See what's going on at the best gym in Boston, Total Performance Sports.

For the old guys, the young guys and the girls too. Part 2

At home conditioning tips

Strong and Sexy with Molly Galbraith

OK, we all know February is the shortest month, but this year was ridiculous. I have been busier than a one armed paper hanger and didn’t have a lot of time to get you as much new content for the newsletter as I had hoped.

Don’t worry; we’ve still got some great stuff in here, like Molly’s column, Strong and Sexy. She has some protein shake recipes this month that sound unbelievable. We’ve also got some things I hope you are interested in. Please reply back to the newsletter if you have any questions you want answered or any specific information on training, nutrition, fat loss, etcetera. I am happy to answer them and it makes the newsletter better because we are writing what YOU, our readers want to know about.

I’m also interested in how we can help you with our Exercise of the Month videos. Is there something you would love to know how to do properly that we have not covered yet? Let me know.

Since February is over, that means that March is here and that means that the warm weather is only about 12 weeks away. How is your fitness/physique/health progress going since January’s resolutions? 12 weeks is enough time to make a huge change if you are not where you want to be. TPS is here as always to help pour members and readers. One thing that you can do right now is to attend the Big Seminar 2 coming in a few days. Read more about that in this newsletter.

Another thing that you can do is to make going to the gym a habit. It’s a good one to get into. If you don’t know what to do, take some of our free classes to get started. Find a good training program, like 531 to follow. Just find a program and stick to it. We sent you a bunch of FREE and proven workouts to follow in the Fat Loss Roadmap v.2 in January. I urge you to try them out. They work.

Get in gear over the next 12 weeks and make some big changes.

Oh and one more thing, TPS was just voted Best of 2013 in the latest issue of Women’s Health magazine. I’d like to take a moment and thank all of my Team members and our members for making this possible. TPS keeps getting recognition as the best. We will do everything that we can to continue to improve our services and stay the best.

Good luck,

Murph

And

TeamTPS

Personal Security

I am sad to say that TPS has had a small rash of property theft this past week. There is a thief or thieves breaking into lockers in the men’s locker room and also taking keys to members cars from the key basket at the front desk.

We are aware of this and will do everything that we can to stop it. Unfortunately there is not a lot that we can do. The best thing that we could do is put a camera in the locker room, but that’s against the law so we are asking you to be extra vigilant. Please do not store any valuable items in your locker and always use a lock. We have a section of blue lockers between the men’s and ladies room in the hallway. I think that is the best place to lock up things like wallets and valuables. It is much less likely that those lockers will be broken into.

We are increasing how often staff goes into the locker rooms to check out what is going on and we hope that the simple fact that the scumbags that are doing this are aware of this will cause them to leave TPS and never return. We have been in business since 1999 and we have never had issues like this. Our members have always been honest and a community. The person or persons doing this are not true members. TPS members look out for each other and we ask you to do that now. If you see something shady going on in the locker room, let a staff member know. Do not approach the thief, let us handle it. We will notify the police and prosecute them.

We also have removed the key box from the Front Desk. I have never been a fan of having it there because there are people that go into gyms all over the country, grab a set of keys and then go in the parking lot and unlock the car. They steal from the cars, steal the cars and also have been known to break into homes with the keys.

One of the recent incidents involved a local firefighter. Whoever is committing these crimes is about as big of a maggot scumbag as you can get. He stole the keys from the firefighter’s locker. He knew it was a firefighter because of the fire uniform that was in there. He then went downstairs and used the keys to steal from an official marked Fire department vehicle. What a piece of human filth. If you did this and are reading this, you are going to get caught and I hope the guy whose car you broke into catches you. You are a world class piece of shit.

I try to be aware of security issues affecting this industry and I heard a brand new one today. Thieves are now using some type of scanner to steal from cars. They hold the scanner to the car and it signals them if there are any types of consumer electronics in the vehicle (iPods, laptops, etc). These people will anything they can to steal from you instead of getting job. Take a few extra minutes and be aware of your surroundings and the people in them. If you see something that doesn’t look right let us know! WE will do all that we can’t prevent this but we need your help.

I apologize for this and again, we will do everything that we can to catch this and prevent it from happening.

Trottier Charity Boot Camp

TPS ran the Trottier Charity Boot Camp last week and we had an awesome day. We were able to raise over $600.00 that is going directly to the family for medical/housing expenses. I would like to thank all of my Team that donated their time and all of the members who participated. We even had members that could not attend donate money.

We will be doing more of these charity events in the future and we hope that you will join us.

Referral Contest

Carlos Souza was our February referral contest winner of the Kindle HD. Watch the newsletter next month for our upcoming referral contest. You could be the winner!

Carlos Souza winning a Kindle at Total Performance Sports

Contest News:

Its official, the TPS Mass State Strongman Championships will be held at TPS on August 10, 2013. We will have full details to follow next month and info on the web as soon as we get it. It’s going to be heavy so start training.

As always this will be a charity event for the Chelsea Soldiers Home. Please join us, or volunteer to help us raise some money for a great cause.

RPS meet: TPS and RPS are hosting the first ever TPS powerlifting meet coming this October 12th&13th. You can register here.

We are creating a page on the site for both of these events. Check back in a few days to see all of the information on what’s going on.

February 2013

TPS to run benefit boot camp for Jack Trottier

Jack Trottier is the star quarterback of the Tyngsboro High School football team, who led the team to a 10 and 2 season last year and was a strong player on the lacrosse team, as well. In mid-January he was seriously hurt while snowboarding, and is currently paralyzed from his chest down.

His family has appealed for support as they explore options for the best possible care to get Jack on his feet again. More about Jack’s story. The family cannot afford the cost of his travel and medical care to a rehab center in Atlanta.

TPS is pitching in to help by running the Trottier Charity Boot Camp and donating 100% of the proceeds for Jack’s care. The camp will start at 11:00 am on Saturday, February 23, at TPS’s location at 68 Vine Street in Everett.

The boot camp will be open to the public and the cost is $20.00

The event will be targeted for anyone interested in getting fit while having fun and will feature:

Innovative exercises using your body as resistance

-The area’s best certified coaches including CJ Murphy and his team

-Those new to exercise are encouraged to attend as well as those who are experienced.

You can register online here or the day of at the door.

This one-time event is open to TPS members as well as the general public, so bring a friend for a great cause! For questions or more information, please contact Total Performance Sports at 617-387-5998 or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

NEW ARTICLES:

For the old guys-injury prevention/rehab

Made in America

How to form a Workout Journal

More New Year's Tips

We are officially one month into 2013. The gym is jammed and it looks like this year, people are a little more serious about getting fit. As someone who is a lifelong fan of strength and health, this makes me happy.

It is common in this industry to get inundated with less than serious people in January. They come in, wander around and don’t make any progress. At TPS it seems like we are not seeing a lot of that. We are seeing more of you signing up for camps and training, or following a program on your own. Sure, we have had some of the regular New Year’s crowd gawking around and looking confused. When we see that, we try and guide those people in the right direction.

I wonder a lot what has gotten people to realize that what the mainstream media tells them about health and fitness is usually inadequate at best. Is it the amount of information on the internet? Have they tried all the other stuff and failed? Is it that they read these newsletters and realize we are right or is it something else?

