How to be a good coaching client

I’ve written about how to find a good trainer. But that’s only one half of the equation. To get the most out of your coaching or personal training experience, you have to be a good client. It was 6:55 am on a weekday morning, many years ago. Rain sloshed down. I’d managed to find the […]

How Much Weight Should You Lift?

Beginners often wonder: How much should I lift? How much CAN I lift? The answer is easy: Lift the right weight for YOU. Here’s how to figure it out.

Weight Training for Swimming

Many swimmers don’t combine weight training with swimming. That’s a mistake. If you’re a swimmer, I highly recommend that you support your swimming with some strength and conditioning work. Here’s how.

Pulling Without Pullups? How To Train Your No-Tech Pull

Pulling is a primal movement pattern, and great for bodyweight-only exercises. But what if you don’t have a pullup bar, or aren’t strong enough (yet) to make pullups the cornerstone of your bodyweight routine? Enter the crawl. Drop and get under that barbed wire field, soldier!

Yoga for Fighters: Releasing the Psoas

Most fighters end up with certain muscles totally overdeveloped. Because of the way grappling works, the psoas muscles get very, very tight. However, many non-grapplers also have a lot of psoas problems, simply from sitting all day. The psoas shortens and becomes tight. An overdeveloped, shortened psoas means less mobility, reduced speed, and greater risk of injury.

The Less Thinking, More Doing Starter Program

For those new to strength training, details can be a little overwhelming. After all, you might just want some simple advice on getting started. If so, this article is for you. This program starts you off with a few basic movements that are guaranteed to increase your overall strength and fitness if you’re a beginner.

Don’t fear the free weights!

Remember that one of the big lies in the gym was that women should stick to machines and stay away from free weights? Related to that is the lie that one should “start out” on machines and then “graduate” to free weights. Well, here’s why it ain’t so, as well as why free weights are often better for women.

Strength without size: How to get stronger without getting bulky

Staying weak because of how it might make you look is the same as staying illiterate for fear of appearing nerdy. Women have somehow been sold a false bill of goods when it comes to working out. Here’s why flapping your arms around with purple dumbbells is not typically helpful.