Introducing...

If you've ever taken a few moments to browse the links featured on the right-hand side of my blog, you will have come an across an amazing breadth of knowledge, humour, entertainment and information. Each of these links merits some further elaboration, but tonight I've endeavored to provide you with a short synopsis/rationale for some of my very favorites among the bunch:

Bill Hartman is the co-owner of I-FAST, alongside one of my mentors (and my strength coach) Mike Robertson. Bill obviously operates at a very advanced level, but his passion for pondering and postulating cool ideas related to corrective training make his writing a must for anyone who puts health at the top of their reasons for training.

Cassandra Forsythe's blog is required reading for anyone (especially women) seeking well-articulated and extremely accessible writing on the latest dietetic research, social and psychological studies on food. Cassandra is not only an incredible role model, but a newly published author of 2 books (one of which I will be reviewing in the near future) and a strong advocate of heavy lifting for health and confidence. Her research on low-carb/ketogenic diets and also on dietary intervention (using the fibre, glucomannan) is incredibly interesting and has immediate and fascinating implications for the real world. I can't say enough great things about her. She's as real as she is smart!

Chad Waterbury is an author and neurophysiologist/trainer whose ability to simplify training modality into amazing programs and understandable terms, has made him a favourite author of mine. His book Muscle Revolution is a great read for anyone who takes their training seriously enough to plan and periodize for specific goals. I had great success using his Total Body Training Program to transform my body a few years back.

Jonathan Fass is a young, energetic writer and CSCS whose blog discusses everything from social/cultural dialogues on fitness to corrective exercise methods. I particularly enjoy his brand of myth busting!

Lesson, Laments and Thought Experiments is for anyone who
a) Keeps a dictionary near by, and
b) Seeks something more philosophical and pondersome(punctuated with great laughs)in life.
Written by a close friend of mine, this blog is both anecdotal and outward-looking, and talks about training in a way that always reminds me that the human condition is such that nothing is ever seems enough, but to dispel that fallacy for yourself is to find a great liberation of the spirit! If nothing else, this is worth a click for the lexical stimuation!

Lina Augaitis is a high school friend of mine. Her graduate studies in Sport Psychology and her athletic gifts are incredible, but her work ethic and motivation are truly inspiring. Follow along, as she trains and blogs her world-class talent toward the most elite adventure/multi-sport events in the world! Besides being humble and focused, Lina's blog is an incredible example of how you cannot fail when you follow what's inside your heart.

Mike Robertson is a lot of things, and although I can think of many adjectives to describe him, the best of all is REAL. Mike is an accomplished competitive powerlifter, the co-owner of a brand new training facility, a distance coach, recognized author and an amazing guy. I've had the great fortune of working with him for 2 years, and in these two years, every dimension of my athleticism has improved by an order of magnitude. Mike is a true professional and stays true to his methods and ideas about holistic and purposeful training. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who gives so generously of his/her time as Mike to answer questions and disseminate information that he believes can make a difference for others.

Nate Green packs a lot of personality and success into his two-syllable name. At 23, he is the author of an upcoming book, as well as a contributing author to one of the internet's premier bodybuilding and fitness sites, and an entrepreneurial prodigy. Although he would credit the many resources and networking tools that he has at his disposal, his blog is an amazing compilation of personal and professional posts that will make you think twice about how you spend your money, time, energy...life. Although I may be guilty of bias (via friendship), I don't think anyone could argue that his clarity and hilarity make for a very distinct style of writing.

Vinkomorf is a site that features all manner of fitness/strength related discussions and operates primarily in French. My buddy, and Editor-in-Chief, Pat Gagnon (who I am hard pressed to believe ever sleeps) provides top-notch information and translations of many articles by top industry minds, as well as information on regional events such as seminars and talks by academics and industry folks, alike. Redacteur-en-chef Gagnon has been a great inspiration to me to believe in big ideas, as he successfully brought some of the top trainers from around the continent to Montreal last year for the first ever Vinkofest seminar!

When we next meet, I will continue down the list and share some of (what I consider to be) the most impressive recipe blogs and sites on the net! For all of you atomists out there, seeking maximum pleasure and health utility from your meals, the next post is definitely for you!