After chatting with a few friends recently, I came to the surprising realization that most people outside fitness circles (i.e coaches, diehard trainees, etc) have no idea how to discern between a good or a bad fitness program. There are simply too many options out there. Plus, I found that a lot of people don’t even know what they’re looking …
Note to self: It’s barbell training month over here on Barbell Pilates so to catch you up, start here. The right to barbell squat is earned, not given. Even lifelong athletes have to work their way up to barbell squatting (they may just do it quicker than most), so it’s worth taking your time to learn to do it properly. …
Let’s break down what it takes to start barbell training because there’s a lot of misconceptions out there about it and it can be very intimidating to start. Barbells aren’t necessary or right for every body, and most healthy individuals might not need to learn more than just a few basic barbell exercises in their lifetime. It all depends on …
Enough with the crunches and planks, friends. It’s time we get smarter about how we train our core musculature. Nearly every client or student I meet tells me they have weak abs (their words, not mine), and when I ask how they’re currently training their core, they sound off on a long list of crunch variations. Look, I’m not one …
You know what word women should eliminate from their vocabulary forever? The word “just”. As in… “I PR’d my bench press but it was just by a kilo. I have a long way to go.” “I lost weight but it was just one pound.” As a coach, we do ourselves a great disservice by downplaying our achievements in the gym and …
As a former powerlifter, I can’t imagine life without bilateral movements like the barbell squat and deadlift, and sure enough, every one of my female clients can squat and hinge like a boss at some point. But recently I’ve taken a page out of Mike Boyle’s playbook, downplayed the role of these big lifts in my female athletes’ programs, and …
Nothing says dedication like doing a travel workout during a busy work trip. Especially when that work trip requires that you hit up spots like Spain, Scotland and Ireland (can I have that job?). One of my clients is off to Europe this week and asked what she could do with her resistance band while on the road. Naturally, I …
This is not an article about goal-setting. There is no SMART goal method (gosh I hate those) and there are no tips or secrets to achieving the body you want. Instead, I’m going to share a powerful exercise I recently learned to set yourself up for success. Think of it as the behind-the-scenes work that occurs for all your goals …
Let me cut to the chase: Men should train differently than women in Pilates. Yes, both sexes learn the exact same exercises, but the emphasis on the what and how they’re done are different. This isn’t sexist, it’s common sense. Not only are their goals different, but gender and lifestyle differences present a unique set of challenges that may warrant a …
The mobility craze, much like all diet trends, has raised a number of questions over the years. Some of them include: Do I need to stretch more or can I just do yoga? Is foam rolling enough or is Pilates the trick? Which drills do I need to do? How do I know which one to do? Truth be told, …
