Built From Strength

Barbell Philosophy: Making Your Bed

You’ve heard it from your parents: “MAKE YOUR BED!”

It’s something we’ve often heard as a kid and our parents were never shy to say it. If you were like me you became annoyed when they said it. I would often roll my eyes and think: “why does it matter…what’s the big deal? I’m just going to make it messy again when I go back to sleep.”

BUT, looking back I’m starting to understand how “making your…

4 Principles to Get MASSIVE Legs

LEG DAY.

My favorite day.

For most people — especially guys — it’s not. In fact, the opposite is true. Every other day besides leg day is a good day.

Why?

I think it’s because it’s hard. Working out your legs is hard, and doing movements like squats and deadlifts takes a lot out of you. This makes many people develop an aversion to it, so they skip it.

What happens, however, is that lots of gains…

It’s 2018 and here we go again.

New Year’s resolutions, goals, and aspirations for a better you.

It’s a little annoying since it happens every year, and all the new people crowding my gym making it hard for me to get my pump on; but, I do love the premise behind it.

I love it because it is a time where almost everyone reflects on the year they just had, so they can do better in the new one about…

Have you ever done 4 months of anything with purpose?

If you haven’t then you are missing out on some incredible things. My first 4 months on the KETOGENIC DIET has proved that and it’s worth talking about.

When I first started  the KETOGENIC DIET (August 6, 2017) it was more of an experiment than anything. I was going to participate in the diet for a full 30 days, and do it right.

And…I did. 

I…

Using Salt for More Gains

Creatine. BCAAs. Pre-workout. Test-boosters.

These are just some of the supplements in the fitness arena that aim to give you that edge during your workouts that will help you perform better in the gym to increase your GAINS.

A lot of those supplements have credence to giving you an extra “boost” to how you perform in the gym. However, there is one physicalsupplement, if you can call it that,…

3 Simple Steps to do Keto Right Outside and In the GYM

I’m 10 and half weeks in the KETOGENIC DIET and I have to say I’m quite happy about it.

Going in I was nervous and hesitant to make that commitment because I was worried my gym performance would suffer and all “my gains” would go away.

For a time they did, and I was frustrated (Click the following links to read about my updates: 3 Days In and 30 Days in KETO).

However, pushing through that…

Want to Get Bigger? Value Strength Over Aesthetics.

I hear it all the time…”I WANT TO GET BIGGER.”

I want bigger arms…I want a bigger chest…I want my shoulders to pop out of my shirt…the list goes on.

What do most people do?

They start bodybuilding.

Newbies start by doing as many curls as they can, and make the bench press their passion. It’s arm and chest day everyday of the week, and getting enough protein becomes an obsession. Results quickly…

Ketogenic Diet Part II: 30 Days In, Feeling Good, but Losing Gains?

I’ve done it!

30 days of a continuous ketogenic diet.

How has it been?

It’s been great! In fact, really easy, at least for me.

The results?

Mostly good, and some areas for concern.

During PART I, you will know I gave my first few days experience on the diet. I relayed the astounding positive energy difference I felt, but the drop in gym performance, particularly feeling flat and not as strong as…

“Is a Calorie a Calorie?” Part II: Making Dietary Adjustments

  Thanks for tuning in for PART II of my series on “Is a Calorie a Calorie?” If you missed PART I click HERE to read it.

Knowing PART I, you will know that a main factor preventing many people from weight-loss is abnormal insulin levels — either too high or a yo-yo effect disrupting normal function of the body’s biochemistry.

As a result, what can be done to rectify these energy system…

“Is a Calorie a Calorie?” Part I: Sugar, Simple Carbs, and Metabolic Syndrome

Is a calorie a calorie?

Ask any health or fitness professional and the answer is usually a resounding “YES.”

That’s because of the first Law of Thermodynamics (conservation of energy) is stated as a concrete fact as it pertains to the human body’s use of calories from food for energy, and it’s as simple as CALORIES IN EQUALS CALORIES OUT.

In case you’re unfamiliar to the Law of Conservation of…

I’ve Gone Ketoenic! Part I: Days 1-3

I’ve gone Ketogenic!

Yes, the high fat diet to ironically burn fat!

Or, at least, as Keto supporters claim.

Over the past few weeks I have slowly been transitioning. First, at tightening my fasting and eating windows (16 hours fasting and an 8 hour eating window), while simultaneously slowly decreasing my daily carbohydrate intake. Finally, this past Thursday (August 10, 2017), I made the switch…

Build a Big, Strong Back for a Big Chest and Everything Else.

I just finished listening to Mark Bell’s PowerCast, with guest Matt Wenning, and he was talking about the importance of back training.

Matt (in Part I and Part II) goes on to say that training the back is by far the most important thing (I’m paraphrasing here) to do if you want to protect your shoulders, be strong as hell, and, of course, bench big and support all your other lifts.

Matt himself,…

CONDITIONING for Strength and Muscle Gains

  We’re all going to get tired when we train, but mitigating that sense of tiredness or fatigue goes a long way.

It could mean doing that extra set or rep, in order to hit your numbers for the day without full exhaustion. This leads to more quality reps and work done, which leads to gains; not to mention reducing the chance for injury.

This is where CONDITIONING comes into play.

The better…

Warming-up for Better Gains: Why, How to do it, and What to Avoid

Being a trainer you see a lot of different people and how they approach exercise and working out in general.

One thing I see MOST people NOT doing is properly warming-up their bodies to perform the work they need to do.

This is especially true when performing resistance training, particularly for big compound lifts, such as the squat, bench press, or deadlift.

In fact, I saw 4 people jump right…

Strength Programming Update: 2017 Quarter 2 (and thoughts on your programming)

I finished my second strength programming cycle of the year, Quarter 2 of 4 (Mar thru May), and I’ve progressed, but have a lot to work on.

First, the good!

I got a new PR in the sumo deadlift at 475 pounds, with no belt, at ~187.5 pounds body-weight. I did try for 500 after (what the hell right?), but it was a no-go. What’s also good is that my back and knees feel good and that’s really…

Thoughts on Gains: Working Around Injury

Injury.

It will happen in some severity and form, regardless of how careful and measured we are in on our training.

If you read my article on sub-maximal training you will understand that things will happen despite our best efforts at preventing  it from ever happening.

This is given proper training methodologies, and doing your best to recover.  Some injuries will just occur because sometimes…

A Message to My Clients (And All Who Workout)

Dear Amazing Person,

You’re here or you’ve been here for a time. How’s it been so far? Think about it for a minute, and reflect on the journey that has lead you to this point, and what progress you have or have not had, thus far. Are you pleased with the progress, or find yourself disappointed? Maybe both?

Answer truthfully.

Based on your answer, write down what you have done good and what you…