Articles and Essays

Catch up on my latest articles and essays on faith, fitness, and fortitude.

Woman doing bent-over rows or power cleans in gym

Eccentric Exercise: More Muscle and Strength with Less Wear and Tear

When used appropriately, eccentric exercise helps you build more muscle and improves strength while giving your joints a break from the grind of concentric-focused, traditional strength training workouts. Unfortunately, eccentric training is often overlooked and underutilized.  In this article, I’ll answer the following questions: I’ll explain how to combine eccentric … Keep reading…

Is Hydrogen-Rich Water Good for You? | Tom Nikkola

Is Hydrogen-Rich Water Good For You?

When someone asks you about a natural health product you haven’t heard of, what is your gut response? For many years, mine was, “If I haven’t heard of it, it must not be that good.” I thought I knew of all the natural products that actually worked. My ego often … Keep reading…

Overweight Man on Treadmill

Can you lose weight without cardio?

Can you lose weight without doing cardio? Should you even do cardio as part of a weight loss program? If you asked the average person how to lose weight, they’d tell you, “eat fewer calories and do lots of cardio.” Heck, if you asked the average, inexperienced personal trainer, he … Keep reading…

Woman in cast and on crutches at the gym | Why you should workout while injured | Tom Nikkola

Why You Should Workout While Injured

In almost all cases, if you exercise after getting injured, you’ll recover faster, avoid unnecessary weight gain, and maintain better well-being than if you use your injury as an excuse to become sedentary. I’ve met many people over the years who explained they got injured years ago, stopped exercising, and … Keep reading…

Woman in red dress holding tangerines in front of her

Tangerine Essential Oil, Sedation, Sleep, and Focused Thinking

According to a new study published in the journal Molecules, inhalation of diluted tangerine (Citrus tangerina) essential oil causes sedative-like effects and decreases the time it takes to fall asleep. It also indicates the inhalation of undiluted tangerine EO enhances focused thinking. Ten men and ten women participated in the … Keep reading…

Headshot of Joe Biden on stage

4 Reasons I’m Grateful For The Democrat Party

Whichever side of the political spectrum you find yourself on, you can probably find something to be grateful for from the other side. That might sound impossible when you’re overwhelmed with anger, fear, frustration, or bitterness toward the other side. But if you set aside your emotions and think logically, … Keep reading…

Mix of vitamins in a cup with white background | The Best Multivitamins

The Best Multivitamins for Men and Women

A high-quality multivitamin is the first supplement I recommend out of my Foundational Five. In the time it takes to swallow the capsules, you significantly increase your total nutrition intake for the day. As important as they are, I’m often surprised by how few people understand the importance of taking … Keep reading…

Woman about to eat raw steak

How much protein do I need to build muscle?

How much protein do I need to build muscle? How much should I eat to maintain it later in life? Without question, the amount of protein you eat each day can have long-lasting effects on your health, fitness, and longevity. To build muscle (or maintain it later in life), at … Keep reading…

Sliced onion on a white counter

N-acetylcysteine (NAC): Benefits, Usage, and Side Effects

N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) is one of those supplements many people have heard of, but few understand. From supporting immune function to detoxification, and healthy mood to inflammation, NAC provides numerous health benefits. N-acetylcysteine is an amino acid found in onions and eggs. Like l-theanine, it’s considered a non-proteinogenic amino acid, meaning … Keep reading…

Man stretching on his deck

Why are my muscles so tight?

Whether you’re a couch potato or a fitness fanatic, all of us deal with tight, stiff muscles from time to time. But what causes muscle tightness? Is it good or bad? What exercises, therapies, or muscle rubs reduce muscle tightness? What is muscle tightness? When most people describe “tight muscles,” … Keep reading…