It's Been a while

Hello everyone!!! I know, I know I went MIA for a bit and I also know what you are thinking....

Thanks!!! All seriousness, I will do my best to regularly blog useful and sometimes entertaining information that can help you increase your performance, reach your fitness goals and live a healthier lifestyle.

A lot has gone on since my last blog and I thought I would give you a quick update:

- I took my first high school coaching job and our lacrosse team won the state championship! More importantly, all 13 of my seniors went to college.  Great experience watching kids become successful as a result of sacrifice and hard work. Here is a picture of our rings. Can someone say bling, bling?

- I had a rather successful first year in rugby and since have taken over as the club's vice president and performance coach. Our team has grown tremendously in size and we have turned the corner in performance. With new coaches, new administration and a new, bad ass logo, the Phoenix Rugby Club is starting to turn some heads.

www.phoenixrugby.com

- I took a job at an engineering firm in Phoenix, AZ as the Program Director and Head Performance Coach responsible for designing our wellness program for over 300 employees. Here are a few photos of our ridiculous facility. Pretty ridiculous.

- I had a busy summer traveling both for rugby and as a coach for Force Lacrosse, a travel all-star team in AZ.  Force came out of the gates strong by beating a lot of well established east coast teams, which has lead to several players getting actively recruited within the NCAA.

- In September, I spent 2 weeks in New Zealand for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. I can talk about this for hours. But in a nutshell, it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I met incredible people, drank and ate amazing food, got a tattoo, and got to watch some of the world's most elite athletes. You can not put a price tag on the experience I had traveling around that country with some of my teammates.

 

Again, thanks for being patient and supportive! I look forward to helping you reach you goals!

THE BEST EXERCISE FOR LOSING WEIGHT!!!!

Almost everyone asks me at some point, "what is the best exercise(s) for losing weight/burning fat/toning?"

Everyone, today is your lucky day!!

The very best exercise you can do to lose weight are Fork Drops. The more you can do, the more successful you will be! Here is how it works:

Exercise: Fork Drops
Muscles Used: Phalanges Extensors, Cerebrum (will power)
Sets/Reps: As many reps following 4-6 proportionally and nutritionally appropriate meals
Instructions: Release the tightly gripped fork full of food by extending your fingers to an open palm position.

That's it folks! That's the secret. Here are a few alternative exercises if you have trouble with Fork Drops:

Exercise: Mike Boyle's "Table Push-aways"
Muscles Used: Pectorals, Anterior Deltoids, Triceps
Sets/Reps: As many reps following 4-6 proportionally and nutritionally appropriate meals
Instructions: Place hands on the side of the dinner table roughly shoulder width apart and push yourself away by contracting your pecs.

Exercise: Scott Henry's "Get-ups"
Muscles Used: Glutes, Hamstrings, Gastrocnemius, Quadriceps
Sets/Reps: As many reps following 4-6 proportionally and nutritionally appropriate meals
Instructions: In a neutral spine position, squeeze your glutes extending your hips and get up out the dinner chair.

All three of these exercises will help you lose weight and burn fat.

Seriously though, caloric intake is roughly 80-85% of changing body composition. You can lose weight, get abs, and fit into those "high school" jeans. It's about being disciplined in your nutrition. 4-6 well portioned meals a day will give you energy and control the calories.

Of course working out helps. Burning calories helps you get to optimal weight quicker. Follow a few of these tips:

1. Resistance Train

Lift weights people. Try to get full body workouts in. The more muscles you use, the more work produced, which spells burning more calories. Also, the more muscle mass you have, the more you can enjoy the guilty pleasures of life because your metabolic rate will be higher.

2. Cardio is what you make of it
Understand that there is an inverse relationship between Time and Intensity. You can jog on a treadmill for 90 minutes like a lab rat on a wheel or you can do some intervals and bust your ass for far less time. You'll burn more calories in 20 minutes of interval training, increase your work capacity, and get the hell out of the gym quicker.

3. Eat well 80% of the time
The entire point of this article is the importance of nutrition with respects to weight loss. To be really honest, you get real disciplined in nutrition and you don't even need to exercise. It will take a lot longer, but in time you would lose the lbs you want.  Calories are that important. Spread your meals, make them healthy and control your emotional involvement with food.

Be Elite my friends.

