If there’s one thing Pilates is well-known for is for its ability to develop core strength unlike anything else you may do at the gym. For us meatheads, “core strength” can mean a lot of different things, from six-pack abs to a rock hard stomach able to withstand the hundreds of pounds we put on our backs during a lift. …
Tempo Training 101
Ever find yourself in fitness purgatory? You know, somewhere between a plateau and complete, mind-numbing boredom? This is the place where motivation, consistency, and results go to die. And while tips like “switch things up” or “increase your weights” are valid and likely helpful, the answer to busting through exercise purgatory might be even simpler than you think. Enter….tempo training. …
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 …
2 Cues to Clean Up Your Bench Press
If bench pressing were a romantic relationship our status would be “It’s complicated”. I want to love it, but it doesn’t always love me back. Yet somedays the stars align and it feels smooth like butter and it’s puppy love all over again. Regardless of my personal qualms, the bench press is still a great lift for developing upper body …
6 Landmine Exercises That Rock Your Whole Body
When was the last time you spiced things up in the weight room? Lifting big, heavy weights sure is nice for the badonkadonk, but after a while, it gets a little stale. Once your workouts get dry and boring like a Cesar Salad without the dressing, you can say bu-bye to motivation and fitness gains. Enter….the Landmine. The Landmine is an excellent …
Energy Leaks and Developing Baseline Strength
Some fitness pros prefer to call weaknesses in our kinetic chain as “weak links.” I prefer to call them “energy leaks” which occur through deficiencies in movement quality, tissue quality, structural integrity or programming, not just muscles. Energy leaks tend to evolve. At best, such leaks hold us back from optimal movement and performance. At worse, they create more energy leaks that lead …
The Biggest Training Mistake Every Lifter Makes
Recently on Twitter the President threw a temper tantrum my good friend Tony Gentilcore commented that “easy lifting” is oftentimes the best kind of lifting there is for creating change. Easy" lifting is oftentimes GREAT strength training. Quit it with the (excessive) sets to failure and forced reps. Not missing reps matters — Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore1) March 12, 2017 Clients that …
Swapping Road Races for Powerlifting
For years, I dedicated 90% of my workouts to cardio. I ran 2-6 miles as early as 5:30am several times a week, and finished the day with an evening spin class. Even on days I focused on strength training, I still ended the workout with a run on the treadmill. Unlike most cardio bunnies, my aggressive cardio sessions were driven …
How to Prep Your Body For a Killer Workout
Remember those Build-A-Bear workshops at the mall? I used to hate walking past that store. It reflected all of my deepest fears: Annoying children, overbearing parents, and torn up pieces of toy bears scattered everywhere like a Pixar version of the movie Saw. Despite my utter disdain for that little shop of horrors, the Build-A-Bear business model was on to …
4 Overlooked Training Elements You Can’t Ignore
Recently I found myself unmotivated to finish my workout and missing the days when supersets and 9-mile runs on a Saturday morning were my idea of fun. Before you start judging me, know that I only get nostalgic like this when I run out of carbs and have to max out a lift on a super hot day. San Diego …