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Best Gyms in Austin

March 20, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment

If you are searching for the best gyms in Austin, check out my favorites: Big Tex Gym, Hyde Park Gym, Richard Lord’s Boxing Gym, and Blacksheep Boxing & Muay Thai. These are all gyms I’ve experienced and interacted with, and I assure you they are the best.

I have been a member of or worked at 17 gyms, from old school training facilities to sports training complexes to country club and shiny fitness clubs. I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the U-G-L-Y. There are some benefits to most of these type gyms, but let me tell you about the best.

Hyde Park Gym, the best in Austin — With my friend & client Chris at Hyde Park Gym in Austin, Texas

The Importance of Finding the Right Gym

A determined person can make a successful training environment in many situations, but the biggest cheat code of all is to find a great gym. It’s not even a cheat, actually; quite the opposite.

Of course you have to find a gym that ha the check boxes you need: open hours that fit your schedule, equipment you like, maybe childcare or classes you are looking for.

But more important is finding your style, and your people. If you’re at a gym that doesn’t let you use chalk, runnnn away. You can’t grow there. If you’re at a gym that gossips and puts others down, run even faster. Good gyms are the most supportive environment you’ll ever find.

It might take a few tried, but finding a gym that’s conducive to hard work, support and continued growth is the way. It’s the way you’ll find progress, fulfillment and results.

How to Find the Right Gym

My number one suggestion is to find a local gym. You’ll find the truly passionate, on-fire-for-the-sport people and trainers there. It won’t be an ordinary corporate drab situation filled with shiny ellipticals. You’ll find real true grit at a local gym.

Start by contacting any people you know in the area and see what they recommend. Most people who love gyms have tried, or at least know of, a few in the area.

You can also check out forums and see what people are saying about local training facilities. Check out Reddit or google “best gym in Austin” or whatever you are searching. People sure don’t hold back their words online so you’ll get some honest reviews.

Big Tex Gym

Big Tex Gym is easily the most equipped facility in Austin. They have equipment for bodybuilding, including a posing room, strongman equipment with indoor turf, and powerlifting gear including calibrated plates and specialty bars.

The owners are amazing people who cultivate a positive supportive lifestyle where everybody supports each other. The vibe is truly second to none; high energy and motivated all the time.

Big Tex Gym, one of the best gyms in Austin — Turf side at Big Tex Gym

Big Tex also has equipment that is highly valuable and hard to find in regular gems, like the Jacob’s Ladder climber, a variety of glute and hip thrusting options, reverse hyper extension, tires, sandbags, stones, logs, and farmers walk implements.

Big Tex Gym feels to me like the future of fitness; there’s always has something fun happening, and something to get involved with and excited about at BTG. Whether a strongman event, powerlifting competition, yoga classes, weekend competitions or fight nights on conjunction with Blacksheep Boxing and Muay Thai, there is something that’ll stoke your fire.

At a five dollar day rate you have nothing to lose by trying it out. Memberships available too.

1921 Cedar Bend Dr A 130, Austin, TX 78758

512-775-7838

https://www.bigtexgym.com

Hyde Park Gym

Hyde Park Gym has the greatest history yet any gym I’ve ever been a part of. It was formerly owned by Mike Graham, who is a legend in the lifting world, and even used to weld his own equipment to get precisely the lifts he wanted. The gym was later bodybuilding great Dave Goodin. Over the years Hyde Park has built a stunning number of successful bodybuilders, powerlifters, and weightlifters.

In addition to the serious lifting competitors, Hyde Park is also a neighborhood gym. There are multiple generations that work out there and many non-competitors who just love the unique feel of the gym. The walls are covered in history and pictures of long-ago meets and now retired competitors.

at Hyde Park Gym, one of the best in Austin

I was with a client one day when a man and his teenage son walked in. He asked to look around, and after a few minutes, pointed to a picture of a bodybuilder on the wall. “That’s your mom”, he said. I never got the backstory, but what a sweet moment to witness.

Hyde Park Gym is just full of fantastic people, including the members, trainers, and the owner. I’ve been blessed to know so many of them over the years and I’ll always be grateful for the friendships I made there.

Hyde Park still has a great training atmosphere and fun events like the Push Pull in the summer, which is the rowdiest lifting event I’ve ever been to.

With it’s abundant platforms, great equipment, specialty bars, and a killer location in Hyde Park, I hope Hyde Park Gym is around forever.

Hyde Park Gym has guest passes and memberships available.

4125 Guadalupe Street, Austin, TX 78751

512-524-0450

https://hydeparkgym.com

Richard Lord’s Boxing Gym

Richard Lord’s Boxing Gym is a fantastic combination of nostalgia, history, tradition, and modern day hard work. There are posters on the walls of fights, fighters, events of the past, and it is now pulsing with young energy and work.

Richard is an extremely accomplished fighter and coach, and runs his gym dispensing great technical knowledge. His gym is full of charismatic and funny people who help you through the sweat fest. I have so much fun every time I go! But don’t get complacent- they know how to box!

I go to the boxing gym for exercise, so I’m definitely not one of his trained fighters. I never intend to get into a real boxing match. Despite that, the genuine experience and dedication to boxing is what I love about Lord’s Boxing Gym. It’s highly motivating to me to be surrounded by people who are passionate about what they work so hard at.

It’s so much more genuine than a pop up fitness boxing business that focuses more on fitness. I know this seems disingenuous coming from me because I do go to his gym for fitness. But let me tell you, they know how to condition people too!

Richard’s facility is as real as it gets – like Hyde Park and Big Tex, it has good equipment that you don’t find at commercial gyms. He also has LOTS of jump ropes, and tires to pull.

Lord’s Gym is unique. It is a one of a kind place, and it’s full of fun, fun supportive people.

There are a variety of classes to participate in at the gym, and you can get a membership or 1:1 sessions.

5528 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78757

512-451-8424

Lord’s Boxing Gym

Blacksheep Boxing & Muay Thai

Blacksheep Boxing & Muay Thai is fantastic training environment for a few fighting disciplines. Blacksheep has a large sparring area and ring, and lots of bags on the walls for members’ use. They have a variety of classes and experienced instructors for both group and on-on-one sessions.

Blacksheep is fun and high energy, and it’s filled with interesting and dedicated people. They are located next to Big Tex Gym where I work, and seeing everybody at Blacksheep, including the employees and members, is one of the highlights of my day.

1921 Cedar Bend Drive, Austin, TX 78758

512-545-8190

https://www.blacksheepboxing1.com

If yours isn’t on the list, let me know what’s your favorite Austin gym! I love knowing what gyms are around, even if I haven’t been yet.

