I promised some training safety tips in a previous post about the tragic accident at the Vancouver Olympics…

And here are the first batch…

First up, barbells…

This is the most used piece of equipment in the gym, and the most neglected.

They get picked up and slammed around day after day. And most think that they’re just a simple piece of iron.

But Olympic barbells have rotating sleeves, and they require some maintenance.

Besides the occasional lube job, you need to make sure there ain’t any’ screws loose.’

In particular, I’m talking about the bolts that are visible at the ends. You need to check and make sure these are nice and snug.

I once used a bar like this, and as I was performing a set of cleans, the sleeves, the part where the weights slide on, started to come off of the actual bar.

That could have been a real problem if I didn’t catch it, especially if I was doing something overhead, like snatches.

Dumbells also need to be checked.

The ‘pro style’ you see in gyms, the once made up with 10lb exercise plate, they sometimes have a bolt on either end that can come loose.

If they’re the ‘hex style’ bells, make sure the welds are solid, and there isn’t a chance for the ends to come off of the handles.

If this happens while you’re training it can lead to a serious boo boo. Just imagine a dumbell coming apart as you’re doing pullovers…

Can you say reconstructive dental surgery? Ouch…

Power racks, if your gym has one, need to be checked too.

These take a ton of abuse. Make sure it can handle it.

I’ve seen many models that are only rated for 750lbs, 750 might sound like a lot, but many guys are able to do at least lockouts with hat weight, if not more.

Make sure the bolts and welds that hold the rack together are tight, too.

I’d also cheek the ‘safety rods/pins.’ Ideally, you should be able to lock them into place somehow.

I was once doing heavy hip lifts and calf raises using a hip belt.

The barbell came down on the pins pretty hard a few times, and this caused one of them to slide out of the rear upright. Luckily the weight was under me, so I simply squatted down and rested it on the floor.

This could have been a really ugly situation if I was doing real heavy partial squats.

If those pins come out of place, where the heck are you going to put the barbell?

Not the end of the world it you’re only using 100 pounds over your max weight. But when you’re using double your max or more, you can end up in some real trouble.

In all likelihood, something’s going to get damaged. Either your gear, the gym, or you…

The above isn’t meant to be a scare tactic, or get to you all paranoid. It’s meant to allow you to continue to train all out in relative safety.

Remember when you’re injured, you’re not getting stronger.

And getting stronger is the name of the game…

Train Smart, Train Hard

Ray Toulany

PS: Combine training safe, smart and hard with the proper meal plan, and you’re almost guaranteed to reach your goals.

Learn more about eating for peak performance and gains right here…

The other day I watched Mel Gibson’s new movie with some friends and family.

There was always something about Mel…

At the risk of sounding ridiculous, I’m going to say it anyways…

He always seemed much more ‘manly’ than a lot of other actors…especially the powder puffs we got running around on the big screen today.

One could argue it’s the roles he plays. Max Rockatansky, William Wallace, or Martin Riggs. All testosterone driven; with a little crazy to boor.

Yes, Mel definitely has that glint in his eye. And the fact that he has to shave from his collar bone to just below his eyeballs is ‘manly’ too…

He’s also an Aussie… And I don’t know if it’s the water down there or what, but it’s about the only place producing male actors that can’t be confused with the fairer sex.

(No offence to flaming metrosexuals, but I’m getting a little tired of watching androgynous ‘superheroes’ kick CGI butt on the silver screen.)

I’m getting off track….

Looking at Mel, I started to figure it out.

Yes his personality, look, and overall demeanor are what make him ‘manly.’

But there was one thing in particular…

I noticed that he had his sleeves rolled up. I then remembered that he tends to do that in most of his movies.

Then it hit me…

Proportionally speaking, Mel’s got some pretty beefy forearms. They’re also not shaved, which helps reinforce the fact that they’re attached to a ‘Man.’

He also has a set of hands to match. Nothing crazy, but it adds to the ‘look.’

‘What look?’

The look of strength. The look of power. The look of masculinity, as it was known ‘back in da day.’

I believe that at a subconscious level, we’re wired to recognize certain physical traits.

Modern society may have been programmed to go wide eyed at the sight of a ripped six pack. But when we see ‘real strength and power,’ we instinctively recognize it…

And that includes thickly muscled hands and forearms.

Thing is, manual labor has all but disappeared in modern society..

