There are individuals who simply know how to make people better. They turn good into great. Stars into Legends.  When it comes to elite athletic performance, one of the masters of the craft is South Florida based performance trainer Nick Soto.

“Just trying to help other guys make it where I couldn’t,” Soto shared while describing what he does. He explained that he got into coaching as a self-described “failed athlete.” Soto played college football and he qualified for the Olympics in Tae Kwon Do, but was unable to compete due to a knee injury. He had numerous injuries, ten knee surgeries, with four of those to repair a chronic ACL issue. He’s had a replaced knee and shoulder in the past year alone because of his playing days. He credits his injuries to his relentless pursuit of greatness.

“I’m not afraid to kind of push myself and push my body a little bit to get an edge that I may not have had,” said Soto. Even though his injuries limited his potential as a player, he feels they benefited him for his career now.

Soto’s strategies are proven successful because he commits time and energy into doing research and reading studies before putting anything into practice. His most famous athlete serves as a testimonial. What may surprise you is that this athlete isn’t a football player or a boxer. It’s a baseball player – Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres. Machado along with fellow Major League Baseball player Yonder Alonso reached out to Soto eight years ago, wanting him to put his methodology into practice for them.  The results were undeniable.

Alonso’s power improved significantly within one year of working with Soto. Prior to the 2017 season, he had never hit more than nine home runs in a season. He hit 28 in the 2017 season between his time with both the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics.

“I got exposure to plyometric training very early on” explains Soto. “I got exposure to coaching very early on also because I was thrust into training into a lot of the Tae Kwon Do sessions. This was in the early 1990’s.”

Soto was working under the tutelage of his Tae Kwon Do trainers in high school, and they were using strategies from other sports such as track and figure skating. As a result, Soto found himself to be in better shape overall. Helping train the other athletes was also helping lay a foundation for a coaching career.

Fast forward several years, and Soto went on to open his own training facility in Miami, Florida. While the focus was on regular people (also known as gen pop, for general population), Soto wanted to stand out in his field.

Dan Solomon, President of Muscle & Fitness and the Mr. Olympia adds, “It’s always our privilege to shine a spotlight on those who are raising the bar in the world of athletic performance. Nick is a gifted trainer and his clients understand how valuable he is.”

“We wanted to train folks like we trained our athletes,” Soto shared. They would also train competitive athletes in the same facility, with a lot of emphasis being placed on football players, track and field athletes, and boxers. He had a clear mission statement when asked about how he likes to train or coach players.

“The thought process has always kind of been there, which is make athletes as explosive as possible, make them as resilient as possible, and make them as capable as possible from a movement perspective.”

Soto likes to train his athletes in sprinting, regardless of what sport they play because of how it can benefit them in other aspects of performance.

“It also makes them safer, less likely to suffer groin injuries, and they don’t have to tax themselves because they are running efficiently.”

What Soto doesn’t do is interfere with the work that the athlete’s coaches in their specific sports do. His goal is to make the athlete better overall without compromising their skill sets.

“They should be able to succeed in their sport if they have the kind of skills necessary. I don’t want to take on the responsibility of teaching the sport part of it. I don’t tell wide receivers what route to run or how to brace. I’ll leave that to their skill coaches. I just help give them the tools they need from tissue and neurological perspectives.”

“At the time, my experience with baseball players was with a couple of high school teams and a few local guys,” Soto recalled. Nonetheless, he saw the opportunity and seized it by analyzing what they needed from him and determining the best way to serve them.

“It went back to the same thing I’ve been doing – making them resilient and robust, agile and capable when moving, then making them explosive and powerful.”

As for Machado, Soto feels he would’ve been a superstar regardless of what he did. However, he does feel he has helped Machado’s resiliency – as shown during the 2022 season. Machado suffered an ankle injury after landing awkwardly on first base in a game against the Colorado Rockies. The initial thought was that he would be on the Injured List for six to eight weeks. Shockingly, he was back on the diamond 11 days later, ready to resume his role as one of the game’s best.

“He texted me ‘thank God we did all that bull**** ankle stuff we did.’” Soto said with a laugh. “He was always complaining about that when we did it, then he came back and said, ‘thank God we did that.”

Those were the only games that Machado missed in the 2022 season. He batted .298 with 32 home runs and 102 RBI’s, nearly receiving an MVP award.  A few months later, Machado signed an 11-year contract extension for a reported $350 million, ensuring Machado’s status as one of the top earners in the history  of baseball. Regardless of how Soto’s tactics are described, they will be used regularly throughout the duration of that historic contract.

The Director of Performance at Lox Performance in Doral, Florida, Soto is great at what he does, and he’s successful because he is in the business for the right reasons – helping athletes get better, improving quality of performance and life. His latest program, Gorilla Baseball, is designed to help smaller players increase strength, which he feels is vital for their well-being and longevity.

“We do Olympic lifts like crazy, snatches and split jerks, power cleaning and squat cleaning,” he explained. “We’ve had nothing but great results from it. Our guys are going way harder, are much more resilient, and they’re stronger by doing these movements. It’s only going to benefit them.”

For more information about Gorilla Baseball or Lox Performance, go to www.thelox.com. Follow Nick on Instagram @nicksoto_performance.

The gym industry has long been a place where passion comes together, but business strategy often falls short. In order to succeed as a gym owner, it requires more than an understanding of sets, reps and equipment, it requires a far deeper understanding of how to engage members, while delivering value. In an effort to unite the gym community, a new event called GymCon has been created, and excitement is already building.

GymCon 2023 is a three-day event that will gather fitness insiders, business experts, celebrites, and gym owners from all over with the intent on sharing key success strategies. The event is taking place on May 4-6 in Orlando, Florida, and it’s being organized by Gym Launch, a respected organization that helps gym owners maximize their potential through remote coaching. Their CEO, Cale Owen, feels this is a remarkable opportunity that is coming at a very important time.

“This will help independent gym owners as well as gym franchisees learn exactly how to build a million dollar or more gym in three days,” said Owen, who will be speaking about this from firsthand experience. The former baseball player transitioned to the gym industry, eventually opening one of his own in St. Augustine, Florida. After two successful years, Owen discovered Gym Launch and worked his way up the ladder to his current position as CEO.

“I started as a client in 2017, and they changed the trajectory of the gym and the trajectory of my life. I came on as a lower end sales guy in 2018,” he recalled. “My wife was in the gym as well, so she was able to run it day-to-day, and I was all in on helping gym owners.”

Between Owen’s personal experience as a gym owner and his work with Gym Launch, his fingerprints can be seen on many successful independent and corporate franchise gyms. One mistake he helps others avoid is falling for the concept that “if I build it, they will come.” Going it alone just based on a passion for fitness can be a bad strategy, and Owen knows this firsthand.

“It’s the biggest lie in the industry. There are people like myself and others that have already paid the ignorance tax. Gym Launch can provide the shortcuts and guidance to bypass all the pain and suffering that many gym owners have gone through to be able to reach their dreams.”

Even with the success he’s seen in the two years since he took the helm, he saw potential to reach even more people and make a bigger impact. Thus, the concept for GymCon was born.

“We want to give people the opportunity in three days to know exactly what they need to do inside of their business, and how to do it so they can go on and build the gym of their dreams.”

GymCon is their first that was organized for the public. The first day will focus on acquisitions, sales, and branding. The second day will emphasize operations and team building. Day three will be about how to put your blueprint together and apply the information to create a successful gym business.

Owen and his team have lined up an all-star group of speakers to share their expertise, including Olympia champion Flex Lewis, MLB legend Alex Rodriguez, Gym Launch founders Alex and Leila Hormozi, Gym Launch VP Maggie Owen, Jason Phillips of the Nutritional Coaching Institute, editor Mike Easter, and Olympia President Dan Solomon.

Solomon recently joined Owen on his “Gym Lords” podcast and shared why he felt this is such a valuable opportunity for both gym owners and those in the muscle building community.

“I was so glad when I heard about GymLaunch and GymCon. I was excited because I’ve been talking to my team about the disconnect that exists between the stuff we’re doing and the gym world. Let’s face it, the gym world is where it all goes down,” said Solomon. “The gym world is the central artery of all of the fitness industry.”

As for the purpose of GymCon2023, Owen shared that he’s been to conferences that have included a lot of “theory and fluff.” He sees the goal of GymCon to help attendees get much more value out of the experience so they can see tangible results, applying what they learn.

“Our goal is to simplify everything, to give gym owners what they need to know so they know exactly what to do. No one will leave this conference with questions about what to do to be successful. They will walk away knowing exactly what to do, and they will be able to go out and do it.”

For more information on GymCon and to secure tickets, visit www.GymCon.com and follow @gymcon2023 on Instagram.

Steven Krueger is the versatile actor who first found fame by appearing in “Pretty Little Liars” and “Two and a Half Men” before bagging the memorable role of “Josh Rosza” on “The Originals.”

Now, as “Ben Scott” in “Yellowjackets,” Krueger plays the assistant coach to the young women’s soccer team, but tells Muscle & Fitness that building his physique up to the point that he is believable as a sports coach has not been easy. Fortunately, having played tennis seriously in his youth, Kreuger has a competitive spirit that still influences him to this day.

So, ahead of the highly anticipated return of “Yellowjackets” (Showtime, March 26), we sat down with the star to find out more.

“I started playing tennis when I was 4 years old,” says Krueger. “I played all the way through high school and started to get very competitive with it. The problem with me, growing up, is that I was the same height as I am now. I was 6’ 1” and weighed around 140 pounds so I was a twig. All the traditional sports that you think of; football, baseball, and even basketball, I was just too small to play them and got pushed around a lot. Soccer and tennis were the sports that I naturally veered towards.”

While scholarship offers for Steven Krueger to play tennis at college became a reality, a love of acting had developed and stolen his heart, and so the desire was no longer there to chase Division I play. Still, the competitive spirit developed through tennis has been of great value to a career in theatrics. Starting with a wish to fill out that six-feet-plus frame. “I grew up in Florida with a bunch of guys that were hitting the gym,” he says. “The summer after my first year of college, I felt tired of being this skinny, tall, gangly kid, essentially. So, that entire summer I made a very concerted effort to put on as much weight as I could.”

Steven Krueger Is Focused on Being Screen Ready

As a hard gainer, Krueger says that he was eating upward of 6,000 calories each day to fuel weightlifting sessions. “I accomplished my goal,” he shares. “I put on about 30 pounds that one summer. I filled out.” But even today, the actor says that he finds cutting weight to be easier than gaining it. “I still think, if the opportunity arose to do a superhero movie, or something like that, I would work with a trainer and I’d be able to get there, and I’ve done that a couple of times in my career.”

While Krueger no longer trains his body primarily to be match ready, he’s always focused on being screen ready. “I think actors exist in only two states as far as physicality and fitness goes,” he shares. “I’m either in ‘character shape’ or ‘Steven shape.’ Yellowjackets is actually a great example because before we started Season 1, I was working on another show at the time (“Roswell, New Mexico”). I play a former college soccer player (in “Yellowjackets”), and that nineties look is maybe a little bulkier, and so I made a concerted effort to put on around 12 pounds or so before we started filming because I really wanted to have that look.”

