Every January 1st, the idea of the new year being a “clean slate” motivates many of us to start trying to lead healthier lives. This often entails making a firm commitment to working out. But more often than not, the same thing happens this year as it did the year before:
You join a gym, stick with it for a month or so, and by the end of February, you’ve fallen back into the same old habits.
11 months later, it’s another new year, and the vicious cycle repeats itself once more.
But it’s not because you’re “lazy”. Oftentimes, the…
Your training and nutrition are dialed in. You’ve been working long and hard to get in shape. But you’re still not seeing results like you should be.
You may just be neglecting one of the most often neglected aspects of fitness: Your recovery. More specifically, you’re not sleeping enough.
Below are three major ways that a lack of sleep can negatively impact your fitness and your health — as well as three ways to get a longer and more restful night’s sleep.
We live in a world where a “no days off”, workaholic attitude is considered a badge of honor…
A few nights ago, I was up late working and could faintly hear YouTube playing through all of its “suggested videos” from the other room.
At one point, the voice of a woman caught my attention — enough for me to pause what I was doing, walk into the other room, and pay closer attention to what she was saying.
Her name is Laura Moore and she’s the owner of a business called Clutter Clarity. In the video I watched, she was describing a four step checklist that she takes her clients through when deciding whether or not something has…
When it comes to exercise programs, there is a ton of information out there about what you “should and shouldn’t” be doing. Between the influencers, apps, and “workouts of the week”, it’s easy to become overwhelmed.
My goal is to simplify that for you right now.
Whether you’re bodybuilding, powerlifting, cross-fitting, or anything in between, all exercises are based off of 7 fundamental human movement patterns: Push, pull, squat, hinge, lunge, rotate, and gait.
For example, a 500-pound bench press is the same movement pattern as a simple push-up, and a pull-up is the same movement pattern as a lat…
The age old question of “what’s the most effective way to burn body fat?” is surrounded by a lot of controversy and conflicting viewpoints. This information overload can often lead to paralysis by analysis for many people; their fat loss journey stops before it can even get started, out of fear that they’re not “doing the right things”.
Not all of the proposed methods to elicit fat loss are created equal, and the goal of this article is to help you clear up any confusion you may have over what you should and shouldn’t be prioritizing when it comes to…
The barbell back squat is often referred to as “The King of All Exercises”, and justifiably so.
Whether your goal is to run faster, jump higher, get stronger, or simply build a massive lower body — the squat is one of the most beneficial exercises you can perform in the weight room, and loading it up with a barbell on your back will allow you to perform the exercise with as much weight as possible.
Of course, this can be equally as risky as it is rewarding. Because of how the spine is loaded when performing back squats, a technical…
When people want to better themselves, they’ll often seek out a professional to help them reach their goals. These professionals should be held to a high standard, but in the personal training world, that is sometimes not the case.
This is largely due the low barrier to entry; most gyms only require you to complete a weekend-long certification course, and voilà! You’re now entrusted with the physical well being of that gym’s clientele!
Make no mistake, there are a lot of good trainers out there, but it’s up to you to differentiate the good from the bad when you’re considering…
Out of all of the different types of exercise, I believe that strength training is one of the most valuable — for a variety of reasons. Performed on a regular basis, it will:
… Among many other benefits. But, one commonly overlooked aspect of strength training is the cumulative effect it can have on our joints over a long period of time.
Our joints are like tires — they only have so…
A good strength training session will accomplish three things:
If you’re a busy person with work, family, or any number of other obligations, it may seem like finding the time to accomplish all of these things in a single workout is unrealistic.
However, I believe that you can get a great workout with a minimal time commitment; with as little as 30 minutes or less, in fact.
If you can find 30 minutes or less to commit to your…
Over the last several years, I’ve adopted three small, simple habits that have have helped me improve my posture, burn body fat, and wake up feeling refreshed.
As a personal trainer, I recommend the following three things to every client I have, and now I’m recommending them to you — because whether you’re a fitness fanatic or you’re simply looking to improve your health, I believe that making these habits a part of your daily routine can help you just as much as they’ve helped me.
I’ve spoken a lot about how modern life has put most of us in…
CPPS, NESTA Fitness Nutrition Coach. I write about improving yourself by developing good habits. Website: www.harrisfitsystems.com - IG: zackharris01