January 04, 2016

Five Truths About Muscle Soreness and Five Ways to Deal With It

January 04, 2016/ Jonathan Jordan

I get it. We live in extreme times. We work hard, we play hard. We want results. And for many folks that means wanting to leave the gym feeling like they got the sh*t kicked out of them. The simple fact is that muscle soreness is not necessarily indicative of an effective workout or training program. In fact, if you’re sore after every workout that’s a bad thing. This is a hard pill for some of us A-typers to swallow, so let’s examine five truths about muscle soreness. Checkout my guest blog post on thumbbell.com.

January 01, 2016

Do You Know What a Pichuberry Is? You Should.

January 01, 2016/ Jonathan Jordan

Most folks are familiar with the word “superfood”. It’s a general, non scientific term used to describe a food that provides high values of an important vitamin or mineral, phytonutrients and/or antioxidants that have been shown to have health benefits. They are foods that are generally accepted as being hella good for you like sweet potatoes, kale and salmon. I asked my pal, leading nutritional expert and author Manuel Villacorta, M.S., R.D. to explain the benefits of one particular superfood that you likely have never heard of (I hadn’t): the pichuberry.

December 25, 2015

Simple Steps to Headstand Success

December 25, 2015/ Jonathan Jordan

2015 was the year of the headstand. Half a dozen clients this year came to me wishing they could do a headstand. Some thought it would be a fun performance goal and demonstration of upper body and core strength. Some felt self conscious doing inversions during yoga class against a wall. And one had a long term goal of doing a full, unassisted handstand. So I turned to Kathleen Beachler (Personal Training Manager at Equinox Pine Street and former gymnast) to help.

December 23, 2015

Q&A with Eric Steiner: Fitness Provides Balance, Focus and a Way to Contribute to the Community

December 23, 2015/ Jonathan Jordan

It takes a strong resolve to commit to a consistent fitness regime, particularly one that includes training at lunchtime when most FiDi professionals are either slumped over their desks eating a takeout salad or waiting in line at a food truck or Philz. Over the past year my client and friend Eric Steiner has run multiple marathons, recovered from knee surgery, maintained an impressive weightlifting training program and decided to once again ride the 545 miles from SF to LA in 2016 to help raise money for, and awareness of, our continued fight against HIV/AIDS. So I asked Eric to share his insights on how training helps him maintain balance and what his upcoming AIDS/Lifecycle ride means to him.

December 19, 2015

Eggs Are Not The Enemy

December 19, 2015/ Jonathan Jordan

Hello my name is JJ and I eat eggs. The whole egg. Including the yolk. Several time a week. Clients are usually surprised to hear this and I frequently find myself defending the Incredible, Edible Egg and dispelling many of the myths surrounding it. Aren’t I afraid of high cholesterol? What about all that fat? Who has time to make eggs during the week? All valid questions, so let’s tackle them.

December 07, 2015

Supplement Spotlight: Should you take BCAAs?

December 07, 2015/ Jonathan Jordan

I get asked by a lot of clients, friends and family what supplements they should take. I don’t “prescribe” supplements or specific diet plans. I do, however, provide information and experience that can help them make the best choices for themselves. So over the coming weeks I’ll spotlight various popular supplements here on the blog, give my experience and provide resources to help educate you. First up are branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). Here’s the deal, BCAAs, especially leucine, may help: build muscle (anabolism), prevent muscle breakdown (catabolism), reduce soreness and help burn fat.

December 06, 2015

Get a Chance to Win a Free Solar Battery Pack and Get JJ Fit 24/7

December 06, 2015/ Jonathan Jordan

Want a free solar battery pack so you can charge and use all your important devices (cell phones, mp3 players, GPS devices, cameras, anything!) while you’re on the go and away from a plug while hiking, camping, at the beach or traveling? I’m giving one lucky JJ Fit 24/7 subscriber a Solio Mono-aTM Battery Pack this month!

