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UNLOCKYourStrength:

100 keysTo Improving Your

Workouts & Your Life

Eugene Thong, C.S.C.S.

Christopher Warden, C.S.C.S.

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Copyright 2008 ETF Wellness Corp. & Fifth Power Fitness

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted inany form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the permission of

the copyright holder.

All inquiries should be addressed to:

ETF Wellness Corp. www.etfwellness.com

Fifth Power Fitness www.christopherwarden.com

This book was designed and produced by

Sairalyns Studio

www.sairalyn.com

Co-AuthorEugene Thong, C.S.C.S

Co-AuthorChristopher Warden, C.S.C.S

Ben Goode

Bill Casey

Cristian George

Ardelean

Diego Cervo

Dusan Zutinic

E. A. Saab

Eugene Thong

Fredrick Chestnut

Gabriel Moisa

Galina Barskaya

Graa Victoria

Hasan Shaheed

Henri Caroline

Jackie Foster

Jakub Cejpek

Jason Fong

Jeff Crow

Jesper Noer

Jostein Hauge

Joy Fera

Laurin Rinder

Mark Stout

Martin Allinger

Marzanna Syncerz

Maxim Malevich

Mikael Damkier

Miodrag Gajic

Nicholas Sutcliffe

Olafs Danne

Orlando Rosu

Phil Date

Rachel Sellers

Robert Byron

Ronald Hudson

Sairalyn Ansano

Thong

Scott Rothstein

Sean Nel

Sergey

Pristyazhnyuk

Shae Cardenas

Shelby Armbruster

Suzanne Tucker

Tan Wei Ming

Tom Schmucker

Toni Rsnen

Vladislav Gansovsky

Yuri Arcurs

Yurok

Aleksandrovich

Photographers

c/o bigstockphoto.com

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UNLOCK YOUR STRENGTH: 100 KEYSThanks for reading this book. We hope that theinformation it contains will be as helpful to you as it hasbeen to the two of us, the hundreds of clients wevepersonally trained and instructed, and the countlessother trainers, gym-goers, and movement-orientedhuman beings with whom weve been fortunate enoughto be able to assist in their goal-achieving.

To help you navigate the book, here are a few points

about the structure and information given:

The book is separated into two halves: Body and Mind.

Mind: So much of exercise is a mental game; withyourself; with the weights; with the other 98% of yourlife. It seemed remiss to merely address the physicalaspect of attaining physical excellence when so much ofyour success hinges on your ability to keep on keepingon, no matter what.

Body: It is said that plans are the vehicle that transportyou from dream to realization. With the swarm ofmisinformation, myth, and outright wrong advice,its hard to separate tness fact from ction. Ourmusings on Body are based on science as our guide andpractical application as our testing laboratory.

You could read this book cover to cover, but thats

certainly not the only way to enjoy it. Take it in your

hands. Open it up. Let the pages fall as they may.

And use the information on that random page during

your evening meal that very day. Or let yourself be

energized by implementing a novel mental strategy.

Or get right up and start doing the workout that very

minute. Let us use our expertise in unlocking your

inner excellence and help you build yourself up into the

best inner and outer shape of your life.

Thanks for letting us guide you in your journey.

CONTENTS

Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 001

Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 055

About the Authors

General Index

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004Eat your vegetables.

Yes, we know youve heard these words for years, but are you heeding the advice and getting the suggested

minimum of 5-7 daily portions? In addition to supplying a healthy, natural source of carbohydrates, fruits and

vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals that are vital to many life processes including:

Removal of free radicals (which can cause cell damage and lead to diseases, such as cancer)

Strengthening of the immune system

Optimal energy release from the carbohydrates, protein and fat that youve consumed

Furthermore, the high ber and nutrient content in these foods promotes satiety (a feeling of fullness and

satisfaction), thus suppressing hunger pangs and preventing ill-advised eating habits.

Did you know?

See that subtle color change in the water thats cooking your vegetables? That color contains vital nutrients that

are being removed by the boiling process. Dont reduce the nutritional value of those veggies by overcooking them.

