Articles

Whether you are looking to build big traps or fix your posture, shrugs can help! I know for me (someone who sits at a desk all day) … shrugs are an essential part of my routine.

They’re also a super easy exercise that virtually anyone can do. It’s great for those who work desk jobs or spend a good portion of their day hunched over like me. Nowadays, there aren’t many of us who don’t!

However, this poor posture can lead to muscle imbalances in your upper body which could lead to upper-crossed syndrome. This is when the muscles of your shoulders are pulled forward in an unnatural way.

There are a lot of different corrective exercises you can do to avoid [...]

Everyone knows if you want big legs, squats are going to help. It’s a heavy and difficult exercise that targets your quads, hamstrings, and glutes very well. You’ll even get your back, core, and several other muscles engaged as well.

Squats are also a very functional exercise. Most of us sit down and stand up every single day. Heck, some of us even have to squat down to pick things up off the ground often as well.

Squatting can help with your daily movement as a whole while helping you build plenty of muscle in your lower body.

However, squats aren’t for everyone out there. For some people, loading up a bunch of weight on their back may not be the best idea. I know it [...]

Creatine and whey protein have both been continuing to grow in popularity over the past decade. For the most part, these products are both marketed as great ways to build muscle and improve your performance.

But, the question remains: Which is better for building muscle … whey protein or creatine? A lot of people also wonder which one is worth taking over the other.

The truth is, both products are great tools you can utilize to build muscle. In my personal opinion, you should be taking both!

However, which one you prioritize over the other will really [...]

Nothing screams Christmas or the holidays more than peppermint flavored everything! Or at least ... I like to think so.

I'm a huge peppermint gal, and because of that, I decided to put together a delicious, high-protein peppermint cookie recipe. That way, you and the rest of the family have a sweet treat for the holiday season that won't [...]

Everybody is always looking for a hack. While I am a firm believer that these don’t really exist … weightlifting is about as close as you can get to a "hack" when it comes to your health and fitness goals.

After all, lifting heavy weights can do so much more for you than just building muscle.

With that being said, you may be wondering, ”What are the benefits of lifting heavy weights?” The answer is quite a few!

Let's take a deeper dive into these benefits and talk about [...]

Walking is an excellent way for people to get out and breathe some fresh air. You just feel better (physically and mentally) if you get outside and go for a stroll.

In addition to that, being active and moving will find itself on the top 10 list of nearly everyone’s “To Do” to improve health. Consistent walking is well-established to increase health in addition to also burning a few calories while you are out and about.

A recent study was published in the Journal of Applied Physiology that examined the impact of doing increasing amounts of walking on how your body [...]

If you want bigger, stronger, or more defined shoulders, don't skip lateral raises!

Do them right and lateral raises can be crazy effective for muscle building. Do them enough and it may even transform your overall look!

What is cool about them is that there is more than one way to do them. There are plenty of modifications in order to make them easier, harder, or change the emphasis.

If you’re ready to learn more about lateral raises and put in the [...]

We all love a good stuffed potato. The problem is, the combination of sour cream, bacon, and cheese is certainly not great for reaching your health and fitness goals.

The good news is, you can still enjoy stuffed potatoes and see results. With this high-protein recipe, you'll be able to enjoy a delicious turkey-stuffed sweet potato any day of the week.

Each stuffed potato has 23 grams of protein and [...]

So you want to lose body fat and get shredded? Me too. I think pretty much everyone does because having low body fat is a very attractive physical quality. On top of that, it’s also a sign of health and vitality.

Anyone who says they don’t care to be more attractive, personally, I think is lying.

We all want to look good, and we all want to feel good. Unless you’re at an unhealthy low level of body fat, losing body fat can and will help you do that.

Whether you want to step on stage at a bodybuilding show, or you [...]

Building muscle is simple, but I wouldn’t call it easy. Trust me, I’ve been focused on building muscle for the majority of my life.

I spent years searching textbooks and the internet learning as much as I could store in my head. I'd ask my college professors questions and would experiment with my own training to see what worked.

It took me a while to understand how important it is to eat the right way. Believe it or not, it’s not only about how effective your workouts are. If you're looking to build muscle, you’ve come to the right place.

I’m going to teach you exactly what you need to know [...]

Training the glutes isn't just for those who are looking to turn heads in their favorite pair of pants. A well-rounded backside is a characteristic of a strong, functional human.

The glutes are responsible for keeping us upright and stabilizing the pelvis and lower leg. The glutes also play a major role in walking, running, jumping, and many other athletic movements.

