RossTraining.com Blog

There isn’t much that I can add to this entry.  He’s already hit the nail on the head.

Ross

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In my last entry, I concluded with a recommended reading list.  The first website listed was the Sandowplus.co.uk site. 

This entry will now further prove (and demonstrate) the quality of that site.  Below is a link to George Hackenschmidt’s most notable book, The Way To Live.  Hackenschmidt is known by many as The Russian Lion.  His name is still mentioned today, despite his birth date of 1878. 

What better way to learn about this tremendous physical presence from the past than by reading his most notable book?  Bookmark the link below for an informative and enjoyable read. 

Full Link Here

Enjoy,

Ross

3 comments

When it comes to training, there is no subsitute for experience, as we all learn by doing.  If you don’t experiment with various protocols, you’ll never know what (and why) a particular method is most effective.  It is one thing to read about training, but it’s entirely different to get your hands dirty and find out for yourself. 

Throughout the years, I’ve been fortunate to work with several influential coaches and mentors. These men (listed below) were instrumental in my development as an athlete and coach. Unfortunately, I’ve also heard others falsely claim influence on me. For this reason, I would like to officially thank my primary influences within this informal piece.  I’ve also included some pictures of me from earlier in my life.  Most come from the early and mid 1990’s.  Now in my 30’s, I still find it hard to believe that some of these pictures were over half a life time ago.  Time flies when you are having fun…

Rollie Pier

  

Perhaps my greatest influence is New London Sports Hall of Fame member Rollie Pier. Rollie has been involved in the sport of boxing longer than most of us have been alive. I was fortunate to train with Rollie for several years.  He trained me, worked my corner, and taught me life lessons that I’ll pass on to my children.  We trained at the gym, and often in his basement on the weekends.  Rollie opened his doors to me.  He showed me that old school is often far better than any new school invention. I can still remember him buying a new head gear at age 75.  He needed it to move around the ring with the younger amateur fighters.  I’m almost certain that Rollie has a secret anti-aging device.  He’s still active and will likely never slow down. 

Below are some pictures from the past.  Rollie is busy working the corner in this early 1990’s bout.

And here we are training at Gleason’s Gym in New York City (also in the early 1990’s). 

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John “The Iceman” Scully

Another primary influence in my life is former world title challenger John Scully.  John has been involved in the sport of boxing for over 25 years, and is currently one of the top trainers in the sport today.  I have been fortunate to know John for more than half of my life.  Below are a few gym shots of me and John from MANY years ago when I was a young (and lightweight) teen.  I’m surprised I didn’t blow away in the wind!

 

John too had a tremendous influence on my life (in and out of the ring).  Fast forwarding 15+ years later, we are still in the gym together, and have trained some of the same professional fighters. 

Here we are in the corner of a world title eliminator bout in Germany:

And here we are at a West Palm Beach training camp with heavyweight champion Vladimir Klitschko:

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Harry Figueroa

 

Harry Figueroa was another significant influence in my life.  Harry was a master of low tech training methods.  He often had me cutting wood, pushing heavy wheel barrows, lifting and carrying logs, etc.  This was long before odd object training became commonplace.  Harry’s low tech methods would be considered state of the art breakthroughs by many today.  As a youngster, I never thought of it that way.  It was just hard work that was common to us fighters. 

After his boxing gym was shut down, Harry began training me in the basement of the Village Heights housing project.  We didn’t have any equipment, aside from a few bags.  Fighters sparred in the basement with no ring.  You had to stay off the ropes, as the ropes were cement walls.  Yet despite such an antiquated environment, we did very well and were always in top condition to fight.  Harry definitely taught me the “never gymless” mentality. 

Below are some old pictures of us training in the basement. 

   

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Pepe Vasquez

Yet another influence on my development as an athlete and trainer is the late Pepe Vasquez.  Pepe gave new meaning to intensity.  As a former pro fighter and stand out wrestler, Pepe knew exactly what it took to get a fighter in peak condition.  Perhaps his most notable work was with two time world champion Marlon Starling (who I was also fortunate to train with).  Those familiar with Starling’s career will certainly remember his destruction over former world champion Lloyd Honeyghan in 1989 (when Starling won the WBC title). 

