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Sport Specific Strength Training Is Probably Not What You Think It Is

Sport Specific Strength Training Is Probably Not What You Think It Is

Most athletes think that their sport requires a unique approach to strength training. And fancy marketing tailored for a specific sport often reinforces this. But once you peel off the layers of fluff you’ll see what is (or should be) in the core of any quality strength training program. Regardless of your sport, the basics of strength training and building overall athleticism apply. Strength training for all sports is made up of 90-100% of the same stuff. In the gym,…

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Training During a Pandemic

Training During a Pandemic

Exercise improves the immune system and can help you fight off illnesses. That’s science. But there’s no information yet (as far as I know) whether this is the case with COVID-19. Common sense would assume so, but we have to be careful on drawing conclusions. Let’s remember that this is a completely new illness with no built-in immunity in the community. Regardless, staying active can help you fight off other illnesses which might make you more prone to COVID-19. Perhaps…

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Relieve Neck Pain From Sitting (Or, Better, Don’t Get It In The First Place)

Relieve Neck Pain From Sitting (Or, Better, Don’t Get It In The First Place)

In the end of this I’ll give you movements to loosen up stiff neck, but let’s start at the root level. Have a proper set up for working from home so you’ll get minimal neck pain in the first place. By now you likely know what an ergonomic desk set up looks like for us, the greatest of them all hominids (and, I say, the only ones needing to adhere to an ergonomic desk set up), humans. Here’s how to…

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Are We Being Forced Into a Healthier Future?

Are We Being Forced Into a Healthier Future?

We’ve had to alter the way we live. And it hasn’t happened on this scale since bombers were terrorising cities during World War II. A potentially defining moment in history. Yet, there could be a silver lining. We are forced to rethink how we live and work. We are required to innovate new ways to replace our old habits. Some that only exists for no better reason than, “we’ve always done it this way so shut up, Mark”. Once this…

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Ankles Are The Window To Your Butt. Why and How To Injury-Proof Ankles for Running, Hiking… and Stuff

Ankles Are The Window To Your Butt. Why and How To Injury-Proof Ankles for Running, Hiking… and Stuff

If the glutes are the powerhouse of your body, the engine room of your youth, then the ankles are the window to your butt. When the ankles lack mobility, especially in dorsiflexion (the shin moving forward towards the top of the foot), your butt won’t get the signal that more hip extension (the movement that the glutes are meant to do) is needed. Instead, all of that work that the glutes are meant to do is taken over by your…

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Stronger Butt to Reduce Knee and Ankle Ache in Running, Hiking… and Stuff

Stronger Butt to Reduce Knee and Ankle Ache in Running, Hiking… and Stuff

A stronger (dare I say ‘perkier’) butt leads to a better quality of life. It sounds dramatic, but it’s true. The glutes are the muscle of youth. They are the powerhouse of your body propelling you forward in the world during these uncertain times. If your butt would be a person, it would be a train. Strengthening the glutes can alleviate back tension, knee problems, and even ankle issues. Sure, it’s not always that straight forward. But you can often…

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The Goal To Guide All Your Future Training Goals

The Goal To Guide All Your Future Training Goals

Training goals are typically set in three to six-month intervals. With my clients most goals fall into three somewhat fluid categories: return to activity after an injury (could be a sport, could be gardening), train for a specific sporting event (not always a competition either, but to participate), or look good for Barcelona*. All great goals for the short-term focus they bring to training. But we can do even better. What if you’d have an additional long-term goal that makes…

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Exercises to Relieve Back Pain from Sitting

Exercises to Relieve Back Pain from Sitting

Moving the hips is one of the best medicines for low back pain from excessive sitting. Ideally served in short bursts throughout the day. The obstacle I run into with clients is that as great as it sounds in theory, it’s impossible for them to do in their office. Either they feel goofy doing them (fair), or their attire makes it impossible. And I get it. Fancy Italian suits and skirts are less than optimal for exercise in public spaces….

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Eliminating The Problem of Low Motivation

Eliminating The Problem of Low Motivation

As long as you keep thinking of training and exercise as “the thing I enjoy doing” you’ll keep running into the mentally barbed wire obstacles of low motivation and diminished willpower. Regardless of how many positive shivers you feel towards training today, there will be days when, much like scooping up strangers dog poop, it’s the last thing you feel like doing. Instead of trying to break through those obstacles, it’s better to bypass them altogether. To do so, you’ll…

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Training the upper back at home

Training the upper back at home

You can easily train most of your body at home without any equipment. But the one most people struggle with is not knowing what to do for the upper back. Doing any form of pulling becomes tricky unless you have a weight, a suspension trainer, a chin up bar or are willing to risk your face health trying out horizontal rows with a table (I wouldn’t recommend), or some sort of broomstick chair hazard (I wouldn’t recommend this either). With…

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