Tony- Why Do You Do What You Do?

The other day, someone asked me, "How do can you do this everyday?  Isn't it stressful dealing with people all the time and trying to get them to workout?"

My response to him was pretty simple.  I just enjoy helping people reach their goals.  I enjoy watching someone really give their best efforts and accomplish things that they'd never thought they could.  It's really a rewarding experience!  Sure, people may not enjoy being in the gym the way that I do, but I know that when they push themselves to, hell, beyond their limits on any given day, and truly make an effort to reach that "next step," that they "feel it."  They begin to understand why it's so addicting.   They begin to realize things about themselves.  They begin to realize that they can overcome.  They can withstand.

That is what I love about this whole thing.  A lot of people don't realize it, but training isn't just about being vane and trying to look better.  You really learn a lot about yourself in the gym, on the track, etc.  It's not just about building muscles and losing fat; it's about building character.  It's about building a relationship with yourself.  It's about building mental and emotional strength, too!

So, back to the original question:  Why do I do what I do?  Because I love the feeling I get when I help people build their minds, self-esteem, relationships with themselves, God, their friends, whomever...

I do this because I feel that this is what I was meant to do.  I believe that it is my responsibility to try to help others- to try to give back.

I realize that I am fortunate in this area and that not everyone can say this about their careers.  My point was not to belittle anyone.  My point was simply this: find something in your life- be it your job, a hobby, whatever- and do it with conviction and passion!  Be passionate about something!

Have faith and trust in yourself!  You may be surprised...

“The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn and feel and change and grow and love and live.”

As always,

Train Hard.  Get Lean.  Get STRONG!

Tony

New Schedule

Starting Monday, October 26th, we will hold more classes!  More classes means more opportunities to get the results you want.  These classes are only for serious trainees, who are sick and tired of wasting their time in the gym!  If you aren't willing to push yourself then it's probably not a good fit for you.  If, however, you are ready to work hard and have fun (who says that working out can't be fun?), then check out the "AuthenticSTG: Services" link for the new schedule!  We're located down the street from St. Paul High School.  Don't miss out.

While you're here, take a look at this video:


Train Hard.  Get Lean.  Get STRONG!

Tony

New Payment Option

Hey Guys-

We have now added online credit/debit purchases to our list of payment options!  This means that you can now pay with cash, check, or credit/debit card.  Click the AuthenticSTG: Services link to the right to check it out!

Big session today!  Looking forward to seeing you there!

Train Hard.  Get Lean.  Get STRONG!

Tony

What Makes You Happy?

Alright, Kids-

The past few weeks have been significantly more stressful than they've ever been.  With family emergencies, owning a business, and just simply having a life, it can, at times, be a tough balancing act.  One thing that I've noticed is that lately, whether it be in the car, before bed, before a workout, whatever, I've been doing something that I haven't really done much of--- reflecting!

It's funny to think that I haven't done as much reflecting on my life as I probably should have, but sometimes we (obviously myself included) get so caught up in everyday life that we forget or, rather, overlook the little things that make us happy.  With that in mind, here's a quick list of 10 things that make me happy:

1. Road trips with my girlfriend.
2. Having goals and achieving them.
3. Helping others achieve their goals.
4. Philly Cheese-steak Sandwiches (still haven't had a real one, though...they must be awesome!)
5. Hitting PR's in the gym
6. Winter weather
7. Spending time with my family
8. Listening to music (the new Rx Bandits album is great, by the way)
9. Reading and learning
10. Making pizza (it's become sort of a tradition for my family, my girlfriend, and I to make pizza on weekends)

Ok, so I lied...11 things :)
11. Watching Dexter!  Now THIS is perhaps the greatest show in the history of television!

What makes you happy?  Spend a minute or two at the beginning or end of each day and think about it.  It's a pretty refreshing habit and it can help you unwind at the end of a stressful day.

Thanks for following, and, as always,

Train Hard.  Get Lean.  Get STRONG!

Tony

Strong 101 Interview Update

Hey Guys-

The interview is now available on the following:
-AuthenticSTG Blog
-Facebook- Authentic Strength Training
-Viddler- AuthenticSTG

Thanks for following!

