We Are Extremely Excited To Be Opening The Doors Of THE YESS TRAINING BARBELL CLUB With A One Day Clinic To Fighters, Coaches, And Trainers. This "Hands On" Seminar Will Cut Through All Of The Training Bull Shit / Nonsense And Will Give You Answers Based On FACT And Real World Knowledge. This Seminar Will Bring YOU Clarity And Science Based Performance Training Concepts That You Can Immediately Apply. We Are Offering This To A Limited Number Of Fighters, Trainers, And Coaches. Reserve Your Spot And Don't Miss Out!
In This Seminar, YOU Will :
Learn How To Train In The Gym In Preparation To Fight In The Ring
Learn How To Properly Perform And Execute The Main Barbell Lifts Such As The Squat, Deadlift, & Bench Press
LearnProper Exercise Selection In Order To Bring You Closer Toward Your Competition Goals
Learn How To Structure Your Cardio-Respiratory Conditioning In Order To Improve Your Stamina
A "Hands On" Conditioning Demonstration That Will Give You An 'In Your Face" Look To How A Fighter Should Condition His / Herself
An Open Floor Q&A With Our Coaches To Answer Any And All Of Your Questions
Time On The Treatment Table With Our Very Own Physical Therapist And Total Body Reactivation Specialist. If You Are Banged Up, Screwed Up, Or Just Feeling The Physical Wear & Tear From Training & Fighting, This Alone Will Be Worth It!
COACH: Joe Rossi - Owner Of THE YESS TRAINING BARBELL CLUB, USA Boxing Coach, Strength & Conditioning Coach, And Published Fitness Author To Dozens Of Publications. Read More About Joe Rossi Under The (About) & (Interview) Section At YESSTRAINING.com
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COACH: Greg Lamendola - Physical Therapist, Strength & Conditioning Coach, Total Body Reactivation Specialist.
Seminar Details
WHEN: Saturday, March 30th
TIME: 10:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.
WHERE: At THE YESS TRAINING BARBELL CLUB
55 A Westshore Ave.
Dumont, New Jersey
07628
YESSTRAINING@aol.com All Attendees Should Dress To Train. Bring A Note Book, Pen/Pencil, And An Open Mind!!!
FEE: $50.00 Per Attendee Paid In Full Before Seminar Date. Only 20 Spots Available. Contact Joe Rossi For Seminar Availability And Payment At YESSTRAINING@aol.com
Unlike 2011, 2012 will pack in a shit load of superior information on The YESS TRAINING Blog because the end of the world is this year. The History Channel said so, so it must be true. If we all survive, you might live to see our future training posts! Part 2 of this Blog write up will talk about why this site has been lacking updates. If you are interested, you will get to read about the recent hell that my family and I went through. You will also learn about how I trained through it all. Still training through it, but isn't that how winning is done? How you rise up during adversity? I hope you can take something from my experience, that it may help you in some way. With Training And Life.
All Of Our Fighters At The YESS TRAINING Barbell Club Are Training Through Adversity. I'm No Different.
I’m back to sharing my perspective on physical training that is tested, proven, practical, and works. The majority of it will center on strength, conditioning, and the overall preparation for fighters. That’s what I do. If you are a fighter then this is the place you want to be.
The best part of this is even if you are not a fighter, the information I will share is universal. Top notch, no fluff! No matter what sport you participate in (even if you are not competing). A baseball player or a weekend warrior can both take something from here and put it to good use. Sound training principles and ideas. Young or old, male or female. You’re a human being right? If you developed into the most physical human being you could be, then you would have to logically come to the conclusion that you would have a better shot at being a more physical fighter?. A more physical fighter is a better fighter. I’d take that to the bank. I hope you would do the same.
Skill aside, the most physical fighter WINS! Fighting really is survival of the fittest. Everybody should be the most physical person they can be. Fighter, athlete, or not, being the most physical fighter (person) has everything to do with Strength, Power, Flexibility, Mobility, Nutrition, and your body’s ability to attain Peak Aerobic/Anaerobic Condition. Heart Too. In my opinion, this should be the standard for everyone. Not just the most physical fighter, but the most physical YOU. Training and Living your Heart out. Within this mantra, there are no gimmicks. Within this mantra, you will not go wrong.
There Is A Reason Why He Can Keep Up With The Bigger Weight Classes. Check Out National Jiu-Jitsu Silver Medalist, Golden Gloves Boxing Champion, World Tournament Muay Thai Kick Boxing Champion, And Now MMA Fighter- 'Lil Bomb (Gerald Javier) Box Squatting More Than 3 X His Fight Weight For Reps. In Case You Are Wondering: 365 x 5 @ 120 IBS.
To kick off 2012 ( The Year Of The Dragon In Chinese Culture), I'm going to give you some insight on how to adjust your physical training (In The Gym) while dealing with Physical, Mental, and Emotional Stress (Outside The Gym). This is usually referred to as "LIFE". We are all going through it. The Good and the Bad. How do you manage your training while dealing with "Life"? The "Good" is easy. Most can do it. The "Bad"? That's where solid programming comes into play. Also, your character. Your Heart. Finding ways to make shit happen during the bad times is what defines you. Do you have Heart? Or, are you the throw your hands up in the air " Oh Shit, We Are Going To Die" Kinda guy? Are you going to find a way through your own personal Hell and fight back? More mental then you may think.
Physical stress outside the gym can come in many forms via sickness (Flu & Viruses), injury (Sprained Ankle, Broken Hand, Broken Nose), or a big increase in a short period of time within your skill training. Skill Training as in Sparring, Grappling, Mitt Work, Heavy Bag Work, Etc. We have all been there with this one. We all have to make the adjustment and get work in when we can. Sparring and skill training in some gyms is not consistent and not always available. When it is, you have to take advantage of it. Even at the cost of cutting back strength work. At the end of the day, you have to do what your coach tells you to do too.