I honestly can’t answer that question but I do know that TPS is dedicated to helping you make your goals a reality. We will continue to give you as much FREE information as we can in the newsletter and on the site. We will also do everything we can to make training affordable so you can get the coaching that you want so that you can be the best you ever have in 2013.

Please read on in the newsletter for more of the tips you are most interested in. I have asked a few times for you to email with the things you would like us to cover, and I have reviewed the articles with the most “clicks”. We will use that information to give you more content that you are most interested in hearing about. If you have something that you would like to know more about, please let us know. We are here to help you, our readers and clients.

Have a great 2013 and keep working towards your goals,

Master the bench press at TPS:

We have to postpone the February 2nd Bench Clinic with Vincent due to a last minute schedule change. Vincent is being called away for a personal matter that weekend and we apologize for the need to reschedule. We are waiting for a new date from him and will let you know as soon as we get it.

New Product

Spud is at it again. He sent us an awesome new tool for the dedicated athlete and the trainer who works in a “regular” gym; the new SpudInc. Sled.

Spud sent me a box with a sled made of the bulletproof material that he makes all of his straps from. At first I thought, why? After taking it out and actually using it I loved it.

Many of you know the benefits of using a sled in your training, and many of you use them here at TPS all the time. Sleds are great for a wide variety of things from conditioning, to rehab and warmup to building strength. They are one of the most versatile tools that we have. The problem with them is that they are heavy and bulky to carry around. This is especially true for trainers that work in fancy, schmancy gyms where they don’t allow chalk and TPS style training. Can you imagine what the manager of a big box gym would say if you took out a steel sled and started dragging it around on the very expensive flooring at your local $90.00 a month gym?

What about the people that like to get outside at the park and do some work? They do not want to lug around a 65 pound steel sled, and it probably won’t fit in most people’s cars anyway. What about the sports coaches who want their teams to use them at practice? Let’s face it, steel sleds take up a lot of room and are not very convenient to transport, even for short distances.

Spud, a true man of leisure has the answer. A sled made of strong, yet lightweight nylon. It weighs just a few pounds, but does all of the same things that a steel sled does. It also rolls up into a small package and will fit in a gym bag.

I got a pre-production model and tested the crap out of it. I gave Spud a few ideas on how to improve it and you will see those in the production ones available for sale very soon. The production models will be easy to load and will hold the plates on very securely with a strap.

If you have wanted to get yourself a sled and use it at your high end gym, with your clients, your athletes or at the park, this sled is for you. It is lightweight, easily transportable, hold s a bunch of weight and is almost indestructible. We will have them on the TPS site as soon as they are available. If you want to give it a try, there is one on the turf at TPS right now!

Seminar News:

Big Seminar 2

OK, it is getting close to crunch time. If you are interested in attending the Big Seminar 2 in March, I suggest that you register. We are going to sell out on this one and I hate to sound like the pushy sales guy with the polyester suit telling you to buy now, but you should. The presenters I have assembled are first class. The fee is worth it to hear one just of them (except Rhodes-he’s good for half)!

Seriously though, we have a panel of speakers that are world class coaches and athletes in one room for two whole days. You will get to listen to their presentation and then ask them questions. This is where all the little things in your training or your work if you are a coach, will click. I can’t tell you how much I have learned over the years by attending seminars just like I am suggesting that you do. I present at seminars now and I make it a point to listen to the other speakers because I always learn something. I have been in this business along time and if I am still learning new things, you are guaranteed to learn a lot. I mean that in the most sincere way, not in a “know it all” way at all.

Attending a seminar is one of the best investments that you can make in your training; it doesn’t matter if you are new or have been around for a while. You will learn and take things away from this that will make you a better athlete or coach.

I just go an update on topics from Molly and Julia. They will be giving a presentation on "Defeating the Magazine Mentality: From Treadmill to Training". The ladies will discuss how to overcome all of the bad information that women receive from the media and the guru’s on how to get strong and fit. There will be 2 segments to their presentation, each with a Q&A section at the end. I believe this will be one of the best lectures on this topic and will really open your eyes. For all of the women who train at TPS (or another gym) you should attend the Big Seminar for this lecture alone, never mind all of the others and the second day of hands on coaching.

For a full lineup of the details visit our Upcoming Seminars page.

Register below now.

Add to Cart

Training Day:

The next TPS Training Day is set for February 16th and it’s deadlift day.

Attending this Training Day will show you how to:

-protect your back and make it stronger

-maximize your body’s leverage to pull the most weight

-use your lats to lift more

-specific ways to have a stronger grip instantly

And much more!

Training day is the best $20.00 you can spend on a Saturday afternoon if you are serious about your training. Beginners to advanced lifters are welcome and you do not need to be a member to attend. If you compete you need to attend!

Register online here

TPS Camps

January 1st saw a huge number of new campers come to TPS to get fit for the New Year. It’s not too late for you to begin. February 25th is the next time we begin new rounds of TPS Camps and semi-private training. Join one and you will see why so many people keep re-signing for these camps. They work.

TPS offers a camp or training groups that has what YOU want. Are you tired of going to the gym and not getting results? Do you really want 2013 to be the year that you look and feel your best? Do you want to be stronger? Are you looking to have unstoppable endurance? If you answered yes to any of these questions, TPS camps will get you there.

We offer something for all of these desires and more. Let’s take a look at them:

Total Transformation camp is for you if you want to lose body fat fast, look and feel your best while building endurance and building strength. TT camp focuses on high transfer, lower skill exercises that pack the most bang for the buck. We use exercises that you can master fast and get results. We also follow a program that condenses as much work into as little time as possible. Don’t worry if you are new to training. We have a special group in the camp for beginners.

Women’s Fitcamp is for the ladies only and focuses on getting you stronger, leaner and happier about yourself in short order. Phil and the rest of the coaches will have you performing the best strength training exercises and conditioning routines to get you the body you want. Fitcamp is ideal for women looking to train in a fun and supportive environment designed to boost your metabolism and build lean muscle while having fun.

Awesome Camp is for the guys. Guys always want to be more awesome, and Steve, our arguably, most awesome guy will show you how to get more awesome.

Awesome Camp focuses on the basic barbell lifts, bench press, squat and deadlift with just the right mix of assistance exercises and conditioning designed to get you stronger, bigger, leaner and more AWESOME! Add pounds to your bench press and inches to your beach muscles (and more) with Steve.

Olympic Lifting Camp is our hidden jewel. The Olympic lifts are making a huge comeback, and sadly, they are frequently taught by less than experienced coaches. Not at TPS.

If you want to learn the Snatch, Clean and Jerk and all of the best assistance lifts designed to get you faster, stronger and more athletic; Olympic Camp is just what you need.

Lastly, 531 Training Group is our three day per week offering; all other camps are twice a week. 531 is a training system that has taken the world by storm and was created by Jim Wendler. Jim is somewhat of a training genius and he created the simplest and most effective training system ever devised (according to him). I agree with him that it is mind numbingly simple and brutally effective. So much so that I called him and asked permission to use the name. He agreed, and TPS is the only officially authorized 531 training program.

531 is based around the bench press, squat, deadlift and press and will get you strong, in shape and CONSTANTLY progressing. No more hitting plateaus in your workouts. 531 has it all down to a science. Our coaches know the system inside and out and will teach it to you. If you want to get stronger, be good at the basics lifts and never stop making progress, 531 is for you.