Tony

A Little Rant and a New Testimonial

Hey Guys-

Here's the deal: I am sick and tired of hearing trainers and coaches talk about how women should train differently than men!  Sure, adjustments will need to be made, but that's true for everyone.  No two people are going to have the exact same needs at the exact same time.  BUT, that does not mean that women should train with less intensity than men.    Seriously, they're pretty damn tough!  I mean, I'm pretty sure that I couldn't withstand the pain of giving birth- Hell.  No!  Once you get it into their heads that they aren't these pathetically weak, dainty things, they can handle hard training!  They can be pushed!  Most of all, they start to demand it!  No more pink dumbbells and endless hours of treadmill work.  We don't have machines here.  We only have the tools needed to get the job done: weights, sleds, tractor tires, hell, even some homemade equipment.  The point is, when physique and strength enhancement is stripped down to its most basic state, all of the guess-work is eliminated!  Now, you have a plan, the tools to execute the plan, and the drive to put the plan into action!  It's all about how badly you want it and, based on some of the videos, which are now on our Facebook page and YouTube, these women want it and they're willing to work to get it!

Don't just take my word for it.  Watch the videos.  Check out the "AuthenticSTG: Testimonials" page on the right and see for yourself.  Hear it from them!  

Here's another video from last nights lower body session... This is NOT the testimonial video!  Check it out on the link to the right!

What are you doing to reach your goals?  How productive is your training?  

As always,

Train Hard.  Get Lean.  Get STRONG!

Tony

Interview with Mike Rojas, Strong 101 Gym

Hey Guys-

Here it is!  The interview with Mike Rojas of Strong 101 Gym is complete and ready to go!  Let me know what you think! More interviews? Less interviews? Indifferent? Opinions!

click this link for a better view: http://www.viddler.com/explore/AuthenticSTG/videos/1/

Thanks for following, and, as always,

Train Hard. Get Lean. Get STRONG!

Tony
AuthenticStrengthTraining@gmail.com

Strength class is in session...it's Strong 101!

Hey Guys-


Getting ready to interview Mike Rojas of Strong 101 Gym in Riverside! It's going to be an awesome interview and, when it's ready, it'll be posted right here on AuthenticSTG.blogspot.com. If you haven't done so, subscribe to the blog! You are NOT going to want to miss this interview! Big things on the horizon!!!

While you're here, check out this video of Mike's training:

As always,
Train Hard.  Get Lean.  Get STRONG!

A Peek Into "Invincible" Training

Hey Guys-


This is Amanda.  Not only is she a veteran client of ours, but Amanda is training to become a Police Officer!  Take a quick look at some of her "Invincible" training. 

*click the video to watch it on YouTube (the right side of the video is cut off a bit)

As you can see, Amanda trains her butt off! Hell, she probably trains harder than most guys! She has a goal. She has a plan. She is taking her future into her hands and running with it! "I will act now" at its finest! We have very high hopes for Amanda! She has a ton of potential and we are looking forward to watching her progress and achieve her goal!


Check back often for more insight's into Amanda's training.


What are you doing to achieve your goals?


As always,
Train Hard. Get Lean. Get STRONG!


Tony

Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters, Military Officers, and Cadets! It's here......

...and it will take your training to a whole new level!

Allow me to introduce "Invincible"! 

This program is specifically designed for Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters, Military Officers, and Cadets.  You deserve serious results, and that's exactly what you'll get with "Invincible"!  Make no mistake about it, this training program is tough!  But consider this:

You put your lives on the line every day--  Be confident in your abilities to protect yourselves, your partners, and your community!  

For this reason, it is mandatory that you train in teams.  Nothing will keep you accountable quite like training with partners, who will rely on you to strive for more, each and every time you step in the gym or on the job.  Having a training team, whose goal is to help YOU succeed, is invaluable!  In fact, I'm willing to bet that it's more important than the actual program! 

Yes, it IS that important!

I am so confident that "Invincible" will allow you to reach your strength, power, explosiveness, agility, and endurance potential that here's what I'm willing to do...

Not only will you be allowed to try a "Basic But Brutal" group class for FREE, but if you sign up before November 1, 2009, I'll take 50% off of the first month's price!  Don't miss this opportunity!  

If this is something that you've been contemplating for while...STOP!  Remember last week's newsletter? 

"Tomorrow is the day reserved for the lazy!  I will act now!"

For more information about the "Invincible" program, click on our services link to the right!  Also, feel free to look us up on YouTube!  Just search for AuthenticStrength1 and watch some of our training videos!

Have a great weekend, and stay safe!

Train Hard.  Get Lean.  Get STRONG!

Tony

Tuesday Lower Body and New "B3" Class Added

Hey Guys,

We had a great lower body session at AST tonight. Everyone's working hard to make progress and get better each and every workout. The workout broke down like this:

Warm up: Mobility, Active/Dynamic Stretching, Agility Moves

Strength: Main Lift- Lumberjack Squat-- work up to 7RM
Accessory Lifts
- Split squats ss w/ Kettlebell Swings
- Tornado ball ss w/ V-Ups
Conditioning
- Sled pulls, prowler pushes, jump rope

Group of 10 finished in a little under 50 minutes.


