I get asked a lot: “what are the best exercises for tightening up the abs? No *one* exercise is going to help you trim fat from your belly and tighten it up. You could literally do crunches every single day for months and not see an inch go away from around your torso. The good news is that there are some strategies that can help you burn your belly fat—but crunches aren’t going to do it for you. Read more here to learn how to eat and exercise to start making progress!

It's no secret that when it comes to losing weight, there are a variety of factors that come into play - including exercise, sleep, stress levels, and more. However, when it comes down to it, though, the majority of fat loss really does come down to managing what you eat. Read more to learn some starting tips for managing your calorie intake to get your body burning fat!

Improving your heart health is one of the most important aspects of getting in shape. Your heart and cardiovascular system are responsible for getting oxygen and nutrients throughout your body both in and out of the gym. Having a strong heart will allow you to train and recover more effectively from your workouts. The best way to improve your heart health is to live an active lifestyle and move frequently throughout every day. In your workouts, you can maximize gains in your heart health by doing cardiovascular exercise (or “cardio”).

In weight training, a great way to get a sense of your strength levels is to test your maxes. A max is the maximum amount of weight that you can lift in a set of between 1 and 5 repetitions of a single exercise. The most common way of testing maxes is to find a 1 rep max (1RM). This is the maximum amount of weight you can lift in a specific exercise 1 time. This number can be helpful for determining what weight you should train within your normal training sessions. Depending on the goal of your program, experts recommend training with different percentages of your 1RM with various rep ranges. Check out these step-by-step instructions for testing your maxes.

Many people mistakenly think that doing tons of biceps curls and tricep kickbacks will make their arms look more “toned” and strong. But in reality—it’s the shoulders that really make the arms pop! Training the shoulders is not only important for developing sculpted-looking arms. It’s also a key part of training for injury prevention. Check out my training tips for incorporating shoulder work into your weekly training routine as well as 10 example exercises with demo videos!

When it comes to building muscle, exercise is just one piece of the puzzle. Proper nutrition also plays a crucial role in supporting muscle growth and recovery. In this post, I’ll share my training advice for how to eat to maximize your gains, including how many calories to eat, how much protein to get in, and how to eat a nutrient-dense diet. Click here to read more.

I tell my clients all the time: “What you eat is just as important as how you exercise—no matter what your fitness goals are.” To perform best in your workouts and maximize your gains, you gotta fuel your body with proper nutrition! What you eat before and after your workouts can significantly impact your energy levels, muscle growth, and overall progress. Click here to learn more about the general guidelines for pre-workout and post-workout nutrition.

No matter whether you’re trying to burn fat or build muscle, eating a high-protein diet is a MUST. Protein is an essential nutrient that plays an important role in building and repairing tissues, producing enzymes and hormones, and maintaining a healthy immune system. When you don’t eat enough protein, your body may struggle to function optimally. You may have a harder time burning fat, building muscle, and recovering from your workouts. Read here to learn more about the signs your body gives you when you need to eat more protein and get a reference guide of high-protein foods.