November 21, 2015

Travel Can Be a Pain in the Neck: Mobility Tips from Dr. Adam Jacobs

November 21, 2015/ Jonathan Jordan

According to AAA nearly 42 million Americans will take a holiday road trip this Thanksgiving and 3.6 million Americans will fly to their holiday destinations. That’s a lot of stiff joints and sore muscles! You wouldn’t run a marathon without training and warming up, right? (RIGHT?!) So put a little forethought into how you’ll take care of your body if you have a long trip ahead of you. For this post I enlisted the help of the Bay Area’s best chiropractor Dr. Adam Jacobs from SF Custom Chiropractic to share some practical tips, breathing drills and stretches you can do while traveling on a plane or in a car to stay limber and avoid common aches and pains.

November 10, 2015

10 Gifts a Fitness Buff Will Actually Use: A Gift Guide for Anyone’s Budget

November 10, 2015/ Jonathan Jordan

The second I saw my first Starbucks red cup this season I knew it was time to start trolling around the Interwebs for the perfect gifts. Being somewhat inept at shopping and pressed for time, I Googled fitness-themed holiday gift guides. And I was disappointed. Frankly, no one needs random exercise cards, junky “fitspo” charm bracelets or days of the week running panties (et tu, BuzzFeed?). Most of this crap will end up in the bottom of a junk drawer, in the trash or at best regifted at the office white elephant party. So I polled my fellow trainers, clients and friends and compiled a list of stuff people into fitness at any level (and at any price point from $2.70 to $249.95) will actually want and use. Check it out! And happy holidays!

November 06, 2015

Unjam Your Body’s Highway from the Foot Up

November 06, 2015/ Jonathan Jordan

Some of the brain’s most important sensory input comes from our feet. When the joints of our feet get jammed (from wearing the wrong shoe, having unstable arches or any number of other issues) the information flow from our surroundings to our bodies to our brains (and from our brains to our bodies in response) gets jammed. It’s like we’re stuck in traffic and the brain looks for whatever detour it can take to make movement happen. Until we unjam these joints and free up that highway we’re stuck with poor movement that can lead to pain, injury and less than optimal performance. Read on for a video of a simple drill that might help you move better!

November 04, 2015

6 Mistakes That May Be Sabotaging Your Gains

November 04, 2015/ Jonathan Jordan

Generally I never judge someone’s form unless I know their body and their goals. But that said, there are a few common errors I see a lot. Checkout my interview on Olahuna.com for 6 common mistakes (and fixes) in the gym to avoid injury and to increase efficiency. Click here to read the full article.

November 01, 2015

Q&A with Nicole Lana Lee: Fitness and Nutrition Are Helping Her “Be the Best Version of Herself”

November 01, 2015/ Jonathan Jordan

I’m fortunate enough to train some pretty amazing people. Among them is the lovely (both on the inside and out) Nicole Lana Lee. In addition to being a financial wiz, she is also the force behind NicoleLana.com and a force to be reckoned with in the gym, on the surfboard and in the yoga studio. She was kind enough to share her insights on how her fitness journey and personal training have affected her life. Enjoy!

October 14, 2015

Warning! Side Affects May Include Bikini Bod and Uncontrollable Happiness

October 14, 2015/ Jonathan Jordan

Why is Kim smiling and glowing so bright in this picture we took at 5:30am on October 12?! Because it was reassessment day. We already knew her training program and nutritional tweaks were working because she was feeling stronger, had more endurance and her clothes were fitting great. But it's a good idea to check the numbers and make additional tweaks as needed for optimal results.

October 01, 2015

Three Hacks to Fix a Failing Diet: Try Adding Before You Subtract!

October 01, 2015/ Jonathan Jordan

99% of my clients need some form of nutritional coaching to get them where they want to be and those who embrace it consistently reach and maintain new levels of health and fitness. Simply put, you can’t exercise away a poor diet. And most of us don’t actually realize how poor our diets really are. It’s not our fault, the food industry has us all kinds of confused and even our own brains are tricking us. This post highlights my three most widely recommended ADDITIONS to a daily diet to help you reduce body fat, gain muscle and become healthy, strong and fit from the inside out.

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