As you can see, TPS has a camp that is right for you. They are beginning soon so register today! You’ve got nothing to lose but pounds, inches and body fat.

To register for any of the camps NOW, use the links below:

Olympic Weightlifting

Members register here: Add to Cart

Non-members register here: Add to Cart

Total Transformation

Members register here:Add to Cart

Non-members register here:Add to Cart

Womens Fitcamp:

Members register here: Add to Cart

Non-members register here: Add to Cart

Awesome Camp:

Members register here: Add to Cart

Non-members register here: Add to Cart

531 Training Group:

Register here: Add to Cart

January 2013:

New Articles:

How to Stay Slim Through the Holidays

New Year's Tips 2013

Tired of Chicken?

Another year is in the books. The beginning of 2013 marks another year for TPS. We have been around for 14 years now. Holy crap! 14 years. We even have some of our original members here at our newest location. As I do each January, I’d like to thank each and every member and all of my team for making us the Best Gym in Boston!

Without you, our members, we are nothing. There would be no TPS. TPS has some of the hardest working and most dedicated members of any gym that I have ever seen. I urge you to keep it up in 2013 and beyond. I wish you all of the success in the world on your fitness journey and we will be here to help you every step of the way.

Without my team, TPS would not be here either. TPS has a team of the best and most dedicated people I have ever seen. No one works here because they have to. My Team WANTS to work here and it shows. They take pride in what they do and they are also here to help you.

I’ve got a lot of news and some great New Years’ tips for you in this issue of the newsletter. Please read it all and forward it to someone you think might be helped by the information.

I also want to improve the content of our newsletter. I urge you to shoot me an email and let me know what topics you would like more information on. We can write about strength, fat loss, boxing tips or any fitness questions you need answered. Let me know how we can make the newsletter more informative on the topics that you want to know about.

Referral Contest

Danielle Ngyuen won our last member referral contest and scored and AWESOME 4th generation iPod touch. Who will be the next winner? I hope it is you because I am not eligible.

Danielle won a FREE iPod Touch from Total Performance Sports in Everett Mass.

For our January contest, TPS will be giving away a Kindle Fire HD to the member who refers the most new members to TPS in the month of January. To qualify, referrals must be for a 6 month EFT, OR a 1-Year Paid-In-Full membership.

Don’t forget, you win in two ways! For each member you refer, we credit your account with a free month PLUS you could win a Kindle Fire HD!

We’ll announce the winner in February.

TPS Camps

The New Year is here and it is not too late to register for the body fat-incinerating TPS Camps Total Transformation, or the strength-building 531 Training Group and Olympic Weightlifting Camp or the all-around everything-building Awesome Camp, most of which have been featured in The Boston Globe over the years. You can also bring a friend for FREE the first week to see if they LOVE it and want to join you! To make this even BETTER, they are all on sale for 10% off right now!

If you have been reading the newsletter so far, you now know that enrolling in a camp or semi-private group is the best way to achieve your New Year’s goals. TPS wants you to have success unlike the big box gyms that pass out free pizza and donuts.

YOU MUST ENTER THE CODE “AWESOME” AT CHECKOUT TO RECEIVE THE DISCOUNT IN THE SHOPPING CART!

To register for any of the camps NOW, use the links below:

Olympic Weightlifting

Members register here: Add to Cart

Non-members register here: Add to Cart

Total Transformation

Members register here:Add to Cart

Non-members register here:Add to Cart

Womens Fitcamp:

Members register here: Add to Cart

Non-members register here: Add to Cart

Awesome Camp:

Members register here: Add to Cart

Non-members register here: Add to Cart

531 Training Group:

Register here: Add to Cart

Don’t wait, the coupon code “AWESOME” is only good for this month.

Master the bench press at TPS:

Vincent DiZenzo will be here February 2nd for another Bench Press Clinic. For all the details, and to register got to Vincent’s page on our site.

Great Question

I just got a great question about my last series of emails I sent out to you. The question was “What kind of food would be best to eat/drink after morning fasted cardio?” and was sent in by Tina.

Here is a simple answer: Have a cup of coffee with 2 tablespoons of full-fat coconut milk and about 12-15 grams of whey isolate. About 2-3 hours later, eat a meal consisting of protein and healthy fat. Try a few scrambled egg whites, a whole egg, a bunch of veggies and a tablespoon of olive oil.

Skip the carbs. This will keep your body burning fat for a longer amount of time. For more info on burning fat all day and building muscle, read Carbohydrate Back Loading.

Seminar News:

Big Seminar 2

EARLY REGISTRATION PRICE ENDS SOON!

OK, it’s getting closer and it’s time to register for this weekend of incredible awesomeness. On March 9&10, 2013, TPS is bringing you the best names in the Strength and Conditioning field today for a weekend of lecture and hands-on coaching. We have done these in the past and all of our attendees were blown away!

We also have a change to the lineup. Due to professional and personal commitments, Harry Selkow cannot make it to this seminar. Harry apologizes for this, and we will see if we can get him out to TPS later on. I’m in the process of lining up a new speaker to replace him but do not know if we have time to book someone.

Even without Harry, by attending you will still get two full days of practical knowledge from some go the best coaches who actually work in the field, not INTERNET GURUS who write articles. Our team is the BEST, most of them are on the prestigious Q&A staff in addition to working with athletes/lifters every day.

We are bringing you:

Julia Ladewski

Molly Galbraith

Vincent Dizenzo

Matt Rhodes

Dave Kircshen

C.J. Murphy

Each coach will speak on Saturday and host a station on Sunday. At each station you will learn and perform specific exercises. Our coaches will teach you the tips and tricks the pros use to coach effectively. We will cover all the basic lifts and some other very cool, yet effective stuff.

We already have people registered and we anticipate that this will sell out quickly, so don’t wait to register. Seating is limited. We want to ensure that all attendees get individual attention.

Early registration price is only $299.00 and ENDS January 15th!

->->->Register here now. Add to Cart <-<-<-

Media Assault

Grab the March issue of Muscle and Fitness for a FREE workout designed to get you STRONG by Murph of TPS.

December 2012:

ALL TPS CAMPS ARE ON SALE FOR 10% OFF FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER!

ALL PERSONAL TRAINING IS 10% OFF FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER!

New Articles Posted:

Moustache Files

Strong and Sexy

Gym Etiquette

Nutrition Corner

Superfood of the Month

Made in America

Top 4 Training Mistakes Most Females Make

First off this month I would like to wish everyone Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I hope you all have the best holiday season ever and that Santa is good to all of the TPS members. Next, I’d like to let you know that we have been working furiously to improve TPS and make it the best it has ever been.

Since we won “Best of Boston”, I have been somewhat of a lunatic and I want to win it again. We have made a new commitment to bringing you the best environment to train in. TPS is doing this in many ways including CLEANING! It is a huge task to keep a gym as busy and as large as TPS clean, but we are upping our efforts to do so. Being hardcore does not mean being gross or dirty (not that we were). My team has been upping their game and keeping the place tidy.

We are also enforcing the rules more than ever. How does this make the gym better? Well, no one, and I mean no one wants to listen to your cell phone conversation anywhere, but especially at the gym. We take this seriously. When you read industry studies on gyms and customer satisfaction, one huge complaint from members is about other members on the phone. Face it, you are not that important. Even the president can get away from his phone for an hour. Shut up and lift as the t-shirt says.