If you haven’t, try one of the gyms I listed above. They’ll all take care of you and you might even find a place where you fit right in. Let me know – can’t wait to hear from you! kathryn@Kathrynalexander.com

How to Break Through Your Bench Press Plateau

March 13, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment

Are you stuck on your bench press? Find out how to break through your bench press plateau. If you’ve been lifting for any length of time, you might find your progress stalling. You will feel like you are doing everything right – you are putting in the work, you’re resting. Maybe you changed your program and took advice from seasoned lifters. Maybe you adjusted your technique. You still find yourself not progressing at a pace that you think would be reasonable for the effort you are putting in.

You’re in a plateau.

Don’t stress. This is common. This is some thing that every lifter will experience. Above all, don’t quit. Keep training. Read a few of the pointers below to find out how you can work through this and come out of your plateau stronger.

how to break through bench press plateau

What is a Bench Press Plateau

If you are wondering, “why is my bench press not increasing?” let’s first address if you’re actually plateauing, or just seeing stalled progress for some reason. Sometimes when you have a few suboptimal training sessions, it can seem worse than it is.

Ideally you are following a training schedule. This would allow you to train hard and train smart, and actually track your progress. If you are following a program and not just haphazardly winging it, yet still not seeing progress, let’s look at other factors.

Lack of sleep or poor quality sleep, lack of adequate rest, and over- or under-training can all affect your lifting progress. Every person is different and in a different phase of life, so look honestly at your weekly schedule and assess all of these factors. Consider if you also have a physically demanding job or if you have children in a busy phase of life. You might not be able to alter these things, so consider how you can optimize your time in the gym to lift enough, and rest enough.

Ensure you are eating well too. You’ll want to make sure you are eating enough calorically, and also eating enough protein. Estimates from experts who understand lifting are around 1.2-1.6 g/kg bodyweight per day. That sometimes takes some planning but is entirely possible.

Bench Press Plateau Break Through Tips

I hope your lifting career is a lifelong one! It certainly can be. And as such, it is a constant game of working hard, adjusting, and learning as new challenges present themselves.

Below are a number of ideas on how to break through your bench press plateau, ranging from technical tips, programming tips, and more.

how to break through a bench press plateau

Work your Whole Body

This one may sound counterintuitive, but to progress as a lifter, you need to work your whole body. Hopefully this is not an issue you are having, but sometimes lifters skew toward their favorite lifts and train their favorites harder.

In the long run, this will not lead to maximal growth, size, or strength.

Make sure you are getting compound lifts such as squats and deadlifts, not just leg press and isolation machines. Ensure you are doing heavy back work as well.

Think about it: some people are bench specialists, or deadlift specialists, but the elite ones don’t have gigantic weak spots. When have you seen a 700+ plus puller with skinny arms? I don’t know a big bench presser with tiny legs.

Train your whole body and you’ll be happy with your progress!

Work on Technique

The bench press is highly technical and improving your technique can increase your capacity. Several technical factors of the bench press will be unique to your body and your leverages, and some will be your preference. For example, if you have a thick chest and torso, and short arms, you are made for bench pressing. If you are tall with long arms, your bench press will have many more inches to travel.

You are given the body you are given, so in the meantime, you can choose how you would like to set up. A very narrow grip will be a harder angle to press. A wide grip allows you to be in a stronger position, and a position in which the bar has a shorter distance to travel. Most people bench at a grip wider than shoulders, but it is your choice how wide you set up.

Likewise it is your choice how much you arch in the bench press. The arched position allows for a stronger set up, increased utilization of the lower pec muscles, and again, a shorter range of motion. The arch is safe and will allow for higher bench press numbers. It is your choice how you would like to bench on the continuum between flat back benching and a high arch.

Finally, there are many technical angles you can work on such as specifics of your set up, arch, grip, and optimal bar path.

Specialized Lifts

Bench pressing often improves from more bench pressing, but you’ll want to add in some supplemental lifts too. Partial reps, dumbbell work, board presses and Spoto presses can help grow your bench press.

Continue working your bench press as you have been, but experiment with adding in some of these accessory lifts. Be sure to add in triceps work as well. Stronger triceps will help with a stronger bench press.

Change It Up

Hopefully you are following a smart program that will take you through well designed progressions. This means some of your exercise parameters will change, but you will not be going through crazy, random changes each week.

For example, to change the stimulus, you might decrease your reps as you increase in the weight. The timing of this will depend on whether you are peaking for a meet or competition. If you have plenty of time away from a competition, experiment with changing the set/rep scheme, such as moving from a 5×5 to 5×3 with heavier weights. That is just one example, any how you adjust your sets and reps will obviously depend on what you are doing now.

As accessory work after your main bench work, you can add in paused reps or tempo work. These can increase time under tension, causing a different stimulus.

Find a Program

The best thing you can do for breaking up a bench press plateau, and making progress overall, is following a good program. A program will help you workin a way that challenges you, balances you (upper/lower body, pushing/pulling), doesn’t neglect any fundamental movements or lifts, and allows you to reach your potential.

Don’t waste your time and energy hopping around the gym and guessing about what to do. Reach out to a trainer who coaches what you want to learn, and use their hours and hours of study, coaching and experience to get where you want to go faster.

Check out my programs here or message me here about your specific situation. Good luck breaking through your bench press plateau! Here’s to many more years of lifting PRs!

How to Stay Fit With a Desk Job

March 5, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment

The challenge of how to stay fit with a desk job is often overlooked. If you sit for much of your job, you know how easy it is to fall into a sedentary lifestyle. Reading reports, composing emails and attending Zoom meetings make it convenient to sit at your desk and be productive. Even transferring from an office to work-from-home makes it easier to sit all day.

Adding in a quick exercise and mobility session can make a world of difference in how you feel and how your body functions. Try this free program 3 days a week (less than 20 minutes, no equipment necessary) if you need a simple, workable plan to follow. What do you have to lose? 20 minutes. But what you have to gain!

Negatives of Sitting All Day

Sitting down and working all day is not manual labor, but it’s actually pretty tough on the body. Our bodies do well moving a certain amount in the day, and that’s hard to do if your job is to focus and be electronically available for hours at a time.

If you sit too much without regular movement or exercise, you’ll notice tightness, fatigue, lethargy. Like a water well that needs a water primer, regular movement sets up our body for better movement, better health, and fewer issues in the future.