In “Yellowjackets” the soccer team, staff and coaches are forced to try and survive in the woods following a plane crash, and so Krueger understood that by starting out the season carrying a little more bulk, he would be able to lose weight as the show progressed, helping to present the illusion that he was starving in the woods. Krueger says that when taking on new projects, there’s often very little notice or time to prepare, so he likes to stay in shape all of the time, so that he can be ready to shoot at a months’ notice.

For “Yellowjackets” Season 2, Krueger dropped around 12 pounds in order to maintain the audience’s belief that he was going without food in the woods. “I do think its an important part of being an actor,” says the star. “Physicality is so important when it comes to embodying playing a character, so I think anything that you can do to help yourself feel like the character, the better your performance is going to be.”

Steven Krueger has Competitiveness in His DNA

There’s no doubt that Steven Krueger approaches his scenes with the same gusto that he did with sports. “I think any athlete, growing up, there is that natural competitive nature,” he shares. “I competed in a lot of stuff when I was younger. I even competed in debate tournaments. I think competitiveness has always been in my DNA. I think that acting probably has replaced sports, in a certain way. This is an incredibly competitive industry.”

In “Yellowjackets,” Krueger has more to concern himself with than just his weight. He also had to face a new acting challenge because early in the show, his character loses a leg due to the aforementioned plane crash. “They didn’t tell me that, until after we had filmed the pilot episode,” shares Krueger. “It actually happens in episode two. I panicked a little bit, honestly, because I had never done anything like that and there’s two elements to it. There’s the physical element and you have to deal with all of the pain and how to move and how to function and of course [in real life] I still have the leg, so what do I have to do with it to make it look like I don’t have a leg?” he notes. “Then of course, there’s the psychological elements as well, that come with a traumatic injury like that, so I spent several months researching and talking to people and learning as much as I possibly could.”

With unpredictable filming schedules, Krueger has to be flexible about where and when he trains. “In any given week, I may do yoga once or twice per week, I may do some interval training a few times during the week, I may do a couple of cycling classes, go for a run, or I may just get on a treadmill and set it to the highest incline. Constantly keeping the body guessing is so good for it,” says the actor.

In addition to his gym work, where Krueger also likes to undertake traditional exercises such as the bench press and squat, he is also a huge advocate of getting outside. The busy actor finds that nature provides him with the balance he needs to put the intensity of working in Hollywood back into its proper context. He’s also developed a love of pickleball. “Now, honesty, I play a lot more pickleball  than I do tennis,” shares Krueger. “I still pick up the tennis racket once in a while but I’m so much more into pickleball because it’s just easier on the body. It’s a smaller court, you don’t have to run quite as much. Pickleball is great, you can pretty much play with anybody.”

The pullup is one of the most coveted exercises. There’s something massively empowering about successfully lifting your chin over the pullup bar from a dead hang position. And of course, this hard-to-master move doesn’t come easy – especially for women.

According to Angela Gargano, a fitness coach and four-time American Ninja Warrior contestant, there are two main reasons women struggle more than men with it comes to mastering this milestone move: Less muscular development in the back area compared to males and being told from a young age that pullups aren’t for girls.

“As women, we’ve basically been told most of our lives that we ‘can’t’ do pullups,” Gargamo says. “Starting with the physical fitness test back in elementary school, they told girls to do the “hang” instead of pullups like the boys.”

Thankfully, Gargano didn’t listen to that train of thought and has now become a powerhouse of knowledge and strength, empowering women all over the globe to complete their first pullup—then their second, third, and so on. One of Gargano’s thrilled clients told her: “Your program is amazing! I can’t believe I can do a pullup in my 50s!”

Gargano’s program runs six weeks, and while it takes about 30 days or more to conquer a pullup, Gargano has seen people achieve their first as early as two weeks.

So if you’ve been struggling to complete a perfect pullup, don’t know where to start, or how to train for it, Gargano pulls out all of her tips to help you get your chin over the bar.

Pullups 101

You might think that the pullup exercise works just the back muscles, but this mighty move targets a host of muscle groups. “The pullup is a full-body move using your grip strength, forearms, back, core, and glutes,” Gargano explains.

And the benefits go beyond the self-empowering feeling of being able to pull your entire body weight and get your chin above the bar. “A pullup increases your grip strength, which is correlated to living longer and a great sign of overall health,” she says. “It also helps improve posture and is beneficial to all and in all areas for working out and life.”

3 Things You Need to Focus on when Working on Your First Pullup

When setting out to accomplish your first pullup, Gargano focuses on three things with her clients: mobility, stability, and strength.

Mobility – When performing pullups, your arms are over your head, right? “So, we not only need to be able to keep our arms overhead, but we need to be able to function in that area, aka mobility,” she says. Making mobility drills a must when achieving your first pullup, faster.

Example: Y, T, L, W drills:

• • Perform 10x of each of these 3x Banded Wall Slides:
  • Perform 10 reps 3x slowly.

Stability – Stability is making sure you are strengthening your shoulders, “Simply because there is a lot of “stuff” going on in there and we want our bodies to be ready,” Gargano says.

Example:

Half Kneeling SA DB Press:

• • Perform 10 on each side, using medium weight

Shoulder Taps:

• • Perform 10 on each side, focusing on keeping hips square

Strength –  Gargano explains that strength is focusing on the parts where you are weakest as well as your core & glutes, “It’s all connected,” she says.

Example:

Eccentric Pullups:

• • Perform 1 rep then take at least a 30-second to one-minute break. This move should be performed at a sloth-like pace.

Hanging Shoulder Shrugs:

• • Perform 10 of these moves making sure to hold at the top for at least two seconds.

Gargano’s Step-by-Step Instructions for Getting Your First Pullup

Step 1: Hang On

Simply grab onto the bar, hold on to the bar as tight as possible, then stay there. “Get comfortable up there, get to know each other—your goal should be to hang for at least 30 seconds,” Gargano says.

Step 2: Mind-body Connection

The mind is a muscle that needs to be strengthened as well, especially when pulling your own body weight. As you Practice mind-body connection during pullup training, you are mentally bringing together your brain to your lats.

“A lot of times you actually are strong enough to get your first pullup, but your CNS has not created a pathway to your lat to pull yourself up,” she explains.

To help improve this connection, Gargano recommends performing single-arm shrug lat pull-downs while tapping the lat. “With mobility stick pulldown, practice ‘breaking’ the bar.” She says. Be sure your hanging shoulder shrugs are slow and controlled with a hold at the top.

Step 3: Work on Weak Areas

Work on the area you are weakest. “If you’re stuck at the bottom of your pullup which most people are, instead of focusing on getting to the top focus on strengthening the bottom” says Gargano. Doing things like shrug to ¼-assisted pullups and ¼-flexed arm hangs and slow eccentrics focusing on lowering super slow at the bottom

Step 4: Assisted Pullups

If you are trying to get your first pullup, Gargano warns that although assisted band pullups are a great tool, they end up helping you at the hardest part of the pullup; the bottom. “So, when doing these moves, use a band that only allows you to get about four reps so that you are actually using your muscles and it’s not just flinging you up there,” Gargano recommends.

Step 5: Attempt the Pullups Without the Band a Lot—Even if You Suck

“A lot of my clients get their first pullups faster because I make them get off of the band and try it,” Gargano says. Do hard things, this is where you’ll grow in strength and gain improvement with this move.

So, You got Your First Pullup, Here’s How to Get to 10…then 20

Thankfully, there are so many ways to increase your strength once master your first pullup. A popular goal after achieving one is to get to ten.

“Weighted pullups, towel pullups and also continuing to train that bottom part of the pullup which is the connection piece of it, as well as performing moves like flexed arm hangs in all different ranges,” says Gargano. Consistency is key when it comes to getting comfortable on the bar and building up strength, eventually, your pullup numbers will climb.

Rest Days Are Important

Gargano recommends resting at least one to two days (in between pullup training) as she feels recovery is just as important as your workouts. “Your body needs time to heal and create that muscle so that you can pull yourself up,” says Gargano.

“Take a full day to do actually nothing – that means no yoga, no mobility, just chill allow your body to rest” says Gargano. And encourages not eating more simply because you’re resting.

A Peek into Gargano’s Pullup Program

In Gargano’s program, her clients are performing pullup drills five days a week, however, some of the drills include Deadlifting (we use our lats during this move) Horizontal Pulling Core work, and more.

Example: Deadlift (focusing on breaking the bar to engage lats and protect low back)

• • Perform three sets of 10 reps.

Horizontal shrug and pull:

• • Perform 10 each side. Repeat three times.

Gargano’s Final Thoughts:

Why the Typical Eccentric, Flex Arm Hang, Assisted Band Works when Building Strength

“Eccentrics and initial flexed arm hangs are intimidating and tough,” says Gargano, and they can also be super discouraging when first attempting them. Have you tried these moves? Not as easy as you’d like them to be but they are great for building strength.

Gargano feels assisted bands are great, “But, if you are using to easy of a band it will hinder your progress,” she explains.

Leave Your Gym Gloves at Home: Although gloves have their place in the world of fitness, Gargano feels they should stay off the bar and opt for liquid chalk. “Just like barefoot training. you need to feel the bar” says Gargano, and feels you will block the bar by using gloves

Every sport has its mountain top, its highest achievement. Baseball has the World Series. In football it’s the Super Bowl, hockey has its Stanley Cup—and in bodybuilding it’s the Olympia, the title that changes lives, builds legacies, and allows someone to call himself the BEST in the WORLD.

More than just an event, the Olympia sits atop a year-round qualification system that connects more than 300 sanctioned contests held in cities around the world.  From New York to Dubai to Columbus to Los Angeles, and places in between – the road to the Olympia is where you’ll find the biggest stories and the biggest dreams.

An Olympia title is an identity. Phil Heath wears 7X as a badge of honor and Dexter Jackson’s legacy was sealed the night he became Mr. O. It only takes one. Joe Weider knew what he was doing when he set these wheels in motion. President Bill Clinton was so impressed by Lee Haney’s eight Olympia titles that he appointed him Chairman of the President’s Council on Fitness. The list goes on. It’s not just a victory, it’s a status, an identity, a legacy.

I recently visited the Instagram page of Arnold Schwarzenegger, a man who has achieved more than few could dream.  I smiled when I noticed the first words listed on Arnold’s IG profile, “Former Mr. Olympia”.

Imagine that. This man was elected Governor. He’s the Terminator. His movies have grossed billions, but amid all his conquests his Olympia title is the first accolade he listed on his bio. All of us here at the Olympia are grateful to our 7-time champion for the millions he inspires.

Who won the Mr. Olympia in 1998 or 1980 or 2006? I’ll bet it didn’t take you long to answer. That’s what makes the Olympia special. We remember the dates, we know where we were the night Ronnie won. We’ve seen “Pumping Iron” enough times to recite the story of the 1975 Mr. Olympia, and we’ll never forget the night Cutler finally conquered Coleman, or the moment Heath turned the tables on Cutler. Olympia moments are seldom forgotten.

The strength of the brand was on full display when more than 700 athletes entered the recent Amateur Olympia in Las Vegas, or when owner Jake Wood commits to nearly $1.7 million in prize money each year, while maintaining profitability, on the shoulders of record ticket sales and sponsorship packages that include fully integrated media components, powered by a media portfolio that includes Muscle & Fitness.