We are also making sure that everyone puts stuff where it goes when they are done. This is another huge complaint from gym studies, and it’s just bad mojo. If you are strong enough add a plate to a bar or use the dumbells, you are strong enough to put them back. Leave the place better than when you found it. It’s your gym, have pride. Rules are important, gym etiquette is too. Look for an article soon on gym etiquette.

We are always trying to improve our services as well. With Muay Thai gone, we have decided to expand the Boxing program to offer you many more options for training at NO EXTRA COST!

TPS is doing many more things behind the scenes that you will see in the near future to make your membership experience even better every day. We take our commitment to you SERIOUSLY and we want to be Best of Boston every year. Let us know if we can do anything better.

Read on in the newsletter for some more special offerings from TPS for the month of December too.

Merry Christmas once again,

Murph

and

TeamTPS

"We should measure welfare's success by how many people leave welfare, not by how many are added.”

Ronald Reagan

Referral Contest

It’s time to announce the next TPS referral contest prize! For the month of January we will be giving away a FREE Kindle Fire HD to the member who refers us the most new members!

The Kindle Fire HD is Awesome. It is a tablet, an e book reader and more. I have a Kindle Fire and I wish I had the HD version. It is perfect of for doing tons of basic tasks that you would use a laptop for like email, web browsing, playing games, but it is also ideal for watching movies with it’s awesome HD display!

To win the Kindle simply refer members to TPS as you already do, and make sure that the Front Desk knows who you referred. WE will track all referrals and announce the winner in the second week of February. To qualify, memberships MUST be 6 month EFT or 1 year paid in full options.

Don’t forget, you will also be getting a free month added to your membership for each referral. You are winning in two ways! Free months and you could get an awesome new gadget!

We will announce the IPod winner for December next week! It could be you!

It’s not too late to register!

TPS camps and semi-private training groups run in 8 week blocks, but the calendar does not. We are adding a round of 4 week “mini” camps to our roster this year. Now you can continue to train with the BEST coaches through the difficult holiday season. We won’t leave you out in the cold with no training until January.

Beginning on December 3rd, we will launch our 4 week training groups to keep you in shape during the holidays. If you have not tried a camp or semi-private group, now is the time to do so. It’s only a month and if you love it, you can sign up for a full round in January. If you don’t, it’s only a month. Let’s be realistic here, most of our groups are repeat clients so I am sure you will LOVE it.

Camps are priced very affordably at:

$159 for 4 weeks for non-members

and

$129 for members: this is for twice weekly camps (Total Transformation, Womens Fitcamp and Olympic Weightlifting)

3 day per week semi-private training groups (531) are priced at

$229.00 for 4 weeks.

To register for any of the camps NOW, use the links below:

YOU MUST USE THE CODE "4 WEEKS" AT CHECKOUT

Olympic Weightlifting

Members register here: Add to Cart

Non-members register here: Add to Cart

Total Transformation

Members register here:Add to Cart

Non-members register here:Add to Cart

Womens Fitcamp:

Members register here: Add to Cart

Non-members register here: Add to Cart

Awesome Camp:

Members register here: Add to Cart

Non-members register here: Add to Cart

531 Training Group:

Register here: Add to Cart

Huge Discounts

TPS is offering our members a special discounted rate for all camps and semi-private personal training groups in December for the January round of camps. All camps and groups are offered at 10% off the regular rate if you register for the January round before December 15th!

Camps are priced at $272.00 for 8 weeks for members and are being offered at only $245.00 until December 15th. That’s almost $30.00 off.

Semi-private training groups are offered at $465.00 regular price and are now only $419.00 until December 15th. That’s almost $50.00 off the regular price.

You must register before December 15th to get these prices. Same great service, new low price. You MUST enter coupon coed "AWESOME" at checkout to get the discount.

TPS Gift Certificates are also on sale now. This is like getting free money. Purchase a TPS gift certificate in any amount now until December 24th and get 10% off. These gift certificates are good for ANY service TPS offers from personal training to on account drink purchases, massage and everything else.

Save some green and get them now! They are perfect Christmas presents for your friends and loved ones or for yourself!

Add to Cart

Boxing Updates:

As you may know, on December 1st, TPS is cancelling our Muay Thai program, but we are also EXPANDING our boxing program. We are adding new classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at no additional cost to our members. I know Coach Ed is excited about this and I hope you are too.

Effective December 1, 2012, our new Boxing schedule will be:

All classes are P.M.

Monday:

Boxing Beginner/Intermediate Class 6:30- 7:30

Boxing Advanced/Fighter’s Class 7:30-8:30

Tuesday:

Women’s ONLY boxing Class 6:00-7:00

Boxing All Levels Class 7:30- 8:30

Wednesday:

Boxing Beginner/Intermediate Class 6:30-7:30

Boxing Advanced/Fighter’s Class 7:30-8:30

Thursday:

Boxing Heavy Bag Class 6:30- 7:30

Boxing All Levels Class 7:30- 8:30

Friday:

Boxing All Levels 6:30-7:30

Sparring Class 7:30- 8:30

Please see the Boxing page for full class descriptions. We hope that you love our new schedule and try the classes out if you have not yet.

Sports Performance Camp

It’s time to announce the next round of Youth Sports Performance Camps. We have the schedule for Winter through Spring, and we are finalizing the Summer sessions now. Summer dates are subject to change depending on when school gets out.

Keep your child on the path to progress during the season. If your child's sports program does not have a strength and conditioning component, they are only getting half of the results they could be. Registering them in a well-run program is the BEST way to develop them into the athlete that they have the potential to be. Our camps are led by Strength and Conditioning specialist Jamie Smith who has a tremendous amount of experience working with athletes of all levels. Jamie was an assistant strength coach at the University of Connecticut before he arrived at TPS. They have an outstanding program at UCONN and Jamie was a crucial component of it. Jamie takes his experiences there and elsewhere and applies them to our program.

All Camps are 3 days per week from 3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m. and are priced at $465.00. You can save 10% by registering early for the Winter sessions before December 15th.

REGISTER HERE NOW

Winter Session

January 7, 2013-March 1,2013

Spring Session 1

March 4, 2013-April 26, 2013

Spring Session 2

March 29, 2013-June 21, 2013

Summer Session (tentative)

July 8, 2013-August 30, 2013

November 2102

Effective December 1, 2012:

Boxing Updates:

As you may know, on December 1st, TPS is cancelling our Muay Thai program, but we are also EXPANDING our boxing program. We are adding new classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at no additional cost to our members. I know Coach Ed is excited about this and I hope you are too.

Effective December 1, 2012, our new Boxing schedule will be:

All classes are P.M.

Monday:

Boxing Beginner/Intermediate Class 6:30- 7:30

Boxing Advanced/Fighter’s Class 7:30-8:30

Tuesday:

Women’s ONLY boxing Class 6:00-7:00

Boxing All Levels Class 7:30- 8:30

Wednesday:

Boxing Beginner/Intermediate Class 6:30-7:30

Boxing Advanced/Fighter’s Class 7:30-8:30

Thursday:

Boxing Heavy Bag Class 6:30- 7:30

Boxing All Levels Class 7:30- 8:30

Friday:

Boxing All Levels 6:30-7:30

Sparring Class 7:30- 8:30

Please see the Boxing page for full class descriptions. We hope that you love our new schedule and try the classes out if you have not yet.

