My Thoughts on Keto and Intermittent Fasting

During my early health-conscious years, I tried many different diets. Keto, intermittent fasting, carb backloading, paleo… you name it, chances are good I spent at least a little while trying to follow it. Although I lost weight on some of these diets, I also experienced dramatic and disruptive swings. I believe my problems with binge eating were exacerbated by following overly restrictive diets I could not maintain long-term. After one particularly rigorous diet, I also experienced adverse health effects that took me several months to truly recover from.

Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about two popular diets, keto and intermittent fasting. With so many flashy messages and big promises, it’s easy to believe following one of these diets is the answer to your problems. But as with most things in health and fitness, the reality is a bit more complicated.

This week, I provide a brief overview of the keto diet and intermittent fasting. I explain how they work, why some people love them, and why they may not be a great fit for most people. Keep reading and keep an open mind below.

Keto

Although the idea of ketosis has been around for a long time, it has only recently gained popularity as a mainstream diet option. The keto diet goes a step further than other low carb diets such as the Atkins Diet or Paleo. The premise of this diet is that when we consume very low levels of carbohydrates, our body eventually runs of out of stored glucose (which our brains and bodies need for energy). It then converts stored body fat or dietary fat into glucose using a process called ketosis. According to proponents of the diet, once you enter ketosis you will burn stored body fat at a more rapid rate than before.

In order to get into ketosis, carbs need to be dramatically restricted for an extended period of time. This means removing foods like rice, oats, potatoes, and fruit and limiting vegetable consumption to small amounts of green, fibrous veggies. Protein consumption must also be reduced, because consuming too much protein can take you out of ketosis. The vast majority of your calories come from fat, which if done correctly, becomes the body’s primary source of fuel.

Some people do well on ketosis. These tend to be people who naturally feel best eating a higher fat, lower carb diet. These people report feeling more energized and focused when they’re in ketosis. They may also experience fewer cravings and more regulated hunger throughout the day. If you feel and perform your best with more carbs, however, you will likely feel like garbage following the keto diet.

Although keto is sometimes billed in the mainstream fitness media as a miracle cure, it has several notable downsides. It’s much trickier to get into ketosis and stay there than you may think; I’d be willing to bet many people who think they are following the keto diet are not truly in ketosis and are simply following a low carb diet. A single meal with too many carbs or too much protein can throw you out of ketosis. For example, I recently saw one of my Facebook friends sharing a photo of their “keto” meal which included a big fatty steak, broccoli, and a glass of wine. Between the protein in the steak and the carbs in the wine, this person was almost certainly not going to be in ketosis after their meal.

Additionally, keto is extremely difficult and impractical to maintain long-term. It’s tough to eat out at restaurants or attend social functions when you’re following such a restrictive plan. This is true even if you do feel good and see results following the diet. After a while, many people also find eating such a high quantity of fat becomes extremely unappetizing. So although keto may be working for you now, I definitely encourage you to find an exit strategy to transition back to a more realistic eating plan once you reach your goal.

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting (IF) is less of a diet than a meal timing strategy. For most of the day (including when you’re asleep), you fast and don’t consume any food or caloric beverages. The rest of the day, typically 8-10 hours, is designated as your feeding window. You consume however many meals and snacks you need for the day only during this window.

IF is a great option for people who naturally feel less hungry when they wake up. Instead of forcing themselves to eat breakfast when they aren’t hungry, these people can push back their first meal of the day to lunch time. As with keto, many people report feeling increased focus and mental clarity during their fasts.

However, IF is not a good option for everyone. If you have a history of disordered eating habits, IF can exacerbate your problems. For example, if you struggle with binge eating like I did, you may find yourself repeatedly eating way more food than you need during your eating window. Even if you have a good relationship with food, you may struggle doing IF if you have low energy without frequent meals earlier in the day. Additionally, men will typically have an easier time with IF than women due to hormonal differences.

One myth I hear all the time is if you fast most of the day, you can eat whatever you want and still lose weight. While this may be true for that rare person who is naturally able to regulate their portions, it is certainly not true for most people. I know from personal experience how easy it is to consume an entire day’s worth of calories at a single cheat meal when I’m hungry. Fasting doesn’t remove the need to monitor calories if your goal is to lose weight.

No Magic Pill

If you’ve followed my work for a while, you know I don’t believe in shortcuts. Attempting to circumvent the necessary time and hard work required to reach a worthwhile goal will only backfire and ultimately make it more challenging for you to get where you want to go.

Latching on to a fad diet because you think it will make it easier to get in shape is no different. Losing weight requires you to maintain a caloric deficit for an extended period of time. The keto diet works for people because they dramatically reduce the number of foods they can eat, which slashes calories. IF works for some people because they simply aren’t able to consume as many calories during their shortened feeding window.

Both diets can also fail to work if you still eat too many calories. Fat contains more than twice the calories per gram than carbs or protein, making it very easy to overeat. If you follow IF thinking it’s a way for you to eat whatever you want, you are sorely mistaken. It’s all too easy to blow your daily deficit by eating excessively large portions or tons of calorically dense junk food.

Ultimately, long-term success requires you to find an eating strategy that works well with your lifestyle. Your schedule, food preferences, and numerous other factors will all play a role. If you want to try a popular diet, go ahead! Understand that your success ultimately boils down to restricting calories in a sustainable, healthy way long enough to see results. This means navigating social situations, vacations, unexpected obligations, and stressful times at work. I believe seeking a middle ground will help you handle these situations with more grace and flexibility than a rigid, restrictive diet.

If you want more information like this, sign up for my email list here. I send out tools, tips, and strategies to help busy professionals eat healthy, get strong, and feel great despite busy lives. When you sign up, I’ll send you my 4C System, a free five-day email course teaching you to become a more consistent exerciser.

July 24, 2018January 21, 2020

5 Ways to Lift More Weight

When I was new to lifting, I used to test my 1 rep max every single week. This worked well for a while; I was able to set new personal records all the time, which kept me motivated and excited to train. I was in what’s called the “beginner gains” phase of strength training when pretty much anything you do in the gym (no matter how stupid or reckless) helps you get stronger.

Eventually, I grew out of this phase and was no longer able to add weight to the bar every week. Constantly trying and failing to set new personal records left me feeling beat up and frustrated. I needed a new strategy to help me get stronger and reconnect with my love of lifting.

Over the years, I’ve worked with many clients who were in a similar position. After a few months or years of lifting on their own, they found they couldn’t progress past training plateaus and set new personal records. Yet they continued to push themselves to the limit, beating up their bodies and feeling upset and confused as to why they weren’t getting any stronger.

If this sounds like you, you should know there are safer and more productive ways to train. Below, I explain five strategies you can use to bust through training plateaus and see renewed progress.