During the Covid years, while events around the world retreated, the Olympia went all-in with a full stage production and major celebrities in the building. Every ticket was sold.

As bodybuilding reaches new levels of popularity, Jim Manion’s IFBB Pro League keeps growing, and the Olympia has grown with it. More divisions, new sponsors, upgraded venues, and continuous brand expansion. The Olympia’s licensing program continues its momentum with companies worldwide seeking to capitalize on the power of the brand, including an Olympia apparel line that remains one of the fastest growing in the category. Last year, more than 5,000 athletes competed at Amateur Olympias held around the world.

The Olympia arrived in the mid-1960s. The Super Bowl followed soon after. And for nearly 60 years they have each stood tall as their sport’s most coveted prize, the holy grail, a bucket-list experience for all who participate and all who attend. The title that changes lives.

The top of the mountain.

News

2023 Olympia Weekend Confirmed for November

The 59th edition returns Orlando, FL, Nov. 2-5.

Read article

With the 2023 Major League Baseball season about to get underway, Lawrence V. Gulotta, M.D., will be busier than ever as the head team orthopedic surgeon for the New York Mets. And, as he’s also a serving member of the School for Special Surgery (H.S.S.), it isn’t just pro athletes that he works with.

Alas, spring is a time when the weather begins to turn a little milder and the number of daylight hours increase, and with this great news comes the motivation to go all in on outdoor sports—or even just workout a little more. But, as Gulotta is all too aware, getting back into game shape is something that should be treated with great care, no matter what PRs we were hitting last year.

M&F sat down with the sports medicine practitioner to find out how we can protect ourselves and avoid injury as we spring back to fitness, the New York Mets way.

1. Always Warm Up

Warming up is one of the most spoken about, and yet most underutilized aspects of preventing injury, says the expert. “Warming up is an important ingredient in improving performance and preventing injury,” notes Dr Gulotta. “Most veteran Mets players have a pregame or workout routine that involves some element of cardio, and then a muscle activation program that ‘warms’ up those muscles that will be required to perform.”

2. Be Flexible

If you’ve been enjoying the offseason a little too much, you may have found that being sedentary has decreased your flexibility, and this can lead to injury sooner rather than later. “Flexibility is important to prevent injury and to increase performance,” says Gulotta. “However, it is equally important to ensure the muscles around the joint are strong enough to support that range of motion. Having the strength to control a joint throughout its entire range of motion is what we call ‘owning that motion.’ Often, adolescent baseball players will have a lot of flexibility, but they do not have the core strength to control that flexibility.”

Gulotta says that building strength around the core, and focusing on flexibility through stretching and functional exercises will aid in protecting joints like elbows and shoulders. And, when it comes to elbows and shoulders, he’s one of the most knowledgeable doctors on the field, serving as the chief of the shoulder and elbow division at the Sports Medicine Institute within the H.S.S. This sports scientist has spent a great deal of time looking into why throwing a ball can be a hazardous task.

“Overhead throwing is not a natural motion for the shoulder,” he says. “Our shoulders were made so that our arms swing by our sides when we walk. They were not made to throw a ball overhead. Therefore, the forces placed on the shoulder and elbow during the throwing motion put them at risk of injury. Recently, players are bigger and stronger, and the training techniques are so good that they are able to generate a tremendous amount of force. That is why we are routinely seeing Major League Baseball pitchers who are throwing in the high

90s mph. This additional force puts the stabilizing ligaments and muscles around the shoulder and elbow at risk for injury.”

3. Focus, Just Don’t Overtrain

“Overtraining can lead to wear and tear that can then result in injuries over time,” says Gulotta. “Remember that baseball players do not train to specifically gain muscle. They are training to improve their performance. Their performance improves by gaining strength, but also by gaining core stability, flexibility, explosiveness, and hand-eye coordination. Their training program takes all of these things into consideration.

The other part is that they concentrate on functional movement exercises that mimic the activities they will need to perform in a game. These exercises utilize multiple joints and muscles. This not only improves performance in the long term, but it also avoids overtraining any one body part by performing isolated strengthening exercises, such as the bench press.

4. Understand the Mechanics

“The shoulder and elbow are different joints,” explains Gulotta. “The shoulder is a ball and socket joint, whereas the elbow is a hinge joint. However, both of these joints need to be stable in order to throw a ball. For the shoulder, the main stabilizers are the labrum (a type of cartilage) and the rotator cuff. The elbow is stabilized by the way your bones of the humerus and ulna interconnect, and the ligaments.

The main stabilizing ligament of the elbow is the one on the inside of the elbow called the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). Injuries can occur as these joints start to lose stability either due to extreme efforts to throw hard, or due to wear and tear over time. That is why we see tears of the labrum and rotator cuff in the shoulder, and stress fractures and spurs of the bone and UCL tears in the elbow.”

5. Use Resistance Bands for the Long-term Win

“Resistance bands are a great way to strengthen the shoulder because they allow you to work in various positions and ranges of motion,” Gulotta explains. “For example, a great exercise for a baseball player is to work on internal rotation and external rotation strengthening with the arm in the 90/90 position overhead. That position mimics throwing a ball overhead and will help the athlete to work on strengthening and stabilizing the shoulder throughout the motion required to throw. In other words, resistance bands allow athletes to gain strength throughout functional ranges of motion.

6. Get the Balance Right

“Deconditioning (during time off) is real, and puts athletes at risk of injury as they start to ramp back up for the season,” Gulotta shares. “However, 12 months of constant intense training, especially for pitchers, can be bad too. Most athletes decrease their workload for about two months in the offseason. They will still maintain their flexibility and core strength during this time. They will also adhere to a nutrition program. This allows them to maintain their conditioning, but also allows them to recover. This relative period of rest is necessary to prevent wear and tear type injuries, and is something that should be observed at all levels, particularly in youths. About six to eight weeks before reporting to spring training, players will begin to ramp up their own training. They will begin to do more sport-specific activities such as throwing or hitting. This is all a gradual process that will continue throughout spring training. Perhaps the greatest risk for injury is a training ramp-up that is too fast.”

7. Injured? Don’t Just Pick Up Your Ball and Run Home

“There are several exercises that can be done that do not affect the injured structure,” Gulotta says. “Blood flow restriction (BFR) training (using a pneumonic cuff) is another way that athletes can maintain some strength while they are recovering from an injury. However, a medical professional should be consulted to devise a safe training strategy when overcoming an injury.”

How to Stay Ready This Spring

With some final thoughts on staying in the game this spring, Gulotta summarizes the lessons we can all learn from how baseball players train:

• Take time to rest in the offseason so that your body can recover
• Engage in a warmup that activates the muscles that you will be used during a workout or game
• Work on flexibility, but also work on strength throughout various ranges of motion to ensure that the joint can be stabilized in all positions. This will allow you to “own that range of motion”
• Resistance bands are a great way to perform functional strengthening that mimics the actions necessary to play a specific sport. They also allow you to strengthen in various positions.
• Stay hydrated. It is the most important nutritional “hack” that can help prevent injuries.

See you on the field!

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Endurance sports call for endurance foods, quick energy; especially when racking up the miles. From long-distance cycling to competing in an Ironman, one racing commonality is finding a reliable source to keep their bodies fueled. Some athletes carry packets of honey, and others scarf down sugar-filled gel packets to provide a quick boost in energy.

However, not all endurance supplements are created equal, at least according to Adam Melonas, chef, multi-podium Ironman winner, and founder and CEO of the Boston-based food innovation lab Chew. While training for an Ironman, Melonas noticed a disturbing trend in the sports nutrition marketplace, one he says forces athletes to consume artificial ingredients that oftentimes compromises their larger food values and dietary restrictions.

This discovery led Melonas down the path of creating a cutting-edge, endurance supplement line, and endurance foods (made with real ingredients) designed to support the health and performance of endurance athletes of all levels, around the world.

Lessons Learned During Endurance Training

Melonas, a casual cycler of 20 years, during the COVID-19 pandemic decided to take his fitness up a notch by training for an Ironman. From there, he hired a coach and elevated his training to around 20 hours a week.

During this time, he learned many lessons, both about life and about the endurance supplements that flooded the market.

“Racing has provided me with some of the sharpest and most meaningful lessons,” says Melonas. “The first of which is the idea of “One foot in front of the other.”

When you are in your darkest moments, “Those moments when you have to reach into the furthermost reaches of your soul to try and find a reason to keep on going, the solution is right there in front of you: By placing one foot in front of the other, you will eventually make it to the finish line,” Melonas says. With that, the same lesson was applied to creating Fastfood, one foot in front of the other until Melonas and his team succeeded in bringing to life what he feels is missing in the endurance supplement world.

Is Fastfood the Solution to Endurance Foods?

As a longtime food industry veteran, owning restaurants in London, Shanghai, Dubai (two restaurants), and Madrid, Melonas says he knows a lot—perhaps too much—about what goes into food and how it affects your body and overall health. “I decided to start working my way through the flooded market of sports nutrition, only to be left super irritated that they were mostly all filled with artificial ingredients, failed performance, and broken promises,” he says.

From there he tasked his innovation team with the challenge of creating the highest-performance sports fuel they could create, which had to be made with all real food.

So how is Fastfood the solution to endurance foods? “We are building Fastfood on the simple premise of “science fact, not science-fiction,” says Melonas. “We have created a blend of carbohydrates that metabolically makes the most sense for both fast-acting fuels, as well as longer-acting fuel that reduces the spike and crash cycle typically experienced with sports fuels.”

The testing started first with himself and then the extended Fastfood/Chew team, and then over the last 12 to 18 months the Chew and Fastfood team have been testing and co-creating with some of the top athletes in the world. “We have heard from others and feel ourselves the massive difference when we fuel with Fastfood products and when we fuel with others,” says Melonas.

Saying Goodbye to Artificial Ingredients

At Chew, the team has created more than 4,500 consumer products that eliminate all artificial ingredients, but beyond what they eliminate, “We work hard to pack them full of the most nutritious value we can,” Melonas explains. With Fastfood, the rules were the same, but in this case, Melonas explains it was an unwavering obsession towards the highest possible performance, and the “by the way” is that it is made of all real food.

“Right now, athletes are faced with a choice between a fuel that powers your efforts, and maintaining robust food values,” he says. “Many of the leading products contain ingredients that require sacrifice, and the ‘natural’ products require you to sacrifice performance.”

And what athletes everywhere need is real food, real ingredients to help fuel them to be the best they can be.

The End Goal?

Although Melonas and his team have started in performance fuels to be used when you are exerting yourself, for the last six months they have also been piloting real whole foods that you consume in every other part of your life, “As we believe races and competitions are not only won or lost by how you fuel while performing, but the bulk of the impact, both positive and negative, is created by those hundreds of other choices you make day to day,” he says. So, all-in-all, their mission is to create a platform for helping people live more vibrant and energetic lives where they can be the best versions of themselves, increasing health-span, in a delicious and frictionless way!

Cardio machines like the treadmill, rowing, elliptical and stationary cycling are convenient and practical tools to enhance cardiovascular strength and endurance. You set the duration and intensity, and off you go. But they are not the only machines to get your heart rate up and work up a sweat. You are an effective cardiovascular machine. Bodyweight cardio is a fantastic alternative to traditional machine-based cardio when you don’t have access to a gym or are looking for new methods to improve your cardio.