Consume raw or lightly steamed vegetables for highest quality nourishment.

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Helpful Hints . . .

A quick but punishing workout focusing on fat loss:Perform a circuit of: Squat, Seated Row, and Bench Press.

All exercises should be done at 70%RM for 10 reps each. Tempo: 303, with minimal rest between exercises.

Repeat twice, resting 1 minute between circuits.

Follow with a GXP: 5 minutes at 80% max HR, 5 mins at 85% max HR, 3 mins cool down at 60% max HR.

Enjoy the increase in metabolism that follows soon thereafter.

If, due to the demands of your sport or your exercise goals, your workouts call for both strength training and

cardio on the same day, perform the strength training rst. Studies on exercise show that if you perform cardio

before strength training, you will have a larger decrease in performance (6-7%) than if you were to perform

strength training before cardio (1%). In other words, cardio hurts your efforts in the weight room, but your

efforts in the weight room dont greatly impact your cardio. Additionally, if your goal is weight loss, there is some

anecdotal evidence (and a supporting theory) that performing cardiovascular exercise following a strength training

bout increases fat metabolism.

Put your strength training frst.

008

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Did you know?

How does your grip size up? Compare yourself to these mighty feats:

Hermann Goerner performed a one handed deadlift of 734.5 lbs in 1920.

The mighty Canadian Louis Cyr completed a one nger lift of 553 lbs.

Joseph The Mighty Atom Greenstein bent railroad spikes into a U shape with his bare hands.

Many of the most productive strength training exercises have the forearms and hands as the weak point (e.g.,

chin-ups, deadlifts). Without a strong grip, you may be selling yourself short on these exercises. Additionally, having

a strong grip can help in the most mundane of daily living activities, from gardening to opening jars to lugging your

groceries home. Many sports emphasize quick, powerful movements of the wrist and hands, or require the athlete

to post or stabilize against a resistance using the hands and wrist. Strengthening the hands and wrist through

appropriate grip training can greatly reduce the risk of developing both acute and overuse injuries for both the

athlete and the non-athlete.

The most basic of grip exercises is the static hold. Load up a barbell with a challenging weight, grip it rmly with a

pronated (palms facing you) grip, and pick it up and hold it. Try to hang on for 30 seconds. If your grip gives out

and you need to set the barbell back down before the 30 seconds are up, note the time you held it and try to beat

that time in your next workout. If you manage to hold on for longer than 30 seconds before needing to put the

weight down, add a little weight to the bar in your next workout.

Work your grip.

012

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Did you know?

Studies show that eating breakfast increases problem-solving skills, short term memory and awareness, yet only an

estimated 54% of Americans under age 55 eat this meal.

016Eat Breakfast.

Its 6 a.m. and you havent eaten since 7:30 the night before. In essence, your body has been fasting for 10.5 hours,

almost half-a-daydont even think about skipping this meal! Doing so only serves to put your body in a stressed

state, leaving you vulnerable to fatigue and muscle tissue breakdown. Do as the name implies,break your fast,and

give yourself fuel that will kick start your metabolism, nurture your body and catapult you into the day.

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020Train your body in balance.

Ever seen a person in the gym with a gargantuan upper body and tiny chicken legs? Or a lifter with well developed

pecs and upper arms, but lacking correlating bulk in the back muscles? Training without considering muscle

balance not only leads to a lack of symmetry in the aesthetic sense, it also encourages strength imbalance and joint

problems. When strengthening your body, always consider training it in balance from top to bottom, front to back

and left to right; youll not only look better, but youll probably function better too.

Helpful Hints . . .

Treat yourself to a massage! Even if you concentrate on balancing your strength training, muscle imbalances can

still develop without properly maintaining exibility and joint mobility. Cant afford a quality masseuse? Try self-

massage and roll yourself on a foam roller or a tennis ball to iron out the knots in your muscles. Youll increase

exibility while reducing your chance for injury.

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024Eat food, not powder.

Hands down, the tness question clients, friends, and gym-goers ask most frequently is, What should I eat?

