One Year Anniversary and other Thoughts From Newell Strength
Well, its been one year since the knee injury and in the video below, I reflect and re-live. That knee injury has helped to help me become a much better Coach and it has propelled Newell Strength to the next level of physical preparation. Enjoy the video and check out some of the other random stuff below the video!
*Danny Peltack, starting tackle at Immaculata High School, has been training with us at Newell Strength for the past 3 months. He has his high school combine this weekend. When Danny started, he was benching 185 for 2, yesterday he got it for 14! He also took his vertical from 21.5″ to 26.25″! This is for a sophomore that is 6’5″ and now has his weight up to 280 pounds. Weight up, body fat lower=awesome!
*Newell Strength was mentioned in two different newspaper articles this week, kind of ironic since I never go out to seek these things. But people must be noticing what we have going on and when you follow your passion, only good things can happen. There articles are here and here
*One of our members, Casey Ransone, was recently named head football Coach at St. Joseph’s of Metuchen. The article is here
*Just thought I’d give my 2 cents on last week’s Rutgers debacle. I watched the press-conference and was disgusted by president Robert L. Barchi. It was pathetic to watch him squirm and use academic language to do everything but take responsibility. YOU sir, are in charge there, it falls on YOU! If that is who they want as a leader, good luck. I was also disgusted by Chris Christie coming out in support of Barchi while saying it was the right move for Pernetti to resign. Pernetti wanted Rice gone right away! I love Christie as a politician, but that shit made me sick. The world needs some real men to stand up and stop doing everything for the almighty dollar! I will be writing some articles coming up about being a MAN and will certainly cite this. Heck, this instance might even make it into my Manifesto.
*I will be speaking at Kean University this upcoming Monday and Raritan Valley Community College next Friday. I love going to speak to the students and give them some straight talk, no BS. I will be audio-recording it and they will be put into one of the other books I am working on.
Keep making yourself better, good things will happen…and oh yeah, happy anniversary knee:)
Newell Strength Efficiency
I have not been having as much time to write as normal. This is not due to being lazy (come on now!), but rather I have been extremely busy working within my passion, my business, the business of Newell Strength. You may have noticed that in nearly all my writings, I rarely if ever refer to myself as a personal trainer or strength coach because to be honest, the quality in this field is currently piss poor. Normally I will refer to myself as the Human Strength Expert, a Physical Preparation Coach or Teacher. Why I am telling you this? Simply because this is not a job title to me or a career, it is my passion. When people ask me about my competition in central New Jersey or even Hillsborough for that matter, I answer that I don’t have any competition. Not because I am an egotistical maniac but because I am only competing with myself, I am not trying to better anyone nor do I care what others are doing, unless I know they know more than me.
This article will seem to bounce around a bit, but the theme is efficiency, and how appropriate that as I write this, my countdown timer has just crossed the 17 minute mark, you see, I need to be efficient in everything I do because I am obsessed with getting better and helping those that get in touch with me get better. In the past month, I have traveled over 4,000 miles to speak with various top experts in the field of the human body, simply because they are the best and to be efficient in learning, I would rather pay a nice sum rather than buying all their books and taking weeks to read them. Efficiency. (PS- I do have all the books, its just a quicker way for me to learn before I get around to reading the books in their entirety).
I have been implementing the BioSignature method with all my members at Newell Strength and the Functional Movement Screen. Do they have anything to do with each other? Sure, but I couldn’t tell you exactly how, but I could speculate. Will they help make my clients healthier, move better and look better? Guaranteed. Will they help my athletes get stronger, bigger, more powerful and more likely avoid injury? You bet! In other words, they make the results more efficient at Newell Strength. Efficiency.
I often have athletes that get down on themselves that don’t have a 30” vertical or run a 4.5 forty. One, that’s a reason I am not big into testing, because most of the time they are coming to me to get better, not so I can tell them they are pathetic or need to work on things. I am trying to build their confidence. Second, I often explain Larry ‘The Legend” Bird. Bird could hardly jump over a phone book, yet he knew how to use his body efficiently. He would take 500 jumpers before games. He was efficient. He knew how to use his body. You don’t need to be a Lebron James to maximize your basketball or athletic potential. You need to be efficient with your body.
Just yesterday, I was down in Manasquan working with one of my coaches, Jon Torine, formerly the strength coach for the Idianapolis Colts for 14 years. He recently moved back to Jersey, we met, and I hired him to fix me and so I could learn from him. Efficiency. Yesterday, while learning from him, I also got to hang with Rob Morris, linebacker for 10 years for the Colts, who happened to be in town visiting from Utah. We got to discuss our war stories (injuries) and how the FMS helped remove the pain and get us (I’m still working on it), back to normal. Rob is interested in learning the field now that he is retired, so guess what? He walks around with a notebook taking notes from those that are smarter than he to learn better. Efficiency.