Improve your technique

If you’re struggling to improve your performance on a particular exercise, the first thing I would suggest is that you make sure you’re actually performing it correctly. How is your set up? Are the right body parts moving at the right time? Are the right body parts staying still? Your answers to these questions can dramatically impact your performance.

In order to get strong, you should spend lots of time honing your skills at lighter weights. Check your ego at the door and make sure you can properly execute an exercise before adding more weight. Record yourself and watch the videos to get external feedback and keep yourself honest. If you’re uncertain what proper form looks like, consider hiring an in-person or distance coach who has experience helping people get strong.

Many times, choosing a different variation of an exercise can instantly improve technique. For example, performing a deadlift from blocks instead of the floor can allow you to pull without rounding your back. Not everyone is cut out to perform the standard barbell lifts. If you aren’t competing in a powerlifting meet, you don’t need to back squat, deadlift from the floor, or bench with a barbell. Your ideal exercise variation could utilize other gyms tools like dumbbells, kettlebells, a trap bar, or a landmine. Get creative and try out different options.

Rack pulls are a great alternative for people who struggle to deadlift from the floor.

Create tension

High intensity lifting necessitates creating and maintaining high levels of internal tension. You can’t just casually walk up to a heavy bar and expect to move it without first supporting your joints and creating an environment in which your muscles can produce maximal amounts of force. If you don’t create tension when you lift, you won’t perform at a high level and will potentially set yourself up for injury.

One of the most important ways to create the necessary tension to lift heavy is by breathing and bracing. Imagine that you’re wearing a thick lifting belt around your waist. Before you begin a rep, take a deep breath into your belly. Push out against your imaginary (or real) belt with your core muscles all the way around your stomach, sides, and lower back. You will hold the low belly breath and all the core tension throughout the entire rep. Exhale and reset only after you’ve completed the rep. This strategy will help keep you stable so you can safely produce more force.

Once you’ve created tension in your core, you need to create tension in the rest of your body. When you’re deadlifting, for example, set up to maximize engagement in your upper back and hamstrings. In a squat, create tension in the outside of your legs by spreading the floor apart with your feet. In a bench press, drive your feet into the ground to create tension in your legs. You must also create tension in your upper back and stability in your shoulders by packing your shoulder blades together.

If you’re having trouble with these concepts, use variations, drills, and assistance exercises to force yourself to create more tension. I like band resisted deadlifts and straight arm pulldowns to create more upper back engagement in the deadlift. Add pauses to squats and bench presses to learn to stay tight in the most challenging position of these lifts. Dead bugs and other core exercises can be performed in between sets of heavy lifting to practice bracing your core.

Read more: Core training beyond crunches

Warm up properly

Here are 3 different warm-up strategies to help you move more weight:

Always complete a 5-15 minute dynamic warm-up before you lift weights. Make sure to mobilize your hips, shoulders, back, and ankles. Below is a quick and easy warmup I use with many of my clients who work desk jobs.

After your dynamic warm-up, complete a superset of one power exercise and one core exercise. Power exercises help prime your nervous system for heavy lifting and core exercises encourage you to produce tension. I prefer anti-core exercises rather than crunches or sit-ups.
Complete several ramp-up sets before you get to your working weight on your big lifts. This becomes more important the more weight you’re trying to lift. You need to work your way up to big numbers to properly prepare your nervous system, muscles, and joints to handle heavy loads.

For example, if your 1 rep max was 225, your ramp-up could look like this:

45 x 5-8

95 x 3-5

135 x 2-3

185 x 1

200 x 1

225 x 1

I like to keep the volume higher (usually 3-5, sometimes as high as 8 reps) with earlier ramp-up sets. As you get closer to your working weights, cut down the reps. If you are completing higher volume at a lower intensity (5×5 vs 3×3), you will need fewer ramp-up sets.

You’ll need to find your sweet spot for ramp-up sets – too many and you’ll accumulate too much fatigue too soon; too few and you won’t have properly prepared your nervous system. Generally speaking, men will perform better with less work close to their 1 rep max and should perform fewer ramp-up sets than women.

Don’t test yourself all the time

The vast majority of people should not be testing your personal records on a regular basis. Instead, spend plenty of time training at higher volumes (3-8 reps). This helps you practice good form and build the base of strength you’ll need to truly push yourself once in a while. Training at higher volumes and lower intensities also helps keep your joints happy. Noone wants nagging aches and pains to inhibit their lifting sessions or affect their daily lives.

If you’re serious about getting strong, you should be following a periodized program that has you progressing from higher volume, lower intensity, to lower volume, higher intensity in an intelligent manner. You can buy done-for-you programs or directly hire coaches you respect. I recommend working with someone who has a proven track record of helping clients, not just themselves.

Use supplemental and assistance exercises

After you’ve left the beginner gains phase of lifting, you won’t be able to continuously build strength through your big lifts alone. To keep getting stronger, you need to diversify your training and address weaknesses through other exercises, rep ranges, intensities, and modalities.

I assign some of my strength clients supplemental strength exercises. A supplemental lift looks very similar to the big lift and targets a specific technical flaw. For example, a client with a sticking point halfway up their deadlift may perform rack pulls starting at the same height as their sticking point. A client who tends to fall forward in their back squat may perform good mornings, zercher squats, or front squats to build more core and lower back strength.

All of my clients perform a variety of assistance exercises. We pick assistance exercises based on a number of criteria:

Has the client trained all the major movement patterns: squat, hinge, press, pull, single-leg, and carry?
Does the client need some balance between bilateral (2 arms or legs) and unilateral (1 arm or leg) training?
Does the client need to build strength or size in a particular muscle?
Does the client need to train in a different rep range to develop a different energy system or build endurance?
What exercises or training styles are fun for the client?

If you’re experiencing frustration at your lack of progress in the gym, try implementing 1 or 2 of these changes in your training. Check your form, create tension, and program intelligently by warming up up properly, using a variety of rep ranges and intensities, and filling in the gaps with assistance work. Patience, intelligent training, and hard work will help you push past plateaus and build levels of strength you never thought possible.

Squats and deadlifts are two of the best exercises for building strength. If you want to get better at these great lifts, you need to download your free copy of my ebook Squat and Deadlift school.

I share my favorite form tips, troubleshoot common problems, and provide progressions to help you work toward (or supplement) barbell training.

I’m confident both novice and experienced lifters can use the book and accompanying videos to take their training to the next level.

July 17, 2018July 16, 2019

Awesome Gym Tool You Should Use: Dumbbells

There are many differences between gyms. Depending on where you train, you will hear different music, interact with different kinds of people, and have access to vastly different equipment. Some gyms forbid deadlifting or don’t have any barbells; others encourage you to drop weights, chalk up, and make as much noise as you want. Bigger gyms provide many gym toys, whereas smaller gyms have a more bare-bones setup.