Consume whole, non-denatured foods, emphasizing fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, eggs, nuts and seeds, and good

fat sources (such as avocado, olive oil, and butter). Attempt to rid yourself of the mentality of Supplement XYZ

will get me to my goals, or I cant lose fat unless I take V. Supplements are just that; a supplement to what should

be an already good diet.

Did you know?

Whole, raw foods are best for you in just about all cases. For example, manufactured fats like those found inmargarine (trans fatty acids) have been proven to be far more deleterious to your health than the saturated fat

found in butter (which actually helps you absorb vitamins and nutrients from foods, especially veggies). Similarly,

we get the majority of the benet from foods if we leave them whole. An egg without the yolk may have no

cholesterol (which your body needs, by the way), but also no lutein, and less than half the protein! If foods provided

by nature were really so bad for us, wouldnt the human race (and all other animal species, for that matter) have

died off by now?

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Consider unilateral training for the arms

and legs.

028On single-joint movements, consider performing exercises for each side one at a time i.e., single-arm biceps curl,

single-leg hamstring curl, etc. In addition to adding variety to the workout, unilateral training may help to promote

equal strength and size development for both limbs. Two caveats: 1) Allow the weaker side to lead perform no

more work than the weaker side can manage, so as not to exaggerate any strength/size discrepancies, and 2) Do

not perform unilateral training for exercises that load the spine (e.g., squat, overhead press), as they carry a higher

potential for injury.

Did you know?

Lillian Leitzel (the rst inductee to the Circus Hall of Fame) performed 27 consecutive pullups with her right arm

and 19 with her left while hanging from a bar in Philadelphia in 1918.

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If you happen to sustain an injury, remember

the acronym RICE.

032Rest Ice Compression Elevation. By performing these steps close to the time of injury, you can hasten

recovery and shorten the amount of time out of action. First, rest the joint dont test it! If there is any swelling

or pain present, ice the affected area for no longer than 20 minutes, and do not apply the ice directly to the skin.

Compress the injured area with an Ace bandage or wrap to prevent further swelling. Finally, elevate the injured

area approximately 6 inches above the heart to hasten lymphatic drainage and to reduce swelling.

In the days following the injury, consider getting yourself to a doctor, particularly if you suspect some major damagehas occurred. Telltale signs of a major injury are extensive bruising and/or swelling, intense pain or numbness/

tingling, and symptoms that linger or get worse. From there, focus rst on getting back to 100%, because you cant

train effectively if youre hurt!

Did you know?

Death is natures way of telling you to slow down.

Dick Sharples

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036Time your exercise not in the sense of

how long, but when.

Your body has a natural Circadian rhythm, where at certain times of the day your energy is at its highest. Tap into

your natural biorhythm and utilize it to your greatest benet. Morning person? Have your workout in the morning.

Night owl? Work out in the evening. By following your Circadian rhythm, your workouts will be many times more

productive, youll be more motivated, and all will be well in the universe.

Did you know?

According to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, scientists have found that athletes

performances peak in the late afternoon, when strength, body temperature, and exibility peak. Incidentally, pain

tolerance peaks in the late afternoon as well.

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040Know when to hold em, know when to

fold em.

You may benet on strength training exercises by performing an isometric (static) hold at the completion of the

positive (lifting phase) movement, since it causes your muscles to work harder. Performing an isometric hold

in most single-joint exercises (e.g., leg extension, leg curl, biceps curl, lateral raise) is recommended, since your

muscle is working harder to hold the weight at the top of the positive phase. Performing an isometric hold in most

multi-joint exercises (e.g., squat, deadlift, bench press, dips) is NOT recommended, since your muscles are almost

completely unloaded at the top of the positive phase; i.e., you are making the exercise easier, rather than harder.

The exception to this rule is any type of row, as it is a multi-joint movement made harder by holding the weight atthe top.

Did you know?

Isometrics may also be benecial for those who have severe joint degeneration and cannot safely move through

even a partial range of motion without pain. By contracting their muscles in a pain-free position, joint pain sufferers

may derive the benets of strength training without pain.

