Block vs. Conjugate Periodization, Joe D's "Supplement Pyramid" and more Badass feedback!

Nutrition/ Supplementation

Q: Joe D – After purchasing your Super Strength dvd (great video!) its obvious your a huge advocate of conjugate periodisation, aka, the Westside method. But im assuming your aware of the philosophy behind block periodisation and its many benefits. My question is, is there ever a time where you would use a block periodisation model for your athletes? I’m always looking to expand my knowledge base so I figured who better to ask then THE MAN himself. If you don’t get around to answering this question I understand coach. Have a great holiday!

A.J.

Boulder, CO

A: Good question, A.J. This is a question that seems to be coming up a lot lately. Instead of creating an "argument" as to which peridization model is "better"; I will give you my personal opinion on the benefits of both. You can then decide which model is better for your personal situation.

The reason I favor the Russian Conjugate Method - aka, the "Westside Method" - most of the time is because it produces quicker results and it's a more realistic approach for most of the athletes that hire us. Although I'd love to be able to work with athletes - uninterrupted - for years at a time; that's just not how the private training business usually works.

For example: Every summer, athletes from all over the world travel to our gym to train with us in preparation of their football, rugby or soccer seasons. These athletes will be with us for anywhere between 6 weeks to 3 months. Likewise, every January, college football players from across the country come to New Jersey to prepare for the NFL Combine or their NFL Pro Day. On average, we have 6-12 weeks to get these guys stronger, faster, better conditioned and improve their technical skill at the various Combine tests. In both cases, we are always able to make drastic changes in this timeframe because we have our athletes training multiple qualities at once (conjugate periodization) from the day they arrive until the day they leave.

These "quick" results just wouldn't be possible if we separated the training into different "blocks". There just wouldn't be enough time to get everything in and get the job done!

On the other hand, if you have 6 months or longer with an athlete - uninterrupted - it is a logical approach to break up the training into "blocks". For example, although all of my NFL clients love to lift, many of them don't feel like maxing out on bench or squats the day after the season ends! These guys need a couple weeks off at the end of the season to relax and recuperate. After that, we'll ease them back into training by performing more "rehab" type movements to help overcome imbalances and injuries that occurred during the season. (For example: Single leg squats and step-ups are favored over barbell squats; dumbell benching is favored over barbell pressing, etc.) Once they start feeling "normal" again, you can incorporate a "hypertrophy" block (if they need to regain muscle mass). After that block, you can move into a strength block, then focus on a block that develops power/speed, then move into specific conditioning/energy system training, etc. Hopefully you get the point.

Basically, here's the edited version of my answer: If you have 6 months or less with an athlete, I'm a huge advocate of Conjugate Periodization. If you have an athlete training with you long-term (uninterrupted), the "slow & steady" Block Periodization model is a logical approach to get the job done.

-Joe D.

-------------------------

Q: This question is for Joe Defranco. Joe I would love to hear more from you regarding supplements!! I know this is a very broad topic so I’ll try to narrow down my question: Do you have a list of “foundational” supplements that you pretty much feel all athletes should be taking? I know every athlete is different but surely you have an “A list” that you find yourself prescribing to most of your athletes?? ANY advice or input from you regarding supplements would be golden!! Thanx Joe D!!

Andy

A: Andy,

As the years have gone by and I've gotten older and wiser, I've found myself taking - and recommending - less and less supplements. The funny thing is that our athletes' size, strength and overal performance haven't suffered at all... In fact, our results have never been better!

Personally, I now organize supplements in 3 different categories. I like to think of this as my own personal "Supplement Pyramid". (Unfortunately, I'm not a computer nerd so I don't know how to make a cool pyramid graphic for my supplement pyramid...so you'll just have to use your damn imagination!)

***I'm also running very low on time right now, so I won't be going into detail in this post as to why I chose each individual supplement. If you have any specific questions regarding why I recommend certain supplements, please drop your questions/comments/concerns below in the "comments" section and I'll do my best to follow up on this post. Here we go...

The base of my pyramid would be my Foundational Supplements. These are the supplements that I feel everyone should take year-round, forever! Basically, this is my "all-star" list of things that are difficult to injest in adequate amounts through food alone; so I feel you should make it a priority to "supplement" more of each into your diet. (Hence the term "supplements".) These aren't supplements that will add 50 pounds to your bench in 2 weeks, 10 inches to your verical jump in 2 minutes, or any other outrageous claim. The purpose of these Foundational Supplements are to fill in the "holes" in your diet and keep you healthy! Somehow, somewhere, athletes have lost sight of the fact that playing sports and working out are supposed to be part of a healthy lifestyle! Before anyone thinks about "quick fixes" and "performance enhancers", they should think about being healthy! My top three choices for this category are a quality GREENS supplement, FISH OIL supplement and PROTEIN/MEAL REPLACEMENT shake. Now I know you're all probably wondering what happened to the good 'ol multivitamin? Well, through personal experience, I've found I don't need one when I'm taking a quality greens drink, fish oil and meal replacement shake!