Here we’ll get into the benefits of bodyweight cardio training and five bodyweight cardio exercises to get you sweating and smiling.

Why smiling? Because bodyweight training can be fun, maybe.

3 Benefits Of Bodyweight Cardio

One vital benefit overlooked in a rush to get to the rowing machine is that bodyweight cardio training will simultaneously improve cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength. You’ll improve your relative strength, which is what you can lift in compassion to your body weight. Here are a few other significant benefits of including bodyweight cardio in your routine.

• Better Recovery Between Strength Training Workouts: When you improve your aerobic system, you improve the body’s effectiveness of clearing away the waste products of exercise for enhanced recovery. Plus, the extra blood flow to your muscles helps heal the damage caused by resistance training.
• Reduced Heart Disease Risk: Regular cardio reduces heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol by lowering LDL (bad cholesterol) and increasing HDL (good cholesterol).
• Increased Work Capacity: Improving your cardiovascular system through regular cardio boosts your aerobic system as it becomes more efficient. It improves your ability to do more work in the gym or the sporting field because of the improved efficiency of your cardio-respiratory system.

Programming Suggestions

The two main types of cardio are high-intensity and steady-state cardio. There are a few subtypes, but let’s stick to these. HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) is short, sweet, intense, and steady state is longer and less intense HIIT is thought to be better for fat loss than steady-state training, but both have been proven equally effective. With both being good for health and fat loss, choose on time and preference.

For steady state training, use the five exercises above for 30 seconds of work and 30 seconds of rest for one or two 10-minute blocks. Four rounds should have you feeling the burn.

For HIIT purposes, pick one exercise above and use the following work rest periods and repeat for six to eight rounds. Or you could pick three exercises below and choose the time and the reps and keep the reps the same as the time.

An example would be 10 minutes (and as many rounds as possible) of:

1A. High Knee Skips 10 reps on both sides.

1B. Bear Crawl 10 steps forwards and backward.

1C. Ice skaters 10 reps on both sides.

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5 Bodyweight Cardio Exercises

Nowadays you don’t have to visit a CrossFit gym to see battle rope exercises in use. What used to be reserved for specific fitness niches and professional athletes is now utilized in home gyms, outdoor workouts, and boot camps.

The simplicity of battle rope exercises are what makes them a popular choice for overall body conditioning; all you need is two ropes and you’ll be shedding fat, building lung power, and gaining strength and stamina.

This head-to-toe training method is perfect for people of all fitness levels and ages. “The battle ropes are even great to use for senior citizens, and they can be performed seated in a chair until enough strength is built to over time support yourself,” explains Athena Sprouse, certified personal trainer, and stretch therapist.

So, whether you’re an avid athlete, just starting out, or simply want to add conditioning training to your lifting routine, the battle ropes are a fantastic tool to boost your fitness level.

If you’ve never battled ropes, or are wondering how to include them into your routine, Sprouce lays the foundation to help you battle your way to a stronger body!

A Brief History of Battle Ropes

Battle ropes made their first appearance in 2006 when John Brookfield, a multiple world record holder in strength and fitness, holding records in nail bending, card tearing, and pulling semi-trucks for the distance of one full mile, developed the system around his backyard.

And as impressive as that is, so are the benefits of battling ropes. This low impact, high intensity training method not only increases grip strength but come with a host of benefits for the body.

“There are numerous benefits of using battle ropes including fat burning, building muscle, full body strength training, endurance training, coordination, and stability,” says Sprouce. And the great thing is, you can use them in the comfort of your own home gym, garage, yard, and gym.

The Basics of Battle Rope Exercises

When beginning battle rope training, it is good to start with the basics. “The first important focus should be to maintain a good, strong posture,” says Sprouse. This will help avoid injury and provide a solid range of motion.

Proper posture should look like this: “Maintaining a neutral spine position and holding a tight core at all times through the exercise, while making sure you’re breathing,” says Sprouse.

If you’re one to hold your breath during reps, keep breathing at the forefront of your mind when battling ropes.

And although it may be tempting to just start slamming your heart out, it’s best to start slow and maintain a steady pace. When first starting out, Sprouse recommends starting with intervals of 30 seconds while maintaining a steady pace. Over time, increase your time and pace to continue your progress.

Battle Rope Beginner Tips

For battle rope beginners, Sprouce recommends incorporating it into your workout at least one to two times per week. “Start with alternating single arm slams at the end of your workout as a great finisher, then add variation exercises (jumping jacks, double arm slams) by week two to further challenge yourself,” she says

Over time, increase your intensity and the time you spend on your workouts to about three times per week to continue progression. “There are no set rules for how often they should be performed,” says Sprouse. However, a great rule of thumb is about three alternate days per week as this allows for recovery after such an intense workout.

When to Stay Off the Ropes

Although people of all ages and fitness levels can benefit from battling ropes, there are some contraindications. “Battle ropes are not recommended for anyone with compromising shoulder or back injuries,” says Sprouse. Consulting your doctor or physical therapist before hitting the ropes to prevent further injuries.

“Limiting motion at the trunk and maintaining a correct posture in any exercise is key to injury prevention,” she says. Placing a reminder that proper form is important to any and every exercise.

Final Thoughts:

• Battling ropes increases strength, stamina, lung power, and stability and burns fat.
• Battle ropes are for all fitness levels and ages (you can use a chair if you need to build more body strength).
• Battling ropes fits into all styles of training routines from bodybuilding to running.
• Start slow and hold good posture when starting out.
• If you solely lift weights, ropes will help you gain better overall conditioning and break through plateaus.
• Use controlled breathing, do not hold your breath during battle rope exercises and practice good posture.

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Ken Rideout is living life as the best version of himself. After struggling with an opioid addiction, the “hobby jogger” from Boston began training with a purpose in 2010, and he hasn’t looked back since.  

Running has brought the 51-year-old a wealth of medals in as far-flung places as Tokyo, where he came first with a time of just under 2½ hours in the 50-54 category. In fact, in a 17-month period, Rideout competed in London, New York, Boston, Berlin, Chicago, and the aforementioned Tokyo without ever placing less than second place.  

M&F sat down with Ken Rideout  to find out what motivates him to cross the marathon finish line. 

“I originally got into endurance sports as a way to deal with an opioid addiction,” shares Rideout, who turned to drugs as an escape from an anxiety ridden career in finance.  

For him, the addiction was more about escaping his feelings rather than partying, and it took his participation in a rehabilitation program to finally make him understand that he was trying to fill a void in a very self-sabotaging way. In contrast, running became a great way for Rideout to let off some steam in a more constructive manner and feels that it has become a newer, more positive addiction to embrace.

In training for an Ironman competition as part of his desire to get healthier, Rideout realized that he had huge potential as a runner. Then, right before he turned 50, that potential started to become an undeniable reality.  

“I won the Myrtle Beach Marathon (finish time 2:30) the day before I turned 50,” he says. “I was happy to win but thought I could have run faster. What I’ve come to realize over the past several years is that the victory is great, but the process is the ultimate reward. I didn’t start running with a goal of winning races. I started running with a goal of being healthy, both mentally and physically.” 

Ken Rideout Controls the Variables for Consistently Great Runs

Still, there’s a difference between training for a local marathon, as opposed to travelling internationally for one, like the London Marathon for example, where he came second but completed with a time that was one minute faster than his first place Boston Marathon effort.  

“I like to get to international races at least a week prior to the race, to get my circadian rhythm aligned with local time at race,” says Rideout. “I’ll also try to control as many variables as possible such as diet, training and sleep. At the same time, I try to mimic the routine that I maintain when training at home.”  

In terms of training, Rideout isn’t your typical runner. He has a blocky, muscular build from years of lifting weights, but he feels with some justification that strength training has helped him to become faster. “I train with weights three to four days per week, usually in the evening” he shares.

He adds: “I run first thing in the morning. My typical exercise routine includes pullups, bench press; incline and flat, barbell and dumbbells, always varying the routine slightly. I do situps, lots of kettlebell exercises, as well as variations of squat exercises for my legs. I think the strength work I’ve done has helped my body to stay strong late in marathons where most people start to break down and it has also helped me to absorb and recover from the miles that I’ve put in with running.”  

Rideout believes that everyone should be working out in order to receive longevity. “I think you should take care of your physical and mental health like your life depends on it, because it does,” he says. “To me, that everyone should be doing some form of cardio and resistance training. I don’t know that my training program is right for everybody, but it works for me.” 

Rideout says that he is feeling great. Around five years ago he was involved in a bike crash that required surgery on his hip, and he’s also had shoulder surgery as a result of falling in the snow, but he says that aside from the usual aches and pains that most runners can relate to, he has no intention of slowing down. “There’s something rewarding about experiencing some soreness,” he says. “It makes me feel alive and reminds me that I’m competing in life, not just participating. There’s a big difference between competing and participating.” And, when Rideout does suffer from muscle spasms or tight hamstrings, the gold medalist says that simple recovery methods like stretching, heat, ice, and the percussion massage gun work wonders. 

Ken Rideout Uses the Right Supplements and Footwear to Get to the Finish Line

When it comes to footwear, Rideout wouldn’t be without his Reebok Floatride Energy X running shoes. “The Floatrides provide the perfect balance of cushioning, support and more importantly, responsiveness,” he says. “The cushioning and support really help to keep me healthy when I’m logging 100-mile weeks, and the responsiveness is great when I’m doing speed or tempo work.”

As for supplements, Rideout takes a protein and carbohydrate shake post run, every day, for recovery. He also drinks Athletic Greens and creatine. “I also take a daily multi-vitamin and fish oil,” he says. For support with sleeping, Rideout likes to take a Sleep Pak containing magnesium and theanine. He also likes to consume some beef bone broth daily. “Obviously, I think everybody should exercise on a regular basis, but particularly recovering addicts,” he shares. “Training and physical activity can serve as a great distraction from drugs. Physical activity can also become a source of pride. One thing most addict’s experience is a massive sense of shame and self-loathing and getting fit can help restore self-confidence.”  

So, whether you are dealing with your own personal issues, or just need an inspiration like Rideout to help you lace-up those sneakers, the marathon champ has a final word for you: “Get busy living, or get busy dying! You don’t have to run marathons, but you should absolutely be doing some form of cardio and resistance training on a regular basis.” Got it? We’ll race you to the gym! 

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When Natalia Abraham Coelho burst onto the Women’s Physique scene, many expected her to eventually win the Women’s Physique Olympia title. However, several years went by and she had yet to claim the title. She would come close but fall short to rivals such as Shanique Grant and Sarah Villegas, both of whom won two titles each. Then, the conversation shifted to Coelho perhaps being one of the “best to never win the big one.”

Coelho finally reached the summit of her division by winning the title of Ms. Physique Olympia at the 2022 Olympia Weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada. The champion was the guest on a recent episode of Femme Flex Friday to share what being the champion means to her. She credits all those years of competing with helping her reach this point.

“They say the more you practice, the better you become. So, the only way to practice as an athlete in bodybuilding is to actually compete.”

