How Working with a Registered Dietician Can Change Your Life!

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How Working with a Registered Dietician Can Change Your Life!

Do you know you want/need to make some changes to your nutritional habits but just aren’t sure where to start? Ever wondered what it would be like to work with a registered dietician to help forge a path ahead and make some real improvements? In this ~30 minute video I chat with my pal Tarah Valenti, RDN with CustomFit, about what it’s like working with her and how a custom nutritional program can help with so many different goals including body fat loss, visceral fat, muscle preservation/growth, improved energy, health, vitality, longevity as well as managing a variety of issues from high cholesterol, blood sugar or blood pressure to perimenopause and other life transitions.

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Nutrient Stacking: Building a Meal Based on Your Health Goals

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Nutrient Stacking: Building a Meal Based on Your Health Goals

One of my favorite sayings as a trainer is movement is medicine. It’s so true. But food is the original medicine and is often overlooked as the most natural way to influence our health. Here’s an example of how I’ve used recent research about food to create a super yummy and super impactful meal perfect for pre- or post-workout.

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Try Adding Partial Reps for Increased Muscle

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Try Adding Partial Reps for Increased Muscle

There are lots of ways of building strength and muscle besides the obvious "just add more weight". I'm a big fan of temp programming, BFR and adding partial reps at the point where the muscle is longest like in this cable fly. I start with slightly less weight and perform 10 reps of full range of motion and then finish with 10 "partials" at the back end of the movement. This is a great way to get a strong pump and feel the burn. Want to know the science behind it? Check out this study from PubMed.

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Supplement Spotlight Update: Creatine for Muscle Growth, Athletic Performance and Brain Function

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Supplement Spotlight Update: Creatine for Muscle Growth, Athletic Performance and Brain Function

Creatine is one of the most popular supplements in the world but is often one of the most misunderstood. Experts in the fitness community agree that creatine supplementation can be a safe and effective way to increase athletic performance, muscle growth and even brain health. I last updated this post in June 2023 and am updating it again to include this fantastic Whoop podcast which includes a discussion of the latest protocols and benefits of creatine supplementation featuring Dr. Darren Candow, Professor and Director of the Aging Muscle and Bone Health Laboratory at the University of Regina, Canada.

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Dr. Mark and JJ Discuss and Demo the Latest Uses for BFR Training

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Dr. Mark and JJ Discuss and Demo the Latest Uses for BFR Training

I’ve written about BFR (“Blood Flow Restriction”) or “Occlusion” Training on and off since 2017. This modality of resistance training has been clinically proven as a way to effectively and safely “hypertrophy” muscle. So when I was recently visiting my AMAZING physical therapist Dr. Mark Bautista, I was surprised to see patients being treated with BFR cuffs. I asked Dr. Mark about it and I learned about the deluge of recent clinical studies that have broadened the usage of BFR to include injury-specific rehab/prehab, sports performance, endurance, strength as well as traditional hypertrophy.

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Looking for a Killer Shoulder Program?

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Looking for a Killer Shoulder Program?

I've been working a lot this year, thanks to the incomparable Marcia Robles, on shoulders. Shoulders are like the Regina George of joints: they're fabulous but they're evil. Meaning they are (or should be) one of our most mobile joints, but due to modern living and desk culture many folks suffer from lack of proper shoulder mobility/stability, impingement and other dysfunctions which make it hard or impossible to strength train. But with the proper warm up and mobility drills, and the clearance of your physical therapist if you have one, this program is a great one for getting those striations popping and to stimulate hypertrophy (muscle growth).

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Drag That Dumbbell for Bigger Biceps

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Drag That Dumbbell for Bigger Biceps

The dumbbell drag curl is one of my favorite bicep-building exercises and it's a lot tougher than it looks. And it BURNS so good. Try (though it can be tough) to keep your shoulders down and resist shrugging (but a little upper trap work is ok for a well-rounded look). Work this into your bicep program and enjoy strong arms and tank top life!

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What is Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training?

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What is Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training?

I first started experimenting with Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) or “Occlusion” training back in 2017. At first I was skeptical of this gimmicky looking technique for “bio hacking” muscles to grow faster with less work. Frankly, I figured it was another unsafe or ineffective scam by the fitness industry trying to sell me something I don’t need. But, as a trainer, I try to have an open mind and test different lifting styles and products to gain firsthand experience to pass along to my clients. In the end I’ve found that with the right cuffs and under the right circumstances it can be a safe and helpful way to build muscle.

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In the News: Understanding Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss

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In the News: Understanding Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss

If you’re looking to trim down, figuring out the secret sauce for saving muscle while losing fat can feel pretty overwhelming. For the best science-based, medically reviewed advice from me and other leading experts give this Greatist article a look and let me know if you have any questions.

