Did you know that after the age of 35, there is a 50% chance that you will develop some sort of Sleep disorder?(1) Did you know that there is a 24% increase in Heart Attacks when we lose an hour of sleep during daylight changing time? (2) With these very real statistics in mind, and knowing just how important each minute of sleep is to athletes; dont you want to ensure you are doing the most to get your precious ZZZ’s? From Melatonin to Eye masks, there are many ways to hack a good night sleep but Ive got 2 proven methods for you to implement today.
041119 "Creatine Q&A; The Good, The Bad, The Misinformed"
If I could put my finger on one thing, one question, one supplement, that I have been asked about and spoken about at length over my time as a Trainer and Coach, it would be Creatine. It is at once elusive and yet vital to our performance not only as Athletes but as Humans. This Naturally occurring chemical in the body has been studied in labs for years, argued over, and tested in athletes of all different levels. Yet we are still in wonder; will it help me? Will it hurt Me? How Much Should I take? What does it actually do? Today we will Q &A this mystical substance and hopefully bring some clarity to some, if not all, your burning questions.
281019 "Self Doubt: The 4 Ways to Overcome it"
I woke up this morning with the 1997 movie, Grosse Point Blank on my mind. If you are old enough to remember it, the scene Im thinking of is right before the High School reunion and John Cusack is stewing in his hotel room. In an anxious panic John picks up the phone and calls his Psychoanalyst and asks for help. His analyst (Alan Arkin) gives him the mantra to recite, "I am home in the ME, I am Rooted in the ME, This is ME Breathing...". Well, this classic centering mantra got me thinking about the concept of SELF DOUBT. This very human feeling is a hinderance that 99% of us have and if we can conquer it, the world will literally open up before us and goals can be met with force! Today lets dive in on understanding and moving past SELF DOUBT.
211019 "Nutrition Breakdown; Micronutrients and their Function"
Deep down, beyond the crunch, when the teeth have chewed and the small intestine has broken down your food…. are the essential vitamins and minerals needed for your tissues, organs and cells need to survive. These bits, elements and enzymes are the Micronutrients that have so much to do with the Balance that is necessary to make all things go in the body. But what are they and what are they responsible for is a mystery that I hope to unlock for you today.
071019 "Heart Rate Monitors; Fact or Fiction
Data Driven Performance testing is no new thing in fitness. From High School weight rooms to the Olympic Fields, we look to measure performance. As a Sports Science Student there are a number of variables that I can point to; from blood markers, muscle biopsies, and the most prevalent... Heart Rate Variability. Monitoring your heart rate has always been the gold standard for cardiovascular fitness assessment and training programs.
300919 "Want to Get Strong? Look Behind You!"
If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me how many days per week they should be training their arms or legs, I would be quite well off. But rarely does anyone ask me about how many days they should practice strengthening their backs! If you look at the data behind the most common reasons why people visit the doctor it never really has to do with how weak the biceps or calves are; people overwhelmingly see the doctor because they have hurt their backs. So we have to ask why this is happening so much and how to can we fix this from occurring
230919 "The Top 5 Best Unilateral Exercises for Hip Health"
Without even being aware of it, you favor certain things in your life. From your favorite coffee cup to the leg you balance on, we form habits and those habits form dominant lifestyle habits. Habits in our movement and posture create imbalances in our strength and no where is this more visible than in the main fulcrum of our body , the Hips . At the intersection of our body lives the connection between some of the most important pieces of our independent living. maintaining good hip health means you are able to create a hedge against injury, pain and long term deterioration. Unilateral Movements are one solution. Lets explore the Top 5 best exercises for Hip Health.
160919 "3 Reasons why Meal Delivery is a Win"
Ill admit that I live in a bit of a bubble. Meal Prepping, Farmers Markets and Nutritional Awareness is kind of my thing and Its so engrained in my lifestyle that there really is little to think about each week. When I engage with y’all in and out of the gym this confidence in my meals and nutrition is certainly not the norm. Nerves, Fear, Confusion and Wishful Thinking are just some of the topics that come up when we talk about feeding ourselves correctly. Thank goodness we live in the most efficient time in history because I have 3 Reasons why Meal Delivery Solutions are right for you.
090919 "Study Finding Released: Drinking Soda is a precursor to Circulatory Disesase"
What came first? The Chicken or the Egg? A new study released this week has made a direct correlation between circulatory disease/death and the consumption of Sugar Sweetened Beverages. But what does this really show? Is it the soda that kills people or the overall habits of the people (which includes soda drinking) that ultimately causes disease and death? Lets play devils advocate today and look a little deeper into the science.
020919 "Top 5 Exercises for Strengthening your Feet"
Your feet are the energy centers where the connection with Mother Earth begins. Rooted is a term that I use a lot in coaching and no place does it refer to more than with the connection of your feet to the floor. The feet are often underserved and their connection to the the Earth is overlooked. We search for the right shoes like bandaids that can mask underlying problems, pains, and weaknesses. Keeping them strong, healthy and connected to the earth is so important for longevity in life. Lets dive into some of the best exercises to Ive found to keep your tootsies strong!