Coelho started competing in the Figure division but found her home in Women’s Physique. She competed in her first Olympia in 2016 at the age of 19. Her stock steadily rose thanks to a growing fan base that got louder each time she competed. Even though she officially became the world champion in 2022, she’s one of the most popular athletes in the IFBB Pro League across all divisions. That’s because she carried herself as an ambassador and champion throughout her career.

“It’s my job to bring the division to a whole new level,” said Coelho proudly. “Even after the show at the Superstar Seminar, I was thinking that this is going to go to a new level. The new generation needs us.”

Coelho will have a new role in the 2023 Olympia. Instead of the hunter, now she will be the hunted as the defending champion. We’ll see if she can repeat in Orlando, Florida this fall. Coelho also discusses her career as a whole, getting feedback from the judges, and more. Watch the full episode over at the Olympia TV YouTube channel, and subscribe so you see new episodes of Femme Flex Friday every week.

Workout consistency often feels unattainable in our busy lives. For many people faced with handling multiple family and professional responsibilities, it oftentimes feels easier to believe we can’t find the time instead of working to make the time to get in a good sweat. Some of us would rather lean on a whole bunch of justifications and rationalizations, which in reality are just polite code words for excuses. At the same time, they place their fitness goals—and the time needed to achieve these goals—at the bottom of the priority scale and instead accept the increased risk of long-term health issues.

Skipping out on your workouts should not be an option, even if you believe you have no time to train,

All it takes to get your fitness priorities in order is address some minor bottlenecks, then shift a few beliefs and attitudes that aren’t serving us in any beneficial way. You might find one or more solutions to your complacency among these five surprising reasons why you’re struggling with workout consistency. These reasons also provide convenient excuses not to even try, so let’s shatter them and get you on your way to a healthier more active lifestyle by improving your workout consistency.

1) You Always Put Yourself Last

“But I don’t have time for myself, I have to take care of my kids, parents, etc.” Sounds familiar? It’s a common societal expectation and gender norm for mothers to place the needs of their children ahead of themselves. But does this mean you need to put yourself last or can’t engage in healthier behaviors? If anything, when you prioritize your own health and wellness, you have more physical and emotional stamina to care for others.

The same holds true for people with aging parents who require significant attention and support. Though it risks lacking empathy to just say “make the time for yourself,” we aren’t superhuman and can’t sustain this pace with zero self care.

The Solution 

Make a pact to defy convention and place yourself first, or at least not last. By setting boundaries around personal time for workouts, you not only improve your workout consistency and your chances of long-term positive health outcomes, you build more stamina to care of people in your life. Taking the time for yourself may be an essential reprieve to emotionally endure caregiving for an ailing relative without resentment for the task or loved one.

If people in your life rely on you for their care and well being, what happens if you break down? What if there’s no one else willing or able to carry the burden? An investment in your own self care and health is an investment in your long term durability as a caregiver. It could be flipped to suggest that you have a duty to sustain your energy and ability by making time for your own fitness and wellbeing goals.

When cooking for children or other family members, parents often relegate themselves to unhealthy and convenient foods. This is outright illogical with an easy solution. Cook enough of the healthier options for everyone, including yourself. It rarely involves more time or effort to cook in larger batches.

Also challenge the idea that parenting and caregiving provide convenient reasons to avoid effort with your own health. It’s an easy way to deflect the emotional discomfort of not caring for yourself. You have a built in noble cause.

Sometimes you need to give yourself permission to care about you, dispense with the guilt for not directing 100% of your time and effort into family, and worry more about your own wellbeing than how others may perceive your choices.

2) The Skills Learned in Your Teens and 20s Are Now Failing You

“If only I had the time to work out and eat healthy.”

You’re confident you know how to get in shape. You did this during your teenage years and had it carry over into your 20s. Marathon strength training sessions and several hours a week of sports and running kept you in shape years ago. But years passed and careers, kids, and life piled on as did the pounds and you no longer have time to workout and your workout consistency needs a jump start. The skills you developed are now working against you. A recent study published in the journal “Science” debunked the notion that our metabolism slows down in any meaningful way until we reach 60. Instead our lifestyle changes as we age, leading to pounds gained and muscle lost.

Even though you may be determined to start again, once you “have more time,” life has a funny way of always keeping you busy. The demands of an advancing career erode more of your time. There’s no time with newborn children, but surely as they get older you’ll get more of that time back. But piano lessons, dance recitals, and sports practices dominate evenings and weekends. The new promotion requires more time at the office. The time needed to hit the gym must wait. Meanwhile, years pass and the hole deepens.

The Solution 

Getting in shape and feeling healthy doesn’t require the brute force time and effort you once had room for.

Discard the old beliefs that aren’t serving you anymore, and move on from the all-or-nothing mentality. Effort adds up no matter how you break it up across the week. A decent 30-minute strength session today will beat a  useless promises of a longer, stronger workout “tomorrow” 10 out of 10 times.

And there are many easy ways to regularly include shorter workouts into your daily schedule, no matter how busy you are. Turn your lunch break into a workout. Find a gym on your commute home that lets you build in a workout while allowing rush-hour traffic to dissipate, creating a little extra time in your day. If the idea of going to a gym doesn’t sit well, invest in a basic home gym. A pair of adjustable dumbbells usually costs less than a yearly gym membership.

Feeling pressure to give up favorite leisure activities to fit workouts? Invest in a treadmill or spin bike and watch your favorite show while doing cardio. Invite friends to go for walks to not only be more active, but to create more social time you may feel you’re missing out on. Find other creative ways to stack healthy habits with routine chores. Listen to audiobooks or podcasts while cooking, driving, or changing the cat litter. Maybe it’s time to try a bike commute to the office if weather and distance are feasible.

A little planning combined with grabbing short windows of opportunity adds up greatly across your week. As your energy improves, so will your ability to be more active, and before you know it going back to  your old sedentary lifestyle will be a thing of the past.

3) You Always Reset on Monday

You intend to start each week with strict nutrition and daily workouts. As the weekend approaches and mental energy wanes, a “bad” meal or missed workout cascades into a free-for-all. You swear you’ll restart on Monday. These unrealistic expectations set you up to fail at the slightest hint of imperfection. Admit that you’re also giving yourself permission to fall off track hard each week. The intent to restart on Monday alleviates the guilt from the weekend free for all.

The Solution 

When you accept that you’re granting permission to fall off track, you regain power over the situation. It’s not about fault or blame, it’s about restoring a sense of control and ownership.

Focus on the very next choice, instead of pushing the choice off until Monday. If you go for beers with friends and get into burgers and wings on a Friday night, enjoy it. Plan it as something to enjoy guilt free later in the week. Not only will this help adherence to a plan across the week, it helps set boundaries around the indulgences so they don’t derail the entire weekend.

If we learn to enjoy ourselves without shame, we don’t fall off track as easily. Know that Friday evening is social time, plan on having a big glass of water before bed instead of “street dogs or pizza.” Manage the hangover and plan to enjoy a healthy breakfast Saturday morning. Don’t focus on the mountain, focus on the next step in front of you, execute on it, then keep executing on the next choice in front of you.

Many of these situations are routine and easily anticipated. Knowing how each weekend plays out, it’s easy to prepare in advance. Pre-decide on the number of drinks you’ll have. Pre-choose a healthy snack at home instead of directing your cabbie to swing through fast food drive through. Going in with intention makes better choices easier in the moment.

As you lessen the frequency, severity, and duration of “binge” episodes and missed workouts, you diminish the impact of your off track behaviour, and compound your wins for better progress.

4) The People Around You Sabotage You

Decision fatigue and limited willpower make healthy choices enough of a battle. It’s harder when the people around you sabotage you. This sabotage isn’t always deliberate or conscious, but it’s no less damaging.

People often feel insecure about their appearance and their choices. They feel guilt and shame for their own perceived lack of effort with healthy nutrition and physical activity. When someone around them starts dieting and exercising, it can trigger these feelings. It’s human nature to want to make these unpleasant feelings go way. This means making the shame trigger stop by running interference.

Your new effort to eat healthy and exercise is met with more frequent office donuts, baked treats, and pizza. Not all of this ill intended. People can and should enjoy treats within reason. But when they come with extra pressure to “live a little”, recognize the attempt to make the shameful reminder to go away. Train yourself to recognize this sabotage.

Often the sabotage is within household. An unsupportive partner can be difficult to navigate. A partner may already feel insecure about their appearance when their counterpart starts to make effort to improve theirs. Now the partner feels threatened and motivated to interfere with your effort to change.

I’ve coached clients with unsupportive partners. And I’ve coached clients whose partners  blatantly ran interference. One client’s spouse always made sure he was busy with last-minute errands when he was supposed to train. Another made sure there was always extra chips and pop in the house. Sometimes providing easy access to treats is born of love and kindness, wanting not to deny their loved one or proactively provide little kindnesses and comforts. Sometimes it’s a dangerous violation of boundaries. A man was once criminally charged for going as far as to secretly grind up steroids into his wife’s food and drink to keep her home—she began to grow hair on her face and back.  

The Solution 

Dealing with unsupportive coworkers and partners is difficult and requires tough conversations and hard work to create boundaries. It means finding ways to leave partners feeling secure and getting them on board to support your efforts to improve your health. It also means taking responsibility for your own choices and health, and not allowing the people around you to derail your efforts. Sometimes it means the difficult choice to remove problem relationships from your life.

It’s also worth recognizing that not everyone will interfere with your efforts. Your healthy choices will inspire some of the people around you. It may motivate positive change. Recognize and support the people who want to change, spend more time with them, and leverage this support to fuel your own effort.

Be forgiving when you aren’t perfect. Willpower isn’t infinite and you will deviate from your best intentions. Go in knowing it isn’t the end of the world if you enjoy freshly baked muffins at the office. Give yourself permission to be imperfect, while making the next decision a good one.

5) Your Identity Isn’t Aligned with Your Goals

For our purposes, willpower is a limited resource. Work and life stress depletes this pool of willpower, often leaving little to fend off evening snacking or the desire to drive straight home instead of to the gym.

Have you ever noticed it’s easier to choose behaviors that are part of your core identity? Perhaps you’re a parent and automatically execute on parenting activities, even when exhausted. Perhaps you’re a member of a faith based community, volunteer organization, or sport. Notice how many of the aligned behavious are your default settings. We more easily and automatically act in line with our identity.

The Solution

Align your identity with your desired choices and outcomes. Puzzled by people who wake up early, hit the gym before work, or run in all manner of disagreeable weather? It’s their default setting. It’s fundamental to who they are. Maybe you’ll never be this fanatical, but the answer lies within building or reconnecting with the identity of a person who’s active and eats healthy.

Maybe you were active in the past. Maybe you played sports. Maybe you enjoyed the gym but life got busy. Get in touch with that former identity and make it part of you again. Maybe you’re trying to start. Focus on an aspirational identity. Envision your future self who’s consistently working out and making healthier lifestyle choices. Build an image in your mind of the person you want to become, or picture someone you admire who embodies the lifestyle behaviours you aspire to. Keep showing up and making choices the way you imagine this person would.

No amount of short0-term intensity will change your long term health outcomes. Ever wonder why there are no reunion episodes of “The Biggest Loser”? Almost all the participants regained the weight(and more). Identify the obstacles to your desired outcome. Discard the attitudes that don’t serve your goals. Make yourself a priority. Stop giving yourself permission to quit. Build up your workout consistency and identity of a healthy more active person.