Despite these differences, there is one thing you will see in almost every single gym: a rack of dumbbells.

you can get a great full body workout using only a rack of dumbbells — *Dumbbells are among the most common and most versatile gym tools.*

Dumbbells are an incredibly versatile and powerful tool to help you achieve just about any goal. You can use dumbbells to load every major movement pattern and train any muscle. You can find a dumbbell variation of just about every exercise if you find yourself at a hotel gym or prefer to train in a small home gym with minimal equipment. They are easy to use and provide a safer alternative to barbell exercises.

This week’s blog, the latest in an ongoing series on awesome gym tools you should use, is a love letter to my favorite piece of exercise equipment. Keep reading to learn my five favorite dumbbell exercises. I frequently use these exercises to help my clients move well, build strength and muscle, and lose fat.

Dumbbell Goblet Squat

I teach the goblet squat to every single one of my clients. Holding a weight in front of your chest teaches you to stay tall and create tension in your core as you squat. It’s also a great option if you lack access to or don’t like using a barbell. I’ve found goblet squatting feels much better on cranky knees, shoulders, and low backs than barbell squatting.

If you’re using a heavier dumbbell, it’s important to get into position properly. Stand the dumbbell up on a bench. Place one foot on top of the bench, then place the dumbbell on top of your thigh. You will now be able to easily cup your hands under the top of the dumbbell. This is much safer than bending over to pick a heavy dumbbell up off the floor and heaving it to chest height.

Once you’ve gotten the dumbbell into position, stand with your feet about hip width apart. Adjust your stance as necessary. Think about spreading the floor apart with your feet as you sit back and down. Continue spreading the floor apart as you drive back to the top of the squat.

Don’t be afraid to work to very heavy goblet squats. Many trainees will be able to work up to 100lb + dumbbells after some time practicing this exercise.

Dumbbell Bench Press

My favorite dumbbell pressing exercise is the dumbbell bench press. Just like goblet squatting, bench pressing with dumbbells provides a pain-free alternative to barbell pressing. Benching dumbbells is a great way to work up to your first barbell bench press if you aren’t yet strong enough to move the 45lb bar.

To get in position, start by sitting on the end of a bench with two dumbbells on your legs. Use gravity to take the dumbbells with you as you lie back into position. If you’re using very heavy weights and training with another person, have them hand the weights to you instead.

You need to pack your shoulders before you begin your set to ensure your shoulders stay in a safe and stable position. To do this, pull your shoulder blades together behind your back. They should remain in this position throughout the entire set.

Initiate each rep by lowering your elbows toward the floor in a controlled manner. Always keep your elbows directly beneath your hands. Most people feel and perform better when they keep their arms within 45 degrees of their sides. Complete the rep by pressing until you’ve locked out your elbows.

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

My preferred dumbbell hip hinge variation is the dumbbell Romanian deadlift. This is one of the first exercises I use to teach new clients how to hip hinge. It’s also a fantastic exercise to build a strong posterior chain or add muscle to your butt and hamstrings.

Start standing in a tall and tight position with feet about shoulder width apart. Keeping your chest tall, unlock your knees and reach your hips behind you. You should feel a stretch in the back of your legs as you reach into the movement. Once you’ve gone as far as you can with a flat back (for most people this will be dumbbells at or just below the knees), drive back to the top and squeeze your butt hard.

It’s ok for the dumbbells to move from your sides to your front, but always keep them close to your body. If the dumbbells get too far out in front of you, they can pull your spine into a rounded position.

Dumbbell Bent Over Row

Dumbbell bent over rows work your back, arms, grip, and core. Like all the other movements on this list, they can be heavily loaded to build strength or used with higher rep schemes to build muscle.

Set up with one arm and leg on a bench. Try to keep your bench hand directly beneath your shoulder. Don’t shrug or sink toward the bench. Your back should be flat, not rounded. Your other leg will be placed off to the side and out of the way as you row.

You can also use a 3-point stance if you don’t have access to a bench. Place one hand on a box or dumbbell rack and both feet on the floor. Your back should still be flat.

Each rep begins with a straight arm. Think about pulling your elbow up and back toward your hip until your upper arm is even with your side. Hold for one second, then slowly lower the weight back toward the ground. If you can’t control the movement or have to use lots of extra body motion, you’re using too much weight.

Dumbbell Single-leg exercises: Step ups, lunges, split squats, single-leg deadlifts

I couldn’t pick just one single-leg exercise to load with dumbbells, so I’ll present them all as options. You can watch the following video to learn the steps I use to progress clients from least to most challenging single-leg exercises.

All of these exercises work well loaded with a dumbbell in each hand. If grip strength is an issue, you can also hold one dumbbell in front of your chest in the goblet position.

I also use dumbbells to load single-leg deadlifts. Start by holding one dumbbell in each hand before progressing to holding a dumbbell in one hand (which is more challenging for your balance).

Anything shown with kettlebells works the same with dumbbells.

Whether you’re a brand new trainee or an experienced lifter, dumbbells are a fantastic option to load almost any exercise. Dumbbells are relatively safe, easy to use, and available at nearly every gym. I encourage you to add some dumbbell exercises into your training program.

Looking for a workout program that uses dumbbells and doesn’t require any fancy equipment? Check out Full45, a 3-month done-for-you strength training program consisting of twice weekly workouts that take 45 minutes or less.

July 10, 2018July 23, 2019

I’m New to the Weight Room. Where Should I Start?

I’ll never forget how intimidated I was when I started lifting weights back in 2011. Although I received some strength training education in high school, it had been years since I spent much time in the weight room. I was a shy, overweight young woman cautiously wandering into a campus gym filled with loud, sweaty college bros. I stuck out like a sore thumb and felt like everyone was watching me, silently judging me for not knowing what I was doing.

Over time, I learned a few things about spending time in a weight room:

Many people in the weight room don’t really know what they’re doing, even if they act like they do. Lots of people are just making it up as they go.
Everyone in the weight room is totally preoccupied with themselves. They are rarely paying attention to you or what you’re doing.

These days, I feel completely at home in the weight room. It’s even become a sanctuary of sorts where I can get in the zone, de-stress, and push my mental and physical limits. I’ve helped dozens of clients build their own confidence in the weight room, no matter how scary or overwhelming it was at first.

Keep reading to learn the skills you’ll need in order to walk confidently into any weight room, even if you don’t have any prior lifting experience.

Weight Room Etiquette 101

Before we go over what to do during your workouts, a few notes about polite gym behavior:

If someone is using the piece of equipment you need, you can ask to work in with them. This means you will trade off sets (take turns) rather than standing around waiting. If the person says no, you can either wait for them to finish or choose a different exercise.
If the gym is busy, it’s impolite to occupy multiple pieces of equipment at once. Modify your workouts as necessary by choosing different exercises or breaking up supersets. You can also work in with others to share equipment if possible.
My biggest gym pet peeve is when people stand directly in front of the dumbbell racks so other people can’t access them. Please, please, grab whatever weights you need and get out of the way to perform your sets. Don’t crowd people who are in the middle of a set or block major walkways.
Always clean up after yourself. This means re-rack weights, unload bars, put away mats and smaller equipment, and wipe off benches.