Here are my personal favorites in each category:

GREENS SuperFood by Amazing Grass

Ultimate Omega by Nordic Naturals

Ideal Whey by GI Nutrition

Raw Vegan Protein by Sun Warrior

The middle of my supplement pyramid is reserved for Performance/Hydration Supplements. You'll notice that many of the most "popular" supplements on the market don't make my list. This is because, during the past few years, I have really started weighing the risk:reward of the "performance" supplements that I recommend to my athletes. You see, many of the supplements that give you a "monster pump" or "insane intensity" are also the same supplements that make you cramp, pull muscles or gas out in the 2nd Round or at Halftime, etc.

Some may say my performance supplement recommendations have become somewhat "conservative". That's fine. Since we deal with serious, high-level athletes at my facility; we must always make sure the risk of a supplement doesn't out-weigh the reward. Because of this, I find myself constantly recommending things that aid in hydration, as opposed to things that give you a "monster pump" (yet increase the probability of muscle pulls and cramps)! For muscle-building and repair, I'm a huge advocate of good 'ol fashion Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA's) over "testosterone boosters" and popular "NO" products. When taken in adequate amounts, BCAA's have been - and always will be - one of THE best ways to recover from workouts and build muscle. Simply put, when taken properly, THEY WORK! And now it's easier than ever to get adequate amounts of aminos in without having to choke down a million horse pills!! High school, college and professional athletes can also sleep at night knowing that BCAA's aren't banned by any organization - unlike many of the "performance enhancing" supplements on the market!

Speaking of sleep; let's not forget how important sleep is with regards to your recovery and performance! In fact, getting a solid 8 hours each night just may be better than any supplement on the market! Ironically, many of the best athletes in the world are also some of the most intense people you will ever meet! Because of their intense personalities, many of them have trouble "shutting their brain and body off" at the end of each day. On a personal note, I have an extremely difficult time "shutting my brain off" each night as well. Thankfully, I recently discovered an incredible sleep aid that not only helps me sleep; it has actually decreased some of my soreness from training and it does not make you groggy in the morning at all!

Here are some of my top supplement choices in this category...

Endura by Metagenics

Coconut Water by Vita Coco

Ideal Recovery by GI Nutrition

Monster Amino by CytoSport

Power to Sleep PM by Irwin Naturals

The "peak" of my supplement pyramid would be reserved for Specific Application supplements. These are supplements that can be used periodically for specific goals or situations.

For example, if an athlete hits a plateau and can't seem to put on any more weight, he can try one of the many creatine products. On the other hand, if an athlete needs to drop a couple extra pounds and he/she needs some help, they may try a fat burner.

Another example may be a day where you didn't get much sleep, you had a tough day at work, etc., and you need an extra "kick" to make it through your workout. This can be a case where you take a pre-workout supplement like NO-Xplode to add some intensity to your workout after a lackluster day.

I can go on and on with examples, but hopefully you get my point. I'm not going to get into all the different "specific" supplements I recommend for this category because there are just way too many depending on the situation. Plus, I can't give away all of our secrets

I would like to end this question by saying way too many people start taking the Specific Application supplements way too early (and often) in their lifting careers! If more people focused on TRAINING HARD, EATING RIGHT and supplementing with my "Foundational Supplement" recommendations; they would make steady progress throughout their lifetime! Unfortunately, most kids start taking Specific Application supplements the very first day they start lifting and then their body is immune to them by the time they really "need" them down the road! My suggestion is to get as much out of your TRAINING and your Foundational Supplements for as long as possible and "save" the Specific Application supplements for when you really "need" them! Trust me, you don't want to "throw the kitchen sink" in your body when you're 15 years old, then have nothing to turn to when you hit a plateau during your college career!

Hopefully, some young athletes will see this post before it's too late...

-Joe D.

