Warning: This is a long one and not all of it is training.
This little review is long over due, but I’ve been busting my ass a bit to catch up after my extra-long weekend in Los Angeles. As memory serves, here goes…(By the way, this is for entertainment purposes only, but there are some nuggets of wisdom in there somewhere)
Left Indy on Wednesday with a wind chill of about 10 above zero. 4 hours later it’s 85 and not a cloud in the sky. I was to find later that clouds are not allowed in the Los Angeles area this time of year per order of the Governator himself.
I retrieved my bag and grabbed a cab. Emilio (the driver) was a very nice guy who answered all my questions with a nod and , “Huh? Yes.” Hmmm? Apparently English is a second language.
By now I’m sweating my ass off because there’s no AC (air conditioning not Alwyn Cosgrove) in the cab, but I was able to pass the time by observing the landscape as we traveled to my hotel in West Hollywood. Interesting little town I must say. Where else can you get your car washed, check out some lunchtime strippers, and pick up some groceries on the same block.
As we drove through Hollyweird, I was a tad concerned that my hotel was going to be a pit. Ya see, if you haven’t been to West Hollywood before, there are areas that just don’t seem to be “up to code”. Turns out that a half a block off of the Sunset strip, there’s a 5 star hotel with a room saved for li’l ol’ me.
So I’m situated right behind Johnny Depp’s club, The Viper Room; catty-corner from The Whisky A–Go-Go (where every decent rock band out of LA got there start in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s), and just down the street from Larry Flynt’s Hustler Store. Paradise!!
I checked in and chilled for bit to soak up the atmosphere, then called Alwyn (AC). He called back a while later and said he’d be by to pick me up in about half an hour as his gym wasn’t too far away.
90 mintues later he called again saying that it was taking him longer than expected, but that he was only 3 minutes away.
30 minutes later (time adjusted for humor) AC pulls up and we’re off for in-depth discussions of strength and conditioning, the magazine business, and beer drinking.
Welcome to Santa Monica…the British are Coming!
Seems there’s about 100,000 British living in the area. Just off Santa Monica Blvd. they have 2 British Pubs and a British groceries store (Haggis anyone?!). It was fairly early in the afternoon, but “Ye Olde Kings Head” was hardly empty. I asked for something Scottish and was handed a McEwan’s Export. It’s now my personal favorite. AC was drinking some form of beer with 7-up (he was driving and in the event of getting pulled over would rather not be “exported” himself).
Hollywood Note: For those of you who saw the movie Daredevil, Ye Olde Kings Head is where they shot the scene where Bullseye (Colin Farrell) kills the guy with the paper clips.
Our first true discussion was about writing for the magazines. I think we’ve both been pretty lucky to get to work with guys like Adam Campbell and Sean Hyson at MF.
Oh, on the menu. Traditional fish n chips for me, and steak and kidney pie for AC. They eat real kidneys in Scotland. He showed me one. Uh, Thanks.
AC quote of the evening: “I’ve never gotten dumber from reading any book.” This came about when he made reference to some of the emails that he gets. Seems a lot of folks ask AC if they should read this book or that one. Bottom line read everything. AC also gave me his list of book that he requires his trainers to read in their first year of training in his system. By this time, I’d had a few McEwan’s so my memory is a tad fuzzy. I do remember some of the Russian translations being on there. I’ll get the rest for you and edit this thing when I get the chance or maybe AC will drop in.
The Mecca
So we’re in Santa Monica, and I never got to Gold’s Gym last time I was there, so off we went.
How powerful is Gold’s Gym? Well, there’s no longer a World Gym or Powerhouse Gym in Santa Monica. Gold’s Gym ate them up.
To truly get perspective on how big this place is you have to see it. Pictures don’t do it justice. You walk in and say to yourself, “Wow, this is a really nice gym.” Then you walk into the next room and say, “Wow, this is a REALLY nice gym.” Then you walk into the next room and say, “Wow, THIS is a REALLY nice gym.”
Gold’s Gym, Venice is big. It’s actually 3 large gyms that are connected with a sports training area in back (it’s outside which is kinda cool). It has several mezzanines for stretching and aerobic equipment, and large photos of just about any bodybuilder that you can think of. I think one could get a decent workout there. 10 years ago, this would have made a much bigger impact on me, but at this point I was only semi-erect.
And, yes, I got the t-shirt (by the way, the classic logo is back).
For the next 2 days, I was in ART recert and trying to get my internal clock adjusted so nothing much happened.
Saturday I wrapped up my recert and we went to AC’s gym for some ART treatments. Cameron McGarr, AC’s head trainer (or whatever title he gives him) was able to pull himself away from the love of his life to join us.
Wisdom at the gym: “Eventually you have to get a mat for dot drills because putting marks on the floor with band-aides just isn’t professional.”
We also discussed the value of overhead pressing and conditions that may predispose a trainee to impingment like tight pec minor and reduced upward rotation of the scapula.