How do I know what equipment to use?

When you walk into a weight room, you’ll see dozens of different tools, machines, and implements. How do you know which ones to use?

I recommend starting with bodyweight exercises. If you can’t move well or control your own body in space, you’ll have a hard time lifting additional weight safely.

Next, progress to dumbbells and kettlebells. Dumbbells are my favorite gym tool because they’re incredibly versatile and easily scalable for different ability levels. Most gyms have a set of dumbbells even if they have little other equipment.

Kettlebells are also great, but they aren’t available at every gym and require a bit more practice to master form. You can build impressive strength and a great body using only dumbbells and/or kettlebells.

I also love using the TRX or cable pulley systems. These are especially great for performing pulling and core exercises.

Some trainers villainize weight machines, but I use them often with my clients. If you’re a beginner lifter working out on your own, machines can be safer and less confusing than free weights. Never use a machine that causes pain or feels especially uncomfortable.

Read more about machines: Three things I’ve changed my mind about – training

If you’re a beginner, stay away from barbells for a while. Barbells are fantastic tools for lifting lots of weight, but the technical demands of barbell lifts make them a poor choice if you’re just starting out. Focus on mastering your bodyweight, dumbbells, and kettlebells before you consider progressing to barbells.

How do I know which exercises to do?

I use a few basic exercises with all my clients. If you can master the form and add weight to the exercises on this list, I guarantee you’ll start to move better, feel stronger, and look better.

Lower body push

Bodyweight squat

Goblet Squat:

Goblet box squat

Lower body pull

Hip hinge drills:

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Pull-through:

Kettlebell deadlift

Swiss ball leg curl

Upper body push

Elevated pushup

Dumbbell floor press:

Dumbbell bench press

Upper body pull

Inverted row

Seated low row

Half-kneeling cable row:

Core

Plank:

Dead bug:

Bird dog

Pallof press

Loaded carries:

Putting it all together

Now that you know which tools to use and which exercises to perform, it’s time to put everything together into a training session.

Always start your workouts with a short dynamic warm-up, such as this one:

I like to perform core exercise right after the warm-up. Choose 1-2 core exercises and perform 2-4 sets of 8-12 reps. If you’re performing a timed core exercise such as a plank, start with 10-15 seconds.

Next, include two supersets of compound exercises. A superset is a pair of opposing exercises performed back-to-back. For example, you can perform a set of goblet squats followed by a set of seated low rows. I always pair lower body pushes with upper body pulls, and lower body pulls with upper body pushes. You can pick one exercise from each of the categories I listed above.

Perform 2-4 sets of each superset with anywhere from 6-12 reps of each exercise. Fewer reps = heavier weights, more reps = lighter weights. If you’re short on time, you can combine all four compound movements into one giant circuit.

If you want to complete any isolation work like curls, tricep pressdowns, or shoulder raises, save it for the end. I also recommend saving cardio or high intensity interval training for the end of your sessions.

Read more: All about cardio

For best results, you should be lifting weights twice per week at minimum. Your sessions can be as short as 20 minutes if you’re crunched for time. Over time, you can work up to 3-4 lifting sessions per week. You can also increase your weekly training commitment by performing additional lower-intensity cardio sessions on your off days.

Venturing into the weight room doesn’t have to be scary. With a bit of knowledge and a plan, even the shyest person can start weight training, build confidence, and make progress toward their goals.

It’s tough to get the ball rolling with exercise, but I have tips that can help. Join my email list here and I’ll send you my FREE 5 day course on how to become a more consistent exerciser.

July 2, 2018

So You Want to Build Muscle? Here’s What to Eat.

Many people start exercising because they want to change the way they look. And to build the bodies they want, most of these people will eventually need to build some muscle.

In part 1, I explained the essential components to include in your workouts if you want to build muscle. In part 2, I explain how you should eat. I also include a few additional important considerations at the end.

You need to eat a lot.

Hard training is required to stimulate muscle growth, but it’s not going to happen without providing your body with the necessary raw materials. I’ve worked with many naturally skinny people who simply don’t eat as much as they need to if they really want to gain weight.

If you struggle to eat enough, set timers on your phone to remind you when it’s time for meals. If you either don’t get hungry or tend to ignore your hunger, an external stimulus can prompt you to eat. Eating several smaller meals throughout the day can help you get around feeling overly full.

Consider experimenting with liquid meals like shakes and smoothies. It’s much easier to drink your calories than eat them, so these meals won’t leave you feeling quite as full. Start with a shake before and/or after your workouts and add more during the day as needed.

Regular training can also help boost your appetite if you have trouble eating enough food. Many of my clients and friends tell me they were amazed how much hungrier they felt when they committed to a consistent strength training regimen. Focus on hitting the weights hard.

What should I eat?

Calories are king when it comes to building muscle. However, it’s also important to pay attention to what kinds of foods you’re eating. This will help you feel better, train harder, and stay healthy on your quest to build a more muscular body.

Contrary to what you may read on the internet, you will have much more success building muscle if you eat lots of carbs. Carbs are the body’s preferred source of fuel. They help you recover faster and power through the grueling workouts necessary to pack on muscle. Don’t be afraid to eat plenty of carbs every single day, especially around your workout.

Protein is also critical to hypertrophy. Aim to keep protein consumption around 1g/1lb bodyweight. You can get your protein from a wide variety of places; it’s not necessary to eat grilled chicken breast all day every day. White fish, salmon, eggs and egg whites, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, lean steak, ground turkey and chicken, and pork chops are all great protein sources. There are also plenty of vegetarian protein options, such as beans and legumes. Experiment to find which foods agree with you and are most enjoyable.

The rest of your diet should come from healthy fats. I don’t recommend cutting fat consumption to less than 20% of your total calories for health reasons. Some people need to eat more fat to feel and perform their best.

Your diet should center around whole, nutrient-dense foods, but you definitely have room to add in calorically-dense treats, especially if you’re having trouble consuming enough calories. However, chasing hypertrophy isn’t an excuse to just eat junk food all the time. Aim to eat nutritious foods ~80% of the time and save the other ~20% for treats. Tweak this percentage depending on your preferences and results.

Other considerations

Sleep is absolutely crucial. Your body needs sleep both to recover from hard training and to build muscle. You will have much better results if you can commit to sleeping at least 7.5 hours every single night. Sleep time can also be broken up throughout the day. Never underestimate the power of a good nap.

If you’re not already lean, consider losing some fat before you start trying to put on size. A lean body is more likely to store excess calories as muscle than an overweight body. Going on a short diet before you start a gaining phase can ensure you put on weight in the right places and don’t end up with excess unwanted body fat.

Don’t worry about getting “too big.” Building muscle takes a lot of time and effort (and food). It doesn’t happen by accident and you can always switch gears once you’re happy with your results.

