Hate Cardio?

I love cardio. Most people do not. This article over on The PT DC has a good look at why cardio is important (you probably live longer and better) and ways to make it less hateful if you don't enjoy doing it.

Don't Hate Cardio, Fix It

Heat or Ice?

Dr. Jared Cooper, the physical therapist I personally go to, is a wealth of valueable information.

In this video he covers heat vs. ice.

"Ice it!" was the answer to everything for as long as I can remember.

Then, not that long ago, the answer was, "Ice is bunk! It doesn't do anything!"

Naturally, the answer is more complicated than "only heat" versus "only ice." They both have their specific uses.

Ice vs. Heat

Sleep Improvement by Joel Jamieson

Joel Jamieson put up an excellent post on sleep and how to improve it to improve fitness.



Give it a look, I think it has valuable information - especially if you've never looked at sleep quality improvement as a path to better health.

Article Review - 3 Strength Exercises Everyone Should Do

You can't really go wrong with the recommendations in this article:

The Three Strength Exercises Everyone Should Do

1) Loaded Carries - simple, and there are so many ways to do them.

2) Trap Bar Deadlift - technically easier than the deadlift, and most trap bars come with higher handles to deal with deadlifting with restricted mobility. I use this as my main heavy bilateral lift with my clients. I only teach straight bar deadlifts to people who need to straight bar deadlift for other reasons. If all you need to do is get stronger, we keep with the trap bar.

3) Squats - some variation of the squat is critical. I generally teach a lunge, though, rather than a traditional squat. If you can trap bar deadlift, and you can lunge, you can pretty much execute most daily life movements while utilizing what you've built in the gym. Still, a lunge is ultimately a single-leg variation of a squat.

Good stuff from Greg Nuckols.

Don't Choke

The Guardian put up an very interesting article about choking in sports:

Under Pressure: Why Athletes Choke

If you're training, the takeaways are:

- Have a routine to calm yourself under stress

- Don't rush when you're under stress

- Train under conditions that more closely match competition.

When I did my first grappling tournament, despite my prior experience fighting MMA, I was very nervous. I went out, and my coach said, "Just like class." And it was, really. I just had to realize that yeah, it was just like class. Nothing new. No surprises. I'd been doing untimed rounds against grapplers better than me and larger than my weight class for months. My opponent had nothing that I hadn't encountered before - that's what I had to tell myself. And it worked, because, hey, it really was "just like class."

I found it a good read, and valuable even if you aren't going to compete.

Online Nutrition Coaching

I have just launched my online nutrition coaching practice.

Peter's Pro Coach

I'm taking on a very limited number of clients to start with, so contact me right away if you're ready to get control of your nutrition habits!

What Everyone Thinks My Job Is

 I'm pretty sure that this is what everything thinks when I tell them I'm a personal trainer:

Not exactly accurate, but I can't argue with Ranier Wolfcastle or Homer Simpson.