by Christian Duque

I think it’s safe to say that we’re all well aware of just how expensive the fitness lifestyle is. From the food to the coaching to the travel. For those of you who are competitors, the costs can be rather astronomical, especially when you sit down and start looking at all the receipts. The picture painted starts to look like Mt. Everest; however, in this article I want to talk about fitness people in general and a growing trend that I think you’ll all find very interesting. In fact, I even think you’ll even relate. There’s something I’ve noticed through my extensive travels and through speaking to so many friends and new friends in the bodybuilding world.

by Matt Weik

For a long time, people have been talking about “muscle memory” and that your muscles have the ability to remember stimulus. For instance, if someone was sick or injured and had to stay out of the gym for any long period of time, when they went back in, they would be able to more quickly gain back any lost size and strength thanks to muscle memory.

by Christian Duque

Love, dating, relationships… these are all things which are part of life. The search for a mate is pretty primal, some might say fulfilling. If and when you find that very special person, everything will make sense. Love is a beautiful thing, because instead of flying solo, now you have a best friend, someone who you care about and who you are attracted to, to share your journey. Now, of course, as the old saying goes, opposites do attract and it’s a good thing not to agree on everything. Nonetheless, at first, it will seem like the other can’t say or do anything wrong and that’s perfectly fine. For some couples the newness never wears off – God Bless them! For some married couples, they live in a perpetual honeymoon.

by Christian Duque

Weight-training is oftentimes about getting in shape, building muscle, and creating a great physique. Diet and supplements help along this process. Rest and hydration are also key. Now that we’ve stipulated all these points, we need to cut through the red tape and talk about the pecking order (pun intended). All muscle helps to create a physique, just like all instruments in a band, fuse together to create a sound. Muscles, like instruments in a band, have different degrees of popularity. For example, most people are obsessed with arms and pecs, you could say these are the lead guitarists and lead singers in a band. Some like delts and big backs for the V-taper look – these could easily be the drummers.

by Christian Duque

America is facing a major battle, a war actually. Heart disease is always a crucial concern, the onset of adult diabetes is on the rise, and many have been left scratching their heads, looking aimlessly for what’s causing all the healthcare woes. The cold hard facts are written on the wall. Obesity is a major problem that’s getting worse and there are very few effective countermeasures in place. Why are people eating so much junk food? Why is it that what society dictates as suitable eating alternatives, leave so many people craving high fat, high carb, inexpensive and highly processed foods?

by Matt Weik

If you’ve followed my work for any amount of time, you’d already know that most of my career was spent in the supplement industry. And to be totally honest with you, it’s been a love/hate relationship. Supplements themselves are just that – supplements. However, too many times I see individuals using supplements to replace just about everything and to aid them in reaching goals by taking the easy way out. Let me explain…

by Matt Weik

Being in the fitness industry, we are always trying to either maintain or improve our physique. One area that is focused on heavily is our dental health. How many bodybuilders or fitness models do you see with stained teeth or dental health issues? Not many. Why is this important to you even if you aren’t actively in the industry? Because a smile is generally one of the first things we look at when engaging with another person. For that reason, it’s extremely important to maintain proper dental hygiene. But, did you know that your workouts could be destroying your dental health? It’s true, and the reasons why might surprise you.

by Christian Duque

We all know that sports are expensive, from shoes to accessories to training and diet. When people think of expensive sports, golf and tennis immediately come to mind, but what about bodybuilding? For those of us in the fitness industry, particularly competitors and media, we know first-hand how much food bodybuilders eat, how many supplements they take, and how much great gyms can and cost. Physique-based sports require a lot of time and effort; these are very selfish disciplines, where athletes can expect to train daily, sometimes twice a day, and meals are calculated by the gram, based on macro and micro nutrients.