Tic Toc Shout Out - If you live in AZ

If you live in the Phoenix area and need your watched fixed, looking to buy a nice watch or are in search of a grandfather clock go to:

Clock Dr.
10610 N. 71st Place
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
Scottsdale Rd. & Shea
http://www.clockdr.com/


These people were awesome. I broke my Polar FT80, which was a gift from a client. The thing is ridiculous and I feel bad that I really only use the stop watch feature. 


I went in there to have it repaired (the pin broke) and they fixed it under 5 minutes. The lady hands is to me and says, "you're all set." I reply, "what's the damage." She says, "nothing. Come back and tell your friends."


So, I am honoring my word. Very friendly people and if I ever need anything done they have my business. 


Also, this place was pretty sweet. They had a ridiculous assortment of grandfather clocks. I was afraid to touch them because breaking one would have run me 2 months salary! 


They also had this clock, which reminded me of Officer Chris "Machine" Ottoviani of the FPD. 

Good people, good service. 

Seafood Cioppino - High Protein Poor Man's Soup

Today everyone gets a taste of a simple, yet delicious soup that anyone can afford and make. It's ingredients are incredibly healthy and offer an abundance of quality protein.  I got this recipe from my Uncle Joe out in Huntington Beach, CA. Our family likes to cook "italian peasant" dishes, which just means cooking damn good food with limited ingredients our leftovers. The best part, the average person will pay $15 a plate for it at a restaurant.

First, what is Seafood Cioppino? This dish was an italian fisherman's dish originated in San Fransisco. Basically the fisherman would chop up the seafood scraps they had and make a soup. Now, it is a delicacy in a lot of italian restaurants.

Cook Time: 25 minutes top

Ingredients:
1 bag of frozen "Seafood Melody" (scallops, shrimp, octopus, clams and mussels)
4oz of fresh white fish cut into 4 pieces
3 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of shallots
1/2 white onion
2 cans of organic diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons of red wine
2 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
grated fresh parmesan reggiano
Rustic bread

Directions
In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil on medium and add the garlic and shallots. Right before the gralic starts to brown, add the white fish and cook 1 minute on each side. Next add the defrosted bag off seafood melody and stir for 4 minutes. Occasionally flip the white fish.

Next add the chopped onion, diced tomatoes and red wine. Season with sea salt and black pepper and cover for 4 minutes.

Next, add the bread in the broiler to quickly char.

Remove the lid and add half of the grated parmesan cheese and half the parsley. Stir and cover another minute.

Serve the soup in a bowl with the crisp rustic bread and top it off the soup with some grated cheese and fresh parsley.

Serves 4+

A big bowl with 2 pieces of small bread < 450 calories. Over 20g of protein and about 10g of some of the best sources of fat you can get.

Eat Elite! 

5 Reasons why you won't "Get Bulky"

I can't tell you how many times I have heard:

"I don't lift arms because I don't want to look like a man."
"I don't do legs because they are big enough."
"I don't lift heavy weights because I don't want to get bulky."

Most of the times I get this from my female clients. However, I have trained males with the same concerns. Usually it is: "I'll lift but I don't want to get too big and look like a body builder or football player."

So, here are the top 5 reasons why you won't "get bulky."

5. The caloric demands

If you wanted to really gain the amount of muscle mass it would take to "look bulky" the amount of calories needed is incredibly high.  The average Joe does not have the discipline (and probably $) to eat that much. Supplementation is also a usually a needed compliment.

4. The caloric demands

Deja vu? No. 9 out of 10 people who hire a trainer or strength coach carry excess body fat and spend a large portion of their programming losing it.  The same people who say they don't want to get "bulky" also want to "tone up." In this case, they are in a caloric deficit (calorie restriction), making it impossible to get bulky.

3. Protein intake

The average person not only would have trouble taking in excessive calories, their daily protein intake is incredibly inadequate. Most american diets lake lean proteins (or proteins in general) because they eat complex carbohydrates and fat. To build a significant amount of lean mass, it takes higher amount of protein, which you are likely not getting.

2. Genetics

Sorry people. Around %75-80 of men simply don't have the genetics to get bulky. In women, that number is even smaller. People simply to not have the genetic make up with respects to skeletal muscle and bone structure to get that "bulky look." You can certainly add muscle and a bunch of body fat, but you won't fool many. You need to be blessed with the favorable combination of muscle fibers and other genetic traits. Thank mom and dad.