Finally, remember that building muscle isn’t just for bodybuilders and fitness models. Anyone who wants more definition in certain body parts or who wants to look more athletic should include hypertrophy among their list of goals. You may even discover that training to build muscle is one of the most fun things you can do in the gym.

I’m a big fan of any kind of training that aims to build you up rather than make you take up less space in the world. If you want to learn more, I’d love to hear from you here or have you join my email list. I send out exclusive weekly content with my list that I don’t share anywhere else.

June 26, 2018January 21, 2020

So You Want to Build Muscle? Here’s How to Train.

For a long time, I thought training for aesthetics was a waste of time, an ironic opinion considering the initial reason I started lifting weights was to lose weight. Nevertheless, I was steeped in powerlifting culture and believed that training for strength was the superior goal. I chased 1 rep maxes, took 5 minute breaks in between sets, and laughed at people performing curls and shoulder raises.

I did get strong following this approach, but after a few years of lifting I realized I wasn’t really happy with the way I looked. I lost a lot of weight, but I wanted look more muscular and athletic. Put another way, I wanted to look like I lifted.

In the summer of 2016, I decided I was finally ready to commit to building the body I wanted. I stopped chasing strength and spent a year and a half training exclusively to build muscle. This period was one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had in the gym. I got great results and learned a lot about myself. Even though I’ve since returned to heavier lifting, I still incorporate elements of this training style in my workouts.

The difference between training arms and not training arms was quite pronounced.

Building muscle is one of the most enjoyable and empowering things you can do in the gym. Even if you don’t want to look like a professional bodybuilder or fitness model, you can still chase this goal. Many of my clients want to build some more definition in their arms, legs, butt, and back. In order to build the body you really want, you need to add some muscle to your frame.

Today’s post is the first in a two-part series about the essentials of building muscle for beginner and intermediate lifters. Those of you who are already jacked may need more advanced considerations that I won’t cover here. In Part 1, I dig into the why, what, and how of training to build muscle. Next week, I’ll be back with a second part covering nutrition and lifestyle considerations.

Training is essential.

Although you can lose weight using diet alone, hard strength training is 100 percent necessary to build muscle. You have to give your body a reason to build new muscle tissue by consistently pushing your physical limits.

I recommend working up to 4-6 lifting sessions per week. These sessions can range from 30-90 minutes depending on your schedule and ability level. If you have a hard time staying lean, complete some additional cardio and high intensity interval training each week. On the flip side, if you struggle to gain weight, consider reducing cardio to the bare minimum or removing it altogether.

My favorite muscle-building training splits are as follows:

Upper-lower: Two upper body days and two lower body days. I especially like upper push, lower push (squat and single-leg focus), upper pull, and lower push (deadlift, hip hinge, and hamstring focus).
Push-pull-legs: Two upper body days, one lower body day. I’m not a big fan of only training legs once per week, but this can work if you have less time to train.
Modified body part split: This split works well if you want to train more than 4 days per week. Be sure to train your legs at least twice per week no matter how you divide up your training days. I don’t recommend this split to beginners because you won’t be able to generate the right kind of intensity to get the most out of your workouts. Stick with one of the first two splits for your first six months of training.

What should I focus on during my workouts?

Training to get strong and training to build muscle are different in important ways. You do not need to be lifting super heavy weights or chasing personal records all the time if you just want to change the way you look. Charles Staley explains that building strength is about lifting as much weight as possible whereas building muscle is about stressing the muscles as much as possible. These don’t always look the same for the same exercises.

One of the best ways to challenge your muscles and promote growth is to focus on the mind-muscle connection. If you’re targeting a specific muscle with an exercise, you should feel that muscle working. This is one of the biggest differences between training for strength and training for muscle gain. If you can’t feel the muscle working, adjust your form, slow down the tempo, use a different weight, or pick a different exercise.

Brad Schoenfeld, a premier fitness researcher, writes that there are three main mechanisms to promote muscle growth. The first, mechanical tension, requires you to lift challenging weights for many sets and reps over the course of your training program.

The second, metabolic stress, refers to the burning sensation you feel in your muscles after doing high rep sets, giant sets (combining several exercises for the same muscle without taking a break), intensity techniques, or static holds. You can also create metabolic stress by keeping your rest intervals short.

The final mechanism, muscle damage, happens primarily during the stretching portion of a lift. To take advantage of this, you should occasionally drag out or overload this portion of exercises. You can also create muscle damage using exercises that emphasize the stretching portion of the lift, such as Romanian deadlifts. If you want to maximize your results, make sure your training includes all three mechanisms.

Focus on compound movements like squats, presses, rows, and hinging, but don’t be afraid of isolation exercises. In my experience, most people need plenty of dedicated work for muscles like arms, shoulders, glutes, and calves if they really want them to grow. You won’t need as much time to recover from isolation work, so it can be performed throughout the week at the end of multiple workouts.

Volume, Intensity, and Progressive Overload

I define volume as the total number of sets and reps performed and intensity as the amount of weight you’re lifting. Volume and intensity have an inverse relationship; if your intensity is very high you won’t be able to use as much volume and vice versa.

Play around with higher and lower volumes and intensities to see which gives you better results. Some people can build lots of muscle lifting heavy weights alone. In my experience, however, it’s more common to see better results with higher volume. Most people need lots of exposure throughout the week to see noticeable muscle gains.

Use a variety of set and rep schemes. I program sets ranging from 5 reps to more than 25 reps for clients who want to build muscle. I also love occasionally pushing people to train close to failure. Choose an exercise you know you can perform with good form, and perform as many reps as you possibly can on your last set. When you repeat the workout the next week, try to add a couple more reps to the end of this set.

Push yourself in the gym and aim to progress in some way each time you repeat a workout. This could mean adding weight, reps or sets. You can also challenge yourself by reducing rest time, adding intensity techniques like drop sets and rest-pause sets, or by simply using better form or getting a better mind-muscle connection.

Get your butt in the gym

Now that you know the nuts and bolts of training for muscle growth, it’s time to create a plan. Your homework assignment this week is to find a new program or adjust your current workouts to help you adhere to the principles above. Schedule your workouts for the week and get after it.

Check out Part 2 for advice about eating, sleeping, and stress management for muscle gain.

Squats and deadlifts are two of the best exercises for building muscle. If you want to get better at these great lifts, you need to download your free copy of my ebook Squat and Deadlift school.

I share my favorite form tips, troubleshoot common problems, and provide progressions to help you work toward (or supplement) barbell training.

I’m confident both novice and experienced lifters can use the book and accompanying videos to take their training to the next level.

June 19, 2018

4 Ways You’re Sabotaging Your Progress

“I feel like I’m working hard and not seeing any results. What am I doing wrong?”

