Fitness Focus
The Winter Nutrition Strategy Athletes Rely On
by Dezi Abeyta, RD | SMRTFT Dietitian Writer When sunlight levels drop, your body’s rhythm shifts, hormones shift, energy dips, and cravings creep in. And if you want to perform your best, you need to understand why. The reason energy...
How (and When) to Use Combo Exercises
BY EBENEZER SAMUEL, C.S.C.S. Basic fundamental exercises (think: bench presses and deadlifts and pushups) are the best road to muscle and strength. But every so often, you need to mix things up. That’s where combo exercises can play...
Three Underrated Exercises for Biceps Growth
BY EBENEZER SAMUEL, CSCS From hammer curls to standard dumbbell curls, the basics can build plenty of biceps and forearm strength. But every so often, it pays to mix up those basics. Smartly changing up your arm training allows you...
The Art of Sleep-Maxxing During the Fall
by Dezi Abeyta, RD | SMRTFT Dietitian Writer Your sleep almost certainly feels off right now. There’s a reason for that. Every fall, mornings get darker, nights stretch longer, and even when you're training hard, it all just feels heavier....
3 Underrated Exercises For Marathoners
BY EBENEZER SAMUEL, CSCS The leaves are turning, the temps are cooling – and marathon season is here. But no, that doesn’t mean putting down the weights, because smart strength training can set you up for bigger PRs and...
Should You Try Starbucks’ Protein Foam?
by Dezi Abeyta, RD | SMRTFT Dietitian Writer Aaaaand…the protein era has hit the coffee bar. Coffee culture, please meet gym culture. Starbucks just launched a new “protein-powered” lineup, and this can be a game-changer for your morning wakeup beverage....
Can You Pass These Simple Strength Tests?
BY EBENEZER SAMUEL, CSCS You’ve been hitting the gym. You train hard. You eat right. But just how strong are you? Every single person out there loves knowing this. A good strength test simultaneously gives you something to shoot...
BUILD YOUR DREAM RECOVERY BOWL
by Dezi Abeyta, RD | SMRTFT Dietitian Writer The fall is always grind mode: Marathon prep, trail runs, local comps, all of it. The mornings are cooler, the runs get longer, and your body is straight up asking for something...
CAN YOU SURVIVE THIS 75-REP TOTAL-BODY CRUSHER?
BY EBENEZER SAMUEL, CSCS There are times you want to be on a coordinated workout plan. And sometimes, you just want to go hard, lift heavy things, and truly push your physical horizons. This workout is for the latter occasion,...
How Caffeine and Carbs Help Your Running
by Dezi Abeyta, RD | SMRTFT Dietitian Writer Marathon season's here, and that means new shoes, lighter watches, and shiny training logs. We love the gear, too. But when the gun goes off, two things will make or break the...
FITNESS FOCUS: Why You Need to Master the Split Stance
BY EBENEZER SAMUEL, CSCS Life rarely lets us evenly distribute our weight in both legs so we can stand perfectly symmetrically. Whether we’re playing sports or playing with the kids or playing around in the kitchen while making dinner, more...
THIS FALL RECOVERY SMOOTHIE COVERS EVERY BASE
by Dezi Abeyta, RD | SMRTFT Nutrition Writer The basic protein shake works just fine, helping you build muscle and recover. But if you truly want to protect your gut, your immune system, your recovery, your performance and much more,...
THREE DEADLIFT VARIATIONS FOR LEG MUSCLE
BY EBENEZER SAMUEL, C.S.C.S. Yes, everyone should have some form of a deadlift in their training. But no, not everyone needs to deadlift the same way. For as much as I champion trap bar deadlifts and heavy deadlifts, if you...
The Lowdown on Heart Rate Variability
by Dezi Abeyta, RD | SMRTFT Nutrition Writer Most people step on the scale to gauge their progress. But that number only tells you how heavy you are in that moment. And despite what you may think, that can’t help...
THE ULTIMATE 10-MINUTE AB WORKOUT
BY EBENEZER SAMUEL, C.S.C.S. There’s nothing quite like a good 10-minute abs workout. Yes, if you truly want to reveal a chiseled midsection, it’s mostly about diet and training your larger exercises (think: squats and bench presses). But a good...
By Dezi Abeyta, RD | SMRTFT Nutrition Writer Not every trend equals performance gains. Let's call it like it is. The algorithm is a hype machine, and it makes recovery promises seem like magic. Two cases in point: The cold...
THE BEST BEGINNER EXERCISES FOR BIG ARMS
By EBENEZER SAMUEL, CSCS You've done plenty of biceps curls and triceps pressdowns. But for some reason, your arms still aren't growing. I get it. And I've been there. For years, I did every dumbbell arm exercise I could think...
How to Have a Beer and STILL Build Muscle
by Dezi Abeyta, RD | SMRTFT Nutrition Writer It's the summer. And between cookouts and parties and BBQs and outdoor get-togethers, you're going to want to have a few beers. And we get it. We want to help you have...