1. IT'S HARD!

Getting bulky takes an incredible amount of work and dedication! You have to resistance train consistently and the intensity and volume of your program is extreme. Most people (especially women) would have a difficult time. Body builders are incredibly dedicated and there is a reason they spend hours in the gym. You won't do that 3-4 days a week for an hour.


People, lift weights. Not only does it burn significant calories - if that's your goal - but you want to at least keep muscle you have and get back you some you've lost over the years of being sedentary and/or failed to resistance train.  Life gets better when you lift.

Be Elite friends.

The Pre-workout Supplements

The average lifter always loves to debate about pre-workout supplements. They swear by the “results” they are getting from products like No-explode, Super Pump and others.  So, I figured I would shed a little light on the subject.

Really, most people don’t need pre-workout supplementation.  If you are an athlete and performance is incredibly important, then there are some good pre-qorkout supps that can help accelerate results and quicken recovery.  however, the popular ones on the market are stacked full of stimulants like Caffeine and a family of Vitamin B’s. After taking a scoop, your body probably starts shaking like a Shakira video.

While coffee has shown to increase performance roughly %11 (350 mg), these big, bright and expensive tubs of powder aren’t necessary. If you like a “rush” save yourself a lot of cash and brew a cup of black coffee. I do. Your “good pump” is far more cognitive than physiological. Your confidence and focus are elevated and you are just working harder. However, I am not knocking it at all. I love when people feel good about their lifts.  If that is the case, keep going. 

While I am not going to rush and put my clients on pre-workout shooters, I do demand a pre-workout snack.

Understand the importance of carbohydrates (CHO) as it relates to exercise. To keep it short, CHO is broken down to glucose and stored in your muscles. In order for your muscles to contract and exert any force, you need a fair amount. Therefore, CHO pre-workout is the smart choice. You will have more energy and thus be able to handle a more intense workout session. Ever get dizzy during the day or during exercise? There is some truth to that old expression, “my blood sugar is low.”

Here are a few pre-workout snacks that work well:

½ Banana and peanut butter sandwich

Bowl of oatmeal with honey

Orange and a 6oz yogurt

In a rush? Piece of fruit and glass of milk or juice

Give it a shot. It’s way cheaper and will give you a boat load on energy, which is they key to intense workouts. Plus, post-workout nutrition and supplementation is FAR more important than pre-workout. We will dive into that soon.

Be Elite friends 

Goo-Goo: The Epitome of Hard Work, Routine, and Joy

My last post taught you a simple way to encourage yourself and hold accountable your workout lifestyle.  The calendar approach is a great start to confront the man in the mirror.  You can lie to a trainer, but not yourself.

"I'm too busy to workout."
"I can never find time to train."
"I'm too tired to exercise."

You really mean:

"I don't like working out."
"I enjoy eating poorly."
"I'm really just being lazy."

I am not mad, lets just be honest with each other.  I want to help you.  I sometimes don't like to train. I love to eat bad food because it tastes good. A lot of times I can be lazy. But I eat well most of the time and train consistently because it's the right thing to do.

The old man in that picture is Romeo "Jelly" Rovinelli, or Goo-Goo as my brother and sisters called him.  Here is Goo-Goo's resume: 

Born in 1920

US Army Air Corps Veteran of WWII

Father of 4 kids

Retired with the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority after 57 years, 3 months and 28 days in 2007

During the same time worked 55 years part-time with the Public Library retiring in 2002

Longest worker in the history of the Town of Framingham

Usher at St. Bridget's Catholic Church over 55 years

Goo-Goo passed away Tuesday morning at the age of 90. The man retired at the age of 87 and refused to take off work. He lived 90 healthy and happy years. And what was his fitness regiment? It's called work. 

Like Goo-goo, there's a reason why lifters from the old eastern bloc were/are machines. Blue collar work. They hauled hay, dig ditches, laid bricks. 

Now despite what your day job is, the point I am trying to make is that my grandfather only knew how to work and provide for his family. He also had the same routine for 57 years. He ate 3 times a day (6, 12 and 5) and never took a day off.  Most importantly, he loved people and never wasn't wearing a smile. He was a man of faith, family and love. 

He lived 90 years with almost no health problems. He had 30 sick days and died peacefully. That's what life's about. The sad truth is that most the people I love and know will have health problems most their lives and more often than not won't live past 75.  Almost all these health related issues can be prevented or reversed by diet and exercise and without medications. My grandfather is a perfect example. 