We are sorry to all of our Muay Thai students. Thanks for your understanding.

NEW ARTICLES:

Mustache Files

How to Choose a Powerlifting Crew by Dave Kirschen

Made in America

Wow. Next month will mark the two-year anniversary of the move to our new location. Where does the time go? It seems like we just moved in a few weeks ago to me. This thought occurred to me the other day and it makes me realize that time is fleeting. Time is our enemy. We only have so much of it and we all waste it.

How many of you wish that you had more time to do things?

Time to work out, to see your friends, to spend with your kids or whatever you really like to do…

I have a solution for you. Put the smartphone or iPad down. Stop texting nonstop and for god’s sake, get off of Facebook. Think about how much time you WASTE every day doing nothing. Do you really need to be on Facebook for 3 hours and then say that you are tired of being fat? How about wishing that you saw your kids more? The solution is simple. Just do it. Get rid for the things in your life that prevent you from doing what you want. You will have more time. Time to get to the gym and lose the extra body fat that makes you unhappy, time to go to the park with your kids and throw the football or push them on the swing, time to learn how to play guitar or just time actually talking to someone instead of interacting with them over a piece of plastic.

Time is our enemy.

Time is finite.

When your time is up, will you look back and think that you lived each day to the fullest?

Will you wish that you spent more time with your kids? They won’t be kids for long you know. They only look at you like you are the greatest thing in the world for so long. Make the time NOW while they still do to enjoy it and make memories.

Will you look back and wish that you ran that marathon, or skied down that mountain, or made a run for that 1,000 pound squat? I won’t. I have wasted too much of my life on things that do not matter. No more. I am making a run at one of the things that I have always wanted to do since I was a kid, the 1,000 pound squat. I am also spending more time with my son.

I’m not preaching, just sharing something that dawned on me. Think about it, time is running out.

"Greatness is not in never falling, but in rising after the fall”

Rich Angelo

R11A 5K Run-Walk

Many of you may have read about the loss of one of my best friends, Rich Angelo, recently. Many of you knew him and know what a GREAT man he was. In his honor, Rich’s family has set up a 5K run that TPS is PROUD to be a sponsor of, the R11A5K.

Rich Angelo and MArty from Fitwerx

On Sunday, November 11, I will be getting out of bed extra early and heading to the race to show my support. The race is to benefit the Rich Angelo Athletic Scholarship Fund at Malden High School. Please join me and all of the athletes participating in the event that is in honor of one of the greatest men I have ever known. I hope to see you there.

Referral Contest

We just ran our very first referral contest at TPS. We gave away prizes to the member who referred the most people to one of our camps, like Total Transformation or Awesome Camp. The winner, Mike Broduer, got a new Kindle Fire HD. We also gave away prizes to the second place winner Roz Puleo.

Mike Brodeur accepting his FREE Kindle at Total PErformance Sport

This month we have another contest for you. You can get more than the prize, too! For the month of November, TPS is going to give away a new iPod Touch to the member who refers the most new members to the gym. To be included, your referral must sign up for a 6-month EFT, or a 1-year paid in full membership between November 1 and November 30, 2012. Whoever refers the most people wins an AWESOME, new iPod Touch.

But wait, you also get a free month for everyone that you refer, so you are winning in 2 ways. Look at it like this: you refer 4 of your friends, you get 4 free months here at TPS, PLUS you might win an iPod Touch.

Who is going to be the next winner?

December Camp Info

TPS camps and semi-private training groups run in 8-week blocks, but the calendar does not. We are adding a round of 4 week “mini” camps to our roster this year. Now you can continue to train with the BEST coaches through the difficult holiday season. We won’t leave you out in the cold with no training until January.

Beginning on December 3, we will launch our 4-week training groups to keep you in shape during the holidays. If you have not tried a camp or semi-private group, now is the time to do so. It’s only a month and if you love it, you can sign up for a full round in January. If you don’t, it’s only a month. Let’s be realistic here, most of our groups are full of repeat clients so I am sure you will LOVE it.

Camps are priced very affordably at:

$159 for 4 weeks for non-members

and

$129 for members: this is for twice weekly camps (Total Transformation, Womens Fitcamp and Olympic Weightlifting)

The 3 days-per-week, semi-private training groups (531, Awesome Camp) are priced at

$229.00 for 4 weeks.

STC Update

Specialized Training Consultants will be hosting a Basic Firearms Safety and Handling class on November 10 from 1:00p.m. to 5:00p.m. and again on December 1 from 1:00p.m to 5:00p.m. in the TPS classroom on the second floor.

For full details on the class and to register visit the STC page on our site.

NOTE: These classes are run and handled by STC and are not affiliated with TPS. You must contact them to register and for qualifications for attendance.

Master the bench press at TPS:

Our next bench press clinic with World Champion, Vincent Dizenzo of EliteFTS.com will be at TPS on Saturday November 3, 2012. These sessions are limited to 10 people and sell out regularly. As a matter of fact, this one is getting close to sold out now!

Many of you know Vincent from his seminars here at TPS and from EliteFTS.com, if you don’t, and you are interested in learning to bench press, get to know him this weekend. Vincent is one of the best bench press specialists in the world and he is a world class coach, too. He will teach everyone from beginners to high-level lifters how to bench better in these clinics.

For more details or to register, visit Vincent’s page on our site.

Huge announcement

TPS is teaming up with Rychlak Power Systems (RPS) to bring you Boston’s best powerlifting meet. This is our first time hosting a powerlifting meet in our history! We have waited because we wanted to bring you the best run meet anywhere.

Gene Rychlak, President of the RPS runs the best meets I have ever been to. They are fast, efficient and fun. After searching for the right people to partner with, RPS was a no brainer for us. TeamTPS regularly competes in RPS meets, so why not run one here?

We are bringing the RPS Power Challenge to Boston in October 2013. I will have full details on the date and location of the meet next month. I couldn’t wait until then to let you all know about it.

October 2012

NEW ARTICLES POSTED:

Training Young Athletes

Diesel Injection

Why You Should Take Creatine

Referral Contest

Attention TPS members! We are running our very first referral contest and you can win a free Kindle Fire HD. The Kindle Fire HD is AWESOME! It is the latest Kindle available and does some amazing things. It is an e-book reader, a tablet, a music player and it now has a camera so you can Skype!

Win a free Kindle Fire HD

TPS will be giving one away to the member who refers the most new clients for a camp or semi-private training group in October. We are also giving away a free massage with our own Jen Noyer to the second place winner and, to the third place winner, a huge discount on their next camp or group.

It’s a pretty simple contest. You refer a new client to any of our fitness camps or semi-private training groups, like NotCrosfit, 531 or Women’s Fitcamp, we track the referrals and then announce the winners! We will announce the winners in the 3rd week of October.

Next month we will be doing another referral contest for memberships with a new prize.

New Camps and a Schedule Change

Tuesday night’s advanced Kettlebell class will now be at 6:30 p.m. to accommodate requests for a later time. We hope this better suits your schedules.