I study a minimum of 2 hours per day now, at least Monday thru Friday and I would study more if I could make more hours in the day. Its interesting now that I have started forming so great relationships with Chiropractors, Physical Therapists, Medical Doctors and Alternative Medical Doctors. And now when I go to them, rather than being another patient, we speak as colleagues about different aspects of the body and we share ideas. We have a mutual respect for each other and our meetings become more efficient.
Kyle and one of his mentors, Dr. J Patel
The more you learn, the more you earn. And I am not talking about money (although that’s also true). You earn more of your passion and new opportunities open up for you. So now you see why I don’t like to put titles on what I do. I help people feel better and athletes perform better. Simple…efficient, but please don’t put in the same category as a globo gym or in shape person that thought it would be cool to get into the field. Thanks for reading.
Newell Strength’s Most Influential Books
I am out in California right now learning from one of the sharpest minds in the fitness business and am mentally and physically drained after absorbing such kick ass information all day, but…I am pumped as I am watching the video above as I write this.
Alwyn Cosgrove, the man running the mentorship (along with his wife Rachel), said today that you should read one chapter of Think and Grow Rich
per day for the next two years. I have read the book twice, but I know thats not enough, but I do know that if, scratch that, not if, but when I start doing this when I get home, it will take me as a person to the next level. So Think and Grow Rich is one of the most influential books for Newell Strength. Keep in mind that these go in no particular order, but they should all be read.
I do not have a link for the next book, but if you watch the video above, Jared has a link for his book, Devote Yourself to an Ideal, in the video. The cover is cheesy, but the book is literally one of the best motivational development books I have ever read. I read it while I was going through the process of making my decision to resign a few months ago. It gave me the extra push I needed to go ahead with my decision. Order this book, have it printed up (its and ebook) and read it, then read it again.
the 50th law
You are probably getting sick of me writing about this book, but it creates a culture of fearlessness in your mind. And to be fearless is what it takes to get where you want to get. Whether you are a fan of 50 or not, do yourself the favor and read it five times.
awaken the giant within
I read this book every single night during my best year in bodybuilding, while coming back from a very mysterious, 2 year battle with a nasty stomach disease. I literally harnessed to the power of mind to such a degree that my life has never been the same since. I would sit up like a little kid looking at his first PlayBoy at night, pouring over the pages, marking the pages up, highlighting it. It is one of the first books that I recommend to someone that is looking to change their life.
Dinosaur Training
Ok, this book is for those of you that have been asking me for the best training books. And I racked my brain and there wasn’t one that jumped out in particular as, ‘Read this book and you will know everything’. That is the thing, I cannot recommend one book to share what I know, it has been a process of connecting the dots, experimenting, implementing and literally 15 years of self-research. Even though I have put in well 10,000 hours, I can tell you I am no where near where I need to be. But I am getting off track, what I want you to take from Dinosaur Training is the Intensity that Brooks trains with and the passion.
As a side note, I actually read a whole book, The Anabolic Solution, on the plane yesterday. The stewardess came up to me later on in the flight to ask me questions about it since she wants to do a figure competition. I fell asleep with the book on my lap, but I constantly keep the mindset that no one, no where, will out work me. And you need to have that same attitude. I was not blessed with a high IQ or great genetics, but I simply work my plan every day and the biggest part of that plan is reading one hour per day. Let me know how you like the books.
Conversations with a 3rd Grader
Comfort Zones
Well, this is the week that I have been looking forward to with excitement and nostalgia. It is for now, my last week of teaching in the Bridgewater Raritan School District, leaving to pursue physical preparation or personal training, whatever you will call it, full time.
When I was trying to make this decision, I sat down with a few men that I look up to for advice. One of them asked me what my dream was. Was it to be the best strength coach in the world? And for a second or more actually an entire day, I pondered the question. Because I had lost my vision there temporarily, something that will happen the longer you stay in a comfort zone. Then I rememebered back to when I first started teaching.
On my breaks, I would consult with teachers that hired me about their nutrition. Immediately after school, I would head over to the high school to run the weight room and by the second year I was making daily trips to South Brunswick to be their football teams strength coach. While my students were meditating, I was reading the latest on strength research. On my breaks when I was consulting, I was doing more research on the computer. Above my bed used to hang a sign that read “I will be the best strength coach in the world”. You see, everything I ever dreamt of has been about being the best strength coach or personal trainer (I hate that term, but you probably are familiar with it).
However, coaching and teaching are the same thing to me, the same disciplines. I have always believed that we dumb down things too much to the elementary aged students and with this belief, I always made sure to teach them complex life lessons in simple words. So I was delighted when a group of third graders approached me recently to talk me into staying. It was heartbreaking and one of the girls said she has been having nightmares because there will be someone new here. On and on it went, about how I was the only teacher that taught them real life lessons and I was proud of that.