This means most people have woefully underdeveloped lower arms. But it also means that a fearsome set of forearms will stick out that much more.

But training for the sake of getting attention isn’t my thing. Training for results is. And grip training will lead to all kinds of results if done properly.

But the workplace isn’t the only area where manual labor has gone extinct.

I’ve never seen anyone train their grip in the gym I used to go to. Absolutely no one. Zilch. Zip. Nada.

The most I saw anyone do, were a few perfunctory sets of wrist curls slapped on to the end of their workout. That’s it…

But we’re going to change that…

You and me are going to bring back grip training to the ‘mainstream’ with a vengeance.

We’re going to scare the fake tan right off the ‘Chicken Wing Forearm Brigade.’

And we’re going to do that by putting in as much effort into our grip work as; they do in matching their training ‘outfits.’ (that’s a lot of work)

I’ll be back in the next day or two with some very interesting exercises  for your grip.

In the meantime, gather up any old newspapers, magazines, and cardboard boxes. You might want to book some horse riding lessons too.

Don’t worry. I’ll explain everything in the next few days.

Train Smart, Train Hard

Ray Toulany

PS: Regardless is you want to have a body for Hollywood, or the strength and conditioning of a warrior, you need the right meal plan. Learn how to eat for maximum gains in the gym…

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I debated if I should mention this…

After putting some thought into it, and allowing some of the shock to wear off, I decided talking about it would be the best thing to do…

I also believe that there’s an important lesson for people like you and me…

On Friday, February 12, 2010, Georgian Nodar Kumaritashvili, died in a horrendous luge crash at the Vancouver Olympics.

I watched the video, and couldn’t help thinking about how unfair this was.

How he was only 21 year old, barley getting started in life…

About his family, and the words of his father, stating how he wanted to throw his son a wedding feast, and instead ended up with a funeral…

His country and teammates, as well as the impact it had on the ‘Olympic spirit.’

But what really ticked me off, was what appeared to be a lack of safety measures in the design of the track

I, by no means am a luge course designer…

Yet, before the accident happened, I could tell that the corner where it took place was a death trap.

And if I could see it, how the heck did the professionals who designed it miss it?

But as angry as this can make a person, I can’t help but have compassion for the designers.

This will be something that will haunt them for the rest of their lives…

No matter how you look at it, it’s a tragedy.

That being said, I strongly believe we can learn from it. And that is what made me want to send this out.

It is extremely easy to overlook something in the heat of the moment.

That’s why I strongly feel it’s important to check and double check your gear and footing before you start your workout.

You should also check it as you train, in between sets.

You don’t need to get crazy about it. Just make sure whatever it is you’re using isn’t going to end up causing an accident.

I know some might be thinking this is a bit overkill. They’re not going 90 miles an hour down an ice coated track.

But trust me; speed isn’t the only thing that kills. An injury can happen in a blink of an eye, even during much slower paced activities.

And as I’ve said before, injuries set you back in more ways than one. They kill your progress and motivation, and potential even you if they’re bad enough!

Staying healthy so you can continue to attack you workouts is crucial for maximizing your gains and performance.

I have a lot more to cover, too much for one message…

I’ll give specific things to look out for. And doing so should lower the chances for an accident big time.

So, I’ll break it up into multiple parts and have them posted over the next week or so.

May Nodar rest in peace, and God Bless his family.

I also wish all of the Olympians in Vancouver, a safe competition.

Train Smart, Train Hard

Ray Toulany

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OK, let’s take on some of the areas Mr. Kono mentioned from Part 1…

If you’re calves are tight, you won’t be able to get enough ankle flexion. This ends up throwing off the position of the barbell in relation to your ‘center line.’

To compensate, the lower back tends to round over. If not, you’re likely to end up on your keister.

Another area that needs to be flexible to hit rock bottom with proper form, are the hamstrings.

Inflexibility here makes it difficult to put the hips in the proper position. This leads to the same thing as tight calves, rounding of the lower back.

Tight calves and hams seem to be more common that tight quads. But stiff quads can cause problems too.

Another spot that I haven’t seen as many flexibility issues are the hips. What I have seen is cramping from maintaining proper hip position in the rock bottom position of the squat.

The problem here seems to be more of a strength issue than a flexibility one.

Regardless of the reason, when the hips cramp up, they tend to move out of position in an attempt to relieve the discomfort. As you’ve probably guessed, this leads to the rounding of the lower back.