Next time you try to make an excuse about working out, take a page out of my grandfathers book. Get your routine, bust your ass, and have a laugh. You'll live a long and plentiful life filled with the family, friends and laughter. 

I love you Goo-goo. 

Be Elite 

"The Routine"

Rou-tine

[roo-teen]

-noun

a customary or regular course of procedure.

Now that I have used dictionary.com to define this word, lets dive into the concept and how you can apply it towards a healthy lifestyle. 

Whether you workout religiously, sporadically or are inactive and don't know where to start, hear is a simple way to motivate and hold yourself accountable. 

Now programming can be simple or complex. It's what you make of it. Because my audience varies, let me set a general fitness guideline I would love people to adhere by based on your activity level: 

Don't work out - Shoot for 2x a week at 30 minutes

Sporadically workout - 2-3x a week for 30 minutes

Good and honest commitment levels - 3x a week for 60 minutes

Athletes/Goal Oriented/Gym Freaks - Email me and we can talk about what you are trying to accomplish and program accordingly.

Regardless of your age, height, weight, etc., the world would be a happier, healthier, and more productive place if everyone committed to 3 hours of training a week. That is 3 out of the 168 hours. I think everyone can manage that. 

The problem is that in today's busy, fast-paced world, people don't make the effort to find the time, nor do they monitor their health. Here is a SIMPLE way to manage yours. 

Print a free calendar of the internet and tape it somewhere where you will see it every day. Bathroom mirror, bedroom door, office desk, your dog's back, I don't care. 

2 things will go on this calendar: Number of times you workout and if you ate well that day or not. 

Here is an example: 

For everyday you get at least a 30 minute workout, mark an X with a fat, black permanent marker.  The same one you would use to draw all over your friends who passed out drunk in college.

In the corner of each day simply put a + or a - on whether you felt you ate well or ate like that drunk friend in college (chips, cookies, McDonalds, etc).

This is simple and a 4-year old could to it. More importantly, it gives you a visual glimpse as to what you are doing with your life as it relates to wellness.

Say this calendar above belongs to me. In week one, I got 3 workouts in and at well 5/7 days. Pretty good week. However, the following week I only got one workout in and ate well 3/7 days. No bueno. With that visual reminder, this was enough to motivate me to get in 4 workouts and eat well everyday in this week.

No trainers, coaches or dr. needed. Just a big fat X or lack of to remind me, "hey, I need to do something."

Now even if your calendar only has a few X's (like my bowling scorecard), at least commit to those +'s. What gets you a +? Here is a general nutritional rule: 80/20

80/20 simply means eat well 80% of the day. What's well? Common sense people. Fruits, veggies, lean meats, dairy, good fats (olive oil etc). All, which exist in the same egyptian structure the USDA published in 1941 compliments of President Roosevelt. AKA the food pyramid.

If the average American (even with no nutritional knowledge) used the current food guide pyramid %80 of the time and worked out 2-3x a week, we would be relatively healthy, happy and productive. Plain and simple.

Hey, I love the simple pleasures in life like pie, ice cream sundaes and beer. However, I can limit these to %20 and so can you. Plus, if you cook it right, healthy food taste awesome and is nutrient dense and calorically slim.

I am almost guaranteeing that you will see changes if you can give this a shot. Just keep in mind, you can have more X's on that calendar than the Montreal red light district, but if you don't have any +'s you will likely not have many results. Nutrition 1st.

Give it a shot and let me know how it goes.

ps- I picked the name of my company with purpose. Be Elite Performance Training. Everyone can "Be Elite." That has nothing to do with being an athlete, rather it means everyday you can feel accomplished and everyday you can have the passion, drive and physical abilities to live life to the fullest.


With that said...


Be Elite my friends

Vegas Recap

Figured I would shoot out a quick blog about what I learned this weekend in Vegas.

1. Great place to network

I met some really cool people and hopefully will get some opportunities out of it. Regardless, I befriended 2 kiwis (slang for people from New Zealand) and now have people to party with in NZ when we go in September for world cup.  Definitely a win.

2. The Buffets are not what they are cracked up to be

I will admit, I did indulge a bit and definitely consumed more calories than appropriate. I eat well more than %80 of the time, so I can do that a few times a year. People who do not frequently exercise and workout on a regular basis should not. The food at these buffets are mostly fried or processed. No bueno, especially for $27 a seat. Though the pie and gelato selection was out of this world. All kidding aside, it was tough to find healthier options at the buffets, especially with all the sweets lurking in the middle.

