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Category: Recommendations

  • 2 Keys to Combating New Baby BACK PAIN

    2 Keys to Combating New Baby BACK PAIN

    My little girl recently turned 5 months.

    It’s been amazing watching her learn and do new things and I’ve been trying to copy all of the new movements that I see her do.

    One of her latest moves is to bury her head when she’s on her tummy, lift her butt up, then push off and “crawl” one step. It’s pretty cute. 🙂

    This movement is kinda like the Push Plank exercise that I teach in this video, except with the exercise you don’t scrape your face across the ground.

    Give it a shot and if you want to do it like Livia, push off with one leg instead of two and alternate what leg you push off with each time or switch after 5 or 10 reps on one leg.

    She’s also been steadily putting on weight and its crazy how heavy she feels now compared to when she was born.

    With the added weight and all her extra squirming, it’s become increasingly more difficult to put her down to sleep in her crib at night and for naps, and I can see why many new parents complain about back pain, especially of the low back.

    A couple of months ago I started to feel some LBP myself and it started as just a moderate ache and soreness….

    Luckily, I was able to nip it in the bud and I’ve discovered that there are 2 keys to combating new baby back pain, which actually apply to back pain regardless of the source, so if you’ve got LBP, pay close attention:

    #1. Being diligent at maintaining neutral spine and hinging at the hips vs. flexing the spine.

    Because of the position of the crib, it’s easy to try and flex and bend over the rail when placing her down.

    But this will put excessive strain on the discs and ligaments in your spine, which will first result in tightness and soreness in the low back muscles because they’re trying to prevent you from flexing your spine.

    If you continue to move like this, the discs and/or ligaments may get damaged, which will then result in a sharper type of pain in the low back.

    So if you feel tight and sore, take it as a sign that you’ve got to start HINGING at the hips and keeping your lumbar spine in neutral.

    When you hinge at the hips, you’ll likely feel muscles from your hamstrings up to your rhomboids working and this is good because that means you’re taking some of the load off of your spine and the low back muscles.

    TIP: DO NOT stretch your low back muscles. While it may seem like a good idea or even provide some relief, you’re just causing further damage. See Point #2 on this page to learn why stretching your low back muscles is a bad idea.

    #2. Minimize the load on your low back by coming up with new movement strategies.

    It’s been a cold winter so far here in Toronto and as such, we’ve had to keep little Livia moisturized by lotioning her up 2-3 times a day.

    When we do this in the crib, the same problem applies in that we have to awkwardly bend over and reach to lube her up.

    This situation in particular was bothering me the most so instead of bending over, what I found helped was simply dropping to one knee.

    This position ensures my lumbar spine is in neutral and took all of the load off of my low back.

    Now, employing these 2 keys, my back is back to feeling as good as ever.

    Like I said before, these 2 keys apply to any situation that may put excess strain on your low back, so here are a few more examples to get illustrate this fact:

    [+] When grabbing groceries out of the trunk of your car, really focus on neutral spine and the hip hinge or you could even brace with one arm and basically do a 1-arm row to pull the bags out

    [+] If your job requires you to frequently pick things up off the ground, put some knee pads on and drop to one knee to get down instead of squatting or bending

    Just a couple of ideas to get your gears grinding in case your back pain isn’t caused by a new baby.

    Back pain is an all-too-common issue, so even if you don’t suffer from it now, keep these 2 keys in mind to prevent it from taking you out of action in the future.

    Hope this helps.

    Eric

    P.S. If you’re an athlete or if you train properly with intensity (you’re an athlete, too) and you’ve got LBP, this 4-phase, 16-week program will restore your core and retrain your movements so you can participate in your sport pain-free.

  • Fix My Back Pain REVIEWED by Eric

    Fix My Back Pain REVIEWED by Eric

    I’ve gotten a few questions about the Fix My Back Pain Program that’s just been launched… things like:

    What is this program all about?

    Is it better than your Bulletproof Back program?

    What’s included?

    So I did a review for you and answer all these questions and tell you the good, bad and ugly about the program.

    If you’ve got back pain, definitely watch this now before the sale price ends:

    If after watching you feel the program’s for you, grab it here and don’t hesitate so you don’t miss out on the launch discount.

