June 16, 2018

Brides, Body Image and Building a Strong Fitness Foundation

June 16, 2018/ Jonathan Jordan

I recently started working with a young, successful and fierce bride-to-be who has infinitely impressed and charmed me. It's easy for clients to succumb to pressure (from themselves, the media, family, etc) to look "perfect" on the big day. Sometimes the quest for the ideal body can lead to negative self talk, unhealthy behaviors and mental and physical stress. What impresses me about Erica is her primary desire to BE healthy and happy. In this post she shares her journey and perspective with us on body image, building a strong fitness foundation and setting expectations.

May 13, 2018

Five of the Most Effective Methods for Reducing Body Fat

May 13, 2018/ Jonathan Jordan

I get so tired of gimmicky, unsafe and ineffective products promoting unrealistic promises of trim waistlines and washboard ads. While fat loss is generally a function of "calories in, calories out" there are some helpful cardio and nutritional methods for helping stimulate fat loss. These five methods have helped many of my clients over the years get lean and more healthy safely and with minimal kicking and screaming.

May 01, 2018

JJ's Body Challenge Workout and Playlists

May 01, 2018/ Jonathan Jordan

I've had the privilege of instructing my Body Challenge strength class at Equinox Pine Street for over a year. We started with Tuesdays at 6a and when folks asked for more we added Thursdays at 6a. Over time my crew of morning ninjas has grown and my core students have gotten stronger, improved their posture and become more athletic. They've learned how to safely perform all the main lifts (squats, deadlifts, lunges, pulls and presses) and how to create stability in their cores. When my students travel they tell me they really miss my class and their community. So now you can take a little piece of Pine Street with you on the road. Just toss an ankle band in your carry on and you'll be good to go!

April 20, 2018

Worried About Calluses? Here's What You Need to Know.

April 20, 2018/ Jonathan Jordan

Hardbody? Heck yes! Calluses that inevitably result from lifting weights in an attempt to become said hardbody? That’s a nope. But alas, hard pads of skin and lifting weights tend to go hand in callused hand, with calluses most often appearing at the base of the fingers. There are, however, a few simple tricks to prevent and remove calluses (and all those other pesky skin ailments) caused by hitting the gym. Checkout tips from me and dermatologist Rajani Katta in this article from Ian Lecklitner from the DSC blog.

April 11, 2018

You Exercise and Eat Right. Now, About Those Sleep Habits

April 11, 2018/ Jonathan Jordan

As a personal trainer and a wellness consultant I work with a lot of folks struggling to balance the stresses of life. Those who carve out time to exercise and eat healthy often sacrifice sleep to get it all done.Only 2.5% of the population has a sleep need less than six hours per night. The average person needs 7-8 hours of QUALITY sleep. Making sleep a priority can be challenging, but it is equally as important to our well-being as nutrition and exercise. These 11 tips have helped my clients improve their sleep behaviors making them healthier humans and better professionals.

March 25, 2018

A Typical Day in the Life of an Equinox T3+ Trainer

March 25, 2018/ Jonathan Jordan

I was asked by my recruiting team to chart out a typical day in my life so new trainers or those considering a career in personal training can get a glimpse of what to expect. I've been lucky over the years to expand my work to also include group fitness, massage therapy, corporate wellness, blogging and mentoring. I should note, this a real, typical day in "this" Equinox Tier 3+ Trainer's life. I don't speak for Equinox or other trainers. Just me. And yes, I change my clothes A LOT during the course of day depending on what I'm doing. Ok, here we go.

March 21, 2018

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

March 21, 2018/ Jonathan Jordan

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.

February 10, 2018

Kinesiology Taping for Pain, Posture and Performance

February 10, 2018/ Jonathan Jordan

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.

February 06, 2018

"Me Pretty" Mac & Cheese

February 06, 2018/ Jonathan Jordan

Many of my favorite healthy and tasty recipes are inspired by my clients. I love it when they take our nutrition coaching ideas into the kitchen and dream up new, fun ways to eat clean. This one is a winner from my rock star client Geoff. In addition to having the best animated Elmo gifs he also has the best reinvention of this classic comfort food that I call "Me Pretty" Mac & Cheese.

February 01, 2018

Is Intermittent Fasting (IF) RIght for You? Q&A with Trainer Michael Bonella

February 01, 2018/ Jonathan Jordan

There are a lot of nutritional strategies being popularized in the news and on social media these days: fasted cardio, macro tracking, elimination diets, keto, etc. It can be hard to make heads or tails as to whether these are legit or just some whacky protocol designed to sell you supplements and pipedreams of ripped abs. In this post we’re going to talk about one very legitimate strategy for fat loss, digestive health and improved energy that has been around for quite some time but may be misunderstood: Intermittent Fasting.

January 16, 2018

Welcome Sumner Weldon to SoulCycle NorCal

January 16, 2018/ Jonathan Jordan

It's no secret that when I can snag 45m-60m away from the gym I love a good SoulCycle class. When I stumbled into Sumner Weldon's class recently I knew I hit gold. Her energy is awesome and her class is a solid workout. She includes some really awesome stretches and mobility drills after the weights section that no other instructors are doing and are MUCH needed for today's rider. So I was thrilled to connect with her after class to learn more about her.

