Examine.com Stack Guides

Whenever I think of the word stacking, I usually think of the phrases pancake stacking, stacking a deck, or playing against a stacked team (because I like to think like the underdog in order to constantly improve myself).

Mini_pancakes

However, examine.com is hosting a sale on a stack guides on supplements and nutrition.

What is stacking with regards to nutrition and supplements?

Essentially it comes down to adding supplements towards a specific cause to affect the body in a positive way.

There are many reasons why you should think about purchasing these guides, but with regards to sports performance and enhancing movement, I immediately think of a few key questions towards helping that cause.

  • How can you increase muscle growth?
  • How can you increase force production?
  • How can you enhance rest and recovery?

For many people, it as simple as getting more sleep, increasing your “good nutrition” (more protein, slightly less carbohydrates, depending on your intake levels of course, and eating natural whole foods such as veggies, fruits, roots, as opposed to Micky D’s and other “fast food” options), and utilizing the appropriate stimulus for increases in muscle hypertrophy and strength.

Sometimes, however, this is not enough, or many do not understand how to get around the basics without overanalyzing this aspect. If you feel plateau-ed in your progress, or need a step by step plan in order to enhance your goals, this is a solid lead because these guys at examine.com are super smart. They have medical doctors, fact checkers, and researchers looking things up and reading all of those scientific words that ultimately lead to massive gains and increases in human performance.

If you’ve been following my blog for a bit, you’ll notice that I keep my hands off of nutrition for the most part. While I respect the basics, the most “stacking” I’ll do is adding chocolate protein powder to my iced coffee and I’ll feel accomplished. If I’m feeling risque I’ll add in some creatine as well.

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Black Iced Coconut Coffee, with Chocolate Protein Powder. Add a dash of creatine, and I’m ready to crush weights!

On that note, here is a sneak peak on how they divvied up their content, which makes it SUPER digestible.

Table of Contents - Examine.com

This is a snippet of what one page out of their Muscle Gain & Exercise Performance page looks like. The table of contents literally LAYS OUT what the research supports, what is not as supported, along with what supplements have been hyped up by the media.

Cautionary & Overhyped Options - Examine.com

This is one of the best parts of this one specific guide, particularly so because I’ve gotten feedback from so many tired and overwhelmed gym-goers who are on their “last resort” who want to take “other supplements”. I use quotes a lot because if they don’t work, what are they really supplementing?

In any case, this is just one snippet of what is available from examine.com’s Stack Guides.

Another fortunate bonus is if you click on any of the images above you can receive the benefit of an introductory sale that ends in a few hours!

With that in mind, I’ll remind you again that any links you click will benefit me from an affiliate point of view, from which I’ll profit from. You win by gaining the power of knowledge of WHAT supplements work, and what supplements DON’T work or are overhyped, and you get to feed my caffeine addiction by purchasing these stack guides.

However, I fully believe these guys, and I’ve definitely followed the guides from the past as well, to which I’ve advised several of my clients, athletes, and teams to search for and use to their success.

Another added benefit to getting the full product is that you can receive more information than just the muscle gaining and exercise performance stack guide, but also sleep guide, fat loss, joint health guides, and several more – up to 16 different guides.

On that note, click the link, check it out, if you don’t like it, that’s cool. Maybe you know someone that is interested in taking whey protein, or creatine, or you know someone that is currently taking a T-Booster (Spoiler: It may not be working to your benefit.). If this is the case, use this time to give them a gift or present!

–> Click below to receive an introductory sale on the Examine.com Stack Guide that ends tonight (6/24)! <–

Stack Guide

Each one, teach one. 

As always,

Keep it funky.

-MA

Online Client Spotlight – LeeAnne

Today I’m excited to share a success story involving a client, good friend, and super smart lady – LeeAnne!

She came to me with one simple request – to start with some serious barbell strength training! To be more specific, she wanted to get stronger not only in the big barbell lifts, but also feel better, move better, and to perform better. And she definitely rose to the occasion when we began working on a 4 month program that entailed all of these qualities.

Prior to her contacting me, she had just gotten married, was off enjoying the time of her life, and was very lean! But, she said she was a little too lean for her liking, as she began feeling weak. And this is an interesting feeling, because no one really has a story for what happens after a specific goal has been achieved – in her case, she felt skinny, and weak, with no real plan for any more training afterwards. She expressed this to me, and we began working a week after she came back from her wedding vacation!

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Since she was a former collegiate athlete, she was looking for a program that would push her, along with someone to motivate her to those next levels of performance.