-----------------------

‘BUILT LIKE A BADASS’ FEEDBACK CONTINUES TO POUR IN…

“No questions, just gratitude. I am a 40 yr old Baptist preacher in Mobile, AL and I am 2 weeks deep into your ‘Built Like A Bad - - -’ workout.  It beats anything I have ever done in over 25 years of lifting. You're the Doctor and it was worth every dime. When the 12 weeks are up, I won't have any trouble from malcontented deacons. Thanks Joe.”
-Clint Pressley
Mobile, AL

-Joe D.

12 Comments

Maybe he's not such an Asshole, after all!?

Nutrition/ Supplementation

Anyone who reads this website, or who saw our STRONG documentary, knows about the "love-hate" relationship that I - along with everyone else in the gym - have with Mike "The Asshole" Guadango. You see, Mike is a hard-working, great kid...and he's also one of the most loyal people you will ever meet. BUT, he can also be a royal pain in the ass! You see, six years ago Mike signed up for 24 sessions...and...well...he NEVER left! He LITERALLY never left! Whether you come by our gym in the morning, afternoon, evening, weekends or holidays; it doesn't matter...Guadango will be there! And he doesn't just "mind his own business" and "blend" with the crowd, either. When he's there, he's there. For the past six years, he's been in my ear asking question, after question, after question...after question. He has asked me every training, nutrition and supplementation question known to mankind. Besides asking me, he'll ask every other trainer in the gym the same question...then he'll ask my dad...then he'll ask our nutritionist...over and over and over. You get my point.

You see, Guadango isn't just an athlete who comes to our gym to improve his performance. He is also studying Exercise Science and Nutrition in college; that is why he has always been so interested in the "why's" and "how's" of what we do. Because of his interest in the "why's" and "how's" of our program, we have made him our gym "lab rat" on many occasions. From box jumps to dextrose supplementation, Guadango has about as much "real world" experience as you can get for someone his age. The "human experiment" has definetly worked. Mike went from getting cut from the baseball team his freshman year to becoming an All-American a few short years later. This is even more impressive when you consider the fact that Mike has below-average genetics! And I'm not calling his genetics "below average" just to bust his balls, either. At my gym, we tell it like it is; and the fact of the matter is that Mike's genetics kinda suck (athletically speaking). In fact, our brutally-honest nutritionist, Tom Bilella, once asked Mike if his "ancestors were pygmies" LOL! (True story.)

Not bad for a decendant of pygmies!

Ok, you're now probably wondering what's the point to this blog post, aren't you? Well here's the deal...

The point of giving everyone a little background on Guadango was because I'm proud to announce that all of the countless hours that Mike has spent at our gym may now benefit YOU!

I kind of feel like a "proud dad" when I tell you that Mike has taken all of his nutrition/supplementation knowledge & experimentation and he partnered with two business-savy guys to form "Grecian Ideal Nutrition" - a supplement company dedicated to providing athletes (and "regular" people) with supplements that WORK, without the addition of fillers or any of the other fake crap that lines the shelves of most "Health Food" stores. The reason why I'm "endorsing" their supplement line is because I have tried their products - they work - and I was extremely impressed with their business model and professionalism; especially for a start-up company. After "dabbling" in the supplement industry myself; I know how hard it is and I know how much time, effort and money must be spent in order to make it work. This was one of my concerns when Mike told me that his friends were starting a supplement company; I wanted to make sure he knew that a supplement company isn't something that you can "do on the side". This was a mistake that I made and I didn't want them to make the same mistake. But, Mike's partners are in this thing FULL-TIME, they have solid business backgrounds and money behind them for research and development. This enables Mike to continue to be a "lab rat" at our gym and focus 100% of his attention on providing his partners with information on how athletes are responding to their products, as well as what we are looking for in future products. To me, this is a perfect combination for a business partnership; let the "business guys" focus on the "business" side of things and let the "technician" continue to test and research the products. As a reader of our website, YOU benefit because you will be able to purchase supplements from a company that has been influenced by our gym and is "DeFranco-approved", without having to spend endless hours talking to "The Asshole"!

GI Nutrition unveiled their product line at our 'World's Strongest Athlete' Contest

Some people may be thinking that I'm endorsing these guys because I am a partner or I have some kind of stake in this company. The fact of the matter is that I am in no way, shape, or form a partner in this company. I'm endorsing these guys because, as I stated above, I believe in the quality of their products because I'm able to see (first-hand) what's going into them. It's also a "win-win" relationship for my company if I can provide first-hand feedback to these guys and "have a say" in what I feel needs to be improved with their existing products; or what I would like to see in future products. To me, this is almost like having our own supplement company, without having to deal with all the BS! Who knows, if GI Nutrition continues to grow, maybe they can bring the "DeFranco Energy Bar" back to life??

