We’ve all seen it in the gym: someone walking on the treadmill at a steady 2.5–3.5 mph, earbuds in, maybe scrolling on their phone. It looks like “cardio time.” But is it really moving the needle on their fitness, heart health, or VO2 max? As a fitness professional who’s had countless conversations with members, this... Continue Reading →
VO2 max is simply the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise. It’s measured in milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute (ml/kg/min). Higher numbers equal better cardiorespiratory fitness—and it’s one of the strongest predictors of longevity and maintaining independence in your later years. The topic of VO2... Continue Reading →
From roughly 1992 to about 2000, I was involved with the old Amway business. I never made much money, but it introduced me to the world of personal development, and for that, I will be forever grateful. One of the leaders of my organization, Kenny Stuart, gave a talk once titled “3 is not 20,”... Continue Reading →
Last Tuesday, during our morning cardio session, I could tell something was off with one of my clients and best friends. She wasn’t her usual upbeat self. When I asked what was going on, she opened up about the three big things scrambling her mind: her stalled progress on weight loss, frustration with her job... Continue Reading →
The concept is simple and visual: If you own a high-end sports car—a Ferrari F80 or a Porsche 911—you would never dream of driving it without a dashboard. Without a dashboard, you would have no idea of your speed, RPM, whether the check engine light was on, or whether the engine was overheating. You would,... Continue Reading →
I have been an early riser for my entire adult life. A huge part of that is my longstanding preference for strength training first thing in the morning. Even back in college, I would hit the gym right after my early morning classes. Once I entered the workforce, that habit solidified. For nearly 20 years,... Continue Reading →
A few years ago, I earned Precision Nutrition's certification in Sleep, Stress Management, and Recovery. At the time, I was secretly hoping it would help me solve a problem I'd been wrestling with ever since starting my second career as a fitness professional at Lifetime almost eight years ago. Something about that transition pushed me... Continue Reading →
Several years ago, I completed Precision Nutrition’s Sleep, Stress Management, and Recovery course. I was actually in their inaugural cohort, and while I was interested in stress and recovery, I was far more interested in sleep. My sleep had become a struggle for several years, so I enrolled in that course selfishly, hoping to find... Continue Reading →
You can’t afford to miss workouts. You can’t afford to miss workouts. As I’m writing this, it’s October 2025. Let’s roll back the calendar to spring 2024. One of my best clients, Phil Overton, began discussing a book he had purchased on longevity, titled "Outlive" by Peter Attia, M.D. Life-changing. Dr. Attia is a cancer... Continue Reading →
My struggle with sleep has been ongoing for some time although it went to a whole different level last year when I went full-time as a fitness professional. My challenge has never been in going to sleep. My ex-wife would say I could literally be talking one second and snoring the next. The problem was... Continue Reading →
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