My only response to these kids was, “I have always told you guys to go for your dreams, no matter how big and no matter what anyone else says. So now is my chance to give you the greatest lesson I can, to actually do that. If I did not go for my dreams, then I am nothing more than a fraud. I hope you see that by me leaving, I have hopefully set the example I set out to set for you guys.”
To which, they could only nod in agreement. Leaving is hard, starting something new is scary, but that is what stepping out of comfort zones is all about.
The 48 Laws of Power
I realize that some of you come to my site to read only about strength and nutrition and if that is the case, you may want to skip this post. Because…I have a number of people that come to the site get inspired, to motivate themselves and to learn tips on how to succeed.
I often call it hustling or becoming a hustler, a tag that I once again only reserve for the 1-5% of the population that is actually motivated to do something with their life. In the very near future, I am going to be starting a Coaching group in which I will help 5 people have the best year of their life on all fronts, but I’ll tell you more about that when the time is right.
I have been reading the 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene, the author that wrote 50′s book, The 50th Law. Greene is a brilliant writer and astute researcher. There are so many lessons in this book that can be used to get the upper hand that it should be illegal. He also manages to make the book entertaining while telling story after story about historical instances of the different laws. Back in the summer when I interviewed Dave Tate, he mentioned this book as one of his favorites and I had it sitting there at the time. Now I know why it’s one of his favorites…
As I continue to grow Newell Strength, it is becoming imperative that I read more books about success and business than actual training, although I still manage to get in at least 20 mins per day of actual ‘exercise’ study.
Check it out here and I’ll have another book review for you all next week.
The Newell Strength Learning Express
I went 600 miles in my car this past weekend, traveling from seminar to mastermind. The first seminar was in up-state New York and my mastermind meets down at the Jersey shore. I traveled far more in the fall of this year, but decided to really cut down on my traveling this Spring. I am also happy to say that Gabe and Drew came along with me, exactly what I want in and from my Coaches, a desire to grow.
3 amigos...
However, I will always make it a point to continue my education. Once you stop learning, you stop growing. I was happy yesterday when I spoke with one of my best friends who had referred another friend to my gym. He told me that the friend had some questions about membership and my buddy told him, “If you thought Kyle was good a few years ago when he wrote your programs, he has stepped up his game like 10X since then!” It made me reflect that it was ironic that he told me this as I was driving through the snow to the Jersey shore after a full day of learning, getting ready for another full day of learning and grilling. Ok, stage is set, lets get to what I learned…
The first seminar was with Smitty and Coach Steve Maxwell. Let me state that I am a very experienced trainee and coach and can honestly say that I am in the top 1% of strength experts in the world. The mobility warm-ups that Steve did with us were things that I have never seen and they were a very welcome injection of ‘lubrication’ to my joints. Coach Maxwell then went on to teach the kettle bell, which blew my mind. I learned combos that I had never seen before and that will be sure to be a key tool in my arsenal when the time comes to get shredded.
A great role model
Smitty put us through the bench, squat and dead lift and the funny thing was that my perceived weakest movement, the bench, was actually my strongest. Smitty went to town on my lower body movements and it was evident that my hips are not nearly mobile enough or hydrated enough. The simple reason is because I do not have the time nor take the time to perform as much maintenance work on myself as I should be doing. That is going to be changing which you will see in one of my upcoming videos. I also suspect that this is adding to the cause of my back issues. Interesting thing is that I have rather large and muscular legs and as much as I thought my squatting was bringing in my posterior chain into play, it really wasn’t.
Coach Maxwell and Kyle
My hip flexors were inhibiting this. After some squatting with the bar and deadlifting with the bar, but really pulling with the hamstrings, in essence making it a leg curl, my hamstrings felt that like they were going to pop. Who knew….
To finish that seminar, Steve went over some hypoxia training (without oxygen) and some cool ass top secret Russian recovery stuff. I am always looking for obscure tricks of the trade and I can’t wait to unleash this on my gym!
As I finish this up, I am sitting at my mastermind meeting overlooking the ocean. I got some clarity on some key topics with my business and life and it is definitely time to re-evaluate, which you will be hearing about.
Mastermind down the shore
The reason I tell you this is that nothing can stop you if you don’t stop learning. Become a dedicated machine of learning. With that said, just a heads up, I will be having an exclusive new seminar, of never before seen things to get you ready for the seminar. Stay tuned…
What the hell am I reading????
Hey buddy! I want you to have success more than anything and a huge part of my journey to my own success has been education. I am a voracious reader and truth be told, much of what I read is mindset and business related. I make sure to read my exercise books too, but not nearly as much as I used to. With that said, I will start posting the books that I order weekly and if you’d like, check them out. These are books that have come highly recommended to me and if you want to know where or how I come up with a lot of my ideas, you really don’t need to look much further than the books I am reading. Educate yourself and create!