  • Review of the FunkMMA Elite Strength & Conditioning Workout

    Review of the FunkMMA Elite Strength & Conditioning Workout

    What is the FunkMMA Elite Strength and Conditioning Workout all about?

    What’s included in the program?

    What’s lacking in the program?

    I answer these questions, as well as tell you how to make the program better in the video below.

    If you’re a mixed martial artist, I suggest you consider this program but before you do, watch my review:

    If after watching the review you feel the program is a fit for you, then grab it via the link below to claim the special offer I hooked up for you:

    >> Special Offer for my man Funk’s Elite MMA S&C Workout

    After you grab it, if you think it’s not worth the low price, then ask Funk for your money back. He’s a stand up guy and won’t dick you around. It’s as simple as that.

  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

    As I mentioned in the BioTRUST Protein Review post, I wanted to hook you up with a great meal replacement smoothie recipe.

    Well I’ve filmed it and it’s now live, check it out here (I’ve set it to start where I do the smoothie up so you don’t have to watch the review again if you watched it already):

    I’m also going to do up the page at ericwongmma.com/supercharged-smoothies very soon, if you’re on my newsletter list you’ll be notified of when I complete the PDF, but if you’re not on my newsletter list, subscribe so you don’t miss out.

    I’ll be putting all of the details of my SUPERCHARGED Smoothie Formula in the PDF along with a few tasty recipes.

    You can subscribe to my newsletter list below (the form will appear momentarily):

  • BioTRUST Protein Review and SUPERCHARGED Smoothies

    I recently received a box of supplements from a new company called BioTRUST. 

    BioTRUST Protein ReviewThese guys are jumping in to a pretty competitive market in coming out with a protein powder, but their product has some unique properties that you can’t find anywhere else.

    I’ve been minimizing my protein powder intake and I limit my consumption to about 2 or 3 smoothies per week. I recommend you do the same and get most of your calories from real food.

    At the same time, you can’t beat the convenience of smoothies when you need something quick or to take with you on the run.

    So I’ve put together a little video review of BioTRUST’s new protein powder below.

    In the video I also reveal my “SUPERCHARGED” Meal Replacement Smoothie Formula. 

    Follow this formula and you’re sure to hit all your nutritional bases for when you need to down a shake instead of a real whole food meal that’s packed with nutritional value.

    Check it out here:

    [jwplayer config=”600×338 (Blog Posts)” mediaid=”6361″]

    Right now, you can get 3 bottles of BioTRUST protein for the price of 2, as well as FREE shipping.

    I think the free shipping offer ends Friday or Saturday, so make sure to check it out.

    And because I’m 100% transparent with you if you do decide to purchase BioTRUST protein, I may receive a commission.

    But I want to give you the option to purchase through my link and hook me up or if you for some reason don’t want to, I’m not going to force your hand:

    www.BioTRUST.info <– hook Eric up 🙂

    www.biotrust.com <– Eric won’t get hooked up but it’s all good

    Like I said before, I’m all about transparency and I don’t want you to think that I’m recommending this ONLY because I will get compensated for it. I’m recommending it because I’ll be using it myself and I think it’s a high quality product. And either way, the SUPERCHARGED Smoothie formula is GOLD, so use that with whatever protein you have.

    BTW, I shot a video of me whipping up my Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana SUPERCHARGED Smoothie, but I forgot to turn the mic on and it had no sound!

    I’ll do it up for you tomorrow and maybe some other tasty recipes that follow my formula.

    For now – bedtime for me. Perhaps my sneezing will stop once I fall asleep. AH CHOOO!!!

  • My 5 Favourite Workout Songs Right Now

    I got a post from Samuel Lai, one of my athletes following the Ultimate MMA program (or was it the xMB program – I can’t remember!) asking me for the names of some of my favourite songs to workout to.

    So I figured I’d do up a little post and also request that you also post the Top 5 Workout Songs you’re currently listening to. You can do so in the Comments at the end.

    While I grew up on alternative rock and still love a lot of it (Nirvana – In Bloom will always be one of my favourite songs), hip hop grows on me more and more.

    But it’s not the hype and flash. Although who wouldn’t want to throw wads of money in the air and drive around in a Hummer on 29″ rims.

    It’s the lyrics.