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In the News: The 5 Best Weight-Lifting Exercises for Better Posture

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In the News: The 5 Best Weight-Lifting Exercises for Better Posture

Super proud to have collaborated with @krgrundy for Livestrong to show off my favorite posture improving strength moves. If you want to improve your posture to reduce pain, improve performance or just to look your best these five moves are a must.

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Try These Kettlebell Exercises to Get Abs Like a Spartan

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Try These Kettlebell Exercises to Get Abs Like a Spartan

Anyone who has watched the 2006 film 300 will attest, King Leonidas and his ferocious, hard-charging Spartan army have abs to die for. And even today, both male and female gym enthusiasts tend to use this film as a benchmark of fitness, especially when it comes to achieving the perfect six-pack. The good news is that you can still craft a Spartan six-pack at home using one-piece of equipment: the kettlebell.

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At Home Monster Band Strength Workout

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At Home Monster Band Strength Workout

I’ve been doing a lot of virtual training sessions with new and existing clients over the past few weeks. We’ve been experimenting with different free and affordable equipment options from recycled water jugs to adjustable dumbbells and kettlebells and all sorts of resistance bands. For clients who want to work on building strength and muscle and mimic heavy barbell and dumbbell moves they’re used to in the gym but don’t want to spend a fortune I recommend getting a set of monster bands. In this post I’ll show you 15 videos for how you can still lift heavy at home including squats, deadlifts, lunges, lat pull downs, reverse flies, rows, presses and core work.

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Interview: How Taut Does Your Butt Need to Be to Bounce a Quarter Off It?

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Interview: How Taut Does Your Butt Need to Be to Bounce a Quarter Off It?

My pal Ian at MEL Magazine came to me with an interesting question. How taut does your butt need to be to bounce a quarter off it? While I had to defer to Alex Klotz, a professor in the department of physics and astronomy at California State University, Long Beach, with the technicals of the "Coefficient of Butt Restitution", as a booty-building specialist I lent my tips for "firming up dat ass" you may find helpful.

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Consider Offset Training for Core, Stability and Athleticism

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Consider Offset Training for Core, Stability and Athleticism

“Offset training” when you perform a complex exercise carrying weight on just one side of your body can be a great way to challenge your core, build stability and improve athleticism. Bracing your core, locking in your shoulders and maintain tension are key for successfully performing any offset exercise. In this post I share three videos of my favorite offset exercises which, depending on your goals and baseline fitness, are perfect as a primary exercise, warm up or finisher.

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9 Useful Gym Machines

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9 Useful Gym Machines

US News & World Report asked me and several other top fitness pros which machines in the gym are best for women. Note, these machines are great for both genders. Women belong on the bench press just as much as men. And men could benefit from traditional "female" exercises like pilates, barre and glute kick backs. Many folks, male and female, aren’t comfortable lifting free weights and barbells, but they still need to tackle resistance and cardio training in their workouts. Here are nine user-friendly gym machines anyone can use to get in shape. And for a tutorial on how to row with great form check out this post with pal Lauren Barkan.

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Four Advanced Moves for Building a Strong, Balanced Back

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Four Advanced Moves for Building a Strong, Balanced Back

Everyone loves a good chest workout, including yours truly, but you shouldn’t neglect your “posterior chain”. Ignoring back day can deteriorate your posture, lead to injuries and wreak havoc on your athletic performance. If your back program is in need of some inspiration, consider these programming tips and four advanced moves for adding functional strength and symmetry to your upper, mid and lower back. Oh, and they’ll help you look great in a tank top too.

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Q: Can You Really Hit Your Ideal Protein Goal? A: Yes! Here's How.

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Q: Can You Really Hit Your Ideal Protein Goal? A: Yes! Here's How.

Many of my nutrition and training clients find success in flexible dieting. If their goal is fat loss, the most important thing is to maintain a modest calorie deficit over time. But if maintaining or building lean muscle is also a goal, we have to make sure they are hitting their protein target. Sometimes this means aiming for ~175-200g protein in a day on a ~2,400kcal diet which can seem impossible at first. So here is a sample day for how that can be achieved that won't leave you starving and will likely leave you feeling full and satisfied. 

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Want to Grow Your Pecs? Try This Chest Workout.

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Want to Grow Your Pecs? Try This Chest Workout.

In this video Marcia Robles and I demonstrate six movements that use a variety of modalities (dumbbells, cables, barbells), angles and rep ranges to maximize muscle growth in the chest. If you're looking to grow your pecs, give this program a look.

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