by Matt Weik

As we all know, too much of a good thing is bad. Too much confidence can lead to narcissism. Being too nice can cause people to take advantage of you. Too much conscientiousness and you may be considered a perfectionist. And when it comes to exercise, there is such a thing as a dependence—exercise dependence. While many wouldn’t exactly think of it as a negative, it certainly can have side effects that can be detrimental to your health. And yes, exercise dependence is considered a disease. However, there seems to be more to the story when it comes to those who exercise for long periods of time—even those who don’t have an exercise dependency, but rather exercise in a fashion that can cause them to train for long durations (think of marathon runners). That being said, researchers are also now saying that too much exercise can negatively impact the health of your gut.

by Matt Weik

Remember when the news broke that taking in a diet high in protein was bad for your kidneys? Then later that was debunked and tossed to the side? Well, now research is showing that there might be an additional benefit to consuming a diet high in protein—in fact, higher than the recommended dietary allowance per day. What’s the benefit? Bone health. Who does it affect? Everyone.

by Matt Weik

This article isn’t going to be for everyone—and that’s ok. In fact, it could offend some people—again, that’s ok. I’m not here to paint pictures of rainbows and talk about unicorns while we all sit around the campfire roasting marshmallows. But, we have a real problem in our society today that I think needs to be discussed. And that topic is how American society today has turned into a bunch of entitled babies. Is it an evolutionary problem? Is it a technology problem? Is it a parenting problem? All of the above?

by Matt Weik

When I was at a resort in Cancun, Mexico on vacation, I saw a red beverage at the one restaurant that I was eating at. I asked the waitress what the beverage was, as I wasn’t sure if it was something like a pink lemonade or a fruit punch type of beverage. To my surprise, she said watermelon juice. Maybe I don’t get out much, but that was honestly the first time I ever heard of someone making watermelon juice. I was intrigued since I like eating watermelon, so in my head I pictured a sweet tasting beverage. Man, was I right! The juice was very light and refreshing and after being out in the sun all day, quite frankly, it hit the spot. One glass turned into more than I can count. I was hooked and made it my daily ritual to drink several glasses every day during my stay.

by Matt Weik

There’s no getting around it… Father Time is a bitch. He doesn’t care how nice you are. He doesn’t care how much money you have in the bang. Regardless, we are all going to age. Some of us more gracefully than others, but that youthful appearance you once had in your teen’s and 20’s, you better have some photos because it’s not going to last. So, grab your selfie sticks and start snapping all the photos you want now before Father Time decides to sending things south. The good news from all of this though, is that through intense exercise, we can actually slow down the aging process and science is backing it up.

by Matt Weik

With broscience running all over the fitness industry, we came to find out that meal timing and frequency really means nothing these days. You have people following IIFYM (if it fits your macros) as well as the intermittent fasting crowd. Both of which, I am a huge fan of. However, it appears that new research is telling everyone to pump the brakes if you were considering eating a late-night snack or extending your meals late into the night.

With broscience running all over the fitness industry, we came to find out that meal timing and frequency really means nothing these days. You have people following IIFYM (if it fits your macros) as well as the intermittent fasting crowd. Both of which, I am a huge fan of. However, it appears that new research is telling everyone to pump the brakes if you were considering eating a late-night snack or extending your meals late into the night.

by Matt Weik

I can’t think of anything more humiliating than calling yourself a bodybuilder and needing to use fake weights in photos and videos to boost your audience and get more fans/likes. I won’t go into naming anyone in particular, but these individuals (both male and female) should honestly be completely embarrassed and ashamed of themselves.

by Matt Weik

Everyone wants to be fashionable. Sometimes people create their own style instead of following trends—and that’s perfectly fine. Days of the old man sweatpants and beat up t-shirt are gone. We are in an era where fitness meets fashion. With brands popping up all over, it’s tough to decide who you want to support. Do you go with the tried and true, or do you go with a smaller up and coming brand to suit your apparel needs?

by Chris Marzarella, CFT

Let me set the scene: You start an exciting new program and you have a great 8 to 12 weeks of moving upwards in weight, you are starting to see new muscular lines that weren’t there before. You’re as motivated as ever to get to the gym and blast dust. Week 11, 12 and 13 creep around and your strength and “gainz” are in the toilet. You blame it on work or whatever the excuse of the week is for fatigue and your weight increases just stall. You find yourself more tired than ever. Your body aches and you just arent motivated to go to the gym. At all.