Tony Gentilcore has been called one of the nicest guys in fitness. I have to say I not only agree that his attitude is pretty delightful, but his skillset is just as prominent.
Tony currently resides in the Boston area and not surprisingly is asked by one of the finest papers in the country the Boston Herald to contribute on a blog. A regular contributor of T-nation and Fitcast, Tony is no longer just a nice guy, he is becoming the go-to guy.
I decided to go to it myself. I got to Tony and asked him what his core movements are for different style of training. Being we all need multiple styles there is something here for everyone.
The Core of Gentilcore: 5 Movements For 5 Styles
1-Balance
For my money when we’re referring to the general population, single leg training (think various types of lunges) is probably the best way to train “balance.”
However, single leg work serves several purposes. It helps to fix any weaknesses or imbalances that may exist between one limb or the other (in this case, one leg being stronger or weaker than the other). They also do a superb job at improving overall strength by forcing the hip adductors/abductors to fire and stabilize the body (namely the femur) while the body is breaking the frontal plane, which is especially beneficial for many athletes. This is also the reasoning as to why single leg work helps to improve coordination and balance, which many people (athletes aside) drastically lack.
Additionally, there is quite a bit of research out there which suggests that anterior knee pain (tendonitis) is directly associated with a weak or inhibited glute medius (a hip abductor). When we perform a single leg movement such as a one legged squat, we engage what Mike Boyle has called the Sub Lateral System (hip adductors, hip abductors, and the Quadratus Lumborum) which is a “system” of muscles which when fired, work to stabilize the hip and knee joint. A simple rule of thumb to follow: include more single leg work into your programming; your knees will thank you.
Side Note to Personal Trainers: BOSU balls (or any other unstable surface for that matter) have absolutely no place in a HEALTHY individual’s program. Not only do they promote atrocious motor patterns such as knee valgus, ankle varus, and a host of other postural dysfunctions, but they are about as useful as a poop-flavored lolly pop. Training “balance” on a BOSU ball for 30 minutes of a session won’t get your client any leaner, and no, it won’t work the core any better than a one arm walking lunge.
2- Fat Loss
One Word: Complexes
I like to use complexes with people who are really trying to shed a lot of fat in a short amount of time. After they complete their actual training session (notice I said training and NOT working out – big difference), I like to spend the last 10 to 15 minutes having them perform various complexes.
Grab a barbell (30 to 70 lbs will work for most people), give yourself some open space and show people how badass you are. All movements are done for six repetitions with no rest in between. The key is to just keep the bar moving.
Romanian Deadlift
Bent Over Row
Front Squat
Push Press
Back Squat
Dynamic Lunge
As I mentioned above, you would perform six repetitions of Romanian deadlifts, then go right into bent over rows, so on and so forth. When you complete the full complex, rest for 60 seconds and repeat four to five more times. Make sure to keep a puke bucket handy.
3-Power
The definition of power is to be able to produce a lot of force in a short amount of time. Force = mass x acceleration. Essentially you can improve force by either lifting really heavy weights (mass) or by lifting somewhat heavy weights quickly (acceleration). This is why I feel deadlifts are the perfect movement to build power; because they are so versatile in both regards. Lift a maximal weight once, and you have the epitome of power (I think those powerlifters are onto something). Lift a submaximal weight fast, and you also improve power. Lift your girlfriend’s suitcase (for a one day trip no less) and break your back.
4-Recovery
I love to have people include more dynamic flexibility drills during the week to help improve their overall recovery. Magnificent Mobility and Inside Out are undoubtedly two of the best products out there that help to improve movement efficiency and just make people feel better in general.
Also on my list of things that make people feel better:
1. Deep tissue massage: try to get one at least once per month.
2. Foam Rolling/Self Myofacial Release:purchase a foam roller yesterday and make good use of any tennis balls that you may have lying around.
5-Speed
Whoever is reading this pay close attention to what I am about to say. Everyone needs to learn how to get fast. Getting faster will get you stronger (it all correlates with what I mentioned above with force production). Basically this is where the dynamic effort method comes into play.
The dynamic effort method is generally used for the “big 3″ movements; squat, bench press, and deadlift using loads of 50-70% of ones 1RM (1 repetition max). On any given week, one training session would begin with a DE Bench variation, and another would start with a DE Squat/Deadlift variation. For example:
Bench Press: 1RM = 250 lbs
Week #1: (50%) 8 sets of 3 at 125 lbs
Week #2: (55%) 8 sets of 3 at 140 lbs (rounded up)
Week #3: (60%) 8 sets of 3 at 150 lbs
Week #4: (65%) 8 sets of 3 at 165 (rounded up). Also not a bad idea test for new PRs this week.
Week #5: start over again using new percentages.
***It’s important to realize that these are just estimates. The real key is to pay attention to bar speed throughout all sets. If the bar slows down, then the weight being used is too heavy. If bar speed is consistent, then you’re right on track. If you feel the weight is too light, there are no rules to say that you can’t increase the weight so long as bar speed is maintained.
————–Tony Gentilcore is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Located in the greater Boston area, he has established himself as one of the premier trainers in Beantown through his no-nonsense approach to training and desire to provide the most up-to-date, results based, and fun training environment for his clients. Tony is a regular contributor on Testosterone Magazine (www.t-nation.com), and other reputable publications and specializes in fat loss, strength training, program design, corrective training, as well as several other fitness/nutrition related fields. Check out his article archives. Additionally, Tony is one of the co-hosts of The Fitcast, one of the top weekly fitness/nutrition podcasts featuring some of the top names in the industry. To contact Tony, e-mail him at: tgentilcore18@yahoo.com or visit http://www.gentilcoretraining.com/welcome.html