Find the position you can hold without pain and contract against some immovable object (a wall, a door, your

hands) in that position for up to 30 seconds. Repeat for up to 5 total repetitions.

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044Use the cage the power rack, that is.

A staple among weightlifters training aids is the humble power rack. Its primary function is to serve as a spotter

when you are training alone. Utilize this unappreciated tool for bench presses, squats, shoulder pressing any

exercise that you could benet by having a spotter on; just set the spotting pins to the appropriate bottom of the

range of motion you wish to perform. In addition to full range movements, the cage can also be utilized to perform

partial repetitions using heavier weights for a shorter range of motion.

Helpful Hints . . .

For a real challenge, try doing rock-bottom squats in the cage:

Set up the spotter pins to the appropriate height. They should catch the bar when your knees are bent1.

approximately 90 degrees.

Setting the bar on the spotter racks, load an appropriate weight.2.

Position yourself underneath the bar, placing it across your trapezius. You should be in the bottom position of3.

the squat, feet placed shoulder-width, toes slightly out.

Perform reps of the squat, being sure to touch the bar to the spotter pins with each rep, pausing briey at the4.

bottom. Curse out the authors of this book.

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048Shut off your trigger points.

Trigger points are tender, lumpy spots in the muscle tissue that cause referred pain (pain in areas of the body other

than where the point is located). For example, pressing on a trigger point in your trapezius muscle may cause a

painful sensation that travels up the side of your neck and into your temple region this is an indication it is an

active trigger point. It is important to deactivate trigger points, not only because the pain they cause can be quite

unpleasant, but because their presence may inhibit normal range of motion and muscle force (due to inability to

fully contract/relax the muscle ber).

Helpful Hints . . .

To deactivate trigger points, rst locate them by identifying tender lumps within your muscles that cause pain (theback and shoulders are great places to look). They should feel like little marbles inside the muscle tissue. Next,

use moderate nger pressure and press down directly on the center of the trigger point use pressure judiciously

here, as pushing a trigger point may be quite painful! Press down and hold on the trigger point for approximately

10 seconds, pushing gradually to the greatest amount of pressure/pain you can stand without tensing the muscle,

then release it. Move on to another one and repeat the process. Cycle through your trigger points several times

this way, and you may nd yourself rewarded with less pain and greater movement over time.

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Did you know?

Creatine supplements are touted as one way to allow the user to work harder for a longer time period. The

molecule in question, creatine phosphate, works in the body by replenishing ATP in the muscle cells faster, giving the

athlete more available energy. Unfortunately, taking creatine supplements does not seem to accelerate this process;

however, studies do show a measurable increase in strength and power generation with creatine supplementation.

This is probably due to increased leverage and mechanical efciency of the muscle cells as a result of retained uid.

052Give it a rest, but just a little one.

Physiologically speaking, you only need between 60-90 seconds between successive sets of an exercise to recover

for the next bout. Heres the science of it: ATP is the currency of energy in the human body. When you perform

an exercise set, you use up ATP in the muscle tissue. It takes roughly 60-90 seconds for your mitochondria to

regenerate 90-95% of the ATP you used up in the work bout. The other 5-10% will not be recovered for up to 48

hours post-exercise. So any waiting around you do past 90 seconds is purely psychological. While theres nothing

wrong with making sure your intent and motivation remain strong for each and every exercise bout, know that if

you are ready, a minute or so is all you need.

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056Leave your troubles at the door so your trip

to the gym is more effective.

Even when your mind is racing and you are having an emotionally or mentally draining day, nd a way to channel

your energy into the workout. Sure, itd be great if the stressors of the day automatically washed away the

instant you passed through the gyms welcoming doors. But when they wont, if you cant translate your stress into

constructive work output, your entire trip might end up feeling wasted. So, do your children have you drained?

Take a revitalizing yoga class and pour your heart into your poses. Trafc got you feeling competitive? Compete

against the weights as they issue the you cant move me challenge. Use your unwanted stressors to fuel your

workout rather than take away from it.

Did you know?

Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so.

Shakespeare

Challenges can be stepping stones or stumbling blocks. Its just a matter of how you view them.

