Cool Down: Stretching & SMR
Building an effective cool down routine and the fitness benefits of self-myofascial release and static stretching.
FITSTRA
Fitness & Nutrition Guides
Brain Gains & Exercise Education
Fitstra Guides are education focused, research based fitness articles that dive into the science behind major exercise/nutrition topics and are written to be easily understood – you don’t need a STEM degree to follow along. The posts below explore the ‘why’ and ‘how’ behind the all Fitstra programming and provide you with the tools to design your own exercise routines. Think of my site as an ebook – these Guides are the chapters and the Programs are fully developed examples of the exercise concepts that you can follow or just use as starting points to build/tweak your own workouts.
As a personal trainer, I enjoy coaching form and movement mechanics, but teaching larger exercise science concepts is what really interests me. Guides allow me to transition from instructor to educator and cover a bit of the science involved in fitness. Teaching others also requires me to stay on top of my own education by keeping an open mind and learning from whoever and whatever I can.
Use these guides and the recommendations in them to steer you in the right direction for your own programming, but know that there’s more than one way to reach any exercise goal. Experiment by manipulating different variables. Find out what works best for you. Share what you discover. Have fun.
Fat Loss Programming
How we lose weight through cardiovascular exercise and an easy to follow, research based guide for fat loss programming.
Finding the Best Personal Trainer
How to choose the best personal trainer for your needs and assess trainer compatibility/competency during a consultation.
Gym Selection, Etiquette, & Expectations
A beginner’s guide to facility selection, exercise etiquette, equipment use, and what to expect on your first day at a gym.
Hydration & Exercise Performance
The side effects of dehydration on different training styles and how to estimate your daily required water intake.
Nutrition: Fueling For Fitness
How nutrition habits affect exercise performance and research based dietary strategies to help maximize muscle growth, efficiently lose fat, and get the most out of your workouts.
Strength & Hypertrophy: A Programming Guide
The very basics of strength/hypertrophy training and how to design an effective, research based weight training program.
Warming Up: Why & How
The exercise performance benefits of warming up and how to build your own effective routine.
Help Fitstra Grow
Did I get a fact wrong? Spy some bad grammar or a spelling mistake? Is there a topic you want more information on that I rushed through? Let me know how I can improve.
We all get better by learning from and correcting our mistakes. Constructive criticism is always welcomed.