The right training split for you can be the difference of being consistent and falling off the rails. So, what is a training split? It is how you would split your training throughout the week based on how many days you are training. A split can be based on muscle groups like chest day and back day, or can be movement based. There are many factors that can determine your…
What is a squat safety bar (SSB)? Very simply, it is a bar that has two handles sticking out in the front and surrounded with padding for the upper back/ neck region and shoulders. The bar is also cambered, meaning the bar on the ends is lower than the middle. This helps move the center of gravity more forward compared to a straight barbell squat. You might be wondering why…
Do you have to use a barbell when deadlift? The quick answer is no, and you will probably be better off using a trapbar for your deadlifts. The trapbar, also known as hex bar, is a hexagonal shaped barbell, and you are inside this hexagon to perform an exercise like the deadlift. The barbell has become this fitness tool that has become almost essential for many lifters. The barbell has…
Hinging at the hip in another movement pattern that is essential to your health. Like the squat, it is a movement that we learned as little kids and overtime we lose the skill due to lack of practice and movement. The hip hinge is a movement in the hip while maintaining a neutral spine. This is an important skill to have because it can spare the low back from extra…
In the last blog I talked about how squatting is important for your health. Today I want to help you be better with your squat form. Squatting involves multiple joints and muscles to complete the task. You want to make sure that you are moving with good form, having improper form can lead to tight muscles, joints, and even injury. I would like to help avoid this and…
The ability to squat is a fundamental human movement that you have been capable of doing since you were toddler. It is much more than just an exercise, it is a skill that is necessary to perform certain activities. Losing the skill to squat will make life harder as you age. So what is a squat? Essentially, a squat is a movement where you sit down and stand back up.…
Your feet matter more than you realize. I will not go heavy with the anatomy but here are some numbers for you about the feet. There are 28 bones, 33 joints, 112 ligaments, 13 extrinsic muscles (superficial/surface) and 21 intrinsic muscles (deep muscles). The foot has a rigid structure for weight bearing and it has a flexible structure to conform to uneven surfaces. This makes sense when you look at…
What is progressive overload? To keep it simple, it is a trackable increase of stress on the body to generate a goal-oriented adaptation. Without this trackable stress on the body you can expect to hit a plateau with your results and not see any changes. This is because you are not giving the body a reason to change or adapt. I will give you an example, let’s say you go…
Cardio sucks. Sorry to all the cardio bunnies out there who love it, but seriously cardio sucks. I know others feel the same way about it, and like them I used to believe cardio was this activity you did to get your heart rate up, breathing heavily, dripping sweat, and looking at your time to see if you are done. What I have come to learn is that there…
America has a movement problem. The lack of movement in Americans is one variable on why we also have an obesity problem. 43% of Americans are obese and the leading cause of death is cardiovascular disease (CVD). With obesity on the rise, it is associated with an increase of anxiety, depression, and risk of CVD related deaths. When I said we have a movement problem, it is because on…