The Benefits of an Exercise Program

Despite this schedule, you must be deliberate about making time to take care of your health. It will pay you back in spades. How? You might already know some benefits of exercise, but they include:

Increased energy levels (that don’t come from calories or caffeine)
Decreased back pain
Increased mood
Greater quality sleep

Back to the part where I said you have to be deliberate – extra time doesn’t fall into your lap. Motivation doesn’t rain down like pollen in Austin, ya know. You’ve got to make a way for physical activity to fit in your life. This involves knocking down your specific barriers to exercise.

If this is striking a chord with you, I’m going to guess your barriers might be lack of free time and lack of a plan.

Challenge Your Limiting Factors – Have a Plan

Many of my clients have a desk job. They are busy, productive, and after thinking, producing and strategizing all day, the last thing they want to do is think up an exercise program before they exercise. The lack of a program to follow was a limiting factor.

If that is a limiting factor for you, and you are looking to start something without a huge time commitment, try the following program. Do it 3-6 days a week. It will take less than 20 minutes. It won’t prep you for high level athletics but it will go a long way in helping prevent and ease the pain of a sedentary lifestyle, and promote good health.

Feel Better From 20 Minutes a Day

Chances are, you know some benefits of exercise, and you even know some exercises. The challenge is more likely that after focusing and working on all, you just don’t want to think anymore about what to do in the gym. If that sounds familiar, and you’d like increased energy, decreased pain, try this program.

Pick 3 days this week, and give yourself 20 minutes. You can do this!

Exercises for Sitting All Day

Do 8 reps of each exercise, then move to the next exercise. After you have done all exercises for 8 reps, repeat the circuit. (Scroll down for hyperlinks and videos). It will look like this:

8 squats
8 Y
8 bear crawl (forward and backward, worth it!)
4 lunges each leg and 8 pullaparts
8 reach for the sky

Evaluate how that was, decide to do another set. Aim for 3 this first go round, and note how long it took you. Very do-able!

If you’d like a more in depth look at some of these exercises, check out these links:

how to do bear crawls

how to do lunges and lunge variations

how to do the Y

How to Stay Active at a Desk Job

If you are looking for other ways to stay fit with a desk job in addition to the 3 sessions above, remember that you can add in small daily changes that add up. You might have heard of these before, but they do make a difference in keeping your body active, moving, and feeling good.

stand up and stretch at the top of every hour
stay hydrated; walk to the restroom often
walk to a co-workers office to discuss what could have been an email
take walking meetings, either with co-workers of while on muted zoom
Decreased back pain
walk up stairs when you have the time

Do It! And Update Me!

Let me know how this goes! I’d love to hear how you’ve made staying fit and active at your desk job a reality. Email me with any feedback or questions! kathryn@kathrynalexander.com.

Discipline vs. Motivation

February 13, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment

Discipline vs motivation is everywhere these days. I don’t know about you, but I read about discipline vs. motivation all the time. Rely on discipline, not motivation, they say. Develop your discipline because the motivation will not always be there, they say.

Jocko is saying it: Discipline equals freedom. David Goggins lives it, a mile at a time. Nearly every trending motivational reel in the fitness space highlights the importance of discipline over motivation.

They’re not wrong, and it’s not a new concept, but I’d like to give real life examples for what that looks like. I am blessed to be able to see this is action across the board, from my clients as they navigate fitting in fitness in their life.

Motivation vs Discipline

Motivation

Motivation is so fun! It hypes you up, it amps you to go get it, to go do what you need to do. Motivation makes you WANT to do what you need to do. That’s the joy of motivation: it drives you, it pulls you! It makes it easy to go to the gym and get your training done.

Discipline

Discipline, on the other hand, is steady and consistent. Discipline is orderly and measured. If you are disciplined in your approach to training, you’ll do it because you committed. If you are disciplined, you’ll get your training in when you aren’t highly motivated.

The problem with motivation, however, is that it can be fleeting. You won’t be motivated every day, and that’s fact. Motivation changes with your mood, the weather, how busy you are and how you slept.

Discipline Over Motivation

Discipline and motivation certainly aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, in many cases, they make an upward cycle of success. If you are disciplined in the tasks that drive you toward your goals, you’ll likely see more success in reaching them. Success is fun! That leads to motivation, which makes carrying out your discipline easier.

Life always has a way of changing though, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. When it changes for worse, motivation is tough. It’s HARD to go to the gym when you are so so busy. It’s ROUGH to muster up the energy for exertion when you aren’t sleeping well.

Discipline allows you to commit to a training schedule, so you push through those challenges and get your tasks done. Remember, exercise is rate limited; you can’t exercise a year’s worth of work in a month. You have to do it consistently throughout your life. This is the way to see success.

motivation vs discipline in your fitness training programs

How My Clients Use Discipline

My clients have often been my biggest inspirations, as I’ve seen them use discipline to commit to their training through a variety of challenging life situations. I’ve seen parents who are absolutely slammed busy make time for their exercise, people who have had physical setbacks approach their training with the most can-do attitude imaginable. And impressively, I’ve seen people who have been consistent and disciplined for decades.

My client Paul moved last summer from one house, to a temporary house for a month, and finally to his family’s new home. He trains with bands and dumbbells, and exercises outdoors. Did I mention that it is hot here in the Central Texas heat? Hot!

He kept his training consistent through the time, weather and schedule challenges. I am always interested to know how successful people find their way so I asked him how he maintained his consistency.

He reminded me that he has been doing some sort of exercise since he was 16. It has become part of his life to that point that he will make sure to include it. He said it feels off if he doesn’t exercise.

A Working Mother Employs Discipline in Her Training

Most of my clients have jobs and families and find really great and creative ways to get their training in. One of my clients in particular impresses me with how she manages it all. She is self employed and runs a service based business. She has two adorable kids who are fun and healthy and active (read: busy!). Her husband works as well and they are a great team.

Through the years of training together, she has put it on her calendar to get her training in despite being busy. Here are some creative ways she has made her training happen when it would have been easier to skip or cancel:

Lifted at home with dumbbells, including the children when they were home during summer.
Walked in her neighborhood, including walking the kids to school.
Pivoted to pool sessions during covid. Great use of outside and distance.
Increased the intensity of sessions when the time was cut short (hard 30-45 minute sessions instead of an hour). Thanks, Austin traffic.
Trained while keeping an ear bud in to listen to a call that she wanted to learn from.

I’m so impressed by how she gets work done, even when it’s not a perfectly planned 60 minute session. This has allowed her to maintain her strength and build her health over the years.

Working Through Injuries

Another client I am working with now is also trainer, and friend of mine. He tore his pec doing jiu jitsu, and we are structuring his rehab and return to training. He’s a strongman competitor and trainer and has been active for many years. He has done strongman, jiu jitsu, hypertrophy training and is now working with a new goal: get back to 100% intensity training.

