Fitness Focus
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...
Make This the Summer You Grow Your Glutes!
BY EBENEZER SAMUEL, CSCS We often view big arms and ripped abs as the holy grails of fitness. But forgotten in that discussion – at least until recently – has been the importance of your glutes. Now obviously, fitness Instagram...
by Dezi Abeyta, RD | SMRTFT Nutrition Writer Summer's in full swing, and so is the temptation to ditch your dietary rhythm for beer, brisket, and "vibes." But what if I told you that you can show up strong for...
Why You Need a Summer Maintenance Workout
BY EBENEZER SAMUEL, CSCS After months of training hard, it’s beach season, and you should get to enjoy it. And that means sliding away from chasing gains into maintenance mode, a training level many people don’t understand. Pulling back from...
THE 3-MOVE MOBILITY WORKOUT YOUR BODY NEEDS
BY EBENEZER SAMUEL, CSCS You've built muscle and you've built strength. But how well do you move? Meet the most underrated concept in the weight room. In general, we all love finding ways to build to superheroic aesthetics. But in...
ARE MICROPLASTICS IN YOUR FOOD?
by Dezi Abeyta, RD | Nutrition Writer | SMRTFT By now, you've probably heard the word: microplastics (MP). It sounds like clickbait, and it feels like one of those internet health trends meant to distract. But here's the uncomfortable truth:...
WHY YOU NEED TO BUILD YOUR GRIP STRENGTH!
BY EBENEZER SAMUEL, CSCS Yes, you may want big biceps, or a 300-pound bench press, or the ability to do pullups with ease. But if you want to live for decades upon decades, then you want something else too: Grip...