Coaching

Yoga for a Run, Running
Coaching

Use Yoga to Improve Your Run: Part I

When training the muscles of our thighs, athletes tend to naturally focus on the power houses of the quadriceps…the force behind the kick that drives us forward with each step. It’s easy to target the quadriceps in both our strengthening and stretching exercises (squats anyone?) and if the knee position is aligned, these muscles tend […]

Woman weightlifting with barbell
Achieving Your PR

When to Increase Your Weights – Here's How To Know.

You shouldn’t lift the same amount of weight for months or years on end. You need to challenge your muscles to continually work harder and become stronger. Here’s how to know when you’re ready to increase your weight.

Woman excited about her fat burning treadmill workout.
Coaching

Fat Burning Treadmill Workout -Easy to Follow Steps

Now that you’re all set up with the basics of exactly how to run on a treadmill, it’s time to get more specific and use your treadmill to reach certain goals. For many of you, the number one goal is fat loss. Below are some easy to follow steps for a successful fat burning treadmill workout. […]

Woman holds onto a treadmill
Coaching

How to do High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Treadmill Workouts

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is one of the top training trends in the fitness industry today. In addition to being a good challenge (the words “high intensity” in the title give that away), HIIT treadmill workouts can be quick and very effective. While there are many ways to get in a HIIT workout (bodyweight […]

Face Pull Pull and Release with a resistance band
Coaching

The Face Pull: Get the What, How, and Why

Many might be fooled into thinking the Face Pull is just another easy corrective exercise. The fact is it’s a versatile exercise that can be programmed as part of your dynamic warm-up or as part of your upper body strength routine. Face Pulls primarily work the rear deltoids (shoulders), rhomboids and the external rotators (infraspinatus […]

Single Leg Romanian Deadlift with Weight
Coaching

How To Do A Single Leg Romanian DeadLift The Right Way

Master the Single Leg Romanian DeadLift Next up in my “Exercises You Should Be Doing” series is the Single Leg Romanian Deadlift.  Also known as the Single Leg RDL, this exercise not only provides an excellent lower body workout, but also carries over to work other key areas. This makes it an ideal exercise for […]

A woman is exercising and doing a HIIT elliptical workout.
Coaching

Great HIIT Elliptical Workouts that Get Results!

When most people think about High Intensity Interval Training (or HIIT) workouts, they often associate them with the treadmill, bike or outdoor sprinting. But what about a HIIT elliptical workout? Take your elliptical workouts to the next level by including HIIT. The elliptical is a great choice when it comes to getting in your interval sessions […]

10 Minute Fitness Circuit
Coaching

Get A Killer Workout in Just 10 Minutes

It’s true, you really can get a beneficial workout in if all you have is 5-10 minutes. As a fitness professional, one of the top excuses I hear is that people just don’t have time to exercise. For many, lack of time is definitely a real obstacle when it comes to staying fit. There are […]

Popular Running Form Problems & How-to Fix Them
Coaching

2 Popular Running Form Problems & How-to Fix Them

You can easily get faster by simply focusing on your running form. Like your car, boosting your running efficiency will help you gain more speed, cover miles more efficiently, and drastically reduce your risk for injury.

How-to Do Functional Fitness at Home
Coaching

Functional Fitness at Home

How to do Functional Fitness at Home – Part 1 of 2 Emphasizing functional but constantly varied workouts, functional fitness is a serious force in fitness today. While competitive athletes complete grueling and extreme workouts, these workouts are also scalable for all levels and can be implemented in a home gym setting. Is Functional Training for you? […]

6 Strength Exercises You Should Be Doing to Boost Your Workout
Coaching

6 Strength Exercises You Should Be Doing

As you all hopefully know by now, there’s much more to strength training than bicep curls and leg extensions! If you do, however, find yourself stuck in an outdated strength routine, it’s time to take a look at some strength exercises that will give your time in the gym a big boost. Whether you’re a […]

Goblet Squats to Take Your Workouts to the Next Level
Coaching

What is your Fitness Routine Missing? The Goblet Squat

This is the first in a series of exercises I will share that may not be well-known or commonly done, but are highly recommended as part of a well-rounded functional fitness routine. First up is the Goblet Squat. Dan John, who happens to be one of my favorite strength coaches and authors, has long been […]

Proper Squat Technique
Coaching

How To Do A Proper Squat

The Ultimate Total Body Exercise: If you’re looking for a powerful way to boost your overall fitness and get some serious results fast, look no further than the squat exercise. Squats are the one exercise that should be a part of everyone’s routine, as they’re relatively simple to perform, and can be done just about anywhere. More importantly, […]

training with a heart-rate monitor
Coaching

How To Train With A Heart-Rate Monitor

Q: What are some of the benefits of heart rate training and what devices do you recommend (strap or watch) ~ Brenda A: Heart-rate monitors are a valuable tool for training for performance and fitness. They give you instant biofeedback in the moment about how your body is responding to the workout, which allows you to […]

winter-fitness-training-guide
Coaching

A Comprehensive Fitness Plan for Surviving Winter

Winter is a fabulous time to start a running training program. It’s a great time to build your running base and develop your fitness fundamentals including strength and flexibility. Whether you’re training for a spring half marathon, or learning to run for the very first time, use these tips and tools to get started on […]

5K Training Tactics to Schedule to Crush Your PR
Achieving Your PR

5K Training Tactics to Schedule to Crush Your Personal Record

This 5K training schedule will get you ready to take control of your preparation to level up your 5K performance. While you can never guarantee hitting your next personal record, you’ll want to check out these techniques. From your training schedule to pre-race nutrition, preparation is the difference between a pretty good run and leading […]

Woman Rowing on a Matrix Fitness rowing machine.
Coaching

Why The Rowing Machine Is The Most Underrated Fitness Tool

Burn an average of 800 calories an hour rowing! Rowing is a full-body cardio and strength workout. Learn how to master proper rowing form to get maximum benefit.

Coaching

How I Learned to Love the Elliptical (Hint: it has to do with a Heart Rate Monitor)

As a runner, I used to dread my off-days. I know running every day isn’t good over the long term. So once or twice a week, I’ll hop on an elliptical machine to supplement my running workouts. One of the reasons running appeals to me is that it has very concrete measurements that I’m familiar […]

Goblet squat
Achieving Your PR

Two Daily Workouts for Doing Functional Training at Home

While the words functional training might bring to mind images of buff young athletes performing muscle-ups and throwing around heavy weight, many of the functional movements included in functional movement type workouts are a fantastic way for home gym athletes to increase range of motion, power, and strength without lifting heavy weights and completing complicated movements. […]

Loaded Carries
Coaching

How To Build Strength With Loaded Carries (Videos)

5 Loaded Carry Strength Exercises Next up in my “Exercises You Should Be Doing” series is the Loaded Carry. While this may be one of the simpler looking exercises you may ever do, don’t let it fool you into thinking it’s not very effective. When done right, this “simple” exercise can be a game-changer for those […]