I’m asked some version of this question on a regular basis. It’s heartbreaking to hear stories of people who’ve been riding a never ending roller coaster of progress without getting much farther along than where they started.

I can also relate because for a long time, this was me. Before I got really serious about losing weight, I made a lot of half-hearted attempts to change my eating and start exercising. None of these attempts were ever successful. I either tried to do way too much at once and burnt myself out or I didn’t work very hard and ultimately gave up because I was impatient and expected more dramatic results. It took a serious health scare for me to take an honest look at what I was doing and make the necessary changes to actually move forward.

If you’ve been working hard for a long time with little to show for it, you may be sabotaging your progress like I was. Keep reading to learn the top four mistakes I see people make that interfere with achieving positive results.

Lack of Consistency

I put together an entire email course on consistency because it’s one of the biggest mistakes I see people making in and out of the gym. Losing weight, building muscle, getting stronger, or performing better don’t happen on accident. It takes months and years of repeated efforts to take you from point A to points B, C, D, and beyond. You don’t have to be perfect, but if you aren’t consistently exercising, eating well, and managing sleep and stress, you will have a very hard time achieving any health or fitness goal.

How consistent do you have to be to see results? This depends on your goals and experience. As a general rule of thumb, I recommend everyone do some type of exercise at least 2 to 3 days per week. Certain goals, like building muscle and strength or training for an event, may require more frequent training. If you’re trying to lose weight, you likely need to watch what you’re eating beyond just Monday through Friday. It’s depressingly easy to wipe out a hard-earned caloric deficit with just a few cheat meals on the weekend. In my experience, if you can consistently eat well 6 or 7 days per week, you’ll start to see much faster progress.

In order to become more consistent, it helps to have some semblance of routine. You don’t need to map out every hour of every day; if you’re like me, this level of planning is suffocating. However, you should have some idea of how you’re going to spend your time and energy. Schedule in the most important obligations including your training sessions. Decide when you’re going to go to the grocery store or place your online grocery delivery order. Make sure you get enough sleep, preferably getting up and going to bed at the same time every day. When you have daily routines, it’s much easier to build in time for exercise, cooking, and stress management.

Lack of Patience

Another big mistake people frequently make is giving up too soon because they aren’t seeing results as fast as they’d like. Everyone wants immediate, dramatic results. I know I’ve been guilty of this myself on numerous occasions. Unfortunately, most fitness goals take a loooooong time to achieve. The sooner you accept that you’re in it for the long haul and learn to embrace the process of change, the more likely you are to see real results.

One thing I’ve learned in my own fitness journey is the power of riding out plateaus. It can be super frustrating to step on the scale day after day and see little to no progress, especially when you think you’re doing everything right. This is when we are most vulnerable to quitting because it seems like our hard work isn’t paying off. However, if you are patient and ride out the plateau, you often make dramatic progress very quickly. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve held the same weight for 5 to 7 days and then dropped 3 or 4 lbs seemingly all of a sudden. If your progress seems to have stalled, wait it out and keep doing what you’re doing. You will often see a similar leap forward. If you go a few weeks and still haven’t made any progress, then you should consider changing some part of your approach.

Constantly stopping and restarting leads to slow progress at best. As mentioned in the previous point, if you can try to keep exercising and eating well on the weekends, you’ll be less prone to weekend binges and the accompanying setbacks, guilt, and frustration. Do your best to keep moving forward in some small way. If you’re working with a coach or following a program (which you should be), be patient and work through your entire program before looking for something else to do. Jumping from program to program is a surefire way to waste time in the gym.

Exercising too much

This seems counterintuitive, but hear me out. Some people are simply doing way too much work in and out of the gym. Our bodies need time to recover and adapt to the stresses placed on them during exercise. If you’re constantly training, you can run yourself into the ground and actually end up worse off than when you started. More is not always better; sometimes more is just more.

To avoid reaching a point of diminishing returns with your training, make sure everything you’re doing has a purpose. This is especially true of taxing activities like heavy strength training, high intensity interval training, and long cardio sessions. You don’t need to do these activities every single day to see results. If you’re feeling burnt out, beat up, overwhelmed by how much exercise you think you need to do each week, or frustrated by your lack of progress despite tons of effort, scale back your training. Do the most important things, take some days off of training, and cut everything else out for a while. Give your body time to rest and recover.

As a member of Strength Faction, I’ve seen the value of organizing my training week along the neurometabolic continuum. This is a fancy term that basically means you perform your most neurologically taxing activities at the start of the week and your most metabolically taxing activities at the end of the week. The first half of the week is a great time to lift really heavy weights, perform sprints, and do high intensity interval training. During the latter half of the week, get your pump on, perform higher rep sets, and do some low intensity recovery cardio. Since I started organizing my weeks like this, I’ve felt less burnt out and more capable of really pushing myself at appropriate times. Try this out to help you recover better and get more out of your training.

Not working hard enough

On the flip side of the previous point, many people aren’t seeing results because they aren’t working very hard. I’m not big on “tough love,” but I do think some people could benefit from taking an honest look at how much they’re truly pushing themselves. If you want to disrupt your current equilibrium and achieve a health and fitness goal, you need to test your limits and get out of your comfort zone.

There are many types of discomfort you can expect as you chase different goals. Building muscle requires enduring burning pain to eek out a few more good reps beyond what you thought you could do. Getting strong requires a similar kind of discomfort and focus to crush a new PR with great form. If you want to lose weight, you will certainly have to get comfortable with being a little bit hungry much of the time. The opposite is true if you want to gain weight; you’ll need to eat past the point of fullness to give your body the fuel it needs to build new tissue.

Few people want to experience these feelings for their own sake. But if you’re serious about your goals, you have to learn to embrace them. If you never feel uncomfortable, you likely need to kick your efforts up a notch. An absence of any of these feelings is a clue that you’re probably not doing the things you need to do to make progress.

If you want to receive more tools, tips, and strategies to help you get strong and feel great despite your crazy schedule, sign up for my email list here.

June 12, 2018January 21, 2020

The Best Exercise You Aren’t Doing: Single-Leg Deadlifts

A couple years ago, one of my regular clients started having knee problems. What started with a minor tweak outside the gym developed into a case of serious pain that required months of physical therapy.

While she was recovering, however, my client still wanted to get crazy strong and feel like a boss in the gym. Since many lower body exercises caused pain, we started spending a lot of time training single-leg deadlifts.

With single-leg deadlifts, my client was able to move lots of weight safely while also building strength in muscles which helped her recovery.

This is just one way to use gym workarounds to avoid pain and still chase your goals. A single awesome exercise can allow you to progress in multiple ways without restrictions.

This week’s blog post is the first in an occasional series I’ll write about great exercises you should perform more often. In this first edition, I wax poetic about why the single-leg deadlift is such a useful exercise and how you can master it despite its unique, challenging demands.

