Alexander Training - personal training in Austin, Texas

Personal training in Austin, Texas and customized strength programs in Austin, Texas.

How To

How to Begin Lifting Weights

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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.

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. 

Related: learn how to overcome gym intimidation. Short term mindset shifts for long term confidence.

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.)

  1. 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! 
  2. 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.
  3. 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. 
  4. 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. 
  5. Try this to learn more about your shoulders and posture in less than two minutes.
  6. Remember all the benefits of lifting weights! The health, physique and mental benefits will always work in your favor. 
  7. 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! 

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

How to do Bear Crawls

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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!

Related: My 5 Favorite Exercises

Check Out More How-To Videos Below

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

How to do Band Pullaparts

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Band pullaparts are a fantastic exercise for nearly everybody to do, and it is well worth the time to learn how to do band pullaparts. They work your posterior upper body, something we need to be cognizant of in a very forward facing society. We look at our phones, we type on the computer, leaning in and stretching our neck. 

The truth is, we need to do this anyway. It’s not just modern times. It’s because our eyes face forward. If not for a smart phone, it would be a book, a newspaper, a magazine.

It’s also very important to make sure your back is strong if your front is strong. Do you bench press? Do you do pushups? You need pullaparts then, to maintain shoulder health. 

It’s simply a good habit to get in to work the muscles behind you, no matter your profession or physical demands during the day. 

Band pullaparts are one way to do that. They work your rear delts, traps, and rhomboids, among other supporting musculature. 

How to do Band Pullaparts

  • stand tall

  • extend your arms in front of you, gripping a light band

  • keep elbows straight but not locked as you press your arms straight around your side

  • I prefer palms down but you can experiment with different hand positions

  • squeeze your shoulders behind you as you make a big wide sweep with your arms

  • press until the band touches your chest

  • control the return to your start position and repeat

Execution and Incorporation of Pullaparts

Pullaparts are great as a warm up, finisher, or even between exercises. I sometimes do pull-ups between sets of bench press as a reminder to scapular control. You can do sets of 10-15, or do a larger set. Use a fairly light band, as this isn’t an exercise you’ll aggressively progress. It’s a reminder and reinforcement of shoulder health. Let me know if you have questions about your pullaparts!

Need another arm tutorial? Check out how to work your triceps here.

Check Out More How-To Videos Below

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

How to do Lunges and Lunge Variations

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Lunges are a fantastic exercise because they are effective, versatile, and can benefit nearly everyone. There are so many ways to do lunges, so learn how to do lunges in a way that best serves you and your goals.

You can do lunges without equipment or with equipment. You can make them harder or easier by adjusting the distance and load. They can work on strength, endurance and even balance. 

How to Do a Lunge

  • From a tall standing position, step one leg forward in front of you

  • Step as if you are on railroad tracks, not a tight rope

  • Aim to land with a 90 degree angle in both knees

  • Knee should be close to the floor but not touching

  • Press into the ground through your heel and big toe and squeeze your glute to stand back up

  • Repeat with your other leg, alternating as you stand back up

When to Use Lunge Variations

You can do lunges many different ways, depending on what you are looking to gain from them. 

To work balance, do walking lunges. 

If balance is restricting you, stationary lunges or reverse lunges will allow you to get good work in. You strength will build and you’ll be able to add back in walking lunges for a new challenge.

To improve work capacity, do walking lunges a greater distance to get more volume. To add a challenge on the greater distance hold dumbbells.

In fact, to improve strength, hold dumbbells, kettlebells or any kind of weight in any lunge variation.

Related: here’s a how-to for a quick arm exercise.

For all around increased challenge, try the Bulgarian split squat. These are challenging! Adjust these as you would any lunges: with something for balance, without, with weights or without. Let me know how you like them!

And as always, feel free to email me if you have specific questions!

Check Out More How-To Videos Below

Work With Me!

If you are looking for a personal trainer in Austin, I’d love to talk with you! If you are not in Austin, Round Rock, or central Texas, let’s talk about online training.

Message me here for a free consult about personal training in Austin, Texas, or here for online personal training, and we’ll discuss your goals, background, equipment availability, schedule, and exercise preferences.

Let’s get you strong and healthy! 💪

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

How to do the “Y”

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The “Y” as I call it, is an exercise primarily for your rear delts, or the posterior muscle of your shoulder. This is a small, nuanced movement, so you can even do it effectively without weight. In fact, I want you to master it without weight first, so read below how to do the Y well.

