Aside: while doing some routine maintenance on our website, I found this old post. It was the first article we published on our website. I thought it might interesting to discuss Sand & Steel then and now. Did we do accomplish what we set out to do 5 years ago? Or did market forces and new competition like Orange Theory and Fit45 force us to change?
A breaking new article from the New York Times (linked below) summarizes research that losing weight is more about eating good calories than limiting total calories. While it’s great that the New York Times is finally realizing this, the article doesn’t really explain how to analyze what is a good calorie and what’s not. Here’s how you make that determination…
Rapid Weight Loss Tips. When my clients need to lose weight quickly, I have them implement two eating rules: the 10AM Rule and 52 Hour Weekend Fast. Here’s how they work.
Mobility helps improve range of motion of tight joints and muscles, and it helps stabilize and strength areas that have too much range. This article demonstrates provides two example exercise routines for people needing additional range of motion in the hips, ankles, and thorasic spine. Plus you’ll find numerous linked articles at the bottom covering all topics associated with stretching, stabilization, yoga, and mobility.
Powerlifting is a strength based program focused on the Bench, Squat and Deadlift. In a powerlifting program, the athlete is focused on gaining strength using the prime moves of Deadlift, Bench, and Squat. By adding in variations on the main lifts (Sumo Deadlift, Romanian, or Front Squat, Incline Bench etc) and adding accessory moves (Dumbell press, Pull ups, Tate Press etc), you quickly and consistently gain overall strength. This article discuss several powerlifting programs in detail as well as how to perform several of key powerlifting exercises.
Got a Knee Injury? Here are 4 complete workouts with videos that you can do while you are recovering. These workouts are focused on conditioning to help maintain a healthy body weight.
Physical Therapy is the study and practice of helping patients restore lost motor function after an injury. Physical Therapy includes techniques like dry needling, scraping (e.g. Grastin), electrostimulation, and ultrasonics. Correctional Exercises are special exercises designed to strengthen weakened muscle groups, mobilize tight joints, and improve balance. This article highlights many of the correctional exercises and assessment techniques that both personal trainers and physical therapists use.
Paul explains how to analyze whether a carb is good, careful, or evil with 7 simple rules. Some carbs are good, some are bad, some are just plain evil when it comes to weight loss. America’s food companies take advantage of people’s lack of knowledge with products like: diet soda, bean pasta, and “low carb” bread. Are these reengineered carbs goods for weight loss?
Have you ever wondered whether detox diets work for weight loss? Do they even work at all? This FAQ covers some of the seminal aspects behind these so called detox diets and helps you make smarter decisions about removing toxins from your body.
Your metabolism will slow down if you are missing essential vitamins or minerals from your diet. In addition, Vitamin and Mineral deficiencies can increase inflammation levels, and decrease the body’s ability to repair tissue. Taking a multi-vitamin is easy, and it adds some insurance against missing an essential vitamin or mineral. Please keep in mind that taking a multivitamin is no substitute for getting your nutrition from whole food sources. Absorption from multivitamins can vary significantly.
Paul generally recommends the following 3 multivitamins for clients interested in weight loss or hypertrophy…
Sand & Steel’s latest nutrition tips and strategies. This blog post is dynamically updated as we discuss new nutrition tips and strategies based on the nutrition consultations our clients have at Sand & Steel (so bookmark it with CTRL D). We cover topics like how much soy is too much? Is artificial sugar really that bad? Does the kind of tea I drink affect weight loss? How to balance macros for improving body composition, etc. With over 8 years of nutrition and weight loss in Alexandria VA, you’ll this is a very long post.
When it comes to burning calories and improving muscle tone, running is better than walking. Running creates a superior metabolic effect burns more calories per hour and per mile. Running versus walking is more effective at building strength and generating EPOC (Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption).
But running safely requires careful attention to your biomechanics and running pattern. Is your form robust enough to run safely?
Join us as we examine some of the common running patterns that can result in injury.
What if we could find problems before they turn into injuries? And if there are injuries, what if we could track down the biomechanical source to repair those injuries? We would be better… We would train safer ….
3 Amazing Hotel Workouts that you can do in any hotel gym. Great for strength and conditioning programs.
So your favorite fitness nerd has been reading up exercises to strengthen the core after delivering a baby. I’ve read through 4 of the hottest books (and maybe 10 articles), and I’ve boiled down the advice to these 3 exercises.
Included in the article is an informational video on how to perform these exercises, plus 4 common exercises to avoid.