
Become a World-Class Online Fitness Coach
In 2014 I decided to start a blog in order to stay in contact with my beloved Chicago fitness community. After all, I was new to Boston, feeling isolated and eager to spew my new-found knowledge in the fitness world. Equipped with a StrongFirst kettlebell training...

Intermittent Fasting: Not a Diet, It’s an Eating Schedule
So, the following convo is one I overheard in the locker room and it demonstrates the misconception about intermittent fasting and I'd like to debunk that with you. One day, I heard two girls chatting after a workout and it went something like this: (I am either...

12 Moves of HELLWEEK at Barry’s Bootcamp
Many of you know I'm a trainer at Barry's Bootcamp in Boston. Throughout the year, we host a "HELLWEEK" challenge, motivating people to complete 5 classes in 7 days, wherein they get a discount for the 5 classes. Some of you strength coaches may be thinking this is...

Five gym mistakes you might not know you’re making
As a group fitness instructor and an avid gym-goer, I'm exposed to exercise enthusiasts daily. If for some reason I'm away from the gym physically, I'm watching people at the gym on Instagram and seeing posts on Facebook, (if you don't post about it, the workout...

How-to 24Kg Chin-Up
It wasn't long after I'd learned about StrongFirst, that I learned about the Iron Maiden Challenge. Within the kettlebell world that is StrongFirst, the Iron Maiden challenge entails doing a chin-up with a 24kg kettlebell hanging from their waist, a single-arm press...

5 “Bro” Exercises That Every Girl Should Use
By: Kevin Mullins, CSCS Very reflective of society - gyms and health clubs continue to change. The spaces occupied by rows of fixed machines, endless cardio equipment, and “female friendly” zones loaded with Bender Balls and neoprene dumbbells have all been all but...

Pros and cons of following a strength training program
If you asked me if I thought people should follow a training program a year ago I would of said, "absolutely." If you asked me five years ago, I would have asked, "What do you mean?" In order to best explain my own current opinions about whether or not you should...

10 Coaching cues to use in a group setting
I spend at least seven hours a week coaching group fitness classes at Barry's Bootcamp Boston. The maximum amount of people per class is 45. Several significant differences exist between coaching 45 people and coaching one person in a one-on-one session. Having more...

6 Core Exercises You Won’t Skip
I hate doing ab exercises. Like, I really hate them. And yes, I am the Hardcore Abs class teacher at Barry's Bootcamp Boston, however, when it comes to my own training I rarely take the time to do traditional ab exercises. I love training hard but I don't always have...

Exercise rest periods: how long to rest between sets
As a novice lifter I have had to overcome a significant amount of roadblocks in my first few years. Whether it was changing gyms, getting a new coach, being exposed to numerous lifting philosophies or keeping training consistent while traveling there have been...