Training around a physical injury is easy. Maybe not for the Ego because you cannot do what you want to do in the gym, but you can still train. What to do? Train around the injury, be creative and make exercise adjustments to accommodate the injury and train what is trainable. Do this until the injury is healed. Easy, right? Easy compared to training around Mental and Emotional Stress.
Although It Resulted In A Broken knuckle, This Is Easy.
Mental and Emotional Stress can be the most taxing on your body. A Death in the family, close friend in the hospital, and loss of a job can be a few examples that screw with how you physically feel. This is usually because of the psychological burden which leads to physically taxing your body (muscles). This happens to you even while sitting and thinking about what life is dealing you. It screws with your mind. Your body is actually gassed out before you even stepped your ass into the gym and moved a weight. Before you even hit the bag! When dealing with this type of stress - “Life”, physiologically your body is tense when at rest. You are literally in a state of breakdown. You are one big isometric contraction. You are also dealing with an increase of cortisol production being dumped into your system. Cortisol is a catabolic hormone that is the enemy of performance and muscle building. It breaks you down. It is naturally produced during bouts of hard training, and is also produced at an accelerated rate during mental and emotional stress. It wreaks havoc on your immune system and will directly affect your strength and stamina in a negative way. It slows up your body’s ability to recover from physical training. Keep in mind that Mental and Emotional Stress can manifest into physical stress. This shouldn’t give you a free pass to become a Metrosexual, but you should have somewhat of a strategy to make the proper training adjustment. Yes, I said Metrosexual. Look it up if you don’t know. It’s bad.
Obviously, we face circumstances that are out of our control. Things that will take us away from our training and the gym. Take for example, Family issues. In my life, family always comes first even over training. I would never want to be that selfish. I don’t think my family would let me get away with being the “All About Me Guy” anyway. Don’t be the selfish bastard! Take care of what you have to take care of.
On the other hand, what I have found in most cases though, that in “life”, no matter how bad, you find a way to make something happen. You find a way to prioritize the stuff outside the gym. All while still finding a way to train. If you want it bad enough. A lot of guys reading this want to be the next champion of the world, so this is where their character has to comes in. Their heart. Your character. Your Heart.
During hard times, it comes easy for most to throw up their hands and quit. To Use “Life” as an excuse to quit. To give up on a dream or something they have been working so hard for. Don’t quit. It can be habit forming. Not because I say so. It’s just a fact. If you quit, you might quit in the ring too. You might quit in other areas of life. So, if life is hitting below the belt, here is how you can manage your training and start fighting back. Consider this a battle strategy to do so. A battle strategy to get work in the gym and not throw in the towel. A way to keep fighting in life.
To start, you have to come to the realization that just getting work in the gym is enough. This is not the time to break records and up the conditioning. You might have been thinking, at this point, blowing off your training entirely. So, it’s time to except that getting some work in is better than getting no training at all.
Now that you are looking at your training differently during your own personal issues, make these programming adjustments with these “Training Variables”:
TRAINING INTENSITY: How Much Weight You Use. This is not the time to make a 20 pound jump on the Squat, but a time to still be in the fight with the amount of weights you have been lifting. I would start by dropping 10% off the bar. If you are Squatting 400, during this time, 360 pounds is still in the ball park. It’s not a knock out, but you hitting back and the Ref ‘ain’t stopping the fight. You are still being productive and have every chance of coming back to win it. This 10% may be a step or two back, but will catapult you a bunch of steps forward after the shit storm passes. Once you are feeling good again.
TRAINING VOLUME: How Much Work Is Done. Unlike the amount of weight you use, Training Volume has to do with how much work you do in the gym. Instead of five movements, you might have to kick it back to three. Instead of three exercises, you might have to perform the main lift and call it a day. It’s about prioritizing what is most important (main lift) to least important (last exercise). Choose how much to do according to how you physically feel. Simple as that. We do this all the time at the Barbell Club. Stay away from the bull shit concept that you have to do a bunch of exercises in order to progress and become stronger. Sure, 4-5 exercises is more ideal than 1, but probably not for your situation. You can actually become stronger if you only trained one movement. A main lift. Why it’s not ideal is that strength increases with only the main barbell lift will come at a slower pace over a longer period of time. 1 movement is just a less aggressive approach. That and among a few other things. It’s doable though. Don’t ever underestimate the importance of the Barbell Lifts (Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press, Overhead Press).
SETS: How Many Sets You Choose. Sets and Reps make up and add to Training Volume. When dealing with sets specifically, adding on extra sets when life is trying to kick you in the balls is once again, not the time. For the fighters at my gym, this is manipulated on a weekly basis. Sets and Reps. If they had hard sparring the night before and are set up for another bout of sparring tomorrow, I’m dropping the amount of sets performed and the amount of reps for that week. I’m adjusting the Training Volume. Sparring (fighting) is priority. As important as the training at the Barbell Club is, it’s still secondary. They are not power lifters, but fighters. If they can’t fight because I didn't make the proper training adjustment for them, then I am doing them a disservice. Don’t do yourself a disservice, make the adjustment. If you have been performing 5 sets, you might want to drop it down to three sets. Keep perspective. You are still performing the exercise and getting work in. All you did was cut back a bit.
REPS: How Many Total Reps Is Performed. Same as what was stated above for sets. Perform the reps you need to get in and no more. See how you feel and go from there. If you are going for max reps, don’t. If you performed the prescribed reps and felt you still had gas in the tank, walk away. This is what you want at this time.
MIND SET: Mental Focus. As much as the shit is hitting the fan in your life, discipline yourself to leave it outside the gym. You should be doing this anyway when times are good. There are many forms of mental preparation. If you are religious then pray. If you are spiritual then meditate. All I’m saying here is do whatever you have to do to “Will” yourself into the gym. Focus and see yourself doing what you have to do for that short period of time. You do not want your head in the clouds when your sparring partner is laying into you. You don’t want to be thinking anything other than lifting the weight you are lifting in the weight room. This is just another form of discipline. Practice it enough times and you will get it down. Even during the hard times.