It is almost time for the next round for TPS Camps and semi-private personal training groups to begin! October 8th is the first day for new groups. We have Total Transformation and 531 starting again, as well as NotCrossfit. On October 9th, we have Women’s Fitcamp and Olympic Weightlifting Camp beginning.

Training in a camp or a semi-private group is one of the best ways to attain your goals and we have something that fits your needs no matter what they are. Group/semi-private training is the least expensive way to get the highest level of coaching. Getting good coaching is just a smart decision. WE do all of the programming taking all of the guess work out of it for you. All you have to do is show up and work hard. You will see results!

To see which camp or training group is right for you, simply use the links above and read all about them.

We have another schedule change to our camps, too. Effective October 9th, Olympic Weightlifting Camp will be on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 8:00 p.m. This will be an all-level camp and is PERFECT for beginners and intermediate lifters. To register for any of the camps NOW, use the links below:

Olympic Weightlifting

Members register here: Add to Cart

Non-members register here: Add to Cart

Total Transformation

Members register here:Add to Cart

Non-members register here:Add to Cart

Womens Fitcamp:

Members register here: Add to Cart

Non-members register here: Add to Cart

Awesome Camp:

Members register here: Add to Cart

Non-members register here: Add to Cart

NotCrossfit:

Register Here: Add to Cart

531 Training Group:

Register here: Add to Cart

Master the bench press at TPS:

We will have the October date for you soon. Vincent’s schedule is JAMMED this month.

If you are not familiar with this clinic, once a month, World Record holder and all around good guy, Vincent Dizenzo comes to TPS to teach a group of 10 people the bench press. Vincent has broken so many records in the bench press that listing them would take five paragraphs. He knows a thing or two about the bench.

Vincent works with raw beginners to elite-level lifters in these clinics. If you are interested in learning how to do things right, this is an opportunity to learn from a master.

For more details or to register, visit Vincent’s page on our site. This will sell out, so don’t wait.

Seminar News:

Big Seminar 2

It’s time to announce the line-up for the biggest seminar TPS has run in years! On Saturday and Sunday March 23 and 24th TPS is bringing you some of the best coaches in the country.

Visit our Upcoming Seminars page for all the details.

September 2012:

NEW ARTICLES POSTED:

Simple, Not Easy

Made in America

Whew! August is over. While August is a slow month in the gym business it is a busy one for me and the crew at TPS. The Strongman contest takes over the back office for the last two weeks and almost nothing else gets done. That’s why the newsletter is so short this month.

Well, it is past now and we are back to business here. We will be busy working on the schedule for the fall and looking into new times for training groups and maybe more camps!

Oh wait, did I forget to mention that TPS was just named Best Gym in Boston on the Best of Boston list? That’s right. TPS always says we are the best, but now Boston magazine thinks so, too. I am very proud of this accomplishment, more so than winning 20 Best Gyms in America twice.

Why? Because it is great to be known nationally but, for a small business, it is much better to be known locally.

I would like to extend a huge thanks to all of the TeamTPS members who made this possible. Without the dedication and hard work of my staff we would not be where we are today. A few years ago, Dave Tate was being interviewed about EliteFTS.com and they asked how he does it. In a nutshell, he said it is not him that does it. It is his staff. EliteFTS had grown beyond Dave at point.

TPS is very much like them in many ways. It is a small company that one person started with a drive to be the best. The owner did EVERYTHING from paying the bills to cleaning the toilets to serving all of the customers. As the company grows, more people are added to the team. TPS has grown beyond just me. It is a team effort. Without my team, TPS would be nowhere. Thanks to everyone for all of their hard work, and thanks to all of our customers for being loyal and awesome.

"If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand."

Milton Friedman

TPS mentioned again:

You all must have heard about Sean Hyson’s blog by now, right? Sean is the editor of Men’s Fitness and a pretty smart guy. He just put a post on his blog about gyms you need to visit all over the USA. Guess who is in there?

Read it here

Olympic Lifting Seminar at Seacoast Kettlebell September 29, 2012!

Saturday September 29th TPS is taking it's sideshow on the road to Seacost Kettlebell in New Hampshire. We will be teaching a 4 hour Olympic Lifting seminar.

This seminar will be taught by Murph, Nikita Durnev and Vasily Polovnikov.

We will cover the basics of the Clean and Jerk and the Snatch as well as assistance exercises to build both lifts.

You do not need any experience to attend. If you have always wanted to attend a TPS seminar but thought they were too far away, here is your chance for New Hampshire residents!

Early registration price is $99.00 until August 31st.

After that is ti $149.00

Why pay more?

Register here now.

Master the bench press at TPS:

Our first bench press clinic with World Champion bench press artist, Vincent Dizenzo, went very well. We had a great group of lifters show up and learn how to add pounds to their bench from Vincent. You can be in the next group!

On Saturday September 22nd, Vincent Dizenzo will be back at TPS coaching lifters in his specialty, the bench press. Vincent will work with beginners, advanced lifters, raw lifters and geared lifters. All he asks is that you show up and work hard. He will bring the best out of you.

I have said frequently that the reason that I know what little I do about strength training is that I sought out the best athletes and coaches in the world to teach me personally how to get better. Now, I bring them here to TPS to teach you. Having the ability to learn hands-on from a master is priceless. Vincent is a master at his discipline. If you are serious about being your best, do not let this opportunity get by you. Vincent benches more than most STRONG men squat; you WILL learn a thing or three from him.

For more details or to register, visit Vincent’s page on our site.

Media Assault

Keep your eye on Men’s Fitness, Murph just wrote a few killer workouts that will be featured in upcoming issues. They will be focused on time efficiency and fat loss. Quick, productive and not boring. What else can you ask for?

August 2012:

NEW August 13, 2012

Olympic Lifting Seminar at Seacoast Kettlebell September 29, 2012!

Saturday September 29th TPS is taking it's sideshow on the road to Seacost Kettlebell in New Hampshire. We will be teaching a 4 hour Olympic Lifting seminar.

This seminar will be taught by Murph, Nikita Durnev and Vasily Polovnikov.

We will cover the basics of the Clean and Jerk and the Snatch as well as assistance exercises to build both lifts.

You do not need any experience to attend. If you have always wanted to attend a TPS seminar but thought they were too far away, here is your chance for New Hampshire residents!

Early registration price is $99.00 until August 31st.

After that is ti $149.00

Why pay more?

Register here now.

NEW ARTICLES UP:

Superfood of the Month

August has arrived and you know what that means! The TPS Strongman contest is this month. You can read more about that later in this issue.

I’d like to talk about organizing your training this month. Do you come into the gym with a plan? Do you train correctly for your goals? If you do have a plan, is it the right plan for you?

Let’s look at planning first. If you don’t have a plan, you are planning to fail. I didn’t make that up, I just paraphrased it, poorly.

Training is no different than anything else. It needs to be planned. How much is up to you. I like to have my plan written out for several weeks with a long term goal in mind. I do not like to write out specifics of my plan too far in advance because things can change. You could find that what you are doing needs to be tweaked, or it does not fit with your schedule or a thousand other things. Writing your training for blocks of 3 to 10 weeks is a good idea. It is not too long that you waste a lot of time in the writing stages and it gives you a good amount of time to just get in the gym and get your work done. Make sure that if you do write your blocks out in short phases that you have a longer-term plan and don’t just jump around doing different things for the sake of variety.