Unknown

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060Visualize.

Prior to beginning an exercise bout or set, take a moment to see your successful performance in your minds eye.

You can perform better if you see yourself doing the movement beforehand it can help you focus on form and

technique, and sidestep any fears or misgivings about the movement or exercise you may have. Put the power of

visualization to use for you and it just might add that extra boost to your workouts that youve needed.

The power of visualization to improve athletic performance is well-documented in scientic literature. One study

comparing basketball players looking to improve free-throw accuracy found that players using visualization alone

experienced nearly as much improvement as those who actually practiced the skill (23% improvement vs. 24%

improvement).

Helpful Hints . . .

An exercise for the now:

Visualize your perfect body. Try to mentally express it in as much detail as possible. See the way your arms look,

note the denition in your abdominals, feel how strong your legs are. Picture the clothes that you would wear

(perhaps something that is already hanging in your closet on your skinny rack). The clearer you make this mental

picture, the more you will train your subconscious mind to help you on the road to success, and the easier it will

be for you to stay the course.

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064Get a coach.

The best athletes in the world have coaches, not because the coaches are better than the athlete at what they

do, but because a coach can help them by providing a fresh set of eyes. The coach sees what the athlete is doing

from an impartial third-party viewpoint, corrects things in the athletes game, suggests different approaches and

solutions, and assists in moment-to-moment feedback and ne-tuning. A coach can help the athlete with improving

all aspects of his game, so the athlete need only concentrate on what matters most delivering the best possible

performance. If having a coach is good enough for the best in the world, isnt it good enough for you?

We all require different levels of guidance and hand-holding. Its best to seek out a coach who is qualied andexperienced enough to teach the skills and strategies you need, and whose personality and teaching style resonates

best with your own.

Did you know?

A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.

John Wooden

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068Develop fortitude.

Even the most motivated trainee with the most well-designed training program and the best coach will encounter

obstacles over time. There will be plenty of days where youd rather stay in bed than run to the gym. Youll have

stressful work days that will provoke you to go straight home from the ofce as opposed to meeting your trainer

for the scheduled 6pm workout time. You will make gains over time, but sometimes progress will be painfully slow.

Be mentally tough and nish what you start through good times and bad. Its your stick-to-it-iveness that will

pull you through the tough times and leave you happily reecting over a long, consistent, successful tness journey.

Did you know?

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful

men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of

educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

Calvin Coolidge

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072Think long-term.

In our culture of immediate gratication and I want it and I want it yesterday mentality, not enough emphasis is

placed on long-term, steady progression as it applies to strength training. Instead of trying to blow the lid off of

your old personal bests, try micro-loading. Steadily adding resistance a pound or two at a time can help you milk

your gains for a much longer period of time and ultimately result in greater improvements than trying to blast

your way to a new PR. Small increments help your body more readily adapt by providing a smaller stimulus to

recover from for the next workout. For longevity in training, slow-cooking rules.

Did you know?

Proper progression in strength training involves adding resistance once repetition goals are reached. Each

and every time you successfully achieve a rep goal, add some weight. Successful strength training is a series of

achievements, all building on top of one another.

Genius is only a greater aptitude for patience.

George-Louis Leclerc

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076Use a mirror.

. . . as a precision tool. Simply put, a mirror is essential if you want to know that youre working with respectable

form. If youre unable to hire a coach, theres no better way to get an outsiders perspective than the watchful eyes

of a mirror. It wont lie, so it can guide you into the correct body position for any given exercise. (Of course, if

youre unsure of an exercises form requirements, we recommend you consult the aforementioned coach.)

Did you know?

Life is a mirror and will reect back to the thinker what he thinks into it.

Ernest Holmes

Look in a mirrorand one things sure; what we see is not who we are.

Richard Bach

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080Take an inventory of ALL the physical activity

that you do.