3. World-class rugby players are the best athletes on earth

I am not just saying this because I am now a huge fan of the sport, rather they simply are. There is not a skill you can name across any sport that doesn't apply to rugby. These were the fastest, most agile athletes I have ever watched. Their change of direction made Reggie Bush look like Warren Sapp. Though Reggie's c.o.d is insane, especially after dodging all those NCAA investigators.  Lastly, I'm not going to even waste time talking about physical toughness of rugby players. Also big ups to South Africa, who simply dominated everyone.

4. Drink prices are just stupid

Come on Vegas! $8 for a pint of beer?! Let me put on lipstick and high heels before you screw me. Big props to the guy who invented the hip flask though. Made our paying $6 for a coke at the concessions justified with a flask of Jack waiting at our seats.

5. I love Apple

On the way up to Vegas my phone just breaks while charging. Thinking I am starting my trip $500 in the hole puts a damper on your day. However, I head to the Apple store in Vegas and 20 minutes later I leave with a new iPhone. I had 3 days left on my warranty. Those people are awesome and the customer service is phenomenal.

Thanks for tuning in. I promise educational posts to come.

Cheers.

Viva Las Vegas!!!

Im heading off to Las Vegas in about an hour, and I was itching for a blog post while waiting for my ride (you were right Kfed!).  Btw, Kfed is short for Kara Federowicz not that white trash TV reality guy.  Kfed and I interned together at AP and she's my home girl doing work out in the Boston area. I have a tremendous amount of respect for her and owe her a personal thank you for training inspirations. Check her out at www.kfedfitness.com


Since I am on it, let me give another few special shout outs. They go above and beyond the Thank you's in the last post because they helped launch B.E.P.T.


-Randy Phillips my Rugby Teammate and Owner of Think! (http://www.thinkpro.net/) for making filthy business cards and some kick ass posters
-Brittany over at Explosion Sports (http://www.explosionsportswear.com/) for custom gear
-Drew Browne for the logo design (Brownestudio.com)
-Megan Brown for being a kick ass client and also introducing me to her husband Drew
-Eric Daninberg aka dirty hippie, aka Bear Grylls. Dberg is a performance coach at AP and a mentor. He's also single ladies, so I can hook you up. 


And back to Vegas. I am heading there for the World Rugby 7's tournament. 

Now, I am heading to this for part business - part pleasure. I'm definitely going to network myself because I'm interested in in training Rugby players at that level.  But at the same time, I am not going to be afraid to let loose a bit. 


Thankfully, I have a good knowledge of human anatomy and should be able to spot out a tranny if one tries to hit on me. Regardless, I have the girl at home so I can only "read the menu and not order." Fair enough. 


Moving on to Rugby. In my opinion this is one of the greatest sports. It is a true test of athletic ability with speed, agility and contact rolled into one. Rugby players are some of the most elite specimens I have ever encountered. I owe Obi some love for convincing me to play. He played at Villanova and was a beast. Here's Obi kissing a snake:

Now Rugby is essentially soccer combined with football and with no pads. Since playing, I have had a few minor injuries, obviously common following a test match. I was asked a good question and it made me think about both the answer and my own training program. The question was:


"How do you train to take a hit with no pads?"


If you have never seen rugby, it looks a bit like this:

That is a great question, and I continue to research it. 


I do know that I am not going to let Gilbert, our 240lb 8 man (like a linebacker) from Tonga (or as he likes to call it "The Kingdom") run 10 meters and flat out blast me with hopes my body will learn to "take the hit."  That is ridiculous. 


However, here are a few pointers to consider:


1. Have Good Form
Reducing your chances of injury in contact sports starts with good technique; in this instance going into a tackle with the ball and/or making a tackle on the ball carrier. This is the responsibility of your skills coach. The better the technique, the smaller the chance of injury. Hmmm, maybe the NFL has a point when they say it's the coaches responsibility to teach proper tackle form to reduce injury?!!?!


2. Strengthen your Core 
In addition to learning the and perfecting the form involved in performing your sport, you can certainly prevent injury in contact sports by strengthening and learning to engage your core (obliques, pelvic floor, transverse abdominis, etc). Having a strong pillar (essentially hip girdle to shoulders) will certainly minimize injury when your body encounters a heavy blow by stabilizing and at least protecting some of your major organs. 


