The Perfect Addition to Your Home Gym

New year, new you, right? Well, we’re not quite there, but two of the most challenging weeks of the year are separating you from 2018. Most people focus on their struggle with large family meals and tins full of cookies, but why bother stressing about that when you can focus on something else… something rewarding.

What’s this crazy rewarding thing we’re talking about? Well, it’s simple and it is all based on performance. Looking in the mirror feels good; we don’t disagree with you there, but nothing feels better than feeling better! Huh? When you’re physically capable of something, especially something you were never capable of doing before, you feel amazing.

May112017

3 Ideas on Creating a Versatile Home Gym for the Entire Family

Home gyms have become a popular household trend among many families. Having a home gym in your house shows that you are a person dedicated to fitness and health. In some cases, families who have no time to go to the gym or do not want to spend money on gyms follow this concept. They prefer a home gym because it is accessible and they can work out in peace and without distractions. They can hit the gym any time they want; no more waiting in line when you want to use equipment. It can also help you save money: rather than paying those monthly gym bills, you can just make your own gym at home. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to buy expensive equipment to match the quality that the gym provides, all you need is a creative mind and help from the internet to make your own equipment. We came up with a list of ideas which will help you in creating your own home gym.

Apr122016

Grip Strength Workout

Whether you’re having a hard time opening a jar of pickles or can’t lockout that 600+ lb deadlift, your grip is an essential component to your overall strength. Instead of buying a pair of straps or the most technologically advanced chalk, the best practice is to develop a grip that can crush apples and tear phone books. These exercises will help you develop stronger hands and have a direct practical application to competitions such as powerlifting and strongman since you’re simulating the same technique. Even if you’re a martial artist who grapples or throws, being able to hold onto a gi is key and no matter what your goal, this routine will push your mind (and forearms) to the limit every set.

It’s important to note that in between every set, I will stretch the muscles that are being contracted for such a long amount of time. For example, I might use a thick rubber band (like the one from broccoli at the grocery) to expand my hands so they and my forearms are not in a state of constant flexion. I train many lab workers, nurses, and bakers who have developed the equivalent of a shin splint in their forearms because they’ve created such an extreme muscular imbalance. We want to avoid that in our effort to strengthen our grip. We don’t want to cause injury when trying to squeeze that level 3 Captain of Crush.

(I will mention that you’ll notice Captain of Crush work is not included in this workout. I generally superset every exercise in my bodybuilding upper day with my CoC so I avoid using them in this workout.)

Mar062016

Simple Shoulder Workout (Advanced)

Workouts come in all shapes and sizes. Whether you’re a beginner or nearly a professional athlete, weight loads, rep ranges, rest, and many other variables dictate your training session. The following workout has its own place for those that are experienced but don’t have a concrete goal. For those that have been serious in the past but an injury has taken its toll over time. I call this the Simple Shoulder workout, but Simple is relative to an experienced athlete.

Feb012016

What is a “Pull” Workout?

There is a plethora of workout types out there. I mean there is a ton. From muscle workouts to crosstraining to cardio workouts and then more types within each type! It can be exhausting and, quite frankly, intimidating to even know where to start. That’s what we’re here for! We want to offer up different kinds of workouts so that you can feel familiar with them as you decide what you want to do.

So what is a “pull” workout? Think of “pull” very literally. Think of what muscles you use when you pull on something. Typically, you’ll use your upper back (lats), your biceps, and the backs of your shoulders and traps. This provides us a great area to work out! Back, biceps, and certain parts of the shoulders! Next time you hit the gym, try a few of the exercises laid out below:

For the back…

1. Reverse lat pull-down. Try 3-4 sets of a weight that’s right for you. Do your reps in a slow, controlled manner, bringing the bar down.

Nov072015

NETA Group Exercise Workshop in Los Angeles

If you read our recent post about NASM’s effort to enter the Group Exercise market through their strategic acquisition of AFAA, you might remember we discussed the current hierarchy of certifications in the industry. While we didn’t give you the whole picture, you saw a glimpse and got an idea of who the heavy hitters were in group exercise. One organization we didn’t mention happens to currently be one of the only two that has NCCA Accreditation for both their personal trainer and group exercise instructor courses. In fact, I’ve looked through a lot of fitness professional catalogs and they might have the most diverse of all. They are NETA. (I spend at least ten minutes a day explaining acronyms in the fitness and aquatics industries to people.)

Source: NCCA

Aug032015

DIY Home Gym with Household Items

This post is brought to you by our friends at Modernize.com–we love their awesome tricks and ideas!

If you don’t want to shell out the big bucks when it comes to working out, all you need to do is get resourceful. Sure, sometimes it’s nice to use an elaborate machine or a treadmill with a TV screen—but you certainly don’t need thousands of dollars worth of equipment to stay in tip-top shape. In fact, some of your best workout tools may already be lying around your house. Here are just some of the home gym ideas and inspiration from Modernize.

Jun192015

Motivation: Get Your Goal

This motivation video is here to get you PUMPED and INSPIRED. We urge you to hit that pavement and work hard! Even though you’re tired or you had a bad day, you still go to the gym or wherever you get your exercise, and GET IT. Don’t let the day beat you–beat the day.

Jun132015

Motivating You: Focus!

FOCUS!

Mar202015

How to Decide on a Gym

In this day and age, it’s tough to find which gym you should join. From YMCAs to 24 Hour Fitnesses to Crossfit Boxes, there are a plethora of choices out there. And how do you know which one is the right pick for you? From high-class clubs like Equinox to $20/mo Planet Fitness, it’s hard to decide on a gym. More so, it’s hard to choose what will really benefit you (and your family) in the long run. Before you expect me to tell you what exactly you should be looking for, I will tell you that’s impossible. There are so many gyms out there, that I couldn’t give you the proper choice. Sure, I could go through a list of gym chains, but what if you have an incredibly awesome local gym like Ironhouse Gym in Mason City, Iowa? Instead, I’m going to give you a list of questions to ask yourself, look for the answers for these online, and ask the fitness facilities. Make sure they meet your criteria, otherwise, move on. You may not get every little thing you want, but make your list in priority order. Maybe the question, “Is this family-friendly?” is most important to you as you would like to exercise but also either have your kid in daycare or start swim lessons. This is about you! Here’s the list: