A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t always work. In a lot of cases, it results in a moderate amount of progress that leads to a plateau. What do I mean by “one size fits all?” I’m talking about group classes, generic plans, or trends (such as a diet craze or style of fitness). Please don’t get me […]
Most people want to accomplish one thing: burn fat and build muscle. It’s the perfect combination, right? Slim down, but look muscular. Have a great physique that everyone wants. Most people want to do both of these things at the same exact time. And most of the time, you’ll hear one of these two claims: […]
Something that’s extremely important, but perhaps we don’t think about very much, is what we put on our feet when we lift weights. If your workout involves lifting weights, you’re more likely thinking about the muscle groups involved; the exercises you’ll perform; the goals you set for yourself for this workout; or perhaps you’re even […]
HEADS UP: Before diving into this post, I want to let you know it’s a pretty long read. I’ve broken the article up into four parts: 1. Background Information 2. Caffeine’s Effect on Your Diet3. Caffeine’s Effect on Strength4. Caffeine’s Effect on Endurance5. Application and TakeawaysScroll down to one of those headings to jump to […]
By: Chris Gates Something we all consider when going about our fitness routines is how many calories we’re burning. Your Apple Watch or Fitbit may give you a “calories burned” prediction. Most modern pieces of cardio equipment will also give an estimate on calorie expenditure. As I’ve written before, these totals are inaccurate. They are […]
I have some good news, and I have some bad news. Good news: tracking “calories burned” via wearable technology (Fitbit, Apple Watch, etc.) or on a piece of cardio equipment can be valuable. Bad news: The “calories burned” this equipment gives you is, at best, inaccurate, and at worst wildly off base. If you run […]
The old-school training mindset is when you go into the gym, you need to be prepared to absolutely crush yourself during every workout to see progress. I’m here to tell you to stop. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against hard work. If you have your sights set on getting stronger and building muscle, you […]
Week 1 of dieting is in the books! I’ve already learned a lot about myself and gotten clues as to how this process will evolve. I’m excited for this entire 2019 cut! First off, I’m feeling good. Reducing my food intake and focusing on self control has been a challenge, but it’s one where I’m […]
A new study came across my desk in the latest edition of MASS that I just had to share. Why? Because it’s about the concept of your favorite music improving performance. And the fact that there’s research emerging on this topic is just absolutely amazingly cool to me! The research study is titled, “Effect of […]
The head-on view is not one I use very often for deadlifts, just because it fails to include some of the most crucial aspects of the lift (flat back, bar path, etc.). However, I found this view useful in my most recent deadlift session. As my sets go on, I’m often interested in watching bar […]