If you watch the tape, you’ll notice one of the trainers (Pepe) jumping into the ring after the bout was stopped.  The energy and joy that he expressed in Starling’s victory was with him every day.  There were no easy training sessions with Pepe.  He always pushed the envelope.  Working one on one with Pepe opened my eyes to what real training was all about.  There are some lessons that you can’t learn in a book.  Pepe got up in your face and taught lessons the old fashioned way. 

I was devastated at Pepe’s unexpected death a few years ago.  I had spoken with him on the phone just days before.  I’m glad to say the lessons he taught me at the San Juan Center boxing gym still live on today, and will never die.

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Cisco Zayas

 

Cisco Zayas also had a unique influence on me.  He too worked my corner for many fights, and taught me many old tricks at the San Juan Center.  If there was a trick or loop hole that could help, Cisco would figure it out.  He was as old school as they come, and always put out good fighters. 

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Kent Ward

Kent Ward (who trains fighters at Strike Zone MMA) is yet another influential mentor to me.  I was fortunate to train with Kent at his old gym in Waterford.  Kent is now in his 60’s and still stronger and better conditioned than most men half his age.  He (along with Rollie Pier) showed me that old school is often the best school.  He’s the type of person that you want with you if sh*t ever hits the fan.  He’s strong, knowledgeable, tough, and a great person to learn from.  I soaked up all the knowledge that I could from him.   

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Jack Lalanne

Another influence in my life comes from someone that I’ve never actually met.  His name is Jack Lalanne, and I’d be honored to meet him.  This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone familiar with this blog.  I’ve referenced many of Jack’s old videos on this site.  He was a true fitness pioneer.  We can all learn from Jack.  His message was both sincere and truthful.  You can literally feel his passion through his screen.  That’s what you call real passion.  It doesn’t die.  Even Jack’s old videos still hit home with truth and passion.  His message wasn’t about dollars and cents.  It’s about helping others improve.  Jack still tells it like it is, and still walks the walk. 

Personal Development

Despite these tremendous influences and my formal education, there were still many lessons in life that I had to learn on my own.  The hand problems that I experienced as a young fighter are a prime example.  Everyone told me to rest my hand, but I was too impatient and ignorant.  I kept returning to action too soon, even after repeated fractures.  Looking back, the mistakes that I made are as clear as day.  At the time, I never saw it that way however.  Hindsight is definitely 20/20.  Unfortunately for me, I didn’t figure this out until it was too late.  

I’ve had to learn many lessons on my own, such as the importance of patience.  Patience is something that I never had.  Over the years, I’ve matured, and am amazed at the countless mistakes that I made as a youngster.  Perhaps it is a blessing in disguise however.  I now have the best job in the world.  I thoroughly enjoy training and developing athletes.  It is my sincere hope that I can help others avoid making the same mistakes that I once made (I made enough for all of us). 

Knowledge Is Power

Experience is something that you don’t buy or find in a book.  You either have it or you don’t, and it must be earned through years of hard work.  Experience alone is not enough however.  We must also be active in our search for new information.  This is one reason why I spend so much time researching the human body.  No one is born with knowledge.  It is something that we must acquire.  A week does not pass without me reading books, training journals, scientific literature, etc.  The search for knowledge is never ending.

Below are a few resources that I have found useful.  Clearly, this is a condensed list, as I literally have hundreds of books in my library, but hopefully this brief list will prove useful to some.  I will likely update this list in the future when time permits (time is limited with the new baby )

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Websites

Sandowplus.co.uk  - Tremendous website with countless books from generations before us. Whether you are interested in one hand barbell lifts, kettlebells, isometrics, gymnastics, etc., you’ll find it here.  As you read through this site, it won’t take long for you to realize that much of what is marketed as new in today’s era is everything but new. 

The Canadian Athletics Coaching Centre - Another tremendous site, particularly for those interested in sports science.  Be sure to scroll though the various categories on the left side of the page.  Expect to find detailed research papers from those such as Bondarchuk, Verkhoshansky, Zatsiorsky, and more. 