LeeAnne - 185
LeeAnne’s previous two-rep max for the deadlift was 185lbs.

One thing to keep in mind is that she is currently working as an Athletic Trainer and strength coach simultaneously, so along with wearing multiple hats, she managed to work her schedule around for her own training, and in doing so improved her big lifts significantly.

How Often Does She Train?

With her schedule, some months had to be programmed for 3 days of lifting, and others with 4 days of training. But they all kept the same qualities in mind – training for strength, power, and improved performance. And on top of this, she dropped 8 pounds, without a specific focus on aesthetics or fat loss! This goes to prove a point that improving muscular strength levels, hypertrophy, and increased athletic performance can be improved if focused on, with fat loss being an indirect cause as a secondary cause of this training regimen.

How Strong Did She Get?

So what are the fruits of her hard work? To be specific, she went from 153lbs to 145lbs while increasing her big lifts by over 55lbs, while increasing her vertical jump over 5 inches! Before we divulge these numbers, let me say that she did two amazing things: 1) Her Front Squat surpassed her Back Squat numbers, and if anyone knows anything about lifting, this is an amazing feat because the back squat is a slightly easier lift to have higher numbers with! and 2) She PR’d recently with a <1.5x Bodyweight Deadlift! She was very excited, and I was super stoked as well to see that video happen!

Well, enough story telling and onto the nitty gritty numbers:

Personal Records

Along with each week my accessory exercises increased as well. It was amazing to see my own progression and hard work pays off!”

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWRoxUS0FOw]

I don’t need to talk about her incredible work ethic, so I’ll let her take it from here!

“Miguel has exceeded all possible expectations as a coach (from distance) for me. He not only has helped me accomplish every PR I have ever had but has given me a better understanding on how to train hard and how the body responds to everything we do and to listen to our body. Not only is he intuitive about exercise programming, but he also passionate and wanted to see me succeed and reach my goals. In doing so, he expressed his care on a consistent basis that helped motivate me everyday. He would check in on how I was doing and have a conversation about training and about life. It is interesting how the two tie together and how it effected me each morning and into my lifts. I have learned so much from Miguel and his knowledge on posture and structure, lifting, biomechanics and physiology. But I have also learned just as much about life, hard work, commitment and having a positive attitude from Miguel. 

Left = Before, Right = After
Left = Before at 152lbs, Right = After 145lbs

Miguel was systematic in his approach to guiding me to success. He created a well thought out and intense 4-month program for me. When having conversation with him and relaying feedback, he would make adjustments as needed. Since I had 2 knee surgeries he was considerate of my injury history and was able to make alterations that were beneficial. He understood my need and drive to be in the gym and he made it fun, challenging and an overall great experience for me! I am extremely appreciative of Miguel’s time, hard work, passion, and dedication to me as a client. However, I never felt like a “client”. I felt like a friend that he was setting up for success. His genuine approach, care and empathy is part of what drove me each day to be in the gym and make an overall impact on my life—I cannot say that about a lot of coaches I have had, but I can about Miguel.  Huge thank you to Miguel- I couldn’t have done it without you my friend.” ~LeeAnne

*Bolding is an emphasis on my part.

Working with LeeAnne was definitely a fun time for me as well, as I enjoyed getting texts of her personal records and working to motivate her when she was tired after a long day of working.

If there is anything to take away from her testimonial, not only am I insanely proud of her accomplishments, but I am also in awe of her work ethic. Keeping in mind that with many online programs, if you don’t show up to put in the work, nothing will get done – and she definitely showed up!

If you’d like to discuss the possibility of working with me in my 1-on-1 coaching program, feel free to contact me at ma@miguelaragoncillo.com. Considering the high amount of e-mails I receive, please put “COACHING” in the subject line to catch my attention and to make sure that I respond as soon as possible.

As always,

Keep it funky.

MA

So … What Do You Do?

On any given weekend night, for what it is worth, I’m usually trying to “deload” mentally from the week, so I can be found munching on some appetizers and drinks, chatting up old and new friends, and the inevitable question always comes up:

New Friend: “So what do you do?”

Thinking to Myself: *Gosh, where do I start? I do a lot of things, and if I say I’m a personal trainer I’m sure they’ll get these images in their head of clients standing on stability balls, or of me counting reps as clients do bicep curls. Maybe I should start with my title…? But what does strength coach really mean? If I say strength coach will they think of little kids running around doing those speed ladder drills? I mean they probably don’t understand the nuances and importance of rib positioning, or tempo runs to increase aerobic capacity, so… what do I say first?*

Or better yet – this is my attempt at making an elevator pitch of “what I do”:

Coach and assess athletes in a variety of movement patterns and exercises, write their programs, and while encouraging success in their athletic endeavors (and life!).