On Thursday morning at 6am, we will be having our first early morning "B3" class. Come check it out. It's FREE for first timers and $15 for returners!

Things are moving along nicely at the gym! Thanks for the support!

As always,

Train Hard. Get Lean. Get STRONG!

Tony

Questions for Mike?

Hey Guys,

We've got a big interview coming up with Mike Rojas, owner of Strong 101 Gym in Riverside, Ca.  Mike is a cool guy, with an equally impressive gym.  You can check it out by clicking the "Strong 101" link on the right side of the page.  In the meantime, do you have any questions that you'd like Mike to answer?  Post your question in the comment box on the bottom of this post and it may be part of the interview!  

As always,

Train Hard.  Get Lean.  Get STRONG!

Tony

Marc Continues to Make Gains...

Hey, Guys

Just finished a session with Marc. He's been training with AST for a little over 5 weeks and has made very good strength improvements. His goal is to gain strength and muscle. In the 5 weeks that he has been with us his bodyweight has increased from 117 to 127lbs. In the gym, he's increased his pullup repetitions from 4 to 9, his bench from 95 to 150lbs for 3 reps, and his squat from 105 to 170lbs. Could these gains be due to neural adaptations? Probably.

The point is, though, that Marc works his ass off, be it in the gym or in the parking lot flipping tires. He trains hard. I won't get into the specifics of his training, but his training volume is rotated weekly: Week 1 work up to 5RM, Week 2 work up to 3RM, Week 3 work up to 1RM, Week 4 Deload. After the RM for the week has been established, he performs one set at approx. 85% for max reps. This was a training tip I picked up from an article by Christian Thibaudeau and Jim Wendler's "5-3-1 Method for Raw Strength" book.

In addition to killing it in the gym, he has turned it on in the kitchen! It has been said time and time again that most people, like Marc, who have a difficult time gaining weight simply don't eat enough! Well, Marc's efforts are beginning to pay off. This doesn't apply only to those looking to gain weight, either. The bottom line is this... You can't out-train a poor diet! So you want to lose weight? Are your eating habits conducive to your goals? Oh, you want to gain weight? Well, it's not going to happen if you're eating like a bird!

You need to have a plan. Something that has always resonated with me is the simple act of asking yourself "Will this help me reach my goals?" If you keep yourself accountable, and have a plan that you're willing to execute, then you will reach whatever goal or milestone you have set for yourself.

Check out some videos from Marc's workout. Today, Marc performed low-incline bench presses, rack pulls from knee height, and hammer curls. This was his 3Rm week.



255lb Rack Pull x 3 reps


120lb Low Incline Bench x max reps (his 85% set)

Any questions or comments, feel free to post them! The gym is almost ready!
I'll post some videos of my training (similar setup to Marc's) a bit later. Thanks for following, and if you haven't already...SUBSCRIBE!

Train Hard. Get Lean. Get STRONG!

Tony

Basic But Brutal "B3" From 10/10/09

Great session today! We're getting very busy, which is awesome, considering the fact that the inside of the gym is still under construction. Here's a look at yesterday's "B3" session:

Leave a comment and subscribe to the blog to be kept up to date with what's happening at AST! Follow us on facebook, youtube, and twitter!

Let me know what you guys want to see.

Train hard. Get lean. Get STRONG!

Tony

Meet Ed!

Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to Ed.  Ed is a client of ours, and he's been absolutely tearing it up in the gym!  Take a look at the final minutes of his workout on 10/7/09:

Train HARD.  Get LEAN.  Get STRONG!

Tony

AST on YouTube and a Good Interview

Hey Guys-

Just a quick heads up; Authentic Strength Training Gym is now on YouTube!  Video’s will be added to both the YouTube account and our page on Facebook.

Just click the link below and subscribe to be updated as new videos are posted and announcements are made…

http://www.youtube.com/user/AuthenticStrength1

As much as I love watching movies and listening to music, I also like to read quite a bit.  Articles, books, magazines, whatever.  Well, yesterday I read a great interview by contributing editor of TMuscle.com, Nate Green, that I  think you may enjoy.  The interviewee is a man named Dave Tate.  Just in case you’ve never heard of Dave, here is  a brief rundown:

-Owner of EliteFTS.com, one of the largest online fitness equipment retailer -Elite-level powerlifter (Elite= strong… as… hell!)

-Author- “Under the Bar”, “Raising the Bar”, etc.

Have I met Dave personally?  Nope.  But his articles and interviews have certainly helped me with my training and business.  So, without further ado, here is the link to the interview titled “37 Tips and Tales from Dave Tate” by Nate Green.

