It all started last weekend with some harmless humble bragging over text. I told a client that my sweet husband Peter was busy in the kitchen making us blueberry protein muffins for the week. Since her husband, my awesome client Dan, was also on the thread she hit me back and raised the stakes by letting me know he was busy roasting carrots and sweet potatoes to make them Carrot Cake Smoothies. Uhm, I don’t know about you, but I’m DOWN for anything with the word cake in it. So I asked for the recipe and it’s got me drooling (dates and chia seeds and pineapple and cinnamon and all sorts of yummy, vegan goodness).

I used to make a new playlist every month, but I’ve fallen out of the habit. So, to celebrate “Septemb-uary,” I put together some of my current favorites into a playlist that I hope will inspire you to move!

You've probably heard that squats are more "functional" than leg extensions or that one type of exercise is simply better than the other. The truth is more nuanced. In this article, I break down the differences between open-chain and closed-chain exercises, explain when each has a place in your workout and show how to use both strategically to build strength, gain muscle, improve performance and recover from injury.