back to school

Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip | The Godfather of Strength

 

Back To School

Two weeks ago I got to spend the weekend with the “godfather” of strength training.  Mark Rippetoe, better known as Rip, put on a strength clinic here in L.A.  30 hours of squats, deadlifts, presses, bench presses, and power cleans.

The Godfather Of Strength

To say Rip is a character would be a massive understatement. Rip is a cross of Bill Parcells, who has won multiple Super Bowls as a coach, and Steve Jobs. Like Bill, you better have some thick skin because he'll gut you like a fish in front of everybody as I got see a few times.  He also has some Steve Jobs in him. Like Jobs was to technology, Rip is to strength training, he is light years ahead of the majority of us in the fitness community.

Weight = Strength

Rip has been in the strength world for over 40 years and has coached world record weight lifters, NFL players, and even cyclists. He has built a system that incorporates physics, using the greatest amount of muscle mass use over the longest effective range of motion, and loves to argue why his philosophy is the best.

My first real interaction with Rip was on Saturday morning after he and the class watched me finish up my last set of heavy squats. He said to me, “Good looking squats, do you know what you are doing wrong?”  Having read and watched all of his books and videos I knew exactly where he was going.  “Erik, you are too damn skinny! A guy your height needs to weigh 245 lbs., you need to go put on some weight.  Do you know why that’s a problem?”  I replied, “Yes, Rip because I’m at a mechanical disadvantage.”  “Fix it”, he said and walked away.

Knowledge Is Power

Rip’s personality, politics, and general demeanor are for a select few, but what I couldn’t deny was his expertise, experience and the opportunity to learn from the best.  While I have no intention of putting on 45 lbs. at this point of my life, the amount of material that I’ve learned because of him was truly expansive. I’m extremely grateful for the knowledge gained and I’ve become better at my job because of his work. 

Thanks Rip, it was an unforgettable weekend! 

Image Credit: The Guardian

Sign up below and every week we'll send you one short but effective idea that can help you improve your performance.

 

Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip | Back To School

 

This past weekend I was away at a seminar working on my Continuing Education credits. 

No time to write a newsletter. Sorry!

Image Credit: Orion Pictures

Sign up below and every week we'll send you one short but effective idea that can help you improve your performance.

 

Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip: Back To School Enthusiasm

enthusiasm
 

Fall is upon us which means our girls will be heading back to school. This year, my oldest daughter Mychaela will be starting kindergarten. While this might be a scary transition for some children, the shared sentiment in our household is pure and utter ENTHUSIASM. 

Mychaela’s excitement for starting school is quite amazing to watch—not only does she have all of her school supplies packed and ready to go, she also has her outfit picked out for the first day. 

Enthusiasm is probably the most contagious of all emotions, one that can quickly fill up a room. Who doesn’t like to be around people who are excited about school, health, fitness, work or life? Enthusiastic people have a way of making the dullest activities enjoyable. 

Today I have a challenge for you. Whether you are starting a new project at work, heading to the gym, ordering a coffee, or shopping for groceries—do it with pure and utter ENTHUSIASM. Not only will you brighten your own day, you just might brighten someone else’s too :)

*image by Saparevo, Flickr

Sign up below and every week we'll send you one short but effective idea that can help you improve your performance.

We share loads of tips and insights across Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook, join us and come and say hello!