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28 May 2021

Understanding Maximum Heart Rate

Leave a Comment / Fitness Blog / By Andy Vincent

Your MHR is an important number to know when you’re trying to achieve a level of fitness. You can use your MHR to help you establish your own heart rate zones. Equipped with your MHR, you or your personal trainer can develop a personalized fitness routine that pushes your bpm into the aerobic zone, where fat loss and muscle development occurs.

The inverted row is a must-have in your training r

The inverted row is a must-have in your training routine! 💪

It’s super easy to set up if you’ve got a TRX, Smith machine, or a rack at the gym. The key to success is scaling your progression to match your ability. 🔑

Make sure you check out the video to find the variation that works best for you! Which setup do you prefer? Let me know in the comments! ⬇️

📍 @lisbonstrong

#StrengthTraining #BackWorkout #BodyweightExercise #InvertedRow #FitnessTips #TRXTraining #GymLife #WorkoutProgression #SmithMachine #FunctionalFitness #StrengthAndConditioning #TrainSmart #PullExercises #UpperBodyStrength #FitnessMotivation

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ve prob

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ve probably seen me post about this a few times. And every single time, without fail, trainers jump into the comments to argue. I always aim to stay professional in my replies, but honestly, this isn’t a complex topic. It’s really just common sense.

If you always use lifting straps, then yes, your grip strength will weaken. That’s obvious. But if you have to take things to the extreme to make a point, I’d suggest you probably want to look somewhere in the middle to find the solution.

Let me put it this way: back squats are a great exercise. But if you did them in every single workout, they wouldn’t be useful long-term. Training five days in a row might be a good idea for one busy week, but doing it every week for the rest of your life wouldn’t be a smart approach. 💡 See the pattern here? We don’t need to live at the extremes.

Instead of jumping to “Straps are bad because they’ll ruin your grip!” we can acknowledge the nuance: if you rely on them for every lift, your grip might weaken, yes. But the simple solution? Use them strategically. Save them for your hardest sets, when you’re maxing out on a weight you’ve never lifted before, or for high-volume sessions where your grip is already fatigued.

This isn’t rocket science.

📍 @lisbonstrong

#StrengthTraining #GripStrength #LiftingStraps #StrengthCoach #FitnessTips #WeightLifting #TrainingSmart #ProgressNotPerfection #FunctionalStrength #FitnessEducation #LiftHeavy #TrainHardTrainSmart #Strength

Here are the 8 basics you need to know for Muscle

Here are the 8 basics you need to know for Muscle Building.

#StrengthTraining
#TrainSmart
#WorkoutGoals
#SustainableFitness

What do you recommend when body image is stopping

What do you recommend when body image is stopping you from working out?

1. Start with Small Steps
Focus on low-pressure, enjoyable activities such as walking, yoga, or stretching at home. Begin with 10–15 minutes daily to create a sustainable habit without overwhelming yourself.

2. Shift the Focus
Reframe exercise as an act of self-care, not punishment. Consider how movement benefits your mental health, energy, and overall well-being. Set weight loss goals, such as improving strength, endurance, or mood.

3. Choose a Supportive Environment
Opt for environments where you feel safe and comfortable, such as home workouts or small, welcoming gyms. Look for classes or groups specifically marketed as body-positive or inclusive. And limit exposure to triggers. Curate your social media feed to follow accounts promoting body positivity and diversity in fitness. Avoid content that reinforces unrealistic beauty standards.

4. Seek Professional Support
Work with a personal trainer, preferably one experienced in body-positive or inclusive coaching. Consider therapy or counselling to explore and address deeper body image concerns.

5. Build a Routine That Prioritises Joy
Incorporate activities you genuinely enjoy, like dancing, hiking, or swimming, rather than exercises you think you "should do"—pair workouts with things that bring joy, like listening to your favourite music or podcasts. I might say to start lifting weights or doing intervals, but getting consistent is your number one priority right now.

6. Go at Your Own Pace
There's no rush or "perfect time" to start. Progress is personal and nonlinear. Celebrate consistency and effort over perfection.