3. Good Movement Patterns
Having good foundational movement patterns will always limit injury. Clean up your movement patterns (running, squating, jumping, etc) and train them consistently. In addition, selecting strength exercises that have strong similarities to the sport will not only improve your performance, but strengthen you movement pattern within that skill.  For example, a scrum looks a hell of a lot like a sled push. 


4. Hypertrophy
Add some skeletal muscle. If I hit a Skreetch from Save by the Bell as hard as I can, then hit AC Slater (State Champ Wrestler who only sits in chairs backwards), who is less likely to be injured? Add some muscle. Yes, they will be sore, but having extra muscle will protect bones and organs. I'll take a muscle contusion over a broken arm of punctured kidney any day. 


Wish me luck. I may throw the my brother's rent check on black.  

Welcome and Thank You!

Hello and thank you for taking interest in reading my blog!!! This will certainly be the lengthiest of blogs.  And I'll be keeping them short and sweet (hopefully) after this because 99% of Americans suffer from W.A.D.D (Website Attention Deficit Disorder).  With that in mind I've broken this particular blog up into 4 sections for those who only want to read what they are interested in. Human propensity and guilty.

Areas:


1. Blog Intentions/Purpose
2. Expectations/Disclaimers
3. The 411 on Me
4. The Thank You's




1. Blog Intentions/Purpose


The intentions of this blog are a way to provide general and accurate information that can help improve your lifestyle.  As most are aware, there is an incredible amount of information out there that pertains to health and fitness from TV to the internet - and information is endless.  There is good information and bad information and this blog will attempt to help educate.

Since entering the fitness industry, a lot of my friends have begun to ask me, "what do you think about this?" or "how do I accomplish this?" or "can you write me a program?" A lot of these people were close friends, family, or former teammates (most college athletes as well), which leads me to believe that (1) -they value and trust my opinion, (2) they desire to learn and (3) - I have a responsibility to those who I care about to provide truthful and effective information to help them.  All of these challenges I enjoy and am blessed to have.

While training at a mainstream/corporate gym, I held up to 35 clients. I mean they just kept coming. And I didn't "pitch" anything for all of you who know what I am talking about. If I wanted to sell I'd sell Pharmaceutical Drugs and drive a BMW. So, what was I doing differently? People can clearly tell I truly cared about helping them.

With that said, this blog was created for a way for all those people in my network, from friends to past clients, to stay in touch with me and learn a thing or two.

My blog will contain a combination of the following:

Exercise tips, program help, and demonstrations.
Nutritional information and recipes - this guy can cook ; )
Myth and Buzz Busting - Educate accurately on hot topics
Fun & irrelevant content (I like to have a good laugh)
Q&A

That's pretty much it in a nut shell. Basically, I am going to post a lot of useful things.

2. Explanations and Disclaimers

Let me explain something:

I DO NOT KNOW EVERYTHING.  I like to think that I have a good grip on things, though. What I do know for a fact is that I have had a great journey thus far and have been able to learn from some of the world's best.  I also take an open-minded approach to learning and if I am going to open my big, Bostonian mouth, I usually know what I am talking about. Usually.

Regardless, at the end of the day, the human body simply consists of bones, muscles, energy systems, a nervous system, a respiratory system,  etc. Basically, we all are computers with almost identical hardware and usually software (unless you are from the deep south).

The information I post will be accurate.

The information I post will help you.

If I do not know the answer to something, I will seek out the answer from some of the best and highly intelligent/qualified people around (WebMD). I am blessed to have some in my network. I'm kidding about WebMD, though at times not the worst source of info.

Some disclaimers:

There will be a tremendous amount of grammatical errors. I actually just spelled grammatical wrong and used Mac-spell check.

I'll try to limit my sarcasm as it is difficult to understand my personalty via the internet.

3. The 411 on me

Over the last few years I have had the pleasure to befriend, work with, train, de-friend, coach and educate a lot of people.  Therefore, I thought I'd give you a snapshot of what's been good in the hood.

Most know that I moved to Tucson, AZ from the Boston area, taking a $30k pay cut to coach at the University of Arizona for a incredibly small stipend. Dad was thrilled. I learned a lot in Tucson like don't eat mexican food from a cart outside a bar.