Life

10 Lifestyle Changes You Should Make Right Now

Follow these tips to get back on the fitness wagon.

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Most of us who’ve tried the regular hard-style single kettlebell swing is a great, low-impact, high-intensity exercise that improves grip strength and power and helps make your glutes pop. But to double the fun and the difficulty level of the movement, the double kettlebell swing provide a unique challenge.

Double-arm swings with one kettlebell are a fundamental movement that forms the basis of many other KB exercises and are arguably one of the most important kettlebell exercises anyone can do. But there is one way to double this swing fun—yes, the double kettlebell swing.

With the double kettlebell swing, you’ll lift more weight, leading to higher-intensity cardiovascular training and increased grip strength, and you’ll reduce any strength imbalances between sides. Here we’ll go into everything double kettlebell swing for you to get the best out of this great strength and conditioning exercise.

Ready to get your swing on? Then let’s go.

What is the Double Kettlebell Swing?

A simple explanation is that the double kettlebell swing is a swing with two kettlebells, which is similar to the regular kettlebell but with minor changes. First, your stance is wider to swing kettlebells between your legs pain-free because the alternative is unpleasant. Think sumo squat stance with your toes pointed forward. Second, to swing the two kettlebells between your legs without taking anything out, you grip them with a neutral grip.

Some may prefer the overhand grip, but you must get wider in your stance. IMO, this is a matter of personal preference. But if you have never performed the double kettlebell swing, start with a neutral grip.

How To Do A Double Kettlebell Swing

1. Stand with a wider-than-shoulder-width stance with two kettlebells in front of your feet. Ensure to stand wide enough for the two kettlebells to swing through.
2. Hinge and reach forward to grip each kettlebell with your wrists in neutral and palms facing each other.
3. Get your chest up and shoulders down by squeezing your armpits together to engage your upper back and to ensure a neutral spine.
4. Then, use your forearms to cushion against your groin muscles as you hike the kettlebells behind you.
5. Then, snap your hips forward, using momentum to swing the kettlebells near chest height.
6. Your finishing position needs to look like an upright front plank. Perform in a continuous loop for desired reps.

Muscles Trained

The double kettlebell swing is predominantly a lower-body movement, but to make this happen with good form, a few upper-body muscles are involved too. Here are the primary muscles trained by the double kettlebell swing.

Lower Body

• Glutes: All three of the glute muscles work to provide a powerful hip extension
• Hamstrings: Eccentrically contract during the loading phase and assist the glutes with hip extension.
• Lower Back: The erector spinae isometrically contracts to keep the lower back neutral in all swing phases.

Upper Body

• Upper Back: Keeping your shoulder down and back trains the rhomboids, traps, and lats.
• Forearms & Wrists: If you cannot grip it for an extended time, then you cannot rip it.
• Triceps: Contract isometrically to keep the elbows extended during the set.
• Heart & Lungs: Although technically not a muscle, this exercise will have you sucking in serious amounts of oxygen.

Double Kettlebell Swing Benefits

Double kettlebell swings are extremely brutal and will have you swearing and sweating profusely. But as hard as they are, double kettlebell swings have many benefits, which are listed below.

• More Weight = More Strength: You will have less weight in each hand than the regular kettlebell swings; you will most likely swing more weight. For example, if you swing a 35-pound kettlebell, you can swing 26 pounds in each hand for a total of 52, a 17-pound increase.
• Improved Conditioning: Using more loads may increase your cardiovascular conditioning and fat loss potential. A small 2021 study showed that using heavier loads during your double kettlebell swing workout will increase your heart rate and improve your conditioning.
• More Muscle: Swinging heavier weights will make the glutes work harder to extend the hip and give you more potential for the baby got back look.
• Increased Grip Strength & Reduced Strength Imbalances: Because your arms are working separately, double kettlebell swings will help increase your grip strength. By using each hand throughout the swing, without each hand having to grip the same kettlebell, your grip strength in each hand will improve.
• Improved Mental Toughness: Double kettlebell swings are brutal, no doubt. They are tough on your lungs, grip, glutes, and hamstrings. When performing this exercise, you’ll have an internal dialogue, like, ‘This is hard; you can quit anytime. But every time you conquer those thoughts, you’ll improve your mental toughness and physical capacity to do stuff.

Double Kettlebell Swing Technique

Let’s assume you know how to swing one kettlebell with two hands with good form because that is a whole other article that has been done a fair bit.

If you’re beginning your swing journey, master this swing before moving on to the double kettlebell swing. A good hip hinge (not a squatty hinge), finishing with your glutes and not the lower back, and using your hips and not your shoulder to raise the kettlebell all apply here. Double kettlebell swings require a few adjustments to perform with good form.

• Perfect Your Stance: Remember the Goldilocks principle? Not too cold, not too hot, but just right. It’s the same with your stance. Narrow, well, that could be embarrassing, and too wide means the knees may collapse inward. Adjust your stance and perform a few practice swings.
• Tension, Tension, And More Tension: You need plenty of upper back tension to keep a neutral spine while hinging with power and intent. With the double kettlebell swing, each kettlebell swings separately. Keeping upper back tension is crucial to keep a good swing path and avoid the kettlebells crashing into one other (or other body parts). Squeeze your armpits together like your groin depends on it because it does.
• Don’t Worry About Height: The American swing aside, you shouldn’t worry about the height at the end of the swing. If you are doing everything right, the height at the end of the rep will take care of itself. But you’re using more weight with the double kettlebell swing, so you might not get as high as the single kettlebell swing. Trying to get higher means using the shoulders and losing the lower back position, and you don’t want either.

Programming Suggestions

Use double kettlebell swings like you would the regular kettlebell swing.

It can be programmed for power to prime you to lift heavy. For instance, performing a couple of sets of 8 reps after your warm-up with prime you for the heavy deadlifts in your program. Or you can program it in the strength part of your program as an accessory exercise. Pairing it with an exercise that doesn’t require much grip strength is best. For example

1A. Double Kettlebell Swings: 12-15 reps

1B. Unilateral Floor Press: 8-15 reps per side

If you are game, double kettlebell swings can be used as a finisher at the end of your training or as a standalone workout between strength days to improve your conditioning. Here are a few examples.

Instructions: The kettlebells stay in your hands until you have finished the tri-set. Rest two minutes between the tri-set and repeat for two to five rounds.

Swing, Clean, Snatch

1A. Double-arm Kettlebell Swing: 6-12 reps

1B. Double Kettlebell Clean: 6-12 reps

1C. Double Kettlebell snatch: 6-12 reps

Swing, Snatch, Carry

1A. Double kettlebell swing: 6-12 reps

1B. Double kettlebell snatch: 6-12 reps

1C. Double Overhead Kettlebell Carry: 20-40 yards

Swing, Squat, Press

1A. Double Kettlebell Swing: 6-12 reps

1B. Double Kettlebell Front Squat: 6-12 reps

1C. Alternating Overhead Press: 6-12 reps both sides

Workout Routines

15-Minute Kettlebell Hell Workout

Make this kettlebell complex a part of your routine for an intense finish to any workout.

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Double KettleBell Swing Variations

Once you feel you have the double kettlebell swings down and want to challenge yourself further, take these variations out for a swing.

On a previous episode of Prime Time Muscle, co-host Chris Cormier had to apologize to Fitness Olympia champion Missy Truscott for predicting she would lose. On this week’s episode, it would be Terrick El Guindy’s turn to face the music. In his case, it was for lack of faith in Harold “King Kong” Kelley’s chances of winning his fifth Wheelchair Olympia title.

“You completely dominated, and my apologies to you,” El Guindy humbly said to the camera while Cormier was celebrating. With that out of the way, it was time to break down why Kelley was so dominant in Las Vegas at the 2022 Olympia.

“It was complete dominance from the beginning to the end,” said the IFBB Pro League judge. “The reality is when Harold Kelley is on point, God Bless America, that King Kong is fantastic.”

The doubt of Kelley came after he placed second at the 2022 Arnold Classic to Gabriele Andruilli. However, the hosts analyzed that Kelley was in better condition at the Olympia than he was in Columbus where he lost for the first time since 2014.

“He had seven or eight months to ramp up,” said co-host Tim Wilkins, who was in Las Vegas for the Olympia. El Guindy made another observation. Bodybuilding is after all, a size game too.

“The thing is he is more massive than everybody. If he gets conditioned, it’s game over.”

Kelley remains the Wheelchair division’s only Olympia champion, and he has since reclaimed the Arnold Classic Pro Wheelchair title as well – giving him six of those titles to match his five Olympia wins. Based on how Kelley has looked at his last two shows, it may be a while before he loses again if he does at all.

The co-hosts also speak about Men’s Open competitor Rafael Brandao, who finished 10^th at the 2022 Mr. Olympia. To see that analysis and future episodes of Prime Time Muscle, subscribe to the Olympia TV YouTube channel. New episodes of Season 2 will air every week during the 2023 season.

Monster Factory on AppleTV+ is not just a show about what it takes to become a pro wrestler. It’s more about facing fears, dealing with setbacks, and finding ways to overcome obstacles … and it just so happens to be set in the renowned Monster Factory wrestling school in Paulsboro, New Jersey, a small borough near Philadelphia.

Listen to Cage’s M&F Reps podcast interview here:

“It’s not a reality show; it’s not fake,” asserts Monster Factory owner and operator Danny Cage. Larry Sharpe established the brand in 1983, and Cage, a former pro wrestler turned coach, acquired it in late 2010 or early 2011.

Cage had prior experience with the Monster Factory before taking the reins. He trained there in the 1990s and had his first tryout in 1994. From 1998 to 2004, he performed in the ring before taking a break from the industry.

The series follows a group of aspiring professionals, showcasing the highs and lows of life as an indie wrestling performer. From social anxiety and stage fright to career and financial struggles, everything is laid bare. For Cage, this didn’t necessitate any alterations to his routine.

“We are an open book at the school,” he says. “We discuss everything and anything; these kids all know my financial woes. They know what’s happening with my wife, my kids, and my mental health issues. I’m a coach. I’m a teacher. I don’t want to lose a student… but if I have to lose a student for them to become a better person, and I’m the bad guy at the end, that’s fine.”

Cage’s transparency also extends to his in-ring performance philosophy.

“If I’d known everything that went into pro wrestling [when I started], I would’ve taken theater and creative writing,” he explains. “Because we’re all just theater kids, man. But, we’re also super crazy athletic.”

In addition to teaching the skills needed to perform and entertain safely with a partner, Cage emphasizes other aspects of the business for his students, such as branding, marketing, social media, production, and communication.

“You’ll hear me say two things over and over again if you ever train with me: Communication is key. And repetition breeds habit. And repetition breeds habit can go both ways. The more you do something, the more you’ll pick it up, and it’ll become second nature. The same goes for bad habits.”

Cage hopes to see his school’s graduates find success and earn money in places like WWE, AEW, or Ring of Honor.

“I tell our kids, like, ‘If you can get to WWE or AEW, go. But I’m also not holding back my feelings about certain things,'” he explains. “I think WWE and AEW are like Home Depot and Lowe’s. I want to go to the mom-and-pop shop down the corner — that’s who I want to deal with.”

