Green Flags When Choosing a Gym – Part II If you find a gym that has a reverse hyperextension bench, it’s definitely a go. Reverse hyperextensions target the glutes, hamstrings, and low back. Focus on squeezing your glutes to lift your legs, and stop at parallel to avoid shear

Green Flags When Choosing a Gym I did a series of videos dumping on Hammer Strength equipment, but here come some videos about the company's best machines. The Hammer Strength plate-loaded pullover is a terrific way to target your lats and build lat width. The form cue is to

Why I’m Bad at Dating Apps (and So Are You) I made it to the end of another dating app today, meaning I swiped through every profile in my city and selected age range, and arrived at the loading screen where there’s nothing left. I always congratulate myself for being so

Turn Any Cardio Into HIIT for Maximum Benefits High intensity interval training,compared to steady state, produces faster improvements in cardiovascularfitness and stronger metabolic effects like greater insulin sensitivity. With a little creativity you canturn almost any

The Dog at the Gym After growing up in the suburbs, I am having a novel experience here in urban Miami. Dog owners take their dogs wherever they go — into the drug store, the supermarket, even restaurants. Nobody seems to notice or care. Either we live in a new culture where

Red Flags When Choosing a Gym – Part IV When it comes to selecting gym equipment, it’s often obvious that neither the manufacturer nor the gym ever actually tried out the machine. Take this Hammer Strength leg press. There’s a missing piece of the platform right where I want to

Red Flags When Choosing a Gym – Part III When it comes to selecting gym equipment, it’s often obvious that neither the manufacturer nor the gym ever actually tried out the machine. Take this Hammer Strength leg press machine. The engineers designed it so that there’s a missing

Red Flags When Choosing a Gym – Part II When it comes to selecting gym equipment, it’s often obvious that neither the manufacturer nor the gym ever actually tried out the machine. Take this Hammer Strength seated calf raise. The engineers designed it so that part of the release

Red Flags When Choosing a Gym One way gyms try to do things on the cheap is to install flat benches that can also be converted into an incline bench. The result is an unstable platform that disrupts dumbbell bench presses and also doesn’t hold you in place for incline presses.

When the Gym is Packed … Do This For Glutes In a crowded gym, if you can find a heavy kettlebell and a patch of floor, you can do a killer workout for your glutes and hamstrings. Start the RDL hinge by thrusting your hips back, like you’re closing a dresser drawer. Then, lock

When The Gym Is Packed … Do This For Legs The shrimp squat is great not only for strength and balance, but also because it can be done anywhere, even in a crowded gym. You can use a yoga block like I do to make the range of motion more manageable, and it also as a target.

When The Gym Is Packed … Do This Quads As long as you can find one heavy dumbbell, you can do goblet squats anywhere in the gym. A wide but comfortable stance eliminates any back strain, and you should start each rep with a hinge movement — shoving your hips back, not down.

When The Gym Is Packed … Do This For Hamstrings Today I wanted to do hamstring curls, but both machines were in use. So I slipped off my shoes and did single leg Romanian deadlifts. Push your big toe down and extend your free leg towards the opposite wall. It’s plenty intense

When The Gym is Packed … Do This For Traps Traps are easier to get in even in a crowded gym, but if all you have is a patch of floor, drop down and do prone scapular retractions.  This movement works the traps, upper back, and posterior deltoids. It is a key muscle group for

My Awkward Miami Cold Plunge Encounter When I signed up last month at a new cold plunge spa, I asked them if they had any requirements for what can be worn (or more accurately, must be worn). Just as receiving sunlight directly on your privates helps stimulate testosterone

When the Gym is Packed … Do This to Build Big Arms When you’re trying to build arms and every machine is in use, consider dropping to the floor and doing diamond (or close-grip) push-ups. The close hand position targets the long and lateral heads of the triceps, which are the

When the Gym is Packed … Strengthen Your Tibialis Anterior No matter what machines are in use, the gym can’t stop you from heel walking, a simple exercise where you walk forward on your heels with your toes lifted off the ground.  This exercise targets the tibialis anterior —

Gym Multitasking and the New Age of Fitness I am striving at the gym to be less judgmental and more open minded. When I see somebody doing something absurd, I ask myself: Is this ridiculous, or is it a different kind of mastery? For example, I am always impressed by the guys

When the Gym is Packed … Do This for Rear Delts Rear delts generally require cables or a machine, but the rear delt bar press uses only a barbell. For this exercise, you don’t want to swing the bar or use momentum. Keep it smooth and let your rear delts do the work.

When the Gym is Packed … Do This for Calves When all the seated calf raise machines are taken, you can still work the outside of your calves with a standing bent-knee calf raise. You should try to come up as high as you can at the top of each rep, directly working the soleus