Why they’re awesome

Almost everyone can benefit from more posterior chain work. Years of sitting, running, or lower body workouts centered around squats, leg extensions, and leg presses consist of too much attention paid to your front side and too little attention paid to your back side. This can cause you to feel weak and stiff, and make you more vulnerable to injuries down the road.

The single-leg deadlift lights up the muscles on your backside like few other exercises. Beyond helping you feel better and get stronger, this builds muscle in your glutes and hamstrings. If you’re looking to build buns of steel and tree trunk legs, or just want to look more toned, you definitely need to include single-leg deadlifts in your training.

Single-leg deadlifts are also a great tool to help you improve your balance. Balance is important as we age, when recovering from certain injuries, and when training to maximize athletic performance.

Many people think they need to exercise on unstable and wobbly surfaces for balance training, however, the reality is that most situations that require balance happen on solid ground. Single-leg deadlifts teach you to stabilize your body on one leg without the risks of falling off a tool like a bosu ball.

Finally, as mentioned above, single-leg deadlifts are injury-friendly. I often use these with clients suffering from knee and back pain because they can usually be performed without pain. Readers with cranky knees may actually find performing single-leg deadlifts on a regular basis helps their knees feel better.

Learning the single-leg deadlift

One of the biggest obstacles to learning the single-leg deadlift is poor balance. Many people give up on this exercise after their first try because they hate wobbling around and feel they aren’t able to reap the full benefits of the movement.

Thankfully, there are several simple ways to practice single-leg deadlifts without taxing your balance. If you can master these variations, you’ll have a much easier time progressing to loaded variations.

You can use a slider to practice this exercise while keeping both feet on the floor. Start with this variation if you struggle with balance. Focus on feeling this in the stationary leg as much as possible by keeping a light touch on the slider.

After you’re comfortable with the slider, you can progress to lifting the back leg off the floor. I love this bench-assisted single-leg deadlift that I learned through Strength Faction.

Stand with one foot on the floor next to an incline bench. Place your opposite arm on the bench for balance. As you hinge backward, your arm slides down the bench in front of you. Reach your same side arm out in front of you to provide additional counterbalance.

Next, it’s time to nail down the position of the back leg. There are two variations I use to teach an active and straight back leg. First, position your back foot on a flat bench. Try to push your foot along the surface of the bench as you hinge backward.

You can also use a foam roller to guide the back leg through the movement. Hold the roller on top of your back foot. As you hinge, push the roller backward to guide your leg.

These two drills teach you to actively push your back heel to the wall behind you and keep your toes pointed at the ground beneath you.

Loading the single-leg deadlift

Once you’ve mastered the basic mechanics, it’s time to load the single-leg deadlift up with weights. I use a progression that moves from least balance demand to most balance demand.

The first way I load the single-leg deadlift is with a landmine. I love using the landmine as a teaching tool because it allows you to push into it to stabilize yourself if you lose your balance.

As you use more weight, or if you have small hands, it can become difficult to grasp the barbell. Lifting straps can help you load an appropriately challenging amount of weight.

Next, I have clients hold two dumbbells or two kettlebells at their sides in the suitcase position. If you want an extra challenge, you can also use a loaded barbell. Barbells and kettlebells can be set on the ground and done in a bottoms-up variation. To keep things simple, just hold the dumbbells and kettlebells in your hands and hinge back as far as you can without worrying whether or not you set them on the ground.

Finally, load the single-leg deadlift contralaterally by holding a weight in one hand on the side opposite the leg on the ground. This is the most challenging loading variation because you’ll need to use your core to resist rotation. Only attempt this variation if you feel confident in your balance and ability to execute the movement.

Want to get better at squatting and deadlifting? Download your FREE copy of my mini ebook Squat and Deadlift School below.

June 5, 2018September 13, 2018

I Only Have Two Days to Train. What Should I Do?

Even with all the time management and productivity hacks in the world, there isn’t always enough time to get everything done.

Most of my clients are high-powered professionals working in downtown Chicago. They have demanding work schedules, sometimes with little flexibility and numerous travel days every month as well as relationships, families, and active social lives.

It’s easy to put self-care on the backburner with all these obligations especially when you mistakenly think you must spend many hours in the gym to see results.

One of the most common goals I help people achieve is to increase exercise consistency (for more information and a free 5-day course, check out my #4CSystem here). If you’re like my clients, you probably don’t have hours and hours to devote to training each week. However, you still need to exercise to stay healthy, focused, and energized. And if you have any interest in changing your body or achieving a performance goal (such as helping your team win the rec softball league or squatting twice your bodyweight), consistent training is essential.

Are you doomed to mediocre progress if you can only train twice a week? How can you make the most of your limited gym time to maximize your results and not waste precious energy?

The good news is you can still get good results training twice a week. Training twice per week is much better than training zero times per week. With a few simple adjustments, you can still see progress toward your goals.

The Essentials

The first key is to have a plan or follow a program. I’ve written extensively about the value of following a smart, progressive program. Most people come to the gym with only a faint idea of what they’re going to do. This is a waste of time and does little to challenge you or stimulate growth.

There are many ways to find an appropriate program. The best solution is to hire a qualified in-person or online coach. You can also purchase DIY training programs from people you follow and respect in the industry. Some coaches and websites have free programs available. I followed free training programs for years when I was just getting started and saw great results. The most important thing is to find some kind of structure and stick with it.

Second, stop wasting time. Following a program helps because it eliminates time spent wandering around the gym looking for equipment and making split-second decisions. It’s also a good idea to leave your phone in the locker room or turn it to airplane mode if you need it for music or to track your workouts. Don’t waste half your training time answering emails, taking calls, and scrolling through social media. Focus on your workout and push yourself if you’re serious about making the most of your time.

What to do in Each Workout

If you are only training twice a week, adjusting priorities is key. Full-body workouts help you get the most bang-for-your-buck over the course of the week. These ensure you will hit each major muscle group and movement pattern at least twice every week. Two times is the bare minimum you need to get stronger or build muscle; anything less may allow you to maintain your current fitness level but won’t help you improve.

Prioritize compound movements that work many muscles and joints at once. Each workout should include at least one exercise for the following movements: squat, hip hinge, upper body push, upper body pull, and core or loaded carry. If you have time at the end, add in extra isolation work, high intensity interval training, or longer-duration cardio. However, these things are not 100 percent necessary and can be skipped if needed.

Set up your workouts to save time. I love using supersets for opposing muscle groups such as pairing a squat with an upper body pull or a deadlift with an upper body push. Supersets minimize set-up and tear-down time and allow you to take less rest between exercises. In general, I recommend keeping rest intervals short if your training time is limited. You can get away with 30-60 seconds rest between most exercises. Increase this to 90-120 seconds if you’re completing a heavy barbell lift which requires longer recovery.

