In the world of strength training, not many men have accomplished as much or have as much knowledge of the sport as trainer Joe Carini. His credentials and accomplishments speak for themselves. Who could compete with a six-time New Jersey Strongest Man?
Carini has dedicated his life to training athletes at every level, from peewee football to professional-level players. Just ask some of his satisfied customers, like Tampa Bay Buccaneer's cornerback Ronde Barber, New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs and Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson. They may all attest to Carini being one of the best there is in the field.
However, it is thanks to retired Giants running back Tiki Barber, one of Carini's most accomplished professional clients, that Carini's knowledge will be at the disposal of strength training fans of all ages across the nation through their new book, "Tiki Barber's Pure Hard Workout," which the two friends co-authored.
"When Tiki (Barber) first started training with me, he was looking to build some upper body strength," Carini said. "The two seasons prior to (his) training with me, he led the league in fumbles. In the next three years that we worked together, he amassed 10,000 all-purpose yards. That's quite a testament to how hard he worked."
But Barber gives the credit to Carini.
"Joe Carini is the savior of my career," he said in a Nov. 6, 2005, interview with the New York Post.
The two men's accomplishments over that three-year period were the origins of of this book.
"The publisher (Gothem Books), approached Mark Lepseltser (Tiki's agent) wanting to publish a book about Tiki's transformation as a player at the end of his career," Carini said.
Obviously, nobody could explain that better than Barber and Carini themselves.
In the book, they outline the workout regimen that helped make Barber the player he became and explain everything from the importance of stretching to how to eat to increase muscle. They then break down all of the body's muscle groups and give information on more than 50 different lifts. The exercises are demonstrated throughout the book by Barber and Carini.
"The photographers said they had never seen anything like it," Carini said. The book features a photo of Carini shrugging more than 1,000 pounds.
When asked what it was like to collaborate with Tiki Barber on the book, Carini said, "It was an honor and a privilege."
However, Carini does not get to take a break even though all the work on his first book is done. He looks forward to the end of the collegiate football season when he will be training multiple NFL prospects and the many high school athletes that train with him on a daily basis.
"I don't have any preference in who I train," says Carini. "The body is a work in progress."
While Carini does not have anything decisive planned for the future, he looks forward to the possibility of another book and his future in training more athletes.
As for now, Carini says he will "keep lifting heavy and staying healthy, and keep growing."