Holding the position also reinforces a healthy hinge, which is a crucial movement to master to prevent back pain. Read the directions below about how to move into the hinge position. If this is troublesome, spend some time working on the hinge too!

How to do the “Y” for rear delts

Start with no weight at first. Remember, if you can do this and recruit the muscles you are trying to feel, you’ll do better at it when you do introduce weight. Start with a set of 10 reps, then stand and assess where you feel it.

  • hinge at the hips with back neutral and straight

  • extend arms with palms facing behind you

  • bend at the elbows as if you are elbowing the ceiling

  • rotate your arms up into a “touchdown” position

  • extend your arms into a “Y” shape

  • bend at the elbows, rotate arms, and straight elbows to return to the start position

Try another how-to: how to do the banded leg lift, one of my favorite ab exercises

How to do the “Y” with a Bench at the Gym

If you have a bench or would like to do this at the gym, you can follow the same directions. Watch the video below for a demo.

When To Do the Y

You can use the “Y” as a warm up exercise, in which case you’ll go fairly light in weight and do 2-4 sets of about 10 reps. If you’re using them as an exercise that you’d like to progress in, you can increase the weight and drop the reps slightly to about 8. Remember this exercise will generally be about the mind muscle connection and not about how heavy you can go. Work on feeling what you are aiming to feel (rear delts), and doing quality reps. Happy training!

See More How-To Videos Below

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

How to Do The Dead Bug

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The dead bug is a trunk and core stability exercise that can be done at beginner to more advanced levels. As long as you can safely lay flat on your back on the floor, you can do it. Read below and watch the videos to learn how to do the dead bug and its variations.

Begin with the easiest version, described below. Once you have mastered that, you can progress to the tougher versions by using a foam roller, or performing the 4-way dead bug. Videos are below.

How to Do The Dead Bug

  • lay on your back with arms and legs extended into the air 
  • squeeze your abs to press your back into the ground
  • maintain this abdominal squeeze
  • extend your right arm and left leg toward the floor in a controlled manner
  • shorten your range of motion if your low back pops off the ground
  • return to your start position, and repeat with your opposite arm and leg

Practice, practice. You’ll get it- this one’s a thinker! 

Performing the dead bug on a foam roller provides an extra stability challenge.

The 4 way dead bug is the toughest. Keep your abs very engaged and low back pressed into the ground. This is a tough variation. I’d ideally like your reps to be better than my first rep in the video. Watch the reps to see if you can spot what I could have done better.

How To Incorporate The Dead Bug In Your Program

Add this exercise in last, or with your ab/core work. You typically don’t want to exhaust your trunk musculature and then go do an exercise that requires core stability for safety, like the barbell squat. For this reason, you’ll often see more focused ab and core work at the end of a session. 

Start with 5 well executed reps per side. If that’s easy, add more reps up to 10. At 10 high quality reps, you can start incorporating the harder versions. The goal is always quality over quantity, so you can drop back to 5 reps again when trying a more challenging version. 

Happy training! Let me know how you incorporate the dead bug into your program! As always, feel free to email me with questions! Kathryn@kathrynalexander.com.

Learn More New Exercises Below

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

How to do the Floor Press

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You have probably done some sort of horizontal pressing, such as pushups, bench press, dumbbell press. But have you done the dumbbell floor press? Often overlooked for other presses, the dumbbell floor press also develops pressing strength and works the pecs, triceps and shoulders. It helps with lockout strength because it has a shorter range of motion than a traditional bench press. Read on for videos and descriptions of how to do the floor press.

How to Properly Execute the Dumbbell Floor Press

  • grip your dumbbells from a sitting position and roll back to lay flat
  • lay on your back with your elbows to your side
  • elbows should be slightly tucked, not directly out from your shoulders
  • press the dumbbells toward the ceiling until your elbows are straight and above your chest
  • do not let the dumbbells make contact with each other
  • control the return to your start position
  • from here, press the dumbbells into your legs to roll up
  • do not flop your arms out to your side to set the dumbbells down. That’s unnecessarily hard on your shoulders

When to Floor Press

The floor press can be your main lift if you would like it to be. In that case, warm up well and then begin with a medium weight. You can increase the weight each set.

