As a former runner turned powerlifter turned generalist (what can I say, I love all the fitness!), nothing says “no fucking way” quite like the word “cardio.” The word brings me back to my 6-mile days on the treadmill – THE TREADMILL! — and half-marathon training sessions in the freezing Boston cold or pouring rain. Good times. At the time, …
Four Ways To Build Consistency and Make Fitness a Lifestyle
You want to be consistent with your workouts and stop the yo-yo exercise habit? Girl, I got you… Building consistency is a patience game. No one wakes up to a healthy and fit lifestyle; it’s something that is practiced and earned over a long period of time. If you’re frustrated by your fitness results and the constant jumping-on-then-back-off the exercise …
A Back Friendly Exercise for All: The Single Leg Barbell Deadlift
As far as single-leg training goes, I’m confident that anyone with legs can benefit from the single-leg barbell deadlift. The exercise packs a major punch in terms of benefits, and it’s one I recently re-acquainted myself with. What is it: Single-leg barbell deadlift (SLBDL) Who is it best for: Intermediate and advanced trainees who have mastered the hinge pattern and …
3 Ways to Uplevel Your Body Confidence
The day I discovered a stretch mark on my body was the day I gave up wearing shorts. For years. I was in high school at the time, which is another way of saying I was incredibly insecure, still growing into my body, and wondering if my parents were really out to ruin my life. Ah, what a wonderful time …
How to Achieve Your Fitness Goals By Doing A Lot Less
I used to spend my days bouncing from one thing to the next. 5am wake-up calls, 6am workouts, 9-10 hours hustling at my corporate job….and then hitting the gym in the evenings to either fit in more of my own workouts, teach classes, or continue my studies to become a better coach and instructor. At one point I was working …
An Underrated Mobility Flow for Hips and Glutes
If you’re still using the same warm-up routine your high school gym teacher taught you, it’s time for an upgrade. A focused, targeted warm-up doesn’t have to take a ton of time, especially if you group a few activation and mobility drills in a sequence you can move through efficiently. I came up with a mobility flow recently that hits …
Barbell Training 101: What You Need To Know Before You Start
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 …
5 Smarter, More Effective Core Training Exercises
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 …
Single-leg Training Tips from the Pros
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 …
A Resistance Band Travel Workout
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 …