Roy Pumphrey Fitness Coaching

03/11/2023

If you get a friend request from me, it's BU****IT.

07/31/2022

Little light reading arrived today.
The idea is to actually finish what I started pre COVID.
Take, and pass (Captain Obvious) the CISSN from the
Figured I should get the most up to date book.
Goal post CISSN?
Yell at my clients to:
▪︎ get their protein numbers daily (no RDAs are too low)
▪︎ NO proteins don't break kidneys, or hearts.
▪︎ Creatine, Creatine, Creatine...(it snt a steroid, "like a steroid" and doesn't break kidneys either)
▪︎ Carbs are not the enemy
▪︎ Weight loss depends on a caloric deficit, end of story
▪︎ Weight gain is the result of a caloric surplus....again, end of story
▪︎ Most s**t you hear in the wild, is just that....s**t.
I know, I already say that, but afterwards it'll be with authority
Added bonus is the ISSN has their National Conference at a Florida beach every year, that ain't so bad.

10/14/2021

Excerpt from my current read, Dopamine, by Dr. Anna Lemke.
The literature shows pretty consistently that for most people regular (we're talking daily more or less) exercise is more effective for anxiety and depression long term than any individual or cocktail of medications.
Generally, even effective medications lose efficacy over time and this hasnt been seen with exercise.
Obviously, this isnt always the case. But it is more often than not.
Plus, exercise has a bazillion other positive side effects.

10/13/2021

One of the main reasons people believe and do what is, at best, ineffective and at worst detrimental training for a sport is because of, what I call, the Because He Played Fallacy.
Because He Played Fallacy goes like this,
Athlete X played sport Y and did this to train, therefore I should do that too and I'll be successful also.
This isnt stupid or malicious its Attribution Error.
The athlete is assigning a disproportionate value to an exercise or activity that DISCOUNTS other things they've done and the effect of those.
In this case Andrew Thomas, the 4th overall pick in last years draft is crediting exercises on a physioball with him being a better NFL offensive lineman.
Personally, I think this is insane.
IMO, he improved dramatically because:
▪Hes super talented to begin with.
▪After a full season hes better prepared and the game has "slowed down"
▪Hes received NFL caliber critiques and coaching for over a year.
It wasnt squats on a ball, moving a kettlebell across your body.
Physical preparation matters.
Physical preparation matters A LOT.
But part of understanding its value is understanding its limitations.

09/30/2021

At least 10 people have asked me about Dr. Bulls**t within the last month or so.

Dr. Bulls**t (and his ilk) are able to create a following and convince people because:

1. The average person knows literally NOTHING about training for sports performance.

2. It's kind of a cognitive bias that we tend to believe the thing that looks more complex/ challenging is inherently better/ more beneficial.

3. EVERYONE thinks, "my sport is hardest", and "you need to do "sports specific" training to excel in my sport"....and insert #2 as "Sports specific" never mind the definition of "sports specific" is: The exercise must REPLICATE the joint angle force-velocities as seen in that movement during sport.

Original Debate-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fkToKbEVW0&ab_channel=MarkBell%27sPowerProject0:10 Introducing the Joel debate3:55 Joel's claims about infla...

09/22/2021

Single Leg RDLs are a real pain in the ass to perform correctly.
Most of the time they end up being a s**tty circus act and not much of a quality training stimulus.
Using a Landmine helps increase the stability of the exercise enough that the balance component doest interfere as much and it's still a great exercise.
Fun Fact: this version is BETTER for the vast majority of people. Theyll achieve a better hinge at a higher load.
Key Points:
▪The bar should be in front of the unloaded thigh at the top.
▪The foot/ body angle must be PERPENDICULAR to the bar.
▪Use straps if ya have them so gripping the bar sleeve isnt the limiting factor.
▪Soft knee from the start.
▪Push BACK to initiate, not reaching down.
▪Lat/ shoulder tight from the start, NO REACHING
▪STAND on a hard glute at the top.