Manny Pacquiao Prays Before Fights.
So Did The Rock. Everything In My World Comes Back To ROCKY.
I focused mainly on making adjustments in the weight room. This applies to conditioning and the boxing gym too. Conditioning days is no different. Like I stated above, now is not the time to up the amount of conditioning you have been performing. Not the time to break records. You should be thinking “Maintenance”, or cut it back a bit. How much? This is dependent upon where you are in your training. We are going to assume that you do not have a fight lined up in the near future. Now if this is the case, I see nothing wrong with kicking your conditioning back to 50%. If you run every day, drop it down to 2-3 times a week. If you are training in and around your anaerobic threshold, don’t. Keep it a bit under. If you are sprinting hard 3 days a week, you could still get the three days a week in, but cut back on the amount you perform with in those three days. Hope you are seeing how this works?!
Great fight coaches are well aware of making the adjustments for their fighters when they are going through tough times too. Instead of hard sparring, they may lighten it up a bit. Instead of sparring 6-8 rounds, they may kick it back to 3-4. Fight coaches are well aware of the importance in doing this. Their fighter is still getting ring time in to stay sharp, but not at the expense of putting them in a situation where they can get hurt, or burn out their fighter who is already mentally and physically drained.
This is not fluff! I experienced what Hell can really be like. I made a “Heaven” out of it though. I did this in the gym and in my life. I didn’t quit or give up. I practiced what I preached. Especially what is expected from our fighters. I put to use what I wrote above.
Last year’s recap hurts to even type:
-My Daughter (6 months old at the time) had a major physical setback. Hipdysplasia.org. Check it out. I talk about this in Part II.
-Both of my parents were in and out of the hospital with life threatening illnesses. Thank God Mom & Dad are good now. Life wouldn't be the same.
- My Mother In Law was in the hospital for weeks and is still receiving rehab as I write this. She is a great woman.
-I found myself on the emergency room floor 5 months ago and had a major surgery. I talk about this in Part II as well.
-My Son, who is only 4 years old, has been in and out of the hospital up until last week. Things are looking really good now. Very tough kid. He's a Rossi.
-My Brother In Law just came off the ventilator on Christmas Eve and is now gaining function back after contracting a life threatening disease called Guillainn – Barre Syndrome. Support his cause by checking this out: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001704/
Black Cloud? Bad Luck? Law Of Average? I don’t believe it. I didn’t care. I was too busy finding a way, trusting in GOD, and not using “Life” as an excuse. I trained through it all. Ask my wife. Ask the great people at the Barbell Club who I am around every day. Take those training variables and put them to good use. Find your way through and don’t use “Life” as an excuse.
In 2011, End Of The World -2012, & Adjusting Training To Life Part II, I will give you some insight of my post training surgery with video. I will also talk about me and my 6 month old daughter’s time in the hospital.
I never want to post Bull Shit on this website. We are not selling "Shake Weights" and our Barbell Club is a Private Gym. I have a love and passion for Strength & Conditioning. In case you didn't hear, that love and passion is expressed through preparing fighters. Do you know what I prepare these fighters for??? You got it... To Fight!!!! Boxing, MMA, Wrestling, etc. With that being said, Here's what Rob Pilger had to say about the "Interview" I just did for his Informative, Kick-Ass website at http://boxingperformance.com/:
"New Q/A with my boy Joe Rossi on http://www.boxingperformance.com/welcome-to-boxingperformance.com.html. Joe trains fighters in the real world, he's not an asshole hiding behind a key board trying to portray an expert. I met him at a De Franco seminar back in 06 I believe. He knows his shit, his results with his growing stable of fighters reflect his knowledge, passion, and integrity, along with this Q/A.
Joe is a REAL world strength/conditioning coach and in this awesome q/a, you'll basically learn his strength/conditioning blueprint he uses with his fighters. This isn't methodology theory, this is what works well for Joe and his fighters that WIN, in the real world. Enjoy!"
I highly recommend you check it out. It barely touches the surface on who, what, where, when, why, and how, but I hope some one (some where) gets something out of it. Maybe a kid, like I once was, that needed a little something. To get him or her going in the right direction.
It's been a while. Trust me, it's worth it. I just had major surgery. Feeling good. No better way to utilise your time other than making long awaited updates!!! Want to know what we have been up to? Sacrifice For Reward Is YESS Training. Check out the video below:
Teaching The Sledge Hammer Part II, A Question & Answer From London, And A Three Legged Dog Named "Duke". Look Close. We Use It 'Til We Bleed.
Watch This Video On The Sledge Hammer:
Skinny Joe. Health Coming Back Since Video.
Question:
Joe,
I saw the video clip about the sledge hammer technique.
I am a very active person and do a lot of exercise. My question is how heavy should the weight be for a beginner? What would be your advice about sets and reps to start with?
I don't know anyone to ask these questions here in London.
Gerard
Answer:
Gerard,
I have seen sledge hammers sold and used in 8 pounds, 10 pounds, 12 pounds, 16 pounds, and have come across many custom made sledge hammers that weighed up to 25 pounds. The custom made ones usually would have a welded pipe for a handle that could withstand the weight being used. The most practical weight to train with and the hammer we use at the YESS Training Barbell Club is an 8 pound hammer. I'm going to give a quick story and then make some pretty good points here so listen up!
From the age of 16-20 years old, I worked for my Uncle who owned a business in the worst section of Patterson New Jersey. His warehouse was located on a block that housed the worst of the worst. On this street were shootings, crack-heads, car jackings, prostitutes, and muggers (I'm Dead Serious). If you are from Bergen County New Jersey, you know where and what I'm talking about. As a kid, this was a license to either crap your pants on a daily basis or carry a sledge hammer in hand for protection whenever walking out side on to the street. We also had a three legged attack dog named Duke who I have seen protect the warehouse better than any four legged dog, but that is another story.
