Question: How close to failure should you train? Key Takeaways Training to failure prolonged recovery time compared to non-failure training protocols. It’s probably a good idea to leave a couple reps in the tank at the end of each workout. You can always do more tomorrow, but you can’t undo the excessive damage you did […]
Can Mental Training Improve My Performance?
Question: How important is mental training to my success? Key Takeaways Mental training (Self-talk, visualization, etc) can improve your performance & help you get stronger. Mental training can also improve your overall health and has been shown to decrease stress, blood pressure, and resting heart rate. Visualizing your self performing a movement (i.e. a perfect […]
Will I lose strength & muscle if I take time off?
Question: How much strength/muscle will I lose if I take time off training this summer? Key Takeaways Shortest possible answer: No Muscle size and strength did not decrease following a 2-week detraining (no training) period Taking an occasional break my benefit you in the long run by improving your motivation, enjoyment, and adherence to training over the […]
Can caffeine boost performance?
Question: Can Caffeine Make You Stronger? Key Takeaways 90% of the pre-workout supplements on the market are just overpriced and silly ways to get caffeine into your system before a workout. Caffeine can improve time to exhaustion (Strength endurance) leading to you working harder, longer during each training session. These effects may be greater for […]
Should I Stretch Before or After I Workout?
Question: Does stretching before I lift make me weaker and more likely to get hurt? Key Takeaways Static stretching before you lift may result in a lower overall training volume Static stretching before your lift will probably not inhibit strength gains You’re probably not stretching enough & your lack of mobility is probably hindering your […]
Instantly Improve Your Pull Ups (or just about anything else)!
I get asked about how I came to be doing the things I am doing now in the strength & conditioning and CrossFit world and it usually ends up with me rambling on about how I was preparing to head off to OCS and found out about this thing called a kettlebell and decided I […]
