Do you know how to grip the bar or dumbbell when you lift? While this seems like a basic question, in my years as a trainer, I often see people default to a grip that doesn’t suit the act of lifting weights. A weak grip equals to weakness, period. You won’t be able to lift as heavy, or get pull-ups …
Alternatives to Building Lower Body Strength
A lot of trainers might get mad at me for this but… Squats are cool, but they aren’t everything. You heard me. Squats are not everything, and it takes a lot of effort to hold back my eye roll when I hear someone say that you “just need to squat more” in order to get a bigger butt, get strong, …
Four Signs A Workout Program is Worth Your Time
When you’re selecting a new training program or workout to follow, are you looking at those options with a critical eye? Be honest! The reality is, there is a lot of garbage out there regarding fitness and strength training programs. The barrier to entry in the fitness space is nearly invisbile as literally anyone can post “expert” or “trainer” on …
5 Ways to Remain Resilient and Athletic As You Age
The lifecycle of a very active person after the age 25 seems to go as follows: Marathons CrossFit Olympic Weightlifting Powerlifting Bodybuilding General training for fun and new hobbies Feel free to move one of these up or down; it doesn’t matter. Our interests evolve, as does our training. By the time you get to your 40s, you may find …
5 Mistakes to Avoid in Deficit Training
If you ever wondered how to get more bang out of an exercise you already know and love, the deficit is where it’s at. Long before I became a trainer, deficit training wasn’t even on my radar. The only way I knew how to progress an exercise like the squat or lunge was to make the weight heavier or more …
Adding Progressive Overload to Your Workouts
2009 Trish loved to workout. She wanted to run fast, have the muscle definition of a bodybuilder, the booty of a Brazilian goddess (without the jiggle), and be really strong and athletic. Your girl just had no idea how to achieve all that. Never mind the fact that these were a lot of goals to tackle at once. Yet, I …
A Simple Movement & Posture Fix: Start With Your Feet
Are you using your feet right? Can you ignite the back side of your body when you stand, lift, or move? Chances are, the answer is no. I don’t blame you for this. Fitness culture is obsessed with the front side of the body: how it looks, how it moves, how to engage this or that big muscle. It’s …
10 Ways to Get Leaner and Stronger Starting Now
I’m a big believer in training cycles and adjusting workouts around the seasons of your life. Not only does this make training more sustainable, but it’s a good idea to give your body a break from hardcore workouts or diets throughout the year. For the average person, it’s common to slow down around the holidays and take diet breaks in …
3 Grips to Boost Your Strength Training
After years of training myself and others, I finally learned (sometimes the hard way), that little tweaks here and there in your programming can be the biggest game changer in your fitness. For example, when I started percentage-based training, my strength levels and muscle definition went through the roof. When I switched to sumo deadlifts instead of traditional, I was able …
The Truth About Toning and What it Really Means
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 …