What is a “deload week” and why does it matter? — I’ve spoken before about how progressive overload is the way to making steady, consistent progress in the gym over the weeks, months and years. As a quick recap, to “progressively overload” is to gradually make your workouts more challenging over time. A few ways to do this would be: Increasing…

There are three very basic, simple, but effective steps you can take to accomplish anything you put your mind to when it comes to your fitness goals. They’re not always easy, but if you apply them with consistency, the sky’s the limit. 1. Know exactly what you want to achieve This is something a lot of people overlook…

Stop counting your reps and make your reps count. — A good way to objectively measure your progress in the gym is to “standardize” every repetition. This means that the first rep should look almost identical to the last one — insofar as you’re staying in position, you’re not letting momentum take over by trying to “jerk” the weight up…

Benefits, effects, and whether or not they’re worth it — Caffeine is one of the most popular and commonly used drugs in the world. It’s a central nervous system stimulant that can have a positive impact on your fitness goals — but like most things, it’s not without its potential drawbacks. The following will discuss how caffeine works, three of…

Waste of money or invaluable asset? — Should protein supplements be a staple in your daily diet or are they a waste of money? It depends. In order to properly answer this question, it’s important to note the actual definition of the word “supplement” here: “A supplement is something that completes or enhances something else when added…

Write your program in pencil, not pen. — The problem with most “cookie cutter” gym plans is they assume a pretty rigid schedule. If you’ve ever thumbed through the pages of a health & fitness magazine at the grocery store, you’ve almost certainly come across regimens that look something like this: Monday: Chest/Shoulders/Triceps Tuesday: Cardio Wednesday: Back/Biceps Thursday…

When it comes to fat loss, simpler is better — I’ve been heavily involved with fitness for the better part of two decades now. Between training myself and others, if I’ve learned anything, it’s that when it comes to fat loss, simpler is better. In general, you don’t need to adopt a fad diet, you don’t need to completely eliminate…

There’s no big secret. — The following is a simple but effective three-step formula that I’ve applied over the years to achieve multiple goals, some of which include: Saving over 50% of my income Bench pressing 1.5 times my bodyweight Earning a college degree I mention these goals because they’re all very different. One relates…

The bench press, especially with a barbell, is notorious for causing shoulder problems. But it’s not so much the exercise itself that’s so problematic; it’s the fact that many of us don’t learn how to perform it with proper technique when we’re first starting out. I recently coached a client…