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Bulletproofing Your Workout

I've made mistakes as a trainer.  This, I know.

One such example is training individuals the way I want to train them, rather than focusing on THEIR goals.  While heavy squats and deadlifts are part of what get me out of bed in the morning, I realize that's probably not the case to any sane, logical person.  And hey, that's OK with me.

The more I've learned (and dare I say, matured?) the more I realize that everyone is different.  No single exercise makes or breaks a workout or program as long as it's balanced.  So, what IS balance?

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Lifting Heavy Things Overhead

I like to think I know a thing or two about overhead pressing.​  In fact, while many get their kicks out of benching, running, wearing skinny jeans, or doing the Harlem Shake, it probably comes as no surprise that the following quote governs the way I look at life:

"The day the barbell was invented, the guy who invented it figured out a way to pick it up and shove it over his head.  After all, it IS the logical thing to do with a weight."​

​As such, I usually get a few questions about techniques, programming, and all the subtleties of lifting heavy things over one's head.  However, before we even get there, it's important to ask: should you even be lifting things over your head?

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Eating Well and Lookin' Good

Well, I've been on radio silence for a full week, but it's time to get back to business.  My head is still spinning from all the events that took place in Boston, especially Friday's day long manhunt (my girlfriend, Lindsay, heard the explosions in Watertown from our apartment....true story.)​

​In my efforts to get back to some sense of normalcy, I've been working as much as I possibly can and focusing on the fact that summer (yes, that season filled with warm days) is right around the corner.  Thus, as everyone is now thinking about how they look in their swimsuits, I've been talking to many of my clients about their diets.  After several conversations, I've noticed a trend. In trying to eat "healthy" many people forget one of the key components of a successful diet: how do you look?

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Staying Strong in Boston

I'm really not sure what to say.​

For as long as I can remember, I've tried to not to take anything too seriously.  Which, if you know me, has made me the king of many "too soon" jokes (for those that don't know what that means....it's when someone tells a bad joke, and everyone goes, "wow, too soon!")  However, the tragedy at the Boston Marathon has really had me at a loss for the past few days.

While I grew up an hour north of New York City, I will simply say that I was way too young to fully comprehend the events of 9/11.  Now, it's simply not fair to compare one tragedy to the next, but I do know that the combination of being older, finally having my frontal cortex fully developed, and being geographically closer to this attack really made this tragedy that much more different to me.

It's probably been overstated in the media the past few days, but if there's one positive we can take from this tragedy, it's the amount of heroes and good samaritans that were present in the face of danger. I will always vividly remember watching the coverage and videos of this past Monday on my TV, simply in awe of how many people responded by helping, and NOT fleeing the scene.  While I am thankful I was 4-5 miles away, I can only hope that I would have responded as bravely and courageously as all of the individuals we've seen.

While it's natural to be angry and searching for answers, this picture of Mr. Rogers has truly inspired the way I've been looking at this entire tragedy:

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We use the term "hero" very often, and probably a little too frequently.  But, I'm sure that the term "hero" can definitely be applied to those that were at Copley Square at 2:50 PM on Monday.  They are the ones who truly earned that title.

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Highlights of the First 6 Months

It's currently 70 degrees outside my apartment, baseball season is well underway, a new season of "The Voice" is on NBC, yet today is a great day for another reason...

It's the 6 month anniversary of this blog!

Now, I'm not one for big celebrations (seriously, you'll probably never find someone who dislikes throwing their own parties as much as me)​, but I thought it'd be a great time to pause, reflect, and review my past few months of writing.  Also, for those that are new to this blog, I figured it's a great chance to highlight some of my previous posts.  ​

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