As for the strong back arch, there are a few reasons for maintaining it, not least of which is injury avoidance. I’ll cover the other reasons another time.

But right now, if you’re not flexible, you need to work on it.

Doing a regular stretching routine is a good idea. And I’ve also found the following to help…

After warming up, and without any weights, simply squat down as far as you can go while maintaining proper form. Go a tiny bit further so you’re feeling a good stretch, and hold it for time.

If you keep this up, you will eventually notice your range of motion increasing while still being able to maintain proper form.

Stick with it…

Learning how to squat properly, then attacking the exercise with everything you got will lead to some of the best gains of your life…

Train Smart, Train Hard

Ray Toulany

PS: Heavy squattin’ is the spark that can lead to tremendous growth. But you need to have the proper fuel if you want your gains to really ignite…

The BodyDesign Nutritional System will show you how to top off your tanks with high octane fuel for maximum performance and gains, in minimum time…

I’ve been talking quite a bit about squats lately…

If you’ve read my articles on JC Hise’s success with squats, you’ll know why.

But as I’ve discussed before, there are conflicting opinions on how low you should squat.

To me, it isn’t ‘either or.’ It ain’t that simple, as they say…

I believe depth needs to be adjusted on a personal basis. And one of the biggest factors is the rounding of the lower back.

This happens for a few reasons, which I promised to cover. And I’m delivering on that promise now…

What we’ll cover here is flexibility, or rather, the lack of it.

If you’re reading this thinking, ‘Flexibility, I don’t need no stinkin’ flexibility. I just want to lift big weights.’ Keep on reading…

If you’re stiff as Frankenstein, you’ll probably have some issues in the squat. And I’m not the only one saying this…

When asked what a beginner needs to focus on in the Olympic lifts, Olympic weightlifting legend Tommy Kono replied with the following:

‘…a strong back arch, loose shoulders and flexible hips, knees and ankles.’
‘
This applies to squatting as much as it does to the snatch and clean.

This is because the alignment of the lower body and back in the bottom position of the snatch and clean; are practically identical to the squat. This is why weightlifters squat as much as they do.

For the sake of keeping this message relatively short, I’m going to cut things off here.

Tomorrow I’ll be back, and will cover some of the areas Mr. Kono mentioned in greater detail.

I’ll also share a simple; but effective exercise that helps improve squatting form and depth.

Until then…

Train Smart, Train Hard

Ray Toulany

PS: IF you’re serious about squatting and the gains it can give you, you need to follow a solid meal plan. Get the facts in an easy to follow step-by-step method……

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I received some response to my message from the other day.

It was titled ‘The Most Worked Muscle in the Gym’ in case you missed it.

It’s a bit of a mixed bag of mail, which makes it all the more interesting…

Some people agreed with me wholeheartedly.

Some admitted to having verbal diarrhea, and we’re making a conscious decision to change for the better…

Others really appreciated ‘sharing a personal story.’ Whatever it takes to help you out. And I’ll share more of them in the future.

Other wanted to know if my father ‘really had ‘a moustache like Stalin, and a temper like Tony Montana?’…

He sure does…’For real?’…For real…

Then there were the critics…

‘I think you are disrespectful for referring to your father as ‘The Moustache’.

Luckily, we live in a place where each is entitled to voicing his opinion. And like a certain orifice, we all have ‘em

‘Are you anti social?’

If I was anti social, would I be sending out these messages to people?

‘You take your training too seriously.’

Don’t fool yourself, you’re either 100% dedicated or not. I choose 100%… If you consciously decide to take it down a few notches, that’s fine. To each his own. But you must be conscious of it.

Don’t trick yourself into thinking you’re giving it ‘your all’ when you’re only giving 50%.

‘You can’t be serious about no talking.’

I didn’t say absolutely no talking.

That being said, talking while training is like a form of day dreaming. I’m not against talking when it’s appropriate. But for the most part, it’s done way too much.

And I’m not the only one who feels this way…

Reg Park would cover the mirrors while training and work like a mad man. He was totally focused on the work at hand.

Arnie was known for his antics while in the gym. But he was also known for ‘flipping the switch’ when it came time to attack the weights.