It’s hard to see your ability change, and it takes patience, commitment and yes, discipline to work through an injury. He impresses me, because I know he will get it done and return stronger than before.

It’s What I Do

As someone who has had a love-hate relationship with exercise, I have experience elation, burnout, contentment and sheer fatigue surrounding my training. This is why I was so intrigued and impressed with Paul’s explanation.

“It’s what I do.”

No tortured lamenting about lack of time or energy or desire, just a matter of fact statement that it’s what he does.

No relying on fleeting motivation.

And you know what? It works, when we just do what we know we need to do.

Hope you have a wonderful week, and find the motivation and discipline to do what you need to do! If I can help you in any way, please let me know!

Feel free to email me kathryn@kathrynalexander.com or send me a message here to inquire about working together toward your goals.

How to Follow Gym Etiquette

February 5, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment

If you have ever wondered how to follow gym etiquette, you are not alone. Proper gym etiquette is not complicated; there are a few gym-specific things to know, but otherwise it is pretty much common sense and common courtesy. Be nice to people, share with people, and leave the gym clean and organized. Read on for tips on gym etiquette.

Gym etiquette tips for how to follow gym etiquette. Kathryn Alexander Personal Training in Austin, Texas.

How to Work With Others in the Gym

The most important etiquette tip of all is to simply be respectful of others in the gym. In a public space, people will differ on how they prefer to interact. Some lifters prefer to get their training in and leave with minimal involvement of others. When you see this preference in somebody, please respect it. Other people find the gym a great social situation and want to chat and lift with others. A general rule of thumb is to politely reinforce your boundaries (“great to see you! I’m going to go lift now. See you next time.”) and respect others.

This means do NOT offer unsolicited advice to people. No matter what. People who want help will seek it. This goes for trainers as well. Despite what your sales lead tells you, do not go tell someone they are doing something wrong. There are other ways to open up conversation and offer support, but unsolicited criticism/advice/suggestions are not the way to do that.

Other things that I consider to be both common sense and worth saying are to give people personal space and be aware of what people are doing around you.

How to Use Cameras and Videos in the Gym

Trending right now is the use of cameras and videos in the gym. People are videoing their lifts, either for form checks, for their coach, for social media, etc. Inevitably there are issues with the use of video in a public place. Just this week, a girl posted a video of a guy “hitting on her” and reposted it to shame him. In this situation, he didn’t appear to be rude. Of course, there are situations where people are creepy, where people aren’t, where people are misunderstood.

A good rule here is that videoing others in the gym is an invasion of space. It’s rude; don’t do it. Sure, videoing your lifts discretely is fine, but a public gym is not your production room. Remember, other people just want to lift without dodging a million cameras walking through the weight room.

Etiquette of Cell Phone Use in the Gym

Exercise tracking is becoming much more popular, and it’s a great way to log your training. My clients, workout partner and I all use Train Heroic to train our workouts. You’ll see us in the gym inputting our numbers quickly between sets. I’m certainly not entirely anti-cell phone use, and I highly encourage the use of phones for logging your training and form check videos.

But please remember no one (literally no one) wants to hear your conversations or your music. Save your chatting for after your session and use your ear buds. Just don’t hog equipment for 20 minutes between sets because your Insta is fire today. K? Get your work in and get out.

How to Work in With Someone

This is “how to follow gym etiquette” 101. Working in with others allows gyms to flow when it’s busy. In this case, you might end up sharing the equipment. People call this “working in” with someone. Resistance training typically has a lifting period and a resting period, which s conducive to sharing. When I lift, my set takes 30-60 seconds. I’ll rest for 1-3 minutes. This is a great time for someone else to work in.

How to Share Gym Equipment

The best situation for working in or sharing equipment with someone is if you don’t have to change the equipment too much. Generally speaking, if someone is doing something like squat, deadlift, bench, cleans, or jerks, it is probably better to wait. Unless your program is very similar to theirs, and your set up (ie height, seat position) is as well, there will be so many variables that it is easier on both of you to not share.

Accessory work is a bit more conducive to sharing. Pin selectorized equipment is easy to share, as it doesn’t require loading and unloading weight plates. Dumbbells and the free weight benches are also conducive to sharing, as you can quickly move your weights in and out of the shared work area.

How to Clean Gym Equipment

Wipe down equipment before you use it if it’s dirty. Wipe down equipment after you use it. Clean up any sweat, chalk, blood, or whatever else you left behind. After that, you should still wash your hands, wash your clothes, and shower off. You don’t have to be a germ phobe, but just know you probably want to change clothes before you sit down on your couch at home.

How to Treat the Equipment and Use it For What it’s For

The number one benefit of having a fully stocked gym is access to all the great equipment. This is contingent on the integrity of the equipment, which is contingent on taking good care of it. Do not drop the dumbbells. Use the bars for what they are designed for. Each gym will typically explain this to you. Some gyms have specialty bars like squat bars, deadlift bars, and specific bars for rack pulls. Using them in the wrong setting can injure you or ruin the bar.

Additionally, remember that there are certain things you can do only in certain areas. There are typically just a few squat racks, but you can do curls anywhere in the gym. Ergo, don’t curl in the squat rack. Don’t do lunges on a deadlift platform. You’ll appreciate when other people give the same respect so you can get your lifts done as you’d like.

How to Put The Weights Back

Pick ’em up, put ’em back. Haha! Seems easy to me. Like camping, pack out what you pack in, and leave it better than you found it. This means if you bring over bands, chains, straps, specialty bars, or anything else, you have to return it. Do not leave a plate on a machine because you think it’s someone else’s starting point. It’s probably not. This is one of my biggest gym pet peeves. People leave a 45 pound plate on a machine often. The people who do not start with a 45 pound plate on it are the people who can’t move a 45 pound plate. Rude rude.

Return equipment to its starting point and put your own equipment up. Do not leave the dumbbells out either. And don’t expect me to not chew you out if I catch you leaving the gym a mess.

Other Tips on How to Follow Gym Etiquette

There are many many other things I could write about how to follow gym etiquette. Again, may of them are specific to each gym, and are common sense.

Don’t jump rope inside.
Don’t claim an entire area as yours.
Wash your clothes, and lift in clean clothes. Please.
Don’t bring your dog.
Wear deodorant.
Follow the rules specific to your gym.

Finally, speak to the owners/staff if someone is being rude to you. Gym owners are among the most passionate and compassionate people I’ve ever met. It’s not a lucrative field, and it’s one they usually go in for the love of it. They want to help you and they want you to succeed.

The gym really is a friendly place! You’ll find many many people are cheering for you at a gym, and you’ll feel very supported.

