There are a few things in fitness and in life that seem to pop up all too often. One of the first things that come to mind is lower-back health. In everyday life, it can stop us in our tracks. From long days to sitting at a desk to hours upon hours of manual labor, the lumbar spine can start to feel not as resilient and at times, painful. In the gym and during various […]
Plateauing or plateau – a state of little or no change following a period of activity or progress. During my time as a trainer, I have heard the word “plateau” used all too often. Oftentimes it is simply because someone does not feel that there are getting anywhere with their health and fitness goals. They are pounding the pavement with their workouts and staying away from junk food. So, the natural thing to think when […]
Factors for Muscle Growth There is a great debate on what works best in the strength-training world for muscle growth. The simple answer is it depends on your goal and your experience level. There are many ways to construct a strength-training program and many variables that will determine your success. Sometimes you can use a periodization model to include multiple workouts splits in a given year. You can also follow an undulating periodization model where […]
Controlling Food Portions and Macronutrient Breakdown If many of us just stopped eating the amount of food volume that we consume, we would probably lose fat and feel better. Unfortunately, it is not that simple. I do not believe a calorie is a calorie. I also feel that reducing calories can make us become nutrient deficient, lack energy, lose muscle, and set ourselves up to overeat and fail in the end because calories are cut […]
Fasted Cardio Fasted cardio methods have been in the bodybuilding and physique competitors circles for years. The theory is: if your body is low on glycogen, you will be more apt to burn fat as fuel. The theory seems logical. If the goal is to burn body fat you don’t want to have a lot of glycogen to burn, especially useful when dieting. There is also a psychological benefit to this as well. If you […]
Why Do I Need Collagen Peptides? Collagen is the most abundant protein in our body. It is found in muscles, bones, skin, blood vessels, digestive systems, and tendons. It helps give our skin strength and elasticity. The body’s collagen production begins to decrease as we age. Other factors such as a poor diet, high in sugar, and too much sun can also cause a depletion in collagen production. Thankfully consuming a diet rich in collagen peptides can […]
Having aches and pains, or getting an injury eventually happens to all of us. It doesn’t matter if it comes from working out, a sport, an activity, or just from daily habits. We all will have to learn how to deal with them. When most people get injured they get very discouraged and discontinue their current workout regimen. This is a common roadblock but, believe me, it is one that can be busted through. This has […]
Fast Fat Loss Finishers There is no question that it takes time, effort, and most importantly, consistency to get in shape. I’m not into shortcuts and applaud those who look at fitness as a lifelong journey, not a 6-week workout program to fulfill a fitness dream. But I do agree that there are times to ramp it up. First of all, it’s not possible to make a lot of body composition changes in one week, […]
Real Workouts. Real Eating. Real life.
Training Smarter, Not Harder In my earlier years of exercise, I would work out hard and often. Starting my junior year of high school, I lifted 5-6 … [Read more...] about 3 Exercises Worth Doing Everyday
As I continue to train for the Men's Health Chicago Urbanathlon I am tweaking my training to improve my conditioning. Along with progressing my … [Read more...] about Kettlebell Squat Clean Progressions
