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…

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…

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…

Woman holding 45 lb plate in front of squat rack

9 Reasons Strength Training Is Essential For Optimal Health

Muscle plays a significant role in your long-term health, fitness, longevity, and even your ability to ward off disease and infection. Yet the vast majority of Americans do little to no strength training. Investing three to five hours per week, lifting weights and doing other movements that challenge your muscles, … Keep reading…

Brandon Wallace VIGOR Training Success Story

Brandon Wallace’s Success Story

Consistency, confidence, community, and don’t over think it! These lessons helped me transform from 246 pounds., 33 percent body fat, and 45-inch waist to 194 pounds, 12 percent body fat, and a 32-inch waist. That’s 52 pounds and 14 inches in just 8 months! A special thanks to Brandon for … Keep reading…

Guy doing barbell back squats

Dumb Advice: Change Your Workouts To Keep Your Body Guessing

Without question, the dumbest advice any trainer has ever said is…”you need to keep changing things up and keep your body guessing.” This ridiculousness is still getting passed around from one wannabe fitness “expert” to another. In reality, it’s flat-out wrong. You Need Progressive Resistance In every other area of … Keep reading…

Sore Back When Squatting

Why You’re Sore Where You Shouldn’t Be

“I want to do squats but they hurt my back.” “Every time I do bench press, it hurts my shoulders.” Do you ever get sore somewhere that you weren’t really training the day before? Maybe your back has more delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) than your legs after a leg … Keep reading…

How much weight to use and reps to do | VIGOR Training

How much weight? How many reps?

Somewhere between what your ego would have you do, and your body wants to do, there’s a middle ground of enough weight to make progress, and not so much that you’re going to get hurt. As long as you work within the boundaries I set in whichever VIGOR Training program … Keep reading…