Knowledge | Pat's Gym

IV Therapy

We remember the first time we used IV therapy. We traveled to New York and forgot our 8 vitamins that we take daily for overall health, boosting our immune system, and helping with recovery. We were tired from an early flight and long day of traveling and knew we had an entire week full […]

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Remember when my amazing wife, Roza, surprised me with a Christmas gift…..Today was my 7th Laser hair removal at Milan Laser. The ritual is getting easier each time and the results have truly been amazing. There is still some preparation needed before I go, and I want to take you through the process. I needed to shave […]

My Christmas gift this year from Roza.

Let’s get personal for a second… I have shaved, trimmed, and waxed my hair for photoshoots and sports competitions in the past. It was horrible! The pain from waxing was unbearable—especially if you buy an at-home kit. Now, being a guy, I have never shared this but over the years I have heard a […]

December Monthly Challenge

The December 12 Days of Christmas Monthly Challenge – Each year at Pat’s Gym, the Monthly Challenge rings in the holiday. Also, it will put you in the mood for the festivities! The December Monthly Challenge is the 12 Days of Christmas. It consists of the following: “12 Days of Christmas” 1 Devil press 2×30/15# 2 […]

November Monthly Challenge

Welcome to November monthly challenge

Morning aerobic cardio work

I really enjoy morning aerobic cardio work. I try to incorporate this into my training 2-3x a week along with my normal weightlifting. It helps me feel loose and helps get the endorphins flowing. It helps me get more volume without overdoing it or overtraining. It builds a great aerobic base which will help you […]

Eat for energy, and avoid those energy zappers

In this environment where we find ourselves, there is a lot of stress and energy is needed to get through the day. Too many appointments, conflicting demands, and zoom calls. We are busy, stressed and many times our workouts will suffer. I eat so that I have higher energy levels. The right combinations of […]

A nice finisher to help with strength and growth…

After the main part of my training, I sometimes enjoy a finisher to get some quality contractions in that will help my muscles grow. I love a good pump and usually my number one choice is to work my biceps. This finishing EMOM really hits the biceps with a functional bodybuilding twist. Each minute […]

Nutrition doesn’t need to confuse you but have a philosophy to guide you.

At times, it can be hard to stay on course with a healthy diet, but it all starts with a healthy philosophy and that will guide you. Each day we make many decisions about eating and we don’t think about it. That is where we need some discipline and a framework to guide you. […]

Ever head of spirulina? If not, you should.

Spirulina is a supplement that has been around for quite some time. However, many people don’t understand all the potential benefits from this supplement. It’s a type of organism that grows in both fresh and saltwater. It’s a family of single-celled microbes. Generally, spirulina comes in a dry powder form, but you can also […]

This is an amazing ab circuit – the results will show

Some days, I just want a solid ab workout. Give this abdominal EMOM a shot today and feel the burn. An isolation abdominal EMOM is a great way to finish out your training day. Make sure it has a purpose and the movements are designed to get you strong and train all sides of your […]

Always go for the full fat yogurt – it’s good for you.

I’ve written previous blogs on why you should stay away from non-fat, and even low-fat dairy. They take out a lot of the healthy elements in the diary and leave you with much of the sugars when they take out the fat. Also, full fat really does taste better. It’s richer and creamer, and […]

A Great Strength Push Pull workout – and a great way to feel the progress!

I love mixing it up in the gym. In this workout, I combine some classic barbell powerlifting with gymnastics in a strength-focused set. This type of workout takes advantage of both open and closed chain contractions for loading variety. This way we can get more volume but stress the body and brain differently. I […]

Need lean muscle? Try this push workout…..

Many are looking for lean muscle, but don’t know how to achieve it. This push workout is great for achieving it. Functional lean mass training traditionally looks like back-to-back supersets of weight training movements that take advantage of longer time under tension sets, shorter rest periods, and a mixture of barbell and dumbbell movements. […]

Eating fermented foods are a great way to stay healthy

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog about a healthy gut and how it works with your immune system. This blog is about why you should be incorporating non-cooked fermented foods into your diet to stay healthy. The choices are many, so go ahead and experiment. It’s a personal choice, and not all […]

Know what a landmine is? If you don’t, you are missing out on your workouts…

Know what a landmine is? If you don’t, you are missing out on your workouts… I love using landmine complexes to warm up. It’s a great loading tool to start my workouts with. The reason is that one single loading implement gives you access to so many different movement patterns and exercises. You don’t […]

Inflammation? Take care of it or face the ramifications.