7. Wear Comfortable Clothing
Invest in workout gear that feels good and fits well, regardless of current size or shape. If needed, try layering to feel less exposed until you're more comfortable.

#StrengthTraining
#TrainSmart
#WorkoutGoals
#FatLoss
#SustainableFitness

Your diet doesn't need a name! Intermittent Fasti

Your diet doesn't need a name!

Intermittent Fasting, Slimming World, Weight Watchers, Keto, Carnivore, Paleo or Plant-Based. There are countless diets out there, but all of them are based on restriction. That's not to say every element of these diets is wrong, but when a diet's foundation is built on eliminating or demonising certain foods, it often leads to struggles in the long run.

The key to successful dieting is sustainability. If what you're currently doing is working for you, that's fantastic. But if it's not, perhaps it's time to step away from restrictive ideologies and instead find a way to include the foods you enjoy while making small, meaningful adjustments to your habits.

We live in a world where people on social media build entire careers around specific diets or nutrition trends: Carnivore MD, Glucose Goddess. Do you really think they can approach broader nutrition topics with an unbiased, impartial perspective when they're so deeply tied to their ideology?

Somewhere between all these extremes is likely where most people need to be. The sweet spot is finding what works for you without being confined by someone else's rigid framework.

#trainsmart #fitnessgoals #avpt #onlinepersonaltraining

Learn why sustainable nutrition practices are esse

Learn why sustainable nutrition practices are essential for long-term weight loss success. In my latest podcast episode, I break down the pitfalls of restrictive diets and offer practical alternatives so you can lose weight successfully.

🎧 Subscribe and Listen wherever you get your podcasts
📺 Or watch the episode on my YouTube Channel

#AndyVincentPT #SmarterStrengthTraining #trainsmart #podcast #fitnesspodcast #strengthtrainingpodcast #avpt #onlinepersonaltraining #fitnessobsessed #FitnessGoals #StrengthRetention #SustainableEating #HealthyLifestyle #NutritionTips

The Nordic Curl is one of the best exercises for d

The Nordic Curl is one of the best exercises for developing hamstring strength. However, it’s an extremely challenging movement, and most people don’t have the strength to perform even the lowering phase at first. That’s why you need a step-by-step approach with progressions and regressions to build up to the full exercise.

In this video, I walk you through the process I’ve used to develop my Nordic Curl strength over the past three years. Proper setup is essential for success. I’m using a Nord Board in the video, but a Glute Ham Raise is another excellent piece of equipment for this exercise. Don’t have access to either? It’s absolutely possible to train Nordic Curls without specialised equipment, and I’ll cover those options in a follow-up video.

Let me know how you’re working on your Nordic Curls and if you’d like to see more tips!

📍@lisbonstrong

#StrengthTraining
#SmartTraining
#TrapBar
#WorkoutWisdom
#OpenBar
#FitnessGoals
#StrengthCoachTips
#buildstrength

Shoulder presses are notoriously difficult to prog

Shoulder presses are notoriously difficult to progress. One reason is that overhead pressing, as a whole, requires a lifter to prevent the ribcage from flaring. This demands more intra-abdominal pressure and increased focus on maintaining proper back positioning. Some of the effort intended for the press is instead used for stability.

Additionally, the weights in a shoulder press move far away from the centre of mass. Unlike a pull-down variation, where the weight is being pulled closer to you, the shoulder press moves the load further away. This unique characteristic is likely the biggest reason many people struggle to progress with this exercise.

On a practical note, too many people perform high-rep sets, which the shoulder press doesn’t suit well due to the challenges in progression. If you’ve noticed that you rarely increase the weight on your shoulder press, try lowering the rep range to 6–8 reps. You’ll likely find it easier to manage load increases more frequently.

📍@lisbonstrong

#StrengthTraining
#MobilityMatters
#RangeOfMotion
#JointHealth
#FunctionalStrength
#FullBodyWorkout
#MovementQuality
#FitnessTips
#MobilityTraining
#TrainSmart
#BodyweightTraining
#InjuryPrevention
#FlexibilityTraining
#StrongerEveryDay
#FitnessGoals
#GymEfficiency
#WorkoutInspiration

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