If you will also be bench pressing or heavy dumbbell pressing in your session, I recommend doing the floor press after, as an assistance exercise.

how to do floor press

How Heavy to Go On the Floor Press

Since I consider the floor press an assistance or accessory exercise, and you won’t do it in competition like the bench press, I suggest keeping the reps between 6-12. No one’s going to ask you at a party, “How much you floor press, bro?” Keeping this in mind, consider it’s utility to you: to help with your bench press or pressing strength. You can go fewer than 6 (and therefore heavier than that) IF you can do this safely. Have an exit plan and/or a spotter. Remember that it’s not necessary to max out on these. 

Can’t get enough of how-tos? Check out this super challenging leg exercise.

Let me know how you like floor presses! If you have questions about how to use them, feel free to comment below or email me! kathryn@kathrynalexander.com

See How to Do More Exercises Below

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

How to Band Deadlift

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Want to be safer when picking up your kid? Yep. Want your lawn work to feel easier? Yes. Want to tighten up your back side? Oh yeah. I have great news for you! If you learn how to band deadlift, you can accomplish all of these at once.

The deadlift and similar deadlift movements are packed with full body benefits. I say “movement” because you don’t have to do a competition style deadlift, as heavy as you can, to benefit. One great alternative is the band deadlift.

Deadlifts Make You Strong

One of the most beneficial lifts, if not the most beneficial lift, is the deadlift. When done properly, the deadlift makes you real-life strong. It makes you more resilient and more injury-resistant.

The deadlift works much of your body and your whole posterior. Your prime movers when deadlifting are glutes, hamstrings, quads and back. The deadlift also works your upper back, traps, grip, and trunk.

Because it works so much of your body’s musculature, and because the deadlift allows a great amount of exertion, it sends a strong signal to your body to get respond. It says, “Get stronger and grow!”

Why Doesn’t Everyone Deadlift?

One of the biggest impediments to practicing the deadlift is that a traditional deadlift requires a 7 foot bar. Not many people have a barbell like that at home, and not even all gyms have good barbells. Additionally, some people prefer not to do a barbell deadlift. That is OK.

I do want you to have options though, because picking anything up off the floor is a movement that mimics the deadlift, and you’ll surely do that in your life. I want you to do it safely. A simple band at home can help you practice the deadlift movement by doing the band deadlift.

How to do the Band Deadlift

  • stand with both feet on an appropriately resistant band
  • keep your whole trunk engaged (abs on, arms pressed down)
  • keep your trunk neutral (neutral here means straight like normal, no swayback or tucked)
  • bring your hips toward the ground and grab the band
  • keeping your arms straight and your trunk unmoving, squeeze your glutes and grab the ground with your toes
  • press the ground away from you as you stand all the way up
  • reverse the movement to return to your starting position

Where to Find the Right Equipment for Band Deadlifts

You can find a good and inexpensive band with a quick search for “resistance band”. Look for the flat band and not tubing. If you have questions about the purchase process or your form, please email me! I am happy to help and I wish you fun, fruitful deadlifting!

Are you nervous about getting in the gym? Read some short term mindset shifts for long term confidence in the gym.

See More How-To’s Below

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Gym Etiquette Guide: How to Share the Gym and Get the Workout You Want

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Like a community kitchen or shared break room, the gym is better shared when participants abide by a few common rules. Sometimes it can feel strange going to a new gym or going to the gym for the first time, but knowing how to share the space goes a long way in making you feel comfortable. Read these quick tips and know you belong in the weight room!

Wash your hands before and after you workout, use the restroom, cough, etc. 

If there are people using the part of the gym you want to use, survey the area and quickly assess where others are working. 

Wait until others are done with their set before you speak to them, so they can maintain concentration. 

Speak up! Ask if you can work in or share if you want to use the same area or piece of equipment. 

Share when people ask to work in with you. Often, sharing equipment creates an optimal work/rest pace. 

Don’t stand directly in front of the dumbbell rack, in case someone needs to get or re-rack dumbbells during your set.

Likewise, don’t stand right in front of the mirror if someone is doing a workset. 

Please don’t hesitate to ask gym staff if you have a question about how to use equipment. None of us know how to use everything in every gym.

Clean equipment if you sweat on it. 

Understand that some people won’t want to chit chat while working out, and it is not personal. Usually people are just focusing on finishing their workout in time or are highly focused.

