Your hand grip changes everything in the deadlift. If grip is the limiting factor, you’re unlikely to ever push those strength numbers – an issue if getting strong is the goal. There are three types of grips in strength training: Double overhand Mixed grip Hook grip As a general rule of thumb, you should deadlift with a double overhand grip …
Progress is Not Linear, and That’s a Good Thing
I’ve never been a fan of the title “online fitness coach.” It’s unclear what immediatly comes to mind for people, but I assume they picture an Instagram feed full of mirror selfies and weird butt angles that make no sense… The thought of it gives me nightmares, but that’s another issue. The truth is, I am an online strength and Pilates …
Four Hip Mobility Drills For a Stronger Back Squat
Far too many people waste time looking for that “perfect” stretch or drill to help open up the hip but not enough time implementing the exercises they find consistently. It’s the same thing with fitness. Looking for the perfect program is a form of self-sabotage. Stop searching and start implementing. If you want to improve your back squat, then you …
Tip: A Training Method for Strength & Fat Loss
So you want to stay strong and lose stubborn fat? This small tweak to your programming will get the job done in less time. What are Density Sets Density sets refers to how much work (or volume) you do within a certain amount of time. Used correctly, it can help you break out of a plateau, get more work done …
A Four Step Grounding Process for a Successful New Year
“Where focus goes, energy flows.” When positive psychology began making a name for itself as a new field of research in the early 2000s, people flocked to book shelves to purchase its promise of happiness. At the core, we want to flourish and feel elated at all times, but without its contrast, can we really appreciate or understand what happiness …
The Most Optimal Rest Period for Strength and Muscle Growth
How long should you rest? If you train with me in-person or through BarbellSTRONG coaching (BSC), my 4 month online strength & hypertrophy program, you’ll always know exactly how long to rest between sets. Rest periods are the most underrated training variable yet an easy one to track. Most people overestimate the time they’ve spent resting between sets and end …
The Top 5 Go To Deadlift Accessory Exercises
Nothing will kill a deadlift more than weak lats or a less-than-comfortable-it’s-nearly-slipping grip on the barbell. No thank you! The antidote to both situations is using accessory work to plug all the weak leaks in your deadlift. Or, maybe you just don’t know how to deadlift correctly, which is a topic I cover at length here. Most people start deadlifting with …
Get your Female Client to Buy In to Strength Training
It’s one thing to get on social media and wax poetic about the benefits of lifting heavy for women, and it’s another to get your female client committed to doing so. The stigma with women and lifting has been around for longer than most of us have been alive, and there’s a perpetual cycle of misinformation out there that fitness …
Three Tips for a More Powerful Hip Thurst
We love our hip thrusts around here at Barbell Pilates, and anyone who has trained with me in-person or inside my online coaching program BarbellSTRONG has done the hip thrust before. Not only is the best exercise for building the ship of your glutes, it’s an incredible hinge movement that carries over well into performance. If you’ve been running a …
5 Unique Ways to Increase the Intensity of your Home Workouts
I’ll be the first to admit that I am not a fan of home workouts. Like many of you, I prefer to be in a gym, amidst the muscles, loud music, sweat, and unlimited equipment. That is my happy place. The pandemic forced all of us outside of our comfort zones, myself included. I’m a big believer in turning …