Just here to share a story and maybe it can shed some light on past and future training habits. Yes, this story is about weightlifting. Surprise.  A couple years ago. I was at the CrossFit games. (Surprise, I know)  One of the “side” events they had was a Lift off where many famous lifters were going to build to a heavy 1 in numerous lifts. A kind of supertotal if you will. The lifts included everything.  Clean Snatch Back Squat Jerk Deadlift Bench Press.  So yeah, this took a while. There were many famous lifters/athletes such as Morgan King (Olympian), Kristin Pope, Elijah Muhammed, Adrian Conway along with others. The person this story is about though is Wes Kitts. A little back story on Wes, first he is one of my favorite lifters. He lifts out of Cal strength. Snatches 180kg/396, Clean and Jerks 223kg/490, and Back squats 300kg/660 just to give you an idea...Read more

On May 14th, the city of Chicago entered the “Bridge Phase” of reopening (get excited ?). Bluprint Fitness is following with a Phase 4.5 of the Reopening Bluprint Blueprint. Below are the details that all participating members need to know and follow for a safe transition back to unmasked in-person training. WHEN Start Date: Tuesday, June 1, 2021End Date: TBD (Based On Reopening Chicago Guidelines) CLASS SCHEDULE (subject to change) Monday: 6:00am, 7:15am, Open Gym 8:30-9:30am, 4:30pm, 5:45pm, 7:00pmTuesday: 6:00am, Open Gym 8:30-9:30am, 7:15am, 4:30pm, 5:45pm, 7:00pmWednesday: 6:00am, 7:15am, Open Gym 8:30-9:30am, 4:30pm, 5:45pm, 7:00pmThursday: 6:00am, 7:15am, 4:30pm, 5:45pm, Open Gym 7:00-8:00pmFriday: 6:00am, 7:15am, 4:30pm, 5:45pmSaturday: 8:00am, 9:00am, Open Gym 10:00-11:00amSunday: Closed PHASE 4.5 CLASS PROTOCOLS In-House (Class Limit 20-24 Person Capacity): Classes Monday-Saturday with a strength & condition focus on Mon/Wed/Fri and a conditioning focus on Tue/Thu/Sat. Masks are required at all times within the space. Space is equipped...Read more

We are talking all about success. More specifically what 3 things people getting in shape are doing right now to reach their goals. Now while there are tons of things you can do to get in shape, we’ve found that focusing on 3 or less at a time creates the most success. Chances are, you’ve already tried to get in shape in the past only to fall short. We often find that the biggest problem with trying to get in shape is doing too much at once. Truth is, if you really want to change your lifestyle to become your best self, you’ve gotta do it one step at a time. So what 3 things are people doing right now to get in shape. #1 – Time Blocking: People getting in shape are prioritizing their workout time. Each week, they are planning in advance when they’ll workout. They’re usually planning to...Read more

It is safe to say my fitness routine over the past 8 months has changed significantly. I have trained many women through their pregnancies and have done my fair share of research on what’s appropriate for them. BUT I will say there is nothing like experiencing it for yourself that will make you REALLY understand.  Even with that being said, I have watched many professional athletes and everyday women like myself do things through their pregnancies that have given me problems and vice versa. My point being, we all have a different experience training through pregnancy and there is truly no one-size-fits-all approach that we can apply to everyone.  The cliche of listening to your body is so true when it comes to training during pregnancy or any other situation that takes you out your norm. Luckily I have always tried to do this, but when having to consider another...Read more

Our bodies are actually very smart, if we let them be.  And when it comes to pain – our bodies are the smartest. According to Google – Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli. Throbbing, sharp, and achy feelings are all part of our bodies “pain sensors”. And because you LOVE to exercise, we’ll use exercise as the “intense or stimuli” for this blog’s sake.  Normally “pain” comes at a time where something feels uncomfortable, but we can often still do whatever that movement is. Hence, why we know it’s painful.  For example: if on day 1 I did 30 pull ups in a row and on day 2 I did strict press with shoulder pain. My brain is simply sending me a message saying hey feel this, let’s check it out and see whats going on.  One of the key parts about pain is...Read more