January 15, 2018

The Best Stretches to Help with Back and Hip Pain

January 15, 2018/ Jonathan Jordan

Lower back and hip pain is incredibly common thanks to the hours and hours we spend sitting and toiling away on computers and devices. Finding the right stretches, mobility drills and strengthening exercises that will help reset your body and spending a few minutes each day consistently performing them can help keep you pain free and tracking toward your fitness goals. If lower back and hip aches and pains are slowing you down, give these exercises a try.

January 15, 2018

JJFit 2018 Workout Mix

January 15, 2018/ Jonathan Jordan

I've compiled over 100 of my favorite workout songs from my Body Challenge class and personal playlists into one master 2018 mix on Spotify. Here's the link. Enjoy! And if you have a song you'd like to add, please email me the Spotify link and I"ll keep the mix growing!

January 06, 2018

Introducing JJ's Guide to Eating Clean and Getting Lean

January 06, 2018/ Jonathan Jordan

This has been a year in the making and I'm stoked to launch my first e-book: JJ's Guide to Eating Clean and Getting Lean. In this guide, I’ll provide you with a framework and tools for eating to your body composition goals that will still allow you to enjoy your life. My coaching methods have helped hundreds of clients reduce their body fat, get strong and become healthier and more energetic. Ditch the diets and learn a practical and effective way to approach eating for safe, long-term results. On sale now for $4.99. www.JJ-Fit.com/guide.

January 06, 2018

Here’s Where You’ll Be Hurting After Starting to Work Out Again

January 06, 2018/ Jonathan Jordan

Thanks to my pal Andrew Fiouzi for including me in this feature in MEL Magazine on how you can avoid unnecessary pain from your workouts. It’s a new year and perhaps you’re like the millions of other people around the world dedicated to finally getting, like, totally ripped, brah. What this means in practical terms is that if you haven’t worked out since fourth-grade gym class, you’re going to be hurting in a lot of new and interesting places this month. But what kind of pain does your journey to You 2.0 (or 1.1) have in store? Jonathan Jordan, an award-winning trainer, explains how each type of workout will hurt, and how to heal more quickly.

January 03, 2018

If You're Too Busy to Follow This Advice, You Should Follow This Advice.

January 03, 2018/ Jonathan Jordan

My awesome editor at Law.com gets the credit for this headline but the tips are all mine. Not a Bunch of Hooey: Stress-Management Techniques for Lawyers (link to full article and PDF). Check out these practical and effective stress management tips that can improve your health (and productivity) in as little as one minute/day. Lawyers, and anyone stressed and stuck at a desk, can benefit from this scientifically proven advice.

December 09, 2017

10 Simple Ways to Reduce Chronic Stress for Improved Fitness

December 09, 2017/ Jonathan Jordan

Thanks to today's fast-paced, technology-centric world coupled with sedentary lifestyles, we are bombarded constantly with low and high levels of mental, physical, emotional and physiological stress. These chronic stresses are inhibiting our bodies' natural self-repair mechanisms that fix broken proteins, kill cancer cells, retard aging and fight infections. We are the most overweight, under active generation in history existing on diets of processed foods and suffering from damaging mindsets. In this post I'll explore some practical, scientifically proven methods for reducing stress that can take as little as one minute/day.

December 01, 2017

3 Overrated Weight-Loss Tips You Need to Stop Following

December 01, 2017/ Jonathan Jordan

When it comes to losing weight, there are things we’ve been told over and over again. While certain things hold true (calories matter, interval training works and deprivation doesn’t), there are other long-held beliefs that recent research has shown to be a little iffy. In some cases, things we’ve always thought to be true about weight loss have turned out to either be wrong or vastly oversimplified. I was honored to be asked by Moira Lawler to shed some light on some of these topics for her article on LiveStrong.com where we dive into three common misconceptions and explore what the latest research says. Spoiler: There’s still no magic bullet when it comes to losing weight.

November 12, 2017

Meal Delivery Recommendations: Fuel and Farm Hill

November 12, 2017/ Jonathan Jordan

Many of my clients and followers want to eat healthy and are trying to make changes to their diets to reduce body fat or gain muscle mass. While your exercise program is key to eliciting physical changes, your nutrition is equally as important. I cater to busy professionals and often they just don't have time to grocery shop and meal prep. They prefer to outsource cooking but want to make sure they are getting nutritious and tasty meals that fit their caloric and macronutrient needs. These are my two favorite meal deliver services that won't disappoint.

October 23, 2017

How This Husband-To-Be Changed His Internal Dialogue to Get Fit

October 23, 2017/ Jonathan Jordan

Thanks to the loving encouragement of his fiancé, a passion for outdoor cycling and the occasional nudge from yours truly, my client Alejandro has made incredible strides on his bike, in the gym and in the kitchen this year. His efforts have not only improved his physique, but also improved his health, energy levels and mental outlook. In this post he discusses what changes he had to make to shift his mindset and what keeps him going when the snooze button beacons or the hills get steep.

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