When is coaching not enough? At what point do I have to take responsibility as an athlete for my own progress? At what point will my effort match that of my coaches? These are all questions I asked myself 1) in the quest to walk-on to my college football team and 2) in the quest to run/own a successful gym. Luckily, I was/am fortunate enough to be coached by some of the best people/coaches in the world. Football coaches, weightlifting coaches, my parents, best friends, and mentors in the fitness industry have all shaped who I am as a person and a coach. Along the way, I came to the realization that I have a profound responsibility to any athlete I encounter. A responsibility to care. A responsibility to teach sound practices based on both science & experience. A responsibility to set athletes up for success by prescribing appropriate progressions....Read more

I had the pleasure of being one of thirteen individuals who were part of Kendrick Farris’ “Bless the Gym Tour”. Personally, I was grateful and excited to have the chance to learn from one of the best in the business. I was especially excited to learn from an Olympic caliber lifter who was known to have their own style in the way they lift because I feel I add my “own sauce” as well. The least I can do is give you my Top Ten Takeaways from the seminar! DISCLAIMER: As a “lifter” these are MY takeaways and what I considered to be the most valuable to me as a lifter. Other lifters might have other opinions. 1. BE HUMBLE: No this is not a Kendrick (Lamar) to Kendrick (Farris) reference. However, it was the first valuable cue I took from him. Even though he was the most knowledgeable person in the room,...Read more

Do you want to get stronger? Want to boost your lifting game? Your pull-up game? OR any movement involving your arms? IF you answered yes to any of the questions above building a strong back should be on your radar. So how do we train the back to get the biggest bang for your time? Step 1: Train vertical pulling, horizontal pulling, AND static positions. Step 2: Find your set/rep sweet spot. This is typically between 8-15 total “back” sets per week in the rep range of 8-20 reps per set. Step 3: Only perform FULL RANGE-OF-MOTION movements. This often-overlooked aspect of strength has HUGE benefits and here are a few exercises to get you started. Vertical Pulling Pull-Up: Double Overhand Grip & Kipping Variations Pull-Up: Mix Grip Pull-Up: Neutral Grip Chin-Up Lat Pull-Down Variations (Machine, Banded, Various Grips) Rope Climb Variations (Feet On Ground, Traditional, Legless) Horizontal Pulling Bent-Over...Read more

For my athletes participating in the Murph Training Program over the next 6 weeks – These are my scheduling TIPS: It is only 6 weeks, so be realistic when trying to fit these additional workouts into your schedule. It is likely not feasible to just ADD these on top of all the workouts you are doing already. Pulling double workouts can actually create diminishing returns and lead to over-use tweaks and injuries. Here is my plan for fitting them into my schedule. I usually do some type of skill work on Tuesday so using a Murph training workout as my conditioning portion works well here. Saturday is another day I like to work on skills or lifts and a day that I have more time on my hands so I plan to incorporate the 2nd Murph training workout as the conditioning on this day. Tentatively My Schedule Will Be: Monday-...Read more

Why are so many athletes at Bluprint Fitness getting results? Is it because of the programming? Is it because of Coach Bacon? Or is it because of the community of crazy cool people? The short answer to this questions is ALL of the above! Check out what Coach Byron had to say about what makes Bluprint Fitness a premier fitness facility in West Town – Chicago, IL. Podcast: Madness Method & Systems Towards a Healthier Lifestyle  Read more