The Underutilized Secret of Abs That Pop!

How many of us have asked our trainer, fit friend, or the internet.com, “How do you get abs?!”. After asking the age old question, how many times have we heard the tired adage, “Abs are made in the kitchen!” I am sure we have all heard this answer at one point if not many times…

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Why Do We Deload?

Any legitimate strength program should incorporate a Deload Week. Most programs are usually three weeks hard, one week at 50% or so. The reason we do this is to let the body recover,  so we can continue to lift hard and heavy. It’s been proven time and time again, that Deload Weeks are a huge…

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Coach Coop’s Food Tracking Method

Disclaimer: If you are new to tracking calories and macros and are working with a new nutrition coach, do exactly what they tell you to do, in exactly the way they tell you to do it. This article is for those who have been tracking their nutrition numbers for a while with some sort of…

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5 Nutrition Tips From the Worst Cook EVER

5 Nutrition Tips From the Worst Cook EVER What do you eat? What type of recipes do you like? Do you always only eat chicken, rice and veggies? Is cake okay? Is beer okay? These are the most common questions I get asked daily. The list goes on and on. Starting a habit is a…

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Pre, Intra, and Post Nutrition: Why It Matters

Pre, Intra, and Post Nutrition: Why It Matters The Importance of Pre-Workout Nutrition Sustains energy Boosts performance Provides the body with circulating amino acids Preserves muscle glycogen, minimizing muscle damage and breakdown Stimulates the release of insulin (anabolic hormone) Aids in recovery What to eat and when to eat it? The main components of a…

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Sugar Truths – Is Sugar Addictive?

Is sugar addictive? If so, is it the glucose or fructose portion? What is the mechanism of addiction? Just about anything is addictive. Whether or not that is positive of negative depends on the context. For example, exercise is just as addictive as Tobacco. Both sugar and exercise produce endorphins like dopamine, which gives us…

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“Not Your Normal Chicken & Rice” Recipe

Greek Chicken Bowl I love Mediterranean food! There something so delicious about simple ingredients working together to make a nutritious and filling meal. When it comes to meal prepping, I have a tendency to get stuck in the familiar and make the same thing every week, e.g. sweet potatoes, chicken, broccoli, rice and brussels sprouts.…

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Back to Basics: Foundational Strength & Training Specificity

Back to Basics:  Foundational Strength & Training Specificity When I use the term, foundational strength, I’m referring to what many call general physical preparedness (GPP). I don’t call it this to be different, it just makes more sense in my head. In my own words, foundational strength can be defined as this: the prerequisite physical…

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No Time? No Problem – 3 Quick “On The Go” Workouts

Quick “On the Go” Workouts Make sure you warm up properly before starting any workout! Get your heartrate up with an incline walk on the treadmill, light jog, or biking for 5-10 minutes. Be sure to stretch before and after your workout! These workouts are made to be quick and easy, but also challenging and…

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Leptin & Insulin in hunger and satiety

Leptin & Insulin in hunger and satiety   The hormonal factors involved in weight loss place both physiological and psychological action on the human body to regulate body weight.   Specifically, the two hormones leptin and insulin are crucial modulators of our physiology and our psychology that sometimes make fat loss more challenging to maintain. The…

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