Given that I'm a personal trainer, it's no secret that I love to pick up heavy things and put them down.  In fact, I'd be lying if I said my dream the other night didn't involve some sort of push-up competition.​

But, don't get me wrong.  There's more to this meathead than meets the eye.  For example, if you prick me, do I not bleed all the way back to the squat rack?

Ok, maybe that was a wee bit melodramatic.  However, in all my ramblings on this site, I have yet to really explain why I love to train and lift as much as I do.  Below are four key reasons that I keep praying at the church of iron, and I hope you enjoy them. (Hint: getting strong in the gym will translate into getting strong in life.​)

Well, I'm not sure who else has noticed, but the whole Boston-New York rivalry has definitely been kicked up on a notch in the past few weeks.  With the Knicks over the Celtics, and now the Rangers set to face the Bruins, I'm pretty sure this year can only end with the Yankees facing off against the Red Sox.  All of which equals my personal, fandom hell.

​Let's face it. I'm a Knicks, Rangers, and (most of all) Yankees fan, but I live in Boston.  As such, the volume of my cheering is usually low enough to make a mouse say "excuse me," not too mention the ribbing I receive from fellow trainers and clients every time Boston plays New York.  In fact, I'll admit to acting like a Boston fan on occasion, just to make certain situations more tolerable (but secretly hating myself while doing it.)

So, as I'm thinking about the impending NHL playoffs (and keeping in mind that I'm writing this post on my 2nd cup of coffee after staying up way to late to watch last night's NHL playoffs), I figured it's time that I share a few other articles and posts from around the interwebs.

​First, here's a video I took of myself performing a Turkish Get-up with 44 kilograms (that's 97 pounds).  While it's not perfect, it was a goal I've been working towards for the past few months.

Today, I'm fighting a common thought that's prevailed in society: avoiding animal foods will automatically make you a healthier person.

We may all know some vegans, vegetarians, and others (pescetarians?) that are on a plant-based diet.  To clarify, I'm not doubting all the political and environmental reasons that some people choose to eat a more plant based diet, because as Bobby Brown once famously said, "that's their prerogative."  Instead, what I'm after is proving that the idea of solely cutting out animal products from your diet is not necessarily going to make you healthier in the long run.  

To answer your question, yes, I'm aware of the arrogant nature of that title.  And yes, I am only talking about facts/issues/questions related to the fitness field.  But, to be totally clear, this blog post is really targeted at my former, office working self.

A few years ago, I thought personal trainers were little more than meatheads who threw weights at people and simply counted the reps.  Every profession has its stereotypes, and with no background in exercise science (besides reading men's health and getting coached a bit in college) I actually thought I knew just as much (if not more!) than many of the trainers in the commercial gym I belonged to.  In fact, I may have even used the dreaded term "muscle confusion," for which I will never forgive my previous self.

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My favorite author of all-time is legendary strength coach Dan John.  Now, for those that are not in the strength and conditioning world, it's important to point out that he's much more than two first names.  Besides being a Fullbright Scholar and a professor, Dan John is famous for being able simplify complex subjects to the point where a five year old could understand it. Suffice to say, anytime I read his work, I become a better coach, trainer, and person.​

Currently, I'm reading his newest book, Intervention, and he has a great quote about the value of building overall strength:​

"Absolute strength is the glass.  Everything else is the liquid inside the glass.  The bigger the glass, the more of everything else you can do."​