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

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

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.  

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Book JJ for a Smoothie Making & Tasting Workshop at Your Office

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Book JJ for a Smoothie Making & Tasting Workshop at Your Office

I do a lot of corporate presentations, workshops and consulting. I love helping companies like Nixon Peabody, BPM and Union Bank improve employee wellness, productivity and culture through various health initiatives. My favorite these days is my Smoothie Making & Tasting Workshop. I give attendees three smoothie recipes and in a hands-on demo we make them and everyone gets to taste and pick their favorites. We talk about how to make the perfect smoothie to maximize nutrition and dispel common myths about popular ingredients. I bring everything. All I need is a blender set up in the kitchen or conference room. Folks love it. But don't take my word for it. Email me at JJ@JJ-Fit.com to book a wellness workshop at your office. 

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

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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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Nutrition Labeling Laws for Chain Restaurants May FINALLY Be a Thing in May 2018

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Nutrition Labeling Laws for Chain Restaurants May FINALLY Be a Thing in May 2018

What I thought was a simple information request has turned into a complex legal research project, a one-sided social media battle with a restaurant chain and the uncovering of perhaps the biggest example of government ineptitude I've ever witnessed (and I worked as a consultant to the government in Washington, D.C. for many years). This is some Erin Brockovich sh*t, ya'll.

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Low Carb Eggplant "Lasagna"

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Low Carb Eggplant "Lasagna"

One of my nutrition coaching clients in Rochester, New York recently pleaded with me to create a hot and hardy recipe to help her make it through the cold months ahead. Nothing is more warming and filling than lasagna! So my amazing Greek meal prep guru and partner Peter worked out this FANTASTIC adaption of traditional lasagna using eggplant instead of noodles. It's relatively easy to make and when you do you can get at least six solid meals out of it that are easy to save and re-heat for lunches and dinners. So if you're craving some comfort food give this one a try. 

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Kinesiology Taping for Pain, Posture and Performance

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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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"Me Pretty" Mac & Cheese

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"Me Pretty" Mac & Cheese

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.  

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

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

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. 

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Welcome Sumner Weldon to SoulCycle NorCal

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Welcome Sumner Weldon to SoulCycle NorCal

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.

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The Best Stretches to Help with Back and Hip Pain

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The Best Stretches to Help with Back and Hip Pain

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. 

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JJFit 2018 Workout Mix

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JJFit 2018 Workout Mix

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! 

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Everything You Should Never Do in the Gym Locker Room

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Everything You Should Never Do in the Gym Locker Room

Thanks to my friends at the Dollar Shave Club for this cheeky interview on what to do (and not do) with your junk in the locker room. I can’t believe I have to explain these things to people.

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Introducing JJ's Guide to Eating Clean and Getting Lean

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Introducing JJ's Guide to Eating Clean and Getting Lean

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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. 

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De-stressing After a Hectic Holiday Season

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De-stressing After a Hectic Holiday Season

Adults young and old know the holiday season presents an exhausting array of physical and emotional demands that, for many, can bring about lingering stress and anxiety. If you’re still dealing with holiday-related stress and anxiety into the new year, it’s important to take steps to de-stress. Reducing stress after the holidays can help ensure your mind and body are in the right state to stay healthy and cultivate good habits for self care. Check out my interview with ConsumerAffairs.com for tips on How to Relax and Unwind After the Holidays. 

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Join the Battle. Let's Beat Rare Cancers.

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Join the Battle. Let's Beat Rare Cancers.

In February I'm riding for Cycle for Survival for the third year in a row to help end various rare cancers. Cancer affects us all and together we can make an impact. Please consider helping if you can. Even $1 helps and 100% goes to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Click here to donate. 

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10 Simple Ways to Reduce Chronic Stress for Improved Fitness

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10 Simple Ways to Reduce Chronic Stress for Improved Fitness

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. 

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