My uncle's business, at the time, was installing hydraulic car lifts in automotive shops and car dealerships. Most of the time we would have to break up concrete and pour new cement footings for the support needed for the car lift that would lift up the cars. At that time, we did not own a jack hammer to break up the existing concrete, so we would use a good old fashion 8 pound sledge hammer.
Being a kid who was in shape, my job was to smash the concrete up with a sledge hammer day in and day out. My hands would bleed, concrete would hit me in the face, and my forearms at the end of the day would be demolished. I would wake up the next day and do it all over again if I wanted to get paid. My Uncle always took care of me. Paying for my high protien meals (even at that time I would eat five times a day) and for the work I would perform. Amazing what you are willing to do in life with a little motivation. My motivation was my first car (1970 Dodge Charger, The Dukes of Hazzard Car) and my future wife. My point to this whole story is that I remember, to this very day, saying that if I were to one day open a gym, sledge hammer work would be a cornerstone in my training program. Do you know what? It now is! Here is why:
"Big Sexy's" Hand From The Sledge Hammer
Sledge Hammer work is a full body conditioner. It makes a fighter and a traditional sport athlete a more physical person. It increases muscular endurance, strength endurance, and power endurance. One will be developed more than the other depending upon how fast you hit the tire, how many time you hit the tire, how heavy the hammer is, and how long you hit the tire. Your grip, wrist, and forearms are directly affected and develop tremendously while using a sledge hammer over time. The cardio-respiratory (heart and lungs) system gets its ass kicked and then develops stronger after having adapted to the work performed with the sledge hammer. It develops, in a superior way, hand speed, hand eye coordination, and punching power. It can be used as an active warm-up, thrown into a circuit for its metabolic affect, or used as a finisher at the end of a weight training day or conditioning day.
Now, with that being said, I don't want to come across as the "Sledge Hammer Guy", because I use many other ways to increase the strength and conditioning of a fighter/athlete. Plus, I am not a label kind of guy. Just one of the many tools I use out of my tool box!
How do I validate this type of training at the Barbell Club besides what I have mentioned above??? Let me leave you and everyone else reading with this:
If you pick up an 8 pound sledge hammer and swing it for time, hitting the tire and find you can only perform 5 minutes of straight work. At this point, you could only perform those 5 minutes because your fingers were cramping, hands blistering, forearms burning, legs and low-back shot, and shoulders done. Then, within a few weeks/months (does it really matter how long it takes you? What matters is that you are doing work), you work your ass off and can now perform 10 minutes of straight work. You have now doubled your conditioning and everything mentioned above. Your body can do more. That's the point of training. To improve upon what you have done previously. Little by little, over time. My last point, and this is the best one yet!:
If you take two equally skilled fighters (this is fantasy here, but hope you get my point) and one fighter can beast on the hammer for 36 minutes of straight work, and the other only 15 minutes, I would put my money on the monster who can do the 36. Why? Simple. He can endure more!
Amateur Boxer "Big Mike" Performing Sledge Work.
Sledge Hammer Training:
At the end of an upper or lower body weight training day, perform Sledge Hammer Tire Hits for time. If you can only go for 2 minutes your first week, shoot for three minutes the following week. Start with 8-10 hits per side. You can also perform tire hits for rounds in either 2 minute, 3 minute, or five minute rounds. Shoot for a short term goal of 3 rounds and the following training day, try and break a record. A little more every week adds up.
Check this video out:
A Side Note:
Certain things in training are not going anywhere. Barbells and Dumbbells is one of them. Hitting heavy things against heavy things is another. Roberto Duran use to train and prepare for fights lifting the ends of small cars and hitting scrap metal with a sledge hammer at junk yards. Didn't we see that in a movie once?
Like the saying goes-"Better Late then Never"! I have been a bit behind on the YESS Training Blog updates, but for some really incredible reasons (Trust Me). Kevin Hernandez is one of them.
Not too long ago, I spoke about Kevin in a previous Blog Post. He was the kid who would text message me at 1:00 am on a Friday night because he had nutritional questions. The reason why I wrote about that was to convey that winning starts with the person you are. How passionate you are, how much desire you have to be the best athlete you can be, and your willingness to do what ever it takes.
I get it from all angles. People and athletes telling me that they want to achieve a certain something or they want to be the best at something. Most do not achieve what they set out to do and there are reasons for that.
Over the years, time and experience has taught me to spot the ones who are gonna get the job done and actually finish what they started. These individuals are:
1) Passionate 2) Have undying desire 3) Disciplined 4) Consistent 5) Willing to do what ever it takes
Notice I did not mention in that list of five- how strong you are, how powerful you are, how flexible you are, and how much God given skill you have. Don't get me wrong, These are very important physical attributes (It's what I develop for athletes. It's how I make a living), but accomplishing what you set out to do starts from the inside out, not the outside in.
Like another saying goes-"If you want what others don't have, then you have to be willing to do what others don't do"!Notice the word 'Willing'. Will and Desire go hand in hand.
When an athlete like Kevin lives at the gym (Passion), wants to be the best he can be so much so, he contacts me on a Friday night/Saturday morning about nutrition while other kids are out partying (Desire), does not neglect the training he needs to perform on his own time (Discipline), never misses a training session (Consistency), and does whatever his coaches ask him to do (Willing To Do Whatever It Takes), it breeds the results that he is achieving because he is willing to do what others don't. Check out Kevin Hernandez's last two fights below.
The first video is Kevin winning the 2009 Diamond Gloves Championship:
This second video is Kevin winning in February of 2010 where he will now fight in Lake Placid, New York. He will represent his weight class on a Grand Stage in the Junior Olympic Division:
A Side Note:
On the night of the 2009 Diamond Gloves Championship fight, Kevin was sick with a very bad cold. We were blowing his nose before the fight and in between rounds.
