Training

How to Tell if You’re Addicted to Exercise (And What to Do About it)

 

I have a confession to make: I am an exercise addict.

I work out six days a week, like clockwork. Sometimes twice a day if I’m working on a specific skill like pull ups, double jumps or handstands.

Saturday is my rest day, 52 weeks a year (there are 52 total weeks in a year). I hate Saturdays.

I work out every single day on vacation. It doesn’t matter if I’m going to be active all vacation, as was the case with my recent trip to Sunriver, Oregon, a place where pretty much all there is to do is to bike, walk, swim, play tennis, and strike up a game of bocce ball. I’ll work out in a tiny hotel room, an empty field, someone’s driveway. It doesn’t matter what the conditions, I will still work out.

I get anxious when I stay with other people or go somewhere new because I wonder how I’m going to break it to my hosts that I need to work out. As in, it’s not even an option not to.

I can’t even remember the last time I took two rest days off in a row. As a personal trainer, I tell people to listen to their bodies and that if they need to take an additional day off in order to let their muscles heal, to do so. Yet I never take my own advice.

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8 Other Cool Things You Can Do With Kettlebells (Besides Kettlebell Swings)

 

It’s no secret that I love the kettlebell swing.

After all, kettlebell swings not only work your entire body with just a single move, they also help increase endurance, power, and both aerobic and anaerobic capacity. And because kettlebell swings have the ability to burn a crapload of calories and have a special ability to burn fat, there’s no question about their awesomeness.

But what if you decide to buy a kettlebell of your own (I like these CAP kettlebells because they’re good sturdy kettlebells with a nice grip, plus Amazon sells them—meaning you can get free shipping!), or find out that your gym has a few available for use… and you want to do more with it than just swing it all day long?

Not to worry. Kettlebells are an absolutely amazing tool to add to your fitness equipment arsenal, and they can be added to pretty much any exercise for a really awesome challenge.

Plus, because of the nature of kettlebells, you’ll never need more than one or two different weights in order to get in a good workout (unlike regular dumbbells, which you should always increase weight with your strength ability).

Here are 8 exercises (videos included!) you can do with a kettlebell at home or at a gym:

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The Essential Guide to Getting Rid of Shin Splints

Jump roping, box jumps, burpees, sprints… they can all lead to shin splints, a painful and incredibly annoying injury experienced by almost every single active person ever.

And while it’s often hard to pinpoint the direct cause, shin splints can be the result of a number of factors, including muscular imbalance, inflexibility, muscular overload and even biomechanical irregularities. And they’re one of those injuries that once you get them, they never seem to fully go away.

When I first started working out again after high school sports, I was constantly plagued by shin splints. They were frustrating, annoying, and painful, and prevented me from working out countless times.

And when I started getting into jump roping and HIIT workouts a few years later, they got even worse. My shins and calves hurt so badly it was often hard to walk. I remember several times when I took weeks at a time off of any jumping or running at all—and they still wouldn’t get any better.

And despite how common they are, shin splints tend to be one of those injuries that no one quite knows how to get rid of. Even the personal trainers I used to ask (before I became certified myself) would throw their hands up in the air and recommend little more than rest when I’d complain about shin splints.

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19 Really Good Excuses NOT To Work Out

 

Most people know they should be making working out a priority, but most people are also really good at making excuses not to work out.

I’m no stranger to this, either. I used to be too unmotivated, too busy, too tired/weak/stressed out to work out. I would come up with excuses, and though I’d feel a little guilty for doing so, I’d always tell myself my excuses were good enough to justify my lack of exercise.

But while it’s easy to come up with really good excuses not to work out, those excuses are never going to help you reach your fitness goals.

Because the only way to reach your goals is to put in the hard work. You have to push past your own mental limits. There are no shortcuts.

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” – Mahatma Gandhi

So here are 19 incredibly reasonable excuses not to work out—and how to bust through them every time:

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how to do a proper air squat

How To Do a Proper Air Squat

how to do a proper air squat

You’ve probably heard that squats are one of the best exercises you can do. 

Not only will squats build lower body strength, they’ll get you closer toward your goal of getting the body you’ve always wanted, improve your athleticism, and more.

But do you know how to do a proper squat?

As a personal trainer, one of the first things I do is check the bodyweight squat form of my future clients. No weights, no bands, no special equipment: just 10 basic air squats, no more.

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50 Ways to Kick Ass at Working Out

 

Are your workouts feeling less than awesome lately?

