04.23.04
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Click
here to Ask Joe about training. If you send a
question, it may appear on the website. Please do
not submit a question if you do not want the question
published. Only your first name will be used for privacy
reasons.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Submit your email address to subscribe to
our free newsletter.
You can receive our weekly email letting you know
when there are new Questions and Answers. We will
also keep you up to date with upcoming events and
new ways to become a better athlete.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Q: Joe D.
First and foremost, LOVE
THE SITE! You're an ANIMAL, and it's great to have
an outlet to discuss getting HUGE!!!
Question: Summer's right
around the corner. My caloric intake has been
excellent this winter, and I've been throwing the
iron around pretty
heavily. I'm thinking that now is a good time to start
cutting the "excess" baggage and "shred-up".
I've read a few previous discussions about Hot-Rox.
Do you believe this to be the best supplement on the
market to aid in my shredding process?
Thanks again for your time
and efforts.
P.S. - And as an Eagles fan,
thanks for Dhani Jones! Can't WAIT to see him on the
field!
Jim
A: Jim,
‘Tis the season to get shredded
– especially here in northern New Jersey. Memorial
Day weekend at the Jersey shore is bigger than the
SuperBowl for guidos throughout the state. I can see
the fake tans, wife beaters and tribal tattoos already!
Anyway, here's your simple recipe
for shreddedness:
-
Have 2 HOT-ROX 1st thing in
the morning on an empty stomach with 16oz. of
water. (Have breakfast about 30 min. after your
HOT-ROX.)
Take 2 more HOT-ROX later on in the day (about
6 hours after your 1st dosage) on an empty stomach.
-
Have 2 Muscle Milk (by CytoSport)
shakes a day. (For example: You can have one for
breakfast and one post-workout.)
-
In conjunction with your Muscle
Milk shakes, have 3-4 small-moderate sized "whole
food" meals each day. Don't mix carbs and
fats with your whole food meals! Either have lean
protein+carb meals or protein+fat meals. Your
last meal of the day should be a protein+fat meal.
(You can have green veggies with your protein+fat
meals.)
-
Try to drink a gallon of water
each day.
-
Train like a madman!
You should look like an atanomy
chart by Memorial Day!
Joe D.
Return to Top
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Q: Joe,
I am a college football player
at Mount Union College and spring training is almost
over. My question has to do with the glute-ham raise.
I live and die by this exercise, but my high school
(which is where I will be training for the summer)
doesn't have a glute-ham raise machine - the closest
thing is a traditional roman chair. I'm wondering
how I can do a glute ham raise movement by improvising
with other equipment. We pretty much have any equipment
except for a freakin glute-ham raise. Please get back
to me or else my hamstrings will suffer! Thanks for
your insight
-Jason
A: Jason,
I feel your pain! It still baffles
me how many high school and college coaches don’t
recognize the incredible benefits of this great exercise.
To me, a weight-room without a glute-ham bench is
like a strip club without lap dances – it doesn’t
make sense!
Anyway, you can always perform “natural
glute-ham raises.” Click
here and you will find a good picture and description
of this exercise.
Best of luck to Mount Union football
this year – not like you guys need it!
Joe D.
Return to Top
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Q: Dear Sirs,
I live in Italy and I'm interested in attending seminars
given by Mr. DeFranco. Is there any scheduled on May
and June??? Please let me have your answer, given
that it is the second email I send you.
Wishes,
Carlos
A: Carlos,
I am planning on giving a seminar
with a colleague of mine at the end of June. It will
be held here in New Jersey. I am currently finalizing
a facility to host it. I should have more details
by the end of April. Keep checking this website for
updates. You won’t want to miss this seminar!
Joe D.
Return to Top
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Q: Hello
Joe,
I recently watched a program that focused on the off-season
training of
several NHL athletes and have a question for you.
One of those athletes was Eric Lindros (you can edit
out this name if you must) and his trainer had him
doing complexes. Now, I have nothing against complexes
but the way he was using them was atrocious in my
opinion. He started by doing Smith machine squats.
If that isn't bad enough, they were only quarter squats
done on a balance board. So we have Smith machine,
quarter squats on a balance board for HIGH reps (I
counted at least 8-10). This was followed immediately
with vertical-jumps in place. I couldn't believe this
multi-million dollar athlete had a trainer that would
do such things. Now, am I mistaken in thinking this
training protocol in uncalled for? Do you think there
is ever a time to implement such methods?
On a similar topic, I was
also wondering what your "prescription"
for using balance boards and such is for an athlete
that requires playing in an environment being off
balance. For example, I will be training some hockey
players and figure skaters this summer. How much time
should I focus, and how much importance should I place,
on the training in an "unbalanced environment"
for these athletes?
I personally think there
is a time and place for these methods but not to the
extent that said trainer above was doing. Thanks
for your time and input.
A: I’m disgusted!!!
Where do I begin? First of all, there
is NEVER a place for high-rep, Smith machine squats
on a wobble board followed by squat jumps! I’m
hoping you were drunk when you were watching this
and it really didn’t happen. If it did happen,
I don’t even feel like wasting my time commenting
on it.
My “prescription” for
using unstable training devices is as follows:
-
I use them as an evaluation tool. For example,
having an athlete perform a bodyweight squat
on a wobble board accentuates any muscular imbalances
and flexibility issues that they have. This
evaluation tool helps me design more productive
programs for my athletes.
-
I use unstable devices in 2-4 week mini cycles
to activate weaker, stabilizing muscles. For
example, you will see a picture of N.Y. Giants
fullback, Jim Finn, in the PICS
section of this site using a Dyna Disk. I incorporated
the Dyna Disk in his program to help strengthen
his adductors before we started our running/conditioning
program. Jim’s adductors bothered him
in previous years of training whenever he first
started running. Last year, we didn’t
have a problem after incorporating such methods.
ONE FINAL NOTE:
Remember that unstable devices can be effective training
tools if you implement them properly. The
problem is that most people overuse them! These implements
do have their time and place; I just don’t feel
they should become the focus of an athlete’s
training. The reason I say this is because in all
of sports, it is the athlete that moves while
the playing surface remains still. (The playing
surface doesn’t move as the athlete tries to
remain still! This remains true whether we’re
talking about a hockey rink, basketball court or football
field.) True “functional” training should
consist of applying resistance to an athlete while
his/her feet are in contact with the ground. The athlete
must then adapt to these forces. Also, if you’re
always performing exercises on “unstable”
devices, you will be limited in the amount of weight
you can use. This will prevent you from overloading
the prime movers of the exercise, which will limit
how strong you can get.
Joe D.
Return to Top
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