Another Side Note:
Our next two blog updates will be on Gerald "Lil'Bomb" Javier's MMA Debut & Some Big News on the YESS Training Gym!
Here are four quick weight room tips for young fighters. Just random thoughts to pass along that will bring you closer to where you should be. If you are a young up and coming Boxer, Wrestler, Kick Boxer, or any athlete, then read this. A lot of times, it's the little things that help contribute to the bigger picture!
Looks Always Follows Performance. Not The Other Way Around.
Don't Be A Bunch Of "Mirror Athletes". It's not how you look, it's what you do. Training hard in the gym for performance gains in the ring is what should matter to a fighter. When you focus on physical appearance and how good you look in the mirror, this does not equate to better performance. It's usually a distraction from what you really should be focusing on. What does equate to better "In The Ring Performance" is practicing your sport (Practice Makes Perfect!), becoming stronger, explosive, flexible, forming healthier eating habits, and putting more effort toward being more disciplined in the weight room. When you do this, it will improve your physical appearance, but you will have also improved your athleticism and physicality. Remember, Weight Training for a young fighter (or any athlete) is preparation (GPP) for your sport. Put the discipline and time in the gym & less mirror time and watch your "In The Ring Performance" and muscular looks improve. Isn't that what it's all about? If not, then become a model.
(Insert Male Model Pic Here)
Post A Male Model Pic To Make A Point? One Can Only Go So Far.
All sports should focus on a year-round strength & conditioning plan. This is still not the case in a lot of weight rooms across the country. Why is the strongest kid in school always the football player? Maybe because football is just awesome, but that is another story... Actually, football is one sport that keeps a kid in the weight room more times than not.You shouldn't be any different. If you fight (Lets Say) you are a high school kid that decided to take up boxing instead of football, get your ass in the weight room and train! You will be amazed what more strength, flexibility, and speed will do for your fight game!!! If you are not the most physical in your weight class, then work toward it. Strength makes everything else better. Especially when you hit harder.
All Show & Even More Go
Com'On... If you are in the weight room, you know you are Benching, or at least-you want to! Despite bull-shit belief, fighters CAN Barbell Bench Press. As long as your shoulders are presently on the healthy side. Do your shoulders a favor, regardless and save 'em by "Popping Your Chest Up" and pinching your shoulder blades together and down. This simple, and yet most effective way to keep the shoulders strong and healthy will also make you a lot stronger while benching too. Try it!!!
Chest Up, Shoulder Blade Pinched, & Arch.
Nothing mind blowing here, just common sense. Be smart in the weight room and take it serious no matter what type of athlete you are. As a fighter (young or old), you have to always realise that your training should be built around your performance, and not how "Jersey Shore" you look. Trust me. I seriously live at the "Jersey Shore", so I should know... Joe R.
Like the 'Snuggie Blanket' of 2009 (Come on, you know you got one as a gift this past year!), the Barbell Complex is becoming the new craze for fighters looking to take their conditioning to a whole other level. The Barbell Complex is really nothing new, but I do believe athletes and coaches are rediscovering this type of training because of the positive results it yields. That's why we use 'em. They DO NOT take the place of heavy weights and the traditional Barbell Movements though. It has more to do with what and why you use them. That's where you can go wrong with this. I have been using complexes for years as finishers for our fighters. We have used Dumbbells, Kettlebells, Sandbags, Heavybags, even Bricks, but I have to say that I love the Barbell. The Barbell is my favorite. In this video you are about to see is a quick intro about how you don't need a Barbell to perform Complex Training followed by Lil'Bomb performing a Barbell Complex with half his body weight. We use this as a full body conditioner. A complex meets the metabolic demands of fighting. For our fighters we have seen huge improvements with increased hand speed, besides the increased work capacity within strength and power endurance.
In Lil' Bomb's fight last month, he completely destroyed his opponent in a second round TKO. Besides other Barbell Strength Training we have done, We both believe that the complexes he was performing leading up to the fight, put his hand speed and power over the top. We will be posting that video A.S.A.P. Until then, enjoy the 'Snuggie' video:
A Side Note:
In case you are wondering, I did receive a 'Snuggie Blanket' for Christmas. Whether I use it or not is between me and the blanket...
Your reality is what you make it. This starts with the thoughts you think, the words you say, and most importantly, the actions you do! I'm not preaching here, just sharing some thoughts on what I have noticed from those who win and those who don't. Accomplishing your goals in the gym, and in your life begins with what you believe to be true. So I ask you what do you believe? This is what I ask every athlete who walks in to train with me. Do you really believe that you will one day be great in your respective sport? Yes? Great, keep believing in that and you will. No? Here is a trick that has worked with many: Tell yourself a lie enough times and it becomes a reality. Why is it a lie? Well, at first you don't believe in what you are telling yourself to be true. In the beginning it's all bullshit to you. As you keep telling yourself what you want to be, even though you do not believe it to be true, eventually it becomes a reality. It has to. If not, well then you did not want it bad enough. It's all about what you make your reality to be, it's all about the state of your mind! Winning and losing in sport has more to do with what you believe to be true than how strong and fast you are. If you want it bad enough, you will make it a reality. Now That's No Lie!!!
The only way to become a better fighter is to fight. With that being said, I believe this is one of the superior ways to condition a fighter who is nearing their fight day. This video was taken on the very first day we had ever trained in this fashion. What you see here is a group of Gladiator athletes really not knowing what to expect. They are familiar with the prowler, but not like this. The only "Active Rest" they get is bouts of pad work between prowler sprints. Although this was completely off the cuff, I suggest you give this a shot in your training and you will see, in a short period of time, how effective and devastating this type of training is. Since this video, we have had some amazing results from training this way. I will take credit for using the prowler in this manner, but I would like to thank EliteFTS.com for a well built Prowler. These Prowlers are built for punishment. Kind of like our fighters!