Inflammation is a body’s defense to fight illness or injury. If you’ve ever over done it from physical activity, you may see the inflammation and feel the soreness. In past blogs, I’ve talked about ways to minimize inflammation through eating, taking an herbal supplement, or by engaging in recovery. In this blog I want […]

Enjoy isolation movements as much as compound ones—variety will keep you healthy.

I love full-body compound lifts. Usually, these lifts make up most of my training. I also love using isolation movements and find ways to make them more functional. Movements start at your joints and if you can’t move well then forget about putting together a compound lift that is safe. The below circuit incorporates holds […]

Next time you are picking a protein source go for the salmon – you won’t regret it.

I’ve written previous blogs about salmon and the Omega-3’s it has, but there is much more to salmon than just that. Read more and find out… Omega-3 fatty acids are great for you. It reduces blood triglycerides and harmful LDL cholesterol. They also help with hormone production, immune function, and support a healthy heart […]

A few tips to focus on form….

Building strength often gets all the attention when the conversation about lifting weights begins. When focusing on strength, one often-overlooked quality that demands attention too is your position. As a coach I spend a lot of quality time dedicated to building better positions for my athletes. These are some of the ways to build a […]

Avoid Nuts? You won’t after reading this.

I’ve written in previous blogs, that all calories aren’t created the same. 250 calories of ice cream is not the same as 250 calories of high-quality protein and veggies. They just have different nutritional characteristics. But, it’s a bit more complex than that. In a recent study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, showed […]

Vitamin C deficiency is easy to avoid – deficiency risks can be serious….

In today’s hectic world, it’s hard to make sure you have no deficiencies of vitamins or minerals. Therefore, I have written many blogs on nutrition and making sure you know how to avoid problems. This blog describes what vitamin C deficiency can cause, and how to avoid it. We’ve all heard of scurvy, but […]

Try these KB Pre-Fatigue movements – and you’ll feel the difference.

Pre-fatiguing the muscles can be key to having a great workout. Pre-fatiguing is different than warm ups and these moves need to be light movements that show up at the beginning of the training session. They don’t tax the nervous system but do get some local fatigue in the muscles. They drive blood and nutrients […]

It’s easy to keep your gut happy

Do you worry about having a healthy gut? Most people should worry about it, but they don’t. A healthy gut contains trillions of microorganisms in your intestines. These microorganisms can be negatively impacted by many things that we all experience every day. In these days of uncertainty, we all experience stress. Stress can kill […]

Core Work can be fun – make it unconventional!

If you really want an impressive core and midline physique you need to connect the upper extremity and abs within the same movements. An abdominal exercise that requires you to pull with the upper body, or an upper body movement that demands abdominal stability, are both superior for getting that aesthetic look in the […]

Be knowledgeable about your glycemic load

I’ve always talked about staying away from foods that score high on the glycemic index. With those types of foods, check my past blogs, you will get an insulin spike which has a bunch of unintended consequences. The glycemic index assigns a numeric score to food based on how drastically it makes your blood […]

BB complexes to improve your Olympic lifting

I’m a huge fan of using BB complexes in training programs. The dedication to developing great skill and technique in the Olympic lifts takes thousands and thousands of hours and reps. These Olympic lifting complexes at lower loads with shorter rests provide a great approach to improving technique. Furthermore, you can get some great muscle endurance […]

Not eating papaya – think again! It’s a fruit packed full of nutrition!

Many people aren’t familiar with papayas, but I highly recommend them. Most people will go for the well-known and high glycemic fruits. This is one that will grow on it in taste. However, the nutritional value of papayas is very diverse and it’s good for you. Papayas are an excellent source of vitamin C. […]

A great supplement exercise for great gains

Hand position and grip orientation is an easy way to vary your training in a variety of movements. The barbell bicep curl serves as a great example of how to do this. Try these unique variations. Top Down 1+1/14 Curls – Adds a lot of time under tension. Narrow Grip Reverse Curl – Works the […]

What is your experience with intermittent fasting? Are you losing muscle?

Intermittent fasting has it place, but I have always said it should not be long term. However, if it works for you then do what works. A new study showed that intermittent fasting may not produce the desired level of weight loss and it may also result in muscle loss. If you’re new to […]