Ultimate Athlete Concepts - Great source for hard to find books (ex. translated material from Yuri Verkhoshansky).  Those who enjoy the material from The Canadian Athletics site, will also enjoy the material available through Ultimate Athlete Concepts. 

Site of Yuri Verkhoshansky - The official site of Yuri Verkhoshansky.  We can all learn from his knowledge and experience.  His material and research is truly first class.

Dr. Yessis - Home to the Dr. Yessis website, this is a valuable training resource.  You can also order past editions of The Fitness and Sports Review International (formerly known as the Soviet Sports Review).  These journals (published from 1966 to 1994) are loaded with valuable research (much of which is still largely unknown to many of today’s athletes and coaches).

Development of the Russian Conjugate Sequence System - Great resource that is free to read at Elitefts.com. 

Westside Barbell - If you want to get stronger, Louie Simmons is one man that you can learn from.  Refer to the Articles section of his site for loads of material that could literally fill an entire book. 

PubMed - Great source if you are looking to research various journals

Books

Supertraining by Mel Siff - Supertraining is perhaps the best training/research book that I’ve ever read. Any serious coach or trainer should read this book.  I’ve gone through this book so many times that my copy is literally covered with highlighters, sticky notes, random notes in the margins, etc.  The book looks like it has been through a war zone.  I wouldn’t trade this book for any other. 

Facts and Fallacies by Mel Siff - Another superb book by the late Mel Siff, as he tears through all of the misinformation that has infected the fitness industry.  This book is a “lighter” read when compared to Supertraining. 

Science and Practice of Strength Training by Vladimir Zatsiorsky and William Kraemer - This book is right up there with Supertraining.  It is another tremendous reference that should be on the shelves of all serious coaches and trainers. 

Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance by McArdle, Katch and Katch (Victor and Frank) - For those interested in the how and why, this book is tough to beat.  This is a HUGE text that will take some time to digest completely. 

Designing Resistance Training Programs-3rd Edition by William Kraemer and Steven Fleck is a tremendous reference manual with research regarding an endless list of sports training topics. 

Science of Sports Training by Thomas Kurz - This book is often forgotten, but actually contains loads of useful material, particularly dealing with many Eastern European training methods.  Definitely serves as a useful reference. 

Russian Texts - This link will bring you to many translated Russian manuals, all available through Elitefts.com.  There are several excellent titles from authors such as Verkhoshansky, Medvedyev, Bondarchuk, and Roman.  I’ve enjoyed reading through almost all of these translated texts. 

Wrestling Physical Conditioning Encyclopedia by John Jesse - This is an excellent read for anyone interested in combat sports.  This book is difficult to find (for purchase), but is available at most large libraries.  It is well worth the read, even for pure enjoyment (it is not as technical as many of the titles listed above).  Despite the 1974 publish date, this book references many (so-called) new methods such as sandbag training, functional isometrics, gymnastic appartus exercises, grip training, etc.  After reading this book, you’ll realize that much of what many believe to be new, is everything but new (see The Endless Search for a related discussion). 

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Final Thoughts

Whether you are working with a new coach, or reading through new material, it is useful to follow the advice from Bruce Lee (who I also consider an influence):

“Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not, Add what is uniquely your own” 

Growing up around the influences listed above, I became somewhat of a sponge.  I absorbed everything that I could from each person, and eventually formulated my own thoughts and methods.  This is where experience in the gym becomes invaluable.  Not everything will be useful to everyone.  We must all find our own path, and once you find it, expect to reach several forks in the road.  There is no comfort zone.  Your best, my best, and “the” best is, and always will be, a moving target.  Be prepared to evolve and grow (in many ways) if you wish to find this target.   

I’ll add more to this entry in the future when time permits. 

Enjoy,

Ross

 

9 comments

We are all back home and I’m in the process of catching up with work.  I’ll hopefully be back with new blog entries either Thursday of Friday.  I’ll then be back in full mode next week. 

Here is my baby girl!  Both she and my wife are doing great, and Troy is really enjoying his little sister!   