On behalf of YESS Training, I am proud to announce some very big accomplishments that have been made by two of our Gladiator Athletes- Gerald Javier and Kevin Hernandez :
Gerald With The Bling
Gerald won the Gold and Silver Medal for his weight class in the famous Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament known as the 2009 Grapplers Quest for GI/No-GI competition. All of his bouts were performed in succession, meaning after you win, you go and fight again (sometimes with no rest). I call Gerald the real "Karate Kid" as he is a Golden Gloves Boxing Champion, holds a winning Muay-Thai record, and now has his sights set on getting in the cage for his first Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight.
Gerald is a well conditioned Gladiator Athlete and it has been an honor to train him. Between the time he puts in on his own and the brutality that I provide for him, he will continue to get stronger, more powerful, and better conditioned as the training progresses. Check out Gerald "Getting To It" in competition below:
A few weeks ago, Kevin Hernandez won the Long Island Amateur Boxing Championships at the age of 15. He is a dedicated hard worker who eats and sleeps the sport of boxing. He will only improve and you will be hearing a lot more about Kevin in the future. When a 15 year old kid text messages you on a Friday night at 1:00 A.M about training and nutrition, you know he has something to prove.
Kevin Hernandez With The Belt
Check out one of Kevin's fights below:
A Side Note:
This has been one of the busiest summers of my life. I have been working toward the "Grand Opening" of the YESS Training Gym, preparing our athletes for their respected sports and the up and coming season, traveling all over the East Coast to be at our guys fights, helping some of our own who have been suffering from tragedy in their lives (while trying to keep them focused and not give up), and preparing for the birth of our second child. A lot has been put into perspective for me in a short amount of time.
I write about this because it all means so much to me. I'm not trying to preach here, or spread a bunch of fluff. For starters, I take full responsibility for those I train and if they win then I win, and if they fail, I fail. I'm not separate from them. I'm not doing this just for a pay check. I don't know how to not become personally invested with those around me. Both in and outside of training.
Yes, I give a shit about who I train. I care about their progress as an athlete, and as a human being. I'm not another jerk-off trainer and I want nothing to do with jerk-off trainers. Even if they are rich and famous. Keep your fame and keep your money. Both hold no value to me. Their ego will always blind them from seeing truth in all things. I find truth in other things, things and Ideals that appear to be fleeting these days.
I value Heart, Passion, Love, Loyalty, Friendship, Brotherhood, Self Sacrifice, Doing the Impossible, Rising Up after Falling Down, Good Human Beings with Good Values, Those Who Would Give You the Shirt Off Their Back, Those Who Believe, Those Who Can Be Happy For You and Not Envious or Jealous Of You, those Who Never Give Up, and those who take no pride in tearing you down!
If you find yourself surrounded by people who don't give a shit, ego driven, selfish, and jealous, GET AWAY FROM THEM! They are like a disease, a disease that will spread to you. They will infect you and hold you back, even hurt you in the long run.
My sister said something to me not too long ago, something that has been burnt deep into my mind that holds so much wisdom and truth. She said that jealousy is a form of hatred. Being jealous of someone is the next best thing to hating them. If you are around those who are jealous of you, you are around those who are close to hating you. She is a bit younger then me, but these words of wisdom were spoken beyond what I could of ever put together. Why am I writing this? To help and share. How can an athlete benefit from this? Keep reading.
Behind every great champion you will usually find a good foundation of people supporting them. A good wife, parents, family members, friends, training partners, coaches, or trainers. They will help raise you up if you have been kicked down, tell you the truth even if you don't want to hear it, and die for you if they had to. These are the people you want to surround yourself with if you want to succeed in the gym, sports, or in life. These are the people you want by your side in battle. You don't need a lot of these people. Quantity is not what matters here. Like a good buddy of mine said: "I would rather have one or two people around me who I trust with my life and are of quality, then a lot of people claiming to be my friends, but really don't give a shit about me." How can you apply this to your life? How could this make you better in the gym, as an athlete on the playing field, and as a person? Build your foundation. Surround yourself with quality. It's there, trust me. You just have to look for it. This will help you in ways I can not explain. It's all about becoming better.
To summarize the Immortal Bruce Lee: "Take and Use what is Useful and Discard What Is Useless".
Another Side Note:
With over 100,000 training web-sites that use Bruce Lee quotes to hammer home points, make my blog 100,001. I have logged over a million hours watching his films growing up as a kid. This man Bleeds Passion and that is why I too will continue to quote him. Ohh, and in case you haven't noticed, we are now on FaceBook under Rossi's Gym. Check us out.
In this month's video, you will see us perform the standardizedL.E.F.T. Test which stands for Lower Extremity Functional Test. Who would of thought this could be adapted into a Gladiator's training as an anaerobic finisher for fight athletes preparing for war. In case you are wondering, everyone in this video who had an upcoming fight either in Muay Thai, Boxing, or Grappling won!! You want to know the secret? The drills do not matter as much as the time you perform them for, the effort you put into them, and the ability to improve on them from week to week. Raise the bar in your training and set no limits. This is how we do it. Check it out:
Did you ever train so hard that you lost your clothes along the way? This is a phenomena that happens when you train with us. I couldn't make this up if I tried!
You may find yourself in another training dilemma, (once again) not having access to everything you need to get the job done in your training. Take flexibility for example. You and your training partners' Hip-Flexors are so knotted up that you need the nearest stretch table for relief. Unfortunately, your gym is cheaper than McDonald's .99 cent menu. There is no stretch table in sight other than a Physical Therapy office down the road. What should you do? What a "Tire Patch" is to a tire (which is a quick fix to get you going again), all you need is something to get the job done for your training.
Check Out this two part video series which gives you another inside look with our Gladiator Athletes and how we perform the "Ghetto Version" of the partner Hip Flexor Stretch.