Remember his line about imagining his biceps the size of mountains, and being able to lift tremendous weights with them? There ain’t much talking when you’re doing that…

Brooks Kubik also talks about a ‘no talking rule’ while training…

He recommends keeping the gab focused on the task at hand, namely getting in a good workout, encouraging your training partner, and focusing on setting new PRs…that’s it!

So no, I’m not the only one who believes in little talk, and focusing on what you’re doing.

Try this out, and focus all of your energy and attention when you’re going through a set. And that goes for bar bending single rep sets, or super high rep endurance sets.

If you haven’t already been doing this, I promise it’ll lead to new gains in size and strength….

GO FOR IT!

Train Smart, Train Hard

Ray Toulany

PS: Work your jaw muscles the way you should be, chewing high quality foods in the proper amounts and rations to maximize gains in the gym.

To learn more, get your rear in gear, and get over here NOW

It’s been a while since I mentioned the power rack, and that ain’t tight….

In my opinion, the power rack comes second only to the barbell, it’s that important.

Unfortunately, few people know this…

You see, the power rack is a causality of present day; mainstream fitness.

Most people don’t even know what one is, let alone how to use it properly. And the fact that most gyms don’t have one doesn’t help either.

Unfortunately, the power rack was very short lived…

Many men who built freight train strength did so with primitive; homemade gear. Over time, the ideas these men used eventually evolved into the power rack.

Problem is, by the time the rack started making its way around the country, spandex and designer water was just around the corner

Hard core strength training was losing ground to ‘The Pump,’ bellbottoms, and aerobics classes funkin’ up the place to Boogie Oogie Oogie…

But the truth is, combining the power rack with a barbell and plenty of iron is THE ticket to maximizing your strength and size.

Not only that, it helps you do so on your own if necessary, and in relative safety…that’s hard to beat.

But using the rack requires work, plenty of hard work. It also calls for using our noggin’ too.

I want to dig deeper into this, but it’s going to need more space. It’ll be best to break it up into a few parts over the upcoming week or two.

In the mean time, check and see if you have a rack in your gym. If you do, you’re in luck.

I highly suggest doing your big lifts in there, especially the bench. (I’ll touch on this in an upcoming part)

Get comfortable with it. If you want supreme levels of size and strength, you’re going to be spending a lot of time in there.

Even if you don’t, I still think using it is a good idea because of the added safety if provides.

OK, that’s enough homework for today. Make sure you get to using it as soon as possible.

I’ll be back soon with more about this lost and forgotten treasure…

…’Get down, boogie oogie oogie…get down…’ what!? Like you don’t find it catchy…

Train Smart, Train Hard

Ray Toulany

PS: I’ve always said that hard training requires serious nutrition. And the power rack, properly used, will provide you with some of the most demanding and rewarding work that you can do…but you have to eat right….

Make sure your meal plan is up to the challenge…

To learn more, go here NOW

I get a kick out of the big promises plastered on the cover of muscle comics.

‘Overnight gains’ seems to be the common thread.

Even though these ‘promises’ are blown way out of proportion, fast gains are possible.

With the proper approach, amazing things can happen inside of 3 months, especially if you’re a newbie. Even grizzled veterans can make serious gains if they put their mind to it.

But as amazing as the gains can be within a 3 month period, they’re literally mind blowing when you start talking about the ‘long haul.’

Thing is, long term thinking has somehow disappeared in western culture. Everyone wants instant everything.

Look, I love fast results too. There’s no point in taking forever if you can get ‘er done NOW without any drawbacks. But that doesn’t mean I forget about the future.

People who have a problem with working towards something that’s ‘off in the distance’ make me shake my head.

More often than not, these are the same guys who, come New Year’s, are amazed at how fast the precious year flew by…

‘Man, last New Year’s felt like it was only yesterday.’

And that brings up another point…

Time is going to pass by regardless of what we do.

We can spend it playing horseshoes, twiddling our thumbs, sitting on our bums…or getting our buns in gear…

So, if you want to reach supreme levels of strength, conditioning, and development, you must make plans for the long haul and buckle down for the ride.

Commit to this, while at the same time demanding the fastest results possible without harming yourself.

Once you’ve done this, you will have broken away from the heard, and be well on your way to building might and muscle.

Train Smart, Train Hard

Ray Toulany

PS: Whether you goals are long or short term, knowing how to feed your body right will lead to achieving them faster than ever. Learn the tried and tested nutritional strategies and tactics to turbo charge your gains…

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OK, so we’ve been covering squatting with a full range of motion, and squatting to parallel.