If your workouts arent giving you desired results; if you have a strain/injury that just wont go away, have you

looked at your activities outside the gym? Even if you exercise 5 hours per week, there are still 163 hours of

non-training time that will impact your bodys form and function. So ask yourself: Do you slouch at a desk 8+

hours per day? Do you participate in additional rigorous activities? Do you perform repetitive movements at your

job that might lead to muscle imbalance or overuse injury? Do you get adequate sleep? What you do outside the

gym has a signicant impact on your training results. Take note of your habits and activities and design a training

program that will enhance, rather than sabotage, your training efforts.

Helpful Hints . . .

How would you train a healthy individual who sits at a desk all day, commits only 2 hours per week to physical activity and

wants to lose 15 pounds of fat?

Clients daily activity: Little physical exertion, endless sitting (body in exed position for long stretches of time),

poor eating habits likely due to continuous work and frequent meetings.

Training Suggestions: Progressive total body strength workouts (done as a circuit) to increase muscle mass and

enhance metabolic activity. Special emphasis would be placed on exercises promoting extension of the spine and

hips, retraction of the shoulders and strengthening of the core to counter the excessive desk hours. Increasing

overall physical activity would be encouraged and developing sound nutrition habits is a must for maintaining

increased energy and burning body fat.

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084Focus.

As you begin an exercise, think only about you and the task-at-hand. Take mental note of your bodys positioning.

Feel the resistance of the weight. Pay attention to your breathing, your movement tempo and the tension in your

muscles. Its only when complete focus is given to your work that youll experience maximal results from your

effort.

Helpful Hints . . .

An exercise in futility . . . Its not uncommon to see a gym member churning on an elliptical machine while

watching TV. Or another lifting weights while reading the daily news. What exactly are they concentrating on?

How can you be tuned into your body and the daily gossip at the same time? Its only an hour. Put the paper down,

turn the TV off, and focus on what your body is telling you.

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088Extinguish mental fatigue through variety.

Your muscles dont have eyes they simply respond to demands imposed upon them. Their only job is to either

contract (generate force) or relax (lengthen/resist against force). So trying to trick a muscle into responding

is an exercise in self-deception. However, it may reinvigorate your motivation to change around workouts from

time to time. Switching up your workout helps to alleviate boredom, maintain your enthusiasm for exercise, and,

most importantly, to refresh your mind. What constitutes variety? You dont have to create a completely new

routine, include different exercises, or effect a complex systemic overhaul. Variation can be something small, like

increasing the weight 10% while limiting set time to 30 seconds (5 reps or so). You can utilize the same routine,

same exercises, but eliminate rest between exercises for a conditioning effect. Or use the same routine, butswitch the order of the exercises. Or use a completely new routine, if you like. Keep it fresh for you, but keep a

consistent theme.

Helpful Hints . . .

Assorted ways to mix it up:Ride a mountain bike and negotiate a different trail.

Change the time of day you exercise.

Work out with a partner or trainer.

Track exercises by actual work time vs. number of reps completed.

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092To ensure commitment toward a healthy

lifestyle, train yourself FOR yourself.

There are a myriad of reasons that may provoke you to begin training. In the end, the most important factor is that

youre doing it because it is a part of you and you want to do it. Nobody can force you to workout and nobody

can do the work for you. If you really want to nd success with your training, learn about who you are, what you

stand for and what you want for YOU. . . and then get to work.

Did you know?

Pride is a personal commitment. It is an attitude which separates excellence from mediocrity.

Unknown

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096Keep your eyes on the ball. Or the wall, if you

prefer.

It has been demonstrated by motor learning researchers that up to 90% of our body awareness (proprioception) is

comprised of our sense of vision. As a simple demonstration of this phenomenon, compare the relative difculty of

standing on one foot with your eyes open versus with your eyes shut. When performing exercises, even those nal,

most difcult reps, keep your eyes open. Dont hinder your body awareness in any way, especially if the exercise

involves complex movements (power exercises, skill movements, etc.). While its great to perform work on other

aspects of proprioception, when pushing your strength and endurance to the limit, use all of your senses.

Did you know?

Girls develop a high degree of balance and body awareness earlier in life than do boys. Boys do not reach their

optimum motor ability until well after their female peers, who score highly on motor skills tests as early as age 9.

