As a red-blooded American, I'll always respect Navy SEALs.  But luckily for my Mom, I could never be one - my poor swimming skills and INTJ personality don't always mix well with authority.  So rather than living out my GI Joe fantasies, I've been experiencing them vicariously with my new favorite book, Extreme Ownership.  

I know what you're thinking, "How can fighting Al-Qaeda in Iraq teach us anything about fitness and nutrition?" It's because strong leadership, problem solving, and hard work transcends industries. And I'll take learning wherever I can get it!

As I've done before, below are several parallels between the book and being successful in the gym.  Hope you enjoy them!

The final episode of "MythBusters" aired this past weekend.  I don't know about you, but I'm going to miss their epic goatees, pursuit of science, and blowing things up for pure enjoyment.

This week I'd like to pay homage by putting on my own science cap, requisite goatee, and busting one of the strength and conditioning world's myths.  The problem is that there are a ton:

• Lactic acid isn't what makes your muscles burn, it's an excess of hydrogen ions from the Krebs cycle.  
• Sit-ups and crunches aren't going to give you a six pack, they may actually hurt your lower back.  
• Heavy weights won't make you bulky, but overeating might.

All three of those truths aren't just #broscience but actual science.  Yet I'd like to focus on one particular problem commonly seen in runners: IT Band pain.

I never doubt when people are in pain, but for a tiny piece of fascia on your outer thigh, it sure is the target of a lot of frustration.  What if I told you that the pain in your IT band wasn't actually your IT band?  Rather, it's the result of a badly positioned pelvis.

It's January.  Like late night NYC pizza joints after 2 am or Jon Hamm doing H&R Block commercials, that means it's busy season for Strength and Conditioning professionals.

Unfortunately, that means my writing has taken a back seat.  Between working with clients, my own Tactical Strength Challenge prep, and trying to win The Bachelor Fantasy League, there really isn't enough time in a day.  But that doesn't mean I've stopped thinking.

In fact, I'd like to revisit my "Confessions from a Physical Preparation Coach" series I started last year.  Part advice and part memoir, the topics below don't quite have enough "meat" to make up a full post.  But they've been learned in the trenches and are every bit as valuable.

I was petrified when I met with my first nutrition client.  Will they believe what I say? Will I meet their expectations? It's one thing to learn from a textbook and be certified, but quite another to actually coach someone.

I'm still far from a "nutrition whisperer," but I've learned a lot since I started several years ago. Instead of trying to fix whatever I *thought* was their problem, I now begin with this general algorithm:

• What's their current and previous relationship with food? (Hint: we all have one)
• Is this person getting enough sleep?  (Usually not.)
• Are they adequately hydrated?  (Again, usually not.)
• Are there any glaring tendencies that need to be addressed? (Like when someone puts butter in their coffee.  Yup, that's a thing.)

I'm proof that having mobile shoulders is a gift and a curse.  It's allowed me pitch at a high level, press my body weight overhead (for reps), and apply sunscreen to any part of my back without asking for help.

But if you ask my college roommate, he'll beg to differ at how effectively I can do that last part under the intense Aruban sun.

Besides the benefits of having Orangutan-like arms, there are plenty of downsides.  Chiefly, the neck and elbow pain I've experienced along the way.