Don’t worry—we all need a little extra motivation at times to push us to work out harder and more often.

You have to own your workouts. Crush them. Work harder than you ever thought possible and give them your all. Only then, will you progress as an athlete—and as a person.

And this list can get you there—so look through it, pick the tips that resonate with you, then go kick ass at your workouts (and life)!

How to kick ass at working out (in no particular order):

1. Push past your limits regularly. If you aren’t collapsing in defeat on a regular basis, you aren’t pushing hard enough. Train hard.

2. Have a mantra. Mantras help trick your brain into believing something is true, and can get you through even the toughest of workouts.

3. Gear up. While bodyweight training is awesome, a few pieces of equipment such as a jump rope and a kettlebell can push your training to the next level.

4. Master (or at least attempt) the handstand push up. Include these in your workouts and you’ll find yourself stronger, more coordinated, and more badass than ever before.

5. Show up no matter what. It doesn’t matter if you’re sick, hungover, tired, or just overly stressed, the key to kicking ass at your workouts is to always show up.

6. Take pictures along your fitness journey. There’s nothing more motivating than seeing the visual progress you’ve made from your workouts. Do it often, and hide them somewhere no one else can see them if that makes it less embarrassing.

7. Kettlebell swings are your friend. Do them often. You’ll get all the cardiovascular, strength and coordination benefits that go with them.

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why you should do handstands on a regular basis

Why You Should Do Handstands On a Regular Basis

why you should do handstands on a regular basis

There’s no question that most adults, no matter how strong or athletic they are, are intimidated by handstands.

But just because you didn’t take gymnastics as a kid and are scared to death of falling on your head when attempting them doesn’t mean you should avoid handstands forever.

Because not only are handstands fun (I mean, really, what’s more fun than being upside down and feeling like a kid again?), they’re actually really, really good for you.

I’ll tell you why in a second, but first, here’s how to get started with handstands:

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5 Reasons Why CrossFit Probably Isn’t Right For You

In case you haven’t heard, the CrossFit Games are currently taking place from now through July 28th in Southern California, and the world is tuning in to watch this incredibly popular and growing sport.

And if you’ve never watched them before, I’d highly recommend tuning into the Games, which feature a test of some of the world’s fittest athletes over a week of incredibly rigorous athletic events competing for the title of Fittest on Earth.

The competition workouts involve everything from burpees to rope climbs to snatches to dog sled pushes (yes, really). And the strength, endurance, and pure grit these athletes have is seriously mind-blowing.

But before you get too inspired by the sport while watching the athletes compete on TV and decide to dedicate your life to it, you should know the good—and the bad—of CrossFit.

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Think You Can’t Get in Shape? Think Again

 

I used to think I was one of those people who could just never get into shape, no matter how hard I tried.

Although I come from some pretty good genes, I always figured I was the outlier in the family—the one who could never be in good shape, regardless of how healthy I ate or how often I exercised. And though I was never seriously overweight, there have certainly been times in my life where I was a little… chunky.

I remember that time (mostly during college) clearly…

I remember how difficult it was hard to buy clothes, because nothing fit quite right—and when I did, I’d try to buy things that would cover up my body, rather than show it off. I remember the feeling of having a muffintop, how it felt jiggly when I walked and spilled over the top of my jeans, and how I embarrassed and ashamed it made me feel.  I remember feeling slow and gross and lethargic and sorry for myself. I remember how self-conscious and unconfident I felt, and how that lack of confidence translated to other areas of my life as well.

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Less is More: Why Short Workouts Are Better Than Long Ones

 

I’m not crazy. I’m totally aware that when I first tell people about workouts that take only 12 minutes or so to complete, they look at me like I’ve gone nuts.

And they get even more confused when I tell them that these 12 minute workouts are actually more effective than spending an hour or more working out in a gym.

“How the hell is working out for 12 minutes better than working out for an hour?” most people ask me, puzzled and unbelieving.

See, most people are used to equating exercise with long, boring gym sessions that last at least an hour or more. And I’m no stranger to this mindset—I used to be a part of this “long workouts are better camp” too, back in the days when I’d force myself to run for miles and miles, followed by 20 minutes or more of abs-focused training or something similar. I absolutely hated it, but I did it anyway because I thought that spending more time exercising was the only way to get into good shape.

But just because you’re used to something being one way doesn’t mean you should actually accept that’s how it has to be.

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