Try These 6 Moves for a Strong Back

Try These 6 Moves for a Strong Back

In this video I show you six of my current favorite lower and mid back strengthening exercises that also force you to work your core and arms making for a terrific workout. If you are working on weight loss you can circuit these moves in sets of ~15 or more reps with 60s rest between sets. If you are working on basic strength you can increase the weight and try 3 strict sets of 12 reps with 60s-90s rest in between. Or if you're looking to hypertrophy (build muscle) up the weight even more and try 4 sets of 8-12 reps and give yourself 90s-120s rest in between sets. For more info on how to build a strong back and for more advanced back moves check out this blog post.

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Ross McIntire Shares His Favorite Stretches and Yoga Tips

Ross McIntire Shares His Favorite Stretches and Yoga Tips

My good friend and amazing yoga instructor Ross McIntire shares with us in this video the ONE stretch you should do every day, how to safely stretch your wrists and how to avoid one of the biggest mistakes in yoga.

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Your Motion to Move (in Three Planes) Is Granted

Your Motion to Move (in Three Planes) Is Granted

Busy professionals spend the bulk of their days sitting at their desks, in meetings, on planes or in cars. Even the most disciplined can struggle finding enough time to stretch, do cardio and lift weights—all of which we know improve mobility, reduce pain and improve brain performance, not to mention improve the way we look and feel. When they do find time to move, they often don’t realize their exercises are keeping them exclusively in one “plane of motion.” Most of us need more planes of motion training in our workouts. But what does that mean? Read on in my latest Fit Counselor column for Law.com.

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Dealing with a Life-Changing Injury? Read How This Dancer Got Creative... and Some Stickers.

Dealing with a Life-Changing Injury? Read How This Dancer Got Creative... and Some Stickers.

I met Alycia shortly after she received some life changing MRI results that impacted her fitness routine and super active lifestyle. This dancer and lover of movement and yoga wouldn’t let a little thing like the deterioration of cartilage in her first phalange (aka a “bum big toe”) rob her of her joy. Over the last several weeks we’ve worked together to create a robust strength, mobility, cardio and nutrition program for her that adjusts her exercises to account for her injury and strengthen around it.

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Don't Neglect Planes of Motion Training

Don't Neglect Planes of Motion Training

Many of us could benefit from more "planes of motion" training in our workouts. In a nutshell, the body is designed to move in three planes of motion: sagittal (like in a squat or bicep curl), frontal (like in a lateral lunge or side cable raise) and transverse (like in a "curtsy" lunge or a bicycle crunch). Most of us live almost exclusively in the sagittal plane limiting our functional mobility, strength and performance. Read more about the importance of planes of motion. in addition to standard sagittal exercises (which are still great) consider layering in more frontal and traverse moves to your program for your lower body, upper body and core.

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JJFit in the News: How to Clean Up 8 Notorious Gym Moves (Oxygen Magazine)

JJFit in the News: How to Clean Up 8 Notorious Gym Moves (Oxygen Magazine)

When you arrive at the gym, there’s probably a lot on your mind — from stress over neglected emails to excitement about weekend plans. While you certainly get bonus points just for showing up, if you’re working out while distracted or haven’t been trained on proper movements, your workout could lead to unintended consequences. Based on years of observations, I've identified the main moves people execute incorrectly time and again — and provided instruction on how to perform them properly. Thanks to my amazing friend and writer Jill Schildhouse for including my tips in this Oxygen.com article and to my beautiful clients Erica and Sarah for demoing good form.

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The Best 5 Minute Warm Up and 14 Other Running Tips

The Best 5 Minute Warm Up and 14 Other Running Tips

If you follow me on Facebook or IG you know I caught the running bug this year. I finished my first half marathon in under two hours and managed to log 13-20 mile runs four weeks in a row without injury. This is a huge change for me. Before this year I’d never managed to get more than 5 miles without pain. I credit my improvement to working on my ankle mobility, having my gait analyzed and spending just five minutes prepping my body to run with this simple, effective warm up routine. Check it out along with 14 of my other best running tips.

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Four Advanced Moves for Building a Strong, Balanced Back

Four Advanced Moves for Building a Strong, Balanced Back

Everyone loves a good chest workout, including yours truly, but you shouldn’t neglect your “posterior chain”. Ignoring back day can deteriorate your posture, lead to injuries and wreak havoc on your athletic performance. If your back program is in need of some inspiration, consider these programming tips and four advanced moves for adding functional strength and symmetry to your upper, mid and lower back. Oh, and they’ll help you look great in a tank top too.

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Don't Skip These Key Warm Ups (They Only Take About 5 Minutes)

Don't Skip These Key Warm Ups (They Only Take About 5 Minutes)

If you're one of those people who struggles to find time to workout, much less time to warm up properly, I can relate. One of the biggest complaints I hear from clients, especially those who have gone through physical therapy to recover from an injury, is that their list of warm up exercises would take them 30-45+ minutes to finish and they just don't have the time to get them all done. So they skip their warm up alltogether even though they know it will likely lead to more pain and injury. So, if you are short on time and can only muster a few minutes to warm up before your run, bike ride or any other form of cardio, here are the most important things NOT to skip. 

