This post is a reiteration of the 21 Days of Movement and Mobility series, a free, 21-day email series packed with coaching insights and tips to help you improve the movement quality in major lifts as well as your mobility overall. You can sign up and join in for free HERE. Before I started powerlifting, my barbell squat was mediocre …
Back in my corporate days I used to wake up drag myself out of bed at 5am to get a workout in before going to work at 7:30am (that was our start time, and not a minute later was allowed). Those early mornings felt brutal at times, even when it became a regular part of my routine. What I learned …
When it comes to cuing our clients or using cues on ourselves, we have to consider this fact: Not all cues are right for every body. Saying things like “activate your core” or “turn on your lats” is oftentimes gibberish passed down from one CPT manual to trainer to another, until it makes it’s way down to Sally, the stressed …
They said I’d fall in love with the tapas, wine, and sights in Spain and boy, were they right. In a recent 10-day excursion to Barcelona and Madrid, I got to experience incredible cuisine, caught glimpses of fascinating history, and worked off all the excess wine calories by walking at least 7-10 miles per day. The Barbell Pilates blog may …
We know that mobility training is crucial for all of us. We see the hundreds of mobility articles, videos, and posts about this and that drill. But do we know how to piece it all together? For years I’ve tinkered with different mobility techniques with my clients and myself, and quickly realized that mobility training is always fluid and evolving. Sounds …
I have a rule about buying new workout gear: If I’m still practicing the sport or activity diligently for at least 6 months, I’m allowed to buy gear. Otherwise, I borrow what I can from friends or make do with what I got. For example, I took spinning classes on and off for two years before finally purchasing my first pair of …
I’m sure the last thing you’re thinking about when it comes to strength training is your pelvic floor muscles, but believe it or not, the two go hand-in-hand. Not only do we all share the same pelvic floor anatomy (yea bruh, this applies to you), but a weak or overactive pelvic floor can really hurt us in the long run …
Ask any ambitious, hard-working person how burnout feels in their jobs or careers and they’d tell you it’s soul-crushing. Thankfully, we’ve gotten better as a culture at detecting the symptoms of work-related burnout. But what about fitness burnout? Is it even a thing? Yes, fitness-related burnout is a real, and it can happen to anyone who is remotely passionate about …
I’mma be real with you. Programming can be complex and a tad overwhelming for the average person to understand, but it really doesn’t have to be. I see way too many people get caught up in the fancy training variables like dropsets, clusters, or finishers instead of focusing on what really matters: Progression. If you’re not progressing your exercises or …
Trainer: So tell me about your fitness goals. Woman: I want to get in shape. You know, get a little more toned but not too bulky. Trainer: Safe to say, trainers here this one a lot so the eye roll isn’t about you, it’s about the words “toning and “bulky” in the same sentence. These terms can mean many things …
