Let’s be honest—knowing what weights to use in the gym can be really confusing.  Should we test our strength and then build everything off of those numbers?  Well, what about the exercises we didn’t test, because we couldn’t possibly test them all, right?  Or what if we felt great the day we tested, but crappy...Read More

A question I’m sometimes asked, especially by newer members to the gym, is why we don’t train to failure while lifting. Based on prior experiences, or maybe things they read in a magazine, many people believe that training to failure is the best way to make a muscle grow, or to become stronger. But, is...Read More

Would you like to know about a secret “hack” in the fitness world that easily and instantly sheds pounds of body fat, or adds lean muscle mass? So would I! But, since we’re in the real world and that doesn’t exist, how would you like to learn about a method of training that helps you...Read More

Are you ready to barbell squat or barbell deadlift day one at the gym? How about do push-ups from the floor or chin-ups? How do you know? At BSP NOVA, it’s a rarity to have our members barbell squatting or deadlifting on their first day. This is not only because for most people that’s not...Read More

“Life has it’s ups and downs. We call them squats.” -Anonymous   Last week I wrote about arguably the most important movement pattern to learn, the hip hinge. Another valuable movement pattern is the squat, and for similar reasons as to the hip hinge. We not only squat to accomplish some daily tasks (sitting down...Read More

What is a hip hinge? Why does everyone at BSP NOVA learn to hip hinge, and why is it useful? How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? The answers to those questions and more will be provided in this blog (okay, not the Tootsie Pop one). The...Read More

The hip hinge is one of the most fundamental human movements we teach at BSP NOVA, and we utilize it in many ways. We perform a hip hinge when we deadlift, jump, bent over row, or pose in a Hooters outfit (sorry Greg). A properly performed hip hinge allows us to use our hips to...Read More

I’d also add that “hopefully” we all do it. If you’re not currently breathing then please seek medical help before continuing further. Now that the bad joke is out of the way, let’s all take a deep BREATH before we continue…   Breathing is something that all of us do every day. The number of...Read More

Alignment, or posture while weightlifting, is like a good milkshake… because it brings all the boys to the yard.  Wait—umm, that’s not what I meant—let’s try again.  Alignment is like good punctuation, because when and how we use punctuation is crucial.  For example, good punctuation can save lives:       The same thing goes...Read More

Whether you’re chasing your first pull-up, trying to add weight to your deadlift, or press a heavy kettlebell over your head, this simple technique can instantly increase your strength (for reals). And I know what you’re thinking, “Here comes the latest gimmick in the training world…,” but you must have forgotten who we are—no gimmicks...Read More