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_interviews/37_tips_and_tales_from_dave_tate

Last, but not least, make a comment or shoot me an email (authenticstrengthtraining@gmail.com) and let me know what you’d like to see more of on the blog.  Have any questions?  Have any good books to recommend?  Let’s hear about it!  Post away!

Train HARD.  Get LEAN.  Get STRONG!

Tony

Miscellaneous

Hey, Guys! It has been an incredibly stressful couple of weeks, which means that it’s time for another AST Gladiator session on Saturday morning! FREE for newbies and $15 for returners! We’ve received a couple of new toys (sleds and farmers walk handles!), which should provide you with a lot of fun

This past Saturday I had the opportunity to check out Strong 101 Gym in Riverside, CA. The owner, Mike Rojas, was a super cool guy and he runs a great program! It was my first time checking out the gym and let me tell you- it was pretty bad ass! If you’re ever in the Riverside area and are interested in an awesome workout stop by Mike’s place!

Anyway, for those of you who have seen our videos and are on the fence about heading down to the AST Gym for a Gladiator session…come on down! The first session is free so what’ve you got to lose? Take a look at our Membership page to catch a glimpse of some of the services we offer.

Looking forward to seeing you out there!

Thanks for the support, Guys…

Train HARD. Get LEAN. Get STRONG!

Tony

Nice, warm Saturday morning...

…and it was perfect for an outdoor Gladiator session. There were some new faces today, and by the looks of it, everyone got in a hell of a workout!

Ricky and "El Gordo"

We started out with agility work, stretching, and mobility. Then we partnered up and got to work. Here is the chaos that ensued:

 

-Sledgehammer Swings- 15 per side
-Pushups- 15 reps
-”El Gordo” Tire Flips- 3-5 reps
-Ab Rollout- 10 reps
-100lb Bear Hug- max time
or
-Burpee’s- 10 reps
Rinse and repeat 3 times.

Finisher
Round 1- 5 Pushups, 5 Burpee’s, 10 Squats, 5 Tire Flips
Round 2- 5 Pushups, 10 Burpee’s, 10 Squats, 5 Tire Flips

The entire session took just under 45 minutes

*To play the following videos, click on the word 'facebook' in the top left corner of the video.  You'll probably need to log-in to your facebook account, as well:

The Finisher

Great session today! Remember, we are going to begin with our Tuesday and Thursday sessions this coming week. The first session is free so stop by and check it out.  Take a look at our Authentic Strength Training page on Facebook.  Here’s a look at some footage of Ricky and Ed during their workouts….

As always,
Train HARD. Get LEAN. Get STRONG!

Tony

Gladiator Training

Hey, everyone!
Just a quick update…
The warehouse is almost ready!  I’m hoping to have everything moved in within the next week or so–  cross your fingers!  Also, membership packages will be made available at this Saturday’s Gladiator Training.  It will contain information about prices, one-on-one training, semi-private training, etc.
Starting next week, all Gladiator sessions will be held at the AST warehouse (parking lot) on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s from 7-745p,  and Saturdays from 10-1045a.
First timers are free and returning Gladiators are $15.
RSVP by posting a comment below or on our page on Facebook.

Who said this is only a guy thing?

Thanks again for all of your support!  In just a matter of time we will be bringing you the “real-deal” in strength training and conditioning.  Now, this type of training isn’t for everyone, but if you think you’ve got what it takes to train like a Gladiator then stop by!
Train HARD.  Get LEAN.  Get STRONG!
Tony

Hello, Everyone!

Located in Santa Fe Springs, California:

Authentic Strength Training is a warehouse gym dedicated to providing strength training and conditioning to serious men and women in a no “frills,” no nonsense environment.

This is not your average, run-of-the-mill “health club.”  Our approach is challenging, fun and different.  Reaching goals and achieving results quickly and safely is our mission.

Authentic Strength Training will get you the results that you’re after without all of the unnecessary excess– no smoothie bars, endless rows of cardio equipment, or crappy music!  Say hello to squat racks and dumbbells, tractor tires and sleds, and people who will motivate you to reach that seemingly elusive “next step!”

The atmosphere at Authentic Strength Training is what allows you to thrive. Honesty and integrity is what help set us apart. We aren’t going to lie to you and tell you that it’ll only take “minutes a day” to see the body you’ve always dreamed of. It takes dedication, motivation, and REAL hard work!  You’ll only get out what you put in, but if you put forth the effort we will not let you fail.

This isn’t some gimmick. It is a back-to-the-basics, honest, Authentic Strength Training and conditioning gym, which is designed to get you in the best shape possible.

We will be posting pictures, videos, and announcements regularly so check back soon!  Also, check out our page on Facebook!