Cage is unsure why his relationship with WWE, the world’s largest pro wrestling platform, turned sour.

“[WWE] had me down in 2018, right after I got fired from Ring of Honor. Within a minute, you returned my email and invited me down,” he says. “And then I haven’t been back down since. I don’t have an issue. They do.”

Regarding the series, Cage wasn’t involved in editing but found the final product to be accurate.

“Absolutely. There were only maybe two slight little changes I would’ve made, but they were minuscule. It’s almost like a microphone in a scene or a Starbucks cup in a Game of Thrones scene. Other than that, they captured everything.”

Check out the series on AppleTV+.

Listen to M&F Reps podcasts here:

Whether you’re an elite athlete reaching for that next personal record, or like most of us who are simply trying to stay a little more focused in our day jobs, there’s a good chance that you’re doing your best to achieve that, except for perhaps the most critical element—getting enough sleep.

While World Sleep Day is observed on March 17, our need for quality shut-eye is a never-ending daily affair, so M&F spoke with Louisa Nicola, who is a former triathlete and the director of Neuro Athletics, to get the skinny on shut-eye.

Nicola was involved in a serious car accident that threatened to end her sporting career all too early, but she was able to accelerate her recovery by adding brain training to her physiological rehabilitation. Since then, Nicola has helped countless athletes and individuals to leverage neuroscience as a way to reach their potential, and says that sleep is one of the most overlooked and yet vital factors for firing on all cylinders.

We took a deep dive into what this means for all of us:

What Really Is Sleep?

With our increasingly busy lifestyles, in which our brains seem to be incessantly wired into one device or another, many of us have lost track of what sleep actually is. Sure, it’s that part of the night, or day for some people, in which we have to put down tools and take a break from the various stimuli all around us, but what many of us have forgotten is that good rest is essential for functioning properly over the long term of our everyday lives.

“Sleep is a natural biological process that all mammals go through, where the brain is ‘switched off’ for a certain period of time,” says Nicola, who asserts that there is more to this than simply checking off a box. Those with a good fitness tracker may already know that sleep is generally made up of four stages, and a good night’s shut-eye should typically be divided into 20-25% for REM (Rapid Eye Movement sleep, where dreams tend to occur) and 13-20% Deep Sleep (where brain waves are at their slowest), but other than those percentages may not know the complete importance of quality sleep has on our overall health.

The Importance of Great Sleep

While all stages are essential, deep sleep brings physiological and mental benefits; releasing growth hormone and repairing muscle and bones. REM sleep is important for memory consolidation and emotional processing. It stands to reason then, that without spending enough time within these stages, we will run into difficulties. “Some of the symptoms are waking up with brain fog, for example,” says Nicola. “Or you’ve got a cloudy mind or a cloudy brain, you wake up, you just know that you’ve probably not had the best sleep. You feel irritable, you’re finding that you’ve got a short fuse, you’re finding that you’re maybe crying or you’re not having good emotional regularity.”

Nicola adds that the purpose of sleep is to make us feel energized for the day ahead, and a lack of rest will have negative impacts not just limited to mood, but also including a lack of physical recovery for the tasks at hand. Then, there are some very serious issues to contemplate. “Eventually, you’re accelerating yourself toward neurological illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease and other types of neurodegenerative diseases,” says Nicola of foregoing adequate rest.

What Can Sabotage Your Sleep?

“Light exposure, so looking at a screen before bedtime,” says Nicola. Other factors, she says, include “alcohol, food, temperature, all of these things that are not aiding in enabling us to have a quality sleep.”

The timing of caffeine is really important too. There’s a hormone that gets built up during the day called adenosine. We end up getting sleepy from it. Caffeine is an adenosine blocker and keeps us alert and awake. The problem with caffeine is not so much how much you have, but when you have it. Just like drugs, caffeine has a half-life, normally about 12 hours. So, if you’re going to be having it at 3 p.m., it’s going to keep you awake for 12 hours after that. You want to make sure you’re having caffeine before noon every day, so then you can start to wind down and get to sleep.

Other drugs that affect you are not just illicit drugs but also psychiatric drugs. An SSRI, for example; antidepressant of any type, kicks you out of REM sleep. “People drink alcohol, and they think that it’s helping them sleep, but it’s not,” Nicola says. “It’s just sedating them.”

Then there’s napping. While napping may help us to reduce our sleep deficit, it also plays havoc with our natural rhythm. “When you nap throughout the day, it takes away from your sleep pressure,” says Nicola. “So, throughout the day, you are building up adenosine. This builds up sleep pressure to the point in which you just feel tired. And that’s where the pressure takes over. But if you have a nap, you’re taking away from the sleep pressure. If you nap during the day, you’re not going to be as tired at night.”

What Is the Right Amount for Adults?

“Sleep needs to be activated for at least eight hours per night on a regular basis,” says Nicola, pointing out that this is the necessary amount of time for the brain, nervous system, immunity system, and various other processes to do their thing. She points to studies that have been conducted in which sleep deprivation has been analyzed at 5.7 hours of sleep. It showed that negative consequences occur within our genes, making them more susceptible to tumors and disease. “The sweet spot is eight hours, because that’s how long it takes for you to go through the cycles of sleep—light, deep, and REM sleep,” she says.

How to Assess Your Sleep

Nicola says that one of the simplest ways to assess your sleep performance is to simply ask yourself how you are feeling. “You should feel content in terms of; you’re not overly energetic, but you’re also not lethargic. You just feel great,” says Nicola. “Where your mind is working, your mind is clear, you’re on a path, you’re motivated. You’re excited. And you feel like, ‘OK, I can conquer the day!’”

If you want to monitor the stages of sleep on a more technical level, there are a wealth of fitness wristbands, watches, and rings that will give you a score each morning based on your performance.

How to Best Optimize Your Sleep

“So, I generally say that if you want to be a sleep champion, get in bed at 9.30 pm,” advises Nicola. “If you have trouble falling asleep, you want to work on ways to decompress your mind and get more relaxed and alleviate stress. You can do this by meditation or by journaling, getting all the bad thoughts out of your head.”

When it comes to great sleep, Nicola says that failing to plan is like planning to fail. “The very first thing should be getting on a consistent sleep plan, which is, every single day, making sure that you’re sleeping at least eight hours a day,” she says. “So, that’s a consistent effort, and a consistent approach to sleep just like brushing your teeth every day. And then it’s about, well, what time should I be going to sleep consistently (to get 8 hours)? We’ve got to take into account shift workers, doctors, people who are up all night working. But once we consistently sleeping, then it’s okay. Ask yourself ‘what time should I be asleep?’ With consistency, they’re going to be having a much better output the following day, and a much better sleep the following night. So first it is consistency and then timing of sleep.”

Of course, many of us have trouble switching off, so Nicola’s advice about winding down is vital, and she also says that to move us in the right direction, magnesium and warm baths are of great help. As we cool down, our bodies will be primed for sleep. “Taking temperature into consideration, minimizing light exposure from 8 p.m. onwards, so you can tell your brain that you’re switching off, not eating three hours prior to going to bed,” are significant in the quest for great sleep,” she says.

Hers Features

11 Tips to Get Stronger While You Sleep

Prioritize slumber for better body results in (and out of) the gym.

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We all know that salads are nutritional powerhouses. Loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, a bowl full of vegetables packs a slew of health benefits. And since nearly 90% of Americans aren’t consuming the daily recommended servings of veggies, creating the perfect salad makes it easier to get what you need from this massively important food group.

It’s not a high-flying kitchen feat to make a salad—I’d be lying if I told you otherwise. But just because it’s a fairly simple process doesn’t mean you’re knocking it out of the park. For most guys, a salad is a meal afterthought, and it often shows. Limp greens swimming in dressing goop isn’t the most appetizing.

But it’s not enough to make only a decent salad—your goal should be to make a perfect salad each and every time. Thankfully, turning a lackluster bowl of lettuce into one that’s brimming with flavor, texture, and nutrition is a whole lot easier than you think. It’s just a matter of being judicious about your ingredients and going bigger on certain items you need more of in your life. Do this and a salad can quickly go from an obligatory side dish to a superstar main.

That’s why we came up with this foolproof formula for composing the perfect salad. Read on for nine ways to put a new spin on salad.

Top 9 Tips for Making the Perfect Salad

1. Switch Up Your Leaves

Why make nutritionally lackluster iceberg or only slightly more nutritious and flavorful Romaine the base of your most important meal of the day when you can do much better? Ideally, you want to opt for options with a deeper shade of green which is a tip off they are more nutrient dense. Choices include spinach, kale, Swiss chard and arugula. Ultra-convenient baby versions of greens such as kale and spinach are less bitter tasting and require no chopping. Be generous with your serving size here. A recent review study in the journal Food Chemistry found that when people consumed more leafy greens daily their chances of dying early from causes like heart disease and cancer decreased. Looking for a little more assertive flavor and a bit of crunch? Mix in some fancier options like escarole, radicchio or frisee.

2. Turn up the Heat

Look, it’s a salad you’re making—so the obvious rule should be you’re going to need to put some more veggies in there than simply a heap of leafy greens. When people think of what a salad should be, most often it’s a pile of raw veggies, but incorporating cooked vegetables makes things way more interesting. An easy way to do that is to roast up a pile of vegetables—including carrots, sweet potato, butternut squash, beets, Brussels sprouts and parsnips—in your oven and then simply add a couple of handfuls to any salad.

As a bonus, the blast furnace of an oven brings out some of the natural sweetness in these veggies for more tasty salads. For some fire-kissed flavor, consider grilling some of your salad veggies. You can grill up a big batch of items like zucchini, bell pepper, red onion, and eggplant at once and then keep these chilled until ready to add to salads throughout the week.

3. Pack on the Protein

What is the difference between a muscle-making meal and rabbit food? Protein. Too often, salads are protein lightweights—after all, nobody should consider kale and carrots to be rich in this macro. But if you want to transform your salad into a dish that will help hone your physique, it’s important to look for protein.

Chicken is an easy and familiar option, but so too are steak, shrimp, hard-boiled eggs, and slices of roasted pork that make for a more filling and substantial dish. Protein-rich plant-based options include pan-seared tofu or tempeh. To press the easy button, no-cook protein options include canned mussels or oysters, tinned beans, or even a handful of jerky.

4. DIY Your Dressing

No respectable salad should be naked. Taking a few moments to make your own salad dressing allows you to side-step mystery ingredients found in many store-bought bottled versions. And it’s really hard not to make something that tastes better than the bottle of ranch in Aisle 5 of the supermarket. A vinaigrette, a mix of oil and an acid, comes together in a flash and can be varied almost endlessly with different oils and kinds of vinegar, as well as other flavorings including citrus juice, dried herbs, shallots, pesto, miso and Dijon mustard. Items like Greek yogurt and tahini can add a creamy element to a dressing.

Not sure where to start? Below are a few homemade dressings that will make any pile of veggies pop. Each can dress at least 4 salads.

5. Lean on Grains

As with protein, including grains in your salad will help transform it into a hearty meal with added nutritional heft. They also add texture and flavor, which is a battle won in the fight against dreary salads. Whole-grain options include quinoa, barley, farro, wheat berries, and rice varieties including brown, black or red. And don’t be afraid to try less-obvious grains, such as spelt, freekeh, and wild rice.