As of right now, the GI Nutrition product line consists of 3 products - Ideal Whey, Ideal Pump and Ideal Recovery. You can learn all about the specifics of these products at www.GINutrition.net, so I won't repeat the info here. What I will do is provide you with a quick story of my very first "experience" with each of the three products...

Ideal Pump Pre-workout supplement

If you follow this website, as well as the athletes that train here, you may know the name, Adam Triglia. Adam is a long-time client of ours and he was the winner of our Strongman Contest two years ago with his epic prowler push in overtime! His strongman performance was so gutsy, we had a banner made of him that still hangs in our gym to this day.

The one thing that Adam hasn't been able to accomplish is the elusive 405 bench! The 405 bench has been Adam's nemesis for a year now. Then, Adam tried Ideal Pump before a max-effort upper body workout and this is what happened...

I don't know if that was a coincidence or not, but it was impressive!

Ideal Recovery Post-workout drink

Anyone who trains at our gym knows that Brian Markowski loves to bust Mike Guadango's balls! Anyway, I was talking with Markowski in the office a couple days after he broke our bench press record in the 'Washed-Up Meathead Division' with this 475-pound press...

Here's how the conversation went:

Markowski: "Have you tried that recovery shit Guadango is giving to everyone?"

Joe D.: "Yeah. It's actually really good, man. Although I know you'll never take it because it's Guadango's LOL!"

Markowski: "That's the thing...I DID take it...it's awesome! I took it after my max-effort workout the day I benched 475. I wasn't sore at all the next day."

Joe D.: "See, I'm telling you...it's legit."

Markowski: "Man, I wanted it to suck so bad because I hate giving Guadango credit for anything! But I'm definetly getting more of that stuff."

Ideal Whey Protein Powder

The day that Ideal Whey came out, Guadango brought a container to the gym and asked me to give it to my dad. I stopped by my dad's condo after work and gave him the protein. Before he even looked at the container he said, "Why the hell would you let him waste a container on me? You know I don't drink any of this shit anymore! Bring this back to him."

You see, my dad will not eat or drink anything with any artificial colors or flavors anymore. The only protein powders he has used over the past couple of years have been Jay Robb's products and Sun Warrior Protein. My dad knows that 99% of the protein powders out there add artificial colors and flavors to them so he just assumed this product was no different.

You don't look like this at 62 by putting just anything in your body

Before my dad handed the container back to me, I asked him to read the ingredients: Protein Blend (Whey Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate), Cocoa, Dextrose, Natural Chocolate Cream Flavor, Xanthan Gum, Stevia, Natural Vanilla Flavor. He read the ingredients and then looked at me and said, "DAMN! They did good!" That brief statement is a HUGE compliment coming from my dad...he is the toughest critic there is. He now drinks it every day.

So there you have it; a new supplement company is born. In a very sleazy, deceptive business; it's refreshing to see some young talent take the stage!

Please note that the point of this blog post wasn't to "sell" you supplements. The point was to inform everyone of a new company with a quality line of products that now provides you with another option when you do your supplement shopping. If you do decide to shop at www.GINutrition.net, the boys at GI Nutrition have been kind enough to give 10% off to all of our readers. All you have to do is write DEFRANCO (all caps) in the promo code section of the checkout process to receive your discount.

And to think it all started by jumping on a box...

P.S. If you have any specific questions that you would like to ask Guadango regarding the GI NUTRITION product line, leave your questions/comments below and I will tell him to check and respond here daily.

-Joe D.

8 Comments

Stay hydrated & energized during summer workouts!

Nutrition/ Supplementation

One of the most overlooked components of nutrition – especially during the summer months – is what you put into your body during your workouts!

I’m sure every athlete or coach has experienced what it’s like to eat “healthy” throughout the day, only to fade during the middle or end of a tough summer workout in the heat. This is an area that we have spent much more time researching over the past couple years and now I’m going to share what has worked best with our athletes. Please note that – due to the nature of this blog – I will only be giving you ‘general’ recommendations due to the fact that every athlete has different goals, body chemistry, etc. It would be impossible for me to give recommendations for every athlete, every different goal, etc. So I’ve decided to provide my readers with the “Elite 3” list of pre/during workout nutrition that has worked for the “masses” at our facility.

