I've often said that we all need something to keep ourselves accountable.  

What that something might be is totally up to you (a pair of pants, Dan John's Alpo Diet, your brutally honest friends, etc.), but it helps to drive your progress forward, or keep you from slacking off.

That said, I wanted to post an update as to where I am with my stated 2014 goals.  Why? Because, the first day of March is right around the corner, and it's good to see where I stand 2 full months into the new year.

If you've read my blog for any period of time, or know me well enough, you know that I'm not a Crossfit fan.  To its credit, Crossfit has excelled in making people excited about working out and lifting weights - which I obviously love.  Plus, anything that gets rid of pink dumbbells and machines, in favor of barbells, dumbbells, and trap bars is always going to get a thumbs up from me.

I've always maintained, however, that the devil with Crossfit is in the details.  Should you perform 30 reps of an Olympic lift in a row, and then run a quarter mile, as many times as you can in 15 minutes?  Probably not (the answer is, of course, never, ever do that). But, often times, people really dig Crossfit style workouts saying that they love the variety of all the exercises they do: overhead squats, box jumps, olympic lifts, double unders, kettlebell swings, rowing machines, etc.

Well, when it comes to actually seeing results, variety is completely overrated.  In fact, it contributes to what I call "exercise ADD."

To start things off, I have to take a second and talk about one of my favorite shows: House of Cards.  

For those that watch, you're probably aware that the second season came out on Friday (a Valentine's Day miracle!), and Lindsay and I have been trying to practice some self-restraint by only watching the first 3 episodes over this past weekend.

I won't give any spoilers, but ZOMG, I can't believe what happened in that first episode!  It's like the writers decided, "we're just going to show that we're one of the most bad ass shows that's ever been created and do something insane."  Well, it worked.

Way back in June of last year, I published an article that I titled "My Top 5: Worst Exercises." If you're too lazy to click on that link, I can give you a basic summary: sit-ups, "crossfit" kipping pullups, and bosu balls tend to make my eyes bleed.  So, don't do them....ever.

Fast forward to today, and I'm finally posting the ying to that article's yang.  The list below is the top five exercises that I prefer from both a strength and "fat loss" perspective.  Whether your goal is to look good in the gym, or look good nekkid....these five exercises need to be in your toolbox and used regularly.

So, raise your right hand if you'd like to sucker punch Punxsutawney Phil right about now.

Of course, I'm kidding....I'd only expect a yes from someone like Michael Vick.

But, if you live in the northeast, you're probably getting battered with some rain/snow combination today, as well as a few days from now.  It's winter, and it sucks....but on the bright side, it gives me more time to write! 

Anywho, I realized a few days ago that there's one exercise/position I do with many of my clients, but have yet to share.  And, what if I told you that this exercise helps build "core" stability, hip stability, helped you breathe better (yes, you breathe terribly), and can help alleviate back pain?

The plot thickens..