On Thursday, June 18, it happened: Rudy Trevino, the owner of the Fit Stop in San Antonio, Texas found out one of his members had tested positive for Covid-19. “We didn’t know what to do,” he ... Continue Reading
Desperate Times Called for Homemade Concrete Dumbbells
For most of us, borrowing a pair of 35 lb. dumbbells, or a 40 lb. kettlebell, from our gym was enough to get us through the lockdown at home. But those who’s gym didn’t rent out equipment—and who are ... Continue Reading
The Importance of LGBTQ+ Visibility in Professional Strength Sports
My name is Rob Kearney. I am a 3 time World's Strongest Man competitor, Arnold Strongman Classic competitor, Arnold Australia Strongman Champion and American Log Lift Record Holder. I am also happily ... Continue Reading
Pandemic-Inspired Fitness: How Gyms Around the World Adapt
Though the fitness industry looks much different than it did in March, the measures various gyms have taken—from Big box and Globo gyms, to group class facilities—are diverse. Getting Creative with Pod ... Continue Reading
As Gyms Reopen, Owners Ask: Can Air Bikes and Rowing Machines Spread Disease?
A May study published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested that air conditioners can spread coronavirus.(1) Specifically, the study discovered a woman eating in a restaurant ... Continue Reading
Are Your Abs Actually Strong, or Are Your Hip Flexors Doing the Work?
Do you find you feel your hip flexors more than your abs after a high volume day of toes-to-bars or sit-ups? Or maybe you’re really good at kipping toes-to-bar, but strict ones elude you? Chances are ... Continue Reading
3 Exercises Everyone Should Keep Doing Once Quarantine’s Over
Last week, I was fortunate enough to have the chance to do a question & answer seminar on Instagram with one of my bodybuilding mentors, John Meadows. During the Q&A, John and I touched on training ... Continue Reading
COVID-19: The Launching Pad to Fix a Broken Fitness Industry?
“The fitness industry is devastated,” wrote a strength and conditioning coach friend of mine on social media a few weeks ago, in a post questioning why we locked down so hard in Vancouver, B.C., where ... Continue Reading
Op-Ed: How Gyms Can Compensate Trainers Through Social Distancing and Beyond
Gone are the days of hustling to sign up 50 new clients for your six-week transformation challenge: It’s time to focus on client and coach retention. I admit, I’m no expert on running a gym amidst a ... Continue Reading
Fitness on Lockdown: 9 Days and Counting in France
It’s Day 7 of being quarantined in France: There I was executing my normal morning routine in the living room—some handstand push-ups, and then a conditioning piece with burpees and jumping squats on ... Continue Reading
COVID-19 and Member Retention: How Will Small Gyms and CrossFit Boxes Survive?
Four months ago, I paid for four months up front for a gym membership in Etampes, France—where I am living for the next few months. Like many gyms around the world, my gym closed last week due to the ... Continue Reading
3 Strategies Every Lifter Can Use to Stay Productive At Home
Unless you literally live under a rock in the middle of the rainforest you know how much the COVID-19 epidemic is upsetting daily life around the world. Without getting into the political aspects of the ... Continue Reading
Managing Strength Training Through Menopause
“We don’t quit playing because we age, we age because we quit playing.” - George Bernard Shaw A beautiful quote indeed, but tell that to a woman going through perimenopause or menopause, and she might ... Continue Reading
7 Tips to Avoid Burnout As a Personal Trainer
No matter how extroverted you are, coaching and bringing energy to people all day can be exhausting. And it’s one of the reasons being a personal trainer and burning out often go hand-in-hand. In 10 ... Continue Reading
7 Ways to Improve Your Rowing Stroke
While becoming an efficient rower will probably never be as exciting to the average CrossFit athlete as getting your first pull-up, muscle-up, or a new clean and jerk PR, it certainly can help you handle ... Continue Reading
4 Reasons Not to Run a Short-Term Fitness Challenge
Fifty new clients is music to a small gym owner’s ears. And it’s the reason so many gyms advertise short-term, cheap challenges, like the popular 6-week challenges making their way through gyms around ... Continue Reading
5 Big Offenses to Avoid When Visiting a New CrossFit Gym
One of the great perks of being into CrossFit® is how universal the community has become. For those of us who enjoy traveling—and working out while on the road—it gives us a chance to visit gyms ... Continue Reading
Does Your Recovery Suck? Low Iron Could Be to Blame
Twenty four cups of raw spinach. If you’re a woman, that’s how much spinach you’d need to eat to consume the hit the requisite 18 milligrams of iron per day. (If you cooked the spinach down, you’d only ... Continue Reading
“You Have Nice Legs”: One Woman’s Take On Unsolicited Gym Comments
Last week, while at my regular coffee shop in my usual tight-fitting Lululemon pants, a stranger yelled, “Whoa!” I looked over, to which he pointed to my legs and brought both of his hands together the ... Continue Reading
5 Keys to Keeping Personal Training Clients for Years
When I first started coaching in 2009, I thought it was my job to convince the prospect that we would provide them with the most effective training program they had ever followed, so they would get as fit ... Continue Reading
Three Tips for Switching From Bodybuilding to Powerlifting
By now, you probably know about my experiment with bodybuilding — specifically, with Classic Physique — and, if you’ve been following me on Instagram, then you know that in the long-term, it’s just not for ... Continue Reading
Is Technology Hurting Or Helping Your Training? 4 Rules to Help You Decide
If you’re anything like me, you have a pretty set routine that you follow before you begin training. I like to get to the gym, spend a few minutes chatting to help rid myself of the pre-workout jitters, ... Continue Reading
Op-Ed: There Is No Such Thing As the “10 Best Lifts”
Recently, BarBend author Nick English wrote an op-ed titled “These Are the 10 Best Lifts, Fight Me” — one of which, weighted planks, even featured yours truly! Since Nick asked for it, I’m gonna offer my ... Continue Reading
How Strength Athletes Can Structure Low and Medium Carb Cycling Days
In my last article, I wrote about how I’m taking a break from powerlifting to apply my strength to building my physique. My goals are to give my joints a rest and my body time to heal, and to get my ... Continue Reading