Got Music? Listen to Over 100 JJFit Spotify Playlists

Got Music? Listen to Over 100 JJFit Spotify Playlists

If you’ve taken any of my live classes at Equinox or my virtual classes this year and wished you could listen to the playlist again, I’ve got you covered! I have over 100 Spotify playlists archived by class and date. Never let the lack of good tunes slow you down! Enjoy them and please send me any songs you’d like me to include in future classes.

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Q&A with the Founder of Ariana’s Energy Bites

Q&A with the Founder of Ariana’s Energy Bites

I sat down with my friend, personal trainer and entrepreneur Ariana Parvin to learn about how her struggle with digestive issues and food allergies led her to create super tasty and healthy "energy bites" that are popping up in some of the Bay Area’s best markets and restaurants. Since launching in 2018 her bites have become a favorite energy snack for thousands of Bay Area peeps and it’s amazing watching her woman-owned business grow. Hear her story and find out where you can get some to fuel your body and tickle your taste buds!

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7 Awesome Kettlebell Alternatives You Already Have at Home

7 Awesome Kettlebell Alternatives You Already Have at Home

Thanks to their incredible combo of simplicity and versatility, kettlebells are a hugely popular home fitness item these days. But if you’ve gone shopping for them online recently, you may have noticed that the wonderfully handled weights are a little, umm, scarce. Perhaps even worse, some are being sold for the gouge-iest of prices — as much as $3,000 on Amazon for a product that won’t arrive until the end of next month, at the earliest. Check out this post from my pal Steve Mazzucchi at GearPatrol.com who interviewed me and other fitness pros across the country for the best DIY solutions and homemade hacks that can mimic kettlebells in a pinch.

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Total Body At Home "Milk Jug Workout" (from the Bay Club Blog)

Total Body At Home "Milk Jug Workout" (from the Bay Club Blog)

The Bay Club, were I proudly train clients, is delivering killer at home workout ideas, virtual classes, nutrition tips and loads of other wellness tips on the One Lombard Blog. I am honored to share this milk jug series with you! Be sure to follow @bayclubs on IG for more inspiration. Now’s the time to get creative and stay positive!

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The Best JJFit Workouts You Can Do Anywhere

The Best JJFit Workouts You Can Do Anywhere

Since my students and clients are staying home and not able to come see me for training and group fitness at Equinox and Bay Club for the foreseeable future they are hungry to get safe and effective workouts. So I've compiled some of my own personal "do anywhere" workouts that require minimal equipment. It's time to get creative, folks! These "water jug workouts" are my favorite and are actually really challenging!

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Top 10 Sites for the Best Men's Tank Tops

Top 10 Sites for the Best Men's Tank Tops

This one’s for the boys. A client and I were chatting last week that there’s nothing worse than a tank top made of crappy material that doesn’t wick well during a workout. And what’s more annoying than that is a tank top that is ill-fitted, poor quality and the sin of all sins, ugly and boring. So I put together a list of the 10 best sites for the ever illusive functional, fashionable and comfortable tank top perfect for working out or just hanging out. Because #sleevesarebullshit.

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5 Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Dramatically Improve Your Wellbeing

5 Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Dramatically Improve Your Wellbeing

Thanks to Dr. Seeds and the folks at Authority Magazine for featuring my story about how I transitioned from a corporate consultant to a fitness professional and my advice for lifestyle tweaks that can positively change your wellness. Spoiler alert, this includes a shout out to my mentor Marcia Robles and a declaration of love to Madonna. Read the full interview.

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Follow JJ on Spotify for 100+ Workout Playlists

Follow JJ on Spotify for 100+ Workout Playlists

Part of my job as a group fitness instructor is to curate motivating playlists for my students. A good song can make all the difference between “f-ck it” and “f-ck yeah”. Over the years I’ve created and archived over 100 playlists from my Equinox Body Challenge, Pure Strength, Metcon and Ropes and Rowers classes. So if you’re looking for some inspiration for your next cardio or lifting session I’ve got over 80 hours of killer music for you. Check me out on Spotify.