    I always tell my wife that hip hop artists are some of the best poets ever. She has trouble hearing the words, but sometimes she catches something and rhymes it off. So cute.

    Needless to say, I’m a lyrics guy. Of course the beats/music is important, but the lyrics are what fire me up.

    So with that prelude, now you know where I’m coming from. Here are my top 5 workouts songs right now. 

    Uptown – Drake

    Yeah he sings as much as he raps and teenage girls love him but some of the lines that Drake spits on this track always get me pumped up:

    “Hardly home but always reppin’. You hardly on and always second. When I’m awake you always restin’ and when they call you to answer you hardly question  I. I’m doin’ classic shit in all my sessions… other niggaz situations they are all depressin’. That’s why I never follow your suggestions. I just always did my own thing… Now I run the GAME.”

    Can’t beat that for bumpin’ the confidence. The beat is heavy too.

     

    Hip Hop Saved My Life – Lupe

    While there are some lines from this track that are tight, the song is a story that you’ve got to hear from start to finish.

    It’s a powerful song and if I had to summarize it, Lupe spins a tale about what fuels perseverance and triumph and how tragedy was avoided at the very last second.

    Big Brother – Kanye

    “Big brother saw me at the bottom of the totem. Now I’m on the top and everybody on the scrotum.”

    That line is off the hook!

    But it’s not just the catchy lines. In a world that’s full of self-aggrandizement, and from someone who is known for it, this song is a great reminder of the fact that being humble is cool and giving props to those who are at a level above you and help you reach your goals is a good thing. On this track, Kanye is giving props to Jay-Z.

    “If you admire somebody you should go ahead and tell him. People never get the flowers while they can still smell ’em. An idol in my eyes. God of the game. Heart of the city. Rockafella chain. Never be the same. Never be another. #1 young hov also my big brother.”

    JFK to LAX – Gangstarr

    “… that’s why you gotta regulate your own mind state. Read. Study lessons and build your inner power. The next level, doesn’t tolerate cowards.”

    RIP GURU.

    Put it Down on Me – 50 Cent

    OK I’m not just a lyrics geek. This beat is down and DIRTY. And I love it.

    THAT’S THAT.

    What are yours?

    Hit me up with some of your big tunes in the Comments below.

  • How to Get SUPER QUICK FEET

    There Are 3 Criteria You Must
    Meet To Benefit From This
    New ‘Quickness App’

    It’s actually not an ‘App’ per se (as you can see from the pics above). I’m using the term App as a metaphor. An anaology. Don’t worry, you’ll get it by the end… Let’s begin:

    The Quickness App takes time.

    At least 8 weeks, but more like 12 to feel a really noticeable difference.

    So if you’re here looking for a quick-fix, this is not for you.

    But if you want to become more agile and more ‘springy’ than you’ve ever been before…

    … then read this page to find out if you meet the 3 criteria for developing super quick feet.

    Criteria #1 – You Workout At Least 3 Days/Week

    This can be any combination of workouts: weights, cardio, martial arts, or any sport practice or game.

    As I mentioned, this is an app, not an entire program. Think of your program as your iPhone or Android.

    If you don’t already workout 3 days/week, and you do this program, it would be like trying to download this app without actually having a phone.

    It just won’t work.

    But if you run, you’ll feel bouncier in your step and use less energy and run faster.

    Know this fighter? The epitome of quickness…

    If you fight, you’ll feel like you can avoid punches much easier, because you will develop quickness in all 3 dimensions, stepping forward/back, side-to-side and pivoting.

    If you resistance train, your workouts will be ramped up with extra power through heightened CNS activation (more on this later).

    It’ll add a boUnce to your step that makes you feel 5, even 10 years younger.

    Who wouldn’t want these things?

     

    So, only if you workout at least 3 days/week, continue reading to see if you meet Criteria #2 and 3.

    .

    Criteria #2 – You Have 27 Minutes To Dedicate Each Week

    Do you have 9 minutes, 3 days a week?

    That’s a total of 27 minutes.

    Math is in my DNA, don’t feel bad. 😉

    If so, all you’ve got to do is fire up this ‘9 minute app’ just after your warmup and before your main workout.

    Workout more than 3 days a week?

    Don’t change the program – just follow it for 3 of the workouts as outlined.

    Meet the time requirement?

