Fitness

Training is a skill. You improve with time, dedication, and practice. Progress comes in both the amount of weight you lift and the quality of your movement. Let me watch two guys of equal strength train together, and I can tell you who has been at it longer. There is just something about the way he lifts that screams experience. Over time, that experience leads to more effective workouts and better results. How to properly work up to a top end set, how heavy your sets should feel, and how fast your reps should look. All of those o details play a critical role in… continue reading.

This sounds insane to me now, but I used to do 500 sit-ups per day. Then I heard that sit-ups were bad for your back. That made sense since my back was starting to kill me. I was only in my early twenties so I figured I had to be doing something wrong. So I switched to crunches. And did 500 of those per day. Guess how my abs looked from all those sit-ups and crunches? I couldn’t tell you. Because I couldn’t see them. There was just a smooth,… continue reading.

“You’re a product of your experience.” You always hear that phrase as it applies to personal development. But it also applies to every other aspect of your life, especially your career. When I was coming up in the strength & conditioning world, I cut my teeth next to guys who spent thousands of hours on the gym floor. They coached athletes for 12+ hours. Every day. For years. I did the same and it made me into the coach I am today. One who cares about nothing but what works in the real world. Not what some study says or what some… continue reading.

As you age, some of the most important factors in long term health are hormone optimization and regular blood work. While I always encourage my clients to rely on how they look, feel, and perform, at some point those signals can only tell you so much. You may feel great while some underlying health issue smolders under the surface. One day, you find out you have a chronic health issue because you didn’t know enough to take action early on. It doesn’t matter if it’s life threatening or just a burden to your quality of life. You gotta give yourself the opportunity to… continue reading.

What are the best rep ranges to build muscle? All of them. Low, medium, and high rep sets all have their place in an effective strength training program. Low rep sets build maximal strength, but there’s always a risk when you hit max effort singles, doubles, or triples. Unless you have to hit a one rep max for some sort of competition or test, it’s best to make your low rep sets no fewer than six reps. A set of six is still heavy enough to achieve maximal muscle fiber activation while eliminating some of the injury risk If… continue reading.

The last thing you think about when you start lifting weights is being able to train injury free. You want to make gains now, push your limits and build muscle as fast as humanly possible. No matter how many times you read that it takes time build strength, that you have to be patient, it doesn’t sink in. You tell yourself you’re different, that the rules don’t apply. So, you  throw more weight on the bar, grind out reps, let your form go to shit, and believe you’re making big gains. Where does it get you? Eight weeks of solid training followed… continue reading.

If a few days of weight training is good, 6 days must be better, right? And let’s add some high intensity cardio at every workout to burn fat. Running faster and jumping higher is cool, too, so go ahead and throw in some spring training. And why not learn to do a backflip? And deadlift 500lbs. Next week. This insanity represents everyone who decides to make a big, physical transformation. They try to do everything under the sun and become a Marvel comic character. But, it doesn’t take long to realize realize you’ve gotten weaker, feel like you got hit by a bus, and look exactly the… continue reading.

“Aren’t you supposed to be a fitness guy?” That’s the question I got asked when I used to limp around after every leg day. Or when I couldn’t grab something from a high shelf because I had the shoulder mobility of the tin man. Or couldn’t play beach volleyball because my elbow felt like it was going to explode after making another one of the typical gym mistakes. Or when I…you get the point. Look, proper training is supposed to make you great. But it’s also supposed to… continue reading.

Somehow, the purpose of lifting weights has gotten lost in today’s training culture. For one reason or another, complexity has replaced simplicity. And it’s not helping any of you get in the best shape of your life. Before information overload confused us all, people did it right. Guys went to the gym to lift weights and get strong. Then, they played some sports or did some conditioning the other days to stay lean. They didn’t blend conditioning into their lifting, or run sprints between sets. They understood the single most important factor for getting jacked: Building strength.  Whether… continue reading.

If there’s one thing that curses genetically average, skinny-fat guys, it’s the constant cycle of yo-yoing up and down between fat loss and size gain. The vicious cycle that transforms you from a doughy ball of pudding into an emaciated bean pole with a pot belly. Over and over again. I see it all the time. A guy realizes he needs to get lean because his stomach ripples and shakes like a bowl of jello with every step. But, he has tube steaks arms and zero muscle. So when he gets lean, he freaks out at the sight of his hideous physique. This… continue reading.

Guest Post by Eric Bach, CSCS Being yoked and strong is great. But, to be the total package you need power — the ability to generate strength fast. The result is improved athleticism. Problem is, once most guys hit 25 they stop playing sports. Their athleticism and power evaporate quicker than a raindrop in Death Valley. Most guys take one of two roads. Half ditch the gym altogether, they occasionally waste away on the treadmill, before rushing to yet another “urgent” work meeting. They come to accept a mediocre body as the cost of doing business. The other… continue reading.

When it comes to getting jacked, focusing on the basics will get you 90% of the way there. That means doing the following: Staying consistent with 3 hard strength training workouts per week  Dialing in your nutrition plan  Adding in 1-3 high intensity conditioning sessions each week to stay lean. But, to take your physique to the next level, there are some advanced strategies that you can use in the gym and the kitchen. From body part specific workouts and training templates to small tweaks to your daily diet.  These adjustments will separate you from the masses. continue reading.

Three of the most common topics of confusion for guys who wanna get jacked are: Getting better at bodyweight exercises like chin-ups Advanced training techniques to increase muscle and strength gains  Stress management and avoiding adrenal burnout When it comes to getting better at pull-ups, there are hundreds of ways you can go about it, but only a few are smart and effective enough to give you results without beating up your shoulders, elbows, and wrists. The same goes for the advanced training techniques like rest-pause, forced reps, and drop sets. Many work, but you have to use them in ways that… continue reading.

While fitness has changed a lot the past few years, the path to getting strong and ripped never will. We’ve known for over a century now the few key principles of training and nutrition that will let any guy build muscle or lose fat. And no matter how many people I coach, or how many research articles come out, those truths remain the same. What does change, however, is the best way to go about achieving those goals. And throughout my 20+ years of getting guys jacked, I’ve uncovered the techniques that deliver optimal results. In this episode, I go into detail on those exact… continue reading.

A few years ago I had to stop taking on new training clients. I simply didn’t have any time left and if I kept saying “yes” my life would start to really suffer. So, even though it pained me to do so, I said “no” to a well-known UFC fighter. And I said “no” to Hollywood entertainers. Time after time I continued to say “no,” no matter who asked. But there was a method to my madness. I did it, so that in the long term, I’d be able to say, “yes” to you. By freeing up some time I… continue reading.