9.22.06
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Q: Mr. Joe Defranco,
I’m not the type of guy to write into websites
and kiss people’s ass, but I had to write you after
receiving my Defranco bars in the mail on Tuesday night.
To make a long story short – I got home from work
a little late and I was planning on eating dinner and
taking the night off from the gym. Well when I got home
I noticed that your bars had arrived. I was excited to
try them so I figured that I would have one as an “appetizer” and
then eat dinner and watch some tv. First off, after the
1st bite I was addicted! The thing tasted like a F’in
brownie with icing!! I ate the bar and quickly realized
I had no interest in eating my wife’s dinner. I
was completely satisfied, but then about 2 minutes later
I realized I had no interest in watching tv either! To
make a long story short I went off to the gym and I PR’d
on incline DB bench presses and I had one of the most
intense workouts of my life! I had to force myself to
leave the gym! Man all I can say is you weren’t
kidding when you spoke about these things. You have yourself
a costumer for life. Keep up the inspired work!
A true fan,
Matthew
Austin, Texas
A: Matthew,
First off, I truly appreciate your feedback! You were the
first email that I received regarding the DeFranco
Energy Bars and now the positive feedback has
literally been pouring in.
The experience that you had after eating the bar is the
same experience that almost EVERYONE is reporting! Rest
assured, it was NOT a placebo effect! The ingredients that
make up this bar have been well thought out - believe me;
HUNDREDS of hours went into the research & development
of this thing! It feels so good when you put your heart & soul
into something and then get feedback like yours…it
makes all the sleepless nights and stress worth it.
I truly believe in this product and I really think that
it’s only a matter of time before it becomes the
#1 product of its kind. Not only does this product taste
incredible, it actually makes you FEEL GOOD! There is not
one other protein bar on the market that has been able
to incorporate an ADEQUATE amount of L-Tyrosine in the
presence of high protein, low sugar and a moderate amount
of caffeine. This product is truly ONE OF A KIND! (It’s
only a matter of time before the copy-cats start to surface.)
I highly recommend that everyone gives this bar a try…you
will not be disappointed!
The DeFranco Energy Bar is now available
in the PRODUCTS section of this website.
If you’re serious about your training & nutrition, ORDER
IT TODAY & FEEL THE DIFFERENCE!
Joe D.
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Q: Coach Defranco - Do you guys teach change of
direction mechanics to your athletes? I haven’t
heard you talk much about it. It seems to be very important
in injury prevention and speed development. I’ve
been hearing a lot about it lately as it seems to be
a hot topic in the training world. Looking forward
to hearing your thoughts.
Will
A: Will,
I have a 2-part answer to your question:
#1) Change of direction mechanics are EXTREMELY important
when you’re training for a “pre-determined” athletic
event. For example, we spend a ton of time teaching proper
change of direction mechanics for the 20-yard shuttle & 3-cone
drill to our NFL Combine clientele. In their case, every
little detail counts…learning how to accelerate & decelerate,
how/when to plant off of 2 feet as opposed to 1 foot, etc.,
etc. Learning the proper mechanics will DRASTICALLY improve
your times. Unfortunately, not too many coaches take the
time to study and analyze these tests. Most coaches just
have their athletes run through the test over & over
and they confuse getting tired with getting better! Remember
the old adage, “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect
practice makes perfect.”
#2) Here’s my theory regarding on-field, instinctive
change of direction mechanics… Practicing your “on-field” change
of direction mechanics in a “controlled” gym
setting sounds great in theory, but it becomes worthless
during athletic contests that are unpredictable. You can
sit at a seminar and listen to someone tell you how important
the proper mechanics are, but the reality is that once
you get on the field, you can take that theory and flush
it down the toilet! This probably isn’t the “politically
correct” answer to your question, but it’s
true. I would probably sound a lot smarter if I said that
it’s important to spend a lot of your time practicing
biomechanically sound change of direction technique; but
I pride myself on giving the FACTS! And the fact is that
when you get on the field, you’re going to change
direction in whatever manner possible to avoid a tackle,
give yourself separation to make a jump shot, get past
a defender and score a goal, etc., etc. For example, if
a wide receiver catches a ball and the second he turns
around there is a linebacker about to knock his head off,
is the wide receiver going to think about the proper foot
to plant & the proper mechanics? Hell no! Whatever
foot is on the ground is the foot that he’s going
to plant off of to try and save his life!
Now, does this mean that you should never practice changing
direction? No, this is NOT what it means. I’m just
trying to give you realistic expectations with regards
to this type of training and it’s carryover to the
athletic field.
If you want to change direction faster & decrease your
chances of getting injured, I suggest that you get strong,
improve your mobility, incorporate “instinctive” change
of direction drills in your training which require you
to react to a visual stimulus & PRACTICE PLAYING YOUR
SPORT! Remember that the only form of “sport specific” training
is PLAYING THE ACTUAL SPORT! If a trainer tells you any
different, I suggest that you RUN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION
and find yourself another trainer!
Can his change of direction mechanics be taught
in a gym setting?
Speaking of the Atlanta Falcons, I would like to thank
their strength & conditioning coach, Sal Alosi, for
incorporating DeFranco Energy Bars into
their pre-game nutrition. The team has responded tremendously
to the bars and their feedback has been overwhelming!
Joe D.
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Q: Joe D – I saw that you wrote how you have been incorporating
more greens into your diet for health reasons and their anti-inflammatory
properties. My question is that I hate eating my veggies, they make
me sick. Is there a good supplement I can take if I can’t seem
to eat enough veggies?
Thanks for your time and all the info you provide.
Gregory
A: Gregory,
I am much like you in that I’m not a big fan of eating veggies.
Thankfully, I finally found a QUALITY green drink that tastes good! I
have one serving of Greens First with my breakfast and
another serving with dinner. The mint flavor makes it very drinkable and
it provides 10 servings of fruits & vegetables with each serving.
I’ve been drinking this stuff 2X/day for over a month now and I’m
not sick of it yet!
Joe D.
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Craziest site at the gym this week!
DEDICATED…
…or just plain STUPID???
Yes, it’s a real tattoo.
We definitely attract a different breed of athlete…and we’re
NOT proud of it,
Joe D.
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