    Good – continue reading the final criteria to benefiting from this new Quickness App:

    .

    Criteria #3 – You Don’t Need Someone To Hold Your Hand For The Rest Of Your Life

    Unfortunately, this needs to be said, because for some reason, there are a lot of adult babies roaming the earth.

    A few years back, I had this client. Let’s call him Buddy for confidentiality reasons.

    In our initial consultation, I realized what the issue was.

    His goal, like the majority of our population, was to lose fat.

     

    He told me that right now, he was
    the heaviest he’d ever been. 

    I asked him, “What programs have you tried in the past?”

    “P90x. It was really good.”

    “What were your results like?”

    “I lost 8 lbs,” he replied.

    “That’s pretty good. So what happened?”

    “I’m not sure. I guess I just stopped doing it.”

    Because I am a trained fitness detective, I prodded.

    “Try anything else?”

    “I lost 18 pounds on the Atkins diet.”

    “That’s pretty good. What happened?”

    “I dunno, I just kind of drifted away from it.”

    I knew what I was going to be in for, but I took his money anyway, because I had a 4 year degree to pay off. 😛 Don’t hate the playa…

    I worked my ass off to try and get him to stick to training on his own twice a week and eating to lose fat.

    Phone calls. Emails. Meeting for coffee between sessions.

    I can’t stand not delivering results, even if it’s an impossible situation.

    But, because of the struggle, I now refuse to be someone’s shadow – and why should I be?

    We’re all grown-ups here. I can zip my own pants thank you very much!

    That’s why I love making programs available online:

    Because you can purchase my programs for less than the price of one $90 session with me and I can deliver months of programming that would cost in and around a thousand dollars in person.

    If you don’t use it, there’s no stress on my part – you know your role and I know mine and will deliver the results.

    Even if you don’t use it, you’ve still got the info to refer to when you’re ready.

    Win-Win. Yes!

    So there you have the 3 criteria.

    Do you meet them?

    Then you’ve got 2 steps left to be quicker than a lightning- bolt…

    But wait – just one more thing. 

    The videos included in the Truth About Quickness Insiders System (aka the Quickness App) are a bit low quality.

    Close enough…

    Sorry, let me be frank.

    The quality is shit. Worse than 70’s porn. How I know that is another story for another day.

    So I asked one of the creators of the program to give us a price break.

    He did. A good one. It pays to have hookups. But only for a few days.

    However, the most important thing is that the info contained on the videos is not impacted in anyway.

    You still see the 40+ quickness, warmup and activation exercises well enough because the exercises themselves are simple enough.

    You learn the science and exactly how this program delivers results in the 30 minute ‘lecture’.

    The genius is in the exact selection of exercises and putting them together in a brain-dead simple program.

    Basically, you’re getting 48 weeks of programming:
    16 week beginner, intermediate and advanced
    programs to make you as quick as a jackrabbit.

    And, to give you a little something so you don’t feel even the slightest bit ripped off by the lower quality production (especially if you’re used to my stuff)…

    I’m going to hook you up with my Quickness Kills program for FREE ($49.95 value). 

    HOW TO GET IN ON THIS DEAL

    Step 1 – Visit the Page Below and Get the Quickness App

    ==> Truth About Quickness ‘App’

     

    Step 2 – Visit the Page Below and Enter Your Receipt # to Claim Instant Access to Quickness Kills

    ==> The Quickness Kills Bonus Page

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  • Strategy Secrets from Sun Tzu

     

    I recently got a Kobo ebook reader from this classifieds site called Kijiji. It’s the basic original version, not the one with Wi-Fi, which I actually wanted, because it won’t fry my nuts and kill all my little soldiers if I fall asleep with it on my lap.

    Certified Nuts-Friendly. 🙂

    The other reason I forsook (is that a word?) Wi-Fi for the communication-impaired version is because I don’t want to be distracted when I’m reading.

    When I read, I read. That’s why people are shocked when I tell them I read 80-100 books each year.

    When most people read, they’re eating, texting, checking email or even watching TV.

    How the hell can you concentrate on your book if the anchorman is telling you how 2 people who live near you just got shot to death, Lady Rihanna is telling you how much of a hoe she is, and your buddy is texting you about how he banged some random drunk girl from the club last night?

    ‘Nuff said.

    (more…)