Change clothes for your workout. Dress to get the safest, most effective workout. Avoid:

  • long hair, long necklaces, or loose clothing that could get caught in equipment and pose a safety hazard
  • flip flops, heels, or unstable footwear
  • office clothes, since belts, zippers and buckles are rough on equipment. 
  • Shorts that your butt hangs out in, please and thank you.


Kathryn_Alexander_personal_trainer_austin

Be supportive of others! Remember that even if you have different styles of exercise, you are both working hard to invest in yourself. That is worth supporting! 

If you are in Austin or are looking for a personal trainer, email me to set up your free consult. kathryn@kathrynalexander.com

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

How to Log Press with Joel Hendershott

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Strongman events are just fun. I love the familiarity of the 3 powerlifts and the discipline of bodybuilding. But strongman is just fun! Where else can you see car deadlifts, kegs, and giant stones being thrown around? No kidding, I witnessed a conan’s wheel event where the weights were Hooters girls, one of whom was pregnant. This wasn’t even in Austin, yall. You never know what events you’ll see at a strongman competition.


Joel pulls a truck in a strongman competition

I asked Joel to teach me some strongman lifts. Joel Hendershott is a strongman coach at Big Tex Gym in Austin, Texas. He has an ISSA strength and conditioning certification and runs Bracestrength.com. Joel has a great story: he was overweight, inactive and expecting his first child. Instead of waiting for a better time, or when he was less busy (let’s be honest- when will life get less busy?) he went to work becoming someone strong and healthy for his kid to look up to. 

He began powerlifting in 2012 and did his first meet in 2013. That same year, he took an interest in strongman. He was living in Vancouver at the time and he found the local competitors to be extremely welcoming. 

“Here’s the thing about strongman: It was just random equipment at random people’s houses. If someone had an awesome log in his garage, we went there. If another guy had big tires, we trained there. The guys were like, ‘Yes, come train with us.’’’

Sidenote: Joel and I agree that this inclusive and supportive spirit wasn’t just because they were nice Canadians. Powerlifters and strongmen and -women competitors are known for being supportive of each other, even cheering for each other in meets. If you’re considering jumping in, quit hesitating!

The Clean

The log press is a quintessential lift in the strongman competitions, and is unlike any other clean and press or jerk. It requires the strength of a deadlift, flexibility of a low paused squat, coordination and strength of a clean/front squat, and stability of a heavy overhead press. Whew! And yeah, it was as tiring as it sounds. 

I used wraps loosely wrapped around my forearms, less for joint support and more for protection against knocking my forearms on the log.

  • Begins with the handles of the log facing slightly down, away from you. 
  • You essentially stiff leg deadlift the log to just above your knees and squat with it. Be sure you don’t put it on your thighs or midleg. (Don’t actually lock your knees out during those movement; just know that you won’t be able to drop your hips as low or bend your knees as much as during a conventional deadlift.) 
  • Get your elbows high.
  • Drive your hips through to stand up with the log and quickly drive your elbows forward.

You can see here that I didn’t keep my elbows high on rep 2. It made it much harder and slower.

Joel shows us how its done.

Tips: 

Start with the log tilted forward, where the handles face slightly away from you.

Supplement your training with front squats. Paused front squats are a fantastic assistance exercise with huge carry over to the log press. 

The press

Once you have the log to your shoulders, you begin your set up for the press. As Joel says, put the mass of the log against the mass of your body. You can either strict press or push press.

Keep your elbows high whether you are strict or push pressing. Remember you are pressing a log; it is round and will roll down your arms if you let your elbows fall. 

To strict press the log, stand tight with your elbows high and forcefully drive the log up. 

To push press, stay tight, initiate a quick bend at the knees, then a forceful drive of the log overhead. The push press must be a quick dip and drive. If you languish at the bottom of the position or stand up slowly, you lose power.

As you can see in this video where I do 2 presses, my elbows drop a little bit before the second press, and it knocks me off balance. 

Joel and I worked on the log press and stones for about an hour. (How to on stones coming soon!) I was pretty wiped out! These lifts are obviously great for conditioning and overall strength. I will be incorporating them into my regular workouts!

If you’d like to train with Joel, contact him at beardfacestrength@gmail.com. Be on the lookout for the how to on stones, and email me or Joel if you have questions!


Stephen and Joel talk shop while working with the log.

Stephen and Joel talk shop while working with the log.

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.