You know squats are good for you, and you certainly know that stretching is good for you and your squats. But what kind of stretches should you do? There is a lot of conflicting information nowadays about when to stretch, how to do it, which ones to do, or for how long. Might just be easier to skip it altogether, …
Yes, it’s the New Year and everything is about goal setting and doing something new, but I’m going to switch it up today. Instead of selling you on program to help you achieve some desired look or fitness goal for 2019, I’m going to share the most important failures and lessons that I’ve learned in my fitness journey. The failures …
Our society is hellbent on setting and achieving goals, no matter what the cost. Companies set aggressive quarterly and annual goals, every January millions of people commit to getting fit as their goal, and we as individuals set performance goals to get a raise or promotion at work every year. Yes, goal setting is very powerful, even necessary to getting …
To explore Pilates is to piece together a never-ending puzzle that heightens the awareness of your body and mind. When I began my Pilates practice at 24-years-old, all I felt and understood was how deeply connected I was to my core (a.k.a. “The Powerhouse) – a small but important piece of a much bigger puzzle I had yet to discover. Years …
Anyone who has spent significant time under a barbell knows a thing or two about low back pain. There are the occasional aches and pains that tend to heal itself on its own, and there are others that become more chronic and disruptive to everyday activities. My low back pain started “normal” enough – nothing a little foam rolling, rest, …
If you had told me five years ago that Pilates would make me a stronger lifter I would have laughed in your face. Lifting weights is hard enough. How could an exercise method popularized by housewives and celebrities benefit my inner meathead? As it turns out, Pilates is one of the toughest exercise methods I’ve ever put my body through because …
Gift-giving is a lost art now, especially around the holidays. Most people stress themselves out or procrastinate for so long that they just end up buying generic gift cards the night before, or pulling directly out of the individual’s carefully curated wish list. No thought and no creativity. Ugh. I used to be one of those people. Buying gifts stressed …
Newsflash: Your push-up ability isn’t limited to how strong your arms are. Sure, upper body strength has a lot to do with it, but there is a lot more to the push-up than that. There are lots of other muscles involved, it can be progressed or regressed numerous ways, and it’s one hell of an exercise worth your time. “Girly” push-ups, …
I can sit there and babble on about all the life hacks to help you stay more consistent with your training, especially around the holidays, but I’ll spare you. You’ve heard them all. Heck, you’ve probably tried them before and still found yourself fluffier and softer come the New Year. All those tips and tricks we desperately yearn for do work….until …
Over the years, I’ve grown to love squatting. I love how this exercise challenges me, pushes me, and has given me very strong legs. At my peak, I was squatting 190lbs for reps, and it was thrilling to see the weights go up as I grew more proficient with the lift. Eventually, a back injury reared its ugly head and …
