One of the biggest misconceptions around fitness is that you need a barbell to get a huge chest. This is simply not true. Oftentimes, this type of work will do us more harm than good due to excessive joint pain and restricted range of motion. While barbells can be useful in some scenarios, I’d argue that 95% of us don’t need to even touch them for chest day.

The second fitness myth is that you have to spend hours in the gym to get ‘swoll’. Again, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Some of the most respected lifters I…

One of the biggest misconceptions around running is you have to complete each workout without stopping. I can confidently say this is complete baloney. There are many cases when taking a pause will be far more beneficial than detrimental. As counterintuitive as this may seem, your ability to be in-tune with your workouts in this manner can set you apart from other runners. There are three main reasons for this rationale:

1) It will help you increase your overall training volume.

2) It can lower muscle soreness and injury risk.

3) It’s an important training component for building speed.

Let’s…

There are hundreds of different core exercises in the vast fitness universe. Whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned pro, it can be challenging to widdle down the list and select the best ones for you. On the other hand, you may be hesitant to step outside of your current box and try something new. Perhaps you got injured taking a fitness professional's advice, or maybe you skip core work entirely because it’s boring, painful, time-consuming, [insert complaint here].

One thing is for certain, core training is often much more complicated than it has to be. …

Your muscles may be ready, but your joints aren’t.

This simple sentence just so happens to be the best injury prevention advice I’ve ever heard. Why? It exposes a major flaw in how the majority of us approach resistance training. We train to get big and strong. We lift to ‘chase the pump’ and look like our best selves in the mirror. While all of these things can be healthy motivators at the right doses, there is a key piece of the puzzle missing if you stop there.

Ask yourself this question… “Am I training in a way that is…

Here’s the big question… is running on a flat treadmill bad for you? Will it damage your knees and break you down over time? If you aren’t already aware, this is a huge debate among runners. The reality is, there is a lot of misinformation about treadmills. Let me start by saying, as a seasoned personal trainer and kinesiologist, treadmills aren’t going to kill you! I’ve worked with countless clients and I say the same thing over and over, this machine isn’t inherently good or bad, it’s just another tool. …

Have you ever had a stubborn knot in your back? If so, you’ve probably thought that massaging it will bring relief. While this may be efficacious in some cases, it’s not a sustainable solution for your issue. Furthermore, there is reason to believe that tirelessly applying deep pressure to tight, guarded muscles may be doing more harm than good. Surprising right? We’ve been led to think that attacking the localized area will bring us the relief we need, but it’s not even getting close to the root of the problem.

I want to encourage us to widen our lens on…

Tennis elbow is a common tendinous issue that plagues both professional athletes and everyday individuals. It is most common in 30–50-year-olds, especially those who participate in racket sports or work in repetitive jobs like plumbers, painters, and cooks. Take a step and you’ll quickly realize that many of us are at risk! If you’ve ever experienced it, you know how it can quickly affect every corner of your life. Fortunately, there is strong evidence to show that exercise can both reduce painful symptoms and improve the working capacity of the tendons.

Whether you’ve been struggling with tennis elbow for years…

Can you use running to aid in your weight loss journey? Absolutely. Is it a one-size-fits-all experience? Sadly, no. What works for one person may be completely unachievable for another. This boils down to our differences in genetics, physiology, environment, and priorities.

There is no magic running pill for weight loss. There is no way to hack the system. Unfortunately, the internet provides a flurry of misinformed tips and tricks for shedding excess weight. Due to the ever-increasing trend of yo-yo diets and “quick fixes” to weight loss, many victims are left discouraged, confused, and hopeless.

If you’re trying to…