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Kinesiology Taping for Pain, Posture and Performance

Kinesiology Taping for Pain, Posture and Performance

I recently spent an entire weekend geeking out over fascia, feet and movement with the amazing Dr. Courtney Conley. It was awesome to be in a room with dozens of physical therapists, chiropractors, emergency responders and massage therapists all focused on helping our clients reduce pain and improve their movement. I left the weekend not only with two FMT certifications for assessing clients and applying kinesiology tape, but with a renewed passion and fascination for how the brain and body are connected and how we can improve that connection through physical stimulus like kinesiology tape. 

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Looking for Fresh Exercise Ideas and Demos? Checkout #jjfit247exerciselibrary on Instagram

Looking for Fresh Exercise Ideas and Demos? Checkout #jjfit247exerciselibrary on Instagram

Each week I post a variety of barbell, dumbbell, cable, resistance band and bodyweight strength, stability and mobility exercises to my Instagram account under the hashtag #jjfit247exerciselibrary. If you are looking for fresh exercise ideas to try in your own workouts, form tips and demos, be sure to follow me. And don't hesitate to comment with questions or your own variations. 

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SF's Top Swim Coaches Share Their Tips for a Better Stroke

SF's Top Swim Coaches Share Their Tips for a Better Stroke

Swimming can be one of the safest and most effective forms of cardio. Whether you are trying to lean out or to get stronger, swimming is easy on the joints, scalable to your goals and an excellent way to connect your brain, breath and body. But it can be a big drag (literally) if your stroke or breath are off. Michael Bonella, Claire Love and Megan Nazareno are three of San Francisco's top swim coaches and personal trainers. I asked them "What is the most common issue you encounter with form and how do you help your clients through it?" 

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Are Slower Workouts the New Fitness Trend of 2017?

Are Slower Workouts the New Fitness Trend of 2017?

I'm not one to jump on every cockamamie fitness trend that crosses my Instagram. Quite the opposite; I base my training recommendations on science and experience. Everyone knows I'm a fan of high intensity workouts. They are excellent for time-strapped professionals with hefty goals and not a lot of time. But it's important to ensure you're not abandoning lower intensity, steady-state work. If your goals include losing body fat, managing stress hormones and injury/overtraining prevention then check out my interview with LiveStrong.com

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5 Signs That Fitness Tracking Has Become Bad For Your Health

5 Signs That Fitness Tracking Has Become Bad For Your Health

Wearables and fitness trackers can provide the motivation and accountability many people need to become less sedentary and lose excess weight. But for those prone to obsessive thoughts and behaviors, the same tools can turn dangerous. How do you know if you've crossed the line? Checkout my interview in Prevention Magazine for signs that you may be taking your pedometer checking, calorie counting, and other health tracking too far.

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How Weak Ankles and Ankle Mobility Affect the Rest of Your Body

How Weak Ankles and Ankle Mobility Affect the Rest of Your Body

As a successful personal trainer for Equinox in San Francisco I’ve worked with hundreds of clients. They want to be lean. They want to be strong. They want to be healthy. But no one ever says “I want strong feet and mobile ankles.” Yet weak feet are often the biggest roadblocks to achieving their health goals. The ankle is one of our most important and commonly overlooked joints. Pain and injuries in the knees, hips and lower back can often be traced to issues at the ankle joint. Think of how often and how many ways we use our ankles: walking, running, biking, squatting, yoga, balancing, dancing (you get the idea). If the muscles acting on your ankle are chronically tight or if the joint itself is jammed or lacks proper mobility the impact can be painful and damaging as the body will compensate at other joints to accommodate movement. Check out my interview in Shape Magazine to learn how to improve your ankle mobility, reduce pain and improve performance in your workouts.

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Better Posture in the Workplace

Better Posture in the Workplace

The folks at Bowflex Insider asked me and Carrie Schmitz, Senior Manager of Human Factors & Ergonomics Research at standing-desk manufacturer Ergotron, to explain the impact your workplace posture can have on your health. Curious how to set up your workstation? Checkout this short piece including a handy infographic. 

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8 Ways for Baby Boomers to Maintain Their Agility

8 Ways for Baby Boomers to Maintain Their Agility

I'm grateful to the folks at U.S. News & World Report for including me in this important piece geared toward helping the more than 74 million baby boomers out there improve their movement and posture. These are excellent tips for everyone regardless of your age. Checkout the full slideshow here.

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Curious About Cupping? Dr. Jay and JJ Demo How It Can Improve Fascia

Curious About Cupping? Dr. Jay and JJ Demo How It Can Improve Fascia

From Michael Phelps to Ryan Seacrest to the girl squatting next to you in the gym, cupping (or "myofascial decompression") is becoming an increasingly popular modality to help with fascial dysfunction. Perfectly round telltale "bruises" are making their way onto backs, shoulders and hips everywhere and are raising eyebrows from those who don't understand what they are. I've personally experienced positive results from cupping as part of an integrated physical therapy program in the past. So I enlisted the awesome Dr. Sarah Jay from GSPORTS Physical Therapy to discuss and demonstrate how cupping can help improve fascial health and mobility. 

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Useful Gym Machines for Stronger Glutes and Back

Useful Gym Machines for Stronger Glutes and Back

The folks at US News & World Report asked me which machines in the gym are best for women who are intimidated by free weights and barbells. Obviously I encourage everyone (men and women) to include safe, effective resistance training into their fitness programs, but totally understand that it may take time (and assistance) to build up to that. So in the meantime, checkout slides 3 and 4 for my top picks

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