Video 1 gives a quick demo of what the stretch is, how we improvise, and how to do it. Video 2 demonstrates two athletes learning this stretch for the first time. Hey, It's not a stretch table and it certainly isn't a massage table (No massage tables for Sal..!), but the way we use these mats gets the job done. For an in-depth write up on these videos, including the importance of stretching the Hip Flexors, go to BoxingPerformance.com.
These past couple of months have been a killer. It's that time of year where a large portion of our athletes go off to test their skills.Was all that "Sacrifice For Reward" and "Putting The Hustle Behind The Muscle" just a bunch of catch phrases for the business, or do they really mean something? Part of my job is to prove to my athletes every day that it is not. They know that it isn't all hype, as we transform doubters into true believers. A true belief that self sacrifice in the gym pays off and there truly is a reward and feeling of accomplishment when the season starts and the fight nears.
I can go on and on and take you through the list of athletes who I train and show off the text messages that I receive from them about how they improved from training with us, but I would rather keep those for me.
What I do want to share with everyone is someone who I am proud of beyond belief. He is a 19 year old kid who has only been boxing for about seven months. He has an amazing fight coach, a good group of friends for support, and of course an unbelievable performance trainer (wink,wink).
These are only some of the ingredients that make up this athlete's success, as his ability to win or lose is truly up to him. He is the one that has to get in the ring (alone) and stands toe to toe with someone who, if given the opportunity, would rip his head off. Not his boxing coach, not his friends, and not me! This kid chooses to win. This is the choice he has made. If your not a fight fan, you may not realize that this is one of the greatest accomplishments that a boxer at this level can achieve.
Take a look at Jade winning the New Jersey Golden Gloves Semi-Finals and Finals in these videos below:
A Great Boxing Coach
A Great Group Of Support And Yes, All These Guys Fight
A Side Note:
Remember I said that I believe you can "Will On" anything in life? Jade did. He won most of his fights with a busted hand! No excuses. More to come so keep checking back.
Here is an inside look on how we teach our fighters how to execute this particular sledge hammer hit variation. The Sledge Hammer is one of the many tools that we use to increase grip strength, power production, quick hands, and blast the appropriate energy system conductive to Boxing, MMA, and similar gladiator sports. If you're wondering, getting your "Chops" busted comes with the territory! Check this video out below:
A Side Note:
If you break up concrete for a living like I once did, then I would leave the sledge hits out of the training!
Question: First I'd like to thank you for taking the time to read my question. I play college basketball and my leg strength is really sub par. I am very flat footed, I have no arch at all. I know that squatting would help me be more explosive and stronger. Any advice you could give me would be great. M.C.
Answer:
M.C., no problem. I'm not exactly sure if there was a direct question in there, but I will give you some of my thoughts on strength, squatting for athletes, and flat feet. Although It might take some time to answer questions that are submitted to me through this blog (I am, in fact, in the trenches training athletes. Sometimes seven days per week while traveling to support my fighters at their fights and preparing to open up our facility next year), I would not do it if I did not enjoy helping others with their own training. The fact that I can have a positive influence on someone else's training is what it is all about for me. It has been so from the very beginning. Enough with the B.S. and lets get on to your question.
Coming from a strength stand point, there is no doubt in my mind that a college basketball athlete needs to be strong and explosive. Every athlete needs to be strong and explosive to some degree. This is the ultimate goal and should be the big picture in your training. If you have weak legs then you are limiting your ability to be powerful (You can not be truly powerful if areas of your body are weak and underdeveloped).
Like someone who I admire very much once said: "You can't flex Bone!" I am using this quote to hammer home a point. Like a strong grip in relation to a strong upper body, strong feet have a direct relationship to a strong lower body. You need to build muscle and get stronger from the ground up. As a basketball athlete, your feet are the only direct link to the ground. If your feet are weak and are unable to properly support the rest of your body (flat feet and no arch is a good indicator for a weak foot and ankle complex) then you are holding yourself back from building the strength and explosiveness that you need as an athlete. Plus, I have found a direct correlation to weak flat feet and ankle sprains! Try getting stronger when you are injured. It's not happening. Basketball athletes and ankle sprains go together more than any top entree cooked up in Hell's Kitchen!
I'm Telling 'Ya That This Guy Was One Of My Little League Baseball Coaches
You need to build muscle and strength in the foot and ankle complex just like the hand and grip. When the grip is strong and stable, so is the wrist and forearms. When the feet are strong and stable, so are the ankles. Look at it as Injury Prevention 101.
This is a very situational topic as a lot of athletes will become stronger in their feet just from squatting properly all while making adequate strength gains within their training (Squatting ques such as Spreading The Floor and Pushing The Feet Out while have appropriate weight on your back can build the feet up as long as you can maintain those postures while doing so). If you have flat feet and collapsed arches, and experiencing shin and knee pain from overpronation of the foot and ankle, then it will take a bit more special attention then squatting ques like the ones I just mentioned.
In my opinion, Squatting and Deadlifting (With all of their variations) is the superior way to build strength and power. This can all be attained and manipulated through training the Max Effort Method (Maximal Strength) and the Dynamic Effort Method (Moving Submaximal Weight Fast). I respectfully think you must be full of shit if you are a performance coach or an athlete who disagrees! On that note, none of this can be trained optimally if you have a severe weak link such as flat feet or collapsed arches of the foot. Again, "You are only as strong as your weakest link". This may be where you need to take a few steps back in your training so you can take a bunch of steps forward.
Yeah, That's Him
Before I tell you what to do, I am going to explain some of the reasons why athletes and people in general have weak and flat feet. Again, this is in no specific order:
Genetics play a role in the way you are structurally built (put together). You just have to thank your parents for this one! Good or bad, genetics are in no way an excuse to fall back on because no body is created perfect. If you fall back on excuses then you are holding yourself back on reaching your full potential whether in life, the gym, or on the basketball court. If we fell back on excuses, then I believe nobody would be great in life. What is great about the weaknesses of our bodies and our lives is that we can work on them and build them up and make them our greatest strengths. Like I tell all of my athletes, "All you have to give yourselves is time, 100% effort, and consistency. It is then when you see things come together and develop."