Ross

 

38 comments

Brooke Emily Enamait

7 pounds, 12 ounces! 

My wife and I have a new baby girl, and Troy has a little sister!  I’ll be at the hospital for a few days, but will be back soon.

Thank you all for the kind words!

Ross

77 comments

Well, my wife is having contractions.  Today could be the day.  I planned to write a blog this morning, but labor coach duties must come first! 

I’ll be back on the blog soon…

Ross

30 comments

If you believe breakfast cereal is a healthy start to your day, take some time to read through the article below:

Drop That Spoon!

If time is limited, I’ve copied some of the article highlights below:

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“The absurdity of feeding an animal something that it never evolved to eat and that actually makes it fat and sick ought to be easy enough to see…  They (processed cereals) are the epitome of cheap commodity converted by manufacturing to higher-value goods; of agricultural surplus turned into profitable export. Somehow, they have wormed into our confused consciousness as intrinsically healthy, when, by and large, they are degraded foods that have to have any goodness artificially restored.”

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“It was a chronically dyspeptic businessman and former patient of Kellogg’s at the sanitarium who unleashed the power of marketing on breakfast. Charles Post set up the rival La Vita Inn in Battle Creek and developed his own versions of precooked cereals. “The sunshine that makes a business plant grow is advertising,” he declared, promoting his cereals with paid-for testimonials from apparently genuine happy eaters. He also cheerfully invented diseases that his products could cure. Grape Nuts were miraculously marketed at the time both as “brain food” and also as a cure for consumption and malaria. They were even, despite their enamel-cracking hardness, said to be an antidote to loose teeth.”

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My Comments -  Perhaps the best line from this entire article is bolded in the paragraph below.  If you currently eat cereal, consider eating the box instead. 

“That processed cereals had become little more than sugary junk with milk and vitamins added was an accusation made as long ago as 1970, when Robert Choate, an adviser to President Nixon on nutrition, told a congressional hearing into breakfast cereals that the majority “fatten but do little to prevent malnutrition”. Choate was outraged at the aggressive targeting of children in breakfast cereal advertising. He analyzed 60 well-known cereal brands and concluded that two-thirds offered “empty calories, a term thus far applied to alcohol and sugar”. Rats fed a diet of ground-up cereal boxes with sugar, milk and raisins were healthier than rats fed the cereals themselves, he testified to senators.”

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My Comments - It should come as no surprise that large cereal manufacturers such as Kellogg’s have sponsored many school nutritional programs.  Paying to sponsor a school program is just another form of advertising.  They have never been concerned about your health, or the health of your children.  The sole concern is annual revenue.   

“Getting children hooked, making them associate breakfast cereal with fun and entertainment, were among the main aims of competing manufacturers from the early days. Cereal advertising likewise helped shape early television. Using “motivational research” to work out how to appeal to women and children with different kinds of packaging.”

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“One of the biggest costs in cereal manufacture is not the value of the ingredients nor the cost of production, but the marketing. About a quarter of the money you spend on breakfast cereal goes on the cost of persuading you to buy it.”

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These are just a few highlights from the full article.  If you don’t have time to read through the entire piece, at least take some time to remove cereal from your morning schedule. 

Ross

17 comments

Horace Porter once said to be moderate in everything, including moderation. 

Moderation is the process of eliminating or lessening extremes, and is used to ensure normality. 

Note the underlined words above.  To live a healthy (normal) life, moderation is important.  My recent blogs were not intended to promote extremism regarding diet.  We only have one chance at life.  If you enjoy dining out at a nice restaurant, no one should stop you.  As I’ve said before, I’m only human.  I too enjoy good food.  Who doesn’t?  I’ve never met anyone who didn’t enjoy certain foods. 

Yet, there is a difference between enjoying certain foods, and craving junk food 24 hours a day.  Earlier, I stated that healthy living does not mean deprived living.  Trust me, there are more than enough healthy (delicious) alternatives.  If you are transitioning from junk however, it’s only natural to experience an initial struggle.  Yes, tasty alternatives exist, but you must still overcome the initial attraction towards junk food. 

