A lot of coaches that I respect coach their clients to dial their feet out while deadlifting. The Glute Guy says we shouldn’t. Chris and I aren’t here to be contentious; we started Beyond Strength Performance as a means to make others better lifters, athletes, coaches–whatever a guy or gal can take away from reading our...Read More
Last week I escaped off to the Outer Banks- Nags Head, to be exact. It’s been two years since I’ve gotten away for a full week (that didn’t involve coaching Dustin with the UFC). I cannot even begin to tell you how awesome it was to just get away, lay on a beach, read, maybe...Read More
Chris has had a big week. Over the weekend he asked his lovely girlfriend–now fiancee–to marry him. Chris got the win–with an insurmountable amount of luck, of course. I mean, have a look at this face–he’s not getting any calls from GQ. Nice calves, bro. Â As a post-engagement hooray, Chris did some nice deadliftin’. (That’s...Read More
I have congenital scoliosis. As I was exiting the birth canal, Nomgar, the fire dragon from the North, attacked me. I parried against his fire and claws with a ball of infant explosion and savagery described with adequate vim as Ginger Fist. During the battle, however, I over-utilized my supple infant tissues to dodge fire and inflict damage–as a result my spinal...Read More
I’ve come a long way… Sometimes my clients think that I am superhuman. I move well, I’m damn strong pound-for-pound, I’ll leap a building, I can stay lean rather easily, I’m- okay, okay, I digress… But in all seriousness, most of my clients can, should, and will eventually surpass me if I’m doing my job. ...Read More
Coach Chris here… Your body and my gym have a lot in common. When I opened my gym in October of 2011, I had no idea what it was going to look like a year down the road. I mean, yeah, I had ideas, visions, dreams- but I didn’t really KNOW. On day one it...Read More
Coach Chris here! There are two things that everyone should be doing when starting a program- screening (getting screened) and grading movements. When people come to my facility we use the Functional Movement Screen and a static postural assessment before taking people through some simple progressions of the major compound exercises that we will [probably]...Read More
Hey guys, Chris here with a quick post on a drill I came up with for setting your air and getting your patterning down for the hip hinge. This is quite possibly the most difficult movement for people to get down when first taking on an exercise regimen. This drill was influenced by Gray Cook...Read More
Hey guys, coach Chris here. We’ve been ridiculously busy lately (always a good thing!)… but I wanted to get some videos up here to entertain you as we head into the weekend. Enjoy! . Todd is getting his strong on And Mike Ranfone is a programming god.: 500 x 3 505 x 2 from a...Read More
This past weekend I stuffed my gym bag full of my finest mesh shorts, picked up my buddy and intern, Justin Assadinia, and pointed my Saturn Vue toward Hamden, CT. After five and a half hours, lots of head banging and the occasional Lonely Island Dance party we arrived at the coveted Ranfone Training Systems....Read More
Recently I had the opportunity to interview my good friend, and former classmate, Joe Giandonato. It was a huge opportunity. I’ve been picking his brain for years–the dude’s managed to store an encyclopedia’s worth of strength and conditioning info in his cranium. But Joe’s not just a walking knowledge center, he can apply his knowledge....Read More
There are few things on which I spend money–I call them the cash-drop trifecta. The trifecta is composed of food, gas and a few chosen supplements. Sure there are bills thrown in the mix, but we are talking about the important stuff. BCAAs sit atop the list of supplements I’m willing to spend money on–when used...Read More
If you are like me, you’ve been watching the Olympics–marveling at the abilities of world-class athletes. If you are like me circa 3 years ago, you also assume these same athletes have mastered proper movement patterns. However, you and the younger me, are wrong (at least some of the time). The question: Being a world-class athlete and...Read More
I’ve only been to one rodeo, and it was to support a high school friend. Truth is my buddy Brett dragged me there; I was reluctant to go. The combination of country music, belt buckles and Skoal scares the hell out of me. But I obliged—life is about experience, right? Suffice to say that I...Read More