Where to Start

If you are brand new to the gym, my program called Square 1 takes you though exactly where to start. It tells you how many sets, reps, and what weight to start with on exercises. It’s $15 for a 6 week program, and you can message me anytime with questions. I’d be happy to help get you started, on this beginning program, or on a program custom written for you! Email me at kathryn@kathrynalexander.com or fill out this form here.

Happy training!

How to Goblet Squat

January 11, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment

Learn how to goblet squat as we cover the benefits, variations, and training techniques to implementing the goblet squat.

The goblet squat is a great squat variation that is effective as a training tool and teaching tool. It naturally predisposes one toward optimal form, making it easy to feel a good squat. It is accessible too, as it can be done with any implement that you can hold at your chest.

The placement of the implement (high, at your chest) recruits your anterior musculature more than a back squat does, meaning you’ll use your torso a good bit. Fun fact, I felt my abs work harder than I ever have in my life, during a heavy front squat. More than a crunch, hanging leg raise, or any ab workout style class I did; it was the front squat that required so much from my abs.

You can use the goblet squat as a warm up, learning tool, or main lift. Check out the directions and video below for more thorough directions.

How to Goblet Squat

hold the weight in your upward facing palms
press elbows toward each other so your elbows are under the weight, not pointing toward the sides of the room
keep trunk tight and neutral
break at the hips to initiate squat
sit deep into heels
squeeze big toe into the ground and squeeze your glutes as you stand

How Many Goblet Squats Should You Do?

Since the goblet squat can be used as a main lift or an accessory, you have a lot of parameters to choose from. If your goal is to use it as a strength exercise, you’ll work up to heavy weight in the 5-8 rep range. If you’d like to use it as assistance work (typically after your heavier, bigger lifts), then you can do more like 10-20 reps.

Remember to use the goblet squat to serve you and your goals! If you have questions about how to add it in your training program, please feel free to comment or email me! kathryn@kathrynalexander.com

If you’d like to learn more about working together on a custom program for you, please message me here and we can schedule a free consult.

See More From the “How-To” Series Below

How to Stay Fit With a Desk Job

How to Follow Gym Etiquette

How to Begin Lifting Weights

How to do Bear Crawls

How to do Band Pullaparts

How to do Lunges and Lunge Variations

Morgan’s Transformation

January 9, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment

Client transformations and success stories give me life, y’all! Morgan’s transformation is one of my favorites. Morgan is amazingly hard working, both at his job and in the gym. He is diligent and consistent. This isn’t for lack of other things to do either; he is a busy man who has prioritized his health. I am so proud of him!

Morgan, client of Alexander Training, shows his amazing transformation, and the results of his hard work.

Morgan’s transformation, in his words

I set out on my journey to find a strength and conditioning professional after suffering what I like to refer to as a “Crisis of Health”. It was at this time that I realized that many of my personal and professional shortcomings were linked to my inability to stay disciplined regarding my own health. Coach Alexander has helped to keep me accountable for my health and on track to meeting my goals.

After having done research on local gyms and their strength and conditioning professionals, I decided Coach Alexander was the best fit due to education and background experience. So, I signed up for a session to give it a try. And I sure am glad I did! Coach Alexander has been able to help curate a routine and develop habits that keep me engaged and on track.

Coach Alexander is has been sensational to work with! She maintains and updates my routine to keep my body challenged, mind engaged, and spirit motivated.

My time with her has taken me from despising the gym, to thirsting for it.

She always takes the time to address any comments or concerns I might have regarding my training, and always does so with positivity and professionalism.

Your Turn

If you would like to get started on your transformation, see which program is the best fit for you here. If you would like to talk with me about your goals, please reach out! Email me at kathryn@kathrynalexander.com. I’d be honored to help you!

How to Begin Lifting Weights

January 9, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander 2 Comments

In case you were wondering if this is a good time to begin lifting weights: any time is a good time to begin lifting weights! You are not too old, and you are not too weak, you are not too busy.

Lifting weights truly can change your life! It is like a cheat code – if you are stronger, everything feels easier. If you are healthier, the good times feel great. You don’t have to be strong to start, and you don’t have to want to be a bodybuilder or meathead.

increases in strength, which apply to all activities of daily living such as walking up stairs or carrying a kid around, or doing yard work
increases in bone density, which are especially important for women, fair skinned, and thin individuals
improvements in mental health, stress reduction, and confidence
reduction in all-cause mortality from 30-60 minutes of muscle strengthening a week

Additionally, there are many ways to practice resistance training: lifting weights with free weights, kettlebells, dumbbells, or using band resistance or even bodyweight exercises. All of this is lifting. You can do this at the gym or at home.

I recommend going to your doctor to get a baseline physical before you begin. From there, remember: you can lift weights!

How to begin lifting weights. Kathryn Alexander of Alexander Training swings a kettlebell in her garage gym. Photo by Ben Porter.

What Do You Need to Start Lifting Weights

The great thing about lifting weights is that you can begin with very little. You can start at home with bodyweight exercises. If it suits you, you can start at the gym with machines and free weights. The gym is for beginners and advanced lifters alike, and so are all the means by which you can lift: bodyweight exercises, bands, machines or dumbbells. Any of these methods of training can increase strength.

If you enjoy lifting at home, you can lift at home as long as you’d like. The options for home gym builds these days are amazing, from basic and utilitarian to truly incredible training facilities. Check out Garage Gym Reviews for inspiration and information about how to build the perfect home gym for you. It’s very fun to have training equipment at home, but it’s not a necessity. Many of my clients prefer to keep their home home, and commute to the gym.

A word of warning: a home gym won’t save you money. There’s a good chance you’ll get hooked, and you’ll want one more barbell, then a few more weights, then that fun new accessory, and then a garage renovation to house it all. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya!

The most important thing to remember is that you start where you start. It is relative to where you are in your fitness and strength levels. Start with an appropriate amount of weight, like Goldilocks (not too much, not too little). Actually, err on the side of too light. Rest, repeat, and add a bit of a challenge next time.

Beginners Weight Lifting Tips

In the next section, I’ll give you concrete starting points, such as what exercises to learn for a solid foundation of good form. Remember mindset is very important too, so keep these quick tips in mind as you begin your weight lifting career. (Note that when I say weight lifter, I am referring to one who lifts weights, not only one who competes in the sport of weightlifting.)