Not enough time walking around barefoot. There are strength coaches who believe their athletes should train barefoot all the time! Although I have mixed feelings about this (what if you have no feet or what if you are training in a complete shit hole for a place and you wouldn't use some one else's feet to train barefoot with) as barefoot training may be too much when done all the time and safety can be an issue in the weight room with certain training regiments, walking around your house barefoot is the first step. What does this mean? Clean your dirty floors, take off the socks,flip flops, and shoes and walk around. It may be the next best thing to being naked if your are not use to having anything on your feet. It also is the first step in building strength, balance, and stability of the foot and ankles.
Wearing the wrong footwear. Throw away the Man Heels! In the case for female athletes, high-heels aren't helping you either. Guys, it really isn't cool to be wearing sneakers or shoes with a three inch lift in the back. It's not productive for performance because it screws with your posture, desensitizes your feet, and has you walking around like a runway model. A great solution for shoes to train with would be Converse's Chuck Taylors for weight room training or you can go with the high bread route and train with Adidas Sambas. Adidas Sambas are great for weight room training and give good enough support for speed and agility training. These two training shoe choices will not only put the masculinity back into your training, but will provide appropriate foot and ankle support and also help in winning the fight against the desensitisation of athletes feet.
Athletes, Just Say No! Men, It's Just Not Good For Posture
Overlooking the importance of foot strength for over all injury prevention and lower body health is a big mistake. I believe it is well established in the training community and athletic sports world on the importance of a strong grip and grip training. The same should go for the foot as they are structurally similar. You obviously are not going to be swinging from the trees with your feet like monkeys and won't be deadlifting weight off the floor with your feet, but you need to train the feet directly at times. Collapsed arches and severe ankle sprains should be considered one of those times to start training them! This leads me into the last and maybe most important reason because it will pertain to most athletes regarding the foot and ankle.
Not enough unilateral training with a full range of motion is a huge reason athletes suffer injury at the foot and ankle (besides the knee, groin, and hip). Single leg squats, step ups, lunges, and deadlifts not only build leg strength, but they challenge an athletes balance, mobility, and creates the ultimate enviorment for stability in the ankle and foot to be enhanced. I can spot weak ankles and feet as soon as an athlete attempts to perform unilateral training. Especially if it's for the very first first time. I can't count how many times I see an athlete with weak feet and ankles not be able to hold their balance while performing body weight single leg squats. How funny is it though that over time, balance issues go away when they become stronger in their unilateral training. It's not a coincidence! Stronger feet and ankles equal better balance. It's that simple. Although this may not be the end all be all for correcting flat feet and weak ankles for everybody, it has been a huge help with enabling an athlete to become stronger in the foot complex while still squatting (it's still a form of squatting even though it's with one leg) for increased leg strength. Check this video out below:
This is a Single Leg Squat progression that we have our athletes perform with no shoes for an improved arch of the foot. The only way this will work is if you force the foot that is in contact with the floor to arch ("Crunch Your Toes" is the que) the entire time while performing the Single Leg Squat. You have to maintain the arch so grip the hell out of the floor. It will make the bottom of your feet burn like nothing else because you are training the muscles of the foot. Those muscle are weak and inhibited. This is why you need to train them. Stick with your own body weight to start. Shoot for 4 sets of 8-12 reps with no weight. If you can perform the full 4 sets of 12 reps without loosing your arch and balance, then add some weight. I would make this the first exercise for leg day. Isolate to integrate is what you are doing here. Train the hell out of this movement until you can get stronger in your feet and ankles to integrate this back into Squatting and Deadlifting. Again, you are taking a step back in your training to correct a weak link so you can become injury reduced, stronger, and more powerful in the future. Kiss B.S. ankle sprains good bye. As you are able to maintain a forced arch of the foot, add in some foam so the foot can grip for increased foot strength. The foam will challenge the foot and ankle to a greater degree. This is the next step from the floor. This is one of our "Go To" movements for our athletes with flat feet and weak ankles. Keep in mind the progression here: Body weight for 4 sets of 12 controlled reps to adding weights for 4 sets of 12 controlled reps. When adding in the foam, do the same. Body weight for 4 sets of 12 controlled reps followed by adding in weight. We only perform the stuff that works!
If It Moves, Then It Can Be Trained,
Joe Rossi
A Side Note:
If you can add up the amount of years that you have been walking around with flat and weak feet (or any posture due to weakness), you will then realize how long it will take you to truly correct this problem. I am not going to B.S. you into thinking if you do A,B, and C then you will be completely restored and cured. As athletes, we all have our weak links that develop over time and some we are just born with. It takes a conscious decision to always attack weak areas in your training even if it means performing the shit we do not like to do. The greater good is feeling and performing better. If you think this is a bunch of fluff then don't do it. If you think there is some truth to what I am saying then give it a try. It will only make you better.
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Toni Geiger: Team USA Judo
SACRIFICE For REWARD
125 Pound MMA Fly Weight Champion - Lil ' Bomb Javier - Deadlifting 415 IBs.
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THE YESS TRAININGBARBELL CLUB ("ROSSI'S GYM) Is A Strength & Conditioning Gym For Fighters. Here, You Will Find, The Real Life "ROCKY BALBOAS".
Joe Rossi Is Dedicated In Putting The "Hustle Behind The Muscle" For Fighters And Combat Competitors At The Amateur And Professional Level. Boxer, Wrestler, Mixed Martial Artist, Or Weekend Warrior, Our Proven Methods Of Strength & Conditioning Will Get YOU In (Peak) Physical Shape And Prepare You To Climb Your Own Personal (Mountain). Sacrifice For Reward Is YESS Training.
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s
Joe R.