Think of a drug addict.  No one said it would be easy to kick the habit, but that doesn’t mean people stop trying.  Initial struggles are to be expected.  Obstacles are part of life.  As Frank Clark once said:

“If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.”

Life is about more than food.  Consider the amount of time that you spend eating within a single day.  I’m guessing that most people spend an hour or less actually chewing their food.  Yet, that single hour of eating often dictates how you feel for the remaining 23 hours.  How do you honestly feel?  Are you energized?  Do you wake up feeling sluggish? 

For every decision, there is a consequence.  Ask yourself why you eat your food?  Do you base your decisions entirely upon taste?  Is taste all that matters?  What about health?  Much of my eating decisions are made with health in mind.  Is it fanatical to take health seriously?  I enjoy being healthy.  What’s wrong with that?  It’s an added benefit that the foods I eat happen to be tasty.  I don’t live solely for taste however.   

My health and vitality are extremely important to me.  Of course I consider health when selecting foods to eat.  I enjoy food, but I don’t enjoy it enough to sacrifice the rest of my day (and life).  

I see people every day who complain about feeling tired, bitch about one ailment after another, and struggle to function in the world without a never ending supply of coffee.  Does anyone actually strive to feel this way?  Is it worth it?  Is that what you want to be remembered for? Does junk food offer a hidden high that surpasses the crappy feelings (physical) that you experience the rest of the day?  

I doubt it…

I’m not suggesting that you never have a treat, but apply the rule of moderation.  For example, I enjoy taking my son to a local farm where the ice cream is freshly made each day.  He enjoys seeing the animals on the farm.  It’s a nice trip for the family.  I don’t go every day however, and I don’t wake up dreaming about the next visit to the farm.  It’s all about moderation.  Enjoy yourself, but realize that there are more important joys available in this world of ours.  Also realize that healthy food can be extremely tasty.

And if you find yourself struggling with food, it is useful to think about what you are eating.  I recently watched the Fast Food Nation movie.  Fortunately, I can’t remember the last time I had fast food (many years).  After watching this movie, I’m certain that I’ll never have another fast food meal.  The movie made me sick to my stomach.  How could anyone actually want to put that kind of “food” inside the body?  Forget about moderation when dealing with pure junk.  I’ll proudly be extreme when it comes to avoiding absolute crap. 

I enjoy waking up healthy and energized.  My nutritional habits are largely responsible for this luxury and freedom.  I wouldn’t give it up for the sweetest taste in the world. 

Fortunately, it’s easy to feel the same way.  I don’t have any secrets to share.  I don’t have a top secret food source.  I eat healthy foods and exercise for approximately 1 hour a day.  That’s it.  

Ross

15 comments

In recent threads (particularly here and here), I’ve stressed the benefits of healthy living. I’ve emphasized that healthy living does not equal deprived living. You aren’t giving anything up that is worth keeping (ex. junk food). Without question, a healthy lifestyle is more rewarding and enjoyable.

Yet, despite these truths, transitioning to a healthy lifestyle may not be easy at first. If you’ve lived the last 20 years with poor nutritional habits and limited (or no) physical activity, you can’t expect to suddenly transform yourself into the next Jack Lalanne. Self discipline will be needed to kick start the transition. Any change in habit requires a conscious (active) effort on your behalf.

Once you see the light, you’ll realize that it’s easy to keep, and certainly worth your time and effort. You won’t see the light on your first day however. The transition from inactive and unhealthy to active and healthy is one that will take time and patience.

If you find yourself in the beginning phase of such a transition, it’s often useful to put your problem in perspective. Many tend to forget just how capable we are as human beings. Our individual problems are often insignificant when stacked up against the struggles of others. You’ll realize that giving up candy and cookies isn’t much of a problem at all.

Take a look at the video below for a visual demonstration. There is a good chance that your struggle pales in comparison to the struggles endured by Adam Bender. I was blown away by this video. His courage and perseverance are difficult to describe with words alone.

If there is something that you wish to accomplish, stop thinking and start doing.

Ross

8 comments