Just do it! Just get started! Even if you are a bit apprehensive, confused, or timid. Nobody knows everything, and nobody starts as anything but a beginner. Just do it; trust me, it’ll get better!
Start light. Whether it is a machine you aren’t familiar with, or free weights that offer a gazillion weight options; start very light. Feel out the movement with the light weight and think about it as you go. Your analysis of the movement will tell you how to proceed as far as adding weights.
Building off the last point: focus on the feel of the movement and the muscles that you are using. Studying anatomy will help this but is not a prerequisite. Even if you don’t know anatomy, you can learn from your body as you move.
Identify your sticking point if you are having a hard time moving forward. Is it lack of confidence in you routine? A tight schedule? Need some new equipment? There is an answer to all of those, whether it is working with a training, following a training program to maximize time spent (try a free week on any of my programs here) or hitting up craigslist.com to get you started with equipment.
Try this to learn more about your shoulders and posture in less than two minutes.
Remember all the benefits of lifting weights! The health, physique and mental benefits will always work in your favor.
Back to number 1: just do it!

Get a Trainer

If you do your due diligence, you can find a professional trainer who truly views this industry as a profession. This means he or she will teach you well, help you move quickly and not waste time, prevent injury as much as possible, and write a specific program for what you are working for.

A trainer can help you find modifications so exercises fit your body best, help you work through your sticking points, and even help build your confidence and keep you accountable.

It is my goal to educate my clients as we go so they can be independent. I don’t ever want to quit working with my clients, but I always want them to have a plan and the ability to do it on their own. Often, people need just a few months to get their feet under them and have all the tools to proceed independently. In that case, I’m happy happy to hear their progress reports as they break off onto their own.

Form

Study form as you begin lifting weights. Good form will apply to exercise regardless of what kind of implements, weights, or bodyweight exercises you are utilizing. Good form will allow you to move faster toward your goals, prevent injury, and get the most out of each exercise. Don’t let fear of perfection slow you down, though. There is a wide gray area of safe and acceptable form. Do your best and plan to improve as you go. Remember Tip number 1: just do it!

Beginner Body Weight Exercises

The following exercises are foundational to movement. That means these should be practiced by beginners, and continually utilized through your lifting career. They’ll become easier, but I want you to always practice them deliberately. They’ll become more like warm up and reinforcement work than hard working sets as you progress.

Watch these videos and practice the movements. Please reach out to me if you have questions!

Basic squat with no weight

basic squat with no weight

Y for rear delts

plank walk out

reverse lunge

hinge

dead bug

Beginning Resistance Training with Bands

Resistance bands can help you develop strength at different angles. Please be careful to buy good bands, keep them inside, and check frequently for potential tears. Also be certain that your anchor point is secure so that you won’t pop yourself in the microphone you are wearing on your face as you teach a group exercise class in front of 25 sorority girls at LSU circa 2004. Hypothetically, haha, that would be sooo embarrassing.

band pullaparts

band row

band deadlift

Beginner Weight Exercises

goblet squat

dumbbell overhead press

machine row

For a full post about how to do the goblet squat, click here.

Create a Routine

Building exercise into your routine and following a plan will help you maintain your lifting habits. Remember, lifting weights will help you as long as you are able to lift, so find a way to lift for many many years. It is about consistency and progress, not perfection and knowing-it-all. Nobody knows it all, and nobody is perfect at first, if ever. Please don’t let that stop you from getting started on an enjoyable hobby that can save your life!

For an in-depth look at how to find or develop a training plan, read here.

Begin Lifting Weights Today!

Lifting weights can make your life better almost immediately, with very little cost or equipment necessary to begin. I hope you try some of these exercises linked above and begin your strength journey. I wish you the best of luck, and invite you to please email me kathryn@kathrynalexander.com with questions, progress updates, and my favorite, your wins! Happy lifting!

What is the Importance of a Workout Plan?

December 26, 2022 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment

Having a well written workout plan is one of the most important things to consider in your exercise routine. It is hands down the most effective way to get the best results from your time exercising. A workout plan that you follow can help you reach your goals faster and more effectively, take the brainpower and mental stress out of the process, and help you avoid blind spots to get the best out of your fitness routine.

How Can a Workout Plan Benefit You?

We know all the reasons that exercise is worth doing: you’ll feel better, move better, look better, and stave off injury and disease. No reason not to exercise! Except that it does take time, energy, and potentially a financial investment. If you are going to put in the effort to exercise (and you should!) then you should make it worth it.

The best way to do that is to follow a well designed exercise plan to maximize your results. Read on for more information about how a workout program can help you, and how to find the best plan for you.

1 – A Workout Plan Can Help You Reach Your Goals Faster

A workout plan can help you reach your goals faster and more effectively, since it will help you work toward specific outcomes. Often, people go in the gym or go for a little pop on the elliptical, hit some machines randomly and hope they get exactly where they want to be. It doesn’t work this way; the body responds very specifically to exercise stimuli. For example, if you want to get stronger, you need to lift heavier. If you want to lose weight, you have to increase your exercise capacity and be able to exert more energy.

I receive inquiries for people from an online exercise company, and it asks people to check off their desired goals. Often people will list many goals, such as “build muscle mass”, “run a marathon”, “increase flexibility”, and “bodybuild”. These are all worthy goals, but in the short to medium term, they will compete. A well written workout program can help reach these goals, but it needs to be methodically planned. Otherwise, the process will be similar to chasing cats; chaotic and ineffective.

The bottom line is that if you are going to do the hard work (and making the time and effort for the gym is hard work!) then it should be work that takes you to your desired outcomes.

2 – Take the Brainpower and Mental Stress Out of the Equation

Having a well programmed workout routine to follow is incredibly peaceful. A good plan will give you a roadmap to trust, so your only job is to do the hard work. It takes the brainpower and mental stress out of it for you, so you can do the work and reassess at the end of your training block. This is usually 4-12 weeks, at which point, you’ll continue to the next phase, or commit to a new program.

3 – Avoid Blind Spots in Your Workout Routine

Often, we can learn from others and their experiences. After all, we don’t know what we don’t know! If you have a well designed workout plan, you will be following a well rounded routine that includes everything you need to reach your goals. For example, to avoid and work past back pain, you need a couple smart glute exercises. Athletes, including weekend warriors, typically need more hamstrings work than is conventionally written into general workout plans.

Make sure you follow a good program, and you’ll hit everything you need to feel and perform best!

What is a Personalized Workout Plan?

A personalized workout routine or fitness plan is written specifically for you and your goals. Finding a personalized plan written by a fitness expert is a great plan to follow. If that is out of your budget or doesn’t interest you, you can find a plan online that’s written by a fitness expert for people like you. If you look on Train Heroic, for example, you can find extremely specific programs such as plans for beginners, jiu jitsu enthusiasts, people who want to build their butt or grow bigger arms, military and post military, etc. I have plans for people who sit at work all day and need to decompress, people who exercise with limited equipment, and people who train in a full gym toward strength and physique goals.

