As you may have heard, I made a change in my nutrition towards the end of last year. The physical results were immediately apparent: lower body fat, improved overall strength/fitness, and increased muscle. However, I think the most important part of this process was the knowledge I gained. Here are some tips I learned along the way. Long-Term Goal: Find what works for you. We say it a lot: you have to find out what works for you. We are all individuals, and unfortunately there is no one size fits all solution. The problem I found, most people don’t know where to start to find out what works for them. So let’s start on Step 1… Step 1: Establish your goals, and understand what it takes to get there. Before you start anything, ask yourself “what does success look like?” This doesn’t have to be a concrete goal, but you...Read more

My progress is slowing. I can’t seem to lose enough body fat to reach my goals. I haven’t hit a PR in over 3-months. IF you know everything there is about how to stay motivated during times full of distractions, you can stop reading. IF you’ve ever encountered any or all of the mentioned statements above, keep reading. It’s summertime and distractions are at their peak when it comes to our fitness. We’ve all been there – myself included! Whether it’s travel, street festivals, or just the ability to lay on the beach with a nice cold one – extra effort has to be taken to stay on track with our health & fitness goals. I’m not saying don’t travel or don’t have fun. What I am saying is have fun within reason and build a healthy lifestyle into your extracurricular activities. Over my time in the fitness industry, I’ve...Read more

Continual learning is at the core of Bluprint’s coaching staff. Whether it’s reading studies, articles, or attending seminars; learning allows us to create an environment where athletes crush their goals! I got the chance to go to the CrossFit Powerlifting Certificaiton at CrossFit Chicago last weekend and wanted to share my “TOP-10 Takeaways”. Check em out below. Note: these are in no particular order of importance. Speed Strength is essential for ALL sports. The body adapts to heaviest stress placed upon it. Get strong as f*ck to make metcon weights a low percentage of your 1RM. By doing so your stabilizer muscles will fatigue at a much slower rate. Build a strong back! Miss lifts rarely: This teaches a successful mindset, means you are lifting at an appropriate weight, and decreases recovery time. The best OH pressers have a strong bench press. Train grip in two ways: 1) strength endurance...Read more

I KNOW for a fact most of you have popped off in your car using every curse word imaginable, throwing fingers and flailing at the “terrible ridiculous driver” on the road next to you. It is embarrassing when you really think about it. Byron reminds me that I would NEVER say or do these things if I wasn’t protected by this metal frame on wheels…TOTALLY TRUE…which make it even more embarrassing. It seems to come from the depths of everything you could ever be angry about….way down deep. I recently had 2 similar encounters—one that I lost my marbles on while the other I tried to be patient and understanding. It is challenging for me to be the calm driver soaking in the wrath of another’s anger. But holy macadoodle it is MUCH more rewarding to be on this side of the interaction especially when it is my true gut...Read more