Is Sestrin Really the Key to the Fabled 'Exercise Pill'?

Is Sestrin Really the Key to the Fabled 'Exercise Pill'?

In early January, as hordes of people were reminding themselves that working out sucks, a team of researchers from the University of Michigan released a study proposing what could someday become a miraculous pill that mimics the effects of exercise. Naturally, much of the media heard “exercise pill” and ran freaking wild, suggesting that this product could erase the need to workout altogether, gyms be damned. Is that really the takeaway here, though? In short: Eh. My pal Ian interviewed me and other fitness experts in this MEL Magazine story where we dig into this latest hype.

Read More

Interview: How Taut Does Your Butt Need to Be to Bounce a Quarter Off It?

Interview: How Taut Does Your Butt Need to Be to Bounce a Quarter Off It?

My pal Ian at MEL Magazine came to me with an interesting question. How taut does your butt need to be to bounce a quarter off it? While I had to defer to Alex Klotz, a professor in the department of physics and astronomy at California State University, Long Beach, with the technicals of the "Coefficient of Butt Restitution", as a booty-building specialist I lent my tips for "firming up dat ass" you may find helpful.

Read More

Ranking Exercises by How Useful — or Dangerous — They Are

Ranking Exercises by How Useful — or Dangerous — They Are

Over the past 20 years, almost one million Americans were treated in emergency rooms for injuries related to weight training. I was asked by my friends at MEL Magazine "which exercises will get me ripped, and which will literally rip my body apart?" Nowadays just about anybody can toss on a microphone and lead a group fitness class. And Instagram is crawling with “trainers” telling folks what they should be doing in the gym. It can be hard to tell what’s based on facts and science and what’s bunk. So here's a ranking and explanation of an assortment of exercises by how beneficial they are — from muscle-building to (literally) back-breaking.

Read More

Why Returning to the Gym Is So Tough After a Long Break

Why Returning to the Gym Is So Tough After a Long Break

If you're making it back to the gym after an August hiatus (or longer), you may be in for an uncomfortable reacclimation period. If you've been on a break, don't expect to jump right back in where you left off. You may need to cull it back a bit and be prepared for some soreness and possible nausea or dizziness. My pal and writer Ian Lecklitner chronicled his return to the #fitfam life in his MEL Magazine story You’ll Feel Like Crap for at Least Two Weeks After You Start Working Out Again. Check it out for tips from me on what you can expect and how you can minimize your pain. 

Read More