Coconut Water

I have to give my friend and colleague, Jason Ferruggia, credit for this one. Although I had read a little bit about coconut water, I never really thought much about it. But, around a year ago, Jason emailed me and he was raving about the hydrating and “anti-cramping” effects that coconut water was having on him, as well as his clients. After hearing from Jason, I decided to do more research and experiment with some of my best athletes. The rest, as they say, is history…

As far as I’m concerned, coconut water should be the new “Gatorade” to this generation of athletes. It just may be nature’s most perfect, natural “sports drink”. It is PACKED with the five essential electrolytes. In fact, it provides about 15 times the amount of electrolytes as the “leading” sports drinks; it even has more potassium than a banana! It also has lower acidity (4.8pH) than all other “sports” drinks and most juices. (Low “acid” levels are imperative for all athletes looking to improve their endurance and cut down on inflammation in their body.)

Throw in the fact that it doesn’t have any artificial sweeteners or added sugar and – if you ask me – that’s one helluva workout drink! Please note that, although I’m calling coconut water a “workout drink”, it is not a “supplement”, so it doesn’t have to be “cycled”. I would categorize coconut water as a “foundational” drink that can remain as a steady part of your diet throughout the year.

You may also be interested in knowing that the first two “guinea pigs” that I really pushed coconut water on (last year), still drink it to this day…and they swear by it! These two athletes drank coconut water (instead of the “leading” sports drink) throughout training camp last summer. Both of them reported back to me daily and told me that they felt hydrated and didn’t cramp at all during two-a-days in the brutal heat of training camp. Both of these athletes continued to use coconut water during practices and games throughout the football season with great success. Although I don’t want to “expose” these two athletes because they aren’t getting paid to promote this product (although I think they should), I will tell you that they both were drafted in the 1st round of this year’s NFL Draft J

The secret is out…if you’re a serious athlete; replacing your current sports drink (aka, sugar water) with coconut water just may be the best thing you can do this summer!

Coconut water is now readily available at most supermarkets, so there’s no excuse!

Now that I have revealed my favorite “foundational” drink for athletes (especially when training in the heat); I will now tell you my two favorite “supplements” for your summer training. The two supplements that I’m referring to are Endura by Metagenics and Surge Workout Fuel by Biotest.

Neither of these supplements seems to be as popular as the “N.O.” products that are advertised on every single page of every single bodybuilding magazine; but, they will both provide much better long term results and training longevity. What I mean by this is, although most popular “N.O.” products give you a nice caffeine “buzz” and “pump”, they also contribute to cramping, crashing, and puking; these are three things that athletes DON’T want to happen during their intense summer workouts! Save the “pump products” for the bodybuilders and fitness fruits; if you’re an athlete that’s after performance, stick with my recommendations! The products that I have listed above will help you train longer, harder and they keep you hydrated which will help prevent cramping!

Athletes shouldn't mimick this guy's supplementation program

*If you happen to be a stimulant junkie (like me), here’s a secret concoction that will give you a nice kick in the ass during your workout; try mixing 2 scoops of Endura OR 2 scoops of Surge Workout Fuel with a can of sugar-free Red Bull and 8-10 oz. of water…this works like a charm!!

Some of our more “extreme” athletes swear by this concoction. Even though I’m cautious of recommending caffeine during the summer months (because of dehydration), the super-hydrating effects of Surge Workout Fuel and/or Endura seem to “outweigh” the potential dehydrating effects of the caffeine in the Red Bull. Basically, this concoction provides you with the “best of both worlds”…you get the caffeine “buzz”, while staying hydrated…and it tastes great!!

NOTE: If you’re now confused as to which one of these products you should use, here’s what I suggest…try them all! As I’ve stated many times before, I strongly suggest that athlete’s cycle their supplements (just like we cycle our exercises every couple weeks during our workouts). I feel that your body responds the best to supplements if you never let it get too "accustomed" to any one product. Trying different products is also the only way to become “in tune” with your body and see what works best for you.

So there you have it…Joe D’s guide to a healthy and eXpLoSiVe summer of training! And FYI, I am in no way, shape, or form, affiliated with any of the products that I’ve listed above. I wrote about them because I believe in them and I know they work. I have no financial interest in any of those products...

With that being said, if there are any representatives from Coconut Water, Metagenics or Biotest that would like to talk about some kind of sponsorship for my facility and/or our athletes, I’m more than willing to listen HA! J

Speaking of the summer, stay tuned as we will be offering our wildly popular camo tees on this site for the first time ever! For the past six years, we have reserved these tees for only athletes that train at our facility...no exceptions! But, we have a very limited supply that will go on sale for our online readers during one of my upcoming blog posts. So keep checking back so you don't miss out; because once they're gone, they're gone..."F-U"!

Joe D.

4 Comments