gym to train, I was my usual crabby self, getting agitated at anyone breathing the wrong way. I knew I had a big workout in front of me. In my mind, there were numbers I “needed” to hit in order to convince myself I was improving, that I was worth it. The universe had other plans that day as I blew out my back on my final set of deadlifts. How bad was it? As soon as it happened I was on the floor writhing while my buddy Jason sat by me trying to understand what the hell just happened. The first thing that went through my mind? “How am I ever going to train if I need surgery?” The pain was a 10/10. In looking at the situation now, yes, there was an acute injury, but it was the fear that subsequently released and intensified the pain ten fold. Jason had to carry my out of the gym that day, reluctantly of course, and I owe him greatly for that. Lucky for me I didn’t have to have surgery, but I was sidelined from training for two months. It was during this time that I had to face the facts:

1. I was dealing with more than just physical pain

2. I was completely identified with being an “elite athlete”

Unfortunately, I was on the inside of the proverbial coke bottle and I couldn’t see the label from the inside that everyone could from the outside. However , a close friend recommended a book, The Divided Mind by Dr. John E. Sarno. My buddy knew that it was time for me to read this book.

The long and short of The Divided Mind is that Dr. Sarno, a world renowned spine surgeon, worked with thousands of patients in his career who have come to him with neck and back pain. Most of the patients he saw had gone to multiple doctors, had scans, injections, and surgeries without relief of their pain. The common denominator in most of them was that their pain was exacerbated or completely manifested by repressed feelings and emotions, and that their back/neck pain is psychosomatic. Furthermore, their physical pain was their so they didn’t have to deal with the deep emotional pain that they were carrying. I was intrigued by the notion that people would actually rather have debilitating back pain than to acknowledge that they had experienced trauma, or that they were unhappy with their lives. Lastly, the simple act of making his patients aware of the truth about their pain relieved most of their symptoms completely, or at the very least, alleviated them. Some patients with severe pain symptoms however, were referred out to psychotherapy, as awareness alone was not enough to completely cure these patients of their pain.

After reading Dr. Sarno’s book, it was clear that my next step in my recovery was to work with a professional to address past trauma in my life. It was a challenging step, and I had no idea how I could afford it as I could barely pay my bills at the time. I knew I couldn’t live my life the way I was anymore, so I set forth an intention to at least start looking for a therapist. Luckily enough, I fell into a great situation, with an unbelievable therapist, and the best part was it worked perfectly for me financially.

We should rarely ignore pain (both physically and emotionally), and that’s something that I coach to my clients. Pain is a great teacher and will guide you on a path if you listen and are open. If you are dealing with pain, it doesn’t have to be that way. Whether working with a coach to address physical limitations and structural deficiencies, or mental health specialist (or both) there is another way.

If you’d like to talk more, I’d love to help. Click the link below to book a free assessment today. You won’t regret it.

A Lifetime of Nutrition: Floch Fitness Nutrition Seminar

Food, like many of you, has been a critical part of my life.  Not for the most obvious reasons like survival, sustenance, and pleasure, but to fuel my goal during various times in my life.  Starting in middle school, I wrestled competitively, which meant weight cutting.  This is when food became more than just “what my parents gave me” and transformed into “what I needed to conquer and understand in order to make the weight.”  Fast forward to college and food became, “What can I get the most bang for buck?” Being a poor undergrad trying to feed himself while playing a college sport,  meant I needed to be strategic and crafty with what and how I ate.  After college I entered the sport of triathlon, and this is where food transformed into “fuel for endless hours of training.”  As triathlon got more serious, my health declined and now I looked at food a different way still: medicine.  The food I was eating during triathlon training was harming my body, causing my stomach, gallbladder, and liver to malfunction.  Changes in my diet caused improvements in my health and from there my goal changed to the sport of fitness (Crossfit).  During this chapter of my life, food supported my performance and now my career.  I was now making a living as a coach which meant every calorie I put in my body would now “put food on the table.”  As I shift my goal into long term health, my view now is food is my future.

Food has meant so many things to me over my life, and it is constantly changing.  My understanding of food has been challenged by so many different perspectives.  These perspectives allow me to sit down in front of a client or clients and find out what their goals are and how food can either help them move toward that goal, or drive them away from it.

In this video shot a few years back (much more hair then), I shared my thoughts on nutrition in a seminar I held at Crossfit Delray Beach.  We cover many topics here like nutrition for performance, diet for losing weight, and simple things like how to count your macros and what the best types of fats are.  This is 20+ years of my nutrition knowledge (both academically and experientially).  I hope you can take a few golden nuggets away from it.

Your diet is important in your body, mind, and spirit.  It’s time to start treating the food you put in your body as fueling all three areas.  Let’s work toward a better diet together.  Click the link below to book a free assessment to and start your journey toward the best version of you.