Uncategorized

On any particular training day, you can go into the weight room with an exact plan in place. You know exactly how many sets of how many reps, with how much weight on each piece of equipment, you’re planning on taking you from “start” to “finish.” Or you can go in with a basic idea

Hannah was a diehard athlete until a series of injuries in high school ended her collegiate sports prospects. At just over 6 feet tall, she felt modeling was a natural fit for her height. But this path demanded a choice. Upon learning that she would either have to diet down or gain weight to become

Josh Henkin is a CSCS and Master RKC with twenty years of experience. His innovative Dynamic Variable Resistance Training (DVRT™) has allowed him to present in more than 13 countries and publish in top outlets like Men’s Health and the Wall Street Journal. In this episode, we discuss the DVRT system, why sandbags are such a versatile

Here’s a secret: I’ve written workout programs that were featured in men’s magazines and workout books, only to see those exact same programs later printed in the same publisher’s women’s magazines and books. The only thing that was changed was the terminology. In the men’s version it said something like, ”use this workout program to build

Does original thought exist? Have we covered everything, or are there thinkers out there who aren’t in the box? I know my friend David Weck down in San Diego is changing the game when it comes to running, but when we get down to the nitty-gritty of strength training, we all regurgitate the same things

“Goals are just a fantasy. The training that you do today is real.” I say these words at just about every seminar I teach. It often catches people off guard, as it’s pretty much the opposite of what they’re used to being told. Most mainstream fitness sources—and people—place a huge emphasis on goals. And it’s

Whether you’re new to weight training, getting reacquainted with your local gym, or simply looking for a change from the normal sets and reps, performing a solid finisher at the end of a workout helps you leave the weight room with confidence knowing you did exactly what you needed to do that day. Cables and

Chia seeds are highly nutritious and rich in fiber, protein, and calcium, making them the perfect addition to any healthy breakfast. If that weren’t enough, chia seeds also possess the magical ability to transform humble protein powders into a thick and luscious pudding. As easy as oatmeal and as satisfying as dessert, this breakfast recipe

A diet consisting of clean, unprocessed foods is always the best place to start your fat-loss journey; supplementing a crappy diet with a fat burner won’t cut it! Sound nutrition ensures you’ll get the crucial macronutrients and micronutrients your body demands for optimal performance and recovery. So yeah, eat your vegetables and proteins, because they

This article is the fourth and final installment in the exercise recovery series. I’m finally going to cover the sexy stuff. These aren’t cutting-edge recovery modalities that will supercharge your training, recovery, and results, but they are the recovery methods that all work. They don’t work as powerfully as the marketing machine would have you believe, but you

David, a former high school wrestler, had to give it all up after an injury ended his athletic career and resulted in him gaining a lot of weight. At his largest, he tipped the scales at 272 pounds while building his career as a rabbi and educator. Feeling like a powerful athlete trapped in a

In part one of this series, Train Hard, Recover Harder, I explained that stress is a double-edged sword. To make adaptations, you need to impose stress, but too much stress will interfere with your recovery. Stress can be both good and bad, but your body doesn’t differentiate between types of stress, and your body can only handle so

Prior to becoming a researcher, I was just another diehard lifter strictly adhering to the deeply ingrained rules of bodybuilding. But over the years, the academic in me has grown to question even the most fundamental principles of training. For instance, let’s say someone tells you they want you to help them build muscle or

What if I told you that by improving your training program, you could dramatically improve your recovery and your results? In part one of this series Train Hard, Recover Harder, I explained that training was one of many stressors that your body has to deal with and that stress management is the key strategy to increasing

Imagine a typical hour-long strength-training workout. For argument’s sake, let’s say it’s 3-5 sets of 10 reps, for five separate exercises. How much time during that hour do you think you’d actually spending lifting? At most, it’s probably around 15 minutes—and that’s being generous. The rest of the time, you’re resting, moving equipment around, and

Based on my email inbox and Instagram DMs, recovery from training is a hot topic. I get asked all kinds of questions about recovery techniques. “Can you assess my supplement stacks?” “Should I do active recovery workouts?” “When do I foam roll?” “How would you change my nutrition on rest days?” “What stretching routine should I do post-workout?” “Will ice baths

Starr Scott knows how hard change can be. She was bullied as a child, often being told she would never be good enough. Feeling depressed and insecure and not knowing how to cope, she turned to food to try to feel happy. Years of struggle with depression and binge eating followed. By 2009, Starr weighed

When it comes to talking about food and dieting in fitness circles, one of the terms you keep hearing over and over is macronutrients. Its lesser discussed counterpart, micronutrients, are the topic for today. While often disregarded in the fitness industry, micronutrients are essential for optimal body function and reaching your fitness goals—namely, the purpose of body recomposition.

Jackson “Bajheera” Bliton is a natural pro bodybuilder who also happens to be a high-level gamer known for his YouTube and Twitch content that combines his love of training with his love of gaming. If you think those two passions don’t go together, Bliton is here to prove otherwise. Here are his 6 tips to

In this episode, Joe Bennett, AKA the Hypertrophy Coach, is joining me. Joe has developed a thriving fitness business focused on his passion for muscle building and working with people he loves coaching.   During the show, Joe maps out his journey from young meathead to expert status. If you want to build a career around your passion,

It’s easy to think that when it comes to adding muscle, you might as well eat anything you want because you’re going to gain body fat no matter what. Hey, that’s why they call it “bulking,” right? The more fat you’re adding, the more muscle must be coming along with it. Jim Stoppani, Ph.D., the

People who suffer from a low libido can find a world of reasons to blame for it: stress, a busy work schedule, kids and family responsibilities, and that occasional, unavoidable dark cloud called “not in the mood.” Knowing what’s behind your losing streak doesn’t make it any easier to bear. It’s easy to laugh at

Bodybuilders of color have been integral to the development of their sports, and of lifting culture more generally, for decades. There’s no better time than Black History Month to look back and celebrate some of the most iconic African American physique athletes, from the Golden Age of bodybuilding to the present day. A note on

When strung together, we should say these three words with our tail between our legs and a strong shimmy to our confidence. I’m not going to get on my high horse and go through some Pinterest list of virtuous bullet points on how personal growth starts here and how courage is found in these moments,

Q: What can I keep doing while I’m recovering from knee surgery? There’s an interesting aspect of human behavior called “the missing tile syndrome.” Basically, when a ceiling tile is missing, we don’t notice the hundreds of intact tiles. Instead, our eye immediately zeros in on that single missing tile. Put another way, we’re wired

Many of us think of working out as a way to relieve stress, challenge ourselves, or reach aesthetic goals. For Wes Logue, it means so much more. That’s because Wes had to undergo extensive radiation and chemo treatments not once, but twice. Wes credits his dedication to fitness for helping him endure the physical and

Electromyography(EMG) is a scientific method of testing muscle activity. It is well regarded, some say, in the non-scientific community because of the simplicity of a stronger reading means stronger muscles. However, it is neither popular or as well-studied as it could be so, the question remains as to its effectiveness. Considering EMG is not a

Ever see the guys with skinny chicken legs in the gym and on the beach? To be symmetrical, your calves should be around the same size as your arms. Are yours close? Many bodybuilders are in denial about their weak areas and do not bring them up to improve their symmetry. Arnold Schwarzenegger came to