Everyone pretty much wants the same thing from training - to look good naked and have this elusive “anywhere” fitness. The famed “being prepared for the unknown and unknowable.” And the older we get, the ... Continue Reading
What Is Brown Adipose Tissue and Why Would We Want It?
Adipose tissue equals fat, am I right? When we think of this tissue we automatically think, “I need to get rid of this nasty fat.” But what if this adipose tissue could actually increase your metabolic ... Continue Reading
When It Comes to Static Stretching, Timing Is Everything
Despite being a highly practiced warm up and cool down method, static stretching has been under fire over the last few years. Virtually every scientific source has indicated it makes you weaker, both in ... Continue Reading
Can Exercise Make You Happy?
Much has been written on the subject of happiness. You’ll find a whole host of best selling books on the subject from The Happiness Project, to Authentic Happiness, to Stumbling on Happiness. Much ... Continue Reading
Injury Prevention in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: Put the Odds in Your Favor
Walk into any Brazilian jiu jitsu academy and you will find one consistent element: everyone who participates in BJJ loves it. It has nothing to do with BJJ. It has everything to do with ... Continue Reading
Unilateral Leg Training, Part 1: Historical Perspectives
Everywhere you look in the training world today you see single leg exercises. You could be forgiven for thinking that it was always this way. It wasn’t. The purpose of this article is understand how we ... Continue Reading
How to Scale CrossFit WODs for Measurable Improvements
Have you ever witnessed the horror of a half-hour “Annie”? I have, back in April 2008. My gym, Pioneer Valley CrossFit (PVCF), had been open for three months. Most of my members were still struggling with ... Continue Reading
20 Pieces of Gym Etiquette You Can Learn From a Probie
Your first year on the job as a firefighter or police officer is called the probationary period. This is a time where you will be critiqued and evaluated on the performance of your duties in order to show ... Continue Reading
6 Training Roadblocks and 6 Guides to Getting Over Them
Sometimes on our journey to health and fitness we run into roadblocks. These can be physical roadblocks, where our body is challenged to do what we want. Or these can be mental barriers, of which we may ... Continue Reading
Hyper-Recovery Mode (Athlete Journal 45)
I had a pretty solid week of training. In class, we drilled leg locks and leg lock defenses. We got to visit Balance Studios in Center City and train for a day. And I even took what I like to call a “hyper ... Continue Reading
The Sweet Spot Between Consistency and Intensity (Athlete Journal 102)
This was another productive week of training for me, and I seem to be hitting the sweet spot between consistency and intensity as of late. My orthopedic health is holding up great, despite many straight ... Continue Reading
Success Strategies for Racing in the Heat
It's ironic that people will have a solid nutrition and pacing plan, but not have a plan for dealing with heat. Heat has an impact not only on racing, but also on nutrition and hydration. First of ... Continue Reading
How Warming Up the Right Way Can Still Go Wrong
Your warm up is an important part of your workout. We all know this, hopefully. But it is particularly important when it comes to being ready to make a complex lift with limit poundages all the while ... Continue Reading
Can You Look Like a Bodybuilder by Doing CrossFit?
Is it possible to gain muscle while doing CrossFit? The easy answer to that is yes, it is. How could it not be? Training with weights using high intensity and focusing on heavy barbell movements like ... Continue Reading
Squat Therapy: 4 Drills for a Better Squat
Squat therapy is what I call these drills when working through them with my clients. The words seem to strike a perfect balance between the fact this is not going to be a comfortable situation and the fact ... Continue Reading
Altitude Training and Baking Soda: A Winning Combo?
Many athletes use altitude training or baking soda to improve performance. But what happens when you combine the two? In a recent study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, researchers ... Continue Reading
4 Pro Tips for Ironman Swimming Success
Click Here to Try Our Free Swimming Workouts One of my athlete’s just signed up for Ironman Wisconsin. I have been working with her one-on-one for the past year or so, and I am so happy for ... Continue Reading
Why All Coaches Need Courage
Personal training is hardly the sort of field where you would think courage is a necessary character trait. It’s not like being a police officer and having to deal with armed gang members, or being a fire ... Continue Reading
Hey CrossFit: You Created the Culture, So Own It
Every time you hear a Ketel One Vodka commercial, it’s tagged with the words “Please Drink Responsibly.” Similarly, when you see a commercial for Horseshoe Casino and see how much fun people are having ... Continue Reading
Squats Now, Facebook Later: Stop Dreaming and Start Doing
Somewhere along the way someone instilled in me the value and importance of setting goals. It may have been a teacher, my parents, a summer camp instructor, or some combination of the above who really ... Continue Reading
5 Tips for Getting Back to Running After a Hiatus
In the past week alone, I’ve heard from five different women, all requesting coaching services for the same reason: they stopped running and couldn’t motivate themselves to start again. Why is it ... Continue Reading
Why in the World Would You Sit While Exercising?
Do you sit while you exercise? Maybe you hop on the spin bike, do an exercise circuit on the weight machines, or grab a bench to do your shoulder press or cable rows. If any of these sounds familiar, I’m ... Continue Reading
EMG Analysis of the Bench Press and Push Up
Electromyography, also known as EMG, is thought to be the holy grail of science when it comes to testing muscle activity. However, its effectiveness for predicting strength development remains surprisingly ... Continue Reading
The New Swimming Workouts Start Today!
Click Here to Start the New Swim Workouts Whether you're trying to improve your swim performance, triathlon times, or general fitness, our new swim workouts are a great tool to have in your arsenal. The ... Continue Reading
