July 2012

• July 31, 2012

  The Olympic Spirit

  The Games of the XXX Olympiad officially began on Friday, July 27th, and the 2012 London Olympics will run until August 12th. For these 17 days, we’ll see the best athletes in the world compete for personal accomplishment, national pride, and the promotion of sport.  My absolute favorite time of the year is the Holiday…

• July 26, 2012

  Single Limb Circuits

  Working in a commercial gym setting, I see a lot of less-than-optimal training.  This morning alone, I saw a lady curling tiny dumbbells while using an elliptical, and a larger-than-average man curling larger dumbbells while balancing on the BOSU ball.  And people wonder why I hate curls. The biggest mistake that people tend to make…

• July 25, 2012

  Keep Yourself Honest with an Interval Timer

  Steady state aerobic exercise is pretty low on my list of efficient exercise, and outside of endurance athletes, it’s not that important for most people.  Big results come from appropriate dietary choices, focusing on movement quality, strength training, and interval training.  Eat your steak and spinach, up your squat, run some sprints, and you should…

• July 24, 2012

  Anterior Loaded Squat to Box

  Every Monday, in commercial gyms across the country, enthusiastic lifters gather to bench press.  Bench Press Monday is an unofficial national holiday, an ode to our pec-centric nature.  In an act of civil disobedience, I’ve almost always gone out of my way to not bench on Mondays.  It actually makes getting around the gym easier;…

• July 23, 2012

  All About Intensity

  I have to admit something difficult to you: I’ve been slacking in my training.  Neglecting overall strength exercises, a decrease in volume, slacking on my conditioning; The things that everyone struggles with on occasion.  Fortunately, I’ve realized this, and am making some changes to get my ass back in gear. These changes are pretty simple,…