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Should I Shower and Apply Deodorant Before Going to the Gym?

Should I Shower and Apply Deodorant Before Going to the Gym?

Etiquette aside, some evidence suggests that a hot shower before exercising can increase your body temperature, encouraging blood flow and loosening any tense muscles, which should theoretically result in an easier workout. Unfortunately, though, since your body temperature will be higher to begin with, the chances of you burning out earlier in your workout are also higher. On the flip side, studies indicate that taking a quick cold shower, particularly before some cardio, can help the body withstand prolonged exercise at higher intensity levels, since the cold temperature lowers your heart rate, leaving both your muscles and heart with more room to keep on pumping during a workout before they inevitably overheat. For more on this “heated” topic, checkout my interview on the DSC Blog.

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Fit Pros to Watch: Q&A with Brandon Kolar

Fit Pros to Watch: Q&A with Brandon Kolar

Clients and friends often ask me who inspires me in the fitness word. Who do I look to for inspiration, innovation and perspiration? I stumbled upon Brandon Kolar's IG last year and his is one of the few accounts I follow religiously. He knows his stuff and his latest project, 365 Days of Exercises, gives so much to the community that I had interview him for JJFit.com. Simply put, he's someone to watch and follow!

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Podcast: Pivoting When Work Gets Out of Whack

Podcast: Pivoting When Work Gets Out of Whack

As a corporate and private personal trainer, massage therapist with my own studio, group fitness instructor, nutrition coach, corporate wellness consultant, blogger, writer and occasional model (::hair flip::) I have a lot of demands for my time and attention. I love what I do and it’s easy to let my work life and business take over and eat up all my spare time leaving little to none for the other parts of me. Several times over the years while building my little JJFit Empire I’ve found myself overwhelmed and off balance and had to reset and reprioritize my projects. In this episode of PM for SB Podcast I share my experience, strategies and tools for pivoting when things get out of whack.

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How to Lift Your Way to a Bigger, Smarter Brain

How to Lift Your Way to a Bigger, Smarter Brain

Conventional wisdom — and that weird librarian from middle school — say reading books is the best way to become smarter. But new research shows that pumping iron can also bring about significant cognitive gains, and the more you exercise, the smarter you become. Check out my interview in MEL to learn how to increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) for increased neuronal plasticity through a mix of HIIT and long duration training. Gotta get those brains, bro!

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SF's Top Style Gurus Talk Gym Fashion and Shopping Tips

SF's Top Style Gurus Talk Gym Fashion and Shopping Tips

Sometimes a workout can feel more like a fashion show and if you live in the Bay Area a nice dinner out can look more like a SoulCycle class. Fashion and fitness are becoming increasingly intertwined as luxury athletic wear and “fit fashion” are dominating not just the gym but also the streets, our favorite restaurants, airplanes and even the office. I asked three of the San Francisco’s most fashionable style gurus their thoughts on this growing trend, their “go to” gym styles and how those of us on a budget can look current and appropriate without breaking the break.  

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Inspiring Cycling Stories to Motivate You

Inspiring Cycling Stories to Motivate You

Sometimes, all it takes to get motivated is changing your internal dialogue, as was done by one of the clients here at Jonathan Jordan Fitness. Alejandro, explained that he had to “learn to change the inner voice from ‘Ugh . . .’ to ‘Come on! You can do it!’" And that worked! Other times, though, it takes a serving of inspiring stories to motivate someone. So without further ado, here are four similar stories that can motivate you to saddle up and get fit. 

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30+ Playlists to Fuel Your Workouts

30+ Playlists to Fuel Your Workouts

My Body Challenge students are always asking me for my playlists. So I've made them all public on my Spotify profile. There you'll find more than 30 Body Challenge playlists and I'll continue to add new ones each week. If you have a favorite song you'd like hear in class, please send it along! I love getting music ideas from my peeps.

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