You need a long term goal to be able to do this— it doesn’t matter what it is. Your goal could be to squat 700 pounds or press 30 pound dumbells for 15 reps. It could be to lose 25 pounds of fat or to fit into a pair of jeans 2 sizes smaller. Just have a goal. When you make your plan, set it up for success with small, attainable milestone goals. I have written about goal setting countless times so I won’t get into it here.

Not having a plan for your training or not having a goal, or even having a very vague goal, is the worst way to achieve success. You’ll be the person just wandering around the gym not knowing what to do, or worse, quitting because you did not make any progress.

How about training correctly for your goals? I can’t tell you how many times that I have had a conversation like this and heard it in consultations for clients. Most people do not know how to train to achieve their goals. It is not their fault. This spreads from the general population, to people that read fitness magazines to medical professionals giving fitness advice. Bad training ideas are everywhere.

The media and the medical community have the WORLD convinced that cardio is that best way to achieve all of your goals. I’m here to tell you they are WRONG.

For almost 100% of the population, 100% of the time, strength training is the most important part of reaching their goals. Strength training does not necessarily mean doing the things that strongmen and powerlifters do. It means training in a manner to increase your strength for the goal that you have. I have also written about this many times, but I’ll review it quickly.

Cardiovascular training such as running, using the elliptical or bike, has its place and needs to be included. How much is dependent on your goals. If you want to run a marathon, or do a triathlon, you need a lot of it. If you do not, you don’t need much. When we exercise, we want to burn calories and raise our metabolism so it burns calories for a long time after the workout. Burning calories post workout is called EPOC. Cardiovascular training does neither of these very well.

You can burn the same amount of calories as a 1600 meter run by drinking ice cold water. Cardiovascular training does little to increase EPOC as well. What this means is that when you are running, riding a bike or using the elliptical, as soon as you are done, the “afterburn” pretty much stops. When you strength train correctly the “afterburn” continues for many hours, even days.

For most people, a properly planned strength training program, paired with correct cardiovascular training produces the best results. The results are dictated by the goal and the plan implemented to achieve it.

Don’t worry if you do not know what to do to achieve your goal. That is why we are here. Talk to one of our coaches, set up some training, take a class and learn how to do things right. At TPS, we want you to achieve your goals and we are here to help.

Good luck.

“Knowing what's right doesn't mean much unless you do what's right.”

Theodore Roosevelt

StrongWoman Saturday

On August 4th, TPS and the N.E.W.S. (New England Women of Strength) will be training with Eric Dawson at TPS. If you haven’t heard about N.E.W.S., they are a local group of STRONG ladies who have joined together to form an online community and they asked TPS to host a Strongwoman day just for them. So, on August 4th at 12:00 noon, Eric Dawson will be leading some of the strongest ladies in New England through a training session. This will be run just like Strongman Saturday, except it’s all women.

Events of the day are Super Yoke and Atlas Stones. If you are already familiar with these events and need to fine-tune your skill, this is the perfect opportunity to get better. If you are brand new to this type of training, it is also the perfect opportunity. Get down to TPS and learn how to get STRONGER with a group of like-minded ladies.

Ladies, join us on the 4th!

Held Over! Free E-book from Sean Hyson

My very good friend Sean Hyson, editor at Men’s Fitness has just written a new E -book full of reviews of the most popular training programs in the industry today.

Sean will give you his unbiased opinion on each one. His opinion is an educated one as he has access to the best coaches in the industry and is also an N.S.C.A. certified coach. Did I mention it’s free? He doesn’t even require you to give an email address; just click the link, download and read.

I love free stuff, especially good free stuff. This is great.

Get it here.

New Training Groups Begin This Month

OK, there is a lot of NEW stuff in this section, so much so, that I needed to change a ton of the website! Starting this month we have a new round of Olympic lifting, Total Transformation, Women’s Fitcamps and Awesome camp beginning as well as 2 brand new ones. I have said this before and I’ll say it again: if you want to make optimal progress towards your fitness goals, camps are the most cost effective way to do it.

Let’s face it, personal training is expensive. There is a reason for it, though. A great personal trainer has taken years to develop their skills to give you results. I have used the “doctor” analogy many times before in conversation. A doctor goes to school for about a hundred years and does lengthy internships to be their best. A great personal trainer isn’t too much different than a doctor when you consider the amount of time they have spent perfecting their craft. They have years of commitment and study under their belts to be the best. I’m not saying that we are in the same class as someone with an MD, but I am saying that it takes a long time to be great at something, and all of my coaches are great. Being great comes with a price and that is their fee. A great coach deserves to earn a living from what they do just as anyone else that has spent years perfecting their career skills.

This is why we offer group training. Group training is much less expensive for the people partaking in it. You still get the same level of excellence form the coach, just at a wildly reduced cost to you. In that spirit, we are moving away from one- on-one personal training. We are now offering semi-private personal training, including some new specialized groups in addition to the camps we already offer, at an extremely reduced rate from the on-on-one in group settings.

We will have 2 groups initially: one for 531 and one for extreme fitness. These new groups will meet three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday to begin, and will be priced at $465.00 for 8 weeks. That is less than $20.00 per session. Groups will be limited to 5 people per coach to ensure individual attention to all.

The first group has been talked about already and it is the 531 training group. Jim Wender’s 531 training system has taken the world by storm and for good reason. It is simple, effective and it works. 531 is based around the squat, bench press, deadlift, overhead press and power clean. It works off of simple arithmetic. By using percentages of a one-rep max and keeping the work to the minimum amount necessary, you make constant progress. The problem is that many people just don’t know how to do the lifts and they are not sure how to choose assistance work.

TPS’s 531 group is approved by Jim himself. I asked for permission and Jim said that he would be honored to have us be the representatives for a camp using his system and gave us permission to use his 531 name in it. That is high praise from Jim. If you know him, you know what I mean. 531 camps will be run on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings to start. They will be priced the same as semi-private personal training. Groups are limited to 5 people per coach just like the semi-private training.

The second new group is also new to TPS, NotCrossfit. WE tried to think of an AWESOME name, but this stuck with us. It’s not Crossfit, but it is AWESOME. It is for those looking for extreme fitness and is not for the timid.

You have all heard of Crossfit right? Well, you might also know that I am not the biggest fan of the way they program workouts because they don’t. They use random workouts all the time and a lot of injury occurs from the volume and intensity being too high. They are also VERY expensive and frequently have questionable “instructors.”

I have had countless people tell me that Crossfit is ripping TPS off, especially a few years ago when it started to become better known. What they meant was that Crossfit is using a template, to the untrained eye, that looks like what TPS became known for. They are not ripping me off; they are just doing very hard workouts. The difference between what we will be doing and what Crossfit does is that our programs will be programmed for athletes of different skill and fitness levels to make progress without getting injured. Remember, training should be hard, but not impossible. You should not get injured from it and you should look forward to it. You should also be able to walk the next day.

Our program will be based around the Power Clean, the Power Snatch, Squat, Press and Deadlift. We will use these basic barbell lifts along with bodyweight exercises, well-chosen assistance exercises, and conditioning programs that will not give you Rhabdomyosis (unlike Crossfit). We will also have a QUALIFIED Olympic lifting EXPERT teaching you the Olympic lifts (unlike many Crossfits).

Both groups will meet on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings initially and we expect to add more as it grows.