260819 "Want to Lose Weight?? Get to Know your Sleep cycle"
Before the Gates of Performance open up for you ; you need to stand upon a foundation of good health. Good Health is predicated upon your ability to maintain a healthy weight. Therefore if you are beginning or feeling Plateaued in your Journey, it is time to start taking a hard look at the pieces of you life that make up the complete package of health and wellbeing. When we sleep, how well we sleep should be in balance with our Nutritional Timing and of course, quality of food we are eating. Lets talk today about how we can link those two important pieces together.
190819 "An Editorial Perspective on Celiac disease and Gluten "
This week a ground breaking Study came out from a Team of Swedish scientists. The STUDY was the most comprehensive done on an array of children, proving that the amount of Gluten that a child consumes is related to their risk for developing Celiac Disease. The reason why this is so big is that the sample of children spans not just European but American as well. While the line has now been drawn between the Celiac and Gluten this does not fill the void of information which lies outside of this test. I have so many questions which I will lay out for you, and I encourage your thoughtful response.
120819 "Top 5 Hacks to get the Most out of Anaerobic Training"
Every athlete that is at the top of their game believes that their training methodology is the best. I know because I AM one of those guys. How everyone balances training intensities is truly a matter of trial and error, of the athletes they test their program against, and of the countless variables that pertain to a specific outcome. There is one thing that science downs dispute, Anaerobic (Threshold) training delivers the most juice for the squeeze. But what it is and how it should be approached is as varied as you could imagine. So Here are my top 5 hacks to ensure you are getting the most out of Anaerobic Training.
290719 "A Brief Explanation of why we age"
Without sounding too morbid; When you woke up this morning, you were one day closer to dying. Im sorry but its a reality. While I could easily spin this conversation to dive through the cultural and philosophical relationship we have with “Death” and “Aging” my goal today is to give you some real insight into the physiology of your cells and how aging is happening. As we thirst for the Fountain of youth thru Diet and Exercise this Natural Process continues to move along in our lives just as it has throughout the history of our species. So Here is your 3 Minute Read on why we age.
220719 "3 Things you didn't know about Training In the HEAT"
New York is great in the Summer. Unlike the Winter time everyone has smiles on their faces. Even on the hottest day in the gym, I love that New Yorkers take it in stride. And, just like Winter Time, New York weather is extreme. Mid nineties on the thermometer with 60-75% humidity can literally make your skin burn. Im not joking when I say its hot. So what are the limits of our training when it gets this hot outside? When is training in the heat too much. I have dug around and found some surprising things about High Heat Training that might surprise you.
150719 "5 Shoulder Stretches that will change your life."
I have studied countless athletes over the years. When they walk into the gym the first 2 things I look at is how their feet are positioned when standing and how they hold their shoulders. In 5 minutes of a consultation I can usually have a pretty good understanding of their athletic ability and a snapshot of their past. The shoulders play a huge role in our health and it is imperative to keep them flexible and strong. As we spend more and more time in front of our computers, there is a tragic postural change that is happening which is hurting our ability to perform even the most mundane of physical tasks.
010719 "The GUT Bacteria that Can help Beat Fatigue"
Its not just your lung capacity that you are developing during training. Its not just how big your muscles are getting that make you stronger or get that one last rep. A new study Published in the Nature Medicine journal may shed some more light on just how important your GUT is in relation to your overall athletic ability.
240719 "Timing is Everything; Especially Supplements"
If you care about your health and performance enough to supplement with Vitamins and Minerals, then you should be paying attention to when and how to take them. Lets face it, Supplements are expensive and most of us take them without REALLY knowing the What, Why and How for each. Because the marketing machine behind supplement sales is strong, we just buy and consume. So lets put all of our bottles on the table and dive in on some important timing aspects to your daily SUPP game.
170619 "Salty or Sweet.. The Science behind your Taste Preference"
What do you crave at the Movies? Are you a Salty Popcorn lover or a Sweet Candy person? For me, its all Popcorn. The sweet nature of anything but Chocolate or raw honey is quite distasteful to me. But why is this? What makes my brain go for one thing over the other? Well, It turns out that ‘TASTE’ is both premeditated and genetic. Where some of our taste is learned through exposure and through the make up of our GUT, there is also some imprinted tastes that are bestowed on us while we were in the womb!
030619 "New Science, Common Knowledge.. Food is better than supplements"
If you are a long time reader of my Content, there is no mistaking my love for research studies. Im absolutely crazy for the latest published study because two things usually happen; 1. The wide variety of research being done is inspiring and it gives me deep faith in the last bastion of objective virtue . 2. The Complex Research Reaffirms a lot of the simple thinking that we already know to be true! This week, Food Vs. Supplementation in regards to probiotics. The real truth that could save you money and time.