I’ve been asking people about their workout motivation because the pandemic has changed so much about our lives, home fitness has become our new “normal” (at least for Los Angelenos), and I want to know how I can best help people stay healthy, fit, and sane at home. I received a lot of different answers regarding motivation. Some serious, some half-joking, some ridiculous, and some probably making fun of me, but there’s some truth in all of them. I wanted to share the answers with you. Maybe they will help you a) get some motivation ideas, or b) feel less alone in your fitness fears. Accordi ..read more

SIMPLE & SINISTER PROGRAM Kettlebell Simple & Sinister is a book and program by Pavel Tsatsouline. Since it was first published in 2015 with the 2nd edition being released in late 2019, there has been a lot of discussion about it amongst kettlebell and strength training enthusiasts.  This post is meant to be an introduction and summary of the program found in Kettlebell Simple & Sinister. The book contains tons of interesting and useful information including kettlebell history, the inspiration for the program, specific warm-up drills, cool-down exercises, and more. If you hav ..read more

THE DAN MARTIN PROGRAM MINIMUM Looking for a simple, easy to follow simple home kettlebell workout program? Look no further than the Dan Martin Program Minimum. The “program minimum” originated out of the Russian Kettlebell Challenge book back in 2001 and has undergone some changes throughout the years.  At its core, the program minimum is based on the idea of one big bang for the buck “pull” and one big “push” type exercise performed a couple of times a week.  Due to its simplicity, the Program Minimum is perfect for a home kettlebell workout.  The first program minimum was ma ..read more

Dear F5SXMT Students, Unless you’ve been stuck under a rock the past few days, I’m sure you’re heard about COVID-19.  Although, I doubt you’ve been stuck under a small to large rock because you are all strong, capable students of strength and Muay Thai and could definitely lift a rock of substantial size off you if needed. I waited to write about COVID-19 because, as someone who values science and research, I felt I needed more information, so I did not accidentally misinform anyone. I believe that now that enough experts have spoke ..read more

I used to count calories in my head while I was running. I vividly remember the sound of my strides and my sneakers hitting the ground as I rounded the bend at the Hollywood reservoir trail. I added up the open-faced turkey sandwich and salad I ate for lunch and the oatmeal, berries, and Greek yogurt I ate for breakfast. By this time, a few years into my amateur career as a fighter, I had become so accustomed to weighing and measuring my food and looking up the total calories and grams that I could quickly compute “food math” in my ..read more

According to the American Institute of Stress, 77% of people in the U.S.  experience physical symptoms of stress, and 73% experience psychological symptoms caused by stress. Fatigue, headache, upset stomach, and muscle tension were the top physical symptoms of stress in the 2014 study by the American Psychological Association. We all know that stress is bad for our health. Developing stress reduction techniques in our lives is crucial to our wellness. One of the most popular forms of stress reduction is exercise. Our doctors recomme ..read more

How many times in your life have you made a health and fitness goal or New Years’ resolution? How many times have you hit that goal on the mark? Probably not as many times as you would like. It’s common for most humans to have a history of repeated attempts at various life goals. The yo-yo diet of goal setting can be disheartening at best, self-loathing at worst. Goal setting for health and fitness is not only one of the most common types of goals, but I will argue it’s also the most complicated because, for many of us, it’s not a ..read more

“My (insert body part here) hurts. Is this normal?” – Says 99% of new Muay Thai students at some point. Now, I’m not a doctor, so I can’t say with 100% certainty what’s going on with your body, nor can I diagnose any injury. However, I do know Muay Thai, and I understand the most common tweaks, bumps, bruises, aches, and pains that beginners experience. Based on my time in the sport, I can give general advice on how to prevent some of these annoying aches and pains. There is no “normal” pain, but there are frequent physical complain ..read more

I know exactly why you’re looking for beginner tips for Muay Thai. Do you remember all your fears about the first day of high school or college? Worrying if you could find the right classroom, wondering if you were overdressed, under-dressed, or had picked the perfect “new you” to present to your new classmates.  You nervously checked your schedule, “Am I even in the right building?” Then when you got the classroom, you noticed your pits getting sweaty. You looked around the room for an empty seat and wondered who to sit next to and ..read more