Blog

Post-Workout Recovery Tips Sometimes, the day after a challenging workout can be a struggle. Your muscles are sore and that makes it hard to get in and out of your car (if you can get to your car in the first place). But there are ways to ease the pain from a good workout. Here’s how to speed up your recovery: Drink A Lot of Water Hydrating after a workout is key to recovery. Without enough water in your body, you won’t be able to bounce back and take advantage of all t

Looking to improve your performance, optimize your recovery, and prevent injury? The secret may be simple — it’s called mobility training. You’ve probably been told to add some mobility work into your exercise regime (and rightfully so, as it’s one of the most important components to preventing injury and achieving long-term results!). But you may be reading this wondering, what is mobility training in the first place? Is it a few minutes of foam rolling? A yoga class or post

I’ll say it plain and simple: you should be lifting weights. But not necessarily for the reasons that you might think. For example, I don’t believe that strength is the main benefit of weight training. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love being strong as much as the next person, but there is more value in weight training than simply gaining muscle or losing fat. When I think back on the time I’ve spent training (around 20 years now), here are the most valuable benefits I’ve

If you're committed to making 2026 your year, it's not enough to live in the gym. Even if you're giving it your all every session, you won't see the results you want without the right workout recovery strategy. Too often, people treat their post-workout recovery as optional. A little something extra they can do if they have time. If you don't help your body recover, however, you could be sabotaging your results and making yourself vulnerable to injury. To make sure you're

Success in the gym, as with most things in life, comes down to mastering the basics. With that in mind, here are 6 exercise tips, weightlifting basics, the best exercises to start with, and training essentials that everyone should follow. Take these ideas to heart and you'll reap major benefits. While most people waste time debating the endless stream of supplements, “new” workout programs, and diet plans, all you really have to do is focus on these simple concepts and yo

The fitness acronyms just keep coming. WOD. HIIT. AMRAP. ROM. DOMS. And we could go on and on. But let’s not. Let’s focus on HIIT for a minute and look at how it compares to our old pal, cardio—especially in terms of weight-loss goals. To burn maximum calories during a workout, you have one of two choices. You can increase the intensity, or you can extend the duration. Unless you are secretly a superhero, you can’t do both. You’ll never be able to sprint for miles at a time

Most of us know that strength training (with free weights, weight machines, or resistance bands) can help build and maintain muscle mass and strength. What many of us don't know is that strong muscles lead to strong bones. And strong bones can help minimize the risk of fracture due to osteoporosis. A combination of age-related changes, inactivity, and inadequate nutrition conspire to gradually steal bone mass, at the rate of 1% per year after age 40. As bones grow more frag

Here’s a sobering fact: you can lose up to 40% of your muscle mass between your 40s and your 80s. That might sound outlandish, but it’s a natural part of ageing. Known as sarcopenia, this is the gradual loss of muscle mass that occurs as we age. Although we can start losing muscle from our 20s, this loss really speeds up once we hit our 60s. While sarcopenia causes loss of muscle mass, we simultaneously gain fat mass, and see a big drop in strength as well. All of this can ha

Hoping to lean down and buff up simultaneously? The “build muscle, burn fat” goal is one that many people share—and some believe is impossible. The two don’t match, they say. You can’t build muscle and lose fat. We think differently, although you may need to alter your approach to exercise and overall health to achieve your goal. Here are six musts that will help you in the quest to become both lean and strong. Sleep Getting enough sleep is so important that we’re putting i

Was that a rowing machine you just tripped over in your garage? Then consider yourself lucky. Despite any perception you may have of a rowing machine as old school, it actually provides an exceptional full-body workout—letting you build strength and get a great cardio burn at the same time. Here’s why. Benefits of a Rowing Machine A rowing machine (aka ergometer) is an often overlooked, yet exceptional tool for strengthening muscle, burning fat, and boosting aerobic capacity

Exercise is one of the pillars of longevity. The benefits of exercise are many: heart health, better sleep, improved mood, more energy and weight control to name but a few. The biggest benefit? Reducing your risk of chronic illnesses. Through exercise, you’ll stay healthy longer, age well, and feel great. Top Ways to Make Exercise More Fun Getting started on a routine exercise habit is the hardest part. Use these ideas to put some more fun into your exercise routine. Add a Fr

I saw an article yesterday about Peloton. While it’s been in the news lately for a controversial ad, this article was about Citron Research’s prediction that the bike/treadmill company’s stock will fall to $5 at some point. The reasoning was because Peloton doesn’t actually have a unique advantage—it sells hardware and software that can be reproduced for much cheaper by bigger companies that are already doing so. Whether the stock falls doesn’t matter to me; I’ve got no ski

“Go hard or go home!” “No pain. No gain!” “We don’t need machines; we are machines!” I’m sure you’ve all read or heard one of these quotes or any number of others telling you workouts have to be all out. That you should leave nothing in the tank. That the way to make progress is to put yourself in the pain cave and stay there. Not only have I heard them all, I’ve no doubt said them all too—and meant it at the time. But it’s not true all of the time, and for many of us

There is a long held belief in the fitness world that for every 1-pound of muscle you gain, your body burns an additional 50 calories. On paper, this sounds awesome. Add 5 pounds of muscle, and you’ll burn an extra 250 calories per day or about a pound every 2 weeks. This theory has led to plenty of people, myself included, rationalizing increasing how much they eat with the confidence that their muscle mass will prevent additional weight gain. Unfortunately, it’s not true

So, you’ve been working at building your muscles, but you’ve reached a plateau. Nothing seems to be changing despite your fitness program. Why? Well, it could be that you are simply repeating the same movement, imposing the same stimulus on your muscles. There are several theories on the best way to build muscle. Those in the ‘volume camp’ say keep adding more work to your training; others in the progressive overload crew say gradually add more weight; and the high intensity

I’ve never been particularly drawn to fitness trackers. Even when I was a competitive cyclist, I didn’t eagerly gravitate towards heart rate monitors. I knew what my resting heart rate was and that was generally good enough for me. I exercise for the love of movement. Despite my reticence, I recently decided to research ‘wearables’, considering the possibility of including them as a package to my clients – and prospective clients- at Beyond Fitness.

She walks through the door and immediately wishes she hadn’t. Machines everywhere. People are moving with obvious confidence. Music she doesn’t recognize. And not a single sign telling her where to start or what anything does. Within about sixty seconds, the thoughts begin: “I have no idea how any of these machines work.” “Every single person here looks like they know exactly what they’re doing.” “What if I hurt myself?” “I don’t belong here.” She turns around. Goes home. T

It might be the most important supplement you’re not taking. Creatine is one of the few supplements that has stood the test of time—and...

Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, didn't have a straightforward path to his record-breaking success. His journey...

As cooler weather rolls in, many people feel the pull of quick-fix detoxes or trendy diets. But what if the real secret to better health,...