I've relocated to the Phoenix area and still am coaching lacrosse. I spent the first 4 years at the college level and I am currently (for the 1st time) coaching HS. Pray for me.

While coaching at ASU I needed a part-time job and got one working as a personal trainer. I knew immediately that I didn't want to be just another trainer the "got someone a good sweat" and didn't have a plan. I wanted to be well educated and the best in trainer in the gym, a trait my coaches instilled in me. Thus, I went back to school and kept learning.

One of the best experiences of my life followed shortly after. I landed an internship at Mark Verstegen's Athletes' Performance.  If Mike Boyle is the Paul Pierce of the East (ya I'm bias and screw Lebron), then Mark Verstegen is Kobe Bryant. They are the best around, simply put (and have worked together). Having been a college athlete, just walking through his doors was a true blessing. Check out their site www.athletesperformance.com

Learned a lot is an understatement. I had the opportunity to be taught by some of the best performance coaches, nutritionists, metabolic specialist, chefs (incredible experience),  and business men in the world.  All the while, working with athletes my buddies watch on TV at Peppercinis (local 508 neighborhood joint). I became proficient in one of the best training approaches in the industry. And it's no coincidence that the best in the world all practically have the same foundations within their training modalities.

I do not live and die by AP methodologies, however it is my foundation. I trust it, it makes sense, and they pump out the best. Therefore, it's good for me.

After leaving AP, I landed a coaching job at Grand Canyon University (NCAA II) where I helped coach the team to the most wins in school history.  What was more exciting was to watch a college athlete improve his performance through the implementation of a sound and progressive strength and conditioning program (and a modified one at that!). Awesome experience.

I left GCU and launched my own company, Be Elite Performance Training LLC and built a gym.  I am also coaching a local HS. It is awesome training my clients and athletes and getting them results. Work is going well, business is growing, my clients are getting healthier, my athletes are getting faster and stronger, and hopefully my team wins a lot of games. I've even taken up rugby as a player and conditioning coach, which is the coolest sport I've ever played. 


That's about it right now. I'm healthy, happy and blessed, and I want to share those experiences with you. 


Last but certainly not least: Thank you's


4. Thank you


First, thank you to the followers of my blog! 


No really, the first people I want to thank are my coaches. I have been blessed to have the greatest coaches in the world, some of which will be hall of famers. These coaches include (alphabetical order so nobody get their feelings hurt):


Coach Arroyo
Coach Balboni
Coach Bugbee
Coach Connery (all of them!)
Coach Doherty (and the rest of the football staff)
Coach Kanavich
Coach Kitler
Coach Zanella


The things that these men taught me I could list for days. Simply put, having had the opportunity to play for them is why I have the potential to be successful at anything I do. They taught me to be a leader. I am a better man and better coach. Thank you coaches, you mean more to me than you know and the role you played in my development I strive to become for my players.

Next I would like to thank past and present clients for unbelievable experiences (some good some, not so good).

Glenn B
L'erin J
Shanidini D
Spencer R
Kim R
Steph I
Danny O
Garvin P
Roger and Liz G
Metish B
Darcie G
Jarrett N
Tracey K
Monica W
Laura C
Kelli R
Warren S
Chelsea Y
Michelle G
Tia C
Jim M
Donna, Toni and Kate Q
Cindy B
Maureen O
Julie P

The list goes on, but those pop in mind. I have learned a lot and and treasure our time together.

Next, I want to thank the people who have helped teach me what I know:

Eric D
Athletes' Performance staff
Professor Lewis
Professor Henry
Big Mike

I have a lot of mentors and teachers, but these individuals stick out. Incredibly brilliant and caring people who are willing to help others. Blessed to know them and thank you for giving me the tools to help others.

Next, my gf. She is the sweetest and most caring person around. She has supported me during the tough times. Despite the fact I call her simple mc. simpleton (because she hails from South Bend, IN) she actually is a bright gal. Plus, she's beautiful.

The best for last: My Family.

I love them very much. Thank you for the support. I have learned from ALL of you, but my mom has taught me to care about people and my dad has taught me the importance of hard work and the key to success, which I openly will share with you:

Have a good plan, make good decisions and work hard and you can accomplish anything.

Need I say more?

Enjoy my blog and email me anytime with questions, comments and concerns at pj@beelitept.com

Thank you and I vow never to write this much again.

Yours in health,

PJ Rovinelli
Be Elite Performance Training
Founder/Performance Coach