If the new groups or the existing camps don’t work for you, but you’d still like to take advantage of group training, let us know. If you have friends with similar goals , interests, and schedules, great! If not, let us know anyway and we’ll try to match you up with others looking for the same thing.

I expect that the initial groups will fill up right away. If you have been considering personal training, now is the BEST time to jump in.

Register for the group of your choice below.

Training Day:

The next TPS Training Day is set for September 21st. We are squatting again. Due to the Strongman contest, we will not be having a Training Day in August.

The Squat. What can I say that has not already been said? It is the KING of ALL exercises and I’ll bet that you are not doing it right if you are doing it at all. Forget all the bogus crap that you might have heard or read about it being bad for your knees and back. When done right, it is the FOUNDATION of all good exercise programs. If you are not squatting, you are not training.

Come to TPS and let us dispel all of the myths and misinformation about how to squat properly. When Squats are done correctly they:

-Strengthen your whole body including knees and back

-build muscle

-make you faster

-make you stronger on all of your other lifts and in daily life

-build intestinal fortitude

-allow your body to burn fat easier by increasing your metabolism

and so much more that I could write a book on it.

If you are a powerlifter, bring your gear and get ready to set a new PR. If you have never squatted, come and learn how and you can also watch the barnyard animals lift huge weights. Don’t be intimidated by them. They are all really friendly.

Beginners to advanced lifters are all welcome. Bring your friends, even if they train somewhere else! You do not need to be a member to attend.

Register online here

July 2012

The latest N.E.W.S.

TPS is adding another Strongman Saturday thanks to Gina Melnik and the N.E.W.S. (New England Women of Strength). This one is just for women.

If you haven’t heard about N.E.W.S., they are a local group of STRONG ladies who have joined together to form an online community and they asked TPS to host a Strongwoman day just for them. So, on August 4th at 12:00 noon, Eric Dawson will be leading some of the strongest ladies in New England through a training session. This will be run just like Strongman Saturday except it’s all women. .

Events of the day are Super Yoke and Atlas Stones. If you are already familiar with these events and need to fine tune your skill, this is the perfect opportunity to get better. If you are brand new to this type of training, it is also the perfect opportunity. Get down to TPS and learn how to get STRONGER with a group of like-minded ladies. .

Cost is $20.00 for the day and you can register now online or the day of the session at the Front Desk. .

We hope to see you here rain or shine. Events are subject to change due to weather.

NEW ARTICLES:

Made In America

Top 10 Reasons To Train AT TPS

Diesel Injection

Here is a GREAT post form Sean Hyson.

Starting your own Gym

How to steal clients

Help out some deserving athletes

It seems there is something fishy going on in the Track and Field world. I was told of this by TPS member and great athlete, Deirdre Murphy. Her brother was affected by a recent ruling not to allow certain Irish athletes to compete even though they already qualified. Read more from Deirdre here:

“Basically what happened is Brian got the qualification mark for the European championships but because Brian was called up to the 4x4 relay in Barcelona a couple of years ago for the European championships (despite our top two runners--who get lots of lovely funding from our federation--went home before the race) he is no longer considered a developmental athlete. If you are not a developmental athlete then you have to get a qualification mark that is harder than the European standard. Makes sense for a small country, right?

The guy responsible for this is Kevin Ankrom. He was the NZ head of high performance before taking the same position in Ireland for our federation, the AAI. I didn't realize until recently he is living here in Illinois, if LinkedIn is to be believed.

I posted about it on Facebook to my friends:

Getting a qualification mark for a major international track and field championship is like winning the lottery for an athlete (and his/her family and friends). It is a momentous occasion that is the culmination of years of hard work and determination. My brother qualified for the 400m at the European Athletics Championship this year in Helsinki, without ever getting any support or funding from the High Performance unit of AAI. Kevin Ankrom, the new High Performance director, has now bizarrely decided that getting the European Qualification standard is not enough and will not permit him to run in the 400m for no good reason.

Please take a moment to show your support for athletes everywhere who work day in and day out to get the qualification marks that should permit them to compete and not office politics that have no place on the track, isn't that why standards were created in the first place anyway? “

You can show your support by visiting their Facebook page and “liking” it.

You can read more here.

Free E-book from Sean Hyson

My very good friend Sean Hyson, editor at Men’s Fitness has just written a new E -book full of reviews of the most popular training programs in the industry today.

Sean will give you his unbiased opinion on each one. His opinion is an educated one as he has access to the best coaches in the industry and is also an N.S.C.A. certified coach. Did I mention it’s free? He doesn’t even require you to give an email address; just click the link, download and read.

I love free stuff, especially good free stuff. This is great.

Get it here.

New Strength and Conditioning Camps

It’s almost time for our second round of summer Strength and Conditioning camps for high school-aged athletes to begin. July 3rd is the date for round 2 of summer camps.

Camps have been growing steadily and we hope this one will too! Coach Jamie is doing a great job of getting the kids in shape for the fall season. Do you want your child to be the best that they can be? Of course you do.

What can you as a parent do to ensure that they are faster, stronger, more agile, better conditioned and more resistant to injury on the field? You can register them for the TPS Summer Strength Camp.

For full details on our camps, please see the Upcoming Camps page.

New Feature:

TPS is always striving to bring you the best in the fitness industry and this new feature entitled “Strong and Sexy: Nutrition and Training for Performance and Aesthetics” by Molly Galbraith is no exception.

Molly Galbraith

I have known who Molly is for quite some time and I got the chance to meet here when we both presented at the 2012 EliteFTS.com’s Learn to Train seminar. I was very impressed with Molly’s ability to present a lot of complex information in a simple format as well as her ability to get a large group of people moving through her chosen exercises quickly and efficiently.

I spent a lot of time with Molly, Dave Kirschen, Josh Bryant and Harry Selkow while I was there. They are all first class in my book. Back to Molly.

Here is a little information about her:

Molly Galbraith is a highly sought-after nutrition and training expert from Lexington, Kentucky. After graduating at the top of her MBA class at age 22, she put her business savvy and passion for all things nutrition and training to work and started 3 separate fitness businesses.

She is a strength coach and co-owner of J&M Strength and Conditioning, a rapidly expanding, private studio gym in her hometown that’s quickly becoming THE place to go for athletes and the general public alike. She is also co-owner of Red Point Fitness, a one-of-a-kind revolutionary website that builds customized nutrition and training programs for their clients. Finally, she is a co-founder of Girls Gone Strong, THE authority on women’s fitness.

Molly has competed in both Figure and Raw Powerlifting. Her best lifts include a 275 lb. squat, a 165 lb. bench, and a 341 lb. deadlift, and she is on her way to achieve her first raw elite total in the 165 weight class this year.

Molly Galbraith Squatting

This is just scratching the surface of Molly’s accomplishments. What does this mean to you? Well, I have spoken with her and she is excited to contribute a monthly feature to the TPS newsletter. Each month, she will answer a readers question or two and give it to you straight. No BS here. It’s all buff, no fluff as Greg would say.

Readers, get to work with your questions and reply back to the newsletter with them. Please make sure to tell me that they are for Molly and she will pick one or two each month and give you the answer. It might not be what you want to hear, but it will be correct.

Read This:

June 2012

NEW ARTICLES :

Simple, not easy

The Mustache Files