09/17/2021

Latest read, The Comfort Crisis.
Moral of the story.
Life today is FAR TOO EASY.
Humans NEED real challenges, especially physical ones (which by nature are mental also)
There is a great chapter on diet, and food in general.
Heres the synopsis of that chapter:
If it fits your CALORIES, you're good.
Hit your protein numbers.
Dont attach "good" or "bad" to foods.
Foods (mostly due to caloric density) push or pull us towards our goals.
Eating because youre bored or emotional is probably screwing your progress up.
It's worth the read.

09/01/2021

Latest, read. Think Again by .
Highest possible recommendation.
Quick Take: Think like a scientist.
What's that mean?
IMO:
▪Much of what you "know" is probably wrong
▪There is ALWAYS data that you dont have.
▪Be comfortable being wrong.
▪You ARE BIASED and the VAST MAJORITY of the information you're seeking out is to validate that bias.
▪Counter the above by actively seeking out DATA that counters your bias.
▪Anecdote is powerful, but isnt data.
I once heard the difference between a scientist and an activist is,
The activist looks at his "data" (usually anecdote) and says, "I figured it out, I have the answers"
The scientist looks at their data and says, "what am I missing in this data, that changes everything I believe"

08/11/2021

Started doing these Old School Sissy Squats today.
Key here is to try and move exclusively through the knees.
Keep the hip crease as flat as you can and heels elevated.
Try to only use the support to keep balance, NOT to help you up.
Yes, these can be hard on the knees.
If they hurt, dont do them.
What I did today:
SSB Squats: 10x 185, 225 12x 245 9x 245Belt
Single Leg RDL: 2x10 @90, 10x100 supported
Sissy Squats: 15, 15, 12
Cable Straight Leg Deadlift: 15, 15, 13x 10 plates
Next time I'll get a video of the Cable Straight Leg Deadlifts.
I have videos of some of the other lifts from today, but Instagram ain't having it and will only allow me to upload one at a time.

08/10/2021

The most commonly cited barrier to exercise is a lack of time.
In a world where the average American consumes 7.5 hours of entertainment a day, I used to think it was because people were just lazy and many are.
But often they would justify the time objection with a version of, "I don't have an hour or two a day, everyday to spend working out".
Granted, this was probably hyperbole, but there is some truth here.
Many people THINK they need to spend at least an hour a day, most days a week working out to see results and that simply IS NOT TRUE.
Sure, if you're a competitive athlete, you're going to need to train A LOT. But for normal people?
You can see GREAT results in:
*Strength
*Muscle Mass
*Mental Health
*Confidence
*General Physical Ability
*Health Profiles
in as little as 2 times a week for 30 minutes.
No OPTIMAL, but after 3-6 months on a good, appropriate, progressively overloaded program, done consistently?
GREAT RESULTS.

08/09/2021

At the very start of my career, I trained a really old guy once a week for about a month before he moved to Florida for his daughter to become his caregiver.
He used to always wear one of those naval hats with the ship on it and refer to it as "my boat".
His last day with me I asked him what rank he retired at...
Captain...
He was the CAPTAIN of a BATTLESHIP in World War 2 and Vietnam.
The news was always on at the gym and he'd point to the TV call the politicians various names and then look at me and go,
"NEVER blame or excuse...
Just take responsibility for EVERYTHING.
Its easier"
Doing the hard s**t in life becomes EXPONENTIALLY easier and more productive when you stop looking for a reason or excuse to not do things you dont want to do.
That's the lesson of this book...
It's your fault
It's always your fault
That's a good thing.
It means its within your control to fix it.
Buck up, buttercup. Time to get to work.

07/15/2021

Want to be a better lifter?
STOP wasting all your practice reps.
Warmup/ Workup reps are where you can practice/ groove technique.
No, reps with an empty bar are not the same as with 405lbs on the bar. We ALL know that.
But treating all the reps between the empty bar and 405 like they're throw away reps is robbing yourself a chance to practice, groove and lock in technique.