Off to the Rose & Crown (Formerly the Bulldog…I like the old name better), another British pub.
More McEwan’s for me. Discussions of life and love, and then off to Casa de Cosgrove.
Fight Night
Mr. Cosgrove is a big fight fan, and I’ve recently been watching the Ultimate Fighter on Spike TV recently (Mrs. Hartman enjoys the blood as well), so I was looking forward to seeing the UFC Championship fight. There was also Championship boxing on Showtime. Thanks to TiVo, we missed nothing.
Boxing: Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Sharmba Mitchell
Mayweather wins. Knowledge gained: it takes the brain 2.47 seconds to recognize a direct blow to the liver and end a fight.
UFC: Brain damage for Nate Quarry. Rich Franklin tagged Quarry with a straight left that knocked him cold before he hit the mat (It also shoved his nose a little to the right). It was so devastating that they were stopping the fight as he was falling. Quarry then proceeded to lie on the mat in the most wicked spasm as if he were decerebrate (see this link for what that looks like
http://www.shands.org/health/informa...le/003299.htm)
Quarry somehow was able to get up and talk to Joe Rogan and explain that Rich Franklin just kicked his ass. Hmmm? Must not be too brain damaged then, huh?
A quick thank you to the lovely and talented Rachel Cosgrove for her hospitality. FYI…Rachel has been named coach of her triathalon team and she has been placing well in her competitions. Not bad for someone who has only been training for a short time.
Dos!!!
After fight night it was off to meet Dos whose CoC Cougars defeated whoever they played quite easily.
We ended up at the Elephant Bar. Not a single elephant in site.
While we waited for Dos (the world’s largest vegetarian), we discussed changes body fat distribution based on some interesting findings such as redistribution after breast implants and in women who wear high heels. This is not a joke.
Dos finally showed up and proceeded to drink 2 beers
We also tried to recall a number of Cosgrove-isms from the long weekend, topics of conversation, and a few Dos-isms were worked in.
Question: What determines a high protein diet?
Is it the total quantity of protein or is it the percentage of protein relative to the total number of calories consumed? So if AC eats 200 grams of protein which makes up 50% of his total calories and Dos eats 220 grams of protein but it makes up only 15% of his total calories. Which is on a high protein diet? Does that mean that if AC eats more total calories that he would no longer be on a high protein diet. Food for thought.
Cosgrove is a god. Just A god, not THE God.
That chick is HOT!!
Recently, it has been proposed that the only reason for strength training during a fat reduction phase is to maintain muscle mass, so the prescription for increased muscle mass/strength AND fat loss is heavy weights and lower reps. So a strength coach can simply write one program and just modify the diet without changing the reps. General consensus…Uh, no.
[popular trainer who shall remain nameless] is a G-Force Bitch!
Professional writers can turn shit into gold.
10% of the people will love your stuff no matter what. 10% will hate your stuff no matter what. If you’re not pissing off more than 10% of the people, you’re doing something wrong.
That chick is HOT!!
Nothing is static. You’re either getting better, or you’re getting worse.
If you buy a product for $1,000 and it helps you make another $20 a week, it’s worth it.
It’s not the age that matters, it’s the mileage.
That chick is HOT!!
AC uses a 12 site skin-fold test to monitor body comp.
There is no way that [name deleted]’s program will work.
[name deleted] has it wrong.
I am convinced that Dos has a superpower that prevents him from becoming intoxicated.
It was late so like any sane individuals we were off to TGI Friday’s for one more round and to celebrate with the CoC Cougar faithful.
I think we drank Bass at this point, but seeing as it was late and I’d been drinking a bit, I can’t be sure.
We ran into Omar who I’d met in Las Vegas at NSCA weekend. This guy quit his job and joined the Marines. Holy crap. My hat is off to him. Gutsy move. I wish him well.
There was also a young female who had serious eyes for someone in our group. She went to great lengths to get his attention by totally ignoring him and making out with some other guy.
Sunday Morning
Got up a little early and skimmed through an advanced editor’s copy of The New Rules of Lifting by Lou and Alwyn. Bottom line. Buy it. Having met Lou and knowing Alwyn a bit, it’s very cool to read their stuff in their voice. There’s more quality in this book than many other “popular” books put together.
Also read the first issue of Alias (NOT the TV show). A very cool comic book for the over 17 crowd from Marvel. The first word is F&%K! (they actually spelled it out).
Race to the airport
I left my book bag in the SUV so we had to rush down to Santa Monica and locate it (Rachel had a bike ride down there). Grabbed the book bag, fought traffic (AC drove like Knightrider) and made it by the skin of my teeth (oh, I also misread my departure time…perhaps it was a subconscious desire to not leave LA).
A gracious thank you to Alwyn and Rachel for letting me crash at their place. It’s always great to see Dos. Go Cougars! AND I love the LA weather.
No earthquakes, No clouds, and only one wildfire.
Thanks for you time.
Bill
(shame on me 
)
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