In all honesty this situation does pop up quite a bit whenever I meet new people who have no idea what I do for a living. And when this question pops up, I’m not sure most will understand what many of my colleagues and I “go through” in order to excel at our jobs – writing exercise programs AFTER work, learning the nuances of assessing clients and athletes, going to continuing education seminars, courses, and conferences to better our ability as coaches and trainers – the list can go on. So, this is an attempt at breaking down what I specifically do:

Where Do You Work?

There are three sites to our facility called Endeavor Sports Performance. The main location is in Pitman, NJ.

Endeavor Picture

 The other two satellite locations are in Pennsauken, NJ

photo 1

photo 2

… and the newest addition is in Conshohocken, PA.

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The main facility has the most toys, and is one that is constantly being upgraded with fancy equipment that is slowly creating the ultimate athletic and sports performance facility.

What Do You Do?

So this is the main question, and I’ll break down the roles that I’m involved in:

Coaching

Coaching is the most important aspect of working as a strength coach! What an idea! Being a strength coach, at least to me, entails these items:

  • Having the ability to relay cues and information to the athlete to inform, and guide them to the path towards movement success.
    • Sometimes they need strong words of encouragement to get out of a funk in order to get their act together, other times it is a heavy deadlift to help improve their total body strength, and other involves putting a band around their knees to remind them to dial their knees out during many movements.
  • On a more literal point of view, coaching involves learning and teaching cues for essentially every exercise that is within Endeavor’s wheelhouse.
  • Foam Rolling, all the dynamic warm-ups, positional breathing exercises, bilateral lifts (upper/lower), unilateral progressions/regressions, corrective exercises, along with conditioning protocols.
Assess Athletes

This is admittedly one of the “sexier” aspects of working and doing what I do. Specifically, I get to see a wide variety of specific athletes within their sport.

Learning the assessment process has been a long and fruitful road, and I’m sure I will learn more as I continue down this path. However, the main portion here is learning the nuances of the movement assessments. For example, 3 years ago I could not tell you the difference between a positive Thomas Test which indicates, and one that is simply “held back” by a rec fem tightness.

After figuring out where this specific individual lies on a continuum of assessment philosophies (FMS, PRI, a few SFMA tests, and other orthopedically minded tests), we begin the next part of the process: writing programs!

Writing Exercise Programs

After doing the assessment, I’m not in the clear yet. There are aspects of interpreting the assessment information, and then writing an immediate 4 week program (or however long in reality), with a larger goal in mind for that specific athlete.

Based off the training age of athlete, along with assessment, and what the athlete may be comfortable with (mentally, physically, etc), an individual program is created. This allows the staff at Endeavor to custom tailor each program using a variety of methods – concurrent periodization, conjugate periodization (not exactly Westside Barbell however) along with several other methods that go beyond the scope of this article.

Miscellaneous Stuff

Things that I do entail all of the fun “extraneous” stuff – such as taking calls, emails, paperwork, and making sure athletes and clients finish in a reasonable amount of time.

So … Who Do You Train?

Primarily, the goal of Endeavor Sports Performance is to work with athletes looking to excel within their, dare I say it, athletic endeavors.

This isn’t to say that we turn away anyone who isn’t an athlete, no. We also take lots of regular folk looking to move, look, and feel better!

On a personal note, I’ve had a fair amount of time coaching in all facilities equally. While in Pennsauken, I’ve trained the private youth hockey teams, and now I train a private youth baseball team in Conshohocken, PA.

Do You Even Lift?

Yes, on a personal note, I do lift and primarily follow a powerlifting plan or schematic almost 3/4 of the year. The other 1/4 of the year I’m either playing around with different lifts (unilateral variations) or just deloading from the stresses of working, traveling, and lifting.

Also, I have done 2 powerlifting meets in the past 3 years, and I do plan on continuing with that in the near future.

What Do You Do For Fun?

I also dance with a local crew in Philly, called RetroFlow Crew.

Dance? Yes, I bboy, or if you are unfamiliars – I breakdance.

On that note, I do practice about 2 times a week, 3 times if I’m lucky, and I’m currently trying to improve my powermoves and transitions into and out of them.

Other than that I read books on training, conditioning, and travel to network, learn what other coaches and gyms are doing, and doing my best to absorb what is useful (and discard what is not – epic Bruce Lee reference *fist bump*).

As always,

Keep it funky.

MA