This can be incredibly effective and cost effective as well. This way you’re not, as mentioned before, hopping around and wasting your on things that won’t take you to your goals.

How to Find a Personalized Workout Plan

Like I mentioned in the previous paragraph, you can find any kind of training program on Train Heroic, which is an incredible training app that my clients and I love. (They aren’t paying me to say this! I just really love Train Heroic!) It features programs from experts of all kinds of strength, fitness and sport specific doctrines.

Consider how many days a week you can commit to working out, what kind of equipment you have access to, and what your goals are. Be as specific as you can. Keep those factors in mind when you are searching programs, and select one that matches you as much as possible. Often on Train Heroic, you can do the first week free, or even contact the coach directly. Research it as much as you are comfortable with to find a program that excites you.

If you are interested in any of my programs, check them out here. If you have questions about which would be a good fit for you, feel free to email me at kathryn@kathrynalexander.com.

Are you brand new to the gym and need a plan to start? Try this 6 week program which walks you through what to do, how to do it, and how to use your gym.

Take Action and Start Your Workout Plan

Take action! Take imperfect action! I encourage you to think deeply on your goals and how you will feel when you achieve them. Then find a plan that will help you get there! Ensure it’s a good program by looking at reviews and/or talking to the coach. From there, GO GO GO!

Take a leap of faith, put in great effort, and follow that workout plan!

Best of luck! Remember, I want to see you succeed! If I can help you at all, please let me know!

What is Semi-Private Personal Training?

November 21, 2022 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment

If you have spent any amount of time in a gym, you might have noticed people working with personal trainers. Sometimes they are working one-on-one, sometimes in a pair, and sometimes in a small group. Maybe you have seen semi-private personal training advertised and wondered what it is.

Semi-private personal training is when a personal trainer works with 2-5 people instead of one-on-one. Semi-private personal training has some really great benefits, and some things you should consider.

A personal trainer, as opposed to a group exercise instructor, creates a program that works specifically for your unique situation and goals. This is different from a group exercise instructor because typically group exercise instructors lead classes that you can drop into. These can be fantastic workouts, and they have a lot of benefits, but they are not planned specifically with your goals in mind.

With semi-private personal training, you can get the benefits of working with other people, along with the benefits of having a trainer who planned the program specifically for you.

Structure of Semi-Private Training

Semi-private training sessions are structured very similarly to traditional one-on-one training sessions. Since I primarily teach people how to lift weights to get stronger, leaner and healthier, semi-private training sessions with me are done in the gym. I always take the time to do an individual consult, even with my semi-private clients, so I can cater the session to each individual‘s goals.

If you work with me and somebody else in a semi-private training session, you might do the same exercises as the other lifter or lifters, but your set and rep scheme will be specific to you. The weights will be specific to your ability as well. We always make accommodations according to individual needs or goals, as well. For example, if you need extra posture work because you sit many hours a day, that will be added in for you.

Recently, my client Hannah has been training in my women’s lifting semi-private group for over a year, in preparation for her wedding. Even though she trains with 2 to 3 other women, we made some specific adjustments as she got closer to the wedding date.

Is Semi-Private Personal Training for Me?

Semi-private training sessions have many benefits, including the camaraderie of other lifters, improved learning from watching others, a lower cost, potentially some schedule flexibility.

Many of my clients who lift in semi-private sessions enjoy the company of their gym friends, whether is the camaraderie, competition, or both. Most don’t know each other outside of the gym, but I found that they had similar goals and made an introduction. Sometimes they needed the same time slot as each other, and sometimes they expressed an interest to work with someone else. If your trainer isn’t able to make introductions for you, you can find a friend to come train with you as well.

Many learning models suggest that people learn movements better both from doing and watching the new movements. In this way, semi-private training can help you learn faster, and continue to learn the lifts you are practicing together. I love this aspect of semi-private training! It might be the best benefits to lifters out of any of these.

Stuck with your training and weight loss? Check out my 3 biggest tips for losing weight.

Semi-Private Training Cost

The cost of semi-private training is often a bit lower than one-on-one training. Semi-private personal training costs are typically around 60% of that of a one-on-one session, and in a small group with an experienced trainer, you can expect nearly the same amount of attention for a fraction of the cost.

Read about how to find the right personal trainer for you here.

Consider Semi-Private Training

If you are thinking about working with a trainer, consider semi-private training. It’s a really great option to learn and grow with a few people who are on your team! If you are in the Austin area and are looking to train, I’d be happy to meet you for a free consult. Click here to be in touch with me about your goals, and we can discuss from there whether individual or semi-private training is best for you.

If you’d like to follow along with the workouts my lifting group does, click the link here to join. I am always available to answer any questions you have about which training program is best for you.

Happy training!

Lower Back Pain from Squats? What You Can Do

October 29, 2022 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment

Squats are one of the most important lifts to train, both because of their ability to change the physique, and because of the phenomenal carryover to real life movement. Need to sit down and not PLOP on the couch? That’s a squat. Want to increase your speed and power for sport? Squats can help with that. Want to maintain your independence for your whole life, ie, not get stuck on a low chair or a toilet? Fill out your jeans a little more? Make your hikes feel stronger? Squats.

Despite their stellar benefits to health and performance, squats are often blamed for low back injury. In reality, squats do not cause low back pain. Poorly executed squats can cause low back pain.

Read on for how to maximize your squat performance so you can build your strength, change your body, and prevent pain.

Lower back pain from squats? What you can do. — Having lower back pain from squats? What you can do.

Why You Might Get Lower Back Pain After Squats

Squats are a full body lift. They heavily involve legs, glutes, back and core. Done properly, squats integrate the whole body in a natural movement. It usually becomes apparent when one piece is a weak link. For example, many people’s legs can handle more than their core (abs and lower back) can.

Sometimes lifters have great form, and need to work on bringing their core strength up to speed. Other times, lifters have poor form that doesn’t necessary cause back pain, but can limit progress. Finally, some lifters use poor form that actually can cause back pain.

Also unforunately, sometimes people just do stupid stuff in the gym. Not warming up properly, adding too much weight to the bar from one set to the next, and trying to go heavy too frequently can all have suboptimal results, including lower back pain after squats.

How to Avoid Lower Back Pain After Squats

The best ways to avoid lower back pain from squats are to learn proper warm up techniques, work on perfecting your form, and follow a well designed program.

The warm up is not just about getting warm; it is much more important than that. The warm up is a physiological process to get your nervous system engaged, get your joints moving, and increase your heart rate and blood flow for the upcoming exercise. By warming up properly and working up in weight with exercise specific warm ups, you’ll actually be able to do more work and better work.

