Leigh Peele

The fitness and health industry is notorious for misinformation in blogs, news articles, books, and any other form of t.v. or print media. In all honesty, I expect 1 out of 100 readers who read my blog to care about the product I am about to review. The truth is there isn’t one person that will read this post who wouldn’t benefit from Mark Young’s new product.

The Goodz

Mark Young’s package is comprised of various videos and an mp3 to help you navigate though the complex world of fitness and health research. The videos are a “powerpoint” style presentation/seminar, with Mark’s voice over top, explaining the details of each section. The audio and visuals are very clear to see and understand. Sadly, there are no LOL cat pictures but Mark still somehow makes the conversation of statistical data a wee bit more interesting. Continue Reading…

There is an interesting thing happening right now for the newbies entering into the industry. People come online, go to a message board, and say “Hey, I need to gain mass! What should I read?” You can replace that sentence with, “I need to lose fat. What should I read?” too. Depending on who is sending out the most emails, or what is seen as cool at the moment, determines what will be offered up as suggestion. It may not always be the best suggestion. This isn’t necessarily works of supposed shady marketers, people remember what is on the front of their minds. Since I have a voice in the field, I’d like to take my time to highlight and focus on some of the tried and true books that may have fallen behind and lost their “cool.” Expect “Flashback Title” to show itself again. Continue Reading…

Let’s get the pink elephant out right now. The title invites a small amount of wincing. After all, it is a book promoted for the development and showing of the abs. A topic which we as “serious” professionals in the industry should shy away from. After all, it is about function and performance, right? Vanity can’t be at the forefront of our minds and certainly should be the least of your concerns (as a serious trainee).

What if the truth is somewhere in between? What if the truth shows that focusing on the function and stability of your abs can lead to a visually pleasing look? New Rules Of Lifting For Abs discusses that very thing. Continue Reading…

I wasn’t overly familiar with who Portia De Rossi (now Degeneres) was prior to reading this book. All I really knew was she acted on Arrested Development (brilliant) and single-handedly destroyed 1001 lesbian stereotypes. However, no more than 10 pages into the book, I knew her extremely well. I didn’t know her because of the honest and frank details she was sharing through her writing. I knew her, because she was the spitting image of so many women I work with. Continue Reading…

In the industry there is a lot of talk about corrective exercise, how to warm-up properly, and rehab discussion. I feel there is nothing wrong with that. While some may have worn tired of the terms and conversation, when you actually work with a general population of jacked up people, it’s extremely relevant. That being said, there is a hole in the conversation that lands after the foam roll and before full recovery (if possible). That is where Nick Tumminello’s Joint Friendly Strength Training comes in. Continue Reading…

Unlike most reviews I give, I don’t have any personal interaction or communication with Martin Rooney. In fact, I know very little about Martin except for “on paper” achievements with the Parisi Speed School and what I have read in this book. This can be a good thing because I will admit my own tendencies of shying away from material or letting previous work leave a bad taste in my mouth. I do the best I can to be impartial and fair, but when you know of bad character or work in the past, it makes it hard to leave behind those past feelings. Needless to say, it is a clean slate with Martin’s work and for the most part, I like what I see. Continue Reading…

The fitness world is synonymous with bad fashion. The majority of fitness clothes and accessories are absolutely hideous. Thankfully people have realized the problem and are doing something about it. While the majority of people will miss out on this movement, there is hope others will jump on board. Until then, check out the “People of Walmart” blog to see the latest fashion faux pas.

Ryan and Sheila Viers took a step in this movement and decided the classic “gym bag” needed a once-over and wanted to bring style and quality to a new level. No fashion faux pas ahead. Continue Reading…

I will admit, I was curious to see what Mike’s spin on the single-leg training conversation was going to be. As Mike states in his manual, “single-leg training is a debated topic.” Mike dives deeper than I am going to, but basically you have too many people standing on the polar ends of the fence. It is the classic “all good/all bad” attitude towards bilateral and unilateral training. I think a true weakness shines through when you make statements proclaiming no one can gain from something so many have been excelling on for years. Its short sighted and narcissistic, but enough of my armchair psych. Continue Reading…

Does eating specific types of food together cause weight gain?
To gain muscle, must I do 3 sets of 10 reps?
Is it necessary to exercise to lose weight?
Are kettlebells more effective than barbells?

You will find the answer to these types of questions and more in Jamie Hale’s new book “Should I Eat The Yolk?” Continue Reading…

This week I have at least 5 different products/book/etc to review for the site. I thought, “Why not have a review week?” The great thing is they are actually top notch products (from people like Tom Ventuo, Jamie Hale, and Mike Robertson). I am trying to keep to more positive reviews in general especially since my last two reviews (that weren’t favorable) left me with hate mail I am still going through…Oh who am I kidding, I will do those again too.

The point is, while I am on the kick, if you want me to review anything I am in review mode. Shoot me a email through my contact or simply post a comment up of the stuff you would like for me to review. Here are the following things to keep in mind.

1. It can’t be ridiculous or a waste of time (e.g. The Shake Weight).
2. Try to keep it under $200 dollars/or something I would have easy access too.
3. While I know my reviews are fun, request something you want a legitimate opinion on because you are thinking of buying it.

Looking forward to your ideas. I might be able to squeeze 2-3 more out this week.