Right now we’re going to cover another reason why some recommend only squatting to parallel.

One of the biggest concerns for people when they squat, is their back.

Personally, I haven’t met a single person who’s back limited him from squatting.

I have a friend who had back surgery, and he can still squat with no problems.

That being said, there are some people with genuine problems when it comes to squatting. If you’re one of them, acknowledge it, and adjust accordingly. It’s not worth getting injured.

One area prone to injury when you squat is the lower back. And one of the main reasons for lower back injuries when doing squats has to do with rounding it during the exercise.

Many people, either because of a lack of flexibility, poor body leverages, or inattention, round their back as they squat. Especially when they go below parallel.

This wouldn’t necessarily be the end of the world if a person dropped the bar off their back when they reached the bottom position.

The real danger is when you start to squat back up. As you lift El Rumpo, the lower back already being in a rounded position, is placed under a lot of stress while in a vulnerable position.

Now some people have the bad habit of lifting their hips faster than their shoulders, essentially turning the exercise into a poorly executed Good Morning.

This is bad.

But even is you maintain your back angle and don’t allow yourself to fold over like a pocket knife, you’re still risking an injury when you allow your lower back to round over.

Instead, if a person stuck to squatting only to parallel, keeping proper back position is much easier.

The 3 causes for rounding your back mentioned above, lack of flexibility, poor body leverages, or inattention, can all be cured to some degree.

But that’ll have to wait for another time.

For now, be conscious of your form and what your body’s telling you when you squat.

The quicker you learn how to adapt squats to fit your body type, the sooner you can train them like a madman, and get the results you want.

Train Smart, Train Hard

Ray Toulany

PS: Squatting will make you strong. But if you want to supercharge your results, you need to follow the proper meal plan. The BodyDesign Nutritional System will show exactly how to eat to get the most from your training, in record time…

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Can you guess the muscle that gets the most exercise in gyms today>

Come on…give it your best shot…

It’s not biceps, chest, or thighs…

I’ll give you a hint; it doesn’t require a barbell or any other piece of equipment…

Nope, it’s not abs…

Give up?

OK, it’s the tongue … (and get your mind out of the gutter)

Yep, it’s true….

You can also add the jaw muscles, lips and gums in there too.

Why? Because they always seem to be flappin’

I swear most people spend more time and effort gabbing away instead of actually training.

And I’m not only talking about pre and post workout, or even between sets. I’ve seen people talk up a storm when they’re doing their freakin’ working sets!

I’ll admit, this is a little ‘tongue in cheek.’  But the truth is, most people do talk too much when they train.

I think people forget that they’re ‘working out,’ And that ‘work’ is supposed to be the idea.

Then again, most people’s definition of work is more like a ‘social fest.’

I’m not one to throw stones. While I never had verbal diarrhea during workouts, I did used to be guilty of talking too much at work.

When I was a teenager, I worked in my father’s business. Anthony worked there too, and we got along real good…a little too good.

We’d start talking about anything and everything. Girls, cars, movies, music, martial arts, jokes, you name it…

We were like a couple of school girls…

There’s nothing wrong with getting along. It sure beats the opposite.

But talking can really slow you down at work. It definitely affects your focus…

And if there’s one thing that my father dislikes, it’s messing around when you’re supposed to be working.

My father has a heart of gold, and is generous to a fault…

He’s also ‘old school,’ with a moustache like Stalin, and a temper like Tony Montana…to say he doesn’t take any sh!t would be an understatement…

After a couple of ‘talks’ with the Moustache, I got with the program. And I’m glad I did.

I learned that when you do something, like work, you focus on the task, and get the job done.

I learned that the focus resulted in a better job, and a faster one, too.

Best of all, once finished, I was free to go out and actually do the things I used to flap my gums about.

I didn’t need to be told to take my training seriously. But when I had this realization, my focus went to a whole new level, and my gains were quick to follow.

Take this into consideration. I promise you can’t focus too much when training, especially when it comes to your max sets.

Don’t get all puckered up over this. Just don’t forget what you’re in there to do…

Train Smart, Train Hard

Ray Toulany

PS: You can’t work on an empty stomach, and you definitely ain’t gonna maximize your gains without the right meal plan. Get the knowledge you need to feed your body for success…

Stop talking and Go here NOW