Perhaps the most important way to prevent and avoid lower back pain is to learn to squat with optimal form. Every person’s squat will look different because of differences in limb length and individual build, but every individual has an optimal squat form. Learning to squat properly will help you use your legs and glutes as they are intended to be used in the squat, allowing your back to be used in the way that it is intended. This way your back is not overcompensating for not using your prime movers (the leg and glute muscles) as they should be during the squat.

Finally, follow a good program written by an experienced coach. People who wing it without a program often lift too heavy too often, too light, infrequently, miss major muscle groups, or skip assistance exercises that help you prevent injury. I recommend programs by Aaron Ausmus of Pen and Paper Strength App and Zack Phillips of ReadyUp Athletic Development. I would be honored to help you with a program as well. Check out these or contact me about a custom program written for your goals.

How to Recover From Lower Back Pain Caused by Squats

Remember that squatting is a natural movement and most people can find a way to do it pain free. If you suspect you are having lower back pain caused by squats, then something must change. In the short term, back off squats, especially if you are doing barbell squats and are going very heavy. Do not stop your movement, though! This is not a free pass to stop exercising.

If the pain is exceptionally bad, please contact a doctor. The following advice applies to pain that is manageable and is not medical advice.

Movement is good for the body, so continue movement by walking, swimming or other low impact exercise. You can add in unweighted squats as a test to see how it feels. If you’d like to bump it a notch, you can add lunges or stationary lunges. While lunging, the back can typically remain upright, which is generally a safe position.

Add in movements such as the McKenzie press, child’s pose, unweighted reverse hyperextensions, back extensions and dead hangs.

You can also look at other factors in your life that might be contributing to lower back pain. Do you have good posture when you sit, and do you have an ergonomic setup where you spend most of your work day? Check out your mattress too. Ideally you spend 8 or so hours there each night. It is important that you don’t sleep in a funny position in that little dip that develops as mattresses age.

Most importantly, remember that this too shall pass! Keep a positive attitude and look to athletes and people you know who have come back from injuries. Your body is always actively working to heal you – help it as much as you can!

Benefits and Variations of Squats

Because squats use so much of the body, they can be very taxing on the nervous system, and thus send a large signal to the body to adapt. In other words, when you challenge yourself on squats, they feel hard because they are hard!

One way to avoid injury and overuse is to become proficient in squat variations. This will develop your strength in many ways, at varying angles, and help prevent overuse injuries.

Check out this post about 7 squat variations you can do with little equipment.

Keep Squatting to Build a Strong Back!

When done correctly in a well written program, lower back pain from squatting is exceedingly rare. In fact, squatting correctly does wonders for strengthening your back and preventing low back pain and injury.

While it might take some time on the front end to learn and practice ideal squatting form, or trouble shoot your current squat form, it is well worth the effort to be strong.

Enjoy lifting, my friends, and please be in touch if you have questions I can help you with. Kathryn@kathrynalexander.com

Managing Client Expectations

August 31, 2022 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment

I recently contributed to a piece published on BecomeaPersonalTrainer.org called “40 Personal Trainers Reveal How to Manage Client Expectations.”

The article contains a wealth of insight from many trainers and is a great read for both clients and trainers alike.

As a personal trainer, managing client expectations is key to setting them up for happiness and success.

You can read the whole article here. Spoiler alert! My advice is to encourage people to understand that the way to make a long-standing change, which is what people are truly seeking, is to make permanent changes rather than seeking a quick fix.

You’ll Be Proud With Progress

You might have a goal to gain 40 pounds of strength on your bench press, or to lose 30 pounds of fat. Both of these will require consistent work over a period of time, and you’ll be so proud and happy once you get there!

Remember though, that you’ll be proud of yourself along the way. When you’ve worked hard and earned a 30 pound increase on your bench press, you’ll be happy! When you’re exercises and make good food choices, you’ll feel great when you’ve lost 10 pounds, and are on your way to losing 30.

The bottom line that I want you to remember is that this is a process that requires consistency. You can do it!! You’ll be happy along the way!

Happiness, peace and personal pride are not reserved only for the end of the journey!

Finding a Personal Trainer to Help on Your Journey

Are you looking for a personal trainer to help on your fitness and health journey? If so, I’d be honored to help you get started, or continue on toward your goals. You can find info about working 1:1 with me in person here, or online here. Please email me if you have questions or would like to do a consult. kathryn@kathrynalexander.com

Happy training!

Pushups on Vacation: A Success Story from the Beach

May 9, 2022 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment

Pushups on the beach: a happy client of Kathryn Alexander (Alexander Training) shares her picture from vacation.

Pushups on Vacation

This is a throwback text to one of my favorite client texts ever. Her goal with working with me was to improve strength and performance on a few specific tests, pushups included.

In the process, she found she was a good lifter, and good at pushups, and even enjoyed doing pushups on vacation!

Want To Improve Your Pushups?

Check out The Home Team, my monthly workout that is created specifically for home exercisers. It utilizes a few dumbbells, a band, and yes, pushups! Follow that link to get your first week free.

How to do Bear Crawls

January 10, 2022 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment

If you have done bear crawls, you might be having flashbacks of sweat and tears and punishment from a high school coach. The bear crawl is a full body, energy intensive exercise that lends itself well to group application. It’s also fairly simple, equipment free, and luckily for us over the age of 18, has many modifications to suit your goals, ability, and space.

The bear crawl is a great exercise that is beneficial to almost everybody, not just young athletes. As you can see, you’ll be working your arms and legs, but it’s a killer ab & back exercise too. Core work, as it’s trendy to say. The bear crawl also reinforces athleticism and coordination, since it works the whole body as a unit.

Learn how to do bear crawls and add them into your program today!

What is the Bear Crawl?

The bear crawl is a traveling movement on all fours. It can be done quickly, like a run, for conditioning goals. It can be done as I’ll show you here, with smaller movements for a focus on the trunk. There are many ways to do a bear crawl well. In this case, you’ll take smaller steps and more precise movements. This will also allow you to do the bear crawl inside, where you might not have as much room as on a large turf.

How to do the Bear Crawl

Set up on all fours (4 point position)
Keep an active, neutral, flat back
Pick your knees up off the ground about an inch
Travel forward, taking very small (2 inch) steps
Deliberately keep your trunk engaged, as opposed to loose and flopping around
Reverse and travel backwards

Try the Bear Crawl and Let Me Know How You Love It!

Try out the bear crawl and let me know how it goes! It is tougher than it looks so be prepared to work!

Happy training!