What to do the Rest of the Week

Just because you’re only in the gym twice per week shouldn’t mean you completely neglect your fitness the rest of the week. If you’re serious about getting stronger, changing your body, or improving your health, find other ways to sneak activity into your week. Small changes like walking more, biking to work, taking the stairs, investing in a standing desk, or participating in active hobbies can go a long way.

If your primary goal is to lose weight or build muscle, nutrition becomes even more important with limited training time. Try tracking your food for a few weeks to learn more about your intake and determine the appropriate amount of food to move toward your goals. If you are less active and trying to lose weight, you may need to restrict your calories a bit more to see the scale go down.

Not everyone exercises to lose weight. I’ve helped dozens of clients over the years whose primary goal was to move and feel better. If this sounds like you, twice weekly training can go a long way, especially if you monitor the way you’re moving (or not moving) the remainder of the week. Pay attention to your posture and try to sit less. If you engage in repetitive movements at work, be sure to use good form.

Sample workouts

If you’re still uncertain how best to structure your training, try these two workouts. Grab a copy of Full45 for a three month program featuring two weekly full body workouts. And if you want more individualized coaching right away, fill out an application for my online training program here.

Workout A

Superset 1

Farmer carry

Dead bug

Superset 2

Goblet Squat

TRX or smith machine inverted row

Superset 3

Single-leg deadlift

Pushups

If time:

5x 10-20 second sprints on rowing machine, bike, or treadmill

Workout B

Superset 1

Pallof press

Front rack carry

Superset 2

Dumbbell romanian deadlift

Dumbbell bench press

Superset 3

Reverse lunges

Dumbbell bent over row

If time:

Alternating dumbbell curl

Rope tricep pressdown

May 22, 2018January 21, 2020

You Got Hurt. Now What?

When I was a junior in college, I fell and broke my wrist while skiing. My family would drive to Colorado every year to ski on the beautiful Rocky Mountain slopes and over the course of decades, none of us ever had a serious fall or sustained any injuries. Unfortunately, in late December 2012, my luck ran out.

broken wrist family skiing colorado — The day after the injury. I may be smiling, but I was in a lot of pain.

This injury was quite severe. My hand and wrist swelled up bigger than a softball; there was a huge fracture line and the upper corner of my ulna was shattered into tiny pieces. I needed surgery to repair the damaged bones and secure my wrist with a 2-inch titanium plate. I’ll never forget how I felt when I came out from anesthesia. I was so confused and overwhelmed that I started bawling in the recovery room!

broken wrist xray injury — My bionic arm

After surgery, I began a long recovery process to heal and regain normal use of my arm and hand. At the time I was still studying music and I needed my left arm and wrist to support my trombone. I was also well into my second year of powerlifting and anxious to get back into the gym. So I can relate the feelings of frustration many of my clients feel when dealing with injuries. I hated not being able to do the things I loved and felt like all my progress both in music and in the gym was slipping away as I worked through physical therapy.

broken wrist scar musician injury — I was so happy when I could finally hold my trombone again.

Ultimately, I was lucky to make a full recovery. I owe a lot to my talented surgeon and physical therapist. But I also followed a series of steps to ensure I was truly ready to return to my normal life without any additional setbacks.

Many of my in-person clients come to me after an injury to help them get back into the gym with a smarter, safer approach. Below are the three most important considerations I make to help these clients transition smoothly.

Make sure you’ve been fully cleared to work out.

Just because you’re itching to get back in the gym doesn’t mean you’re ready. Certain injuries, especially broken bones or anything requiring surgery, can take a long time to heal. If you return to the gym before you’re fully recovered, you risk re-injuring yourself.

If you’re still undergoing treatment or therapy, you can ensure a faster and more complete recovery by diligently performing any additional exercises assigned to you. When I broke my wrist I found this “homework” incredibly dull and annoying. But by doing it anyway, I breezed through therapy and regained full range of motion in my fingers, hand, and wrist.

On a related note, please take care of yourself and get the care you need if you think you may be injured. I’ve met with several new members at my gym who were dealing with consistent pain or limitations but for whatever reason, refused to see a doctor. I won’t work with clients like this because it’s not fair to me or to them. Your future self will thank you if you get checked out!

You can ask your doctor and/or physical therapist when they think you’ll be ready to train. When they give you the green light, you can safely return to the gym following the guidelines I’ll discuss below. If not, it’s best to wait until you’ve been fully cleared.

Train smarter

Even when you’ve been cleared for exercise, you should not jump right back into your old training regimen. This is especially true if you injured yourself working out.

Start slow and do less than you think you can in your initial workouts. Back off your weights and reduce your workout time. Don’t do anything that causes pain or has been specifically forbidden by your doctor or physical therapist. You may need to find alternative exercises for your old standbys.

For example, I work with many clients recovering from shoulder injuries. Direct overhead pressing is out of the question for these clients. However, they can still train their shoulders and use pressing movements. I work with them to master proper shoulder mechanics using rows and horizontal pushing. Next, I teach them to safely press using a landmine. You can get a great training effect using landmine pressing without the risk of pressing directly overhead. Workarounds like this exist for every conceivable injury; you just need to be smart and get creative.

Although it’s tough to generalize since injuries vary so widely, it’s usually wise to avoid barbell lifts for a while. Instead, use bodyweight exercises or load movements with bands, cables, dumbbells, and kettlebells. If after a month of training you’re feeling pretty good, then you can start adding back in your favorite barbell lifts.

Note – I wrote a whole series of blog posts about training around specific injuries, including my favorite workarounds and preventative exercises for each injury. Check them out here: Low back Part 1 and Part 2, Knees Part 1 and Part 2, Shoulders Part 1 and Part 2.

Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself.

Don’t be the person who spends all their gym time foam rolling and performing physical therapy exercises. Once you’ve been cleared to train, you will benefit more from a structured challenge than from babying yourself. Find safe opportunities within your limits to push your body and mind.

With a good training program, an eye for form, and patience, you can potentially regain much of your lost strength, mobility, and resiliency (depending, of course, on your age, the severity of your injury and the quality of the treatment you received). But if you’re perpetually scared of re-injuring yourself, you will stagnate and never get any better.

I recommend working with a qualified in-person trainer as you work your way back to full strength. It’s helpful to have a trained eye watching your form who can tell you when to push and when to pull back to avoid dangerous compensations. If you live in Chicago, please reach out to me here. If you live elsewhere, you can reach out anyway and I will try to recommend someone from my professional network.

broken wrist injury scar tattoo healing — I made the most of my injury, and you can too.

Injuries, even serious ones, aren’t a death sentence for your health and fitness goals. If you prioritize recovery and follow a structured, smart, and appropriately challenging training plan when you’re ready to return to the gym, you will still be able to push yourself and improve your life through exercise.

Want to work on squats and deadlifts without exacerbating pain and injuries? Download your free copy of my ebook Squat and Deadlift School below. I share the exact progressions and exercises I use to help clients feel strong and confident with these exercises, including ways to modify your training if you’re recovering from an injury.