So dont give up on Juniors baseball career just yet, he just may not have fully matured motor ability.

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100Be content, because things will never be

perfect.

You should always strive for perfection, but should not be despondent if it isnt reached.

Ideal form is just that; an ideal to be strived for. But realize that if youre working hard enough, ideal form certainly

cannot be maintained. But in striving to maintain perfect form, you will certainly utilize form that is good enough.

The key point is that you tried.

You may never be completely satised with your body, even if you reach your goals; even supermodels and

bodybuilders have hang ups over certain areas of their bodies that they are unhappy with. But that doesnt mean alltheir hard work was for naught. On the contrary, they beneted from the journey itself. The key point is that they

tried.

The steps you take towards perfection are the most important aspect of the journey and the most rewarding.

Recognize that by taking the steps, by trying, you are improving who you are.

By all means, chase the rainbow, but be content with your progress every step of the way.

Did you know?

True perfection of man lies, not in what man has, but in what man is.

Oscar Wilde

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Christopher Warden, C.S.C.S. holds a BachelorsDegree in Biomedical Science and Microbiology

from St. Cloud State University and is currently

working toward a Masters Degree in Applied Sports

Psychology. His innate ability to comprehend and

explain the function of the human body and his

technical, integrated approach has brought safe, quick

and long lasting results to hundreds of clients, including

corporate executives, housewives, athletes and

Hollywood/Broadway celebrities.

When not training himself or his clients, Christopher

reads all he can to enhance his knowledge of exercise

science. Some of his favorite topics include, trigger

point therapy, athletic performance enhancement,

nutrition and holistic health/osteopathic medicine. He

also loves traveling, snowboarding and following the

Green Bay Packers. Recently, he, his wife and American

Bulldog welcomed a new addition to the family their

beautiful daughter Grace.

To learn more about his business and training

philosophy, check out www.christopherwarden.com.

Christopher and Eugene share a combined 15

years of client training experience.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Eugene Thong, C.S.C.S. holds a Bachelors Degreein Exercise Science from Rutgers University. While at

Rutgers, Eugene was a student Teaching Assistant for

Functional Human Anatomy Lab, helping to instruct

undergraduate students to identify structures of the

body using cadavers. During his senior year at Rutgers,

he was a student intern in the Cardiac Rehabilitation

Center of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital,

where, under the supervision of a clinical exercise

physiologist, Eugene designed and implemented

exercise programs for post-cardiac event patients.

In July of 2000, gainfully employed as an exercise

physiologist at a NYC health club, Eugene began

performing one-on-one personal training sessions. He

has not looked back since. He obtained certication

as a P.R.E.S . (Post-rehabilitation exercise specialist) in

2001, and attained his C.S.C.S. (Certied Strength and

Conditioning Specialist) from the National Strength and

Conditioning Association in 2004.

Eugene can currently be found either supervising client

workouts, grappling on the mats of Renzo Gracies

Brazilian Jiujitsu Academy, or throwing himself down a

mountain on a snowboard. He also blogs occasionally:

www.eugenization.com

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To view all 100 Keys and

purchase the book, visit

www.unlockyourstrength.com

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This is more than a mere book of exercise tips. Its a collection of wisdom gleaned

from countless hours of research and client contact. Its a mash-up of strategies and

concepts that unlock your inner excellence. Its that little voice in your head that tellsyou to stop eating when youre full, to rest when youre tired, and to pick the bar up

that one last time, no matter how badly you want to give up. It also happens to be

about exercise and nutrition.

Youll learn:

A simple, non-invasive method to reduce muscle pain and stiffness (#048)

How to considerably shorten the time you spend in the gym (#052).

The most important supplement for exercise performance (#003).

The right way to warm-up - so you dont get injured during your workout (#005).

Theres more to success than just movements in space, and this book will help you

train your mind as well as your body.

Youll also learn:

How to break down impossible goals and put them well within your reach

(#058).How to avoid mental burnout and keep exercising consistently (#088).

How to shut out outside distractions and return your focus to the present (#059).

Explore this book and expand your possibilities.