So, as you can see, this is an eclectic list and this is typical of one week for me. I literally order about a book per day. Follow my lead and I will show you ‘secrets’ you never thought you’d have access to. Peace-Kyle
Arnold Schwarzenegger Interview Part 2
Commando
Me: “So, the mind is the key to all of your successes. What would you say to those that are quick to point out the steroid use?”
Arnold: “Yes Kyle, you must train the mind. Now, about the steroids. I don’t condone them for youngsters. In fact, we only used them from about 12 weeks out from a show and in minimal doses compared to what you see today. They were not illegal then either, so yes, I used them, but I did nothing wrong. The side effects of steroids are highly exaggerated anyway. For a healthy adult male, there is no problem in 90% of the cases as long as they are used in moderation. Kind of like 100% of any other drug out there.”
Me: “Interesting, I have to agree on that point. Would you ever consider using them again? How do they play into your exercise regiment now?”
Arnold: “If I had to get ready for a movie in which I had to be in top shape, then yes, I would consider them. However, I only used them back then as a tool to enhance my physique. Just as I used bodybuilding as a stepping stone, I used steroids as one of the tools in my tool box. Let me point out, that working out to me will always be a spiritual enhancement. I know people have seen recent photos of me and they are quick to put me down because of my condition now. I am 64 years old and enjoying life. I have no reason to be ripped and jacked up right now. I do have a workout center in my home and I workout every single day for an hour. I will always have that to fall back on and get into the right mental state.”
Me: “I always get pissed when people put you down because of your body now. You led a revolution. Do you have any good business success stories for us? ”
Arnold: “I always had the same mindset in business as I had in bodybuilding. I knew the end before it happened. I used psychological tactics to always have the upper hand. One time, I wanted to put an add in one of Wieder’s magazines and he sends me a bill! He wanted 50% of all the prophets. I couldn’t believe it since he had built his empire around me. However, I then proceeded to send him a bill for all the times I have appeared in his magazines and I let him know that from now on he would have to pay to use my likeness. He was caught between a rock and a hard place. I won. By the way, the ad was for a muscle building pamphlet I sold which did quite well.”
To be continued tomorrow….
EFS SEMINAR
Dave Tate
It’s getting somewhat late on a Friday night in Ohio and I still have to hit some meditation biking’ and pool in the hotel before I crank out three hours of work. But nonetheless, I am psyched up as hell. I had a great day at the Learn To Train Seminar in London, Ohio at the EliteFTS compound. I met some cool ass people, talked shop with some great coaches, got to meet Dave in person and even set up a BIG TIME interview for you guys that will happen within the next few weeks. They always say if you can learn one thing from a book or seminar, then it was a good seminar. Check out what I learned (I am keeping it to one item per presenter):
- Dave Tate-You need a philosophy for your fitness and strength training. This can even be applied to your body composition goals. Too many people do what he calls, “lily pad programming”, jumping from one plan to the next with no continuity. You will never get any where doing this. Develop your philosophy and take from others what you can to apply to YOUR OWN philosophy.
- Vincent Dizenzo-Vinny is a funny ass guy and I enjoyed him greatly. ”If you want to get better, find the people that know what they are doing and that can help you get there and hire them. If not, stay mediocre.”
- Jeremy Frey-Coach Frey is a very smart mind. The goal of GPP is to raise overall work capacity. Once you do this, you will have much more effective workouts int he other phases of block periodization.
- Andy Deck-A good way to train is to make stuff harder to do without making it heavier. Definitely add fat grips to your training on all applicable moves.
- Matt Kroczaleski-Matt was an interesting dude. He is one of the strongest lifters of all time and is now focusing his efforts on becoming an IFBB pro bodybuilder. Matt has one of the best mindsets I have ever seen. I think he has had like 12 nearly career ending injuries but he has never let them stop him. Matt is up on my interview list and it will be a pleasure to speak with him more.
- Jim Wendler-Funny as hell. You have an infinite training life, do it while you can. What is it? Lifting heavy stuff, running fast as hell and stretching hard. He said something very profound: “Would you take take any amount of money to give up your arms or legs?” Hopefully the answer is no, YOU are already the wealthiest man in the world in one sense.
- Dr. Ryan Smith-The good Doc spoke a lot about tissue tolerance and back issues. He covered the lower cross syndrome which was a good review. This is the fact that the erector muscles and the hip flexors are normally both tight and the gluteus and abs are usually not firing properly.
- Shelby Starnes and John Meadows-I am a big fan of John Meadows way of eating. Eat the foods that eat their natural food sources. I am going to be doing much research into this as I have already begun to apply it but I will also combine it with many of my old principles such as caloric spikes.
That’s it, time to hit some meditation, got to get into the right mindset for the work to come. Off into the night I go!