Whether you’re trying to build that bubble butt, be the strongest in the gym, or simply move better … you gotta grow those glutes!

Let’s take a look at the anatomy of the glutes, a few of the best glute [...]

Cheesecake is one of my absolute favorite desserts. I'm sure a lot of you can say the same too.

But, when you have health and fitness goals ... Cheesecake doesn't come around often. Or at least, it shouldn't come around often!

That's why I knew I needed to make a high-protein recipe to keep my cheesecake cravings in check. The result was a recipe that I know you'll love too.

Give this high-protein blueberry cheesecake [...]

When it comes to getting the best pre-workout, you need the best ingredients. If you’re looking to get the best pump, you should definitely look into getting one with citrulline in it.

I mean, it’s a great ingredient that works well when it comes to giving you the muscle pump you’re looking for!

However, there is more than one form of citrulline out there, and not every company uses the same form. So which citrulline is the best?

That’s what I’m here to help you [...]

The supplement market has continued to grow over the last several years and for good reason. Health and fitness have become a priority in most people’s lives.

I will say, there are some supplements out there that claim to do it all without any real benefits to speak of. There are also others that have a bunch of evidence showcasing their effectiveness.

One of the latter supplements is creatine. Creatine is an extremely popular supplement, and it’s no surprise why. It has been shown time and time again to boost performance in those who use it regularly.

On top of that, there are quite a few different forms of creatine [...]

There are a bunch of reasons why someone may want to add shoulder workouts into their exercise routine. They may want to look a certain way … They may want to perform better in sports … Or they may even be trying to get stronger.

No matter what the reason is, building strength in your shoulders can be super beneficial.

When I first started on my health and wellness journey, one of the toughest things to navigate was deciding which exercises to do. This was especially true during my shoulder workouts.

I would actually decide what workouts to do based [...]

When you think of training, what do you think of? Some of us think about strength training. Some of us think about training for a marathon. Some of us may even think about training for sports or other cardio activities.

But … how many of us think about mobility training? The truth is, probably not enough of us.

Mobility exercises are a great way to improve your range of motion all around. Plus, mobility training may also have the potential to increase the quality of your life!

Now, many people think that flexibility and mobility are the same [...]

Do you ever get tired in the middle of a workout? Or maybe you have days when the weights feel heavier or the workout seems harder for no reason? I know I sure have!

Nothing feels worse than picking up a weight that you’re used to warming up with and it feels heavy! At the same time, there’s nothing fun about running out of gas much earlier than you normally do during a workout.

Almost every time this happens to me, it's because I haven’t eaten or I haven’t eaten enough.

This is why so many athletes make sure they have a pre-workout [...]

Vitamins and minerals play key roles in your body. Really, we can’t live without them!

Vitamins and minerals work together in order to help support your body in a number of ways. This is everything from your immune system to your metabolism, energy, and so much more.

However, some vitamins and minerals can be hard to come by. Because of this, deficiencies can be quite common. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that more than 2 billion people are deficient in some form of micronutrients (1).

Among these vitamins, vitamin D is one of the most commonly deficient. I was shocked to find out that even I had a vitamin D [...]

If you walk into any commercial gym during busy hours, I can almost guarantee you one thing. At least a handful of people will be doing arm workouts.

It’s a very popular muscle group to focus on, and arguably the most common one too…

But why is that?

Well, the first muscle group many people notice when they see you are your arm muscles. If you want to get noticed by your peers then it isn’t a bad [...]

Have you heard someone say something like this before: “You shouldn’t eat before you sleep, it’s not good for you.” Or maybe you’ve heard, “If you eat after 7 PM, you will gain weight.”

The good news is that both are these statements are false! Shocking, right? We hear so many misconceptions when it comes to nutrition and bedtime.

The truth is, your body does a lot of things while you’re asleep. It doesn’t just shut off like your phone does. As you may guess, all these body processes, while you’re asleep, require calories. That means you burn calories while you’re sleeping.

So you can definitely eat right before bed, as long as it fits [...]

“Cutting” is a word you’ll hear about often when it comes to health and fitness. But, what exactly does “cutting” mean, and what is it referring to?

Well, cutting actually just means losing weight or body fat. Losing weight is the end goal for a lot of people. Or at least, that’s what it is when most people get started with their health and fitness journey.

Chances are, you’ve probably been in a “cutting” phase at some point. Most of us have been.

If you’re looking to cut, you should be adhering to a cutting diet. This is [...]