A large 2023 review study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming whole grains can be protective against developing heart disease and dying prematurely. Not so for refined grains. A smart move is to boil up a big batch of grains at once so you’ll have them ready to go when it’s time for a salad any day of the week. Be mindful that the grains will soak up more dressing than the vegetables, so adjust accordingly.

6. Never Overlook the Power of Herbs

Baby spinach isn’t the only leaf that belongs in a salad bowl. Just about any salad can be bettered by the addition of fresh herbs, whether that means whole mint leaves, torn basil, or chopped parsley. And, yes, you can use more than one herb—an herb-forward approach that will add layers of flavor and an extra dose of beneficial plant compounds to encourage lasting health.

7. Add a Sweet Touch

Too often, we overlook fruits when making veggie-centric salads. But they are a great way to add a sweet-tart counterbalance to the earthy elements of a salad. Everything from orange segments to blueberries to pear slices to chunks of mango can transform a salad from meh to marvelous. And don’t forget they also up the nutritional ante with a dose of micronutrients and antioxidants. You can even turn to dried fruits including sliced dates, apricots and plums, cranberries, tart cherries, and golden raisins.

8. Up the Crunch Factor

In a bowl of soft and tender ingredients, a little crunch is much appreciated but often overlooked. A handful of seeds or nuts—raw or toasted—are effortless and add an extra hit of nutrition. Also try adding crunch with roasted chickpeas, baked tortilla chips or even granola. And, yes, crunchy vegetables and fruits like jicama, radish, pomegranate seeds, carrots and bell peppers count, too.

9. Add a Special Touch

To make a perfect salad and send it into another snack bracket look to incorporate one or two extra special flavor boosters. The options are nearly endless, but can include pickles, sweet-fiery Peppadew peppers, olives, avocado, fermented veggies like sauerkraut or kimchi, crumbled soft goat cheese, capers, preserved lemon, roasted red pepper, microgreens, and chopped nori seaweed. Now you are a salad pro.

So to summarize: Raw and cooked veggies + more protein + great grains + a better dressing + killer add-ins = The Perfect Salad!

Healthy Eating

12 Foods You Should Always Put On Your Grocery Lis...

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Rhonda Vetere is a woman to watch if you’re looking to level up your fitness and smash goals. Her life as a global tech leader and high-endurance, corporate athlete inspires and changes lives all around the globe.

She’s a Global C-Suite executive, world renowned STEM activist, high-endurance athlete. She’s also author of Grit & Grind. the ultimate guide for “living an extraordinary life.” Not to mention, Vetere was named one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology by the National Diversity Council in 2019 and 2020, and one of the Most Influential Businesswoman in Technology.

Well-known as an internationally highly-respected endurance athlete, Vetere has completed 92 races including multiple Ironman 70.3s, and was crowned an Ironman Bronze All-World Athlete as a result of her performance in the top ten percent of her age group in both the 2018 and 2019 race seasons.

If you don’t know what an Ironman entails, just know it’s not an activity you can master in your spare time over the weekend. It is a grueling single-day race covering a total of 70.3 miles, combining a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bicycle ride, and a marathon 13.1-mile run. So far, Vetere’s completed 14 Ironman events.

And when she’s not traveling all over the world to help teach and inspire others in technology, Vetere makes (not finds) the time to mentor Olympic athletes, Navy SEALs and others while training for multiple races. In 2022 Vetere went on and founded Aligned Alliance, and road on an eight-person team for Race Across America (RAAM), a 3,070-mile bicycle race from Oceanside, CA, to Annapolis, MD.

Next on Vetere’s Schedule

In 2023, Rhonda Vetere will participate in a handful of Ironman 70.3 events, including the St. George 70.3 Ironman. In addition, she has a 55-mile-long endurance run on the books and several marathons including her seventh year in a row partaking in the New York City Marathon.

So, how does she do it? How does she consistently and successfully balance her work life, personal life, and training for sports? Vetere explains the connection between STEM and sports and provides her top tips for staying on track.

The Connection Between Sport and STEM

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) is one of Vetere’s passions as she sees an eye-opening connection between STEM and sport. “There are positive correlations between the mindset in STEM, athletics, and the business world, ” says Vetere. “In technology, we are always pivoting, adapting, innovating, reverse engineering, correlating, problem-solving, being creative, and focused on an end goal,” she explains. Much like sports.

Vetere recognizes this relationship and practices it daily. As a top female leader in technology and global STEM advocate, Vetere is committed to using her platform through sports to show what it takes to lead day in and day out in the C-Suite, and how certain athletic skills can translate directly into those environments.

How Rhonda Vetere Conquers All

When it comes to training and preparing for races, Vetere is all business. Planning her racing event schedule out over a year in advance so she can overlay her work demands, fitness regimen, and other important life milestones in the calendar.

As soon as the marathons, Ironman 70.3s, and race schedules are released, Vetere plans her year accordingly, including her training and nutrition.. Giving 100 percent to find success in both her business and athletic pursuits, Vetere knows how to stay focused.

Here’s a close look at her dedication and how she stays on track.

We’ve all had those off days. You look at your workout routine and barbell back squats are on the menu. Normally you can’t get enough of leg day, but on this particular workout day, you’re feeling a tweak your shoulder or knee after the previous night’s pick-up basketball game; now back squats have become more daunting than usual, leaving you scrambling to find a strength move to swap with squats that will still hit all the right muscles without worsening your minor aches.

If your knee hurts, getting in the right frame of mind to squat is difficult. You’ll be thinking about it, and it may throw you off. Sometimes this can be solved with box squats, and sometimes not. But when your shoulder is sore, this makes putting a barbell on your back difficult. Your shoulder needs some external rotation and mobility to put a barbell there.

And if any of those is lacking, getting a barbell comfortably on your back will be a problem. Yes, you can fight through it if you wish, but why when there are squat swap outs that allow you to go hard and heavy without pain? Instead of training in pain (of course if it’s an injury, get it checked out with a physician), work around it  with these four squat swap outs and live to squat another day again.

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These four exercises will train the squat movement hard and heavily without discomforting your shoulders, knees, or lower back.

Many people in sports, business, and the military have served in leadership roles. When looking at these leaders, the ones that have the most respect, admiration, and loyalty are those that don’t only use their words. They lead with their actions.

Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Philson Tavernier of the United States Army works to be a leader that is followed and revered for his actions and example instead of only by issuing orders. He wants to be recognized as a leader not only when you hear him, but even when you see him. He works to look the part. This commitment is one he renews every day.

“This is one of my most important philosophies,” Tavernier said. “I think credibility goes a long way.”

Tavernier was explaining this point about fitness in particular, but it could be applied in all aspects of his life. The husband and father sees himself as a leader in both his career and while raising his daughter.

“I think it’s important that we have credibility and that we model the behavior we expect of those we’re educating.”

Tavernier was born and spent much of his childhood in the Caribbean on a small island called Dominica before moving to New York City as a teenager. He admitted that he didn’t have the leadership qualities that he takes pride in now.

“I found myself getting into a lot of trouble, following the wrong crowds, and doing things I shouldn’t have been doing,” Tavernier recalled. “I found myself on the wrong side with law enforcement, and that wasn’t good. I had to actually look at myself in the mirror and ask what I was doing. What was my purpose?”

Once he asked himself that question in the mirror, he had to follow it with action. That’s why after he graduated, he opted to join the Army. He was a first-generation service member, so he knew very little about what he was signing up for. He just knew that it was the right move for him at that time of his life.

“The recruiter asked what I wanted to do. I said ‘I don’t know. Shoot guns and drive big trucks. That sounds like what soldiers do,’” he said with a laugh. “The rest is history.”

He described his transition from citizen to soldier as “relatively easy.” It certainly beat prior jobs he had such as working on a delivery service on a bike, where he revealed he had several close calls of being hit by a taxicab or a bus. Tavernier initially enlisted because he wanted to financially support himself through college while pursuing his passion for art. He really enjoyed working on graphic designs and drawing. However, he made service his full-time career, and has now committed over 26 years of his life to the country he calls home. Currently stationed in Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Tavernier is both glad and proud of his career thus far.

“It’s been fun.”

Philson Tavernier shared that over 60% of the soldiers that join the Army go through Fort Jackson for training. That means that he has direct influence over more than half of the soldiers that will go on to play pivotal roles in protecting freedom.

One component of his career and life that has served as an anchor is fitness. Aside from his usual physical training, he also trains with weights several times a week. Committing to be his best physical self has been an integral part of his success both in his career and his overall life.

“I had always been physical growing up, and that’s one part that I take pride in, whether it was running, playing basketball or football, I always tried to get involved in anything that involved being physical because being physical really motivates me.”

As he would learn upon enlisting, joining the military requires another level of training. He described training as a marathon, not a sprint.

“It’s a total fitness mindset, and if you think you’re going to be there for the long term and you don’t condition yourself properly, you’re in for something else.”

Many people see training as a requirement for the job or a must-do. Tavernier excels at fitness like he does in his career because of his mindset.

“I see it as a way of life,” he stated. “It’s all about mind, body, and soul. “If you can support yourself to the commitment of staying physically fit, that also ties to the mental aspect. It all comes down to individual discipline.”

Philson Tavernier is working now to not only defend freedom now but prepare future members of the Armed Forces as well. He’s a part of the Army’s Future Soldier Preparatory Course program. According to the US Army’s website, the program is designed to “prepare recruits who are en-route to initial military training to meet or exceed (their) rigorous standards.” As someone who was once a citizen making that transition himself, Tavernier feels it’s his duty and privilege to help these future heroes be the best they can be.

“It’s been one of my most important assignments,” explained Tavernier. “It’s given me the chance to shape the future of not only that person, but our nation as well.”

While he is obviously glad when someone opts to make service a full-time career for life, he even sees the positives from helping someone that decides to serve for a short time as well.

“They may just do three years and get out. The values that we instill into those young kids are the values that they are taking back to our society and making our nation and world a better place.”

Programs such as the FSPC are vital for recruitment and maintaining a strong military that has been an all-volunteer movement since 1973. There have been rumors that standards are or will be lowered in order to maximize the number of future recruits, but Tavernier confirms that is not the case. Standards are not being lowered. They are working to elevate citizens to reach the high standards in place. This applies to both the ASVAB test and physical fitness levels.

“They are in a controlled enviroment where we are educating them on the importance of eating properly and exercising.” he revealed. “We have instructors that are teaching them some of the basic math and English they need to actually pass the (ASVAB) exam. This gives them a better opportunity to be more comfortable.”

With our nation in need of future heroes and all the benefits that can come with serving in the Army, Tavernier offers a hand that he hopes others will accept as an invitation to join and reap all the benefits that he has seen firsthand. In his eyes as well as many others, nothing can beat playing a role in protecting freedom and serving our nation and the people in it.

“I absolutely encourage anyone that is concerned to raise their right hand and serve,” he shared. “It is a privilege and honor that we should capitalize on.”

To learn more about the FSPC, you can go to the US Army website or contact Fort Jackson for more information.

Follow Philson on Instagram @philsontavernier_