Need a Little Holiday Cheer Pick-Me-Up to Your Workouts this Month?

Need a Little Holiday Cheer Pick-Me-Up to Your Workouts this Month?

I taught group fitness at the amazing Equinox Pine Street for many years with the most incredible students. My folks brought great energy to every class, but holiday classes were always my favorite. It become a tradition for me to teach in this spiffy elf costume while squatting, swinging and sweating to silly pop Christmas music. Yes, including “that” Mariah Carey song. I combed through my archive and compiled this “Best of JJFit Holiday Workouts” Spotify playlist in case you need a little holiday cheer pick-me-up to your workouts this month.

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Try "Exercise Snacks" for Better Health and Fitness

Try "Exercise Snacks" for Better Health and Fitness

"Exercise snacks" are having a moment in the mainstream media and I’m loving it. I've talked for years with clients about the benefits of supplementing longer, traditional workouts with "little bites of movement" throughout the day. Sitting for hours and not moving is the enemy to good health for so many reasons. So finding ways to get up and do something awesome for your body (and your cells) is key to better health. Don't get too bogged down with the protocol. Just embrace the concept of trying to get up and do some intentional movement at least every hour of the day.

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How Much Does Sweating Define a Good Workout?

How Much Does Sweating Define a Good Workout?

As days are getting shorter and the weather is getting colder there's no doubt that fall is knocking at our doors. For some folks this means changes to their workout routines especially for those who like to run, walk or ride outside. It reminded me of an interesting question I was asked by a reporter a few years ago. He noticed that around this time of year, he stopped sweating during his workouts and was worried this meant he was being less effective. How much does sweating define a good workout? Check out my answer in his article.

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JJFit Video Tutorial: How to Perform a Kettlebell or Dumbbell Swing

JJFit Video Tutorial: How to Perform a Kettlebell or Dumbbell Swing

I love me a good kettlebell swing. It’s a staple for many of my clients and on-demand classes. Swings are great for building total body strength and really hitting those glutes and hamstrings. But it’s a move you definitely need to know what you’re doing to execute safely. Here’s a quick lesson if you need some tips for getting the most out of your swing and protecting your lower back! Don’t have a kettle bell? No worries, a basic dumbbell works great too!

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Rocking and Rolling Is Serious Business

Rocking and Rolling Is Serious Business

In theory, I love this recent NYT article about “adopting a playful attitude toward working out”. It’s a lovely story about an awkward kid who grew up to be a trainer who helps his clients “get silly” in their workouts (piggyback rides, tag, skipping). The premise is so important. Working out doesn’t have to be awful. It can be fun. And the benefits of returning to more “primal” (or what I’d call “functional”) movement patterns are indisputable. So what’s the catch? 

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NYT Reports Walls Sits Can Lower Blood Pressure

NYT Reports Walls Sits Can Lower Blood Pressure

Boom! If you’ve taken my group fitness classes or trained with me you know I’m a big fan of the wall sit. It’s simple (nearly anyone can safely do it), it requires no equipment and it isometrically targets the quads, hamstrings and glutes. What’s not to love?! Plus it burns so good! Add to its list of benefits that it can also help lower your blood pressure as reported this month in the New York Times and backed by some impressive research. Want to learn more about how to properly do a wall sit? Check out this post and video from LiveStrong.com.

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JJFit in the News: Essential Workouts for Men

JJFit in the News: Essential Workouts for Men

routine for optimal health and fitness. Check out the list here and to learn why I picked resistance training (especially pulling movements) click here. Note, this article is focused on men but the recommendations hold true for most humans regardless of gender.

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Five of My Favorite Fitness Trackers for Optimizing Health, Performance and Diet

Five of My Favorite Fitness Trackers for Optimizing Health, Performance and Diet

There are SO MANY trackers on the market. And the landscape changes all the time. The ones discussed in this post are the ones I have personally used at various stages of my fitness journey and have seen work for many of my clients. If you have something that is already working for you, GREAT! Don’t fix what ain’t broke. But if you are looking for something to aid you along in your wellness journey maybe one or some of these can help.

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Looking for a Killer Shoulder Program?

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

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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JJFit Challenge May 2022 for Planned Parenthood

JJFit Challenge May 2022 for Planned Parenthood

A huge thank you to my JJFit On-Demand subscribers who have continued to stream my recorded workouts over the past few months since we retired my live weekly Zoom class. I was in such a grumpy mood today and decided to get off my duff and do this class and I'm so happy that I did! Any donations to this class or any class from my library in the month of May will be given 100% to Planned Parenthood.

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Try This Killer Bicep Bootcamp to Make Those Gunz Grow

Try This Killer Bicep Bootcamp to Make Those Gunz Grow

Looking to get a great bicep pump and stimulate hypertrophy (muscle growth) of your gunz? My good friend Marcia Robles, the Maestro of Arm Programming, created this kick ass series of bicep exercises pre-pandemic and I’m bringing it back to my own routine to prep for tank top season (well, it’s always tank top season n my world, but you know what I mean)l

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Recorded Workshop: Proven and Practical Tips for Getting Awesome Sleep

Recorded Workshop: Proven and Practical Tips for Getting Awesome Sleep

Join Morgan and JJ for a discussion on the science and strategies behind getting better sleep. In this hour-long recorded Zoom workshop we’ll talk about the science behind the latest sleep research and review strategies and tips that have helped our clients improve their sleep to become healthier humans and better professionals.

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The Best Way to Get Great at Pull Ups

The Best Way to Get Great at Pull Ups

I was trying to come up with a clever Brittney Spears inspired headline like “Wanna strong pull up body? Better jump, b*tch!” but I’ll keep this professional (ish). Here’s the bottom line, if you want to safely and effectively build upper body strength to do solid bodyweight pull ups, try these “jumping” or “eccentric” pull ups where you start from the top and slowly lower yourself down. Note, if you’ve never done these before you will likely be very sore the next day.

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What is Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training?

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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JJFit & NewsUpNow Pumpin' Divas

JJFit & NewsUpNow Pumpin' Divas

Join me and the legendary drag queens of the Castro Donna Sachet, Paju Munro and Katya Smirnoff-Skyy for a hilarious 45-minute total body workout. All donations benefit the great work at NewsUpNow.org helping to keep the arts and entertainment sector alive in the Bay Area. Choose your own donation from $1-$100 and watch the video here.

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JJFit in the News: POPSUGAR: 9 Dumbbell Moves to Get Chiseled

JJFit in the News: POPSUGAR: 9 Dumbbell Moves to Get Chiseled

When the editors of POPSUGAR asked me to pick my favorite dumbbell exercise “to get chiseled muscles” I didn’t hesitate. The goblet squat is my go-to and while it’s considered a “legs” exercise it’s really a total body strength move. Learn more about how to goblet squat with perfect form and 8 other dumbbell exercises by watching the slideshow.

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In the News: Understanding Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss

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: How to Build a Strong Back & Arms in the Gym or at Home

In the News: How to Build a Strong Back & Arms in the Gym or at Home

Check out my latest NewsUpNow.org segment for my five go-to moves for building a strong back and arms. Whether you want to improve your posture or build/tone your muscles these moves are the foundations.. All you need are two dumbbells and a resistance band to get started.

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